Greetings all:
I spent most of the day in Floyd County on Saturday. 6 October 2018 and had
a great time. Over the course of the previous couple of weeks the entire
county had picked up 4 to 10 inches of rain, particularly the northern half
of the county, and flooding was extensive in roadside ditches and puddles
with some long-dry playas showing signs of recharge. With a strong system
moving in from the south throughout the day, there were a lot of stop-over
birds in evidence. I am including as highlights some species that aren't
particularly rare at this time of year (such as Ruby-crowned Kinglets) but
that have been hard to come by during this particular fall - until this
past weekend. Also noteworthy: a migratory wave of Belted Kingfishers
observed at sites that don't usually support kingfishers.
I saw 115 species of bird in Floyd county during the day!
A set of incidental highlights in Crosby County: 2 Black-necked Stilts, 12
American Avocets, 3 Least Sandpipers, and 14 Long-billed Dowitchers at the
CR 116 x FM 378 Playa.
Incidental highlights in Lubbock County upon my return home: 1 immature
female and 2 immature male Black-chinned Hummingbirds at my feeders.
Floyd County highlights: 16 Blue-winged Teals at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa,
28 Blue-winged Teals near Lone Star, 3 Blue-winged Teals south of Floydada,
4 Blue-winged Teals at the South Plains Wetlands, 2 Cinnamon Teals at the
CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 6 Cinnamon Teals near Lone Star, 22 Redheads near
Lone Star, 4 Redheads at the South Plains Wetlands, 3 Ring-necked Ducks at
the Floydada WTP, 5 Ring-necked Ducks near Lone Star, 1 Common Nighthawk at
the Allmon Church Playa, 1 immature male Black-chinned Hummingbird near
Allmon, 1 Virginia Rail at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 1 Virginia Rail at the
South Plains Wetlands, 4 Soras at the South Plains Wetlands, 158 Sandhill
Cranes over the Allmon Woodlot, 32 Sandhill Cranes at the CR 121 x FM 37
Playa, 12 Sandhill Cranes near Aiken, 42 Sandhill Cranes at the White River
x FM 37 crossing, 15 Sandhill Cranes at the White River x FM 378 crossing,
2 Black-necked Stilts south of South Plains, 2 American Avocets near
Providence, 6 American Avocets south of South Plains, 2 Least Sandpipers at
the FM 378 x FM 2286 Playa, 1 Wilson's Snipe at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 2
Wilson's Snipes at Eagle's Hall Park, 1 Wilson's Snipe near Aiken, 1 Lesser
Yellowlegs at the FM 378 x FM 2286 Playa, 4 Greater Yellowlegs at the CR
121 x FM 37 Playa, 8 Greater Yellowlegs at the FM 378 x FM 2286 Playa, 2
Greater Yellowlegs near Lone Star, 3 Greater Yellowlegs near Providence, 5
Greater Yellowlegs north of Floydada, 2 Greater Yellowlegs south of
Floydada, 2 Greater Yellowlegs south of South Plains, 2 Cattle Egrets in
Lockney, 2 White-faced Ibises near Lone Star, 2 White-faced Ibises near
Providence, *1 Broad-winged Ha*wk at the Allmon Woodlot, 1 Belted
Kingfisher at Plains Baptist Assembly, 1 Belted Kingfisher at the South
Plains Wetlands, 1 Belted Kingfisher at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 1
Belted Kingfisher at the White River x FM 207 crossing, 1 Merlin at the
Floydada Cemetery, 1 Merlin in South Plains, *1 Peregrine Falcon *south of
Floydada, 1 Prairie Falcon east of Floydada, 1 Eastern Phoebe at Plains
Baptist Assembly, 1 Say's Phoebe at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, *2 Cassin's
Kingbirds* at the South Plains Wetlands, 1 Common Raven near Lone Star, 2
Tree Swallows near Lone Star, 4 Cliff Swallows at the White River x FM 37
crossing, 1 Verdin at Plains Baptist Assembly, 2 Canyon Wrens at Plains
Baptist Assembly, 1 House Wren in Allmon, 2 House Wrens at the Allmon
Woodlot, 1 House Wren at Eagle's Hall Park, 1 House Wren at the White River
x FM 37 crossing, 2 Marsh Wrens at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 1 Carolina
Wren at Eagle's Hall Park, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers at Eagle's Hall Park, 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 2 Ruby-crowned
Kinglets in Allmon, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the Allmon Church Playa, 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the Allmon Woodlot, 13 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at
Eagle's Hall Park, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets near Providence, 1 Ruby-crowned
Kinglet at Plans Baptist Assembly, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the South
Plains Wetlands, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the White River x FM 37
crossing, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the White River x FM 207 crossing, 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the White River x FM 378 crossing, 1 Eastern
Bluebird at the Floydada Cemetery, 2 Eastern Bluebirds at Plains Baptist
Assembly, *1 Townsend's Solitaire *at the White River x FM 378 crossing, 1
Hermit Thrush at the Allmon Woodlot, *14* Hermit Thrushes at Eagle's Hall
Park, 1 Hermit Thrush near Providence, 2 Hermit Thrushes at Plains Baptist
Assembly, 2 Hermit Thrushes at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 1 Hermit
Thrush at the White River x FM 207 crossing, *1 Gray Catbird *at the White
River x FM 378 crossing, 1 Brown Thrasher at Eagle's Hall Park, 2 American
Goldfinches at the Allmon Woodlot, 6 American Pipits near Lone Star, 1
Spotted Towhee at the Allmon Woodlot, 1 Spotted Towhee at Eagle's Hall
Park, *1 Green-tailed Towhee *at the Allmon Church Playa, 4 Chipping
Sparrows at the Allmon Church Playa, 18 Chipping Sparrows at the Allmon
Woodlot, 12 Chipping Sparrows at the Floydada Cemetery, 3 Chipping Sparrows
near Providence, 2 Chipping Sparrows at the White River x FM 37 crossing,
22 Clay-colored Sparrows at the Allmon Woodlot, 15 Clay-colored Sparrows at
the Allmon Church Playa, 7 Clay-colored Sparrows near Providence, 12
Clay-colored Sparrows at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 2 Field Sparrows
at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 1 Song Sparrow at the South Plains
Wetlands, 1 Lincoln's Sparrow in Allmon, 6 Lincoln's Sparrows at the Allmon
Church Playa, 4 Lincoln's Sparrows at the Allmon Woodlot, 2 Lincoln's
Sparrows at Eagle's Hall Park, 2 Lincoln's Sparrows near Providence, 2
Lincoln's Sparrows at the South Plains Wetlands, 3 Lincoln's Sparrows at
the White River x FM 37 crossing, 2 White-crowned Sparrows at the Allmon
Woodlot, 2 White-crowned Sparrows at Eagle's Hall Park, 3 White-crowned
Sparrows near Providence, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers in Allmon, 1
Orange-crowned Warbler at the Allmon Church Playa, 4 Orange-crowned
Warblers at the Allmon Woodlot, 3 Orange-crowned Warblers at Eagle's Hall
Park, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers near Providence, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers
at the South Plains Wetlands, 8 Orange-crowned Warblers at the White River
x FM 37 crossing, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler at the White River x FM 378
crossing, *1 Nashville Warbler *at the White River x FM 37 crossing, 2
Common Yellowthroats at the CR 121 x FM 37 Playa, 1 MacGillivray's Warbler
at the Allmon Woodlot, 1 MacGillivray's Warbler at the White River x FM 37
crossing, 2 Wilson's Warblers in Allmon, 2 Wilson's Warblers at the Allmon
Church Playa, 2 Wilson's Warblers at the Allmon Woodlot, 3 Wilson's
Warblers at Eagle's Hall Park, 3 Wilson's Warblers near Providence, 2
Wilson's Warblers at Plains Baptist Assembly, 3 Wilson's Warblers at the
South Plains Wetlands, 6 Wilson's Warblers at the White River x FM 37
crossing, 2 Wilson's Warblers at the White River x FM 378 crossing, 1
Pyrrhuloxia at Plains Baptist Assembly, 1 Blue Grosbeak at the Allmon
Woodlot, 2 Blue Grosbeaks at the White River x FM 378 crossing, 2
Dickcissels at the Allmon Woodlot, and 1 Dickcissel at the South Plains
Wetlands.
Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock
