Current Bird (and nature) News

MOST RECENT UPDATE: June 15, 2018
(prior updates: June 8, 1, May 25, 18, 11, 4, April 27, 20, 13, 6)

Hope you had a good equinox and got everything evenly balanced out. Spring is heading to summer, less than a week to solstice. It has felt like summer for a month already here. But in a week, peak daylength. Have a Happy Solstice!

Migration is mostly over just after mid-May for us here a way down south below 30deg.N. All the usual breeders are in and on territory now, though numbers seem down. So do bugs. Some birds are already being seen off the breeding territories, done, and wandering about, including Golden-cheeked and Black-and-white Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Bullock's Oriole.

Dry the last month, a potential event might occur in the next week. Many areas locally got around an inch of rain May 19-20. We had a major rain event May 4, with 4.5" to 5" here. Some spots around town and valley had 5-6"! Saved the late May-June flower bloom. Been dry since though.

Note that (scratch, scratch) there are (scratch) a fair number (scratch, scratch, scratch) of (here a scratch, there a scratch, everywhere a scratch, scratch) chiggers out now. Spray pantlegs with bugspray if going into any knee-high grass. The reckless abandon approach of going in after a bug, whilst in sandals and shorts is not recommended, save for highly skilled professional scratchers, or those that wish to be. Since the last rains there are numbers of (small fast gray treehole) skeeters out now too.

• Jump To Bird & Nature News

For some spring Lost Maples reports see the news entries below for April 1, 9, 10, 15, 29, May 13 and June 3. All the usual breeders are being seen there: Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, Scott's Oriole, Canyon Wren, texana Scrub-Jay, Hutton's Vireo, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Warbler and Vireo, Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-throated and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Zone-tailed Hawk, Carolina Wren and Chickadee, the standard awesome assortment. Three are the new normal recent colonists: Olive Sparrow, White-tipped Dove, and Audubon's Oriole. Ignore the ebird Chihuahuan Raven reports there, they are mis-ID'd Common Ravens which are common resident breeders.

At start of latest bird news below there is a chronological list of my local arrival dates for the entire spring from the first arrivals in January.

There is a new page up with a long discussion, called "The Birds of Utopia Park," which includes the park bird list. If you can't sleep it may be just the ticket. It will be getting some fixes and changes still, but the basic is up. I have been making corrections here and there, and will likely add to it as time goes on, but for now it gets some info out there.
The Birds of Utopia Park

A quick note about Utopia Park. There have been some changes in management and rules. It is now $5 per person to enter, during the off-season. Peak, from spring break until Labor Day it will be $10 per person to enter. No charge for Utopia or Vanderpool residents.

Note we also have a fairly new 'where to stay' page, with contact info, links and names of many of the local lodging options. It is linked at top above in the NavBar under the Sites and Misc. section, and below at top of bird news.

Of expected but scarcer or local things around, there are the usual: Zone-tailed Hawk, Canyon Towhee and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Long-billed Thrasher, Ringed and Green Kingfisher. Some few Audubon's Oriole are around, like Bushtit, you could see one anywhere anytime, or nowhere at no time. It's birding!%^*@%! Again some White-tipped Dove and Olive Sparrow have been at Lost Maples, and around Utopia, the new normal. Both nested at Lost Maples last year (begging juvenile seen and heard).

You may want to scroll down to the date of the last update you read, and scroll or read UP day-to-day to read in chronological sequence, some references might make more sense that way. For repeat offenders there is a link just below to jump straight to newest update. There is a broken line of tildes (~) to denote prior update breaks, if you are lucky with a photo. Sometimes this header is archived within body of news as well since it changes. Seperated by tildes as well, as are monthly summaries.

For visiting cell phone users, often only AT&T works here, or Concan, and many local areas Sabinal to Leakey, etc. Often around Hwy 90 (Hondo, Uvalde) you can get other signals. Then wi-fi is available at the Utopia Library, the store in Vanderpool had a sign saying they have it there too. State Park headquarters may have it? Don't tell them I told you.   ;)

Please holler if you see something good locally! THANKS!  :)  (local 830 Utopia landline WON~2349)
E-dress clickably linked at bottom of most pages: mitchATutopianatureDOTcom

Note on navbar at top of this page and the home page, and somewhere around the chat picture below is a link to a new LINKS page that is a quick handy way outta here. Who loves ya baby? It is a collection of some of the links I will publicly admit to using, though a couple with no small amount of trepidation. Space, weather, bugs, birds, blogs, bird cams, and other stuff...   Enjoy!

• Jump To Bird & Nature News

This page has the current bird and nature news from the area around Utopia, the Sabinal River Valley (SRV), and occasionally elsewhere in the area, such as Uvalde, Concan, Lost Maples, etc. Often very unusual sightings will be in CAPS. There will also be occasional mention of butterfly (lep) or dragonfly (ode) sightings when they are out and about.

If you are a frequent flier scroll down past the Rufous-backed Robin sketch and a few 'recent' highlight photos below that, and you'll quickly be at the most recent news. Or hit the " jump to bird news " link just above. It is in reverse chronological order, with most recent day, date, and weekly post at top.

During migration periods or when things are "jumpin," I might post updates weekly, or less, with my local (often yard) notes from nearly every day....since there has never been a birder here daily it might be interesting when we get a bit of data??? Normally every week or so (been Friday eves) I'll update with some daily or near-daily notes of what is going on with birds, or butterflies, dragonflies, fish, flowers, reptiles, triops, cerambycids, buprestids, bombyliads, and so on. Often just yard notes, but unless you got to be stationed at the park all day, one site of observation locally is about as good as another.

If you're in the area and see something, please don't hesitate to let us know. For instance, we would be happy to post Lost Maples SNA bird news, if it were reported to us. Perhaps other visitors might better know where to look for something of interest. E-mail link in next (pale yellow) box, and at bottom of most pages. Local (eight-three-zero) landline WON~2349. I can be at the park in 10 minutes, 8 if I was dressed with shoes on, 5 if it is a Sabine's Gull, but I might not be fully dressed.

Thanks and enjoy! Some rudimentary maps of the area are at the bottom of the "site guide" page, if you need help locating any of the places mentioned.

Anyone birding the area should get a copy of June Osborne's neat local birding guide, "Birding the Concan Area." It is an invaluable reference for birding the local area. It covers Uvalde to Concan, Sabinal, and the Utopia area. If you're not familiar with the area, it will show you lots of the productive local roads and spots to check. Neal's Lodges has it, as well as lots of birding stuff at their store. We do have some informational stuff on the local birding sites page.

There are now 14+ (!) years and growing worth of nature notes here, mostly in the bird news archives pages linked at the bottom of this page in 6 month segments. You can fairly easily check, 10 fall or spring periods, etc., and get a good idea of what goes on when, where, or how weak migration is here.   :) If you're coming in April, you can check several years out and see when different species arrive.  For instance for Painted Buntings not till later April, earliest numbers about the 18-20th, later is better, some years not till the 21-22 are the first back locally.  Often a few days earlier down in lower altitude brush country or down on the coast, etc. Adult males mostly depart territories and the area the first week of August.

Be sure to check out the Bird List page, which is updated (2016) with seasonal status and abundance for each species. It lists all 340 plus species (!) known from the upper Sabinal River drainage.

The 10th (!) winter bird count totals are up on the Bird Count Page

A newer page is the butterfly rarity photos: Rare Butterflies

NOTE: The FOS (First of Season) dates given are for the Utopia area. That may be the first of spring, first of fall, or first of winter, etc. In spring for example, for many species (birds, butterflies, flowers, etc.) Concan may run a week or more earlier, and Uvalde 1 to 2 weeks or so, earlier than the Utopia area does for some spring arrivals sometimes. In any given year some species will be "early" and others will be "late," compared to averages.

And here's something else.......
Sometimes I may be available as eyes and ears for hire. Send an E-mail if you desire professional expert level birding guide services while in the area. Take out the spaces around the at if you copy this instead of clicking it: mitch @ utopianature.com

Or check out the Bird Guide page.

The BIRDING SITES, HUMMINGBIRDS, BIRD LIST, and LM REPORTS, and RARITIES pages have all been recently updated!

With apologies, I am not interested in photos from other areas for identification. Please please please do not send unsolicited out of area photos. Contact your local Audubon Society if you have pictures of a bird that you would like identified, every area has one. From Houston to Travis to Ft. Worth, Big Sky, Llano Estacado, no matter where you are there are other local folks interested in your local birds, and since you are (to have a pic that you want ID'd) you should want to know them.  :)  Thank you in advance.

Commonly used ABBREVIATIONS are:

"in or around town" - refers to Utopia
UP - Utopia Park off 1050 just west of 187
UR - Utopia on the River grounds (2 mi. S. of town)
LM - Lost Maples SNA
SRV - Sabinal River Valley (Clayton Grade to Lost Maples)
  the upper Sabinal River drainage biogeographic area.
FOS - "First of Season" (usually used for the first
   spring or fall migrant of that species locally)
FOY - First of Year, usually used in winter and spring.
Odes - Odonata - a dragonfly or damselfly
Leps - Lepidoptera - usually butterflies
UvCo - Uvalde County
BanCo - Bandera County


First a 2011 highlight ...






Some things from 2012 ...





Finally..... a good (and favorite) bird.....


Something from 2013 ...

Yellow-breasted Chat

Here are links to some new pages added in the last couple years:

Here is a master index page of 'Old Bird News' links:
Bird News Archives INDEX
It has links to all the 'Bird News' pages, in 6 month increments.

There is a page of photos from 2016: 2016 pix

And now for something completely different... I will probably make some changes yet, I was looking for some more pix, but anyway meanwhile at least the basics are up... Here is a new page with some photos and discussion of hybrid Cliff x Cave Swallows: Clave Swallows
~ ~ ~ ~
***  Here is a new page for visitors with ideas, links, phones, contacts, etc., about where to stay locally.
Where to Stay
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
***  Here is a major new page I have been working on for half of last year, and which compiles over a decade of my study at the site. It is a long discussion about the how and why of birds at Utopia Park, and the park bird list.
The Birds of Utopia Park
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here are assorted links of all manner, and a handy way outta here.
Mitch's Links

~ ~ ~ finally, current bird news from the greater and lesser Utopia area ~ ~ ~

BIRD & NATURE NEWS 2018


Notes without location cited are in or from yard which is a couple miles south of town at edge of the river habitat corridor. If it doesn't say where it was, it was in or from the yard. Usually a few daily yard notes is all the drivel you get. But you never know what that can lead to. Ready, steady, go!

To repeat since commonly used:
sps.=species; FOS=First of season; FOY=First of Year; FOF=First of fall; LTA=Less than Annual; UP=Utopia Park; UR=Utopia on the River; SLC=So. Little Creek Rd. (ph.)=photo obtained; ad.=adult; imm.=immature.; ma.=male; fem.=female; juv.=juvenile; odes=Odonata = dragonflies and damselflies; leps=Lepidoptera (butterflies), town=Utopia; the park= Utopia Park at SW corner of town. WU = Weather Underground (sometimes local station readings referenced)

---

Just to have this handy again for reference, recent prior updates:
June 8, 1, May 25, 18, 11, 4, April 27, 20, 13, 6, March 30, 23, 16, 9, 2
Usually each weeks' update break is marked with a photo.
You may want to scroll down to last prior update and scroll
up to read in chrono order day to day.

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ and now for the news ~ ~ ~

June 15 ~ It is bad when 72dF feels nice and cool for a low. I know, lots have it worse. I lucked out into being on the front porch just before 8 a.m. when an adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron flew up the river over the cypresses. It looked like it went down at the pond behind the Barham's place. Perfect spot for it. New bird for the yard list, though Kathy saw what was probably one fly by a few years ago. Town run, saw Little Creek Larry at the park, he said he had a sub-adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron there yesterday! Mine this a.m. was a full adult. They take 3 years to mature so you can age them easily, and therefore know if multiple individuals are present fairly easily, if they are different ages.

Saw two Black-and-white Warblers at the park, one chased the other off. Two Eastern Wood-Pewee were there, it is not too late for them to attempt to nest. A Zone-tailed Hawk over the pastures on east side by rodeo ring. Flushed an Underwing moth with orange for color on the hindwings, so maybe Catocala ilia. Too cloudy and cool for odes so missed last week's Orange-striped Threadtail, but they are there and flying now, once sunny. About 4 Blue Jay around town. At the Sabinal Canyon Museum where the yellow Lantana is in bloom there was a tailess White-striped Longtail (skipper- butterfly), which is my first this year for them. Also a male Whirlabout there, and a duskywing I was not sure of.

We had a near-miss rain cell but which gave us a little cooling from outflow at peak heat, took us from about 94 to 85dF. Every wee bit of relief is great! We are still hoping for an advertised rain event, running about Saturday or Sunday through Wednesday at least. The Field Sparrow was on the patio late, and way late a Barn Owl called again, from way high up, like migrant height, not a low hunting or commuting bird.

June 14 ~ Same gang here... and Thursday so at the desk all day. A little cooler today, at least the heat dialed back a bit, maybe 92dF at peak heat. Hope this potential rain event materializes in a few days, it is getting mighty dusty out there. We need the water badly. Bell's Vireo still singing in earshot. There are some Cardinals floating around now without any feathers on the head now. It is that time when they molt those, briefly having rather unattractive bare purplish skin exposed but increasing their dinosaur appearance greatly.

In nearby news, and a reminder to keep your eyes peeled and mind open... Rare butterfly season has opened, Troy Hibbits and his dad had a Banded Orange Heliconian (Dryadula phaestusa) at Cook's Slough in Uvalde yesterday (13th). This methinks will be a first UvCo record for this Mexican vagrant. Since the county was worked for 20+ years by great entomologists Charles Bordelon and Mike Knudson, it is exceedingly difficult to add new butterfly species to the UvCo list (ca. 140 sps.). It takes vagrant mega-rarities, as the regular vagrants have all been recorded. So, a most excellent find!

June 13 ~ SOS, same temps, same birds, same spreadsheet Wednesday at the computer. Got some more yard work done early, and did some last half-hour of light last night too, it's brutal, and chiggery. It is a drippy proposition all summer here. Before sunup I heard a juvenile Common Nighthawk calling. About 5 p.m. we had a few spritzes from a passing rain cell, maybe a few hundredths here. Just enough to really smear the dust on vehicle windows, and drop the temps about 8dF to mid-80's at peak heat. Radar showed some spots around got a quarter inch, like Sabinal, Concan, maybe Lost Maples got it too.

Great were a couple juvenile Bullock's Oriole that went through yard early. I had a couple last year, with an ad. fem., these seemed on their own. A very few nest locally. There were two male Scissor-tails visiting in the big pecan right off porch for a bit after the spritz. One was the grass airstrip male, the other from over by the river. Probably couldn't believe it rained a few drops. Bird noise was great after the spritz. Everything was calling. Heard the Bell's Vireo singing. Twice today, early and late, I heard what surely was a Rufous-crowned Sparrow out back on the slope. I also heard what I was sure was a Black-n-white Warbler a few times, then a juvenile female appeared in a pecan right in front of me. A young bird, off the territory and heading south down the river habitat corridor already. After dark I heard a Barn Owl, very very rare in June here. It seemed like it was up high commuting, not at foraging altitude.

June 12 ~ About 74-94dF for a temp range. Just getting below 90 at 7 p.m. when I saw Kerrville was still 94, due to the heat island effect from all the pavement and concrete. Finally, today was the big day. Got my screen with a hole in it up on a window facing the bird bath. So now I can shoot photos without that dang old dirty window and rusty screen that was screwed into the window frame (with stripped screws, and not properly seated) just to make sure you could not clean the glass and it didn't keep the bugs out. Looks like a new window now, and best of all, with a hole to shoot pix through the screen. I will have to measure to see how far the shot is. It's a game changer for pix at the bath. Saw a Scissor-tail do a flip from the porch. Field Sparrow on the patio seed.

June 11 ~ Here is when we get to the part that feels like the movie Groundhog Day, because everything stays about the same the next couple months. Oh, sure by later July we start getting a bit of migrant motion. But that is still a month away. We run low 70's dF to low to mid-90's for highs the next three months. Unless we get rain. There is some potential showing on the long range so dance, pray, whatever you do, now is the time.

Hooded and Scott's Oriole singing in yard on feeder visits. Hear a Blue Grosbeak singing across road over Chat way. Late afternoon watched a cuckoo catch a nice big green katydid in a pecan out front. The light was bad but I shot anyway, just so I could blow it up and ID the bug prey item. Katydid killer. It was quieter out there later. The fireflies are weak, as if they peaked already, but which was never any peak to me. There was a Brown-crested Flycatcher in the yard late afternoon. Ash-throated and Great Crested nested nearby but out of yard as usual, the Brown-crests did not stick this year.

June 10 ~ About 72dF for a low. Morning low clouds, afternoon was a bit patchy clouds so only (!) a cool 92dF or so at peak heat. Heard another Gnatcatcher go by. Worked on projects here, too busy to go out. A few butterflies, a Bordered Patch, late p.m. a Tawny Emperor might be my first of year for them, and down at river in the afternoon a False Duskywing I think was also FOY too. Had a swim to cool off. In the big cypresses there was what seemed a territorial pair of Eastern Wood-Pewee, one chased a Summer Tanager away from the few trees it was guarding. Maybe the troller I was hearing found a mate! Also down there was Indigo and Painted Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-throated Warbler, Chat, Chickadee and Titmouse, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, heard the Scott's Oriole go through.

June 9 ~ About 74dF for a low, and muggy. Had biz work to do half the day, and tried to get some projects here worked on the other half. Same gang of birds around yard. Heard Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak. Took a pic through the screen door of two male Painted Bunting on the white millet seed feeder. Feeder flies. A baby Cowbird being fed by Lark Sparrow is a bummer. But we get darn few of those here overall. Scott's Oriole hitting the feeder lots, which means we hear lots of singing. The male Vermilion now has two young he is feeding. In butterflies saw the sooo orange Goatweed Leafwing male around yard again, a couple Arizona Sister went by.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

June 8 ~ Low 70's isn't very low. But at least it is not hot for a few hours early. Too much to do today, but did stop at the park briefly when in town for supplies. Heard a Black-and-white Warbler in the woods, another post- breeding dispersant. There was a pair of Great Crested Flycatcher there, one of which I watched go down to the water and bathe! Very neat to watch. Otherwise it was the usual gang, plus hot and humid. Add-on after update posted: I forgot to mention there were 4-5, maybe 6 Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) damselflies at the park, so their flight season has opened.

June 7 ~ Low 70's and low clouds were off and on for the morning. They were fighting to get here. The second wave of juvenile Black-chinned Hummingbirds is appearing now. Numbers are up with fluid consumption, and I see lots of gray-headed fresh juveniles now. Yellow-throated Warbler was at the bath. The other side of its territory is the cypresses along the river, yet it comes here to drink regularly, as in seemingly daily. It certainly makes a couple or few rounds of the yard daily, singing, likely hitting the bath. The female visits the yard too. They bring their young to the bath when they fledge. Another Gnatcatcher today.

While on break on the front porch I watched a Scissor-tail sally over front yard for bugs a couple times. Great break bird from the porch. On this date many moons ago, 6-7-89, I finally saw my first Scissor-tail in California, in Torrance, at my mother-in-laws (!), for 10 seconds or so. I got two photos as it flew over and by me. I had chased and missed several out there. Then a funny thing happened to my photos and report on the way to science...

A free no charge rantlet with a money back guaranty follows. I do not think I have ever covered this event here, so here it is.

A gang in the California Bird Record Committee, the socal record wreckers, the most fearsome band of bird record bullies known to man, led by Jon L. Dunn, and consisting primarily of Paul Lehman, Michael A. Patten, Brian E. Daniels, Kimball L. Garrett, Richard A. Erickson, and Matt T. Heindel, falsely accused me of bird record fraud by making up lies about my photos. With no evidence. Just lies. And they hid this from me, because they, and the CBRC, do not believe in a birder's right to defend themselves (habeus corpus) against whatever BS they make up about them and their report. This is not how science or assurring the accuracy of the record (what they say they are doing) works. It is however a master class in character assassination. This is the socal birding scene for those that would dare be a CBRC critic.

So I was not able to defend myself against their fabricated falsehoods about my photos. I found out why my name was mud 8 years later, and proved the above had been lying about my bird report all that time. They continue to lie about it today, by never setting the story straight with a true story about the false story they started and set free. So I think it important to print their names and make sure everyone remembers how super special they are, for bearing false witness to my photographic Scissor-tailed Flycatcher report. And refusing to admit it when caught. They have probably lied about your reports too, if you are a CBRC critic. How dare you not bow to their egos and question their authority.

They would tell you they fixed it if you asked them about it today. Which to them means they changed the rejection to an accepted record. They did not fix the false story they set free. That requires telling the truth. They don't have it in them. They never corrected the story they fabricated, promoted and spread for years with the truth. Ask them if they published the truth about the record in a way anyone reading it after we are all dead, would understand what really happened to the record. The answer is no. As they wanted it to be. So I get to, and will continue to, remind and warn folks occasionally about these most sublime of bird record cheaters, those that bear false witness to the bird reports of others. Screwing perfectly good records and the birder it flew in on, as they did to me on CBRC #1991-035.

These are Type B bird record cheaters. These are not your sundry Type A fudgers that simply make up that they saw something with a little stretching of field marks. These guys work is far more sublime, being so highbrow, and all that. They don't lie about what they saw, they lie about what you saw! They fabricate falsehoods about the reports of others, sometimes lies of the reputation destroying sort, like the above named did to me. Which is a billion times worse than making up that you saw something, of course. Because it is against, and hurts, others. The guy that makes up Goshawks is not hurting anyone. What Jon Dunn and his fellow bird record bullies do is control the word on themselves by controlling the word on you. By falsely accusing fraud, which is fraud. Clearly that type of fraud is OK with his, and the CBRC people's, ethics and morals. These same proven bird record cheaters continued deciding and voting on the my records after I proved they were cheating on them! CBRC quality control. So moral. This is CBRC science.

~ ~ ~ end of rantlet ~ ~ ~

June 6 ~ About 72dF for a low, but the low Gulf clouds kept the sun away for a few hours. A pair of Killdeer flew by heading towards grass airstrip maybe. Probably nesting on the golf course near one of the water features. Kathy saw a male Scott's Oriole at the bath, so you know it is hot. They generally won''t go to it if it is under 94dF. It is an upper 90's thing or higher only for them. Saw a juvenile Painted Bunting, my FOY for that.

At dusk what seemed a female and begging young Chuck-wills-widow flew across yard. The ad. was giving the pulsating guttaral mechanical (a flat underlying clicking throughout) reverberating wowowowowowowowowow as it flew across the yard and when it first landed. Almost always followed by calling. Flying behind and off to side was a second bird giving what I consider a begging note only heard from fledglings. A single guttaral 'owl' unlike the one adults can give. It has a hungry pleading sound to it. It is great to be able to experience them closely a bit. Whatabird. I get the sense we know very little. What is the clicking? Coincidence of sound, or functional?

June 5 ~ Clear and cooled off to a chilly and thrilling 69dF. So more yard work early, that 5" of rain a month ago results in a tall-grass prairie in 3 weeks. I try to keep a patch of tall grass around the base of each pecan so there are islands of good bug habitat generating food for the nesting birds. The combination of micro-habitats, tall grass and short grass, increases biodiversity by factors. Even a few small patches of some tall grass, or little patches of native flowers, like Mexican Hat, make a world of difference in biomass (bird food). There is very little in very short grass areas. Fairways can be biological deserts, whilst roughs comparitively are biodiversity hotspots. Had a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in yard in the afternoon, another bird done and gone off the breeding grounds. Heard a trolling Field Sparrow sing its way around and move off. Juvenile Lark Sparrow out there begging.

June 4 ~ Happy Tonga Emancipation-Independence Day! Yer welcome! There was a cold front that washed out over the plateau last night, areas in north and west saw some rain, not here, but we got a rain-cooled outflow low of 72dF which was great. So yard worked early a bit before the heat sets in. Just the usual, Indigo Bunting singing over in draw again, Cuckoo around the yard, Yellow-throated Vireo, Great Crested Flyc., Yellow-throated Warbler, Painted Bunting, etc., is great daily fare in my book. saw a Caracara go by, but better was a Killdeer. Wonder what it was doing. A pair might nest at the golf course and perhaps commute to the grass airstrip to feed? Seems like the fairways would have enough short grass. Maybe too short, so no bugs.

The Chuck-w-w is going off nuts again, I think he sits on that empty birdhouse that is 12' up in the open. Heard the Common Nighthawk booming over by north knoll. Fireflies seem a bit light, err, low in numbers, this year so far. At least in our yard, some but not big numbers like last couple years. Saw a nice big red and black Velvet Ant out in the driveway. One Catacola Underwing was brown of hindwing, so obscurus or near that. I actually saw it a few days ago too, maybe Friday.

June 3 ~ Only 74dF for a low here. We were up before 6 a.m. and already light in the sky, dawn chorus already going, and Chucks still calling. We went up to Lost Maples for a hike and bird walk, trying to beat heat, but not. It was cooler and drier up there at 8:30 a.m., you could feel a real difference. We didn't spend but a few minutes at the feeding station at the trailhead parking lot. A couple Chimney Swift were rocking right over that old cabin-house there. Not much going on at the seed though so up the canyon we went. A couple Scott's Oriole were at the start of the trail just after first crossing. Also in that area were Olive Sparrow, a Black-capped Vireo still singing there, and White-tipped Dove called from high up on hills.

We saw about 5-6 Golden-cheeked Warbler, including point blank views of adult feeding young, and heard a few more singing up on slopes. Watched one bathe looking down on it at 10'. For them it was a great showing. We saw begging young of Yellow-throated and Black-and-white Warbler as well, adults still singing too, as are Louisiana Waterthrush, of which I saw a couple adults and one juvenile. A few Blue-gray Gnatcatcher but their numbers are way down already, as are Golden-cheeks for that matter. Only heard one Eastern Wood-Pewee, which is nearly scary, and only heard two Acadian Flycatcher. Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireo still in good nubers, fewer Yellow-throated, and heard two Hutton's. Did not hear a Blue Grosbeak, several Indigo Bunting territorial along the canyon. Heard Canyon Wren and Rufous-crowned Sparrow but did not see any. No Zone-tailed Hawk. The Common Ravens are out of the nest and up on the cliff above it. Fair numbers of Ash-throated Flycacher. Scarce there in summer, we heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo call.

In lizards saw a 4-lined Skink, some Anoles, and a 6-line Racerunner, only snake was a young W. Ribbonsnake (ph.). Butterflies were limited, lots of Spicebush Swallowtail flying though, and one black form female Eastern Tiger, one Southern Broken Dash, a couple Arizona Sister, but didn't see a Satyr, or a Roadside-Skipper. Fair numbers of the common stuff. Only a little of the Texas Milkweed was in bloom, only one Boneset type Eupatorium. The Snapdragon Vine was going good, as well as Indian Blanket, while Musk Thistle going too well. A highlight was two of the Stenelytrana gigas Cerambycids, the first I have seen there actually, but I only got one out of focus shot of one. Both were in flight, one hovering around some blooming vine. It is a great Pepsis Wasp (Tarantula Hawk) mimic. Later we saw a huge female Pepsis, which I did get a good shot of.

Odes were way up in numbers and activity. First of year Widow Skimmers are always a treat. Lots of Blue Dasher, a few Banded Pennant, several Prince Baskettail, several Comanche Skimmer, a Neon Skimmer was FOY too. Best was an Ivory-striped Sylph male I saw briefly. Something else we watched closely at leisure I couldn't figure out, it was surely an imm. male Ivory-striped Sylph. Great looks at Springwater Dancer as usual. Also saw an Eastern Ringtail fly away, and a Black Saddlebags, Wandering Glider, a Leaftail got away before ID, another FOY. Some years the place gets pretty odey (odie?), maybe this will be one. Best ode day so far this year, finally. First day this year with over ten species of dragonflies, plus some few damsels.

Fish were the usual, Largemouth Bass, Red-breasted Sunfish, a Notropis sps. shiner, plus my favorites, Mexican Tetras. I got usable photos of the latter two this time finally. The tets are just starting to get some breeding color. I need to find some around town so I can throw a few in a tank to watch. By noon coming back down the canyon it was dripping hot, 90+ and very humid. There were very few people on the trail, About 4 of the 5 hours we saw no one else. Needless to say, no birders. No coverage. Just one bumbling dummy and his better half. The office said lots of reservations cancelled this weekend, likely due to the heat forecast. I am always amazed how quickly birder tourist season ceases here though. Like its all over, nuthin' to see here folks, move along.

After resting a bit, since we hadn't done enough today, we went swimming in the afternoon to beat the heat. Nothing different over there at river but the ability to be in 75dF to the bone in short order. A Scott's Oriole was singing in the cypresses as it worked its way toward our feeders. We walked about 3.5 miles, and then swam almost a mile. I can't wait for tomorrow when I have to be in the office sitting in a chair.

June 2 ~ A balmy 72dF for a low isn't very. The price for the morning clouds that keep the solar heating at bay a few hours first thing. Early a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher called from out front just over fence. This is another post-breeding dispersal wanderer already, species #3 for that in the last two days. Yesterday was Black-and-White and Golden-cheeked Warbler, today the Gnatcatcher. All three off breeding territory moving around already. If they were staying for another clutch they would still be on (maintaining) territory.

Was a hair under 96dF on the cool shady front porch about 5 p.m. You don't want to stand in the sun too long. You will be dripping if your shoes come untied. There is a new set of just fledged Cardinals, four of them in this one batch! It is all that sunflower seed out there. Hummers are in a lull, and we are not complaining. That batch of young in May is gone and the females are likely nearly fledging another set now. The Chuck-w-w went off again, must have been on the roof or that high birdbox with nothing using it, so lound, so close, two more countersinging not far away. It is a riot out there when they all go off.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

June 1 ~ OMG June! I swear it was just New Years. I heard a Black-and-white Warbler singing over in the draw early in the morning. Mid-morn it was singing in the big pecan right off the front porch. Before I could binoc to age it the Yellow-throated Warbler flew up very near it, belted out one bar of song, and immediately chased it away. Was it an unmated troller, or an already departing post-breeder, is the big queston. I heard baby Yellow-throated Warbler begging up in another pecan, and which might have been why so territorial.

The birds of the day in the yard were photographed, but I did not see them. I went to town for supplies and errands (and Rosie's chicken fajita tacos) for a couple hours 11-1. Man, I just left for a few moments and she gets the drop on me! When I got back Kathy said she got an ID shot of a Golden-cheeked Warbler and something else at the birdbath! After looking at the pix it is clearly an adult AND a juvenile Golden-cheeked! They had to have nested very very nearby to be together still. My guess would be on one of the knolls right behind us on Lou Waters' wildlife conservation easement abutting us here.

I had nothing in town but the usuals. Cave Swallows at the bank, Great-tailed Grackle at the old water company building, Bell's Vireo at the post office, Yellow-throated Warbler singing behind general store, Red-eyed Vireo singing on Cypress St., a Zone-tailed Hawk flew over Main St., Chimney Swift and Purple Martin also overhead. At the park Blue Jay and Green Kingfisher besides the usual suspects. For a supply and errand run it is entirely bearable. The three species of warblers in the yard on June 1 is outstanding!

~ ~ ~ May summary ~ ~ ~



It was about average for temps, bearable early in the month, and getting hot by the second half. We had one big rain event early in the month, mostly May 4, 5-6" locally, and another inch later in month. So the total was good, but lots of the big one was runoff since most of it fell in 12 hours or so. We remain in a serious drought. Flowers were down for the spring, it was not a great year for spring wildflowers here.

Butterflies were 47 species, one less than April, usually May is better than April, except in off years. It was about the 47 most likely species with nothing odd really. The Bronze Roadside-Skippers at Lost Maples were nice, as was a couple Southern Broken-Dash, but neither unexpected. It was a great Little Wood Satyr flight at Lost Maples this spring, and a good flight for Oak (So.) Hairstreak. A fair number of Arizona Sister are moving, a few Red-spotted Purple up at Lost Maples, a very few N. Mestra here around Utopia.

Odes were still slow. Picking up a little, but not fast enough if you have been missing them since October. We only get about four months of really good season with them here, June-September. About 8 species of damselflies, and nothing but the expected early ones. For dragons about 19 species, and there were a few items of interest. A River Cruiser was at the 360 crossing, but I couldn't get a photo, it was cruisin too fast. Probably a Bronzed. A couple Black-shouldered Spinyleg were seen just emerged at the park. A Flame Skimmer was at Lost maples, a Eastern Amberwing at the Utopia Park was maybe my first May record here, and seems likely a local emergence. The big flight was at the ephemeral flood ponds on W. Sabinal Rd. and S. Little Creek where peak day between both ponds there were over a hundred Band-winged Dragonlet adults, May 5 and 6. Some were there May 4, the very afternoon they filled with water from the big rain event. Then for a couple weeks you could see them, slowly dwindling. They are less than annual here.

Birds are always great in May, as often the peak of diversity here is in a final burst right before migration ends. I come up with about 130-131 species that I saw in the upper Sabinal River drainage, roughly Utopia to Lost Maples in May. Not bad. If I were retired and could bird every day, 150 in the month is not out of the question if you had a good year for landbird migrants, and multiple rain and migrant grounding events.

It was about 10 species better than April was. The shorebirds really helped. The first week of May is about the peak time for many things, and after the second week migration is really mostly past us as far as transient passage migrants are concerned, save some flycatchers. Weirdest thing was no Dickcissels, not even a passage bird! The highlight of the month was the shorebirds grounded in the big rain event at the flood ponds on W. Sabinal and S. Little Crk. Rds.

Likely the first indisputable Long-billed Dowitcher (2 - ph.) and Wilson's Phalarope (3 in ph.) records for Bandera Co., and probably the first photos of Pectoral Sandpipers (3 in ph.) for BanCo. Add on good numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs, some Solitary Sandpipers, plus in UvCo at the golf course, 3 Baird's Sandpiper. Might not sound like much, but try getting shorebirds in BanCo. We have to get enough rain to fill the ponds, right as the stuff is going by. Most springs we get few to no shorebirds here besides Spotted Sandpipers on the spillway at the park.

A few fun landbirds were had. Two Philadelphia Vireo were great, one photo&apo;d, the other heard singing, in the yard! A few Catbird, just one Eastern Kingbird, one Alder Flycatcher called to make it into the books, one female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was on sunflower seeds here at house. Warblers were slow, 16 sps. the whole spring, and individual numbers seemed down, especially for Nashvilles, again. Only Yellow Warbler seemed in good numbers, though Common Yellowthroat had a good strong showing. One Chestnut-sided was the only of the scarcer LTA - less than annual - species. Two Mourning is low, two Tennessee was great, missed it the last couple springs, just by luck snagged one male American Redstart. Did not see a Parula of any sort.

~ ~ ~ end May summary ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ archive copy of spring arrival dates ~ ~ ~
Here are my dates for 2018 spring arrivals for the Utopia area,
in chrono order so you can sorta see how it unfurls.
January
29 - Turkey Vulture
29 - Purple Martin
February
20 - Great Egret
25 - Sandhill Crane
25 - Dragonfly (Red Saddlebags)
28 - Bat
March
 2 - Black-chinned Hummingbird (JS Mar. 1)
 2 - Barn Swallow
 2 - Lincoln's Sparrow (migrant)
 4 - Vermilion Flycatcher
 5 - White-eyed Vireo
 7 - Double-crested Cormorant (LCL)
 7 - Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (LCL)
 9 - No. Rough-winged Swallow
10 - Ash-throated Flycatcher
10 - Monarch (butterfly)
14 - Yellow-throated Warbler
14 - Yellow-throated Vireo
16 - Cave Swallow
20 - Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
21 - Scott's Oriole
23 - Common Grackle
23 - Clay-colored Sparrow
23 - Barn Owl
24 - Louisiana Waterthrush
25 - Golden-cheeked Warbler
25 - Black-capped Vireo
29 - Hooded Oriole
29 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird
30 - Summer Tanager
31 - Bell's Vireo
31 - Nashville Warbler
April
 1 - Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
 1 - Black-and-white Warbler
 2 - Bronzed Cowbird
 6 - Great Crested Flycatcher
 6 - Chimney Swift
 6 - Chuck-wills-widow
 6 - Firefly
 9 - Indigo Bunting (LM-TS)
 9 - Yellow-breasted Chat
10 - Broad-winged Hawk (LM)
11 - Green Heron
12 - Common Yellowthroat
13 - Blue Grosbeak
16 - Painted Bunting - (LCL male)
17 - female Ruby-throated Hummingbird
18 - Indigo Bunting (yard male)
18 - Swainson's Hawk
19 - Painted Bunting - (yard male)
19 - Brown-crested Flycatcher
20 - Spotted Sandpiper
21 - Yellow-headed Blackbird (DS)
22 - Baltimore Oriole (early)
22 - Western Kingbird
22 - Northern Waterthrush (white)
22 - Tennessee Warbler
22 - Lazuli Bunting
24 - Orchard Oriole
25 - female Blue Grosbeak
25 - female Hooded Oriole
27 - Yellow Warbler
27 - Cattle Egret
27 - Catbird
27 - female Lazuli Bunting
29 - Bullock's Oriole
29 - Acadian Flycatcher - LM (others earlier)
30 - Yellow-billed Cuckoo
May
 1 - Least Flycatcher
 1 - (yard) female Painted Bunting
 1 - 1st spring male Painted Bunting
 1 - Common Nighthawk
 3 - Black-throated Green Warbler
 3 - Mourning Warbler
 3 - American Redstart
 4 - Swainson's Thrush
 4 - Olive-sided Flycatcher
 4 - Wilson's Warbler
 5 - Eastern Kingbird
 5 - Philadelphia Vireo
 7 - Rose-breasted Grosbeak
11 - Chestnut-sided Warbler
13 - female Mourning Warbler
18 - Cliff Swallow (earlier at V'pool)
19 - Alder Flycatcher
19 - yellow type Northern Waterthrush
 *nothing new after the 19th is about average

Abbreviations used above:
LM - Lost Maples
JS - Judy Schaffer
TS - Thomas Smythe
LCL - Little Creek Larry
DS - Deborah Siegler
~ ~ ~ end spring 2018 arrival dates ~ ~ ~

May 31 ~ Holy cowfish, another month shot by. Cloudy morn, held heat in overnight so a low of 71dF, methinks we have edged out of the 60's now. At least the morning low clouds hold off the solar heating for a few hours. Heard a Roadrunner singing. I hear the Indigo Bunting singing across the road and south a bit, across from corral, nothing up at the draw. Hopefully a pair is settled in for nesting. Saw one Cloudless Sulphur butterfly late in afternoon. A Scissor-tail did a full loop with flip as it belted out song right over the house late in afternoon. A couple male Painted Bunting did the toe to toe, beak to beak flutter fight over the feeder again. What a flurry of color. Fighting over feeder rights.

May 30 ~ Another 69dF low, which we cherish knowing they will soon be gone for 3 months except or unless we get rain. The dawn chorus has quieted down so much so fast it is nearly shocking. Nothing whatsoever like it was a month ago. Later April and early May is peak. By mid-May you can tell the intensity has diminished. Once all the territories are settled and the females are incubating it decreases quickly. Now it is remarkably toned down. My desire to get up early one morning and just tape the whole first 90 minutes or so without stopping will have to wait for next year.

May 29 ~ About 69dF for a low, which is cool compared to the afternoon and evening in low to mid 90's dF. For birds it is back to the breeders. That is all we got now. But which fortunately is a rockin' great set of birds, so completely tolerable. Though I sure could use some waterbirds. The next month-to-two is liable to be pretty repetitive and boring of notes though, until some post-breeding dispersal gets underway. We're going to try to get up to Lost Marbles this next weekend one day. The Bell's Vireo is still singing around the area, sometimes in the yard pecans. Something about that song I really like. A musically twangy rubberband through a mouthful of marbles, in a call and response or Q and A format. Perfection. Had Chimney Swifts scouting the chimney again... must be a shortage of them around for some to still be looking now.

May 28 ~ Another 66dF low, makes a world of difference just a few dF into the 60's. Most of June-August we are in the low 70's for lows so you break 80dF and get sticky quickly. The sub-tropical high seems locked in with nothing but very high 90's to 100dF for the next 10 days at least, maybe two weeks. As it has been the last 3 days since it got here. In those wonderful old days, it would top out in low 90's here except in heat waves. What was heat wave temps is now the new normal. And we are just getting started.

Got caught up enough to run over the river at peak heat for a swim. I will take 75dF water over 95 deg. air every time. There was a Bell's Vireo singing in the Mesquite on other side of river, besides the one around the yard. Looked like one pair of N. Rough-winged Swallow at some old Green King holes in the bank. Saw a group of four Carolina Wren in the yard, two were juveniles, so they got some young out, but not from any of our boxes. Late near last sun I heard a warbler singing in the big pecan, ran in for bins, heard it a few times, got out and never heard it again, or saw it. Seems like it must have been a first-spring American Redstart, but will have to let it go. It was a singing warbler on May 28, and I can name over 50 species it was not. Heard the E. Wood-Pewee again at dusk. Several Katydids in the first nearly full volume chugging of the year at dark.

May 27 ~ A fantastic 65dF low was great. Since migration is over and out, it was yard work early while still coolish out. Heard the Bell's Vireo singing out there. Heard the male Indigo Bunting singing as well. Maybe the female didn't stick? Did not hear it several days the past week. Same old around the yard. Except that it got so hot the Scott's Oriole pair went to birdbath, which is very rare. After it bathed and jumped up into pecan, I walked into office and there was a dry male on the hummer feeder. So there are two ad.ma. Scott's hitting the feeder. At least one is paired.

About 4:30 it was so hot we walked the quarter mile over to the river to see how the trail was since we haven't been down it since last September. The last couple years of walking it made it not too bad for first time this year. In ten minutes the 75dF water, fixed everything. Saw a few damselflies along riveredge. Most were Violet and Dusky Dancer, and some Double-striped Bluet. We saw a male Orchard Oriole in flight song on the other side of the river, so likely nesting in that vicinity. Sure wish a pair would set up around our yard. A Chuck(-w-w) must have been on the fenceline at about 11 p.m., surprised I couldn't see it under the near-full moon, I was on driveway, it was close and loud.

May 26 ~ The 66dF low felt great, the 96dF high, not so much. Beast of the day was a beetle, my FOY Stenelytrana gigas, a big Cerambycid (Longhorn Beetle) that mimics a Pepsis Wasp (Tarantula Hawk). I ran in for camera, grabbed net, and then could not relocate it. I see them every year now that we live under a big very old pecan, but have yet to get a photo of one. Still hear the Bell's Vireo singing over in the mesquite across from gate, and in the corral, where a Turkey too. Did some yard work early while coolish still, trying to catch it up as it has exploded since the early May 5" rain event. We generally hideout from the holiday crowds anyway, rather do it when less folks out and about. Heard the first few buzzes of a Cicada. A couple Katydid made a few light rumbles, but nothing like full volume yet.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

May 25 ~ Low of 70dF. The annual sub-tropical high that for much of the summer is camped over us, has arrived. This is the first real longer-term blast of heat, forecast for mid-to-upper 90's for the next week plus. Summer is here. We were lucky to make it this far into May without it showing up. The sub-tropical high is a June through August lasting into early-to-mid September thing here. I don't know why it keeps coming back, no one seems to like it.

Saw my first fledged juv. Golden-fronted Woodpecker of the season on the big pecan this morning. Nothing at the park on my town run, the spring migration party is over. The pair of cuckoos was in the big pecan right off front porch in afternoon. A 1st summer Cooper's Hawk crossed the yard too. Turkey over in the corral. Hear the Bell's Vireo still out there singing, and the E. Wood-Pewee continues as well. Watching the hummer feeders later in day I did have one female Ruby-throated Hummingbird still here. Surely nesting.

Heard a couple Katydid warming up just a bit, still subdued, volume knobs probably not fully grown out since just emerged. Firefly show getting better. Best beast news of the day came from Shirley at the General Store. She showed me a pic someone sent her of a caterpillar, which was a Cercropia Moth, one of the giant silk moths that get 6" across. I have yet to see one here, but have had its cousin the Polyphemus Moth. These are big spectacular beauties, related to the Chinese versions from which silk comes.

May 24 ~ Only about 70dF for a low, about 88dF for a high. Yard daily fare the last month plus and next two is this: first the migratory species are Painted Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, Great Crested, Ash-throated, Scissor-tailed and Vermilion Flycatchers, Hooded and Scott's Oriole, White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-throated Warbler, Black-backed Goldfinch, Lark Sparrow, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Purple Martin, Barn, and N. Rough-winged Swallow. Then add the resident species: Eastern Bluebird, N. Cardinal, Chickadee (Caro.), Titmouse (Black-crstd), E. Phoebe, Bewick's and Carolina Wren, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, N. Mockingbird, Chipping Sparrow, and Red-tailed Hawk. Both vultures are overhead daily of course. Then at dusk Common Nighthawk and Chuck-wills-widow, and after dark often Texican (mccallii) Screech-Owl and Great Horned Owl. Still hearing Turkey gobbling in the mornings, and of course Mourning, and White-winged Dove, and Common Ground-Dove. About 40 species of breeders hearable at least if not seen daily from yard.

Haven't heard the Indigo Bunting the last few days, which could mean incubation time, or they moved. Maybe I missed them but seems unlikely the way the male sings. There is a pair or two further down the road but out of earshot of yard. I have not seen a male Ruby-throated Hummer in a few days either, so they may be done and gone north now after 7 weeks. Surely they nest and then move north to do it again. The Field Sparrows moved after the big rain event (probably lost their nest) and now are also out of earshot from yard. Every few days I catch Caracara or the Zone-tailed Hawk going by and Ringed Kingfisher are nearly daily. Once or twice a week I catch Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks going over. Last few days I have had Bell's, Hutton's and Red-eyed Vireo and an Eastern Wood-Pewee trolling through or around yard. Later May and June sees lots of unmated trollers singing around.

May 23 ~ About 68dF for a low, party cloudy so bearable for the morn, not bad at about 85dF for a high. No migrants, the party is over. Kathy had a Zone-tailed Hawk fly by her and land in the second pecan from porch as she was coming in the house. A close look showed it to be plucking and eating a White-winged Dove. They are remarkably fast, you have to be to take a White-winged Dove, which bolt like rockets. That was the excitement of the day in the yard. The rest was the repeat offenders, the stuff of what some call the summer doldrums, just breeding birds. But which is great here due to the invasion of neotropical migrants that breed in our hot muggy and buggy season. I heard the first Katydid of the year, just a barely little bit, not full bore, just enough to tell it was a Katydid. Male Black Swallowtail today.

May 22 ~ Low of 70dF, and a surprise shower first thing gave us a couple tenths maybe. Most of it was over Little and Seco Creek way east of town, moving up to B & R, a small cell went up the valley north of town. Just a little bit but helpful. We need all we can get at this point. Will really help the June flowers. We are at an inch for the last three days now. I see green Persimmons on some of those now. Three trollers in the yard this morning, presumedly unmated males: the Bell's Vireo out there again, a Red-eyed trolled through, the Eastern Wood-Pewee is still here too. One Turkey over in the corral. Watched some Chat flight song out front, whatabird. The male Vermilion Flycatcher is feeding a juvenile in the front yard now.

May 21 ~ A 60dF low was fantastic. Cloudy a.m., sunny in the afternoon but only about 83dF due to the moisture in air. Pretty darn nice out. Don't worry, it won't last. Heard the Ring Kings over at the river. No migrants through yard this a.m., the party is about over. I can hear the large diameter girl warming up. It sure was great while it lasted.

While spring arrivals and-or passage is occurring for one species or another over a few months, there is really a month or so of real peak passage here, roughly around the tenth of April to the tenth of May. It is interesting to note from the arrival dates above, most of the March arrivals are of local breeders, only a few are transients heading far to the north. They are southerly nesters that get going very early, in March here. Meanwhile most April arrivals and almost all May arrivals, are passage birds, transients, on their way to breeding grounds much further north. For which is does no good to be there in April, there is still snow and no bugs there.

Saw the pair of Cuckoos go through the yard in the afternoon. They are very secretive when nesting, which is usually over in the well-treed corral somewhere. At least we get to hear them daily around the yard. In the afternoon a Bell's Vireo was singing over in the mesquites across from the gate. This was a vireo I missed in the yard a couple days ago when I had 5 sps. here. We get a troller Bell's almost every year that hangs around a week or three singing, working the yard. I wish a female would show up, I am sure they would nest here. Late about 7 p.m. an Eastern Wood-Pewee was singing in a pecan out front. Seemingly also a troller. Some Scarlet Pea open in driveway. Heard a Barn Owl at late thirty.

A note about the Pewee, it was doing a flight song at dusk. They flutter about flapping in a exaggerated fashion much like Vermilion Flycatcher, moving seemingly in slow motion, while making various odd sounds. They do not climb up gaining altitude like Vermilions do, but stay fairly level, about treetop height, and make a slow circle or two whilst spewing forth all sorts of nonsense. I don't often see this display.

May 20 ~ A rain-cooled 70dF for a low, very humid, feels great. Heard a begging Ring King juvie and adult right over the house while having coffee in bed this a.m. There are at least 3 House Finch families on the patio now with begging young. I hear the Bluebirds out by their box, they have been gone a week with the fledged young. Can ya tell migration is, uh, tailing off? Went to park to see if the rain knocked anything down. Nope. There was an imm. male Common Yellowthroat in the shrubs at the entrance, and that was it for migrants. The wet spots were both empty as well, save two pair of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck at SLC.

The surprise was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest on the flat valley floor. Dang near over 354, not even in the big nice deciduous pecan patch, but in a medium one outside the main group at the edge of the pasture on north side of the road. Incredible. Fifteen years of covering sites like Utopia on the River, Utopia Park, and other stops and crossings along the river, and never had a territorial gnatcatcher on the flats of the valley floor. Lost Maples is the main local breeding area, they are not along most of the river below the unique headwaters habitat. They are on some slopes on the hills in the divides where well wooded, and wet or nearly so. The male is feeding an incubating female now. They were not there a week ago, I have been checking this patch a few times per week the last three plus weeks and had not had one here. I had one here Friday that seemed oddly fussing and making noises I associate with nesting, not passage migrants. So I investigated today since there were no migrants to look at, and bam! Amazing new information. Data baby, with a docushot to boot.

In the afternoon another line of thundercells rolled over west to east, about 3-4 p.m. and a little after, lots of close lightning, but not a lot of water for us here. The temps though plumetted to 64dF and the town rejoiced. Concan and Reagan Wells had about 3" and more. We had about 8 mm, a third of an inch or so. The total for last night and today was about .75 or .80 of an inch here. And the forecast for tomorrow is no dust.

May 19 ~ About 70dF for a low isn't very. Was very windy from dawn 15-20 mph southerlies gusting to 25 mph! Got up to mid-80's and sticky. I checked the park just in case. There was a Northern Waterhthrush and a male Common Yellowthroat for migrant warblers. The N. Waterthrush was of the yellow below variety, which is what all the late ones always seem to be here, the early ones are all white below types. I have yet to get an early yellow one. And I know that now that I have said that, there is a dude that next year will report one nearby.

Outstanding was an ALDER Flycatcher. Which I don't see every year here, it is LTA - less than annual. Fortunately it was calling so there was no guessing about its identity, I knew what it was before I found it. It was in the swampy area at the north end of the island which frankly looks fairly like the Alder swamps I have seen them in. A Great Crested Flycatcher was working the area at edge of woods. A pair of Common Grackle appears to be nesting there. The town pair of Great-tailed Grackle are nesting in front of the old water plant building, in a Crepe Myrtle. There was nothing at the W. Sabinal Rd. wet spot but dragonflies, it still has some water though. Had great close looks at a low Zone-tailed Hawk right at the park entrance sign.

About 3 or 4 p.m. there was in the yard (male) Mulberry a singing Philadelphia Vireo. Awesome, and very rare to hear that here. Second Philly of the spring. The song structure and format is very like Red-eyed, but tonal quality is nearer Blue-headed. The song is denser, sweeter, higher, and thinner, so quite different in details, though not cadence, especially differing in tonal quality. A Hutton's Vireo was up the hill behind us about 7 p.m.. Also in the afternoon a singing Red-eyed trolled through, and all day were White-eyed and Yellow-throated are singing. So it was five species of vireo in the yard today, plus a few Bell's up around town. Vireotopia. Should have gone over to the knoll a mile from house and heard a Black-capped easy and made it 7 species of vireo locally for the day.

After dark a line of thunderstorms moved across the southern plateau. We got about a half-inch in an hour or so from 10-11 p.m. There were 4 lightning strikes within a half-mile, I heard one tree crack. Took us down to 72 instantly. No dust tomorrow. The Barking Frogs loved it best I could tell.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

May 18 ~ 64dF for a low, I am going to miss this real soon. Very nice first few hours of light. The dawn chorus is so early now I can't believe it. There is a lot of noise out there before 6 a.m. at first crack of light! No migrants through yard. Heard RingKing over at the river. Some clouds kept it to about 90dF, but a bit sticky. I had a town run for supplies. There was only one migrant at the park, a dull pale female Common Yellowthroat, and I mean dull, must have been a first spring bird. Along the road NW of town I saw one male Yellow Warbler. There were no shorebirds at the SLC ponds or the wet spot on W. Sabinal Rd., save one Killdeer at the latter.

The new thing was Cliff Swallows at the 1050 bridge. I had not seen any there yet this year, so maybe they will nest again under it as they do some years, but not lately. The ones up at Vanderpool have been there under the 337 crossing just east of 187 a couple weeks or more at least. These arrive oddly late. Little Creek Larry said he has seen a Green Heron over on LC, I have not been seeing the park pair that sometimes nests.

The White-crowned Sparrow is gone, so it flew the coop last night. A three day bird, and I got some nice shots of it on the patio. Like that 9-day Kentucky Warbler I had at the park one August, it is great to get stay-durations for migrant birds, and often these are very hard dates to acquire. How do you tell one from another, etc.? Only with an odd bird is it easy to keep track. Some birds burn 25-50% of their body weight in a month (or a week or two, or even less in some cases) during their migration. Quality migration stopover refueling sites are as critical as winter or breeding grounds. They tank up like maniacs for a few days, or weeks, blast off and burn it all off until the next stopover.

Here is my rant of the week... you can go months without one... if yer lucky.
There was a nice bit on SAT NPR radio on Monday about birds. Hat tip to George LaRue for the headsup so I caught it. They had John Karges from Last Chance Forever on (the raptor rescue people - and if you ever get a chance to see his show, do it, or you can donate to them), Sarah from the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, some call-ins, one of which was Martin Reid, a crack expert birder, so overall it was very good. It is great to hear any mainstream airplay birds can get. But I got a tail-bone to pick with them.

The idea was put forth (I forget from which) to take feeders down during migration as it keeps birds from migrating. This is false. Why isn't our White-crowned Sparrow of the last three days still out there? If this were true the White-crowned Sparrows, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, and a bunch of others, would all stay to breed here. They don't. Then where are the Painted Buntings in winter?

All these birds migrate away as usual and normal, despite acting like hogs at the slop tray for some of the year. Like many wild waterfowl get in bread-lines at city parks in the winter. Over 99.99999% migrate away in the spring. Then where are the 500 Black-chinned Hummingbirds we have here just at our feeders all spring and summer, in the winter? They migrate away just like they are supposed to, despite the free food signs. And the one that says give us your tired, your weak, and thirsty, your juveniles, immatures, and first-years.

There were just waves of buntings at the feeders at Lost Maples the last few weeks, they were all gone last week. Feeders do not keep birds from migrating except under extenuating circumstances for the most part. Yes some birds will overwinter where they would not otherwise. Besides milder winters, some species are moving north in winter, partly because of feeding stations and food availability. The cold was never the main limiting factor, snow cover hiding the food was bigger.

We just had a one day Rose-breasted Grosbeak here, as almost all are here, eating sunflower seed. It pigged out until it was stuffed with very high quality migrant energy to burn, and migrated. It willfully left a veritible fantasy land of sunflower seeds everywhere it looked. You really can't stop a migratory bird from wanting to migrate, it is what they do. Occasionaly you get a Wrongway Feldman, like the Robin that sang all summer at the General Store here several years ago, unrelated to any feeder. There is more of that sort of thing naturally occurring, than there are migratory birds that stop migrating because of a feeder they found.

I have been feeding birds over five decades and would never have to go anywhere to bird if they all had quit migrating when they found my feeders. I'd still have a Redpoll and a White-winged Crossbill outside. Feeders do not keep birds from migrating. Birds are very adept at finding and capitalizing on food sources, and seed eaters especially are very good at recognizing seed feeders, for some reason. As well as migrating when the time for that comes. Migrating is every bit the biological imperitive to them as breeding. Many hundreds of birds of a couple dozen species stop and refuel on our feeders or at our seed piles annualy. They all continue on their migration and leave! Not one stays. Hopefully with some extra fat to burn, re-hydrated, and in better shape then they arrived. In which case my work is done.

~ end of rant.

May 17 ~ Another cool one at 63dF for a low is great. Another low 90's dF high in afternoon, and sticky. No migrants northbound in the morning. At 3 p.m. there was a male Yellow Warbler working around the yard. The White-crowned Sparrow stuck and is on day 3 here now, eating like a pig and hitting the bath often. Seems to be glad he found this resort. Might be my latest date here now. The rest was the breeders, that is about what we are down to. Male Hooded Oriole hit the bath, which is rare to see, and like Scott's, only when very hot out.

There are low-end chances of rain I think Sunday through Wednesday mornings, so those will be about the last chances to snag a spring migrant. I can't believe I did not hear a single Dickcissel this spring. Even the years they did not stick to nest, they still showed up in the yard as passage birds. Nothing. First spring in 15 I have not had one here, usually they are numerous. Eyed Elaterid flying arund yard again today. A couple Cedar Waxwing were in the big Hackberry.

May 16 ~ A low of 61dF from the rain-cooled air of last night feels fantastic. It got up to about 93 on the cool shady front porch, I saw KHDO (Hondo) had 103dF! Two Yellow Warbler went through yard early. I had to run to town so checked the park, to no avail, I saw no migrants, nor any at 354 pecans either. But there was an Eastern Amberwing dragonfly, my earliest ever record locally. The spring migration bird party is about over. I ran out to Haby's wet spot and there were 4 Pectoral Sandpiper there. Outstanding BanCo birds, third time in two weeks there have been a few here (or at SLC ponds) this spring, 9 total birds so far in 3 little groups. I can only find reference to one prior sight record of one single bird in Bandera Co.

I heard in town people in some areas around got .25 to .50 inch when the rain cells came through last night, the lucky ones got an inch, mostly eastward, some got 1-1.5". In the yard the White-crowned Sparrow stayed the night and was around again all day until late eating white millet like a pig for another day. Must be hungry, has a long way to go, and is going to tank up all it can for the next leg. Glad to be of service. Keeps hitting the bird bath too, acting like it is at the spa or something. Kathy spotted the Indigo Snake, our FOY sighting, it must be six feet long now, it was at the bath drinking.

May 15 ~ Cloudy early but clearing by noon, 68-88dF spread again. Heard a Yellow Warbler sing around for a while, and heard an Orchard Oriole do the same, besides a couple call notes, there were a few of them, likely northerly breeders on passage. Great was a late White-crowned Sparrow, which was around all day, three times it came into the bird bath and was still out there in the evening. It looks like (eastern) leucophrys, the usual one here, with a pink bill and black lores. In butterflies had a Horace's Duskywing besides the couple usual Funereal around. A few Vesta Crescent, saw one Bordered Patch, a couple Queen, a Large Orange Sulphur, a Black Swallowtail, lottsa Red Admiral, a Questionmark, and some of the regulars.

Three RingKings out there again, at times right over house, the begging young behind the ad. male. After dark a thundercell ran down the ridge on east side of valley between us and Seco Crk., which dumped them an inch of rain, but it was a narrow band and the cell split as it approached Utopia. We got a tenth of an inch. Better was the outflow cooldown. Heard a Barn Owl going N. after it went by about 11 p.m.

I moved the birdbath a few feet, which meant moving nearly 100 lbs. of large rocks. It had to be under where I could hang a milk jug with pinholes (one top one bottom) in it in the pecan. So as to create a slow drip sound (no spigot on that side of house). As it warms they are going through the water, besides the attractant factor of the dripping water sound. We needed an 'automatic' refill, to keep it sorta topped up, since we have to manually fill it. At least it gives us a gallon worth of latitude. When a couple doves and cards come in by time they get done splashing there is just a little left. I'll put a pic up shortly.

May 14 ~ Cloudy most of the day, about 68-88dF for a temp spread, a little sun late in day, southerlies blowing most of the day. One Yellow Warbler sang out in the yard. Heard RingKings over at the river. Mostly it was the same gang of breeders now. The female Indigo Bunting continues as does the male singing over by draw, so it looks like they are nesting nearby this year. The are at least 3 Painted territories around the place. It seems one pair of Blue Grosbeak are across the road, and a pair of Chat which hit the bath nearly daily. Hooded and Scott's Orioles hit the feeders many times daily, so are nesting nearby. Great Crested Flycatcher nests over in the corral but visits the yard daily to belt out with all manner of sounds from the big pecan. There are begging baby House Finch I forgot to mention, since the 11th. Wood Sage has flowers opening, since the 10th. Saw another Eyed Elaterid (the giant click beetle) flying around yard.

May 13 ~ Stayed cloudy most of the day, with some breaks in the afternoon, temp spread was about 67-88dF. Martins were overhead in the dark at 5:30 a.m., before the Chucks get going with their morning last blast. Heard a Baltimore Oriole in yard early before we left. We went to Lost Maples, via Haby's wet spot, where there was one solitary Solitary Sandpiper. As it should be. At Lost Maples we went straight to feeding station area, it has calmed down a bit since the rush of bunting migration is over. There were a couple White-tipped Dove there, and a couple more heard up the trail to the ponds. Rufous-crowned Sparrow and texana Scrub-Jay were also there, the rest was the expected usual gang.

Heard a few Black-capped Vireo along the trail, got a glimpse of one. Heard a bunch of and saw a few Golden-cheeked Warbler, often when feeding young. With fledged begging young now they have gotten easier to find than the couple prior weeks. We had great looks at point blank on the trail to the ponds. Watched a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher feeding a nestful of young. The baby Ravens are getting huge fast. Did not hear an Olive Sparrow though, I suspect they lost their nests in the big rain event. On the way back down in the heat about 1 p.m. we had a couple Audubon's Oriole. Had a hawk go over too quickly to ID, sure was interesting looking though, buteo, long tail.

Heard a dozen Black-n-white Warbler saw a few, their young are not out yet. We had 3 Common Yellowthroat, which are migrants and a big number for the late (here) date, I heard a Nashville Warbler sing. Heard several saw a couple Louisiana Waterthrush. Only one pair of Eastern Wood-Pewee in two miles of canyon is very low. Total of three territorial Acadian Flycatcher is also low, one clearly was unmated and trolling up and down the highwater area.

In general too cloudy and cool so bugs were not very active. Saw one Flame Skimmer dragonfly at the highwater pond up Can Creek a mile past the ponds. At least 3 Prince Baskettail, finally more than one. In butterflies a couple Mournful, one Juvenal's, and a couple un-ID'd Duskywing, one worn Red Satyr, no big yeller swallowtails but Spicebush still flying, one FOY Southern Broken-Dash, one Bronze Roadside-Skipper, one Red-spotted Purple, and small numbers of the common stuff.

The beautiful blue Larkspur was in good bloom though, some Rock Flax showing now too, saw blooming Green (Pearl) Milkweed Vine, Texas Littleleaf Mulberry, some Looking-glass (Venus or Western), a bit of Scarlet Clematis still going, the Canyon Mock-orange is done. The rain last week really greened the place up, lots more stuff was just coming up. It was obviously parched before, now it is on its way to its usual lush self. But it may have cost some nesting success. We heard a half-dozen Canyon Wren singing along the canyon but saw none.

Back here at the hovel, Kathy spotted a male Yellow Warbler coming into the bath. Didn't have one at Lost Marbles. Then later about 5 p.m. Kathy called me to look at the orioles in the bird bath. It was 2 first-spring male Hooded, and one (happy appearing) female Hooded splashing around. While we were watching (from different rooms) she calls out a Mourning Warbler, and sure enough a female comes in and takes a bath. Unfortunately I only got docushots through the window and screen but you can tell what it is just fine. Bird of the day, back at home at the bath, not during the 4 miles and 6 hours of hiking. Coulda just sat here drinkin' whiskey and beer all day and got it.

May 12 ~ Cloudy morning, sun in afternoon, about 65-85dF for a temp spread, hotter in open sunny areas. Southwest flow though so dryish compared to the usual level of sticky. No migrants in yard over the morning. We went to the park to check it and Kathy found a Northern Waterthrush, which was the only migrant there. You know you are getting near the end of spring migration when all you have left is Northern Waterthush that nests in the furthest north trees and forest on the continent. They are always at the er, tail-end of it.

At the 354 pecans there were no migrants, but we heard four species of vireo singing. Bell's in the mesquite at east end of the pasture off north side of road, and in the pecan patch, White-eyed, Yellow-throated, and Red-eyed Vireo all sang. Over at the old Preston Place a male Ringed Kingfisher flew out from below the falls. This is where there are 4-5 RingKing holes in a bank cut, about 18' above the usual normal water level.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

May 11 ~ Low clouds from the coast, 10-15mph southerlies from the Gulf, humid, about 65dF for a low. Summer is coming. Still nice early, but not for long. I see upper 90's forecast later next week. Here it comes. No migrant motion through the yard in the morning. Town run for supplies. At the 354 pecans there was a singing Chestnut-sided Warbler, which is LTA here, less than annual. Whatabird. Have seen it now 7 of 15 springs here, but not the last three. The park had no migrants at all.

The W. Sabinal Rd. and S. Little Crk. Rd. ponds both had no shorebirds. Everything gone, and nothing new pulled in and holding. At SLC there were 9 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, and lots of Band-winged Dragonlet (odes) flying. One Yellow Warbler was in the big live-oak behind the general store. Zone-tailed Hawks were seen just south of town and 1050 by the Sabinal River Lodge, and another was on UvCo 360 over a horse pasture. Probably parts of different pairs being a couple miles apart. Heard Ring Kings over at the river. Barking Frog are going fairly well, if you listen closely there are a number of variations in the sounds one makes, when a couple get going barking back and forth in conversation, it really sounds like the frogs are talkin' to me.

May 10 ~ Low clouds and about 65dF for a low, highs in 80's, which is standard average range for first half of May. Not bad, completey bearable. Had one Yellow Warbler Warbler through yard. The female Indigo Bunting is still around, and I hear a male singing, hopefully they are nesting. Hooded Oriole singing around quite a bit, I wish they would nest close. Saw a first-spring male which is a new arrival, so three of them here now. At least one female Ruby-throated Hummer here, besides more than a couple males. Too many Archilochus to work. It is crazy with them out there now. Perhaps the first batch of young are fledging, I have been too busy to look closely at them. Chucks squawking up a storm at last light, and prior to that, the Common Nighthawk is getting into the booming finally. Saw fledged juvie Cardinal today.

May 9 ~ About 62dF with the low clouds from the coast here in the morning. No migrant noise this morning, it is fading already. The bulk of it is already past us now. But there should still be a week (or two if lucky) of trickle as it winds down. Consisting mostly of the females and first spring birds that run behind the ad. males that have to get to and acquire territories first. We are getting to the 'just the breeders' time. Hope for some more weather to knock some more down before its totally over.

Sure nice to see Yellow-breasted Chat flight song and display though. The last couple days I caught bouts of it out front. Today it went over to the millet seed tube to see what the action there was about. Very neat bird. I love a genetic outlier. Saw a female Indigo Bunting at the bath, hope it is with the male that sings over in the draw, and was on the patio yesterday. Saw a Zone-tailed Hawk go by in the afternoon. Heard RingKing and a Red-eyed Vireo was singing over in corral.

May 8 ~ A third morning in a row with 53dF for a low methinks we hit the jackpot. Last of this until about October. There were two juvenile Ringed Kingfisher chasing and begging from an adult male, the trio circled right over and around the yard about 200' up. So two young out now so far this year, last week there was only one. Did not see any migrant motion in yard. It fades fast here, there is about another week of great potential IF IF any weather to knock 'em down, then a week of fade-away and tardy stragglers, then its over.

Some just-fledged Titmice in the yard, the pair of Common Grackle were around the seed, that thrill will wear away fast. When we lived in New Jersey, a hundred would come in and clear the place out of other birds and seed in no time. Scott's and Hooded Orioles occasionally clearing the hummers off the feeders. Hit the jackpot today about 5:30 p.m. when I glanced out the window and saw a Catbird in the bath! Too cool. Here we see just a very few (1-3) each spring, almost all in Mulberries, so to have one in the bath is outstanding. Kathy saw it back sometime after 7 p.m. for another round of splashing. I got docu shots through the window and screen, so they aren't sharp (below).

May 7 ~ Wow another 53dF or so for a low, we will soon miss this crisp. Heard a Nashville and a Yellow Warbler in the a.m., alas, it's Monday. Mid-morn I spotted a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the ground at the seed out back! I do not see them every year here, it is a LTA - less than annual, species here. Yes some get reported around the area, a very few, mostly at the sites covered daily all spring by visiting birders, like Concan or Lost Maples. You can bird all spring here and not see one easily, I have seen them 10 of 15 springs here, and only had more than one in a spring, two or three times. Made my day early.

Otherwise not much different. The Cuckoo (Y-b) was out there, so likely the local breeder. The pair of Common Grackle were back. A male Indigo Bunting was foraging below the seed, presumedly the one singing over at the draw that summered last year. In the afternoon two female Indigo Bunting were a good sign, or migrants. Did not see the grosbeak after the morning. Lucked out to get a couple docushots. The Chucks went off again around the house at last light, not as intensely as last night though.

May 6 ~ A low of 53dF was outstanding, it feels like utopia man. Got up to about 87dF at peak heat in the afternoon, but dryish. Dawn chorus is getting going at about 6:30 now, some stuff earlier! I heard an Orchard Oriole singing over in the corral, and some calls from others in the front yard. That fancy male American Goldfinch was back at the feeders, has to be getting close to my latest local date ever. At one point it landed next to the male Painted Bunting on the tube, it was all my eyes could take. That yellow, black, and white, right next to that red, green, and blue. I was in the cottage so not 10' away looking through the barely cracked door. The pair of Common Grackle came back in to the feeders this morn, I got a couple docu shots.

Mid-day we went to check and see how migration looked at a couple tree patches. Begging just fledged tailless Yellow-throated Warbler were at the 360 crossing. Also there was my FOY Checkered and Swift Setwing dragonflies. Better was a River-Cruiser (dragon) of some sort, I presume Bronze, the most likely here.

Mostly though it was devoid of migrants. What was here left, and little new showed up in the way of migs. Heard a few Clay-colored Sparrow still singing along roadside. At the UvCo 354 pecan patch just east of 187 a couple Orchard Oriole appear to have returned since yesterday and we had some great flight song at point blank. Amazingly the Philadelphia Vireo was still there! A two day Philly here! I got a docu shot or two. In birding you can have something be relatively dull, and still be totally awesome. The Yellow Warbler there was prolly one of yesterday's as well. The park had zip for migrants. Bunch of Waxwings on the Mulberries was it save the begging baby Chickadees.

So we went out to the SLC ponds. There were 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, and 1 Dowitcher continued. No Phalaropes or Pectorals. Yesterday there were 2 Killdeer, 10 Yellowlegs, 4 Solitary Sand., 7 W. Phalarope, the two Pectoral and two Dows. So most of it left. There was a new Blue-winged Teal drake. Didn't even see the pair of Killdeer. In odes dozens of Band-winged Dragonlet dragonflies and one Wandering Glider.

Then over to Haby's wet spot on W. Sabinal Rd. Yesterday there were 6 Phalarope, 13 Lesser Yellowlegs and a Solitary Sandpiper, all were gone today. At the smaller wet spot a couple hundred yards east though, there were 3 Pectoral Sandpiper which I got great photos of. Migration: here today, gone tomorrow. A dozen Scissor-tails were feeding over the wet spots though, which was nice to see, the two Eastern Kingbird there yesterday were gone. Saw a couple Yellows, and one probable Nashville along the roads.

At dusk after a pair of Common Nighthawk went over, I was treated to a Scissor-tail doing a couple display flights including full 360 deg. loops from the driveway. Awesome. One was close enough facing me so I could hear the drum roll of the wing clapping on the climb up as it is screaming its head off right up to the flip. It is an out-of-this-world awesome flight display. You can tell by its calls when it is going to do it. It is a special set of excited notes, presumedly to make sure the female is watching.

Then as it got dark two Chuck-wills-widow went off nuts right around the house. I don't know if it was duetting or competitive. They were moving around, and one surely had to be sitting on the peak of the roof at one point, the other maybe on a high unused birdbox over the garden out back. It sounded like Poor-will duetting with constant back-and-forth, one was distinctly higher pitched than the other. Which is why I thought maybe a sexual difference. I can hear the difference in sexes of Screech-Owl pitch, which I think many can.

May 5 ~ A 58dF low felt fantastic, clear and sunny, dry air, it's like utopia. The pair of Hooded Oriole hit one of the feeders early, and the Scott's sung his way in and out. Heard an Am. Redstart singing upslope behind us, but couldn't find it in the thick. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo out there too may be our local nearby nester. A pair of Common Grackle were on the patio eating white millet this morning, and returned around 2 p.m. for more. I would put up with just one pair no problem if they let me get some good photos of that iridesence.

An Eastern Kingbird on 360 between the river and 187 was my FOS. Auto-focus chose the hills two miles away on the horizon though. The park had one Swainson's Thrush, presumedly one of yesterday's birds. A Least Flycatcher was in the willows adjacent and below the island. A Northern Waterthrush and a Common Yellowthroat were it for migrant warblers. There were begging fledgling Yellow-throated Warblers above the screen shelters. A male Ringed Kingfisher flew in and landed 30' from us sorta hidden in the woods, before it knew we were there. Slowly reaching to bring camera up was enough for it to fly. We had two just-emerged (teneral) Black-shouldered Spinyleg dragonfly, which have been very hard to come by here since the drought.

Heading out on north part of Jones Cmty. Rd. in one big pasture there were over 25 Common Raven. Which reminds me, I forgot to mention last weekend on the way to Lost Maples, about a mile from there, we had 25-30 in a field together at once. My first couple of years here I did not see 25 total Common Raven, now we can see that at once, and not in winter flocks. They have exploded here in the last decade.

On W. Sabinal Rd. at Haby's wet spot there were 13 Lesser Yellowlegs, 6 Wilson's Phalarope (4 fem., 2 ma.), 1 Solitary Sandpiper, and just east a couple hundred yards 2 Eastern Kingbird feeding over another flooded area. In odes dozens of Band-winged Dragonlet and Roseate Skimmer over the big wet spot, one FOY Wandering Glider, and a couple calling Couch's Spadefoot Toad. Another of the toad was calling at that often flooded area on east side of Jones Cmty. Rd., where Spring Branch Rd. junctions with it. At the corner of Jones Cmty. Rd. and W. Sabinal Rd. there was a small flock of 6-7 Savannah Sparrow. Another species for which we get a distinct late wave of in early May, after the winterers and the early spring migrants are long gone, which surely must be some far north nesters.

Then over the buffalo wallows, aka SLC ponds. One Pine Siskin flew over calling. The 2 Dowitcher continue, and though distant appear expected Long-billed in scope. New were 2 PECTORAL Sandpiper which are exceedingly rare in BanCo. There were 7 Wilson's Phalarope (only 3 yesterday), 10 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 3 Solitary Sandpiper, all at the big pond, one more Solitary at the little pond, further south. The pair of Killdeer at the big pond are presumedly nesting, also one pair of BBWD there, where they have nested before as well. There were lots more Band-winged Dragonlet over the big pond, which is where I first discovered them in Bandera Co. in 2004. Another Spadefoot Toad was calling at the smaller pond, as often if rain. So those were calling at 3 sites today. Usually it takes 5-6" of rain to get them out. Saw my first Skeleton-plant flower today.

At the 354 pecans were 3 Yellow Warbler and a PHILADELPHIA Vireo. I have recorded it 7 of 15 springs here, a few years had more than one, and only once two together (which was also at the 354 pecans). The Olive-sided Flycatcher continued on the same snag. A couple random Yellow Warbler were seen along the road. But overall, though some things stuck, most of the grounding left. I presume after skies cleared last night. Warblers were nothing like yesterday. The story of migration. But there were more shorebirds so the ponds are pulling birds down, and will do so for a week at least while they hold water and they are migrating over, two if we are lucky. Had a RingKing calling over at river at dusk. Rio Grande Leopard Frog are roaring now. Saw an Eyed Elaterid flying around which was smaller than the one last week, so different.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

May 4 ~ Major rain day. It started just before midnight last night, lots of heavy lightning, and over an inch in an hour. By 6 a.m. it was 1.5" here, and some Purple Martins were up flying and calling in the dark overhead then though. Gotta be eatin' moths like the bats do, what else is up there in the dark? This is why their eyes are big?

About 7:30 a.m. the cold air got here and wrung about 1.75" out of the atmosphere in an hour! It was torrential, sideways, with lots of closeby lightning strikes. So by 8:30 or so it was 3.25 inches here, and I saw some radar estimates upvalley in BanCo at 5 inches! Then in the next two hours, up to 10:30, another inch fell! In the couple hours after that about .35 more! So 4.5" at minimum here and well over 5" to 6+ in spots upvalley in BanCo!

I will get some totals next time I go to town, this is the sort of thing we love to compare in Utopia, rainfall totals. The pecans will fully leaf out now, and the spring flowers that were on hold will likely explode. We needed it bad. At one point mid-morning there were at the tube white millet feeder and below it, 3 ad. male, 3 female, and 2 1st spring male Painted Bunting. Eight at once, feeder flies they are.

Hooded and Scott's Oriole hit the hummer coated feeders first thing early. We have surpassed a gallon of fluid a day now and so there are an estimated 500+ Black-chinned Hummingbird here. To have 50 at once either on the feeders or waiting in line is nothing at the heavy feeding times. I have not been able to work them, but did see a female Ruby-throated yesterday, besides several males.

One of the things that years of good fieldcraft does is make you lazy. I know if anything really different shows up I will know instantly by audio, so why bother working 500 Black-chins? I know all the others calls, so if something else comes in I will detect it before I see it anyway. The only problem is the feeders are on the front porch at the other end of the house from the office, so I am not in constant earshot. I just have one out a window on office end of the hovel, so I can see male Hooded and Scott's Orioles as often as possible, which will do you wonders BTW.

I played hooky in the afternoon as Friday late usually gets slow in the office anyway. Had to go see what happened in the rain. We were not having passage migrant action in the yard, a Nashville and a Yellow was about it. First I checked the road from here to the crossing and that area around it. Saw 8-10 Yellow Warbler, 3 Black-throated Green Warbler, 5 Least Flycatcher, a Common Yellowthroat and a couple Nashville Warbler, a late Orange-crowned, my FOS 1st spring male Orchard Oriole, Chats, plus some that got away. So what I would call a good fallout for here happened overnight. The rain hit in the middle of the night after stuff was up and flying, perfecto!

I would not try fording the crossing without a couple hundred pounds over the rear wheels in the pickup bed, it was too dicey for me. So I went out the back long way around to town to check the park and wherever I could get into some pecans. The park only has a few, but has some understory, and Mulberries. Water was roaring over the dam, I heard this morning it was almost up to 1050. It looked like the entire island had been power washed clean. Which I suspect is exactly what happened. But there was at least one and maybe two Swainson's Thrush hitting the Mulberries, my FOS, and easy to miss here if you don't hang out at Mulberries the key two weeks of open window for them. One each Yellow Warbler and Common Yellowthroat were the only other migrant warblers I saw there.

With the rain, the caldendar says it is THE time to get a shorebird over at the So. Little Creek Rd. "buffalo Wallows", about 3-4 mi. NE of town in BanCo out 355, just above the N. Thunder Crk. turnoff, and below 470. So I took the chance, and sure enough, shorebirds! Not many, hardly any, but that is way more than usual here where finding them is like pulling teeth. Best were a couple Dowitcher in fair breeding plumage which I got some distant shots of, hopefully enough to prove species. I did not have my scope so could only binoc, and shoot pics. Any here are Long-billed by default, until proven otherwise. Then as stunning were 3 female Wilson's Phalarope in beautiful breeding plumage. The Phals and Dows are both my first ever in Bandera Co., and for my upper Sabinal River drainage area list. There were also a couple Lesser Yellowlegs, and three Solitary Sandipiper. At least 10 sandpipers of 4 species. Which is remarkable here. Tomorrow I will have to go check "Haby's wet spot" on W. Sabinal Rd., I was running out of light.

On the southmost east-west street in town just east of the church there was group of warblers in some pecans with another 8 Yellows, and 2 more Nashville. Then I checked the 354 pecans where there were another dozen Yellows were. I saw about 30 Yellow Warbler around the area here today, which is amazing. Also on 354 was my FOS Olive-sided Flycatcher. Finally I figured I should check the golf course in case a flooded fairway had maybe a Buff-breasted Grasspiper or somesuch. The last one I checked had a wet spot, and three Baird's Sandpipers! On their way from Argentina to the furthest north tundra in Canada to nest. Just a little rain, and bam! Shorebirds! You get to see them here. Very cool. Once (2004) I had a good little flock of 17 or so Baird's at the So. Little Creek Rd. buffalo wallows after a rain. The clouds and northerly flow might keep some of the stuff here overnight, we will see tomorrow.

There were Clay-colored Sparrows at every stop, and flushing from sides of road, same for Painted and Indigo Bunting, and Blue Grosbeak, but still no Dickcissel. Had a couple Orchard Oriole. Couple Least Flycs along the roads too. I bet if you hung at the wallow until dark, by tomorrow there will be Couch's Spadefoot Toads calling if not tonght. Heard Bell's Vireo singing in a few places along the roads, but no Dickcissel yet anywhere here. Some other transients were Red-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee for a few off the top of the pointy head. Chimney Swifts rocking (display flight) over town. Martins all around too. Today was one of the best bird days I have had here in the last year, or two, or three, for about 3 hours and change out in the afternoon only late. Rain is magic for birds in migration.

May 3 ~ Another balmy low about 70dF, overcast, occasional mist in the a.m., we missed the rain overnight, was to north, and now they say overnight tonight to Friday night is the big chance. Tomorrow is 75%+ chances they say, so I did my town run today. It was enough to knock birds down though. I saw a Tennessee Warbler in the yard in the morning. After missing them the last few springs a plain female is great to see. A couple Nashville went through yard. Bet you could work up a good list if you could stay after it all day here today. Temp was 87dF on the cool shady front porch at 5 p.m.

Just down the road a piece between the corral and crossing I had a beautiful male Black-throated Green Warbler, my FOS. A Yellow was in the pecan with it and a Black-and-white was singing nearby. Then at crossing a couple Yellows. At the Preston Place a couple more Yellows, at the 354 pecan patch a couple Yellows and a Nashville. No Dickcissel or Orchard Oriole there though. What happened?

At the park in the woods was a FOS male American Redstart, and a FOS male Mourning Warbler! Which is like a jackpot here. It seemed two Catbirds to me in the Mulberries on the island. Three Common Yellowthroat there is a high number here at once. Eastern Wood-Pewee was singing, a couple pairs of Common Grackle are likely our nesting pairs, and the male Downy Woodpecker that was there in March continues. Couple Blue Jay.

In the yard at dusk were two of yesterday's 3 Clay-colored Sparrow that spent the day here. Beautiful little sparrow. Another yellow Warbler in yard here in p.m., methinks it was about 9 total today. There was some migrant movement out there. Saw a pair of Common Nighthawk at dusk. Heard a Barn Owl after dark. Finally about 11 p.m. we have a thundercell bearing down on us, time to unplug. Little Creek Larry mentioned he had a couple dozen or so Pine Siskin in one flock a few days ago. A big number for so late, was prolly Apr. 29 or 30.

May 2 ~ Still cloudy and misty, maybe 72dF for a low. Looks like another good bird day with weather to knock them down. Has to be in the yard for me, I am stuck at the desk. Some later afternoon sun took it to a humid sticky 84dF in the shade. Only a few spritizes still so far. Still supposed to get some real precip. Heard a few Nashville Warbler go by in the a.m., and a couple came into the bath late p.m. Indigo Bunting singing over in the draw, probably last years' summerer. I saw a report of 19 species of warblers today at a park on the Cibolo Crk. in far eastern Bexar Co., including Blue-winged and Golden-winged. Oh what a difference a hundred miles makes. Takes a minor miracle to get 10 species here.

The big hit of the day was late about 6:30, when a male Common Yellowthroat took two long baths! It was of the broadly white mask-border type, with limited yellow throat. It is the first one I have seen IN the yard, only took five years. The yard was originally mowed to death for decades, not a sprig of understory, gardening, or landscaping visible whatsoever. So understory birds are beyond very hard to come by in the yard, it is a virtual desert for them. The canopy is nice, but with no understory it is only half of a habitat, and actually less than that. I have seen them across and down the road, and once saw one over road leaving the yard, had them in draw 50 yards away, etc., so finally! Methinks bird species #220 for the yard proper, in 5 years. Not bad for no gas. It was also my 20th species of warbler in the yard. Which does not count Audubon's Warbler (which should count as a seperate species), or Yellow-breasted Chat (which is no longer a warbler).

The female Phoebe is back today, so it was 10 days she was gone from the day of fledging the young and leading them away. We saw neither her nor the 5 young after the day they got out. The male stayed here and guarded the territory, singing his keister off, while she and the young were nowhere to be found. Finally today she is back. I suspect the first several days is spent teaching the young how to flycatch. Then several are spent mustering the courage (not to mention calcium) up to come back and do it again. It may be other phoebes do it other ways, but I thought this was very interesting behavior, which I had not realized was occurring before. It seems the last broods of the year, they all stick together for a few days.

May 1 ~ There was some migrant movement through yard in the morn, wish I could have gone birding. Had a Bullock's Oriole sing, and later a male Baltimore was exploring both the seed feeders. A couple Clay-colored Sparrow, my yard FOS female Painted Bunting, also my FOS first-spring male Painted Bunting (lime above, salmon below type), single male Yellow, and Black-and-white, plus a Nashville Warbler or two, and my FOS Least Flycatcher. New birds. Still cloudy and threatening to rain but just spritzes so far, though clearly was enough to knock birds down though. Bet it is good out there based on yard action. Got up to about 82dF and very humid late afternoon. At dusk finally I had my FOS Common Nighthawk fly over calling, about one week later than average return date.

~ ~ and now for a brief intermission ~ ~

~ ~ ~ April summary ~ ~ ~

It was a dry one, about 2" of rain for the month, maybe 2.5 at our place but 1.5 or so in town. Avg. is about 4, so about half of normal. It shows in the flower bloom now, which is much reduced for the end of April. Temps were average, very bearable. For birds a lot of nesting activity gets underway for the earlier returners, and most of the rest start showing up over the month. Amazing was getting out of April without a Dickcissel or Common Nighthawk yet. That is real weird.

Butterflies were about 48 species, nothing rare as is the norm in spring (vagrants are a summer-fall thing here). Saw all six of the regular Swallowtail species. An Elfin snuck under the wire on April 1, they are done for the year now. A decent crop of Oak Hairstreak are out, and loads of Olive-Juniper Hairstreak. Little Wood Satyrs were thick at Lost Maples, as common as I have ever seen them. Red Admiral numbers were very high too. Saw a few of the Bronze, and at least one of the other very similar Roadside-Skipper with uncheckered fringes. I think it was 9 total spring migrant Monarchs I had pass in March and April, about average.

Odes were weakish still, they are just getting going. I count about 9 damsels and 12 dragons for 21 total ode species in April. In dragons Pronghorn Clubtail is always nice, only one Prince Baskettail so far, a few Springtime Darner, but slow. Damsels were few too, Springwater and Aztec Dancer are always nice at Lost Maples. Next month it should break.

Birds were great, though I would say migration so far has been weak. No major fallouts, just trickles of the usual expected. After fall and winter it has been so long, any diversity, especially that with color and song, is fantastic. The dawn chorus gets back to full roar as the first round of breeding activity commences. Some things seem a bit slow getting back and filling in so far. Looks about 120 species I saw, maybe 4 just at Lost Maples. I know of a few other things others saw locally as well. So over 125 species were around the area for the month. Not bad for inland without a major open water in way of lake or river. If you were retired (I am just tired over and over, which is not the same) and could work at it every day (and burn some gas), 135 or 140 is possible locally over the month, maybe even 150 if you were lucky, in a good year. Just in the upper Sabinal River drainage.

Territorial singing Olive Sparrow are just south of Utopia, and at Lost Maples where also some pairs of White-tipped Dove, and an Audubon's Oriole reported. By the last week of the month a begging Ringed Kingfisher juvenile is chasing an adult up and down the river south of town a couple miles, as last year. The new hill country normal. I have only seen a couple other species with young out of the nest so far: Eastern Phoebe, Chipping Sparrow, and Carolina Chickadee. Bluebird will be any day though.

The bird of the month were the two BLACK SWIFT that gave a four-second view as they passed by on April 26, the morning after the big storm from the west went by. Not long enough to write up an offical report, but long enough to ID if you have seen a bunch of 'em. When you know what you saw, you know what you saw. No matter who comes along and pretends they know better than you, what you saw. Be especially suspicious if they wear corrective lenses. For some reason birding is blessed with lots of guys that actually can't see very well, that insist only they can say what you saw.

~ ~ ~ back to the regularly scheduled drivel ~ ~ ~

April 30 ~ Cloudy, breezy, supposed to maybe rain pretty much every day all week there are fair to good chances. A few spits of mist was it all day. In the a.m. finally heard a FOS Yellow-billed Cuckoo in a far pecan out front. Same time a male Orchard Oriole was in the top of the near big one, and I heard a singing Black-and-white Warbler. So some movement, figures when ya gotta work. Had a Swainson's Hawk go over. The juv. Ringed Kingfisher still chasing and begging from an adult over at river. Bath getting some colorful traffic with Summer Tanager, Painted Bunting and Yellow-throated Warbler regular again now.

April 29 ~ Lost Maples one last time in April. Kathy and I did the Can Creek trail to the highwater point (highest permanent) a mile past the ponds, to the oh what the heck, let's call it the Mexican Tetra pond. A flock of Clay-colored with some Chippy Sparrow were on 360 east of river. There were only a few Scissor-tails on 187 all the way up and back, less than a handful total, maybe 3 pairs. Just north of Boyce's Ball Field, I had to hit brakes to avoid a Bullock's Oriole chase event. Heck of a way to see a FOS, braking hard for it. A pair or two nest in that line of Hackberry and Mesquite along 187 from the BanCo line north, especially above the ball field to where it turns to live-oak woods on the west side of 187.

As if that wasn't enough braking for birds, on the way we came around a corner and I had to hit them again, there was a big Tom Turkey with tail fanned in display in the middle of the road! We already have one in the freezer. Then we saw the hen off the side. Saw another big flock of Chippies and Clay-colored on the way too, they are all over now. Heard a Golden-cheeked Warbler up on hill at entrance sign as we were driving into park. Indigo and Painted Bunting were at the seed feeder there at HQ. Usually a good idea to walk down to the first crossing while parked at HQ (no other way to check it). The Olive Sparrow continues singing between river and east end of the camping circle at that crossing. Surely it is nesting right there in that area.

At the trailhead parking lot feeders there were Indigo, Painted, and a male Lazuli Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, begging baby Chipping Sparrows, a couple Scott's Oriole, one first spring male Baltimore Oriole, and later we heard a White-tipped Dove up on the hill there. About 8:45 or so it warmed and skies cleared enough, the morning vulture liftoff occurred. In with 8 TV's were 2 Zone-tailed Hawk were interacting, one buzzing the other right over the parking lot. Feeders had one Black Rock Squirrel, some House Finch, Chickadee, Titmouse, Cardinal, the usuals. Nothing as pretty as that male Lazuli Bunting. Whatabird. I just love that shade of blue, nothing like it in any other American bird. Cerulean Warbler is close but it lacks the electric reflective iridescent quality being more a light absorbing passive flat pastel finish.

Going up the Canyon I heard another Olive Sparrow, we heard at least a half-dozen Golden-cheeked Warbler, but saw none, heard about 3 Black-capped Vireo not too far off trail. Did have my FOS Acadian Flycatcher, others reported them a week ago, but I only heard one in 2 miles of canyon. Should be more here by now. Went through what is usually four territories minimum. I heard what surely was a Mourning Warbler chlup very close, but could not see it. A couple Nashville Warbler was it for other warbler migrants. A half-dozen singing Yellow-throated, and Black-and-white Warbler along the canyons. A few Louisiana Waterthrush on territory.

Amazingly did not hear an Eastern Wood-Pewee, so earlier reports were of transients, no territorial singing yet. Went through what used to be a half-dozen territories. We heard several Canyon Wren, a Hutton's Vireo, numbers of Red-eyed, White-eyed, and Yellow-throated Vireo, a couple Rufous-crowned Sparrow and lots of the regular residents. But it gets quiet fast after noon. Though the bugs come out so the walk back and down is very to completely different than the walk up, if you are looking at them. Wait till you see my Odontomyia pix!

Odes (dragons) were weakish still, nothing but a few of the common things, like Common Whitetail and Common (E.) Pondhawk, Dot-winged Baskettail, Aztec, Dusky, and Springwater Dancer, some blue Forktails, and glimpsed what was likely a Banded Pennant. A Clubtail got away that was likely Pronghorn. It is still early for odes, May is when they really get going.

In butterflies, there were a few Little Wood Satyr, but they are past peak now. Saw Arizona Sister, a Red-spotted Purple (ph.), three or four Southern Oak, one Olive-Juniper and a couple Gray Hairstreak, one probable female White-M Hairstreak, Dun and Common Checkered-Skipper, no Green, lots of Sleepy Orange, Pipevine and Spicebush Swallowtail but no big yellow ones. The rest was the usual stuff like a few Reakirt's Blue, Common Checkered-White, Gulf and Variegated Fritillary, Red Admiral, and So. Dogface. No new species for April, was hoping for a couple possibilities. One Disparete Forester moth.

One Anole was the only herp I saw, but heard a couple get away in the leaf litter, likely Four-lined Skinks. We had in baby birds, the nestfull of noisy Raven, multiple family groups of fledged begging Chipping Sparrow, and Carolina Chickadee, but that was it. The (Fuertes') Red-tailed Hawks are on the cliff but you can't tell what they have going, but are there underway. I suspect lots are in the middle of laying and incubation now, the earliest ones with just-hatched nestlings maybe.

Driving home I saw a bird fly across the road briefly that I thought sure was a Cuckoo. Brown above, long tail, graceful deft flight. In the late afternoon the juvenile Ringed Kingfisher was again chasing an adult around over at the river. So they are fledged already, and as mentioned a couple days ago, not at the site I found last year with at least 4 seperate RingKing holes.

April 28 ~ I heard a Nashville or two in the yard in the a.m., one more at the park, a Yellow was at the 354 pecans, and no other migrants, it was deadish. The female Lazuli Bunting continued at the old Preston Place so it stuck the night. A pair of Brown-crested Flycatcher were there, a few American Goldfinch with some Lessers, and the Chippy flock with at least a couple Clay-colored were still there too. A Green Kingfisher was at the park, and the first two Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks I have seen this spring though Little Creek Larry has had them for over a month over his way.

Along four miles of road, to town and back, as yesterday, I saw no Scissor-tails. There are usually a half-dozen returning pairs I have staked out that are not present. They showed up, but it seems like they came in and have left. I think it is a large flying bug problem, as in there aren't any, or enough to incite nesting. Did see a pair of Western Kingbird, which have not stuck to nest in years here, I suspect these will move along. Late nearing last sun what appeared to be an adult with a begging young in tow Ringed Kingfisher circled around out front towards river, but at one point the ad. was right over the yard, trying to shake that racket behind it that would not quit following.

In leps besides 25 Red Admiral, a fresh Queen and an Arizona Sister, I saw two new-for-month butterflies in the yard. First a Common Mestra which was my FOY, and then a female Falcated Orangetip. Earlier in the month I saw a few of what I thought were Orangetips jerkily blast by low to the ground. In afternoon saw a FOY Plains Threadsnake (was formerly called Texas Blindsnake), the earthworm-appearing scaled beastie, just a baby a few inches long. Photo'd a weird cat(erpillar), which a bit of looking has me thinking it was an Underwing moth (Catocala sps.) of which we have at least three species in the yard, maybe four.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

April 27 ~ I think it ran about 60-80dF for a temp spread today. Mostly cloudy but occasional sun. Nice. My FOS Yellow Warbler sang in the yard in the morning, a couple Nashville Warbler went through. Town run fer supplies, so a couple stops. A Bell's Vireo was on 360 in the mesquites just east of the river. In a pasture just south of the golf course entrance there were 15 Cattle Egret around the horses. They seem not very good at large animal ID.

At the 354 pecan patch just east of 187 was another singing male Yellow Warbler, plus another Nashville, and out in the pasture Chat was singing, another Bell's Vireo was in the mesquites at the east end of pasture at usual spot. No Dickcissel or Orchard Oriole there yet, they usually nest there. No Scissor-tails along the road. Whaddup with that?

Across 187 at the old Preston Place there was a third singing male yellow Warbler for the morning, and another Nashville. Even better was hitting a bunting trifecta there with my first female Painted Bunting of the year, a couple Indigos, and my first female Lazuli of the year. There was a Chippy flock there with a couple Clay-colored Sparrow. I heard a Blue Jay there to the NW, but which was south of 1050 and west of the river.

At the park while I was up in the woods Little Creek Larry saw four Spotted Sandpiper flushed off the dam when someone went out on it. I saw one when driving by, but didn't stop to scan. Four at once is big numbers here. Up in the woods I had a FOS Catbird, which is always a thrill since we only get a few annually. It is one of my favorite birds. They nested in our Blackberry bramble in New Jersey, and I fell in love. About 5 Nashville Warbler were in the woods, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Red-eyed Vireo or two, one of which did a perfect Blue-headed Vireo song. Heard a couple Blue Jay. On the way home there were a couple Western Kingbird on a fenceline on 360 just east of the river. Another passage Red-eyed Vireo here in yard singing in afternoon.

April 26 ~ Low was in lowest 50's dF and quite nice, humid from the rain yesterday, which was a lifesaver for spring here. Flowers that should have been coming up weren't, and will now. Cloudy early, but breaking up by 9 or so to blue skies. Thousands, probably tens of thousands of pecan flowers are on the ground, prematurely ejected by the outflow boundry. I hate when that happens.

About 5 Nashville went through yard in first couple or few hours of light in the brief spells I was outside. Always a Wed. or a Thurs. when there is good movement apparent, and I can't leave the desk those days. A singing Indigo Bunting is nice to hear. The Ash-throated seems like it found a mate finally, and is now prospecting around. Looks like they are going to take the gate box.

About 9:45 I was out front on driveway looking back west over house and little ridgelet behind us. There are a couple clear shots with long-distance viewing of the airspace for flying birds. Two birds flew by and I got about four seconds on them. My thoughts were: swifts, black, big, Black Swifts! And they were gone. I ran in for bins and then spent 10 minutes scanning the sky and never saw anything else. I had perfect over the shoulder sun against blue sky, they were all jet coal black and they were swifts, they were big, there was no white on the body. I have seen hundreds of them and spent lots of hours watching them. They are not something I am unfamiliar with. I have watched their copulation freefall, which BTW is amazingly unlike that of White-throated Swift, save the part about plumetting hundreds of feet in mid-air during the embrace. I am sure they were Black Swifts and was in a second frankly. I am not sure officially reporting a four second bare-eyed sighting as something official is what you do with that where the bird is accidental. It is like that Fieldfare I watched fly by at point blank late November '83 on Long Island, N.Y. Fortunately that called upon seeing me as it shot by so I got to hear it too.

There is no accepted state Black Swift record though a tagged and tracked bird once flew over Texas. My guess is Black Swifts pass over west Texas annually in migration, probably mostly too high to see, if there were anybody to see them. Out west, 99% of the airspace is not watched or looked at about 99% of the time. So how can one say something is not happening with that level of observation? Out in Calif., spring weather events just like this one is when to see them close, low, and on the coast even in L.A., if you are lucky. I suspect this frontal system that just came over from the west coast and four corners pushed them east. Timing is perfect.

April 25 ~ Overcast must have held heat, low was about 60 dF. Supposed to rain. Great Crested and Brown-crested Flycatchers around yard calling, singing, and otherwise being boisterous as tyrant flycatchers are. Chat sang its way around the yard as it hit the bath. Couple Nashville went through. Looks a good bird day, it is Wednesday spreadsheet day for me. A first U.S. record Great Black Hawk was photo'd at S. Padre Isl. yesterday. Anything can happen. But all the Chihuahuan Raven reports at Lost Maples are rubbish.

This south-moving-north thing is just going to get more interesting as it accelerates, which it is doing sure as sea level is rising and ice is melting, both at rates faster than any predicted. Things have changed, it is not the way it was. So in some ways, what we 'know' doesn't matter, it is a new game. There are new rules, and we don't even know them. Tufted Flycatchers breed in AZ now. It is a different world.

Finally we got clobbered by a thunderstorm cell complex, about 2-3 p.m., looks about 1.75" most of it in 45 minutes. It was raining sideways, lots of lightning, NOAA called it torrential, at least they got that right. There was a 40-50 mph outflow as it hit which took off lots to many of the pecan flowers, and may well have ruined half the crop for our trees in the yard. They were just getting going with pollen.

There were two FOS sightings today, but not for species, just for sex. Our first female Blue Grosbeak, and female Hooded Oriole were seen today outside. Had only seen males so far. Still waiting for a female Painted Bunting to return here. The male Blue Grosbeaks have been around 10 days at least, and the male Hooded oriole over 3 weeks.

April 24 ~ About 48dF for a low felt great, so were the calm conditions. Big hole in the morning yard chorus, it was the main alpha Blue Grosbeak dead on the porch yesterday. It must have been about its 4th year nesting around and had become very tame for a Blue Grosbeak, letting me move slowly around 25' away without flushing. It knew I threw the seed. The beta male is around, but ginchy as they usually are. It seems to be trying to figure out why it isn't getting ejected from the yard. And quiet so far now (day 2) without alpha male singing, just call notes. Weird.

Great was finally a FOS Orchard Oriole, a male singing at the top of the big pecan, whatabird. I love 'em. Sharp as it gets, chestnut and black. A few Nashville went through, but I gotta work. Heard a Ring King over at the river. By mid-afternoon it was 86dF on the cool shady front porch. It is the warmup day ahead of another front. A Red-spotted Purple (Admiral) flew around yard briefly, only my 3rd or so actually in yard. Saw my FOS Eyed Elaterid (the big click beetle with false eyes). OK, ok, it flew up to porch and landed at my feet while I was on a chair smoking my pipe, so I worked real hard for it. Got a couple shots for the rare click beetle record committee. There were reports I saw today of a Pileated Woodpecker on King Ranch in far south Texas, and a Violet-crowned Hummingbird at Corpus Christi, so keep yer mind and eyes open.

April 23 ~ Low in upper 40's dF was nice, so is clear and sunny without any wind, light breeze in afternoon whence 80dF or so. A few Nashville Warbler went through yard early, so some movement evident. I gotta work though. About 9 a.m. Kathy found a dead male Blue Grosbeak on the front porch, right in front of the door. The outer which is screen and inches from the real door. No obvious reason, it was already stiff and not warm. There had been two countersinging here, one mostly around house, another across and down road a bit. I saw and heard one, earlier in the morning. I took pix of it yesterday. This is a bummer. A couple hours later one was on the patio for a bit. Sorta wonder which, but did not hear the usual singing in yard all day that has been ongoing so suspect the mortality was the main yard alpha male. Chimney Swifts flying low checking to find out chimney is sealed. Every spring we get them checking it out, I need to build a tower.

April 22 ~ Happy Earth Day! Low was about 50dF and the winds were 10-15 out of north so felt like 40's. Warmed up to low 80's and was generally beautiful. We passed on Maples due to wind and so we just did a few hours locally from late morning to early afternoon. In the yard in the a.m. there was a wee bit of migrant movement. A couple FOS Baltimore Oriole were nice, a singing Black-and-white Warbler was good too. A few Nashville went through as well. So there was a bit of a knockdown of migrants.

A third male Painted Bunting has showed up, this one much paler of red than full adult males, in its first red-below plumage. So a third year, or second spring bird (second spring is third year of life). They are not as red as definitive adults, and they wear even paler. When the odd one shows up in California the know-it-alls there say they are pale due to captive diet, ergo, they are escapes. False. Maybe some are, but some are these third year birds, very worn. The fruits and nuts that appointed themselves in charge of bird reports out there don't know lots about Painted Bunting plumages. They also see something wrong when one shows up at a feeder. It is a mental condition. But they decide your reports.

Down at the 360 crossing there were a few Nashville Warbler, a singing Red-eyed Vireo and singing Indigo Bunting. Best was a male Lazuli Bunting in with a couple Indigo that had just bathed. It was wet, but a beauty anyway. There was a sizeable flock of Chipping Sparrow, numbering over 50 birds, with a few Clay-colored in with them. We had two other flocks almost as big elsewhere which also had Clay-coloreds in with them. These Chippies are spring migrants coming from much further south, and going far north is my guess. Our winterers departed weeks ago, we spend a couple weeks from early April with just a few paired singing breeders around, and then last third of April a big distinct wave hits. Every spring. Like clockwork. It is a different population, not our winter birds, not our breeders, but later migrants, so likely ones that nest far north and winter far south.

East of the crossing heading down 360 there were two FOS Western Kingbird, finally! Great to see them! We went to the park, saw Little Creek Larry, he said he saw two Spotted Sandpiper earlier. I heard a FOS Northern Waterthrush on the other side of the island. We had a few Nashville Warbler, a couple Orange-crowned Warbler, 1-2 Common Yellowthroat, and briefly, one Tennessee Warbler. Which is the first I have seen here in a few years, missed it the last couple springs, at least. Heard Blue Jay, bunch of Yellow-throated Warbler, one Red-eyed Vireo was singing, a Mockingbird was a passage migrant, a couple Lincoln's Sparrow, and the pair of Barred Owl. Heard Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a Great Crested Flycatcher or two. No Kingfishers, it was nearing noon and some people there.

We stopped at the 354 pecan patch just east of 187 and not in yet were Dickcissel and Orchard Oriole that nest there every year, no sign of them. Heard Bell's Vireo over in the mesquites and a Yellow-throated Vireo in the pecans. Then we stopped at a private property along river where another big Chippy flock, a couple more Nashville, and outstanding was another male Lazuli Bunting! Second in a day here not at feeders, just random along the river is great. Prolly a bunch of them out there today. Heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The Ring Kings must be using other holes, the set of 3 or 4 together there do not seem to be in use this year. Pecans is where it is at now for migrants, they are in great bloom, the birds have left the live-oaks. Heard a Barn Owl after 11 p.m. at last check outside, and a few duelling Chuck-wills-widows going at it sound great.

April 21 ~ Drizzled with a few light showers over the morning, it seemed about .2 (tenths) maybe. Wet. Something for grasses and forbs, but just a leaf-washer for the trees. Late afternoon the dry line passed and it cleared. So worked on the too many things here. Finally got the second fenced-in (guaranteed to be deer and dillo proof) garden patch secure from all manner of beasts here, save leaf-cutter ants. There was no migrant motion through yard save a Nashville. Trying to get more chores done before it gets too hot. I got a report later that on this day Deborah Siegler had a male Yellow-headed Blackbird at Jones Cemetery on this date.

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April 20 ~ Low in upper 50's dF, breezy and overcast. Supposed to be a rain event overnight tonight and into tomorrow. I will believe it when I get wet. We need the water so badly you wouldn't believe it. Looks a good day for migrants. Forecast said cloudy morning, sunny afternoon. By afternoon the sunny part was removed. Winds were 10-15 gusting to 20-25 mph. We struggled to get to the low 60's dF, which is almost a category cooler than forecast. I am sure there is a weather crew that gets it worse more often, but I hope I never end up living there and counting on them.

Five Eastern Phoebe fledged from the nest over the bathroom window this morning. How did they all fit? I heard a weird song I could not place up in the pecan tree, grabbed bins and found a Lincoln's Sparrow quiet singing 20' off the ground. I had not heard one sing since we left L.A. where there is one Skunk Cabbage meadow in the San Gabriel Mountains at over 7000' where they nest, which we usually visited multiple times annually. I have never heard them sing down here before, so, very neat. You might pass this quiet song version off as a weird off House Wren. A close listen to the components though will reveal the real source. Two male Painted Bunting here on the seed this morning.

Town run and park check. Too windy, heard a few Nashville seet notes but couldn't spot anything in the blowing trees. Heard two FOS Eastern Wood-Pewee but couldn't find them in the blowing trees either. My FOS Spotted Sandpiper was on the spillway. George LaRue had a flock of 50-60+ Swainson's Hawks in a pasture on B & R Rd. this morning, which is the first report around Utopia this spring. There was a report from Lost Maples a couple weeks ago or so, but I haven't seen any. A flock of big hawks on the ground running around after grasshoppers (or grubs behind a tractor) are usually Swainson's. Little Creek Larry said he still has some White-crowned Sparrows around. Early evening I heard a Scissor-tail out front, and the male Hooded Oriole hit the feeders for a long tank-filling.

April 19 ~ Low in low 50's dF, KRVL hit 46dF, but not here. It was a not-so-cold front with no rain. Finally this morning our FOS male Painted Bunting on the seed, likely a returnee breeder. Yesterday was our first Indigo, today the Painted. Later in the morning the FOS Brown-crested Flycatcher was out there in the Pecans announcing its return. I could hear Great Crested and Ash-throated at the same time. Hooded Oriole out there singing a bit as it comes and goes to and from feeders. Yard is getting pretty colorful again. Blue Grosbeak hitting the seed lots too, I hear two males duelling at dawn chorus but have not yet seen a female. Saw my first FEMALE Summer Tanager here today, mentioned it and Kathy said she saw it a day or two ago at the bath. One fem. was at Lost Maples last Sunday. Saw another Western Ribbonsnake, which was smaller, maybe 15", so not the one I saw a week ago.

April 18 ~ About 60dF for a low, overcast, a front is coming in but said to be dry here. This morn Kathy spotted our FOS Indigo Bunting at the stick pile (cover for safety) next to the bird bath, waiting for the Blue Grosbeak to leave the water. One Nashville Warbler early. Looks good conditions for migrants to be knocked down, which always happens on the critical must-be-at-desk days. In the afternoon there was a beautiful male American Goldfinch on the feeders. Usually they just barely get any breeding color and are gone, so always a treat to see these tardy ones in color. As the front passed I had a hawk, a big non-Red-tail buteo, I grabbed a long distance doc shot on hoping for there to be enough there for an ID. Nope, not enough there. Was probably a dark morph (all chocolate type) Swainson's Hawk. Had some great Scott's Oriole song for a bit in the afternoon.

Apr. 17 ~ Low of 48 was again almost a category (10dF) lower than progged, and exactly no one complained. Dawn chorus is rocking now, it is just outstanding out there at early thirty. Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Chat, Vermilion Flyc., Bewick's and Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow-throated Warbler a bit distantly (it will be over here later), Ash-throated Flycatcher (Great Crest is back, but just, and not full monty dawn chorusing yet), Cardinal, Lark Sparrow, White-winged Dove, and Eastern Phoebe (which frankly do not contribute very much, unless you like a lonely complaining type of song). Heard a Hutton's Vireo early too, prolly a transient. Otherwise just the regulars.

Ran to town for an errand in the afternoon and the Coot seems to have finally departed the park. It arrived in latest December on that real strong front at end of year, so was here 3.5 months. Kathy saw the first Scorpion of the year out on back porch. Forgot to mention, I saw my FOS female Ruby-throated Hummingbird today, I have been too busy to pay attention and surely they have been around a few days if not a week or more.

April 16 ~ A low of 41dF was almost 10 (a category) lower than progged. Nice and calm for a couple hours, and then the winds woke back up. Dawn chorus is going well by quarter to seven now! Our local breeder Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Summer Tanager are all back on territory going strong. Heard about 3 Nashville sing their way through the yard over the morning. Two American Goldfinch were on the sunflower feeder. A Barn Owl called going North at late-thirty just before I crashed.

A couple of the transplanted Mealy Sage in a flower bed that have been fighting leaf-cutter ants and dillos finally have a few flower spires this year after almost none the last two. I was admiring one closely when my FOY Texas Powdered-Skipper landed on it. It didn't stay 10 seconds and was gone. An Arizona Sister came into water sprayed around. But it blew 15-20 mph gusting higher from mid-morn on to late afternoon. Glad I wasn't trying to see birds.

Apr. 15 ~ Happy Tax Day seems quite the oxymoron doesn't it? At least Amazon didn't have to pay any taxes for last year, that is what is important. There was a fittingly chilling feel this morning, with a 37dF here at the house. Wind stopped and it got cold. Surely there were some colder spots around. Wow. Got up to about 77dF at peak afternoon heat, 40 deg. diurnals. Our first at house this spring (FOS was at park Friday 13th) Blue Grosbeak was singing at sunup this morning, and in afternoon on seed on the patio, which means likely our local (across the road) breeder is back. Turkeys are gobbling in distance.

We went to Lost Maples for a walk but was after the morning rush of activity, did not get there until 10 a.m. We did the couple miles one way to the headwater spring at highest permanent water up Can Creek past the ponds. The far upper canyon area is wonderful, and always a great walk. Worth it just for the Mexican Tetras at the last pond if you ask me. Lots of Long-nosed Dace and a Notropis sps. minnows in there too. Natives! Those Mexi Tets are nice, a few getting some red in fins now. The birds really get quiet after about 1 p.m. or so, though some are still moving, nowhere near the amount of audio clues are offered.

The weirdest thing was seeing flowers on the also every bit as lost Witch Hazel (hundreds of miles to the nearest ones). My book says they flower in fall. Whaddup? Yes I got pix for the rare flower record committee. Man it is a weird flower too. I have been looking for this, apparently at the wrong season. I saw one Canyon Mock-orange with flowers, two without. A bunch of the Antelope Horns have opened and once it warmed they were swarmed with hairstreaks, it is hairstreak honey. Multiple single flower heads had ten hairstreaks on them. One cluster of a half-dozen plants had 24+ Olive-Juniper Hairstreak and 10 Gray Hairstreak, plus lots of other stuff. In reviewing my photos there was one Oak (So.) Hairstreak there too. A few Soldier Beetles (Cantharidae) were on it as well.

At the feeding station area we heard a few White-tipped Dove (and more up the trail). A Lazuli Bunting was reported yesterday. We heard a few Black-capped Vireo along the trail, but all too far off in the impenetrable (stay on trails) to persue. Heard a few and saw a couple Golden-cheeked Warbler (one very well dancing on the tips of a trailside juniper in the sun). Glimpsed a couple Louisiana Waterthrush, and some Black-and-white Warblers, saw a couple and heard a half-dozen Yellow-throated Warbler. Several migrant Orange-crowned Warbler were singing, prolly had 10-12 Nashville Warbler, and heard a Myrtle. Heard a Kinglet (Ruby).

Found a Common Raven nest on the cliff, right across the canyon below the big pouroff below the first big pond. Under a big overhang, just to right of the biggest most crooked trunked Sycamore that doglegs around said big overhang. New site here. Vireos besides heard Black-caps were good numbers of White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireo, several Yellow-throated, and a couple Hutton's. Still not on territory there are Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Acadian Flycatcher, and Eastern Wood-Pewee. No migrant Painted Bunting reported yet. No Cowbirds to speak of up there yet either. We did not hear Olive Sparrow (we were late) but some saw it/them yesterday. Heard only a Rufous-crowned Sparrow, saw one texana Scrub-Jay.

Only soaring hawk I saw was a Red-tailed, but we had a male first spring Sharp-shinned coming into the water at the high water point. Lots of Gnatcatcher, Cardinal, Carolina Wren and Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, heard a couple Canyon Wren, numbers of Summer Tanager now including a female, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and one of the better birds was a repeated song of Spotted Towhee, which is getting tardy. A couple hundred Cedar Waxwing were up around 2nd pond and between the ponds. Only lizard I saw was a Four-lined Skink. Saw a small rat again in some Virginia Creeper by 2nd pond but couldn't tell if Pack or Cotton (Neotoma or Sigmodon).

I can't believe the numbers of Little Wood Satyr this year, never saw so many, a couple dozen today. Also several Red Satyr were seen. Saw my FOS Red-spotted Purple which was nice, and saw two Arizona Sister. Several each of E. Tiger and Two-tailed Swallowtail, and a half-dozen Spicebush. One Elada Checkerspot, an Orange Skipperling, a few Dun Skipper, one Disparete Forster moth. In odes nice were a bunch of Aztec and a few Springwater Dancer (ph. in wheel). Also a FOS pair of male Flame Skimmer patrolling at the high water spot. Lots of Common Whitetail, some E. Pondhawk, numbers of Dot-winged Baskettail, and my FOS Prince Baskettail over the main first big pond.

On the way back in Utopia Kathy spotted a male Great-tailed Grackle in a yard on Main St. in Utopia. I had a female a couple days ago just off Main, so I presume our local pair that breeds is back. Little Creek Larry mentioned one maybe a few weeks ago. Very few Scissor-tails on the road, I am hoping they just haven't gotten here in numbers yet.

Apr. 14 ~ After yesterday's cooker at 87dF on the cool shady front porch, the front hit late last night and blew all night, save a couple brief intermissions. This morning was 55dF and north at 20-30 mph! And supposed to be 20dF colder tomorrow a.m.! Spring weather everywhere can be dicey of course, the transition is a rough one. The upside in birding is that these events often either preciptate a grounding, or, drive what is there down low, to get out of the trees and wind. Find the lees. At Lost Maples, the main (Sab. Riv.) canyon with the Maples Trail (not Can Creek canyon to the ponds - the other one) is a bad choice when blown out with northerlies. The other canyon (ponds trail) will have a dogleg or two that are somewhat wind protected, often below the first pond, and around and past second pond is good for that. The main big pond area itself I often refer to as Hurricane Gulch.
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Apr. 13 ~ Happy Friday the 13th! Chuck-wills-widow was still going at 6:40 (early thirty), but was silent 5 minutes later. As we get light earlier, dawn chorus is earlier too. Now by about 7 a.m. it is starting, though a few vocalize occasionally earlier, the full-monty chorus is not underway until about then. And a minute or so a day earlier as we progress to the solstice. I heard the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher singing over at the airstrip, so that local bird is back. Thought I heard a Yellow Warbler in the big pecan but did not see it.

Town run so park check. Best was my FOS Blue Grosbeak, a male as expected. Up in the woods were about 8 Nashville Warbler, an Orange-crowned and a Myrtle. The Coot continues. The rest was the expected gang. A female Great-tailed Grackle was walking around a lawn in town, first I have seen this year though Little Creek Larry said he had one a month ago. A small group of Common Grackle goes through the park occasionally.

Back in yard in afternoon was a Celia's Roadside-Skipper, my FOS. Also saw my FOY W. Ribbonsnake, about 20" long, a beauty. Heard my second of year Great Crested flycatcher about 4 p.m. across road toward the river. It seemed to move over to what is a territory annually and call, so may be our returning breeder. I will know at dawn chorus tomorrow. I can't wait. About 7 p.m. over by the cottage was a Clay-colored Sparrow on the seed, later about 8 it was on the patio looking dinky next to a Lark Sparrow.

I saw a new different Sphinx moth of some sort I have never seen. It was a small one, with black hindwings, trimmed in snow white dots. There was a thin sharp white eye-line. I caught it in the cottage, and turned it loose on the front porch where light was on, hoping it would stick for photos, but it appears not. It was too jacked up in net and hand for photos. Need that Sphinx book. My online search suggests Pawpaw, except Bexar Co. might be most SW locale known so far of it so far.

Saw a note online about a Red Warbler being found in the mountains near Tucson, AZ, which is the first U.S. report of this stunning Mexican mountain species. I saw them in Durango many moons ago. It pays to keep the mind open, anything can happen. We could sure use a new U.S. record here. If a Red Warbler can happen in AZ, then we need to expand our ideas about what might occur here from eastern Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental.

Apr. 12 ~ About 60dF for a low and overcast, and calm for a few hours early finally after yesterday's blowout. Saw a couple Six-lined Racerunner (lizard) today, my first of the year. Was at the crossing for a few minutes and had a FOS Common Yellowthroat. Also single Dusky Dancer and American Rubyspot damselflies, and a FOY Pale-faced Clubskimmer dragonfly. One good migrant in the yard was a Hermit Thrush at the bath. It was not the flavor that winters, as those have been gone over a month. It was much paler of back, seemed bigger, and boy were the two wingbars bold. Otherwise nothing but the breeders in the yard today. In leps, saw my FOY Arizona Sister, my 3rd April Monarch (9th total this spring), and the summer form Questionmark again.

A Painted Bunting at Tarpley was posted to the SATX yahoo groups bird message board today. April 12 ties my earliest date ever here. Interestingly besides the 12th arrival here once, I have only once had arrival on the 13th, 3 times it was the 15th, once the 16th, and once the 17th. So in the last 14 prior springs, in 7 years arrival was the 17th or earlier, and for 7 springs it was later than the 17th when the first one showed. The first 7 years I was here avg. arrival was the 20th. The last 6 years, the 17th is avg. arrival, and both my two earliest dates. That is how fast things are changing. Right before our eyes. It is obvious to those who look, most simply do not observe at the level of detail required to see it.

Apr. 11 ~ A low in mid-40' like yesterday feels great! Had a quick town errand in the a.m. so a quick look at the park. I missed what looked like a sandpiper someone flushed off the spillway (statistically Spotted). Below the dam along creek I had my FOS Green Heron. There were a few Nashville and a Myrtle or two. The Mulberry tree on Cypress St. had a couple hundred Waxwing going in and out of it. I had to get to the desk to make up the last couple days. No way I could get up that "hill from hell" to see the vireo three days in a row anyway, spreadsheets will be just fine today. Sure great to have some serious singing in the yard again, like the Chat, Summer Tanager, Yellow-throated Vireo, Vermilion Flycatcher are all at it full time out there again. Heard the Ring King over at the river here from yard.

Apr. 10 ~ Birded Lost Maples with Meade Cadot and Sandy Taylor from NH, we had a great walk. Early at Utopia Park we had a Green Kingfisher briefly, the Coot continues, Meade had a small flock of what was likely Black-bellied Whistling-Duck go over, and I had a small flock of larger dabbling ducks, maybe Shoveler. No migrants, so up to Lost Maples. Couple Caracara near Vanderpool.

Golden-cheeked Warbler were a bit shy, again my sense is that the numbers are down compared to usual. We got looks at the Black-capped Vireo above the ponds, and might have heard about 8 total. Their numbers are increasing as more show up now. We had two Broad-winged Hawks, likely the pair that has nested the last 3 years, one is a normal light bird, the other darker below, which is one of the recent pair. A few White-tipped Dove are around the feeding station at the trailhead parking lot. Heard Louisiana Waterthrush, several Red-eyed Vireo, a couple Yellow-throated, lots of White-eyed, and a Hutton's Vireo.

Heard a Scott's Oriole but didn't see one. Heard lots of Black-and whites, and Summer Tanagers, Carolina and Bewick's Wren, a couple Canyon Wren, some Ash-throated Flycatchers. Migrant Warblers were a half-dozen Nashville, and a couple Orange-crowned. Heard Louisiana Waterthrush, had several Red-eyed Vireo, a couple Yellow-throated, lots of White-eyed, and a Hutton's Vireo. Several Lincoln's Sparrow and a Rufous-crowned, besides the usual Chipping at the feeders. Interesting what is NOT in yet. No buntings (Indigo or Painted), Blue Grosbeak, Chat, Acadian Flyc. or Eastern Wood-Pewee. Likely in a week or so all will be there.

Saw Spicebush, Two-tailed, Eastern Tiger and Pipevine Swallowtails. More Little Wood Satyrs, seems a good year for them. A Greater Earless Lizard was on the trail upslope in the talus. Saw some Brickelbush (a Eup.) coming up, but which doesn't bloom until fall. Sycamores still not leafed out, just starting.

Apr. 9 ~ Heard the Chuck at early-thirty before first light. Birded Lost Maples with Tom and Tanya Smythe from MI. We had a great walk, saw Golden-cheeked Warbler between the ponds, heard a bunch, and saw Black-capped Vireo (up on top of bluffs above pond). Two new FOS species were had, Tom had a female Indigo Bunting at the feeding station, and we had 2-3 Red-eyed Vireo singing along the (Can Creek) canyon. Prior to last year my earliest Red-eye was April 12, then other arrivals were 13, 15, 16 April. More first dates are later than the 16th. Last year was my earliest ever, one on the 8th, and this year 3 are singing on territory on the 9th. A week earlier than the first ones used to show up most years.

I heard an Olive Sparrow sing when driving between HQ and the trailhead parking lot and feeding station. There was a White-tipped Dove at the feeding station. A Clay-colored Sparrow was there for a moment. We had Rufous-crowned up top above the pond, where I heard Black-throated but couldn't find them. Roadrunner singing up there too. Tom had a duck fly over at the pond which I missed. Blue-winged Teal is favored statistically. Just TV's and Common Raven in the skies. Migrant warblers were a few Nashville, a couple Orange-crowned, and I heard one Myrtle chip fly over. Way more Summer Tanager than 8 days ago, good numbers of Blue-gray Gnatcat and Black-and-white Warbler, but heard only on the B-n-W. Heard a couple Louis. Waterthrush chips, didn't see any, heard a few Hutton's Vireo.

Heard Yellow-throated Vireo and Canyon Wren, did not hear a Scrub-Jay or Scott's Oriole. Lots of usuals like White-eyed Vireo, Carolina Wren and Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, some Ladder-backed Woodpecker, numbers of Cedar Waxwing, 4 Pine Siskin which are nearing tardy considering how few came down this winter.

Mostly it was too cool and overcast for insects, until later after noon. Saw a couple Bronze Roadside-Skipper as well as the similar ones with uncheckered fringes, whatever they are. A Two-tailed Swallowtail was my first of the year, one Red Satyr flopped by. Odes were few and far between. One male Common Whitetail, a couple Dot-winged Baskettail, and some un-ID'd damsels, one looked like Aztec Dancer.

After leaving and driving back as I left Utopia, soaring over the first pasture south of town on east (left) side of road right across from the Sabinal River Lodge, was a Zone-tailed Hawk. Didn't see one at Lost Maples. Then at home in the afternoon, our breeder Yellow-breasted Chat was singing on station across the road, my FOS. A lone American Goldfinch flew over calling about 6 p.m.

Apr. 8 ~ About 41dF for a low, overcast so held some heat in, KRVL had about 6 hours at 39dF. At least the wind stopped, but feels kinda wintry for spring. No migrant movement that I saw. Worked on stuff here since will be out the next couple days morning to early afternoon. Was the same gang, but did hear a Scissor-tail fly by up the river habitat corridor, first one from the yard this spring. Maybe our local nearby breeders? Yellow-throated Vireo singing around yard is nice to hear again. Saw my first summer form Questionmark (butterfly) of the year, with those black hindwings quite the beauty.

Apr. 7 ~ The front got here overnight, but the cold air was just arriving pre-dawn. Temps dropped every hour all night and morning, even 9 a.m. was colder than 8 a.m., with 42dF and 10-20 mph gusting higher northerlies, chill factors in Vanderpool and Kerrville were 32dF. That is about what it felt like here. Gonna be a heavy hummer feeder day, and surely migration was stopped in its tracks to our south somewhere. Only got to mid-50's dF at peak heat, wind blew all day. Was a bad day to be a flycatcher here. Don't know what that Chuck that got here yesterday is going to eat tonight. Temps are supposed to rebound tomorrow. Heard a Ring King over at the river but that was about it besides the regulars. Did not see a dozen Chipping Sparrow, saw a Lincoln's, and a dozen Lark are daily again on the patio now, until September, by which it will be two dozen or more. Saw the Ground-Dove on the seed. Worked here tryin' to get a bunch of stuff done, but the garden stuff will wait for a nicer day.

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Apr. 6 ~ Back to balmy, overcast, about 65dF for a low. Clearing late in afternoon. Calm for an hour or two early, but then windy. Supposed to be a frontish thing overnight. Maybe birds tomorrow? Nothing in yard in a.m. but the usual expected gang. Heard the Ring King over at the river in a.m., saw it flying upriver over Cypresses in late afternoon. Town run so a look at the park. A flock of 5 migrant Great Blue Heron landed in the big dead Cypress in the river at top end of the pond. The Coot is still there, a Gnatcatcher and a Kinglet.

Warblers were about 8 Myrtle and one beautiful male Audubon's in nice breeding plumage which looked great, a couple Nashville, one Black-and-white, and a few of the nesting Yellow-throated Warbler. Best bird was my earliest ever FOS Great Crested Flycatcher. The 11th was my earliest date prior, and that just last year. We have had several days of very strong southerlies in the 10 days or so. The other good bird to see was FOS Chimney Swift over town. Little Creek Larry said he has a couple dozen Black-bellied Whistling-Duck over on Little Creek (where else?).

After sundown but before dark I got two more FOS new species for the day. A Firefly was my first of them, and better, about 8:15 to 8:20 (chuck-thirty now) I listened to a calling Chuck-wills-widow. Great to hear that again! Both species are at the very early end of the date windows for them, but not earliest ever.

Apr. 5 ~ Upper 50's dF for a low, overcast, the usual spring gray. At least the winds stopped for the morning. Little sun in afternoon, the standard program. A Ringed Kingfisher or two were calling over at the river mid-morning. Did not see any migrant action through yard in a.m. again. Maybe tomorrow said the eternal optimist. Just one more day and a big wave will hit. Just over that next ridge, maybe around the next bend, or over that next big swell, what about that last little tree patch we didn't check... There are always good unfound, unknown birds out there, probably closer to you than you would want to know. Most of the time I just can't see them from wherever I am.

Apr. 4 ~ The winds blew all night from the north, surely it shut down bird movement to the south. Low was in the upper 40's dF. No migrant movement through the yard. Ideally you want the wall of northerlies to pass over you in the middle of the night, not just at dark. That way birds are up in the air overhead when it hits and they are grounded. When it passes before the night flight starts, yer goose is cooked for migrants. It blew all day too. Maybe 18 on the Chipping Sparrows now, mostly first-winter birds, the adults are gone, save the local breeders. Hooded and Scott's Oriole males hitting the hummer feeders.

Apr. 3 ~ A balmy 65 for a low, threatened to rain all day but never did. A 40 percent chance gets ya nuthin' here. Twenty percent can get you a flood. A bit windy too, and no migrant movement through yard save one each Myrtle and Orange-crowned Warbler, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Couple Lincoln's Sparrow still around the bath. The Bronzed Cowbird still hitting the millet tube when no one around looking. Chipping Sparrow count is about two dozen now. The front passed and the northerlies arrived after dark. Kathy had two Yellow-throated Warbler at the bath, prolly THE pair that nests in the nearest Cypress across the road and uses the yard regularly.

Apr. 2 ~ Low of 65dF and overcast, first two or three hours of the day as is often the case are calm without any breeze, and so quite nice. Saw my FOS Bronzed Cowbird on the millet tube this morning. There cannot be a spring arrival I am less excited to see. You again already? I see green growing pecan flowers on some of the trees, not open and pollen yet, but couple-inch long buds. Besides 'when the Scissor-tails show up', one of the other 'will not freeze again' pieces of lore here is 'when the pecans bloom'.

April 1 ~ Happy Fool's day for all you fools out there! The first quarter is over. We finally got to go to Lost Maples, first break in biz in 3 months. A whole half-day of hiking and birding. Wow! We saw a few FOS Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on 187 north of town on the way up the valley. At HQ there was an Audubon's Oriole singing across the opposite side of the canyon. The primative camp area at the main pond is closed for recovery so it is much queiter in that area than it has been the last decade. Very nice. Great idea. Use has been tremendously heavy spring to mid-summer the last 15 years. I can feel the 4 miles or so we did, with a steep 400' of altitude gain and then loss. Way easier with a walking stick if you are going up top of the bluffs, especially for the way down.

Of course since it was early in season lots of stuff is not there yet, but of course there were still lots of things to see. I had a quick look at a White-tipped Dove and a female Scott's Oriole at the feeding station. We heard a couple Olive Sparrow singing. Might have heard ten or so Golden-cheeked Warbler, saw a couple, one male very well. I had a great view briefly looking down on a female, she had a nice back man. There were a few singing Louisiana Waterthrush, and 8 or 10 Black-and-white Warbler, nearing a half-dozen Yellow-throated Warbler for breeding warblers. Migrant warblers were a couple Nashville, an Orange-crowned, and about 5 Myrtle Warbler, and a few that got away that were likely Nash. A couple Hermit Thrush and a House Wren are migrants.

We went up the steep rough trail above the pond to the bluff tops where there were a few singing Black-capped Vireo scattered about. It was very windy, even a bit of mist, tough conditions. I had a couple poor looks at vireos. Had great looks at a pair of Black-throated Sparrow though. There were a few Claret Cup cactus along the cliff edge, lots of Rain Lily up there, some Spiderwort that might have been Giant, some Drummond's Skullcap. Such a different habitat up there from the canyon bottoms, it is amazing. No hawks working the cliff edge, only Common Raven and Turkey Vulture.

Coming up the canyon we heard a few Canyon Wren, Ash-throated Flycatcher, there was one Yellow-throated Vireo, lots of White-eyed, and a couple Hutton's, a couple Rufous-crowned Sparrow, only heard one Summer Tanager. Of course some of the usual residents like Black-crested Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee and Wren, Cardinal, Ladder-backed Woodpecker. The migratory breeders are just gettin' there. There were over a hundred waxwing in some Sycamores.

The Redbud is done and over, and the Mountain Laurel all but, only a few scattered blooms left here and there. Saw a couple Scarlet Clematis flowers, some White Rock Lettuce, Red Buckeye (ours is yellow flowered form) is blooming, as is Spanish Buckeye (that is not a Buckeye). Lots is still just sprouting, including the leafing out of the trees, many of which were still just barely starting. There were some blooming Huisache on the way up the valley. You could tell a botanical and seasonal difference in just the few hundred feet of altitude change between here (Utopia) and there (Vanderpool-Lost Maples) though.

In general it was too cool for bugs, but there were a few of interest. First of the year were two Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (one was black form female), 3 Spicebush Swallowtail, and three Red Satyr, so those were the highlights. The other few were the expected. One Henry's Elfin on Spanish Buckeye was so worn I didn't bother trying to take a photo. I didn't bother with a half-dozen Erynnis Duskywings either, saw one each of Horace's, Funereal, and Mournful. For odes there was less. Some of those super blue Aztec Dancers were nice, and the only damselfly I saw. A few Dot-winged Baskettail, and one male Common Whitetail were the only dragons. Saw one Red-breasted Sunfish with good color already. On the way back there were 4-5 Scissor-tails along 187. So the first of them are back in.

~ ~ ~ March summary ~ ~ ~

It was a dry March, with less than an inch of precip and no freeze the whole month, last one was in mid-February. Spring explodes on the scene in green over the month, lots of flowers are now going, trees are leafing out, and it is generally wonderful. Newly arriving birds and newly emerging butterflies are the big thing all month keeping it exciting to be watching.

Dragonflies were few and far between overall, but the usual March emergers were out. Maybe 3 sps. of damselflies, and 5 of dragons, for about 8 total . The expected: a few Springtime Darner, a few Red Saddlebags, and good numbers of Dot-winged Baskettail. The highlight was a few Pronghorn Clubtail (ph.). One FOS male Eastern Pondhawk on the 31st. Next month they get going much better.

Butterflies were a good showing of 41 species. A Goatweed Leafwing snuck under the wire on the 31st, Giant Swallowtail on the 30th. The highlight was a female Great Purple Hairstreak at water in the yard, my first since 2015, missed it the last two years. A fair showing of Henry's Elfins this spring. In April leps really gets going and should be over 50 species.

For birds I saw about 101 species around Utopia, and know of about 7-8 more others saw nearishby, a few were only at Lost Maples. Most of the excitement is seeing the return of things like Hooded and Scott's Oriole, Hummingbirds, Golden-cheeked Warbler, and others. We had an Olive Sparrow and a Couch's Kingbird in our yard both of which are good. A few Olive Sparrow, a couple Golden-cheeked Warbler, and a Black-capped Vireo are within a couple miles of town. Audubon's Oriole, White-tipped Dove, and Olive Sparrow have been reported at Lost Maples SNA. Twice small flocks of Bufflehead were seen at the park this month, which was likely the rarest thing locally this month. That we know about.

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~ ~ back to the regularly scheduled drivel ~ ~ ~

March 31 ~ For a long month it sure went by fast. Temp spread was about 60-80dF, and a bit too breezy for birding. Had an errand in town so swung through part of the golf course to see if Scissor-tails back there and saw none. A flock of 20 meadowlarks flushed, the two I had great studies of were Eastern. Over on the Waresville Rd. (363) there was a FOS Bell's Vireo singing in the mesquites.

About 20 Cave Swallow are back at the bank working on nests. Stopped at the park again and mostly over-run by people but the Coot was still in the water lillies. Up in the woods there was my FOS Nashville Warbler. At the blooming live-oak patch by the ball diamond there were about a dozen Myrtle Warbler, including one Myrtubon's hybrid (Myrtle x Audubon's). Also my first of month Goatweed Leafwing butterfly, which is great to add for the March list. Two different Monarchs were at the park, so now 6 for the month of them. One watersnake of some sort, my FOY (ph.). In the yard I saw flowers of Tube-Tongue and Yellow Ground-Cherry.

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Mar. 30 ~ About 52dF for a low is fine by me. The male Ruby-throated Hummer was back at the feeder in the morning. Mid-morning my FOS Summer Tanager announced itself back from the top of the big pecan right off front porch. There was another (I presume) singing at the park in town a couple hours later. The Coot was still there, but nothing else. Did not see a Scissor-tail along the roads yet. Little Creek Larry said there were 5 Bufflehead at the park yesterday (29th), one male and four females. Either our third occurrence this spring, or a group has been moving around. I suspect they are all different birds passing through. There was my FOY Giant Swallowtail at the park, and a couple Large Orange Sulphur around town. My fourth Monarch of the spring drifted around the yard a bit and then northeastward. Thought sure I heard a Black-and-white Warbler singing distantly in the live-oak motte North of park. Some Forktail damsels (Ischnura) were in the woods but I did not get a shot or an ID. Not Fragile, Rambur's, or Citrine.

Mar. 29 ~ A wonderful 45dF low felt great after those recent few mornings in the mid-60's. The front passed, finally sunny. Got up to the mid-80's dF in the afternoon heat! Didn't see any migrant movement through the yard in the a.m., thought there might be a post-frontal push. Wishful thinking apparently. There was however our FOS male Hooded Oriole on a hummer feeder here, for some outstanding color we haven't seen in 6 months. Whatabird. Two new for the month butterflies showed, a Northern Cloudywing, and a FOY Dun Skipper. Should be a Giant Swallowtail out any day now. About 6:20 p.m. I saw my FOS Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a male of course. Fancy seeing that back. About a third of my 15 springs here I have seen the first one during the last 5 days or so of March, more often it is the first week of April.

Mar. 28 ~ Low about 60dF or so. We had another quarter inch of rain overnight, after yesterdays quarter, so a good half-inch total as of the morning. Just southeast of us 20 miles the storms trained and they got 2.5-5"! Heard the Ringed King over at the river at early thirty and again mid-day. The male Scott's Oriole was at the feeder early, after hitting it long and hard just before dusk last night. Getting raucous with birdsong out there, a little after 7 a.m. it starts. A couple Myrtle Warbler moved through the trees northbound. I suspect there would have been some migrants around with the rain, had one been able to go kick the bushes and wanted to get wet feet.

Mar. 27 ~ Low about 65dF, not very, and some mist and drizzle. By 4 p.m. the light shower or two with it added up to .25 of an inch. There was a Savannah Sparrow eating white millet off the patio. But a bit soppy, so I wasn't out looking a lot. Since it was wet and a workday, I was thinking of the sparrows I have seen in the last 10 days either around the yard, or a mile south on the 1450' knoll. I mean a 'big picture' sparrow group which includes Towhees, since they are just XXL sparrows.

Except the Spotted Towhee (uphill and on knoll), just in the yard from this past weekend to the one prior, I have seen Canyon Towhee, Olive Sparrow, Lark, Field, Chipping, Clay-colored, Savannah, Lincoln's, Vesper, and White-crowned Sparrows. So ten in yard and eleven species around big picture group without really trying. It's like Sparrowtopia. They are on the move bigtime now. Several other species are around as well.

Rufous-crowned are around within a mile for sure, and so is Black-throated. The wintering Song seem gone, but a passage transient is possible, as is a Swamp or White-throated along river. If one birded all day and was very lucky they could get 15 species of sparrows in a day locally lately. Likely that Grasshopper, and Lark Bunting are hereabouts in late March too. Cassin's is a scarce to occasional migrant, almost annual, so possible. Past that you are just wishing.   ;)  And if you are going to do that my rule is you might as well think big, like a Striped Sparrow or a Brush-Finch from Mexico.   ;)

Mar. 26 ~ About 66 dF for a low, and humid. Strong southerlies 15-20mph gusting higher, and it got into the 80's in afternoon peak heat. There was a Clay-colored Sparrow on the patio eating white millet, and at one point within a foot was a Lark and a Chipping Sparrow, since camera was in house of course. In butterflies it was a big day for Lyside Sulphur, 200-300 of them went through the yard today, at least 4 were yellow morph. Also saw my FOY Large Orange Sulphur, and my 3rd Monarch of the month, year, season, so far. Saw again the very worn winter Questionmark that has been around the eight days or so.

Mar. 25 ~ Overcast and mid-60's dF for a low, feeling springy. Shortly after 8 a.m. I came out of the cottage after feeding fish and there was a calling COUCH'S Kingbird in the top of the big pecan in the front yard. A very nice spring migrant, sort of an overshoot, but they have nested locally, and some always get further north in spring. I am dyin' to see a Golden-cheek and Black-cap of course, knowing they are back. We took a couple hours 11-1 and looked at the 1450' knoll SW of the 360 crossing (on private property), maybe a mile from our place.

Nice live-oak and juniper grassland with some Buckley Oaks on the knoll as well as some good dense (as in impenetrable) understory on the south slope of the knoll. There were two territorial singing Olive Sparrow, one had a second bird with it, presumedly the female. That pair was right where I saw fledged young a year or two ago. There was one singing Black-capped Vireo at the usual territory, I got a half a glimpse, but we heard some great song close. Then there were at least two, maybe three, singing Golden-cheeked Warbler. Relief at last! We had great looks at one of them, whatabird.

Other things were a few Blue-gray Gnatcatcher which might nest there, heard a Scrub-Jay, saw one and heard another Spotted Towhee, heard a Hutton's Vireo, Turkey was gobbling, Roadrunner was cooing, a pair of Titmouse. One fresh Bordered Patch butterfly and better, two or three Pronghorn Clubtail dragonfly (ph.). That acacia whatever it is was blooming, what a great scent, but was mostly too cool for butteflies still. A few flowers were some nice Diamentia, lots of Blackfoot Daisy and Paralena, but the Laurel is all but over. Saw a big Tom Turkey gobble on the way out, Kathy had a Caracara fly-by I missed. It was a great haul for an hour and a half a mile from the house.

Mar. 24 ~ A bit misty in the a.m., did a recycling and dump run noonish, got sunny later in afernoon after 3 p.m. or so. Still no Scissor-tails along the roads. Saw one Clay-colored Sparrow along dump road. A FOS Louisiana Waterthrush at the park was great. So was a male Downy Woodpecker there, almost all my sightings here are of females. Watched a male Green Kingfisher catch a small fish. A continuing continually singing Hutton's Vireo continued. Couple Myrtle Warbler and the Coot. A bunch of Yellow-throated Warbler, of which females are in now. I watched a pair nest site prospecting way up in the top of the biggest Cypress. Which, when they finish 'leafing' out you won't be able to see them up there. Some Spanish Buckeye is in bloom now, which is another good place to look for Elfins if your Redbuds are done blooming. In the afternoon and evening from the front porch I heard a Ringed Kingfisher calling over at the river. The male Scott's Oriole is hitting feeder regularly. Should be a Hooded around any day now.

Is this what you are looking for?
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Archive copy of update header (partial)

Some recent winter sightings:
There was a GREAT KISKADEE at Utopia Park Friday Feb. 2-3, up in the woods on the island upriver of the screen shelters. See photos below the first two Feb. updates below. A PURPLE MARTIN was heard Jan. 29, and a Turkey Vulture was seen to have returned the same date. A Townsend's Solitaire was hearable from Utopia Park, on the priv. prop. to the NNE of park, last heard Feb. 2. A flock of northbound White-fronted Goose was heard at dusk Jan. 31. Little Creek Larry had two EARED GREBE at the park in early Jan. one day. He had a pair of BUFFLEHEAD there Monday Feb. 19th. There was a flock of RED CROSSBILL moving up and down the river habitat corridor south of town (at least) from Nov. 11 to late December. I heard a few a couple times in earliest Jan., and none since.

There was a report of a Green-tailed and Eastern Towhee just NE of town on Friday Jan. 19th, (still in Uvalde Co.), but the deer feeder they were at went dry. Friday Dec. 15 there was a N. GOSHAWK climbing up and soaring high over town right behind the Ranch Outpost. A local that knows birds described what was likely it later, NE of town along Little Creek. TWO Townsend's Solitaire were seen at Lost Maples (Bill Wright) Friday Dec. 15th in the picnic area. An adult Harris's Sparrow was in our yard Dec. 24. Adult Harris's Hawk were at Little Creek later Jan., and one in our big pecan Jan. 29, a couple miles south of town. Judy Schaffer reports Rufous Hummingbird wintering again at her place in town.

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Mar. 23 ~ Low about 60dF with mist and drizzle. Saw an Orange-crowned Warbler working the male Mulberry flowers, Kathy had one yesterday, they are on the move now, these are transients, not the wintering very very few. Great having Yellow-throated Vireo singing around the yard every morning again. Town run so a look at the park. First at the north end of town there were 3 Savannah Sparrow in a field, migrants, and some Bluebonnets are open too. A few Cave Swallow were up there as well. Near the storage spaces there were a dozen male Common Grackle in a field, which are also spring arrivals. Did not see a Scissor-tail along the roads. Little Creek Larry said some people saw some along Hwy. 90 in the brush country in the last week. We are usually a week to 10 days behind them.

At the park the Coot was still there, I missed it a couple times in the last week or 10 days. There were a few Yellow-throated Warbler singing (and a few along 360), a Yellow-throated Vireo, a couple Myrtle Warbler, but slow. There was blooming Texas Onion, lots of Dewberry, lots of Slender-stem Bitterweed, the first few Engleman's Daisy, and some False Day-flower. In the afternoon there was an adult White-crowned Sparrow here in the yard and later, my FOS Clay-colored Sparrow. When you have the spring equinox here, Clay-coloreds are not far behind. About 9 p.m. I had my FOS Barn Owl.

Mar. 22 ~ Low in the low 50's dF and humid with overcast. Heard three Yellow-throated Vireo singing at once in the a.m. Male and female Brown-headed Cowbird out there. No sign of the Olive Sparrow of yesterday evening. Got up to about 80dF when sun came out in afternoon. The male Scott's Oriole was at a hummer feeder in the a.m., surely it is the one that breeds upslope behind us somewhere. Two Lincoln's Sparrows at the bath early, they are on the move now, so where is that first Clay-colored? Any day. Hermit Thrush was out there, the local winterers gone weeks now, this is a passage transient.

The hummers (Black-chinned) number over a hundred now, likely a good bit over too. We're already past a quart per day, barreling towards a half-gallon, and only have three feeders out, each on a different side of house for MAF - maximum attraction factor. Which does not seem to help but makes me feel like I am trying. The valley floor is nothing like being up on the ridges for transient hummers. We had way way more Rufous, Allen's, Calliope, Broad-tailed, and Anna's (not to mention rare vagrants like a Violetear, a Lucifer and a White-eared) when we were up on Seco Ridge.

Mar. 21 ~ A low of 37dF when I checked (in dark before peak cold) was great, I saw KRVL hit a 36. We'll long for this soon. I presume the same Lincoln's Sparrow that was on the seed all day yesterday was the one at the bath this morning. Bet that Gnatcatcher yesterday is glad it didn't arrive a day sooner. A female Brown-headed Cowbird was my first spring arriving female. The Yellow-throated Vireo is singing around the yard and surely the local territorial male that has returned. Ash-throated Flycatcher out there a bit, it could be the local nester back as well.

My FOS Scott's Oriole sang up the slope behind us in the big ancient live-oaks about noonish and again at 12:30 closer to house. Might be 'our' local breeder that uses the hummer feeders. Later afternoon a second Gnatcatcher went through. Later, after 6 p.m. I was over in the cottage looking out back door by the one good laurel that constitutes understory, and an Olive Sparrow flew into it. We throw seed under it a couple times daily. It worked along the fence and upslope where denser and I lost it. Have not seen one lately around and so a bird on the move. Did see the winter form Questionmark again. Great was a FOS female Falcated Orange-tip that flew around the yard a bit. More Lysides, a Painted lady which was also a FOY for me.

Mar. 20 ~ Happy Equinox! Clay-colored Sparrow will show up any day now. The low in the low 40's dF was great, but 10-15+mph northerlies make it tough for birding. When all the branches and leaves are moving, the single most used bird spotting technique - seeing motion - becomes far far less effective. Everything is in motion. The other most used bird detection method - hearing - is also greatly diminished pretty soon past about 15 mph, except for closestby stuff. Not a big deal scoping shorebirds (which we don't do much of here) but when looking in trees it can be. Small birds duck for cover and work the interiors of dense shrubs, etc. In wind, look for the lees, whether hill or ridge, building, treeline or hedgerow, or a dogleg in a canyon (often only one side or the other of a leg will be blown out).

Heard 2-3 Yellow-throated Vireo, one over in the corral which may be the area returning breeder. The big (but not very large) FOS of the day was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher for over an hour in the afternoon. It is my 2nd latest arrival date in 15 springs here. A Lincoln's Sparrow was around the seed we toss all day. A Vesper Sparrow is a passage bird, out working in the driveway and in a Persimmon. Love seeing that male Vermilion sputtering overhead against the blue skies off and on all day again. No Canyon Towhee again, methinks it split.

Butterflies were great, we spray a little water around and make a couple wet spots, which since it is so dry can bring a wave of a half-dozen to a dozen butterflies in a few minutes. And sometimes they are good ones. Outstanding was a Great Purple Hairstreak that came in for a drink. I have not seen one the last two years, it flushed when I came back out with camera. But I had great looks of the incredible neon metallic blue upper wings as it fluttered around looking for where to land. You can't see the best part when they sit (wings closed). It was a female. In the afternoon I saw my FOS Dusky-blue Groundstreak. Saw one Pearl and a half-dozen Vesta Crescent, and a Henry's Elfin came in to the watered wet soil as well. It got to mid-70's with very low humidity (not as bad as yesterday's but dry).

Mar. 19 ~ A wonderful calm dry 52dF or so for a low felt great. What I am sure is the Yellow-throated Warbler that uses yard as part of its territory was back this morning in the male Mulberry working the branches over the cottage. The wind started around 9 a.m., and blew all day, 15-20 gusting 20-30mph. Finally calmed down shortly before dark. Lots of hummers here now as in several dozens, all Black-chinned of course. Anything else is rare in March, Ruby-throats mostly show up the first week of April. Was the usual suspects but a couple Myrtle Warbler went through northward. Best was a butterfly that came into water, Theona Checkerspot, my first of year. Kathy spotted a worn winter form Questionmark on the wet patio, which I missed all winter, and will likely be the last of them we will see until fall.

There were humidity readings in the area today of 10-15 percent, very low here. Bone dry low, and it is great, except for the fire danger with the strong winds. Did not hear or see the Canyon Towhee today, it was singing still here yesterday. Lost its mate presumedly to an accipiter, didn't attract a new one in the couple months since, and so has likely gone off to see if it can sing one up.

Mar. 18 ~ Low 60's dF for a low, and another pre-frontal warm day in the upper 80's. Saw and heard the first returning Lark Sparrow of the spring, singing for a few minutes in the top of the big pecan. Though a few winter, we have a clear departure of the breeders in fall, and as clear a return of them in spring, which seems likely completely unrelated to the population of wintering birds. Thought I heard a Black-and-white Warbler again upslope in the live-oaks behind us. Heard a Yellow-throated Warbler over at the river. In the afternoon a Yellow-throated Vireo sung its way north up the river habitat corridor. The live-oaks are in heavy molt right now, many are all but leafless, and surely flightless, with the new growth tips just breaking stems.

Mar. 17 ~ Low in mid-60's dF, high about 85 when it got sunny in afternoon. Heard a couple singing Yellow-throated Warbler moving north through cypresses along the river. The Chipping Sparrows number about 55, over half of the wintering flock is gone now. The rest was the same gang, a lot of great birdsong at dawn, right now just after 7 a.m. or so it gets rippin' for a bit. Music to my ears. Two first of year (FOY) butterflies today were Texan Crescent and Lyside Sulphur. Trying to get a bunch of spring cleaning and chores done before I can't stand it and go birding. Actually besides the little bit of very local looking I tend to hold my fire until I can see the whites of their eyes, so to speak. At least until a bigger percentage of the migratory breeders are here and in and the birdsong has become a din. Sure you can rush out and get that first Golden-cheek, but no Gnatcatchers yet, much less Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, buntings, etc., and often no females yet of many of the earliest arrivers. Gotta get garden stuff done before it gets too hot and all the birds show back up.







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There is another series of the weekly break photos below.



~ ~ ~ Above is 2018 ~ ~ ~


Sorry, got some year-end mopup to do here...

~ ~ ~ 2017 in review ~ ~ ~

I like to have a quick easy reference for greatest hits each month, or year, as it helps me organize and remember. So I won't be hurt if you scroll past the yearly or monthly summaries, and realize they are probably more for my purposes or sake. Though methinks some learning still to be had as to how the year related to others, or what is going on, especially changes that are taking place.

I did another micro- or mini- year, in that again, for I think now 6 years consecutive, did not drive over 1000 miles all total miles driven, not just birding miles. Everything. Life miles for the year. Think global, bird, and live, local. I guess at a thousand mile limit they should be called a miliyear. So I am at 6000 miles the last 6 years, all driving total, birding, life, work, everything. Which is roughly about 3 long crazy weekend chases by a statewide Texas year lister. Since I don't chase birds my year list is just whatever it ends up being, bycatch of gathering and recording the data.

My upper Sabinal River drainage area list this year was about 207. That is Clayton Grade to Lost Maples, but actually nothing south of UvCo 360. That would take out a couple hundred miles of the 1000 driven for two trips to Uvalde. Just from around the ' house and adjacent vicinity within walking distance, the park, and maybe 10-12 Lost Maples visits. Probably saw a dozen or more different species, maybe 20, down around Uvalde in the brush country and at the ponds there those two trips.

Well it was a great year for seeing unusual birds locally, despite the generally poor migration seasons we had. It only takes a little spice to make it nice. It always seems slow when you are in it, but afterwards in sum and retrospect, there were a lot of great birds. For breeding success it probably was not so great for many birds, it appeared lots of very small clutches fledged to me.

Rain was a fair amount in total but in fits and spurts all at once between longer dry periods, which makes it hard for plants and flowers especially to use. And which then translates to insects for birds to eat. Local rainfall amounts vary tremendously in ridiculously close proximity, but for us here I think it was about 28 inches in total, near average. So a good amount, but we are still in drought with a very low water table and river not running above ground in lots of sections.

Flowers were good early in spring but faded fast with little rain in May and June. Fall bloom was very weak too. The fruit and nut crops were hit hard by strong spring fronts right at the wrong bloom time with 40-50+ MPH winds. Little to no Persimmon, Pecan, and Agarita crops, while Hackberry was on the weak side of fair to barely OK.

First we will roundup the best birds in sorta chrono order. Leslie Calvert reported a White-tailed Hawk Jan. 1 about 5 mi. SSW of town, the only upper Sabinal drainage report I know of ever. A Neotropic Cormorant at UP Jan. 20th was my first for the park list. My 1st local wintering yellowthroat (an imm. male) was present all Jan. along river at the 360 x-ing south of town. Next good birds were in April with a PAIR of Short-tailed Hawks at LM April 2 and after, which seemed to be nest site prospecting but also seemed to be pushed out of one canyon by the nesting Broad-wings and the other by nesting Zone-tails. A Gray Hawk was reported at LM by the pond April 15 or so. I found a Ringed Kingfisher hole just south of town on priv. prop. that I am sure was the one currently being used. Young apparently fledge in April, so they must start very early.

Spring was weak for warblers and the other scarcer 'eastern' species that can make migration fun. Only 13-14 species of warblers, no Tennesse again, and far fewer than usual Nashville and Yellow numbers. The 5 or so Redstart reported locally is high for one spring (I only saw 2) here. I saw at least 6 Mourning Warbler. One Worm-eating was reported from LM. The one great eastern spring vagrant for me was a Black-billed Cuckoo that called from just over the fence at our place on May 22.

A male Varied Bunting trolled singing at LM from May 21 into June. A male Lucifer Hummingbird was at a Century Plant June 23, 2 mi. S. of town. On July 13 Little Creek Larry watched 2 Roseate Spoonbill fly down Little Creek. At UP in July was an imm. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (ph.), and my earliest ever Yellow-headed Blackbird (ph.) was at the golf course July 15. The August highlights were likely Hurricane Harvey displacements: 2 White Pelican at UP the 25th, and from the yard a flyby Least Bittern the 29th, and 2 Fulvous Whistling-Duck on the 31st.

White-tipped Dove and Olive Sparrow both appeared to have bred at LM this summer, present earliest spring through the fall. I saw juv. Olive Sparrow late in summer, and saw a pic of a juv. dove that was posted on the intertubes (e-bird). Which is first breeding for the site, and for Bandera Co. For White-tipped Dove it is first breeding on the Edw. Plateau. For both species it is the furthest north known nesting ever and the known limit of their northward range expansion currently.

Fall was weak as usual here, but also as usual a few good things will always be dug out with enough looking. A Clay-colored Sparrow was my earliest ever on Sept. 1 (ph.) and a MacGillivray's Warbler on Sept. 8 at UP is only my 2nd fall record. A favorite was an all-day in the yard (and LTA) Yellow-bellied Flycatcher on Oct. 1. Good at UP was a Harris's Hawk on Oct. 26. November had a couple megas. The lowlight was a Red-breasted Nuthatch, LTA here, on the 21st. The megas were first a nocturnal flyover calling Whimbrel on the 7th, which seems it might be a first Uvalde County report. Then from the 11th on, a flock of Red Crossbill moved up and down the river habitat corridor, all the way through to late December. Up to 24 birds at once were seen almost a dozen times, but only in flight (when they call incessantly) and never 'on the ground' (in a tree).

Then in December besides the continuing Crossbills through the month, Bill Wright saw two Townsend's Solitaire at LM, which was followed by one hearable calling from Utopia Park late Dec. to early Jan. for a week. It was just north and east of the park property. A Northern Goshawk was outstanding over town on Dec. 15 (ph.), and an adult Harris's Sparrow on our patio Dec. 24 was good, they are LTA here. The adult female Rusty Blackbird showed up for her FIFTH winter around 360 south of town a couple miles. The Louisiana Waterthrush that wintered at Utopia Park the last three winters, did not return (suspected it was taken last winter). Neither did a male Pine Warbler that has used our yard the last three winters. All things must pass.

Butterflies broke records for species diversity each month the first four months of the year. Likely related to not having a freeze after earliest January. Then they fizzled out early and hard. Summer was weak, and fall stunk with no major invasion from the south as most years. Total species seen was about 88, which is an average drought regimen type total. Last year was 103 species, the difference being a good fall invasion.

Of interest were the Amblyscirtes Roadside-Skippers at LM (ph.) again this year (as last) which were not present for 8+ years of the drought. Which are either Bronze or Oslar's. Really need to have a specimen to do a proper ID on something outside norms. A Mimosa Yellow on July 9 was unusual. There was a little pulse of White-striped Longtail, with seven in one day locally Aug. 6 being my personal record. Usually you are lucky to see one.

There were two good rarity vagrants of the LTA (less than annual) sort, both photographed well. First a Mexican Tropical (Florida) White on Sept. 30 at the golf course entrance garden, and then at the UP entrance garden a Yellow Angled-Sulphur Oct. 15. They saved the fall. It was astounding how there were almost no blues, hairstreaks, metalmarks, checkers or crescents, or skippers on the flowers. No small stuff. It was eerie. There was a good Mestra invasion this year, but no major Monarch flight locally this October. No Viceroy all year up here after a great year last year, but a good Arizona Sister recovery seems to be underway. No Carolina Satyr or Common Wood Nymph still since drought, but Dusky-blue Groundstreak seems to be slowly recovering too.

For odes there were a few interesting things. Besides the basic set of breeders, the transients are sure to change every year it seems. Very good was a Straw-colored Sylph at the 360 x-ing in July, and in August there, a Hyacinth Glider, both far less than annual up here in the hills. I have had Swamp Darner and Ivory-striped Sylph there before, it is a great area, but all private and no trespassing. Also both LTA up here, a Great Pondhawk at the golf course, and a couple Bronzed River-Cruiser were good to see again, both in July. Maybe best was two male Slough Amberwing at UP (ph.) in August. There are only a very few UvCo records. Twelve-spotted Skimmers staged a minor invasion this year, I saw up to four in a single day, and twice that many in total. A couple days I saw four species of Pennants at the golf course: Halloween, Red-tailed, Banded, and Four-spotted, which is a Pennant slam up here, only Banded is resident and a sure thing every year locally. For the upper Sabinal River drainage it was about 18 species of Zygops (damselflies) and at least 41 species of Anisops (dragonflies), so at least 59 species of odes locally this year, which is great by me. There were a few others I let go due to quicker looks than I wanted, so surely over 60 species were in the area.

I did make a side trip out Seco Ridge to a special Evergreen Sumac in late Sept. to find Stenaspis verticalis insignis, a Longhorn (Cerambycid) Beetle (ph.). There were a few of the gigas Longhorns around our big pecan tree as usual in summer, and a Neoclytus sps. (Cerambycid) came into the night light one night. A few Eyed Elatarid (the giant false-eyed click beetle) were seen. No big fancy moths this year, and night lighting in general was nearly pitiful there was so little response some nights I tried. Lots of bugs seem way down still, presumedly unrecovered from drought still.

So always some things better than you could ever guess, no matter how much you know. And always some things you think should have happened, that didn't. Again, showing how much we really know. That is the fun of watching, observing, taking notes and maybe pictures, and recording what you see. You get that big ol' pile of raw data to peruse and sift through for ideas, meanings and trends. That is some of the great fun of natural history study.

Scroll through the bird news pages for 2017, especially the last half of the year, to see a bunch of photos of various things we saw. More often than not the weekly update breaks are punctuated with a photo. There is a link to a new page that is an index page for all the archived bird news pages (Old Bird News), up in the top Nav Bar now. Something else new I worked on much of the year just got up in Jan. 2018 is the 2.0 version of "The Birds of Utopia Park", with a major discussion about birds at the park, and with a park bird list in it.

2017 totals for upper Sabinal River drainage only:
Birds.........207
Butterflies....88
Odes...........59
2017 Total....354

In 2016 it was:
212 species of birds - 5 more last year
104+ sps. of butterflies - 16 more last year
52 sps. of Odes (dragons and damselflies) - 7 more this year
368 total in 2016

So odes were better in 2017, but birds down a bit, and butterflies down quite a lot. Most big flying insects seem down overall still, and in most groups, way down.

~ ~ ~ end 2017 year in review ~ ~ ~


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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To Top of Recent Bird News
Back to Top

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Always read UP from bottom to go in chronological sequence. Weekly or so updates are generally noted with a break.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Links to all 14+ years of archived bird news pages below. Broken into 6 month increments. One day I'll quarter it out by season as well, so all 10 years of each season are together, perhaps making say, searching springs easier.

Odd numbered archives are January through June.
Even numbered archives are July through December.
(except a couple when the split missed, prolly due
to excessive amount of drivel in spring)


Here is a master index page of them:
Bird News Archives INDEX
Index page with links to all 'Old Bird News' pages.

Bird News Archive XXIX
January 1, 2018 - June 30, 2018

Bird News Archive XXVIII
July 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017

Bird News Archive XXVII
January 1, 2017 - June 30, 2017

Bird News Archive XXVI
July 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016

Bird News Archive XXV
January 1, 2016 - June 30, 2016

Bird News Archive XXIV
July 1, 2015 - Dec. 31, 2015

Bird News Archive XXIII
January 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015

Bird News Archive XXII
July 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

Bird News Archive XXI
January 1, 2014 - June 30, 2014

Bird News Archive XX
July 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013

Bird News Archive XIX
January 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013

Bird News Archive XVIII
July 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

Bird News Archive XVII
January 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012

Bird News Archive XVI
July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

Bird News Archive XV
January 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011

Bird News Archive XIV
July 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Bird News Archive XIII
January 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010

Bird News Archive XII
June 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009

Bird News Archive XI
January 1, 2009 - May 31, 2009

Bird News Archive X
July 1, 2008 - Dec. 31, 2008

Bird News Archive IX
January 1, 2008 - June 30, 2008

Bird News Archive VIII
July 1, 2007 - Dec. 31, 2007

Bird News Archive VII
January 1, 2007 - June 30, 2007

Bird News Archive VI
July 1, 2006 - Dec. 31, 2006

Bird News Archive V
January 1, 2006 - June 30, 2006

Bird News Archive IV
July 1, 2005 - Dec. 31, 2005

Bird News Archive III
January 1, 2005 - June 30, 2005

Bird News Archive II
June 1, 2004 - Dec. 31, 2004

Bird News Archive I
Winter 2003-04 Summary Notes
and Mar. 31 - May 30, 2004

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