Lake O.H. Ivie in Coleman/Concho Counties is host to thousands of ducks this winter. Tens of thousands of ducks!
Best bird(s):
- Eurasian Wigeon, 1. First found by Jay and Amy Packer 12-2-2006. For directions to the lake go to Birding Locations. For extra tips on how to find this duck among the thousands present, look at the blog entry, Eurasian Wigeon’s Point of Reference.
- Vermilion Flycatcher, 2
- Say’s Phoebe, 3
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
- Mountain Bluebirds, flock of 48. Found on RR 11 close to the intersection of CR 1929.
- Common Loon, 2
- Osprey, 1
- Bald Eagle, 2
Complete List: (with the vast quantity of ducks present, it is difficult to estimate species numbers. Where the species number is known, it is so indicated.)
- Gadwall
- American Wigeon
- Mallard
- Northern Shoveler, 6
- Northern Pintail, 4
- Green-winged Teal, 11
- Canvassback
- Redhead
- Ring-necked Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Loon, 2
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Eared Grebe
- American White Pelican
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret, 6
- Black Vulture, 5
- Turkey Vulture, 1
- Osprey, 1
- Bald Eagle, 2
- Northern Harrier, 3
- Cooper’s Hawk, 1
- Red-tailed Hawk, 26
- American Kestrel, 9
- American Coot
- Killdeer, 2
- Spotted Sandpiper, 1
- Greater Yellowlegs, 5
- Wilson’s Snipe, 1
- Ring-billed Gull
- Eurasian Collared-Dove, 5 (in Ballinger)
- Mourning Dove, 6
- Great-horned Owl, 2 (in Abilene at Industrial and Maple)
- Belted Kingfisher, 2
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker, 2
- Northern Flicker, 3 (both the Yellow Shafted and Red Shafted)
- Eastern Phoebe, 1
- Say’s Phoebe, 3
- Vermilion Flycatcher, 2
- Loggerhead Shrike, 12
- Common Raven, 1
- Verdin, 2
- Rock Wren, 1
- Bewick’s Wren, 2
- Marsh Wren, 1
- Rubby-crowned Kinglet, 2
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 4
- Mountain Bluebird, 48
- American Robin, 4
- Northern Mockingbird, 12
- Curve-billed Thrasher, 2
- European Starling, 15
- American Pipit, 1
- Yellow-rumped Warbler, 3
- Canyon Towhee, 3
- Field Sparrow, 2
- Savannah Sparrow, 1
- Song Sparrow, 1
- Lincoln’s Sparrow, 1
- White-crowned Sparrow, 6
- Northern Cardinal, 2
- Pyrrhuloxia, 1
- Red-winged Blackbird, 90
- Meadowlark species, 26
- Great-tailed Grackle, 100’s (coming in to roost in south Abilene)
- Brown-headed Cowbird, flock of 50
- House Finch, 6
- House Sparrow, 10
All sightings by Kathy Hampton, Bill Hughes, and Laura Packer