Dickson Birding: March 2016

Texas Birding 2016

I started my trip along with my sister and her husband on February 18, with me tucked in on the back seat of their Dodge truck heading south towards Texas where they live via New Mexico. I ended up spending 3 weeks in Texas.

We were able to make it to Albuquerque, New Mexico the first night and ended up spending the night there. I started keeping a record of birds I was seeing once we hit Roswell, New Mexico. In Roswell there were Great-tailed Grackles everywhere. From Roswell we headed on south towards Carlsbad with Carlsbad Caverns National Park our destination.

Great-tailed Grackle

I was now in the territory of the Chihuahuan Raven and looking intently at every Raven that I could get my eyes on. This was the only photo I able to get of a Raven and unfortunately it is not a Chihuahuan.

Common Raven

Just north of Carlsbad Caverns I saw 2 Gray Hawks perched on top of two different power poles along the highway, which gave me my 1st new life bird for this trip. No photos! Saw Cave Swallows at Carlsbad Caverns which I've seen before from a previous trip there. Big surprise there was a herd of Barbary sheep. Part of a herd that have established themselves years ago, that escaped from a ranch.

Barbary Sheep Ram

Barbary Sheep

From Carlsbad Cavern we headed south into Texas where my brother inlaw took a 2 lane highway where the birding would hopefully be better and we could stop if needed. Shortly after entering Texas we drove by what looked like a barn that had recently burned down and much to our surprise there was a flock of Scaled Quail in amongst the remains, giving me bird #2.

Scaled Quail

From there not more than a mile down the road I saw two Curved-billed Thrashers. Here was my first three new birds for my life list. That was to end my first day, as it soon got to dark, after seeing the thrashers, to bird anymore.
The rest of my trip was spent in the areas of Midland, Abilene, McAllen, Padre Island, Corpus Christi area and the Dallas area, with the majority of my time spent in Midland.

Here are a few photos, a list of birds I saw and places I would recommend to anyone visiting these areas.

Midland: I-20/Jenna Welch Nature Study Center, the Sibley Nature Center and Midland College campus. There was a Zone-tailed Hawk reported to ebird the same day I saw the White-tailed Hawk, with both being very rare sightings there. Unfortunately I was sitting in the driver's seat at an intersection when the White-tailed hawk came flying by at treetop level, so no photos.

Birds seen in these areas: White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Great-tailed Grackle, Northern Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Spotted Towhee, Curved-billed Thrasher, Lincoln, White-throated, White-crowned & House Sparrows, House Finch, Bewick's Wren, Cactus Wren, House Wren, Verdin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Downy Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warblers, both species, American Goldfinch, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Moorhen, American Coot, White-faced Ibis, Red-tail Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Scaled Quail & Greater Roadrunner.

White-winged Dove

1st year Sharp-shinned Hawk

Pyrrhuloxia

Scaled Quail

Greater Roadrunner

Curved-billed Thrashers

Cactus Wren

House Wren

Bewick's Wren, building nest

Northern Cardinal

White-throated Sparrow

McAllen: There are numerous places to bird around the McAllen area but do to time I was only able to go to 3 of them. McAllen Nature Center, No entrance fee and offers free guided group tours. Opens at 8:30 a.m. National Butterfly Center, $5 entrance fee per person. This is where I was able to get my best photos and would highly recommend this place. They have a feeding station that has been in operation for 12 years and the birds are use to people and come in very close. Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, $5 entrance fee per person. Recommend getting a Birding & Butterfly Map of the Rio Grande Valley from the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. (www.ValleyChamber.com) Also check eBird reports.

Birds seen in these areas: Black & White Warbler, Lark Sparrow, Ruby Crowned Sparrow, Turkey & Black Vultures, Wilson's Warbler, Long-billed Thrasher, Plain Chachalaca, Green Parakeet, Green Jay, Olive Sparrow, Black-crested Titmouse, Great Kiskadee, White-tipped Dove, Altamira Oriole, Eastern Screech Owl (Mexican Race), Northern Cardinal, White-eyed Vireo, Great-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Lincoln Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermilion Flycatcher, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Altamira Oriole, Hooded Oriole (Eastern Race), Cooper's Hawk trying to catch a Plain Chachalaca, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Great Kiskadee, Loggerhead Shrike, Greater Roadrunner, Black-crested Titmouse, Wilson's Warbler, Northern Mockingbird. Crested Caracara, Harris's Hawk was observed along the highway perched in a tree along a canal in Mission, Tx.