Heidi Trudell found a dark bird flying with the Ring-billed Gulls Thursday, November 8, 2007, around 12:45 p.m. at Lake Kirby, Taylor County, TX. But without a field guide, a definite ID could not be made. I re-found the bird around 4:30 p.m. and managed some photos. We believe the jaeger is a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger. It was a warm brown color, small bill, and pale base to the primaries. We’d appreciate feedback from those that are more experienced with jaegers. More photos can be seen in the Rare Bird Gallery. Full-sized photos will be e-mailed upon request.

Best bird(s) of the day:

• The ducks are finally here!
• Cackling Goose - 1
• Merlin - 1

Complete List:

• Pied-billed Grebe – 12
• Horned Grebe – 2
• Eared Grebe – 18
• American White Pelican - 60
• Great Egret – 2
• Snowy Egret – 6
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron – 1 immature
• Cackling Goose - 1
• American Wigeon – 20
• Gadwall – 30
• Green-winged Teal – 6
• Northern Pintail – 4
• Northern Shoveler – 12
• Redhead – 100+
• Lesser Scaup – 6
• Ruddy Duck – 30
• Red-tailed Hawk - 2
• Merlin – 1
• American Coot - numerous
• American Avocet – 6
• Greater Yellowlegs – 2
• Spotted Sandpiper – 1
• Least Sandpiper - 28
• Ring-billed Gull – 100+
• Belted Kingfisher – 3
• Marsh Wren – 6

Sightings by Lorie Black and Heidi Trudell

Best bird(s) of the morning:

• wasn’t a bird, it was a HUGE dark bobcat slinking up the creek bank and disappearing into the mesquite shrub. Lynn and I both had cameras; but it happened so quick, we only had time to gawk at it.

Complete List:

• Wild Turkey - 19
• Northern Bobwhite - 23
• Double-crested Cormorant - 5
• Northern Harrier - 3
• Cooper’s Hawk - 1
• Red-tailed Hawk - 2
• Killdeer - 32
• Mourning Dove - 33
• Greater Roadrunner - 1
• Belted Kingfisher - 1, sitting atop the automatic fish feeder at the golf course
• Golden-fronted Woodpecker - 2
• Ladder-backed Woodpecker - 4
• Northern Flicker, yellow-shafted - 1
• Eastern Phoebe - 1
• Loggerhead Shrike - 2
• Blue Jay - 16
• American Crow - 2
• Cave Swallow - 10
• Black-crested Titmouse - 2
• Bewick’s Wren - 2
• House Wren - 2
• Eastern Bluebird - 14
• Northern Mockingbird - 10
• Curve-billed Thrasher - 1
• European Starling - 14
• American Pipit - 1
• Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
• Yellow-rumped Warbler - 6
• Spotted Towhee - 2
• Chipping Sparrow - 13
• Clay-colored Sparrow - 1
• Vesper Sparrow - 12
• Lark Bunting - 25
• Savannah Sparrow - 12
• Song Sparrow - 2
• Lincoln’s Sparrow - 2
• White-crowned Sparrow - 25
• Northern Cardinal - 3
• Pyrrhuloxia - 2
• Red-winged Blackbird - 2
• Western Meadowlark - 38
• Great-tailed Grackle - 34
• House Finch - 42

Sightings by Lynn Barber and LgPacker