Greetings All:
I had another great day in Floyd County on Sunday, 7 October 2018,
revisiting some of the best spots from Saturday and getting in some effort
in the canyonland portions to the east and some of the larger playas (now
full or filling) east of Floydada. There was a little less in the way of
migrant songbirds about but waterfowl diversity was up, the kingfishers
were still popping up in all sorts of odd places, and I had a fantastic day.
I saw 116 species of birds in Floyd County during the day which brought my
total for the weekend up to 140!
An incidental highlight upon my return to Lubbock: 2 immature male
Black-chinned Hummingbirds at my feeders.
Floyd County highlights: 1 Wood Duck at the Allmon Woodlot, 3 Wood Ducks at
the South Plains Wetlands, 4 Blue-winged Teals at the Boothe Playa, 4
Blue-winged Teals at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 4 Blue-winged Teals at the
FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, 12 Blue-winged Teals at the South Plains Wetlands, 2
Cinnamon Teals at the South Plains Wetlands, 2 Canvasbacks at the CR 121 x
FM 37 Playa, 1 Canvasback at the FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, 12 Redheads at the
FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, 8 Redheads north of Dougherty, 12 Redheads south of
South Plains, 8 Ring-necked Ducks at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 12
Ring-necked Ducks at the FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, *4 Lesser Scaups *north of
Dougherty, *4 Lesser Scaups* at the South Plains Wetlands, *2
Buffleheads *north
of Dougherty, *2 Hooded Mergansers *at the FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, 1 Common
Nighthawk at the South Plains Wetlands, 1 Sora at Eagle's Hall Park, 3
Soras at the South Plains Wetlands, 18 American Avocets at the FM 602 x Hwy
70 Playa, 2 American Avocets south of South Plains, *1 Long-billed
Curlew *north
of John Farris, 4 Long-billed Dowitchers at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 2
Wilson's Snipes at the Allmon Woodlot, 2 Wilson's Snipes at Eagle's Hall
Park, 2 Wilson's Snipe north of Dougherty, *1 Solitary Sandpiper *at the
South Plains Wetlands, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs at the CR 231 x FM 97 Playa, 16
Greater Yellowlegs at the Cedar Hill Playa, 5 Greater Yellowlegs at the CR
121 x FM 37 Playa, 18 Greater Yellowlegs at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 3
Greater Yellowlegs at the FM 37 x FM 378 Playa, 2 Greater Yellowlegs at the
FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, 1 Greater Yellowlegs at Los Lingos Creek, 3 Greater
Yellowlegs north of Dougherty, 2 Greater Yellowlegs north of South Plains, 2*
Double-crested Cormorants *at the FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, *1 American
Bittern *at the CR 231 x FM 97 Playa, 1 Great Egret at the CR 211 x FM 97
Playa, 26 Cattle Egrets at the Boothe Playa, 1 Cattle Egret at the FM 602 x
Hwy 70 Playa, 2 White-faced Ibises at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 1 Osprey at
Eagle's Hall Park, *1 immature Golden Eagle *north of John Farris, *1
Broad-winged Hawk *north of John Farris, 1 Ferruginous Hawk north of
Dougherty, 1 Ferruginous Hawk north of John Farris, 1 Belted Kingfisher at
the Boothe Playa, 1 Belted Kingfisher at the Cedar Hill Playa, 1 Belted
Kingfisher at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 1 Belted Kingfisher at the CR 231 x
FM 97 Playa, 1 Belted Kingfisher at the South Plains Wetlands, *1 female
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker* (the less common sapsucker this early in the
season) at the Allmon Church Playa, *1 male Red-naped Sapsucker *(the more
common sapsucker this early in the season) at the South Plains Wetlands, 1
Peregrine Falcon at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 2 Eastern Phoebes at Los
Lingos Creek, 2 Eastern Phoebes near Fairmont, 42 Scissor-tailed
Flycatchers at the South Plains Wetlands, 1 Common Raven at the Cedar Hill
Playa, 2 Common Ravens in the Gray Mule area, 2 Common Ravens at Los Lingos
Creek, 2 Common Ravens near Dougherty, 1 House Wren at the Allmon Church
Playa, 2 Marsh Wrens at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
at the Allmon Church Playa, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Eagle's Hall Park, 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the Gray Mule area, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Los
Lingos Creek, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet near Fairmont, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
north of Dougherty, 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the South Plains Wetlands, 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 1 Eastern
Bluebird north of John Farris, 1 Hermit Thrush at the Allmon Church Playa,
3 Hermit Thrushes at Eagle's Hall Park, 1 Hermit Thrush at Los Lingos
Creek, 1 Hermit Thrush at the South Plains Wetlands, *1 Gray Catbird *at
the South Plains Wetlands, 1 Sage Thrasher in the Gray Mule area, 2 Cedar
Waxwings near Fairmont, 2 Chipping Sparrows at the Allmon Church Playa, 12
Chipping Sparrows at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 5 Chipping Sparrows at the
White River x FM 37 crossing, 9 Clay-colored Sparrows at the Allmon Church
Playa, 4 Clay-colored Sparrows at the CR 211 x FM 97 Playa, 3 Clay-colored
Sparrows at the South Plains Wetlands, 11 Clay-colored Sparrows at the
White River x FM 37 crossing, 2 Field Sparrows near Fairmont, 2 Lincoln's
Sparrows at the Allmon Church Playa, 2 Lincoln's Sparrows at the FM 602 x
Hwy 70 Playa, 4 Lincoln's Sparrows, at Los Lingos Creek, 1 Lincoln's
Sparrow at the South Plains Wetlands, 1 Lincoln's Sparrow at the White
River x FM 37 crossing, 2 White-crowned Sparrows in the Gray Mule area, 1
White-crowned Sparrow at the South Plains Wetlands, 6 Yellow-headed
Blackbirds at the Cedar Hill Playa, 2 Yellow-headed Blackbird north of
South Plains, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler at the Allmon Woodlot, 2
Orange-crowned Warblers at the FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, 3 Orange-crowned
Warblers at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 1 Common Yellowthroat at the
CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 1 Common Yellowthroat at the South Plains Wetlands, 1
Wilson's Warbler at the Boothe Playa, 1 Wilson's Warbler in the Gray Mule
area, 1 Wilson's Warbler at Los Lingos Creek, 2 Wilson's Warblers at the
South Plains Wetlands, 2 Wilson's Warblers at the White River x FM 37
crossing, 1 Blue Grosbeak at the FM 602 x Hwy 70 Playa, *1 immature Lazuli
Bunting *at the South Plains Wetlands, and 2 Dickcissels at the South
Plains Wetlands.
What a great weekend in Floyd County - I was left with mixed emotions:
elation at seeing so many cool birds over the course of a gray and dismal
weekend and trepidation at telling Brandon Best and Rich Kostecke about the
nine species I added to my 2018 Floyd County list.
Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock
