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July Endings, 2007
The end of July pretty much marks the close to the nesting season in the Big Country. The Dickcissels (above) and Mourning Doves were seen this morning still on the nest or tending young. But the Swainson’s Hawk at Dyess AFB has fledged; the Western Kingbirds and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are clumped together in family groups […]
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July 30, 2007 – DAFB
Best bird(s) of the morning: Empidonax Flycatcher, 1 Orchard Oriole, 12, small flock foraging among the sunflowers left standing west of the cantonment area Both sightings are a sure sign that fall migration has started Complete list: Northern Bobwhite, 7; most in the field where the sunflowers were not mowed down Great Blue Heron, 1 […]
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BCAS Annual Meeting and Auction, 2007
Please join us for a fun evening of food, fellowship, and silent auction, Thursday evening, September 6 at the Lodge at Oakwood Trails. We’ll eat about 6:30 but come early if you’d like to bird the area. We’re going casual again this year; bring your own food (sandwiches was the norm last year). Drinks, dessert […]
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July 24, 2007 – DAFB
Best bird(s) of the day: Watching a couple of Mississippi Kites work a flock of Cliff Swallows and successfully take one out. Watching the juvenile Swainson’s Hawk learn to fly and feed himself. Complete List: Mallard, 2 Wild Turkey, 4 Northern Bobwhite, 5 Green Heron, 2 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, 2 Turkey Vulture, 1 Mississippi Kite, 7 […]
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July 10, 2007 – DAFB
No best bird of the day; all recorded are the usual breeders. However, the bobcat that walked out of the high grass ten feet in front of me was a pretty good find. He sauntered out from the six-foot forbes where I had just been checking a nestbox. I think I roused him from his […]
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A Bird in the Hand…
I’ve posted bird banding pictures recently, but I just had to share these photos with everyone because how many times do you see a hummingbird in the hand and it’s still alive? Kathy and I went to Christoval to Dan Brown’s Hummer House at the end of June (it was her birthday!) to watch the […]
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Mid-July Parenting
This year only one Swainson’s Hawk chick sits in the nest at Mesquite Grove Golf Course. The nest started out with two chicks but either fratricide, rain storms (I think I remember we had some rain), or an accidental slip reduced the nest to one. The hawks are being good parents and every mockingbird, scissor-tail, […]
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July 6, 2007 – Lake Fort Phantom
Best bird(s) of the evening: White-faced Ibis, 6, flying overhead Cattle Egret, 203, most still in breeding plumage Common Moorhen, 3. Don’t think we’ve ever recorded this species at Lake Ft. Phantom Complete List: Northern Bobwhite, 5 Great Blue Heron, 24 Snowy Egret, 8 Cattle Egret, 203 White-faced Ibis, 6 Turkey Vulture, 2 Mississippi Kite, […]
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July 6, 2007 – DAFB
Best bird(s) of the morning: Well, it’s getting harder and harder to find a best; but the 16 juvenile American Robins flocking together like teenagers was amusing. Their spotted breasts and boldly patterned facial markings were reminiscent of varied thrushes. Others: Northern Bobwhite, 4 Mississippi Kite, 5 Swainson’s Hawk, 2 (only seeing 1 juvenile on […]
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July 5, 2007 – Lake Fort Phantom
Best bird(s) of the day: Cattle Egret, 136 and probably more, most of them in breeding plumage Complete List: Northern Bobwhite, 4 Great Blue Heron, 2 Snowy Egret, 2 Cattle Egret, 136 Green Heron, 4 Turkey Vulture, 3 Mississippi Kite, 2 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Killdeer, 6 Mourning Dove, 24 Inca Dove, 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 2 […]