Lubbock received 0.37 inches of rain during January, well below the
expected total for the month of 0.71 inches, leaving us a tad on the
dry side at the end of the first month of 2020. Conditions continued
mild and the shortage of wintering birds, even wintering suites of
birds (such as waterfowl) continued as well.
Regional summaries of eBird data cannot be acquired in a timely
fashion. As a result, records submitted to eBird may not appear in
this report. Reports from the region that are submitted to the
texbirds or leasbirds listservs can be reviewed in a timely fashion
and should appear.
As always, the county follows the site in ( ) and birds are mentioned
by virtue of rarity, atypical abundance, or atypical scarcity. Water
Treatment Ponds have come to feature so prominently in these reports
that they will, henceforth, be referred to as WTP.
SNOW GOOSE: 1 was at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH), 6 were at
Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (DH), 23 were near Petersburg
(Hale) on 1/23/20 (BSc), and 5-6 were at Andrews Park (Lubbock) from
1/24/20 throuth 1/26/20 (GJ, PJ) – LOW NUMBER OF SIGHTINGS AND VERY
LOW NUMBERS.
ROSS’S GOOSE: 3 at Yellowhouse Canyon on 1/11/20 (DH) was the only
sighting reported – EXTREMELY LOW NUMBER OF SIGHTINGS AND NUMBERS.
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 25 were at the FM 54 x FM 207 Playa
(Floyd) on 1/5/20 (AP, JP) and 2 were at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on
1/5/20 (AH) – VERY LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS AND EXTREMELY LOW NUMBERS.
WOOD DUCK: 7 were at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH), 2-5
were at the Yellowhouse Canyon crossing of the Brazos River from
1/5/20 through 2/11/20 (JCo, DH, AH), 31 were at the 103rd Street x
Chicago Avenue Playa (Lubbock) on 1/12/20 (BSc) and 13 were at the
103rd Street x Chicago Avenue Playa (Lubbock) on 1/26/20 (JoC) – ON
THE LOW END OF AVERAGE.
CINNAMON TEAL: 3 were at the Cone Playa (Floyd) on 1/5/20 (AP, JP), 1
was at the FM 54 x FM 207 Playa (Floyd) n 1/5/20 (AP, JP), 2 were at
the 103rd Street x Chicago Avenue Playa (Lubbock) on 1/12/20 (BSc),
1-2 were at Lubbock Lake Landmark (Lubbock)1/22/20 through 1/24/20
(JoC, CL), and 1 was at the 103rd Street x Chicago Avenue Playa
(Lubbock) on 1/26/20 (JoC) – FORMERLY CASUAL IN WINTER; NOW
PERSISTING, IN SMALL NUMBERS, THROUGH MOST WINTERS.
CANVASBACK: 2 at McAlister Park (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) the only
report – VERY LOW.
GREATER SCAUP: 2 females at Lubbock Lake Landmark (Lubbock) on 1/28/20
(CL) – ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS VERY RARE – OR UNDER-REPORTED – WINTER
VISITOR.
COMMON GOLDENEYE: 1 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) the only
report – A BIT LOW.
SCALED QUAIL: 12-30 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on 1/11/20 (AB, DHe, WW)
and 4-13 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (JCo, DH, AH, PKe)
the only reports – LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS BUT GOOD NUMBERS.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 3 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) and 1
at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) the only reports – LOW BUT LITTLE
EFFORT REPORTED FROM BEST COUNTIES.
EARED GREBE: 1 at McAlister Park (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH), 1 at
Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) on 1/3/20 (JCr), and 1 at Ransom Lake
(Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) the only reports – A TAD LOW.
INCA DOVE: 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 1/26/20 (CR, FR) – ABOUT
AVERAGE FOR THIS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND SPECIES.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD: 1 male in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) through at
least 1/9/20 (JCr, photographs) – OUR MOST LIKELY OVERWINTERING
HUMMINGBIRD BUT STILL QUITE THE SURPRISE.
SORA: 1 at Lubbock Lake Landmark (Lubbock) on 21/24/20 (JoC, CL) the
only report – LOW.
AMERICAN AVOCET: 1 near Petersburg (Hale) on 1/23/20 (BSc) – FORMERLY
ACCIDENTAL TO THE REGION IN WINTER; NOW CLOSE TO ANNUAL.
LEAST SANDPIPER: 5 at Maxey Park (Lubbock)on 1/15/20 (AH) the only
report – A TAD LOW FOR OUR ONLY REGULARLY WINTERING ‘PEEP’.
WILSON’S SNIPE: 3 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) the only
report – VERY LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS AND NUMBERS.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/12/20 (GK) –
FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL TO THE REGION THIS LATE INTO WINTER; NOW ALMOST
ANNUAL.
LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 5 at the Cone Playa (Floyd) no 1/5/20 (AP, JP) –
CLOSE TO ANNUAL AS A WINTER LINGERER.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS: Nine reports of 1-6 birds in the region (Crosby,
Floyd, Hale, Lubbock) during the period (JoC, JCr, AH, AP, JP, BSc) –
A GOOD NUMBER OF REPORTS BUT SOMEWHAT LOW NUMBERS.
BONAPARTE’S GULL: 1 at Lake Six (Lubbock) n 1/5/20 (AH) the only
report – A TAD LOW BUT FEW VISITS TO OUR BETTER RESERVOIRS REPORTED.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT: 1-2 at various parks in Lubbock (Lubbock)
throughout the period (JoC, DH, AH, BSc) – FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL TO THE
REGION; NOW A PERMANENT, ALBEIT LOW-DENSITY, RESIDENT.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 1 near Girard (Dickens) on 1/1/20 (NVV) the
only report – ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS REGULAR BUT RARE WINTER VISITOR.
GREAT EGRET: Five reports of 1-7 birds in the region (Dickens,
Lubbock) during the period (DH, AH) – A BIT ON THE LOW SIDE BY RECENT
WINTERS’ STANDARDS.
SNOWY EGRET: 1 at McAlister Park (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) the only
report – LOW BY RECENT WINTERS’ STANDARDS.
WHITE-TAILED KITE: 1 near Morton (Cochran) on 1/11/20 (HT) and 1 at
the Littlefield Airport (Lamb) on 1/19/20 (PKe) – FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL
TO THE REGION; NOW ANNUAL WITH INCREASINGLY LITTLE EVIDENCE OF FIXED
SEASONALITY.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 1 at McAlister Park (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) and 1
at City Farms (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) the only reports – WITH EACH
PASSING WINTER, THE NUMBER OF ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS REPORTED SEEMS TO
DECLINE.
SHORT-EARED OWL: 1 near Amherst (Lamb) on 1/2/20 (AP, JP) the only report – LOW.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 male continuing near Davis Park (Lubbock)
through at least 1/20/20 (DH, AH) – ACCIDENTAL THIS FAR WEST INTO THE
REGION; EXTRAORDINARILY UNUSUAL FOR ONE TO PERSIST AT THE SAME SITE
FOR SO LON.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 1 at Davis Park (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (AH) and
1 at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 1/25/20 (SP, BA, SA, AvH, JH, BK, PKi,
NM, TT) the only reports – LOW.
PEREGRINE FALCON: 1 near Davis Park (Lubbock) n 1/4/20 (AH), 1 at the
73rd Street x Frankford Avenue tower (Lubbock) on 1/9/20 (LZ) and 1 on
the TTU HSC Campus (Lubbock) on 1/15/20 (AH) – ABOUT AVERAGE.
BLACK PHOEBE: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) throughout the month (JoC,
JCr, MDL, DH, BK, DM, CN, BSh, ZS, JS, KS) – FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL TO
THE REGION; NOW CLOSING ON ANNUAL WITH LITTLE EVIDENCE OF SEASONALITY.
EASTERN PHOEBE: 1 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) the only
report – VERY LOW.
SAY’S PHOEBE: 1 at Davis Park (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (AH) the only report – LOW.
NORTHERN SHRIKE: 1 first winter bird at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock)
from 1/10/20 (JCr, photographs) through 1/12/20 (BSc, JCo, DH, AH) –
FORMERLY ANNUAL TO THE REGIONIN WINTER; NOW CASUAL AT BEST WITH
SIGHTINGS COMING IN EVERY TWO-FIVE YEARS.
COMMON RAVEN: 1 near Girard (Dickens) on 1/1/20 (NVV) the only report
– VERY LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS AND EXTRAORDINARILY LOW NUMBERS.
BLACK-CRESTED TITMOUSE: 1-2 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) from
1/5/20 through 1/12/20 (DH, AH, BSc) – FORMERLY FAIRLY COMMON IN THE
REGION; THIS NOW REPRESENTS THE WESTERN EDGE OF SIGHTINGS IN THE
REGION.
VERDIN: 1 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH), 1-2 at Yellowhouse
Canyon (Lubbock) from 1/10/20 through 1/12/20 (JCo, DH, AH), and 1 at
MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/12/20 (DM, CN) – FORMERLY QUITE EASY TO
FIND IN THE REGION; THIS NOW REPRESENTS A GOOD MONTH FOR THE SPECIES
IN THE REGION.
BUSHTIT: 2-4 continued at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) through
1/5/20 (JCo, DH, AH, PKe, BS) and 2 at Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock)
n 1/3/20 (JrC) - FORMERLY QUITE EASY TO FIND IN THE REGION; THIS NOW
REPRESENTS A GOOD MONTH FOR THE SPECIES IN THE REGION.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) and 1
in Plainview (Hale) on 1/20/20 (NP) – AN AVERAGE NUMBER FOR THIS RARE
WINTER VISITOR – NOT ABSENT; NOT IRRUPTIVE.
BROWN CREEPER: 2 below Lake Six (Lubbock) n 1/1/20 (DH) the only report – LOW.
ROCK WREN: 3 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (JCo, DH, AH)
the only report – LOW NUMBERS, NO SCATTER.
CANYON WREN: 2 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) and 1 at
Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (DH, AH) the only reports – A
TAD LOW, POOR SCATTER.
HOUSE WREN: 1 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (PKe) the only report
– A TAD LOW BY RECENT YEARS’ STANDARDS.
WINTER WREN: 1 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) and 1 at
MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/17/20 (JCr) the only reports – A TAD
LOW.
CAROLINA WREN: 2 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) the only
report from ‘atop’ the Caprock Escarpment.
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER: 2 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (PKe) the
only report – A TAD LOW BUT LITTLE EFFORT REPORTED FROM THE EASTERN
COUNTIES DURING THE MONTH.
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 1-2 below Lake Six (Lubbock) from 1/1/20
through 1/4/20 (DH, PKe) the only reports – LOW.
EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 8-22 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) from 1/10/20
through 1/12/20 (JCo, JCr, DH, AH), 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on
1/15/20 (MDL), and 1 in Tahoka (Lynn) on 1/20/20 (MDL) – ABOUT
AVERAGE.
WESTERN BLUEBIRD: 1 in Post (Garza) on 1/1/20 (AP, JP) and 1-9 at
Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) from 1/5/20 thorugh 1/20/20 (BSc) the
only reports – ABOUT AVERAGE.
BROWN THRASHER: 1 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) – THE ONLY
REPORT FROM ‘ATOP’ THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT.
CEDAR WAXWING: 6 at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 1/1/20 (DH) and
30 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (BSc) the only reports received
– LOW.
PINE SISKIN: 1 in Post (Garza) on 1/1/20 (AP, JP), 1 in a Lubbock yard
(Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (JCr), 12 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on
1/20/20 (JCr), 2 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (DH), and
27 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/12/20 (JCo, DH, AH) the only
reports – LOW.
MCCOWN’S LONGSPUR: 11 at City Farms (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH) the only
report received – EXTRAORDINARILY LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS AND NUMBERS.
FOX SPARROW: 6 at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 1/25/20 (SP, BA, SA, AvH,
JH, BK, PKi, NM, TT) – AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER FOR A SINGLE SITE BY
RECENT STANDARDS; MORE LIKE HISTORICAL NUMBERS.
HARRIS’S SPARROW: 1 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (BSc), 1 at
Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (JCo, DH, AH), and 2 at
Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/12/20 (BSc) the only reports
received – LOW; EVEN BY RECENT WINTERS’ STANDARDS.
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE: 1 below Lake Six (Lubbock) from 1/1/20 (DH)
through 1/4/20 (BSc), 1 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on 1/11/20 (AB, DHe,
WW), and 2 at Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 1/11/20 (JCo, DH, AH),
and 1 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on 1/18/20 (GB) – FORMERLY CASUAL
DURING WINTER; NOW ANNUAL AND NUMBERS SEEM TO BE INCREASING.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: 1 male at City Farms (Lubbock) on 1/5/20 (AH)
the only report – A TAD LOW BY RECENT WINTERS’ STANDARDS.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 2 at Davis Park (Lubbock) on 1/4/20 (AH), 1 at
MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/17/20 (JCr), and 1 at Clapp Park
(Lubbock) on 1/25/20 (SP, BA, SA, AvH, JH, BK, PKi, NM, TT) the only
reports received – FORMERLY MORE ABUNDANT IN THE REGION DURING WINTER;
THIS IS FAIRLY TYPICAL OF RECENT WINTERS.
OBSERVERS: BA=Britta Anderson, SA=Sheri Anderson, AB=Annette Bailey,
GB=Grant Beauprez, JoC=Joe Cochran, JrC=Jordan Cochran, JCo=Jamie
Court, JCr=Jim Crites, MDL=Manuel De Leon, DH= Drew Harvey, DHe=Daryl
Henderson, AH=Anthony Hewetson, AvH=Aveline Hewetson, JH=Julia Hilary,
GJ=George Jury, PJ=Pat Jury, BK=Barry Keith, GK=Glenda Kelly,
PKe=Peter Keyel, PKi=Phillip Kite, CL=Cienna Lyon, DM=Derek Malone,
NM=Neo McAdams, CN=Cathy Nowak, AP=Amy Packer, JP=Jay Packer,
SP=Skyler Parks, NP=Niler Pyeatt, CR=Clarice Robertson, FR=Floyd
Robertson, BSc=Bobby Schat, BSh=Brad Shine, ZS=Zachary Schwab,
JS=Jack Sloan, KS=Keri Sloan, HT=Hillary Thompson, TT=Tess Trost
NVV=Natalie Vande Vuss, WW=Walter Wehtje, LZ=Lena Zappia.
Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock
