Larry Millar has received a report of Prairie Chicken sp. being seen at Lake Abilene yesterday.  No other details, but Larry says the person is a reliable source.

This is a Lesser Prairie Chicken, it may look similar to it.   If you see them, please call our hotline and/or notify Abilene SP officials.

The Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratusis) a large (8.8 in. long, weight 2.2 oz.) tyrant flycatcher. It breeds in open woodlands with some tall trees, including cultivation and around human habitation, from southern Texas and Mexico to Uruguay and central Argentina, and on to Trinidad.

An adult Great Kiskadee has a stout black bill. The head is black with a strong white stripe above the eye and with a white chin, and with a concealed yellow crown stripe. The bird “reveals” this yellow crown stripe to look like a crest when challenging or when courting. The wings, back and tail are brown with strong rufous fringes. Its flashy bright yellow belly and shrill, exuberant call (kis-ter-DEE) along with the head and body colors make the Great Kiskadee easy to identify.

The nest, built by both sexes, usually in a tree or on a telephone pole, is a shaggy ball of twigs with a carefully constructed smooth round side entrance and smooth nest cup. The typical clutch is two to three cream eggs lightly blotched with reddish brown. They are incubated by the female. Both parents feed the babies.

They eat insects caught in flight, small rodents, fruit and berries, dog food, and they fish for and eat fish. from Wikipedia–Great Kiskadee

Abilene Sightings On March 16, 2010, a Great Kiskadee was sighted on Cedar Creek in Will Hair Park in northeast Abilene. This species normally breeds and lives in the far south Rio Grande Valley, Mexico, and points south. One individual (or individuals) seems to prefer the Cedar Creek area of Abilene. Several questions remain unanswered. Is this the same bird that was here several times in the past including in September and December of 2006; in April of 2008 and 2009, and again this year on March 16? Or, are there different birds? Or, does the bird reside here all year? We have only seen one bird at a time. We have heard it call numerous times. We need your help to answer these questions. This bird is easy to I.D. Please report any sightings with date, location, (picture if possible), your name and phone number to bigcountryaudubon@live.com or call a BCAS member. We will appreciate your help in answering these questions. Thanks. Katharine Hampton

ALERT: Be on the lookout for the TRUE sign that spring is here– a sighting of The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. How exciting that will be!

Six birders were welcomed at 7:00 AM on Saturday, Novemberl14, 2009 with a gorgeous red sunrise complete with some clouds, Venus and a narrow sliver of the moon. Leaves showed the range of colors–light green, dark green, yellow, orange, red, brown and all the shades between. I do not recall ever seeing the mesquite leaves turn such a rich yellow color.  Sumacs were their well known bright red.

Temperatures were pleasant, winds calm. Had there been no birds, it would have been a great day to be outdoors.

The group listed 64 species and well more than 3,000 birds.  Each birder got at least one “life bird.” Tom Dolan recorded Short-eared Owland Rock Wren. Toni Dolan recorded Lark Bunting and American Pipit. Joe and Bonnie Thompson listed Lark Bunting and Franklin’s Gull. Dan Symonds actually showed excitement over his new lifer, Crested Caracara. (Way to go Dan!) Kathy Hampton did not even try to hide her rejoicing

over an unexpected Short-eared Owl that, at mid-morning, took flight right by us as we searched for the Rock Wren we were hearing. Check the

bird list for several other “really good” birds that we saw. All agreed that it was a great, fun day to be outside and bird! Birds are on the move. Be on the look-out!

It’s the time of year birders await with eager anticipation.  How will spring migration be this year?  The songbird migration of 2009 kicked off in early April with very good numbers of Clay-colored Sparrows moving through along with Chipping Sparrows.  Indigo, Lazuli and Painted Buntings have all been seen at Cedar Gap Farm.  Now will the warblers make a good showing?  If not, we still have a number of beauties, such as Blue Grosbeak, to enjoy.  So get out there and see what’s moving through!  Some are just passing by, so some are staying to enjoy for the rest of the spring and summer.

The last week of March has revealed some incredibly out-of-range birds in the Big Country.  What is likely a Taylor County first is this Hooded Oriole, showing up at a nectar feeder at a northeast Abilene residence on March 24, 2009:

Photo by LgPacker

Hooded Orioles are normally found along the Rio Grande, in southern Arizona, in California and in Mexico.

A couple of days later Lorie found this Anhinga at Lake Fort Phantom at the outflow area establishing a Jones’ County first record:

Photo by Lorie Black

Anhingas are aquatic birds normally found east of us along the Gulf Coast, along freshwater streams and ponds.  They spend considerable time in the water, body submerged with only the neck, face, and bill visible.  When not swimming the bird sunbathes on branches overhanging water as seen in the above photo.  The oriole, on the other hand, is associated with much drier habitat.  Why a waterlogged species and a desert dweller were seen days apart is anyone’s guess.  Perhaps their breeding hormones or the crazy weather patterns of late caused them to fly a little further than they had anticipated.

While not rare for our area, White-breasted Nuthatches are very uncommon in the Big Country.  They are more of an Eastern species.  But this one was found and photographed by Lorie at Oakwood Trails the first of March.

Another bird hard to see (because it is nocturnal) is this Common Poorwill.

Thought to be roadkill, Heidi pulled over and picked it off the road only to find out it was alive!  A quick trip to the Abilene Zoo’s Rehabilitation center brought it back to full health and it was released the next day.  Can’t find its eye or beak?  Here’s a closeup to help you figure it out.

To see more oriole, poorwill, and other bird photos from our members, go to our March Birding Madness Gallery.  Dan has wonderful pictures of a Fox Sparrow, Lorie has more pictures, John recorded a field trip to Cedar Gap Farm, and Laura has one or two also.  Speaking of Laura, the only poster to this site until now, BCAS is now happy to announce she has two new backups, Dan and Lorie.  They will be adding their birding knowledge and expertise to this site.  Blogging goodness slowed the first of this year when Laura had to take time off to battle cancer.  She appears to be winning the battle and thanks everyone for their many thoughts and prayers.

Two bird occurrences made news here at BCAS this past week:  First, the rare sighting of a Ruddy Ground-Dove was reported in Tom Green County:

Kudos to Don (who’s identity will remain protected); he found the bird in his backyard hanging out with the Inca Doves.  Also, over at Ocellated, there are some excellent first photos of this rare sighting.  This dove is from Mexico.  If you look in a field guide, you might find a drawing of the bird, but you won’t find its range map because only a few confirmed records have been found in extreme southern Texas, near the Rio Grande River. And yes, technically the dove is not in the Big Country.  But it’s just one county away!  Near enough to chase! And that’s what I did this past weekend.

There were eight of us in Don’s backyard on a stakeout.  Me, Randy, Jay, Amy, Bob and wife from San Angelo, and Heidi and Matt.  Now Heidi and Matt did not come with us.  Heidi just happened to call as we were driving towards San Angelo and found out there was a Ruddy Ground-Dove in the area.  I remember Heidi said something like, “What?  You left town on a rarity chase and didn’t tell me?”  Oops…I thought I had.  Oops…I thought you read Texbirds.  Um, Heidi, I guess I was sneaking out of town without letting you know.  And then I reminded her of how I almost derailed Kathy’s and my friendship by rarity chasing a certain Golden-crowned Sparrow a year ago without telling her.  Oh, man, I get a little too focused…oops.  So anyway, she and Matt race on down to San Angelo; they get to the place about 45 minutes after we got there; and around 3:05, everyone gets really good looks at the little dove sitting in a tree:

Heidi’s still my friend, I have a new lifer, and all is right with the world. What more could I ask?

Glad you asked.  Back in mid-December, David reported a wing-tagged American White Pelican at Nelson Pond:

Not only did it have a wing tag, it was also banded:

If you find a tagged or banded bird, please report it to www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/. This is the web site of the North American Bird Banding Program.  There are instructions there on how to report your sighting (or  call 1-800-327-BAND). I reported the sighting at their web site and last week I received a letter stating the bird was banded at the Blackfoot Reservoir, 4 miles southwest of Henry, Caribou County, Idaho!  The pelican was banded in 2008 when it was too young to fly.  So it’s not even a year old.  I always wondered where our northern visitors were coming from and now I know one came from the Blackfoot Reservoir! I think it’s enjoying hanging out with the Resident-Rehabbed (years-ago) pelican which has not migrated since its release back to the “wild.”  Hmmm…will the resident pelican take off in the spring with its new-found friend or will it create another slacker like itself?  The drama continues!

Baby Blackfoot (foreground) frolics with Resident-Rehabbed Pelican at Nelson Park, mid-December, 2008.

Nothing happens in the bird world in December, right?  Besides we’re too busy with holidays, CBCs (I did three!),  shopping, baking, and entertaining.  But while we were sleeping and waking and running, some of you noticed the birds and sent us photos.

A lingering Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was found at the wastewater treatment plant in Jones County on December 5:

It set the latest “last-seen-in-the-fall” record for the Big Country.

Another flycatcher, the Great Kiskadee, was found December 29 behind a private residence along Cedar Creek in northeast Abilene:

This makes the “third-consecutive-year” record we’ve found this large Valley resident in the Big Country.

And the charm (third flycatcher) was this young Vermilion Flycatcher seen at SeaBee Park on the very first day of the new year:

Either this is the latest record or earliest record we have for Vermilion Flycatcher.  I don’t know…I’m confused.

And a little orange hummingbird braved the chill December air in Jones County:

Rufous Hummingbird

Our usual winter residents have been seen in the usual places on fences:

Sharp-shinned Hawk

in the brush:

Western Bluebird

and coming to the watering hole:

Fox Sparrow

But wait!  We have other birds that stepped in front of our cameras and in front of our cars   (It’s not gory; Heidi found an excellent specimen.)  I’ve put their pictures up at the December 2008 Gallery.  I even caught that  jolly-bearded, red-suited guy stopping by to grab a treat!

Thanks to those that sent in photos this past month!

Most blogs have some sort of theme: species, seasonal, rarities, or trip. This blog is none of the aforementioned. I have a hodge podge of interesting photos I wanted to share with you that others have sent in. Such as this photo of a Loggerhead Shrike taken by Joe Thompson:

Joe happened to find the shrike posing nicely in front of his red workshop. What the shrike did next….well…you’ll have to take a look.

The next group of fascinating photos comes from Kim Walton; he captured the wild nightlife at Dyess AFB with his wildlife camera. Do you know what this is coming to water?

And below is a photo of the Eastern Bluebird eggs Marsha found in her mom’s nestbox at the end of the season:

Me, I’ve pretty much been a slacker; just bummin’ around outside listening to quail and watching the leaves turn:

Hey, we really do have fall in the Big Country.

Yep, I told you it was a No Theme Gallery. Take a look at the rest of the pictures, I’m sure you’ll enjoy! Thanks to all who contributed their photos. Please keep ‘em coming!

So there we were Saturday morning, happily cruising along a Haskell County road when perched atop a double utility pole was a hawk-like shape:

“Stop the car!” “That’s not a Red-tail!” Screech! Everyone grabs their bins and sees:

“Oh, Wow!” We gotta get the scope on this one!”

A Prairie Falcon! A life bird for Dan and only the third sighting for me! Looks sorta like a Peregrine, doesn’t it? But the sandy-brown color and that area of dark on its flanks (sides) along with the white behind the eye is diagnostic. We take a few minutes to admire this little (16″) falcon of open grasslands and quickly get our cameras on it. Heidi’s digiscoped image wins hands down against my itty-bitty 400mm zoom lens. Before our admiration expires, however, it takes off and flies farther away from us, leaving us too soon.

“What a great find!” “This will be the birding highlight of our trip!” But what we saw next redefined highlight:

We watched with our mouths open as thousands and thousands of geese settled on top of a local lake. Every geese that came in for a landing had to announce that he was about to land so make room! By the time they all landed, Dan shot some great video and there was a little empty patch of blue water left.

Yes! We are planning another field trip to this area to give all a chance to see this marvel of nature. Watch for upcoming announcements. To view what other species of birds we saw, please see our November 1, 2008 list.

It is our passion to highlight the avian populations of the Big Country, to chronicle their annual migratory movements or to highlight avian behavior. This week’s post covers both situations. With the strongest of cold fronts moving into the Big Country this fall,

I captured the frontal passage at Lake Kirby (above). While the cold wind blew, a juvenile Osprey was dining on his morning’s catch:

When the cold front’s gusty wind knocked it off its perch, what do you think it did?

Lorie found some unusual ducks floating out at Ft. Phantom Lake October 24, 2008:

Do you know what they are? Do you have any ideas as to their origin? We have an idea, take a look here.

New member Joe Thompson sent in a photo of a moody American White Pelican wintering at Kirby Lake, October 19, 2008:

Several hundred stopped by mid-October and it will be interesting to see how many will hang around as winter sets in.

To find out the latest in Big Country bird news, check out the Late October Gallery. You’ll discover what the Osprey did when the cold front blew it off its perch, see a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk wintering in the area, and meet a contortionist robin. And don’t forget to check out the Sightings for a complete list of what has been seen recently. If you have an interesting photo you’d like to share with us, drop us a note.