December 22, 2007-Jones County


Heidi Trudell and Cole Wild (new birder to Abilene) braved the very cold and very windy outskirts of Abilene in search of anything with feathers:

Best bird(s):

Wastewater Treatment Plant:

  • Ross’s Goose: 1
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 (very late date; Cole was able to photograph it)
  • Say’s Phoebe: 2 (very late date)
  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 2 (very late date)
  • Swamp Sparrow: 1 (to be expected but hard to find)


Lake Fort Phantom:

  • Canvasback: 1
  • Bald Eagle: 1 (adult, not the November Kirby bird)
  • Bonaparte’s Gull: 3 (about as many also seen at Kirby)
  • Forster’s Tern: 9 (a few also present at Kirby)

Complete List:

Kirby Lake (Panhandle Plains Site 005)

  • Pied-billed Grebe: 2
  • Eared Grebe: 8
  • American White Pelican: 17
  • Great Blue Heron: 2
  • Snowy Egret: 3
  • American Coot: 15
  • Killdeer: 2
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 1
  • Least Sandpiper: 5
  • Wilson’s Snipe: 1
  • Bonaparte’s Gull: 4
  • Ring-billed Gull: 60
  • Forster’s Tern: 3
  • Belted Kingfisher: 1

Lake Fort Phantom:

  • Gadwall : 40
  • Northern Shoveler: 25
  • Canvasback: 1
  • Pied-billed Grebe: 5
  • Eared Grebe: 6
  • Double-crested Cormorant: 7
  • Bald Eagle: 1
  • Northern Harrier: 1
  • Red-tailed Hawk: 1
  • American Coot: 200
  • Sandhill Crane: 16
  • Killdeer: 3
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 4
  • Least Sandpiper: 6
  • Bonaparte’s Gull: 3
  • Ring-billed Gull: 175
  • Forster’s Tern: 9
  • Black-crested Titmouse: 1
  • Bewick’s Wren: 1
  • American Pipit: 1
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler: 1
  • Song Sparrow: 2
  • White-crowned Sparrow: 4
  • Eastern Meadowlark: 4


Cedar Gap Farm (Panhandle Plains Site 006)

  • Carolina Chickadee: 1
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler: 1
  • Chipping Sparrow: 30
  • Field Sparrow: 1
  • White-throated Sparrow: 1
  • White-crowned Sparrow: 1
  • Dark-eyed Junco: 12
  • Northern Cardinal: 5
  • Pine Siskin: 3
  • American Goldfinch: 2

Abilene Wastewater Treatment (Jones Co.)

  • Ross’s Goose: 1
  • Canada Goose: 10
  • Gadwall: 35
  • American Wigeon: 1
  • Mallard: 6
  • Blue-winged Teal: 6
  • Northern Shoveler: 60
  • Northern Pintail: 80
  • Green-winged Teal: 25
  • Ring-necked Duck: 3
  • Lesser Scaup: 3
  • Bufflehead: 4
  • Ruddy Duck: 12
  • Pied-billed Grebe: 2
  • Eared Grebe: 4
  • Northern Harrier: 3
  • Red-tailed Hawk: 1
  • American Kestrel: 1
  • American Coot: 70
  • Killdeer: 2
  • Least Sandpiper: 7
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 1
  • Long-billed Dowitcher: 20
  • Ring-billed Gull: 20
  • Mourning Dove: 1
  • Say’s Phoebe: 2
  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 2
  • Loggerhead Shrike: 1
  • Northern Mockingbird: 1
  • European Starling: 10
  • Common Yellowthroat: 1
  • Vesper Sparrow: 1
  • Song Sparrow: 4
  • Swamp Sparrow: 1
  • White-crowned Sparrow: 12
  • Red-winged Blackbird: 50
  • Western Meadowlark: 4
  • Brown-headed Cowbird: 20
  • House Finch: 1

Sightings by Heidi Trudell and Cole Wild