Greetings All:
On Saturday (24 June), I spent the morning surveying chats (and other
birds) in the Great North Woods; the chunk of mixed riparian woodlands,
upland grasslands, and upland brushlands just north of White River Lake in
Crosby County. During my survey, I covered 5.86 miles (according to
GoogleEarch) on foot, surveying roughly one third to one half of the
available chat habitat and one eighth to one quarter of the available Field
Sparrow habitat. Counts were somewhat low but I fell that was entirely
explained by the unusually cool and overcast conditions.as habitat was in
great shape and there were plenty of young birds about.
A prologue from Lubbock County: 4 American White Pelicans at Dupree Park in
Lubbock - very early in the ayem.
Highlights seen during the morning's hike: 1 Chuck-will's-widow, 2 adult
Red-shouldered Hawks, 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers (harassing a Red-tailed
Hawk), 1 Downy Woodpecker, 3 Bell's Vireos (singing at widely separated
points), 5 Carolina Wrens, 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 1 male Common
Yellowthroat, 57 Yellow-breasted Chats, 11 Field Sparrows, 1 female and 1
male Summer Tanager (at widely separated points - the female carrying a
food item; the male harassing a Yellow-breasted Chat), 5 female/7 male/3
immature Indigo Buntings, and 1 female/3 male Bronzed Cowbirds.
Yellow-breasted Chat, Field Sparrow, and Indigo Bunting populations
continue to thrive at this site: definitive proof of breeding Summer
Tanagers remains elusive.
I spent the rest of the day chasing birds elsewhere in Crosby County and
ran across the following highlights: 1 male Wood Duck north of Crosbyton, 2
Blue-winged Teals north of Crosbyton, 1 Ring-necked Pheasant at the Ralls
WTP, 2 Black-necked Stilts just north of Crosbyton, 2 Black-necked Stilts
north of Crosbyton, 6 Black-necked Stilts north of Ralls, 4 Black-necked
Stilts at the Ralls WTP, 182 American Avocets north of Ralls, 3 American
Avocets south of Cone, 3 Greater Yellowlegs just north of Crosbyton, 1
Greater Yellowlegs north of Crosbyton, 1 Greater Yellowlegs north of Ralls,
1 Great Egret north of Ralls, 1 Great Egret at White River Lake, 12 Snowy
Egrets north of Ralls, 2 Cattle Egrets north of Crosbyton, 30 Cattle Egrets
north of Ralls, 1 Green Heron at the Ralls WTP, 2 Yellow-crowned Night
Herons north of Ralls, 1 White-faced Ibis east of Cone, 1 White-faced Ibis
north of Crosbyton, 58 White-faced Ibises north of Ralls, 9 White-faced
Ibises at the Ralls WTP, 1 Common Raven south of Crosbyton, 1 Purple Martin
in Lorenzo, 2 Purple Martins at the Ralls WTP, 8 Purple Martins at White
River Lake, 2 Cave Swallows south of Crosbyton, 2 Rock Wrens at the FM 193
x FM 651 canyon crossing, 1 Canyon Wren at the FM 193 x FM 651 canyon
crossing, 1 male Common Yellowthroat at the Ralls WTP, and 1 male Bronzed
Cowbird at White River Lake.
All in all, a pretty good day - with four species (Chuck-will's-widow,
Green Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk, Summer Tanager) added to my Crosby County
list for the year!
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
