I HEART TEXAS +4 Lifers

Welcome home Big Week Birder!!! That's right, back in good old sunny Ohio, but its good to be back. I spent three days in late March in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, getting some winter birding in. It was a chance to start my year list off quickly and hopefully add some much needed #LifeBirds. And guess what? I did just that, with a total of 133 species and +4 lifers,

This first blog is a recap of my LRGV hit list birds needed to add to my ABA area life list. The next entry will be more winter LRGV rarities, FOY's, and a stop in Las Vegas for 2 days of birding and gambling

Lifers seen:

• Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, code 3, King Ranch trip, seen 3/18/16

 

Where's this little owl??

The northernmost subspecies, commonly called the cactus Ferruginous pygmy owl, was a listed Endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

ABA Life #577

The Ferruginous pygmy owl is small, typically  5.9 in, and stocky with disproportionately large talons.There are two eye spots on the nape.




My father Buddy first saw the owl at Falcon Dam State Park, Texas April 9,1980.  Red & Louise first saw the owl at Salineno, Texas on Feb 13,1985 and was life bird #708. Also many more times at Bentson SP on a regular basis.

 Here's a little video for you. 2nd bird seen on the trip once thru the gate. Heard it calling when we arrived.

• Sprague's Pipit, code 2, King Ranch trip, seen 3/18/16

Where's the Pipit??

Sprague's Pipit

A rare and declining songbird of the northern prairie, Sprague's Pipit is a small bird of the open grasslands. Though it feeds and nests exclusively on the ground, the species performs the longest known flight display of any bird.

ABA Lifer #578

• Prairie falcon, code 1, McCook fields with Mount. Plover, get lucky w flyby?? Yes we did and a pretty pose too

Prairie Falcon

ABA Lifer #575

Flying away, upper left

Prairie Falcons are brown above and pale with brown markings on the breast and belly.
They have a pale stripe above the eye and a brown mustache stripe.

• Snowy Plover, code 1, Hargill Plaza, 2 birds reported, saw only 1, but he's a Snowy

Snowy Plover

ABA Lifer #576

A small plover of beaches and barren ground, the Snowy Plover can be found across North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa. In North America it is restricted to the Gulf and Pacific coasts of the United States, and scattered inland localities from Saskatchewan to California and Texas.






Back pale tan. Underparts white. Dark patches on sides of neck reaching around onto top of chest.

Lifers missed:

• Mountain Plover, code 2, McCook fields, many reports. Just missed theses guys, reported only 48 hours earlier, we did not see any of the up to 50 birds that last two weeks. Damn.  I did see the Prairie Falcon, Swainson's Hawk and Crested Cara Cara's in the fields. So those birds of prey might of pushed them out, plus I think many had migrated north by then.  Right place, wrong time.  See ya next year??

.
Up next: More Texas and southern Nevada birds seen and places visited