Current Bird (and nature) News

MOST RECENT UPDATE: July 11, 2025
(prior updates: July 4, June 27, 20, 13, 6, May 30, 23, 16, 9, 2, April 25, 18, 11, 4)
(updated Friday evening)
~ ~ ~

FOS - first of season - for the first one back, any season.

First a short version of highlights of the month as we go.

July ~ The Bird News has been put on pause temporarily after the 11th.

June ~ Usually not a big month for excitement besides baby birds fledging. The 4th we heard a Varied Bunting singing at our place. A big rain late evening the 10th was about 3.5-4" locally! Some post-breeding movement is starting to happen. Some of our breeders are done and gone like Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and things that did not nest near us have shown up, like Black-and-white Warbler. A juvenile Canyon Towhee showed up at our place the 25th. Finished the month on with another 1.25 inches of rain the last day!

May ~ The 1st saw our FOS Wilson's Warbler. Our FOS Common Nighthawkwas the 7th. Fairly slow for us here until the 20th when a WORM-EATING Warbler sang from the front yard for a few minutes before moving on. A Ringtail has been out in the day here in mid-May. May 22 I heard my FOY Cicada buzzing. At the park May 23 was a singing Bay-breasted Warbler. Also there then was a singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The 26th we had over 1.5" of rain!

April ~ Heard my FOS Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the 2nd. April 3 was our FOS Chat, presumedly our local breeder here. A male Golden-cheeked Warbler visited our birdbath the 3rd. We had almost 2" of rain overnight the 4th into the 5th. We had our FOS Hooded Oriole the 5th, though thought I heard it two days earlier. Kathy spotted the FOS Ruby-throated Hummingbird on the 6th. Our FOS Chuck-will's-widow was April 9, with two minnutes to spare. On the 10th was my FOS Indigo Bunting. On the 11th was my FOS Blue Grosbeak. Also the 11th, at Utopia Park our FOS House Wren sangas did our FOS Eastern Wood-Pewee. Might be my earliest date for the Pewee, by a day. Morning of the 13th there were FOS Yellow Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo singing. Afternoon of the 13th was my FOS Bronzed Cowbird. Our FOS Painted Bunting here was the 17th. Our FOS Yellow-billed Cuckoo came knocking the 18th. My FOS Warbling Vireo was quietly singing at dawn after the rain on the 23rd. A Couch's Kingbird moved up river habitat corridor the 23rd. Eve of 23rd Kathy had our FOS yard Firefly. A rare FOS was Upland Sandpiper on the 24th, a few of them. The same day I heard a Scott's Oriole sing here, a month after the first ones arrive in the hills. The 24th heard a FOS Couch's Spadefoot Toad. April 25 was a big day for FOS species here: a Tennessee Warbler at our place, an Acadian Flycatcher at the park in town, Chimney Swift over town, and a Bell's Vireo on 359. Also the 25th was likely the bird of the year here for me, a singing CAPE MAY WARBLER in our yard. On April 28 was a FOS Bullock's Oriole at our bath. That evening Kathy heard our FOS Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. April 30 my FOS Baltimore Oriole sang, and a few hours later my FOS Orchard Oriole chucked. A Dickcissel was south of town in a pasture on May 9. In Ebird an Acorn Woodpecker was seen at Lost Maples April 21, a great find. Warblers reported there in April included Golden-winged, Worm-eating, and Prothonotary.

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• 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 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 (in season). Anything of natural history of interest, bats to beetles, flowers to fungus, may be mentioned.

In general for current Lost Maples sightings ebird seems to be the place most folks put them. Go to ebird and search Lost Maples SNA in Bandera Co., Texas. Same for Garner St. Pk. but which is in Uvalde County. Often reports there do not include specifics about where a bird was seen though. There is a Lost Maples reports page here on the site, but which is not often real useful for the latest current news. It is a good reference though. I post my walk notes there. But we have not been going there as much since the pandemic got going.

Pro Tip: Ignore the ebird Chihuahuan Raven reports at Lost Maples, they are mis-ID'd Common Ravens which are common residents. You would think with so many reports, ONE could be proven. Guess again.

A quick note about Utopia Park. There have been some changes in management and rules. It is now $10 per person per day to enter No charge for Utopia or Vanderpool residents. Been gently suggesting we need a one hour or two hour birder rate. They are receptive to the idea but no action yet on it. They said if you parked outside the gate and walked in only without using tables, swimming, and just birded they would not charge.

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 above and just below to jump to newest update. There is a broken line of tildes (~) to denote prior update breaks, usually with a low quality photo of some sort to make them easy to spot. The 'quick take' monthly highlights header above is archived within body of news as well since it changes. Seperated by tildes as well, generally after the 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 Hwys. 10 or 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

I have been fairly good for several years now about posting the weekly update Friday evenings. Since night life is so exciting here. Usually this is just minor local (often yard) notes from nearly every day. Some daily notes of what is going on with birds, or butterflies, dragonflies, fish, flowers, reptiles, triops, cerambycids, buprestids, or bombyliads, and so on. Anything might get mentioned. Usually just yard notes. Unless you got to be stationed at the park all day, one site of observation locally is about as good as another. The big picture only becomes amazingly fascinating by filling all the little details in, one tiny bit at a time. I have a strong interest in bird behavior and often will discuss some aspect of that which I observed.

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, or any bird news, if it were reported to us. I love hearing from locals when they see something of interest. 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 neatly dressed.

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.

There are now 20 (!) years and growing worth of nature notes here, mostly in the bird news archives (Old Bird News) 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 (earlier still 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 (2022) with seasonal status and abundance for each species. It lists all 350 plus species (!) known from the upper Sabinal River drainage.

The BIRDING SITES, HUMMINGBIRDS, BIRD LIST, LM REPORTS, SPARROWS, BRUSH COUNTRY, WARBLERS, HAWKS, and the RARITIES pages have all been recently updated! Most have lots of new pics added in the last few years. The photo pages named by the year are the weekly update photo break photos and text for each year. They may be birds, bugs, flowers or a snake, though mostly birds. Since 2017 the last six years have bigger better improved images, and lots of the unusual or interesting stuff encountered.

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.  :)  Thanking you in advance.



Back to Top

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


Woodpecker Photos


Vireo Photos


Flycatcher Photos


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. It is the 19 year plus bird news archive file.

***  This is the page for visitors with ideas, links, phones, contacts, etc., about where to stay locally.

Where to Stay

***  Here is a page which compiles 18 years of observations at Utopia Park. It is a long discussion about the how and why of birds at Utopia Park, and is the home of 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

Here is a new page where moth photos will be tossed.

Moths of Utopia

Here is a new page of recent ode photos the last few years.

New Ode Photos (2.5mb)


 * * BIG NEWS * *

The Butterfly Photos pages have all been updated! Finally! Each group's page has new photos. Over a hundred new better higher res butterfly pix have been added to this set of pages. A massive overhaul and improvement that was years overdue, and in the making.

Butterfly Photos


And now for something completely different ...   support page


~ ~ ~ ~

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

BIRD & NATURE NEWS 2025


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!

Commonly used ABBREVIATIONS are:

To repeat since commonly used:
sps.=species; FOS=First of season (can be any season); FOY=First of Year; FOF=First of fall; LTA=Less than Annual; UP=Utopia Park; SLC=So. Little Creek Rd.; dF=degrees Farenheit; (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) BanCo = Bandera Co.; UvCo = Uvalde Co.

---

Just to have this handy again for reference, recent prior updates:
July 4, June 27, 20, 13, 6, May 30, 23, 16, 9, 2, April 25, 18, 11, 4
Each week's update break is marked with a bad (often bird) photo.
You may want to scroll down to said bad photo (at last prior update)
and scroll up to read in chrono order day to day each week.
The 2025 photos will all be here:.


2025 Pix

~ ~ ~ and now for the news ~ ~ ~

SPECIAL NOTICE!!
The bird news page is on pause for now. My vision impairment precludes me doing it. Hopefully this will be a temporary situation.

July 11 ~ Heard juvenile Hutton's and Yellow-throated Vireo this morning. Nice that they each got a young out of the nest somewhere nearby. Heard a Hooded Oriole singing.

July 10 ~ A surprising low of about 72F. Kathy saw the Gray Fox. Over in corral again I heard Vermilion and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Begging Cardinal and Lark Sparrow. Kathy thought she might have had a couple Vesta Crescent at the Frogfruit which is now blooming in the driveway.

July 9 ~ Low about 74F, some low clouds arriving shortly after sunup. Heard Roadrunner singing over in corral. Also over there was a Vermilion and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Keep forgetting to mention it, but probably four days of last seven, we have smelled skunk. Just the lightest of wafts, so not unpleasant. Nice to know it is around.

July 8 ~ Low about 74F, some low stratus moving in after a couple hours. Hearing juvenile Cardinal and Lark Sparrow. Bluebirds still around. Chat and White-eyed Vireo singing well, Hooded Oriole making sonic donations to the symphony too. The Ground-Dove is calling lots so presume it is still nesting. It seems to like the bare dirt of the corral better than the vegetated substrate on our side of the fence. Kathy thought she heard and glimpsed a Canyon Towhee out back. The hot and humid summer has returned. The Painted Bunting is singing right in yard, followed by hearing a begging juvenile. Just after dark the coyotes went off, and likely got a piglet. We heard Chucks calling later. Also heard two types of Cicadas today, a small one about an inch long with the higher thinner buzz, and the usual big ones that can chug more like a Katydid.

July 7 ~ Low about 74F and overcast. Very humid, a few sprinkles overnight. Hooded Oriole singing in yard again is great. Hear a freshly fledged begging juv. Lark Sparrow today. Still hear Martins overhead. By afternoon started to dry out a little. Been a great 8 day break from the heat. The sub-tropical high is set to return and starting tomorrow. At least we have a months worth of precip for July already. Nothing different in birds today. Much less hummer fluid used today, thankfully.

July 6 ~ Low about 73F, and no rain overnight. The atmosphere is saturated. Birds seemed the same but did not see many of them. In afternoon there was raincell activity around us with a few sprinkles. Finally a cell found us and added a half-inch to the total. Amazing event here, catastrophic on the Guadalupe. The Chuck was giving full calls tonight, happy with the rain it seems. Heard the male Bronzed Cowbird today. A half-gallon of hummingbird fluid consumed today, means likely over a couple hundred hummers here.

July 5 ~ Low about 73F and very sticky. No more rain though. It is slowly moving off to east and northeast. Where more rain bombs such as what hit Hunt, and Ingram yesterday, now around Burnett and Seguin. It has been a deadly flood event. We still hear the river running here, and did until the afternoon. The birds were singing seemingly happily. Kathy saw an oriole fly off a feeder, likely a Hooded. No other food so hummers swarming the one communal feeder, for which the quart is not lasting a day. All Black-chinned, and only a few adult males.

July 4 ~ Happy Independence Day! Low about 73F, and some light showers starting after a dryish night. A slow-soaker all morning until early early afternoon. Whence we had 4 CM, or 1.6" of new precip. Over the Guadalupe divide, that river flooded from nearly TEN INCHES of rain. Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, and downriver had a wall of water in a flash flood. We are lucky the bullseye did not hit here. Looked like maybe Lost Maples got some good rains. Just after 5 p.m. I heard at least a couple Scissor-tails in the corral, maybe more and a family group. The bubble or wave of water moving down the Sabinal went OVER the spillway at the park pond! It has been a year! It got here around 5:30 p.m., we finally got to hear running water in the river! We were unplugged about six hours due to lightning nearby. Also have a computer problem, so, sorry but no photo this week. After I posted the update I finally got to hear a Common Nighthawk this year! Then also heard a Chuck-w-w, and saw a Firefly.

July 3 ~ Low about 72F, only a sprinkle or two overnight, nothing to add to the precip total, though more is on the slate for today. What a great break from the heat we are having. Interesting the Hooded Oriole family has not been around two days now. It seems the adults bring the young here the first few days after fledging, and now must be teaching them how to find bugs. Painted Bunting still singing. E. Bluebirds still at NW nestbox. Love that White-eyed Vireo too. Martins still overhead. I hear the big annual firework show is ON for the park at 9 p.m. as usual.

July 2 ~ Low about 73F, a shower in the wee hours was about 3-4 mm, about an eighth of an inch, and so making it ONE INCH since yesterday. With rain in the forecast. There are highs to the east and west of Texas so the low is stuck fairly stationary. Atmosphere is very wet, which should go well with daytime heating. The birds seem the same. About 2 p.m. another rain cell found us. We did a town run as it lightened up. Heard some Chimney Swift over Main St. while at the store. A Caracara flsuhed off water ponds on the road as we got back to our place. After returning in late afternoon Kathy had a Common Nighthawk fly over calling. For precip it was about 29 mm, or one and three-sixteenths of an inch! WEEWOW. We are now at THREE INCHES in the last three days! Rain is about the best news there can be here now. Today is exactly 14 hours of daylength, that is sunrise to sunset, 6:43 a.m. to 8:43 p.m.

July 1 ~ Low about 71F, and a few passing showerlets just after dawn. The remnants of short-lived Depression Barry is what we have to thank. Might get more still. Birds were the same, and they seem happy about the rain. Another rain cell found us in the early afternoon. Over an hour we got over .75", just under seven-eighths. We can call it about 21 mm.

~ ~ ~ June summary ~ ~ ~

We did get some rain this month, mostly in one major event. The area saw 4-6 INCHES this month. It is normally a wet month here. We are still in D4, exceptional drought. Water did come up at park pond but still a couple feet plus below spillway overflow. We are over two feet of precip shy of having a flowing river still. We were about 5.5 inches here.

Insects remain a gerat indicator of how bad things are in our ecosystems. Hardly any dragonfly or butterfly species to be found. Very few moths at lights, and in non-insects, spiders are also way down, as are lizards. Everything that eats insects is way down too. Because everything is connected. That includes birds. The only rare bird we noted this month was a Varied Bunting we heard sing a couple days in early June. Otherwise great to see the few young we are seeing fledge, the key word is few. Most of the clutches I am seeing are half normal size. For the fourth or fifth year in a row. This is not sustainable.

~ ~ ~ end June summary ~ ~ ~

June 30 ~ And here we are at the last day of the first half of the year. Low 75F, overcast and very humid. Yesterday a Tropical Depression was named, Barry, which is already remnants per NOAA this morning. It was a short way south down the coast from Brownsville, and I suspect the rotation had something to do with our tropical moisture here. We have rain chances all week, then the heat turns up. Eastern Bluebirds out at the NW box first thing when I am tossing seed at sunup. Heard a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in corral. About 3 p.m. we had a brief showerlet, taking 15 dF off the temp which was great as we neared peak heat. An hour later a real good cell found usan ddumped 1.25" of precious holy precip. I said to Kathy that tonight should hear a Chuck call, since it rained good. At 11:40 p.m. there were four or five 'wills-widow' calls, without the intro chuck note.

June 29 ~ Low about 74F or so, clear at first, but some low stratus from Gulf arrived mid-morn, for the humidity. In the afternoon there were some rain cells just finishing up before they got here from the coast, but it did cool the air a little. A big slug of tropical moisture is inbound for a few days with one of the Sahara dust events. I think arriving tonight. Hazy week ahead. For birds it was the same gang. Juvie Carolina and Bewick's Wren around still. Hooded Oriole still singing. Just a dozen Red Turkscap flowers, but d not worry, a hummer is guarding them. The adult male Black-chins have really thinned out already. Only a few around, as if it were late July. No gnats to eat. Kathy saw two male and one female House Sparrow today. What we have been hearing. These country types are ginchy as any sparrow, more so than some.

June 28 ~ Low about 74F, maybe. Not much low stratus, but very humid. Kathy had the B-n-w Warbler at the birdbath first thing early. Hooded Oriole singing a fair bit. Chat and Painted Bunting still going well. Forgot to ention, for a few days we have been hearing a few House Sparrow. Kathy saw a, or likely the, Bordered Patch butterfly again. Kathy saw a Vesta Crescent in the afternoon. White-eyed Vireo still going strong with song all day. Ground-Dove too. Gray Fox eating sunflower seeds again. Just before 10 p.m. I heard the first Chuck-w-w I have heard in a few days. Not exactly full of vim and no vigor.

SORRY! Due to computer issues and having to be unplugged much of the day, there is no photo this week.

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

June 27 ~ Low might have pecked 73F on the cheek quickly. Mostly clear with just brief low stratus that never got solid coverage. Kathy saw a, or the, Yellow-throated Warbler a the birdbath. First time we have seen it in a couple weeks. Love hearing those Martins overhead. They will be gone in less than a month. Heard the Hooded Oriole singing too, also great to hear. Kathy thought she heard Canyon Towhee again, and later I thought I heard the hissy call of one. About 3 p.m. I finally heard a Canyon Towhee boiking. But the notes are off a bit and I suspect it is a juvenile. Around 4 p.m. Kathy saw the or a, Black-and-white Warbler stop at the bath for a drink.

June 26 ~ Low about 74F, mostly clear at first, but some low stratus got here from the Gulf by 9 a.m. or so. The Eastern Bluebird are at the NW box, where surely attending a nest. Kathy saw a first summer male Summer Tanager, pied red splotches on yellow-green, all over. First one of these we have seen this year here. I saw an adult Bewick's Wren with a juvenile. Which reminds me Kathy saw that yesterday. There was a Bronzed Cowbird around, which is the first in a few weeks. Saw an Emperor butterfly go by, Kathy saw one of those yesterday too. The most amazing thing is some open Frostweed flowers. In JUNE!?!?!?! Do not think I ever saw one in July. Usually later August is when they start. What the heck is happening? Kathy repatriated a Wolf Spider to the great outdoors, have not been seeing them either. So tonight I made sure to be outside all around Chuck-thirty, and it was silence. I think they have run out of steam and quit early this year. Have not heard any begging young yet.

June 25 ~ Low about 72F not bad for summer i guess. Surely there were four Hooded Oriole out there, a couple juveniles, and their parents. Mostly the same otherwise. Kathy saw the two Bambis again, as well as the Gray Fox. Forgot to mention a couple days ago, Monday, I saw the first couple Red Turkscap flowers. The Tropical Sage is nowhere near as thick as it was the last couple years. Kathy saw a Hackberry Emperor. ANY butterfly is noteworthy now. Their absensce is mind-blowing. Was not out at Chuck-thirty, the last wisp of light, but after dark I did not hear a single Chuck call in several trips outside. Kathy thought she heard a couple Canyon Towhee squeaky toy boiks right at dusk.

June 24 ~ Low about 74F, with only a little low stratus. It was mostly the same as it ever was today. It seemed to me there were two begging young Hooded Oriole in the trees. Amazing how fast the cuckoo are in and outta here. They are present the shortest duration of any migratory breeder here. They arrive after mid April, and leave shortly after mid-June. Barely sixty days. Many Golden-cheeks are here 90 days or so, and male Painted Bunting aobut 100-110 days. Only got two months to dig having them around daily or nearly so. Kathy had a Nighthawk (Common) fly over at dusk.

June 23 ~ Low about 74F, a little bit of low stratus arriving after dawn. Dawn chorus seems shorter and thinner every day now. At least a couple male House Finch countersinging with vigor. I had at least three Hooded Oriole at once, but could not age them. I would say surely at least one of those three is a juvenile. Pairs do not mill with other adults during breeding. The male is singing a lot lately in yard, which is typical when they are first training young on a feeder. Kathy saw two fawns again, so the dang doe here must have had twins. Something is eating leavlets on a Pecan here which appears caterpillar, and then likely a type I would like to know, and photo.

June 22 ~ A whopping whole second of daylength shorter today than yesterday was. Maxed out at 14 hours and 2 minutes (plus some seconds) for daylength. The few days around solstice it showed 6:39 a.m. for sunrise and 8:42 for sundown. But a couple days prior to solstice sunup was actually earlier at 6:38, weird huh? It was not 30 seconds or more so rounded down. There were are couple showerlets overnight, we got a tenth of an inch or so here, and some rain cooled air. Low aoubt 72, maybe lower. Hooded Orioles on feeders a lot, at least one was singing. Too ginchy to give looks though. Seems like there must be young involved.

June 21 ~ Low about 72F, mostly clear at sunup but some Gulf low stratus arrived by mid-morn. Staving the sun off for a short bit. I thought I may have herd juvenile Hooded Oriole. Kathy saw the Gray Fox on patio eating seed of the sunflower variety. She also saw male and female Painted Bunting together. Early afternoon some rain cells went by and spit on us, but we did get some cooler outflow, which with more from a second cell kept us about 85 at peak heat. At dusk I had at least one, maybe two Scissor-tailed Flycatcher calling over in the corral. Also at dusk Kathy had a Bordered Patch butterfly. She said hummer fluid consumption today was more than a pint less than yesterday. There must have been a blowout.





~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

June 20 ~ Happy Solstice! The longest day, and shortest night. The 75F low is fairly summer-like. Hear the Blue Grosbeak singing distantly. Heard a Hooded Oriole in mid-morn, they surely are nesting nearby. Mid-morn heard an Orchard Oriole sing out front. Likely the same troller as a couple times earlier this month. Kathy thought she had a juvenile Field Sparrow. Likely a young from the pair that nested adjacent somewhere.

June 19 ~ Low about 74F and clear, but some low stratus arrived a couple hours after sunup. Hear Bluebird by that NW box, presume they are nesting. Unfortunately Kathy saw TWO fawns this morning with a doe. She has only seen one for seemingly a couple weeks. The less deer that imprint on our yard the better. We just fortunately lost Bambi from Hell last year that was eating all the flowers here. Do not want another. Then heard a Collared-Dove sing (if you can call it that, spew would be more accurate) out back. I had a Hooded Oriole in the morn. Kathy saw a Black-and-white Warbler before noon, white throat, female or immature. A quasi-fall migrant. On the last day of spring. Good time for wandering Golden-cheeks too.

June 18 ~ Low about 73F and clear. I think we are about to get into the sub-tropical high doldrums of summer. Still a short symphony a half-hour before sunup, but it sounds like half the orchestra left already. Saw a Pipevine Swallowtail at a Blue Mist Eupatorium flower head. We did a town run today but only drove into park to see the water level. It is about two feet below the spillway. So it was much higher in the immediate aftermath of the big rain last week, but now after it has all settled, it came up a foot. Shirley at the store said someone said it currently would take about 28 inches of rain to have good river flow again. Kathy also had one Firefly at dusk.

June 17 ~ Another great low about 70F with clear skies. Love that radiational cooling. We saw the Gray Fox out back in the afternoon. Kathy saw a couple Queens out front on the Blue Mist Eup.. Here is a longish summary of the nesting season presently as it goes here.

It is amazing to hear the quieting of dawn chorus in June. Yellow-breasted Chat, Black-crested Titmouse, Bewick's Wren, Cardinal, White-eyed Vireo, and White-winged Dove are the most vociferous still. Not as noisy but still singing and nesting are Summer Tanager, Painted Bunting, Lark Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Lesser Goldfinch, Ground-Dove, and House Finch. Chucks calling nightly still. Eastern Bluebird and Carolina Chickadee around daily and nesting closeby. Black Vulture are daily as well, nesting nearby. Lots of Black-chinned Hummingbird are around daily and nesting. Daily or nearly so are Purple Martin and Barn Swallow overhead, with young. Of course there are Brown-headed Cowbird but not seeing Bronzed since May though.

Eastern Phoebe around but not sure nesting. Carolina Wrens out there in corral herding babies. Field Sparrow just starting to sing again. The Cuckoos seem gone though Roadrunner still here going. Hooded Oriole flushes off a hummer feeder seemingly daily. Hearing Indigo Bunting and Yellow-throated Vireo daily. Parents must have brought the juvie Red-tailed Hawk food as it is not begging now. Ladder-backed Woodpecker is out with its just-fleged young nearby. We hear Golden-fronted daily but not sure where they nest.

The most interesting part is what is missing. Biggest item: Turkey Vultures. We have none overhead, and not seeing them along roads when we go to town. No Scissor-tail nesting in earshot, or Vermilion Flycatcher. The Yellow-throated Warbler gave up trolling and has left the area. The Yellow-throated Vireo is trolling by occasionally. No Great Crested Flycatcher nesting in earshot either. Barely any Chimney Swift overhead and not seeing the N. Rough-winged Swallows lately. Also not hearing nightly nighthawks. So, lots of formerly regular to common breeders are MIA. First their numbers get low. Then they disappear.

June 16 ~ The low of 69F was a surprise. Must have had some good radiational cooling before the low stratus from the Gulf got here. It was overcast at sunup. Heard the Indigo Bunting sing in the draw first thing. The moving around so much indicates a trolling unmated male. When a nest and female present they stay close by. Heard a Scott's Oriole sing a quarter mile uphill in the live-oak-juniper habitat. Likely another unmated troller. The juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee was calling again up in the top of the big dead Pecan at last light at dusk. Kathy saw one Firefly at twilight.

June 15 ~ A balmy 76F for a low. Seems a weak effort on the part of cool air. I hear a or the Indigo Bunting singing a couple hundred yards towards the river. The Chats are still going strong, as are the White-eyed Vireo. There is a bit of Mexican Hat in bloom out front. The Am. Germander is getting near done and over. The patch was not as big this year as last. I heard a Buprestid beetle shoot away when I was tossing seed. They have a unique sound when they bolt, which is like a bullet. Probably the common here Dicerca sps. that is mottled and deciededly not fancy.

June 14 ~ A balmy low of 76F with overcast and a little mist. Hear a Blue Grosbeak singing a quarter mile south along airstrip. Hearing the baby Wrens and Titmice a lot. Heard young Barn Swallow and Purple Martin overhead. Did not hear the cuckoo today. They leave as soon as the young is fledged and got a few days of training. Did hear Field Sparrow singing, so they will likely go another round. Do not hear the Chipping Sparrows though. They always nest here. They did go one round which I never saw any young from, and disappeared. They may have had their nest predated. Some Wild Petunia popped with the rain, but I see no Rain Lilies. After 4"? Firefly seem done, and early, after a very poor showing. Never saw ten at once, used to peak at a hundred. We are losing species here. Great was at dusk there was a juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee in the front yard Pecans. Possible that it is from the one Kathy has heard a few times, likely nesting just upriver a bit.

SORRY, no photo this week.

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June 13 ~ Feelin' lucky? Low about 69F, overcast and humid, but no more rain so far. Still lots of overcast after 3 p.m., upper 80's and very humid as expected when there is ground moisture evaporating. So a bit balmy. Birds all seemed the same gang, lots of begging babies. The Wooly Ironweed has two big flower heads with a dozen flowers each, and still no skippers. You would think there is a White-winged Dove singing contest going on outside.

June 12 ~ A brief rain shower during the overnight, and about 70F for a low. I hope this rain event convinces some birds to go another round. It was the same gang around here today. There were a few spritzes and some nearby rain, but it missed us. Upvalley saw a good cell though. I hear the park pond is almost up to the spillway, so the pond has filled, finally. Still hearing one baby Lark Sparrow, one baby Cardinal and a small herd of baby Carolina Wren. The male Indigo Bunting was across road again.

June 11 ~ A rain-cooled low of 65F. What a great hydration event! We needed it badly. The rain event was mostly over by 1 a.m., with 3.5" for a total. WEEWOW! I spilled a few mm moving it to measure. Funny was the morning weather on KSAT 12 cited Utopia as the example of high totals out west with 4.26 inches reported. So some got more than us. Heard a Blue Grosbeak sing for the first time in a few weeks. Wonder if it was the one that was here and been gone a few weeks? Heard Hutton's Vireo. For just-fledged juvenile Cardinal and Lark Sparrow, but just one of each. Kathy saw the four Carolina Wren babies are still alive and well.

June 10 ~ Low about 74F and balmy. Just after sunup an outflow boundry arrived dropping the temp a few dF. Hope we get some of the rain going around. Heard a juvenile Painted Bunting begging. Heard an Indigo Bunting singing in the draw late afternoon, first of that this year. One had been nesting there last few years. The event of the day was a MCV that dropped over 3 INCHES of rain the last 90 minutes of the day. We are 1 mm under 9 CM here. Or, around 3.5 "! An average June total. It poured hard, with lots of lightning. Some places upvalley had over 4"! Kathy found and dispatched the FOY Reduviad, aka Blood-sucking Conenose or kissing bug.

June 9 ~ Low about 75F, some low stratus moving in at sunup. WU showing same exactly 14 hour daylength as a couple days ago. Four Carolina Wrenlets fledged today from the nest shelf nest in the carport. That is a great clutch. Late afternoon I heard a Vermilion Flycatcher in front yard. Another warm one with 92F on cool porch, so 97 or so in sun. Ladder-backs still gone with their young. After dark there was a Chuck-w-w calling from the second Pecan tree from front porch out in yard. A nice long session, and loud. Awesome.

June 8 ~ KERV had some 70F readings, no way did we see that. Maybe 73 at best. Thought I might have heard the Varied Bunting sing again uphill out back behind where we toss seed. Be great if one made a habit here long enough for a photo to be obtained. Painted and Indigo often, er, almost always, sing immediately after feeding on the white millet here. First thing they do is fly to singing perch and proceed to belt out. Hope that is what is happening. Kathy saw the Gray Fox at the birdbath again, and just missed a pic by a second. Still hearing Cuckoo. We see it is baby Carolina Wrens we are hearing from the carport. They nested in a fairly openish 'nest shelf' of the sort used for Phoebe, Robin, or Barn Swallow. And Carolina Wren apparently. Never leave boots outside if you do not want a Carolina Wren nest in them. At least something used the shelf I made.

June 7 ~ Low about 75F and balmy. Some low stratus off and on until noonish. WU shows 6:38 sunrise and 8:38 sunset, so we have hit the 14 hours of daylight mark. I do not think we add five minutes to that in the two weeks until solstice. Twice I heard a thin hissy ssssss note that sounded like Rufous-crowned Sparrow. Hearing juvie Martin and Barn Swallow overhead. Probably 97F in the afternoon with heat index in low hundreds. Saw 92 on the cool shady front porch.

Just what we need here, a picture of Yellow Warblers in the bird bath. I am sure you have not seen most of THESE ones. It took a long time to get them to sit right, with side, front, and rear views all at once.



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June 6 ~ Low about 75F, KERV had 73.9. Dawn chorus is already a shadow of its former self. I would think the rain would keep things going more. But, there are few insects to grow that nest of babies with. Have to wait and see if another cycle gets underway for some of them. Thought I heard a Black-and-white Warbler early in morn. Flight note zeets. Town run and park check. Nothing on or around pond. Where are the dragons? Up in the woods the Acadian Flycatcher is still singing, as is a Summer Tanager, Yellow-throated Warbler and Vireo, heard begging baby Titmice. Upriver of woods we heard a Pewee singing again, likely nesting. A Blue Grosbeak sang again upand across river from N. end of woods. Might be nesting there. Some Sneezeweed in bloom, which was also blooming two weeks ago, have to check to make sure I noted it. Kathy saw the first Texan Crescent of the year. Chimney Swift over Main St. downtown. Painted Bunting and Blue Grosbeak singing behind Post Office towards the new Water Well Co. pond area. At the 369 crossing there was a singing Red-eyed Vireo in the same patch of deciduous trees the last couple years. Also heard Purple Martin and Barn Swallow over house over the day. At dusk a Blue Grosbeak was out back, first one I have heard in yard in two weeks, at least.

June 5 ~ Low about 74F, some broken low stratus from Gulf for a few hours. About 85F around noon. Mornings are bearable. Thought sure I heard two Yellow-throated Vireo singing, but not close together. Still a couple Chuck-will's-widow going off nightly nearby. The same gang here: chiggers, fire ants, and the occasional dillo. Which Kathy saw again upside-down in the birdbath yesterday. All four legs aimed at the sky. Perfectly normal dillo posture.

June 4 ~ Was about 74F until shortly after 7 a.m. when a rain cell found us and dropped it to 68F. Looks like about .2 of an inch. Heard an odd bunting song out back. Not Painted or Indigo. A quick listen to samples and it was as I thought, a Varied Bunting. It was uphill behind us in the junipers and live-oaks, where also a good Agarita understory. Yellow-throated Vireo trolling around early. Love that Summer Tanager singing. At least three male Cardinal around. Today is the first day I heard the begging juvenile Red-tailed Hawk away from the nest area. Nearly a quarter mile. Until yesterday all begging was at the nest area. So, one young fledged again, for at least the fourth year in a row. Heard a Vermilion Flycatcher sing in front yard late in afternoon again.

June 3 ~ A not very low of 74F. There was lots of rain around, but none over us. We had a rain-cooled mostly cloudy day. I saw only 82F at 2 p.m.! Birds were the same as is the norm for June, and breeding season. Kathy saw the Eastern Phoebe back outside kitchen area where it has not been since it fledged young a month ago or so. I thought I heard a Black-and White Warbler uphill in the live-oaks. About 7 p.m. there was an Orchard Oriole singing out in front yard Pecans. Could not see it to age it. Last year or year before we had a first-year male here for much of a June, trolling through yard.

June 2 ~ Low about 71F, low Gulf stratus arrving thinly shortly after sunup. Hearing Bluebird at dawn by NW fence nestbox, they may well be using it. Hard to see from house. Kathy thought she heard some baby wrens in carport. Besides the couple pair of Bewick's around there is at least one Carolna. Maybe there is a pair? No Ladder-backs around yard again today. Parents are off with the young. Otherwise all seemed the same. Turned the porch light on for a half-hour and got nothing to come in. Amazing.

June 1 ~ OMG it is June?!? Low was about 69F, KERV had 67. Sunrise is at 6:39 and the first birdsong is just after 6 a.m. now. Heard a Turkey gobbling at dawn. Gray Fox was out back eating seed again, at mid-day. No Ladder-backs in yard again today. They get the young away from the nest asap. Did a little bit of yard and garden work. Welcome to summer at about 95F on June 1. Worse after that great break the last week of May. Kathy saw a Fence Lizard again today. She had an Anole one day last week. These were both common here and now are notable. Hardly any Med. Geckos on the window screens at night. Not seeing the Six-lined Racerunners at all. Drought and Roadrunner being the two main issues here now.

~ ~ ~ May summary ~ ~ ~

Well it was a wet one, wettest month in in at least the last six. We are so far behind in water though we remain D4 exceptional drought, the water is still three feet below spillway at the park pond, and countless wells are dry in the valley. Our May miracle rains totalled 4.75"! March and April were each about 3", so were are less than an inch from a foot in last three months.

A highlight was a Ringtail we got pics of in the day. But like the Gray Fox scavenging sunflower seeds in the day is not a sign of good times for either of these species. It likely indicates very poor food supplies available.

Insects are pitiful, the numbers a small fraction of normal. Four years mostly in D3 and D4 drought takes a big toll. Have yet to see a double- digit number of Firefly at once in yard. Might have seen a couple dragonflies over the month, at the park pond. Butterflies are just as bad. Maybe ten or a dozen species and not many more individuals. Hardly any wasps, beetles, and even moths at lights are few. Also spiders, which are not insects seem way down as well.

Birds were a bit weak too. While I realize my vision slows down observation, my hearing is fine, and the numbers are wayyy down for both migrants on passage, and local breeders. Again there seem to be a high number of unmated trolling males. There are not enough bugs to raise nestfuls of babies. The few fledges I am seeing are mostly single lone birds.

There were two great rare birds, both singing migrant warblers. First a Worm-eating Warbler sang in the yard the 20th, and then on the 23rd at the park was a singing Bay-breasted Warbler. Both very rare here in spring. Otherwise migration was unremarkable. Did not see or hear any Emidonax, not even one Least Flycatcher. No Thrush of any sort, no Catbird (which you hear), and none of the scarce warblers like Redstart or Tennessee, not even a Black-throated Green. Nashville numbers were way down. You just hope they are merely overflying us for greener pastures with more bugs. But many already seem to be going elsewhere to breed.

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May 31~ Low about 68F, which is nice. Bunch of new juvie Black-chinned Hummers around, based on fluid consumption. Ladder-backs out of yard all day again... no doubt with their just-fledged young. The rest was about the same. Odd was a singing Mockingbird atop the dead Pecan singing its head off, but was shortly gone. A troll. The Yellow-trhoated Vireo and Warbler are both still trolling around. Looks like I struck out on flycatchers this spring, but after the three great warblers, it does not matter. Barking Frogs seemed to like the rain lately. Lots of Field Crickets, and a few Katydid are going nightly now.





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May 30 ~ The May miracle continues. About 3 a.m. another round of rain arrived with thunder to make sure you noticed. Weewow, it looks like 45mm, or just over 1.75"! Should get us a June bloom. Low about 66F felt great and another cooler day in store. Fifth day in a row not hitting 90 is fantastic in late May. I heard a Tyrannid call from atop the big dead Pecan that gave a couple squeaky toy notes I thought sounded like a Cassin's Kingbird. It flew but I could not see it well enough to ID. Then a few minutes later it called again from the Pecan. Not a Scissor-tail, and not sounding like a Western or Couch's by any stretch. Was gone by time Kathy got out there. So just a probable Cassin's. We get them sometimes in spring, but averaging less than annual. Kathy saw the Gray Fox in yard again.

May 29 ~ Low about 70F, KERV had some 69 readings. Some thin low stratus. Birds were about the same. As is the nesting season gang. Kathy heard the Yellow-throated Vireo go by singing late in day. I heard the juvie Blue-gray Gnatcatcher again. The Ladder-backed Woodpeckers were out of the yard all day, so they fledged more young. The baby chatter has stopped from their nest area too. I heard my FOY Katydid, and Kathy said she thought she heard one last night. They are a sound of summer.

Funniest event of the day was just before midnight. A Cuckoo began a long series of the semi-musical sorta piping single notes. Like a toy train whistle, and loud. This was in the Mulberry. After about the sixth or seventh loud call, I heard an Armadillo bolt from under the Mulberry. They are very loud when they bolt so it was clear what it was. The cuckoo kept its calls going, about one per second, despite the bolting Armadillo. The dillo ran 50 feet to end of cottage, hooked a right and went 50 more feet to the walkway along side of house, hooked another right and continued at full speed ahead, now coming towards me. I jumped up onto the back porch just in time as it blazed by at Warp 6. The cuckoo was seemingly at about its 36th note or so of the series without a breath. The dillo continued running out into front yard at full speed, if it had wings it would have gone airborne. I think it went into its hole 125 feet out into yard. It was clearly mortified at the sound, and obviously did not recognize it and perceived it as a major threat. It was an amazing reaction to a harmless bird call. If dillos could fly, it would have. Just lack the aerodynamics. It has the speed. In dillospeak that cuckoo call was 'death to all dillos's or somesuch. It ran about 300 feet total. That is presuming the sound went away because it went down a hole, rather than it having become airborne.

May 28 ~ A low went over last night but there was a big gap in the rain when it went over our area. We did get the rain-cooled air though and a low temp about 64F, which is great. We cherish these last sixties temps. I wonder why the Bewick's Wren goes to the highest big dead branches of the Pecan, probably 35 feet above the ground and sings, a lot. It seems a nose-bleeding altitude for a Bewick's Wren? Cardinal sings from up there too, but more understandably. Third afternoon in a row with only mid-80's for highs is great. I heard two new different juvenile birds today that are not from nests within earshot. So, fledged, out wandering on their own now. One Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and one Hutton's Vireo. Kathy saw two juvie Black-crested Titmouse and heard a Pewee sing again right at dusk. Kathy also saw a Gray Fox in the yard today. It also ate sunflower seeds. Which supports the idea that food supplies are very limited. Seeds, in the day, really? Must have kits too.

May 27 ~ The rain-cooled low of 65F was fantastic. Heard a Vermilion Flycatcher singing, which is great since the first year in 12 we have not had one nesting right over the fence in the corral. Same singers out there, nothing new or different. Just a big sigh of water relief. A May miracle. Hopefully it inspires some June bloom and breeding. Saw one Lyside again today. Where are the butterflies? Currently in bloom there are Lantana, Tropical and Mealy Sage, Am Germander, the occasional Tube-tongue, and Zexmenia out there, with only some bees on them.

May 26 ~ Not long after midnight we had a thundercell go over. Looks like 16mm plus. About five-eighths of an inch. Every bit matters. Sure rains on Memorial Day a lot here. Our calendars should come pre-printed with rain clouds on this day. Heard a distant whistling that sounded like an Audubon's Oriole. Not hearing the Blue Grosbeak, an Indigo Bunting, or Chipping Sparrow. Cuckoo pair is around. Yellow-throated Vireo and Warbler unmated males trolling around. A big branch fell from the big dead Pecan right off front porch. Hope it did not break too many Tropical Sage plants. I gave all the flowers a good watering yesterday evening so with the rain they all got well- tanked up. The Frostweed looks great. A lot of it is three feet tall already. Late in the evening a line of storms moved south across the plateau. We received another INCH of rain from it! Hip hip! So over 1.5" for Memorial Day.

May 25 ~ Low about 74F, some low stratus from the Gulf. Hear a begging Black-chinned Hummingbird first thing. Likely another wave of young about to fledge. The birdsong seems to be slowing down a bit already. If it quits raining, they quit breeding. If it rains more they will breed more. Today was a rodeo in town at the park, suspect it was rather busy. Gave the flowers a good watering. Most of the front yard is brown grass now. There is some green where shaded under Pecans. The rest is brown. Some Mexican Hat in bloom here and there. Kathy heard a Nighthawk call a few times.

May 24 ~ Low about 74F and balmy. The chances of seeing any more migrant is plummeting. Not too late for an Empidonax or or Olive-sided Flycatcher. Did not hear the Blue Grosbeak today. It seemed unmated and had been trolling further afield. Seems like a lot of unmated birds again. Trolling males not appearing to be working on a nest. We are not seeing any female Blue Grosbeak.





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May 23 ~ Low about 67F was fantastic. There was rain to our east, and thunder storms, it all missed us, except the outflow of rain-cooled air. Town run fer stuff day, so a park check. Nothing on or around the pond. Water three feet below spillway. Acadian Flycatcher singing still in the woods. Outstanding was listening to a BAY-BREASTED Warbler sing for about ten minutes way up in the tops of the Cypresses. Kathy saw it flit a couple times but that was the best we got for views. It sang its head off for quite a while though. I said to Kathy when I heard it, either Bay-breast or Blackpoll. Had to wait to get home to dial the song up on xeno-canto. I do have a prior park record, one spring bird on May 2. My third rare warbler here this spring. After it moved off or shut up and we were about to leave, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak sang from the island, no doubt hitting those Mulberries.

May 22 ~ Low about 74F, and balmy. Heard a Scott's Oriole sing a couple hundred plus feet away. Great song! Kathy saw the Ringtail around the house a few times today, and Hattie saw it at her cat dish! At one point Kathy saw it IN the tub pond! Shows what a magnet water is. I hope it is taking Cotton Rats and White-footed Mouse. I forgot to mention last week there was at least one fledged baby House Finch. Still here Field Sparrow singing, but not the Chipping. Maybe they moved off with fledged young? Many birds often seem to want to get young away from the natal area quickly. My FOY Cicada buzzed in the 100F heat of the day. A sound of summer. Still have not heard a Katydid.

May 21 ~ Low hit 69F briefly, and felt great. First thing whilst having first coffee heard the Hooded Oriole at feeder. Kathy saw the Ringtail at the birdbath briefly in mid-morn. This out in the day stuff sure is unusual for them. Kathy said she thought it might have a limp. The one we had here about seven years ago had a limp. Then later in the afternoon our neighbor Hattie called and told Kathy she just had a Ringtail at their place. They have an outside cat dish. Kathy mentioned she thought ours had a limp, and Hattie said she thought hers did. So it is the same animal. A quarter mile or so away. Out in the day, with the draw between us. Kathy heard a Pewee sing at dusk (Eastern), and had at least seven Firefly at once tonight, probably more. Best count so far.

May 20 ~ A low of 71F was not as low as progged. Where are my 60's NOAA advertised? All was forgotten when just after lunch a WORM-EATING Warbler sang from the Pecan just north of the front porch. The one over the birdbath where it probably just was. Ran in for bins and Kathy and she got outside to hear it before it moved off. I heard the flight call once, a quick clean high thin double-zzz-zzz. Awesome song to hear here. New yard warbler, and the second one of those this spring after the Cape May in April. WEEWOW! The song is similar to a Chipping Sparrow as if sung by a warbler. Kathy described it well as thinner, faster and sharper than a Chippy, She has really gotten good at listening to birdsong. Chippy notes are much fuller and rounder, and which we hear every day. Only takes ONE good bird to make your day! Or month! This is I think the 25th species of warbler in the yard. Of 41 species known from the upper Sabinal River drainage. There are 37 species I think on the Utopia Park list. I have only seen about three prior in 22 springs. Kathy saw the cuckoo come in momentarily to the bird bath which is a very rare event.

May 19 ~ Low about 74F, with some distant thunder. We had a brief shower and got around a quarter-inch of holy precip. Heat index should be nice this afternoon. The Yellow-throated Warbler seems to be singing more up in the live-oaks behind us, rather than over in Cypresses along river as earlier in season. Methinks it is unmated and trolling, hence the primary singing location change. Kathy saw a Cuckoo right out the kitchen window. And an empty Cardinal nest. The first few American Germander flowers are opening up now. Can't wait until enough to stink the place up.

May 18 ~ Low about 74F with the low clouds of Gulf moisture arriving at dawn. The event of note today was the predation of the Cardinal nest outside kitchen window. We did not see it, but I heard something run across the roof in the time period when it occurred mid-morning. Either a squirrel or the Ringtail. The eggs were probably a day or two from starting to hatch. A few thoughts are first, as Kathy said the nest was not very well hidden. Second the female sang from the nest alot. If nest predators know this, that could be inviting disaster. Third, the male was mostly never around, seemingly mostly out of the picture during incubation. And so ends the Cardinal nesting attempt, as so many nesting attempts. First parasitized by Cowbird, then predated. Squirrels and Ringtails(and Raccoons) are BIG nest hunters all summer, eggs or nestlings, are all taken with glee.

May 17 ~ A balmy 76F for a low is not great. Not seeing any migrants for days now, hoping for an Empi still. Kathy had TWO Pipevine Swallowtail this morning. I heard the White-eyed Vireo incorporate the Hutton's Vireo song as one of the phrases in its song. Best was late morning when Kathy spotted the Ringtail out back! In the daylight, eating sunflower seeds. The food sources must be horribly reduced for a Ringtail to be out foraging sunflower seeds in the daylight! OMG what an awesome animal. Mighta got shots out the office window. Kathy found the first Eleotes (stink beetle) of the year inside the house tonight. I saw a couple Firefly. Kathy had a quick look at a gray Longhorn Beetle, which now is probably Elytramitatrix.





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May 16 ~ Low about 74F, balmy and overcast. Kathy saw a Pipevine Swallowtail this morning, which is what I thought the one I had yesterday was. So few butterflies out there it is amazing. Kathy said at a nursery in KERV Tuesday, with flowers including natives, there were no butterflies there. Thought I heard two Hooded Oriole this morning, which would be great if we got a pair again. Kathy saw the male Painted Bunting at the bath this morning. Seems we only have one around. Used to be 4-5 singing males in earshot each year. Bird numbers are really down folks. This endless drought cycle is having a significant impact on all animal populations here. Before 6 p.m. Kathy saw the beast of the week, a Ringtail, in the day. It was near the tub pond and I suspect came in for water. Kathy flushed it off the back porch right at dusk! Then we heard it barking back and forth with a Racoon! It was a fairly growly bark, like a small dog, and not the more yappy clearer barks I have heard them make before. Likely because it was a spat with a Racoon.

May 15 ~ It was 80F at midnight, barely hit 69 at dawn. Welcome to summer. I saw a swallowtail butterfly early that was either a Pipevine or a Black. Kathy has glimpsed it the last two prior days and thought it was a Black. Just the breeders for birds, and hot, so quiet in the afternoon. Still at near record heat, saw 100-105F at a local WU station. A little hazy and dead still out there too. This morning I said to Kathy I had an orange-brown butterfly go by the office window that looked a Queen. In the afternoon she saw a Queen the FOY. After dark I had a very large beetle buzz me which was either an Ox Beetle, or Dynastes, and sounded the latter.

May 14 ~ Low was about 65F, at one local WU station, and here. KERV was 68, the heat island thingie gets it in summer. Lots of pavement. Not seeing any migrant motion, and with the high pressure heat wave for the long term, it is looking doubtful. Be lucky to snag a flycatcher or two and that is about it. Did hear a lot of cooing out there today: Roadrunner, Ground-Dove, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, besides Mourning and White-winged Dove. The titmouse are still singing at peak heat. Saw 100F here, and at a local WU station. About 4 p.m. NOAA showed 104 at Junction. No humidity though. The highlight of the day was after dinner, nearly 7 p.m., when a Golden=cheeked Warbler sang from the Hackberry right over the office. Outstanding. I ran in and told Kathy and she heard it too. Only takes one good bird to make your day. Surely was record heat again today. Heard a cuckoo just before midnight.

May 13 ~ Low 60F or lower. Might have hit 60 for a moment. We were cooler than than the 64 at KERV. We were gone most of the day so there was probably lots of super good rare stuff in the yard. At the WU local stations were reporting 100 to 103F. The SAT record high for the date is 97, so we were in record heat territory. Welcome to summer. Should be about four months of this now. Send rain. Did not note any different birds. Kathy saw a couple Blues, surely Reakirt's now.

May 12 ~ We had what may well have been record low temps this morning. I think we had 47F, and KERV had some 44 readings! The record low at SAT per WU for today is 48F! So we were right there. This has been a great five day run after thet last cold front of very cool mornings. Usually we only get two or three days at most. This was exceptional. Relished since summer, a ten day hundred degree heat wave, starts tomorrow. Mid-morn a Red-eyed Vireo sang through the yard. That concludes the migrant report today.

May 11 ~ Wow today was the coldest morning of the three cool ones after the cold front. We were about 51F, KERV had a few 50 readings! No way we are gong to see that for a long time. About four months methinks. Heard one Yellow Warbler, which was the only migrant I noted all day. Oops, also one Lincoln's Sparrow. Heard a Hooded Oriole again, so coming in to hummer feeder. Did some long overdue weed-whacking to clear key paths and walkways. Been getting chiggers since the grass got long. Kathy twice has seen the female Cardinal leave the nest to chase another female Cardinal from the birdbath, and out of yard. Heard my first nocturnal Cuckoo of the season, our local bird, just over the fence a quarter to midnight.

May 10 ~ A low of 56F was fantastic. Love that cool air. Dry too, and only got to about 80. Very nice day. Though no migrant motion through the yard. Did have a Hooded Oriole going to or from the back hummer feeder. I am getting hourly reports from Kathy on the female Cardinal and her nest outside the kitchen window. She is quiet singing from the nest. A male Brown-headed Cowbird landed right over her head, in what must be an attempt to intimidate her off the nest for a female cowbird to lay an egg. The cowbird population is factors higher than it would naturally be if man had not pasturized (cleared and opened up) the habitat and environment. There would be a small fraction of the cowbirds out there that there are, if man had not cleared most of the land. So the argument that it is natural is not valid. While the act itself is, the cowbird abundance is not, it is manmade.





~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

May 9 ~ An amazing low of 57F, KERV had a 55! Might be the last of that for a long time. Did not seem to have any migrant motion in yard in morning. Except one Olive Sparrow that sang from less than a hundred yard uphill of us. We had a town run, and so a park check. Nothing on or around pond. In the woods the Mulberries on the island have fruit, and waxwings were heard,, but no migrants we could see. The Acadian Flycatcher continues there on territory. The rest was the usual expected. One field had a bunch of small yellow flowers that ooked a type of Bladderpod to me. In town there was a Hooded Oriole at a palm tree. Seems like very few Scissor-tailed Flycatcher around. Kathy saw a Blue as in butterlfy, in the driveway, surely Reakirt's now.

May 8 ~ Low about 62F, mostly clear and dryish still in post-front air. Did not note any migrant motion in the yard this morn. Ground-Dove was singing a lot. Cuckoo is too. In the mid-afternoon rain showers went by dropping about 1 CM of precip. Overall a slow quiet day. Of course the bulk of migration is past us now. There should be some more sprinkles of migrants, but not for long. Except flycatchers, which are usually the last to show up as they need the flying insects to be numerous to fuel their journey.

May 7 ~ Low about 60F, KERV had a 58. And there ends the cold front. Mostly clear in morning, and did not hear any migrants. But one transient that is likely a trolling bird was a Bell's Vireo singing in corral, first one I have heard from the yard this spring. The female Cardinal seems to be on the nest a lot, so is likely incubating now. There was a male Blue Grosbeak in the taller grasses on north side of house, maybe got a pic if camera focused. Roadrunner singing over in corral. Nearing dusk Kathy had the FOS Common Nighthawk, finally. She also had a toad jump across her foot. I did see a couple Firefly.

May 6 ~ Low was about 64 shortly after midnight, by 5 a.m. it was warming and we were about 70F at dawn. It rained in the early hours. Looks a half-inch. NOAA says we have an upper level low, a strong shortwave, and a Pacific cold front all going by. Temps dropped at least 5F when that cold front went by. Heard Yellow and Wilson's Warbler sing when the sun came out on the back side of the rain shield. The female Cardinal at the kitchen window nest seems to be incubating now. Saw a female Painted Bunting eating millet. Upper 80's F in the afternoon. At twilight heard a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck flying upriver.

May 5 ~ Low about 64F, overcast and a few streamer showerlets early. Heard the White-eyed Vireo for the first time incorporate the song of the Hutton's Vireo as one of the phrases in its song. Repeatedly. Often it does Summer Tanager and Ash-throated Flycatcher as two of the phrases. They are good mimics. But there are always some White-eyed Vireo sounds being tossed in with them as they cannot keep their big mouths shut. Heard an Orchard Oriole chuck late in day. We have had a Great Crested Flycatcher nesting in earshot the first 10 years we were here at this place on edge of river habitat corridor. The last two years, it seemed to be unmated. This year we have not heard it yet. It should have been back ten days ago.

May 4 ~ Low was 50F, or lower. KERV had a 44! They were progged for 50F. Heard one Yellow Warbler in the morning. Heard a, or the, Couch's Kingbird south a couple hundred yards mid-morn. Then it called from the big dead Pecan tree out front. It did not stay long though. Otherwise there was no movement through yard today. Slow. Heard the Hutton's Vireo singing uphill in the live-oaks behind us. Sorta dryish behind the cold front and quite comfortable in afternoon.

May 3 ~ The cold front passed through late yesterday, and all this round of rain missed us. We had a nice low of 59F, which felt fantastic. Heard one Yellow Warbler early, another mid-morn, along with one Nashville Warbler, and that was the passage transients for the day. Nothing at the bath but the usual. Only got to about 78F and so was wonderful. Heard an Orchard Oriiole go through yard in late afternoon. Today was the first day of massive hummingbird fluid consumption. What that means is the first wave of juveniles just fledging is hitting. Kathy says she sees lots of dull ones. Not hearing the usual Common Nighthawk yet. Did hear my first nocturnal song from Lark Sparrow so far this season, about quarter to midnight. It only gave about 4 bars worth but nice to hear.





~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

May 2 ~ Low about 64F was great, KERV had a 62. Ground is nice and wet. Heard a couple Yellow Warbler over the morning, but that was it. We can hope tomorrow morning might be good for migrants. The Prickly Poppy has put out another flower. Makes a big difference when plants have rain early in the growing season. The Frostweed look great, and the Tropical Sage is fairly robust appearing too. Some of the Am. Germander is over a couple feet tall as well. Let it rip. I hear the native bee with the black and white abdomen, pea green eyes and high pitched wing-whine from those super fast wingbeats, at the Mealy Sage and the Zexmenia. Around dark have some rain cells around, so going to upload, so we can unplug if need be.

May 1 ~ Low about 65F felt great. Overcast and humid still. Heard a couple Yellow Warbler early in morn. Late morning Kathy had a couple Yellow at the birdbath, and a FOS male Wilson's Warbler. The rest is seeming the same gang. Kathy saw a female cowbird come in to the nest the female Cardinal has under construction. Birds hardly stand a chance against them, they cannot even finish a nest without being found out they are watched so closely. Nearing dusk a Chimney Swift flew over calling. After dark we got a severe thundercell for about an hour, and 1.5" of precip! With lots of very close lightning strikes.

~ ~ ~ April summary ~ ~ ~

Apologies for this not being timely. There was some rain, thankfully but water remains near 3 FEET below spillway at park pond. We were in D4 stage drought most of the month. We had about 3.1" of precip here.

Insects are pitiful. Can hardly find a dragonfly. Butterflies not much better. Only a couple species of odes were seen and not likely a dozen types of butterfly. NO Monarch all spring so far. No skippers or hairstreaks, just a few blues. Pitiful. The successive years of D3 and D4 drought are exacting a sever cumulative toll.

Birds were fair, always great to see the migratory breeders return, and to see the neat stuff we get on passage as it moves through. Numbers of the common migrants were way down, and few of the scarce things were detected. Also the number of returning migratory breeders is down. The bird of the month was a Cape May Warbler singing in our yard April 25. New for the whole local area list, and a great find in central Texas.

~ ~ ~ end April summary ~ ~ ~

April 30 ~ Low about 70F, overcast and humid, maybe the odd sprinkle of mist here and there. About 11 a.m.there was a FOS Orchard Oriole chucking in the Mulberry, probably wishing it was a female tree like we do. Otherwise just the breeders. Cardinal working on a nest right outside kitchen window. Kathy saw an American Lady and I saw a Lyside Sulphur for butterflies. Still no skippers here. Bird numbers seem down as far as breeders go. We seem to have one singing male Painted Bunting. Usually there are at least three, and some years five in earshot and visiting see daily. Fewer Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting. Less of everything it seems. Ladder-backed Woodpecker pair I think fledged young as they left yard today for the first time in months, with at least one squeaky one. Very neat was the Summer Tanager pair duetting during nest site selection process. The female was singing the exact notes the male was singing, two to four bars behind him. Carbon copy. At less than half the volume. Quiet singing like a female Cardinal. Right along with but slightly behind the male.

April 29 ~ Stuck on 69F for a low lately. Overcast and humid but no more precip, yet. First thing I heard a Nashville Warbler sing and mid-morn I heard a Yellow Warbler sing. That was it for transients going through. Was a balmy 84F in afternoon. Cardinal and Bewick's Wren pairs are nest site shopping around house. Some more Tropical Sage flowers opening up. exmenia in back garden doing great, but not seeing butterflies on it. The Ladder-backed Woodpecker pair fledged their young today. Seemed like two. The third species to fledge young so far this spring.

April 28 ~ Another 69F low, with more overcast, and even a little bands of orographic mist. About 11 a.m. Kathy spotted an oriole at the birdbath. Which went for the full monty bath. The pixels show it to be a first-spring male Bullock&'s Oriole. That was the only passage transient we saw all day. Hope some pics turn out. Heard the trolling distant Yellow-throated Vireo and Indigo Bunting. Hope they get mates. Got up to about 84F, with high humidity. Balmy. Some showerlets at dusk to keep humidity up. Sunrise today was at 6:59, the first day before 7 a.m. More showerlets in the late eve, but just a few hundredths at best. Near dusk Kathy heard the FOS Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.

April 27 ~ Low about 67F and overcast. After yesterday today was a dud. The only new different thing was an adult White-crowned Sparrow that Kathy saw go to the bath for a quick sip and quickly disappeared. Heard one each of Nashville and Yellow Warbler. That was it for migrants today. At least we have a great bunch of magratory breeders now here on territory. Hearing Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Painted Bunting, Summer Tanager, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Warbler, besides the resident species all singing in full roar now.Forgot to mention, saw our one Prickly Poppy with a flower open today, FOY.

April 26 ~ Low about 67F, overcast and humid. Did not get any migrants in morning, but a flocklet hit the bath shortly after noon. It seemed 4-5 Yellow Warbler, and Kathy saw one Orange-crowned Warbler. I missed it, as I was distracted getting another fifty photos of Yellow Warblers in the birdbath. Cause a couple hundred is nowhere near enough. Kathy noticed the Bewick's Wren are nest-building in a box in the carport right out the office window. Just in case I did not hear enough of their singing loud enough. Heard the first Indigo Bunting song I have heard this spring.





~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

April 25 ~ Another 69F low, overcast and humid. Heard a Blue Grosbeak sing out back, so it is likely coming in to seed. It was a great day for some migrant motion, finally. With a few FOS species found, and one new bird for my Utopia bird list. The orange Lantana by the gate is blooming, and there is some FOY White Rock Lettuce too. Lots of Rain Lily around town yards and lots, and in pastures.

It was near 10 a.m. when I was filling the bird bath up with fresh water and refilling the milkjug drip. I heard a warbler sing just outside yard over north fence toward the draw. First thought was NOT a Black-and-white. It was single high thin note repeated fairly quickly. I continued with the water change and it sang from the Pecan overhead! Not 20 feet away. All I saw against the gray sky was the silhouette of a warbler move. Took the jugs back to other side of house and it sang from the Mulberry 30 feet away. Then it flew to the big dead Pecan and sang. I came into house for binocs and told Kathy there was a great warbler singing outside, either Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, or Cape May. Grabbed bins and went out on front porch, Kathy came out. It was never heard again. I came in to the box o'bolts and dialed up xeno-canto. Tried the three species I knew it was one of but had not heard sing in nearly 40 years, in order of likelyhood of occurrence. It was the last one I checked, a CAPE MAY WARBLER!!! New not just for my yard list, but my area list and county list. May well be the bird of the year here for me.

Later in morning I heard a FOS Tennessee Warbler move by singing, in under a minute it was gone. Also heard a Nashville Warbler. Then the town run, and mandatory park check. On way to town on 359 we heard our FOS singing Bell's Vireo, finally. At the park the water came up a little but is still 2.5-3 FEET from going over spillway. Nothing on pond or along banks. Up in the woods by the island there was my FOS Common Yellowthroat (though Sylvia Hilbig had one a month ago). The singing Red-eyed Vireo is likely a returning territorial bird. Great was a FOS Acadian Flycatcher, likely also a returning bird that has been territorial there the last couple years at least. Then at the General Store, I heard my FOS Chimney Swifts over town.

April 24 ~ Low about 69F overcast and humid, but no more rain so far. Early I heard what sounded like a few Upland Sandpiper flying over northbound. They are very scarce here in spring, most years none are detected in spring. Heard a Red-eyed Vireo go by mid-morn. Heard a FOS Scott's Oriole sing uphill behind us. They get here in March, but not out on the flat valley floor. What a great voice they have. There were some showerlets in the afternoon. Another .1, or a tenth of an inch for the total. Heard the first Lesser Goldfinch singing in the yard this spring, finally. Not seeing any female yet. Late in the afternoon I heard the FOY Couch's Spadefoot Toad!

April 23 ~ We had a line of thundercells go over in early a.m. hours. So a rain-cooled low about 62F. Lasted a couple hours and is just under two inches! About 48mm. We have to be near 5" for April now! Dawn chorus is now a mild roar that half-hour before sunup, about 6:30-7 a.m. Great was a quietly singing FOS Warbling Vireo at dawn in the Mulberry tree. Sylvia Hilbig had one of those weird early ones in late March, but this is my first, and not something guaranteed to see every spring, somewhat surprisingly. Heard a Blue Grosbeak sing a couple quick partial songs as it moved up the river habitat corridor. Before noon I heard at least one, maybe two, Couch's Kingbird. Wonder if it has anything to do with the one that summered last year. Heard a Nashville sing, and later Kathy saw one at the bath. She also saw a male Lesser Goldfinch, which we used to have a herd of and do not hear any singing currently. As it got dark Kathy saw the FOS Firefly in the yard.

April 22 ~ Was about 62 at midnight, rose to about 65F by dawn. Overcast and calm. Migrants passing through were just a Nashville Warbler and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Cuckoo is still around and I presume our returning nester. Great hearing Painted Bunting singing again. Still Cedar Waxwing and Lincoln's Sparrow around. Chickadee singing again may indicate another nesting cycle has gotten underway.

April 21 ~ Low about 50F, though we may have hit 49. KERV had 47! We could stand that all year. The fledgling Bewick's Wren is still over in stick pile by the big Mulberry, and still solo. First round they only got one out. It seems like another pair is on the north side of the house. We have counter-singing all day every day. Heard two Cuckoo far apart. Also heard what surely was a Lazuli Bunting. It is about the peak week of their occurrence here. I did not get eyes on the bird though. Heard a trolling Yellow-throated Vireo. Where is the Great Crested Flycatcher? Heard a Roadrunner singing uphill behind the corral where they nest somewhere.

April 20 ~The cold front came in overnight. Around 3 a.m. we got some rain, which was followed by temps dropping to about 58F by dawn. It is just over an inch, maybe 27-28mm. Which is fantastic! We could use a good flower bloom after the last few years of spring busts. Heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher out there at the first crack of light, it must have slept here. About 9 a.m. I heard my first singing Blue Grosbeak of the year. Only heard a call a week ago, then nothing all week, so I think a passage transient. There was a fledged begging Bewick's Wren in stick piles by the corral fence. But only one as far as I can hear. It is the second fledgling of the year with a Carolina Chickadee in March being this years winner.

April 19 ~ It was 75F at midnight, and might have gotten down to 69 by dawn. No precip here yet, maybe today. Overcast. Heard a couple Yellow Warbler before 10 a.m. Still no precip late in evening... Hope for tomorrow morn. The only new thing today was SINGING Painted Bunting. Third day back, now singing. Dividing a whole song into bars or measures, I would give it four. In the morning it was just singing one bar, the first quarter of the song. By noon it was sing two measures, about half of the whole song. Mid-afternoon it was three measures, but still not a whole complete song. It was only giving these a few times each and then go quiet. Late afternoon early evening I heard the first good full long song. It took all day. Some birds return to their territories belting out full song immediately. Not this one, and I have noticed this before with them.





~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

April 18 ~ Low about 65F, and overcast. Heard a couple Yellow Warbler sing early. Thar she knocks! The FOS Yellow-billed Cuckoo came knocking before 11 a.m. this morn. That was about it for passage transients. Kathy saw a Sleepy Orange butterfly. Probably the first one since last year's hangers-on died out in January or early February.

April 17 ~ Low about 65F and overcast. Kathy saw the FOS male Painted Bunting shortly after I asked where they were. Cuckoo and Great Crested Flycatcher are also due any day now. It is Thursday so I am stuck at desk and monitor. Kathy also spotted the first Tropical Sage flower. I heard a Myrtle Warbler go by northward. Getting late for them.

April 16 ~ Low about 62F, overcast and only going up 20F, is fine with me. Another slow day for passage here. Heard 1 Nashville Warbler in the morn, another late afternoon. That was it. At least those Lark Sparrow keep it interesting to listen. Saw a white Wild Petunia, which Kathy saw one of a couple days ago. She also had a Rain Lily a few days ago, maybe Saturday, I forgot to mention. I saw my FOY Silver-leafed Nightshade flower out back. The Zexmenia in the back garden is blooming great now, as is the Mealy Sage. Heard a or the Hutton's Vireo out back in the live-oaks.

April 15 ~ Low about 60F is fine. At least two Nashville Warbler went through yard around 8 a.m. That was about it for migrant motion. Heard a Yellow-throated Vireo singing after noon. It seems the Ash-throated Flycatcher pair has run off the Eastern Bluebird pair. They give them grief all year every year and it seems the female is now looking elsewhere. I hear them prospecting over in corral. We have 4 nest boxes along fencelines here and the Ash-throats do not want anything nesting in any of them, except them. Real tyrants they are. They hang on the boxes and try to evict any user. Bewick's Wren and Black-crested Titmouse have left boxes they used to use due to the tyrants.

April 14 ~ Low about 69F, and overcast. Turkey gobbling uphill at dawn. No migrants yet as of 10:30 a.m. After 11 finally heard a Nashville Warbler sing. That was it for the day though. Heard a Gnatcatcher later in day as it went by. Got hot, about 90F or so. At least the April 90F temps are usually without the summer humidity so far more bearable. Maybe 3 Chucks calling after dark. Still waiting for that first male Painted Bunting. Kathy saw a tiny butterfly that was surely a Reakirt's Blue. They are the smallest thing here in spring, some of the males are very tiny.

April 13 ~ Low about 56F felt great. Before 9 a.m. I had two singing FOS in the yard, Yellow Warbler and a Red-eyed Vireo. Great to hear them again. Heard at least one Nashville Warbler sing, and probably a Black-and-white too. Put the white millet hanging tube feeder back out since now it is the season for buntings. The Painted like that feeder, so up it goes. In the afternoon the quiet was pierced by the ear-splitting high-pitched whistle of my FOS Bronzed Cowbird. Perhaps my least favorite FOS every spring. After dark Kathy saw the FOY toad (Gulf Coast) on the back porch.

April 12 ~ Low about 58F is fine. Lovin' dawn chorus about 7 a.m., sunup is now 7:15. Heard at least one Nashville Warbler go by. But seemed slow for migrants otherwise. One Gnatcatcher. A couple Northern Rough-winged Swallow chasing around low are likely nesting over at the river. A couple Mealy Sage have open flowers now, should be a skipper there soon. Dun is usually first. The big one that Bambi from Hell ate last year is now surrounded by hog fence, so hopefully its three dozen flower stalks will get to enjoy being open instead of eaten this year. Heard at least two Chuck-w-w after dark.





~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

April 11 ~ Low about 55F and clear. Heard a Nashville Warbler singing out back at the 7 a.m. seed toss. Mid-morn I heard the metallic boik call note from my FOS Blue Grosbeak. Town run day so a stop at the park. Our FOS House Wren was singing just below the spillway, great to hear. There were at least 5 Nashville Warbler in the woods. As many or more Yellow-throated Warbler singing. Our FOS Eastern Wood-Pewee sang upriver of the woods, which I think is my earliest ever, by one day. Also there were singing Summer Tanager and Yellow-throated Vireo. There was a little bit of Texas Onion in bloom. On the way home Kathy spotted our first female Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, along 360 just east of the river. On a climate note, per the WU data, the Hi-Lo temp records at SAT for today are 35 and 100F!

April 10 ~ Low about 50F, headed up to about 90 they say. Clear and calm in morn. Thursday so I am a prisoner of my desk. Kathy had a glimpse of what appeared a female Summer Tanager, first female so far. I had an FOS Indigo Bunting out back at the noon seed toss. Which is really about 11 a.m. Pretty sure I heard a Nashville Warbler go through yard, flight note and a chip. Heard a Chuck-w-w again near midnight. Kathy had a glimpse of a damselfly of some sort, a FOS for us.

April 9 ~ Low about 50 is just right. No migration movement noted today. Hutton's Vireo singing out back. The pair of Ladder-backed Woodpecker seem to be nesting in the big dead Hackberry somewhere. There are two branches left that are live with leaves, the top big dozen have fallen. Anyway it is Ladder-backs all day here in the yard. Neat was an Audubon's Warbler flying over westbound chipping at about 6 p.m. We get very low numbers as spring migrants. Just a couple minutes before midnight I heard my FOS Chuck- will's-widow call for a minute or two. This evening also heard the first nocturnal singing from the Chat. Back maybe 6 days now. Kathy saw a Texas Onion in front yard, and I saw a Zexmenia flower out back. Both FOY.

April 8 ~ Low about 38F, KERV had a quick 37. Sunny and calm is nice. Heard a Gnatcatcher in the morning and another in the afternoon. Also a Vermilion Flycatcher out front in the afternoon. Yesterday I cut and moved some big fallen branches from the big dead Pecan out front. Today I cut a bunch of sapling Hackberries growing in a flower patch at the front porch. Gotta do stuff before it gets too hot. And before this year's flowers get going too much. Late in day another (3rd for day) Gnatcatcher went through yard. They are on the move. Also some Barn Swallow were overhead.

April 7 ~ Low 33 or 34F, KERV had a 32 briefly. A near-freeze on April 7 is on the late side. The wind stopped, as the temps tell. Hutton's Vireo singing out back, White-eyed out front. Chat and Summer Tanager singing away. Glimpsed a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. No migration movement to speak of. But man it has sure exploded in green out there. The yard and trees are all very green now, except the Pecans which are always the last to go off.

April 6 ~ The wind blew all night from the north, so we are at about 24 hours straight of it now. Low was 41F, not as cold as forecast. Tomorrow will be a colder morn, after the wind stops. About 9 a.m. Kathy spotted the FOS Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Winds finally laid down around sunset. It was another blower of a day. Hard to hear or see things in it.

April 5 ~ A cold front arrived last night, with cool air, northerly winds, and RAIN! Off and on thunderstorms overnight, low about 55F and just under TWO INCHES of rain! A great shot of water we need, makes about 5" here in the last ten days. Weewow!

I do not think much was moving in the wet against the wind last night. The wind blew all day at 10-20 mph from the north. Now is the time to hope for a post-frontal push, which could really happen. Sometimes it is a day, but often two days after when the winds turn back to being from the south. I heard a few chatters from a Hooded Oriole, surely what I heard a couple days ago (as noted). Late in day Kathy saw an oriole flying away from a hummer feeder, surely the bird.





~ ~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

April 4 ~ Low of 71F is not very. A little mist, the forecast precip did not materialize. Maybe tonight. Great adding Chat and Summer Tanager to the morning symphony of birdsong. . Hutton's Vireo singing in the live-oaks out back. No migration motion detected though. Got warm again, near 90F, seemingly for a week straight now. Early for that. Kathy saw a Lady butterfly blast past.

April 3 ~ Low about 71F is rushing right into a balmy summe type temps. Sure would be nice to ease into it. Overcast early, ahead of another front in a day or so. So another 90F day on tap. We have had nearly a week of them since that rain. Great was hearing our FOS Yellow-breasted Chat across the road where it holds territory. Welcome (summer) home buddy. Later heard an Orange-crowned Warbler sing in corral, a FOS spring migrant. None wintered this year. Chipping Sparrows are on the decline, winterer departures are ongoing. Around noon Kathy heard a Golden-cheeked Warbler singing over birdbath. I grabbed camera and got a shot or two. It was flushed by the Chat coming in! This is the Chat's first morning back and by noon it is back in the bath it used daily six months of the year. Great to see it making a splash again!

April 2 ~ Low maybe hit 69F, with a bit of mist, so overcast. Balmy. In morn I heard my FOS Scissor-tailed Flycatcher of the year over at the airstrip. Sylvia Hilbig had one a few days ago. Also heard a Gnatcatcher go by, and Yellow-throated Vireo over in corral. Heard a couple seet flight notes that sounded like Nashville Warbler, and heard another that sounded like Clay-colored Sparrow. Kathy saw female Black-chinned Hummingbirds gathering cattail fuzz from last year's cattails in the tub pond. Normally they use Anemone flower fuzz for the first nesting, but they have not bloomed so far this year.

April 1 ~ A great day for fools and fooling around. No Anna's Hummingbird. First day I did not hear an Anna's all year! Heard two Gnatcatcher early in morn. A Yellow-throated Vireo sang as it moved north across the road. Thought I heard a Hooded Oriole chortle. Kathy heard a Canyon Towhee in afternoon. Got up to near 90F again today.

~ ~ ~ March summary ~ ~ ~

We finally broke our dry spell and got some rain, 3" at our place, this month. Was late in month so too late for March flowers, the bloom of which was very poor at best. Drought stage remains D3 leaning worse end of that. Not sure we froze in March, but had some 30's F early in month.

Odes, dragonflies, broke the dry spell too, with one seen on the 30th, our FOY, Dot-winged Baskettail as expected. Butterflies were weak without the spring flowers. Missed checking any Redbud or Agarita some no Elfin for me so far. Did have a male Orangetip, which is alwyas great. Just a few things starting to fly.

Birds are always great in March as all our migratory friends that breed here start returning. Not usually a great time for rare unusual stuff. The long-staying Anna's Hummingbird that wintered at our place left on March 31, so spent over three months here. Syliva Hilbig saw both Common Yellowthroat and Warbling Vireo in later March, when good birds here..

Sylvia Hilbig sent me some of her March FOS dates in BanCo a few miles NW of town. Some interesting ones that add to the picture were: Turkey Vulture the 2nd, Common Yellowthroat the 23rd, Warbling Vireo on the 29th, and Scissor-tail on the 30th.

~ ~ ~ end March summary ~



~ ~ ~ ~ March update header archive copy ~ ~

March ~ The 1st were my FOS Sandhill Crane northbound of the spring. Our FOS Black-chinned Hummingbird was on the 6th, first female the next day. One Anna's Hummer still here the 7th. Sylvia Hilbig saw her GREEN JAY again March 7, now five weeks in her area in BanCo a couple miles NW of town. My FOS Lark Sparrow was singing in yard on the 9th. Later on the 9th my FOS N. Rough-winged Swallow flew over. At dawn the 10th I heard my FOS White-eyed Vireo out back. My FOS Ash-throated Flycatcher was on the 12th. Kathy saw a FOY E. Tiger Swallowtail the 13th. On the 14th we had two FOS Yellow-throated Warbler singing, one in town, another at the park. Heard my FOS Black-and-white Warbler singing on the 19th. My FOS Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was the 20th. My FOS Barn Swallow were the 24th. I heard my FOS Yellow-throated Vireo give two measures of song the 26th. The FOS RAIN came on the 26th, and a bunch of it, finally. Most was the 26th but by the 27th it was THREE INCHES here! Evening of 26th after most of the rain my FOY Barking Frog announced its presence. A spring migrant Olive Sparrow is neat, on the 28th. On the 30th we had four singing Golden-cheeked Warbler near our place south of town. A FOS Summer Tanager showed up on the 31st, which was also the last day the wintering male Anna's Hummingbird was seen.

Sylvia Hilbig sent me some of her March FOS dates in BanCo a few miles NW of town. Some interesting ones that add to the picture were: Turkey Vulture the 2nd, Common Yellowthroat the 23rd, Warbling Vireo on the 29th, and Scissor-tail on the 30th.

~ ~ ~ ~ end March update header archive copy ~ ~


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