Greetings All:
I had a fairly good Saturday in Crosby County (driving in a very loose
tennis shoe and hobbling about in my new best frenemy - my orthopedic boot).
I visited the Ralls WTP twice during the day (this is a limited access site
- DO NOT go beyond the no trespass signs), accumulating 6 Blue-winged
Teals, 1 Ring-necked Pheasant, 2 Virginia Rails, 1 Sora, 4 Black-necked
Stilts, 12 American Avocets, 3 Wilson's Phalaropes, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 1
Great Egret, 8 Snowy Egrets, 7 White-faced Ibises, *1 SINGING Eastern Wood
Pewee*, 1 SINGING Bell's Vireo, 1 House Wren, 16 Cedar Waxwings, 1 male
Common Yellowthroat, 9 Clay-colored Sparrows, and 1 female Western Tanager.
The wetlands south of Crosbyton kicked out 1 MacGillivray's Warbler and 1
Chipping Sparrow.
Crosbyton City Park was hopping with highlights, including 4 Blue-winged
Teals, 6 American Avocets, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 14 Wilson's Phalaropes, 1
Swainson's Thrush, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Chipping Sparrows, and 4
Clay-colored Sparrows.
The Camp Rio Blanca crossing of White River was good for eastern
specialties and highlights were 2 Inca Doves, 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 2
Eastern Phoebes, *1 Great Crested Flycatcher*, 1 Warbling Vireo, 1
Swainson's Thrush, 8 Cedar Waxwings, 1 Black-and-white Warbler, 1 Nashville
Warbler, 2 Yellow Warblers, 1 Yellow-breasted Chat, and 1 male Indigo
Bunting.
Silver Falls Rest Area kicked out 2 Eastern Phoebes, 2 Purple Martins, 2
Canyon Wrens, and 1 Northern Waterthrush.
The water-dotted stretch of FM 193 between FM 28 and FM 651 was good for 2
Gadwalls, 16 Blue-winged Teals, 2 Redheads, 2 Black-necked Stilts, 33
American Avocets, 4 Stilt Sandpipers, 3 White-rumped Sandpipers, 2 Greater
Yellowlegs, 28 Wilson's Phalaropes, 2 Black Terns, 28 Cattle Egrets, 8
White-faced Ibises, 1 Eastern Kingbird, 4 Common Ravens, 2 Tree Swallows,
and 16 Yellow-headed Cowbirds.
The river and canyon crossings at FM 193 x FM 651 kicked out 5 Cattle
Egrets, 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher, 1 Least Flycatcher, 2 Common Ravens, 2
Rock Wrens, 1 Hermit Thrush, 1 Nashville Warbler, and 1 Yellow Warbler.
All in all, a really cool day.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
