Starlings
These guys are pests to native species, but there is some interesting plumage this time of year.
Migration & Hornsby Big 4
Migration !!! Had a few hundred of these guys near La Grange yesterday. Then I stopped by Hornsby about noon and it was almost devoid of shorebird habitat. Water is up and meets the grass, so no “shore”. I did manage to find 3 of the the “big 4”: Least, Killdeer & Spotted.
Migration Hornsby
Migration is happening!! Tons of yellow warblers and gnatcatchers at Hornsby and a few others sprinkled in like Clay-colored Sparrow and a Flycatcher someone can ID. Also 14 species of shorebirds including Avocets and Semipalm Plovers.
Juvenile Green Heron Hornsby
This is a juvenile Green Heron from Hornsby this morning. It was hunting water bugs. The Green Heron was the first bird I identified by myself at age 10. In the 51 years between then and now I don’t think I’ve ever noticed a juvenile green Heron before.
Red-necked Phalarope Hornsby
Thanks to Terry for letting me know about this Red-necked Phalarope at Hornsby. I re-found it at noon today.
Gray Gull in ABA Area
Some of you in 2022 Gulls Class may remember that I predicted this bird would be coming to the ABA area soon
Davis Mountains
And here are some additional pix from Davis Mountains in August 2023.
ID Davis Mountains
Here’s a bird for ID. Davis Mountains. August 2023.
Cedar Point Lake Buchanan
Felt like I was at the coast this morning, but it was Cedar Point on Lake Buchanan. 13 species of shorebirds including both grasspipers and 4 Whimbrels (one of our elliptical migrants). 100s of peeps. 1 Flat-billed Flamingo (aka Spoonbill), yet another Tri-colored Heron and apparently a pretty high count (per ebird) of Avocets (51),…