BIRD & NATURE NEWS 2020
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.
Often a few daily yard notes is all the drivel you get.
Ready, steady, go!
July through December 2020
Read from bottom up to view in chronological order.
~ ~ ~ October summary ~ ~ ~
It was a dry one, the .65 of an inch late in
month was it. Was a little on the warmish side
to go with it. Fall flower bloom was very weak
due to the drought conditions. The river is at
least three feet below the spillway overflow.
Trees are drought stressed, we lose some every
big wind now. Saw a Ringtail here this month.
Butterflies were few on the grand scale, but
there were some great things seen. There was a
little bit of movement from the south. A Purple-washed
Skipper was probably best, on the 1st. My third
here, the only 3 UvCo records. I likely saw it again
subsequently a day or two later. A Coyote Cloudywing
was first in 4 years, and a White-patched Skipper was
one of only a few in the last five years. The Zebra
Longwing from late Sept. stayed 9 days to Oct. 6,
it was first in 4 years too. Anything less than
annual (LTA) is always great to record. Soldier
showed well, over a half-dozen stopped on our
Blue Mist Eupatorium.
The Blue Mist saved our butterfly fall here. It's
the Blue Mist man. When I was a kid it was the
Purple Haze. Now I am all grown up, and it is the
Blue Mist. It was awesome, whilst the local deco
gardens and even the library butterfly garden were
all but dead. We have one big Lantana, some Red
Turkscap, a Frostweed, the Frogfruit finished first
week of month. So not much, but there was so little
blooming out there it was a major magnet. Some days
had 25 species at the front porch, and it was where
all the rare stuff was seen. The visual net cast is
of course a big factor, I check it once or twice an
hour all day, every day. I count 50 species, essentially
all were seen from the front porch! Up 4 from Sept.,
but making August at 57 sps. the best lep month this year.
A couple Texas Wasp Moth showed well, and an Obscure
Sphinx (moth) was photographed.
Odes were weak. They were shot for the year early
this year. The drought is killin' 'em here
literally and figuratively. Much of the river is dry.
It was only the most common regular species, and
in general very few of them. Did get an October
Thornbush Dasher at the Waresville golf course pond.
The rest was very unremarkable. It was a dismal 13-14
species for the month. Last Pepsis Wasp was early
in month. A Hister Beetle was nice to see, came into
a night light. Firefly flamed out early, it was a poor
fall flight, a few larvae seen late in month, last
few adults were early in the month.
Birds were great, they always are in fall, especially
in Sept. and Oct. when everything is on the move.
There were two outstanding finds this month. Three GREEN
JAY visited our yard for a week Oct. 19-26. First
locally since the only area other record, winter of 2008-09.
Then at the park, a calling CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER on
the 14th is my first photo record locally, have seen
a couple prior but no pix. An imm. male Red-NAPED
Sapsucker tied my early date Oct. 4. A CATBIRD was
in our yard Oct. 24-26, and tardy Calliope Hummingbird
showed up Oct. 31. A Western type Yellow-breasted Chat,
late, on Oct. 23 is noteworthy. Might be the first ever
of that type I have postively seen here. I count a
hundred species I saw very locally around Utopia.
Others saw a few I didn't.
~ ~ ~ end October summary ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ October update header archive copy ~ ~ ~
October! The first good bird of the month is a
butterfly. On Oct. 1 a PURPLE-WASHED Skipper was
at our Blue Mist Eup for photos. Very rare this
far north, with only a few county records. My FOS
House Wren were two on Oct. 2. A bunch of FOS
birds on Oct. 4: Black-throated Green Warbler, a
record early Red-naped Sapsucker, a Kestrel, and
a Marsh Wren. Oct. 5 brought my FOS Orange-crowned
Warbler and a heard southbound Greater Yellowlegs.
In the last week the Hilbigs had Sandhill Crane,
Northern Harrier, and a female American Redstart
at their fountain the 7th, out W. Sabinal Rd.
A White-patched Skipper on the 8th on our Blue Mist
is a rary here. The Zebra from late Sept. was last
seen Oct. 6th. Lots of Monarch in the park woods.
My FOS Sharp-shinned Hawk was Oct. 11. Oct. 12 we had
Sandhill Cranes southbound on the northerlies.
A Coyote Cloudywing (butterfly) on Oct. 13 is the
first I have seen in four years. A CORDILLERAN
Flycatcher at Utopia Pk. Oct. 14 is a very rare find.
Oct. 16 the day after a big frontal passage brought
several FOS sightings of winter type birds: Northern
Flicker, Hermit Thrush, White-crowned Sparrow, and
American Pipit. Oct. 17 two FOS Spotted Towhee
were in our yard. Oct. 18 we saw FOS Vesper and
Savannah Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark. A Ringtail
(Cacomistle) on Oct. 20 was nice, as were a couple
FOS Pyrrhuloxia that day. Three GREEN JAY went
through our yard most days Oct. 19-26 so far! Mostly
just 5 minute visits, but we'll take it. My
FOS Pine Siskin were 6 in the big Pecan the 23rd,
an hour later a dozen flew by. Later on the 23rd
there was a FOS female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
in the front yard, a male Yellow-bellied Sap was
in the yard the next day. My first and only Catbird
of fall was Oct. 24-26 in yard. The first sub-freezing
chill factors were Oct. 27, the whole day spent in the
mid-30's F, with chills in upper 20's. Weewow!
Oct. 29 there was a FOS Robin. Closed the month out
with a one-minute-wonder Calliope Hummer on the 31st.
~ ~ ~ end October update header archive copy ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ back to the daily drivel ~ ~ ~
Oct. 31 ~ Another month blasted past. I can't believe
how much longer summer months are. It was peak cold
this morning from this last pool of arctic air. We
did get below 32 this morning, it was 31.5 before sunup.
Very paved KERV only hit 33, but was progged for 38F.
Heard Pine Siskin out there early, a Myrtle Warbler.
Before 10 an imm. Sharp-shinned Hawk took a male
Cardinal. I got a pic through a window and screen.
A bit later I was sunning on the back porch when a
hummer blazed up and perched on the feeder, first one
since last Monday. It was an imm. or fem. Calliope!
It tanked for over a full minute, just 6' from me.
It did not show again the rest of the day. Seemingly
a one minute wonder. If I had not been standing there
by the feeder, would it have ever happened?
Afternoon got up to about 75F here, C of C weather and
just wonderful. Had a bunch of biz to do so in office
working all day. Heard the Scrub-Jay, have not heard
the Green Jays since last Monday, the morning before
the front hit. Heard a Flicker over at the river,
first one from the yard this fall, only saw one fly
over the road so far. Kathy spotted a Myrtle Warbler
at the bath which I got a couple shots of, a first
for that, I had never caught one there. Saw the
Orange-crowned Warbler early in the morning. We
both an hour apart saw the Black Rock Squirrel by
the tub pond, presumedly coming in for a drink.
This is the Cactus Wren that was at the pond on the golf
course by the Waresville Cmty. Nov. 1. Bad light, I know,
but my first local Cactus Wren photo. Rare bird here.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Oct. 30 ~ We just about kissed freezing this morning.
KERV was progged for a low of 38F, but per their NOAA
station it danced between 32 and 33 for a few hours
this morning. I saw 34F here but wasn't watching,
though I don't see any effects of a freeze. Got
up to about 70F in the afternoon, sunny, wonderful.
In the first couple hours of morning I saw an Audubon's
Warbler and about 10 Pine Siskin fly over southbound.
Thought I heard a Robin again up the hill, maybe it
roosted there. Town run so a peek at the park.
There were a few Myrtle and an Orange-crowned Warbler,
and a Hermit Thrush up in the woods, but that was it.
Pied-billed Grebe upriver of the island. A little
Chipping Sparrow flock out at the entrance area.
One Monarch on the blooming Maxmillian Sunflower at
riversedge. The river of Monarchs missed us this year.
After Rosie's tacos and a siesta there were about
5-6 Audubon's Oriole calling mostly from adjacent
to the yard over in corral, but up hill behind us and
across the road as well. We were surrounded with
no way out.
Oct. 29 ~ The low was around midnight in the high
30's F, but by sunup it was 49F. Wind blew
much of the night and will blow all day 15-25 mph
with gusts to 35+. Heard a single FOS Robin out
there in the morning but didn't see it. Still
a few (saw 3) Lesser Goldfinch around, but not for
long though. The Catbird, Green Jays, and Hummer
have all been absent since the front hit Monday
afternoon. I suspect the Jays are around somewhere,
but the hummer and Catbird are probably in Mexico by
now. Got up to about 65F or so, pretty nice late
afternoon, the wind finally eased up to 10-15 mph
about 4 p.m. or so. Counted four White-winged Dove,
down from 40 in September before they left.
Oct. 28 ~ Low was 36F, where it has flatlined for the
last 36 hours or so. With 15+ mph winds on it, chills
were in upper 20's. Although we might get this
cold this time of year, it is usually for a few hours
one morning. Not 36 hours straight at sub-freezing
chill factors. This is rather remarkable. No hummer
out there again this morn, that last Ruby must have
left with the front Monday afternoon. Smart bird, knew
when to go. There were two Lincoln's Sparrow on
the seed out back. About noon it hit 50dF, felt great!
Thought I heard a White-throated Sparrow out back.
A Mockingbird came into tub pond a couple times.
Got up to 60F late in afternoon! So we thawed out.
Heard a Kinglet (Ruby), the Chipping Sparrow flock
is a couple dozen birds now, at least.
Oct. 27 ~ Winter arrived overnight, the low was 36F,
KERV had chills showing at 27! Rocksprings was in
fog at 32F with chills at 22 from the wind! The SAT
record low for the date is 35F, so we are very near it.
Sure glad I didn't sign up for a bird count there
today. ;) Here it drizzled about a
half-inch from just before midnight to 8 a.m., which
is outstanding, we need it more than badly. At noon
it was still about the same as daybreak, 36F and drizzle
with a lighter now though breeze. The birds will have
to tap on the windows today if they want me to see them.
At 3 p.m. it was 35F in Junction, 36 in KERV, and on
front porch here 34F! Surely going to be a record
for low max temps today. It might have hit 37F. We
did not see the one Ruby-throated Hummingbird that
was still here in the morning yesterday. It probably
left on the strong northerlies with the front yesterday
afternoon. That extra free 20 mph push means it could
cover double the ground for the effort. It certainly
would have been glued to the feeders today. Everything
here seemed to be hunkered down, including us. I did
see a couple Lark Sparrow, which are new, there have
not been any here for a few weeks now. During an
accipiter flushing event it seemed more than 20 Chipping
Sparrow here now. Otherwise it was mostly Cardinals,
Titmice, Chickadees, Chipping and Field Sparrow. Did
not see the Catbird or the Green Jays. At the end of
the day the rain total was about .65, two-thirds of an
inch. After a cold night it warms up tomorrow.
Oct. 26 ~ Low of about 70F, a bit of mist, a showerlet,
the warm moist Gulf flow being sucked up right ahead of
an inbound front. Got up to about 75 before noon, despite
some northerly flow already arriving in fits and spurts.
After 10 a.m. I saw the Catbird, it almost came into
the tub pond again and would have were I not standing
on back porch. At the same time I heard the Green Jays
up the hill behind us in the live oaks, but nearly a
hundred yards away. The Ruby-throated Hummer was out
there still. So the interesting stuff is still here,
now for something new to show up. It is the nature of
the birder to want another, no matter how many they have,
they are like kids with candy. In the afternoon Kathy
saw the Catbird at the bath with some Eastern Bluebird.
Later she saw it leaving the tub pond. She also saw
some Turkey over the fence. I saw a Lincoln's
Sparrow late at last supper. In temps as the front
moved in, about noon-thirty I saw NOAA reports of 45F
at Rocksprings and 81 at Uvalde, barely over 50 miles
apart as the Common Raven flies. By about 7 p.m. KRVL
was 42 with wind chills at 34F! Felt about the same
here. Was over 80 yesterday! Fall is when you can
complain about the heat and humidity, and the cold,
within 24 hours.
Oct. 25 ~ Overcast and 62F for a low. Saw the Ruby-throat
out there early. Today is a warmup day before the
next front inbound tomorrow. Might get some precip
out of this one. Saw 80F after 4 p.m. on shady front porch.
Must have been an accipiter outside early, the first
couple hours of light it was dead quiet. The Catbird
was at the bath about 9 a.m. Around noon we took a
spinabout. No migrants at the park. We went up-valley
into Bandera Co., and checked a couple crossings. Sure
has been a lot of vegetation clearing of the understory.
We saw three separate areas where the understory had been
bulldozed, as in scraped. It is like there is a war
against it. Aquatic plants are water weeds and understory
is brush, both generally perceived to be better if removed.
They are generally not seen as the integral part of the
environment and ecosystems that they are.
There was a nice flock of birds at the Foster crossing.
About 15 or 20 Eastern Bluebird there were hitting the
sumac fruit. A male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was in that
too. A number of Field and Chipping Sparrow, a couple Lark
Sparrow, a Hutton's Vireo, some Mockingbirds, and
one high soaring Zone-tailed Hawk. A couple Kestrel were
along the road, no Red-tails. In the spirit of the fall
season I harvested some hops, in the form of some Shiner
Black Lager at Vanderpool.
Oct. 24 ~ A low of 48F felt outstanding, and a bit
more like fall temps should be. Northerlies blew
all night into the morning, finally laid down in
the afternoon. Worked on stuff here since cold
and windy. Saw the Ruby-throated Hummer still
here in the a.m. Bird of the day was a CATBIRD that
came into the birdbath! This is the 5th fall out
of the last 17 I recorded one here. So not one of
three falls do I see one. It let me get the window
open so I got a docushot but it was early, overcast
and in the shade so very dark (high ISO). Later in
the afternoon I was working on biz in office and right
out window watched it go down to the aquatic garden
tub pond and drink! Whaddabird! I love 'em.
Kathy saw it at the bath again just before last sun.
Noonish I saw a sapsucker scuffle. The one I finally
got on was a male Yellow-bellied. I presume the FOS
female I had out front yesterday was the other bird.
Couple Kinglet (Ruby) went through, couple Turkey
over in corral, heard a Belted King over at river.
Late afternoon a half-dozen Turkey Vulture thermalled
up and broke south, migrants. Two Caracara were
with them and did the same. A single swallow sps.
flew by southbound, it looked Cave. Later, an hour
before sundown the Green Jays were around, some getting
sunflower seeds out back and Kathy saw one at the
bath.
This is the Catbird we had here. It was overcast and the
bath is in shade, so dark, sorry. They are in the family
of mimics, with Mockingbird and Thrashers. All gray with
a black cap, some color under tail is not visible here.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Oct. 23 ~ A low of 72F is not very autumnal frankly.
Low stratus from the Gulf, front is supposed to be
here about 2 p.m. At least the wind won't be
howling yet when I check the park. At least one of
the White-crowned Sparrow is still here. Saw the one
Ruby-throated Hummingbird early. Heard Audubon's
Oriole early, and a Green Jay about 9 a.m. Quick
threw some corn out (now you know why I didn't eat
all my corn last night). Hope they find it. After
10:a.m. there were a half-dozen FOS Pine Siskin up in the
big Pecan. About 11:a.m. a flocklet of a dozen Pine
Siskin flew by out front. Town run day. Made sure
to note the Blue Jays in town, so as to have a jay
trifecta today with the Texas Scrub-Jay, and Green
Jay at the house.
At the park there were a few birds in the woods.
Two each of Nashville, Myrtle, Orange-crowned Warbler,
and Common Yellowthroat is great variety this late
in season. Best was a Yellow-breasted Chat which was
an adult Western type Chat with orange on breast and
a long white whisker. It is a very late date for one
here. Ringed and Belted Kingfisher were there, but no
Green. Also thought sure I heard a Wilson's Warbler.
Were a few spinkles of a seemingly wettish substance.
Brought home Rosie's tacos for lunch and to get
the full experience, took a siesta. In the afternoon
just before 4:p.m. in the pecans out front I spotted
a FOS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (female), and the fem.
Downy Woodpecker was out there again too. The
Ladder-backed and Golden-fronted do not seem thrilled
about other woodpeckers being here. One Fatal Metalmark
on the Blue Mistflower, but which is fading fast with
few butterflies now. Sure was great for most of
Sept. and October. Got up to at least 82F in the
afternoon before the northerlies got here about 4 p.m.,
whence it finally dried out and cooled off. Was 62F
by 7 p.m, supposed to be going down to upper 40's!
Oct. 22 ~ Low of about 71F, humid, southerly Gulf flow
and low stratus, ahead of a front inbound tomorrow.
It is the warmup day ahead of the front. I saw 85F in
the shade about 3 p.m. There were a few migrants
through the yard early. Two Orange-crowned Warbler,
a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Myrtle Warbler, also what
sounded maybe an Audubon's Warbler, plus a glimpse
at what looked a Nashville Warbler. There was a wee bit
of migrant motion last night. Heard distant Green Jay and
Audubon's Oriole in the morning, and the White-crowned
Sparrows out back. After 11 a.m. three Green Jay were out
back picking up sunflower seeds off the ground. Not
around for long but they found food. Counted 8 male
Cardinal at once at dusk out back. Saw the trifecta of
Milkweed butterflies: Monarch, Queen, and Soldier. It
was a nice conjunction of the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn
tonight.
Oct. 21 ~ Low was 69F briefly. Low stratus from
the gulf early. Humid, and got up to about 85F.
One Ruby-throated Hummer continues. A Kinglet (Ruby)
went through. First and last thing I had White-crowned
Sparrow under a Laurel where we toss seed by the cottage.
In the a.m. at dawn I heard the metallic boik boik boik
and mentioned it to Kathy. At dusk there were two there,
both immatures. About 11:30 Kathy whispered Green Jay!
I bolted for camera, two were around the bath and stick
pile adjacent. Did not see them go in, or even drink,
it was just an inspection, but they came down to the
rocks around it, and watched as other birds drank and
bathed in it. So they know now. I think they missed
it the other day. We did not see them yesterday. Only
saw two for sure. They looked like first-timers at the
water, in discovery. Got a couple shots in a bit better
light through the magic screen, but they didn't
stay long. Got to hear one gee gee gee as it flew away.
A half-hour later heard them out back again but did not
see them. Whaddabird! Sure hope they move in for the
winter. Gotta get some corn.
Oct. 20 ~ The gulf flow is here, with a barely
low of 72F. There were a couple brief showerlets
the low stratus dropped. Orographic lifting as the
gulf flow hits the plateau thickens it up enough to
wring it out a bit. One imm. ma. Ruby-throated
Hummingbird still. Saw a flock of medium passerines
fly over that could well have been Robins. Heard a
distant Audubon's Oriole. Kathy had 3 Mockingbird
at the bath, and Turkeys in the corral. The highlight of
the day though was last night just after midnight when
I went to see what was dropping pecan shells on the steel
roof. It was a RINGTAIL! Right off the front porch in
the big Pecan. What an animal! We haven't seen one
in a couple years, but they are so secretive and shy
that detection is always a surprise and treat.
Noonish there were a couple Pyrrhuloxia calling over
in the corral. I will call these FOS, though surely
that was one I driveby heard on Sunday, calling it out
to Kathy. This is when they show up. They didn't
tell me about seasonal Pyrrhuloxia movements. Just a
big purple (found all year) blob on the range map.
Oct. 19 ~ Low clouds and gulf flow moved in late
and kept the heat in, low was 72F! Getting late
in the year for that still. Got up to about 86-88F,
warmish and humid. No migrant motion per se but
there was a good record. Just before 4 p.m. I
was working on these notes, with nothing of interest
to note, when a GREEN JAY popped up just outside
the office window! And then another! And probably
third! OMG! Yard bird! I heard a bird this morning
I thought might have been a Green Jay, over in the
draw. Now I am sure it was. Actually I might have
heard it yesterday too. One came down out back
where I could shoot through a hole in the office
screen so got a docushot. One almost went down on
the patio. They moved to the Mulberry over the
cottage and as they moved out of it into the corral
I counted three for sure, and there may have been four.
Wished I had corn out, they love it. Keep an eye
on deer feeders. Only takes one good bird to make
your day! Surely this is drought induced movement,
the brush country to our south is at least one stage
worse than us per the U.S. Drought Monitor. There is
nothing to eat down there, the bushes and trees are bare.
Last time I was down there I nearly starved to death.
At dusk a Ringed Kingfisher flew down the river
chakking away. Nice to have the 'what photo
will I use for the break?' question handled on Monday.
Oct. 18 ~ Stars were great at midnight last night,
low clouds moved in from south overnight. Low
was about 66F. One Ruby-throated Hummingbird is
still around. Saw an ad. fem. Sharp-shinned Hawk
which flushed everything outside. Noonish we took
a couple hour spin around. Nothing at the park in
the woods but one House Wren, and a couple heard
Myrtle Warbler. Checked a private Frostweed patch
in a Pecan bottom out Jones Cmty. Rd. and it was
also dead for migrants. Further out at W. Sabinal
Rd. we saw a FOS Vesper Sparrow, and a FOS flock of
Meadowlark. The one that called was an Eastern.
Along the road heard what surely was a Pyrrhuloxia.
The library garden had one Fatal Metalmark. Then
checked the pond on the golf course by the Waresville
Cmty. There was another Vesper and a FOS Savannah
Sparrow, about 45 Red-winged Blackbird in a flock
in the cattails. One Vareigated Meadowhawk dragonfly
is the first one I have seen this fall. Great
was a big Robberfly, as in a Beezlebub Bee-eater
type (genus Mallophora). May have been two of
them there. Neat beast. Saw 88F on the cool
shady front porch about 4:p.m.
Oct. 17 ~ Low was in 50's F but was one of
those nights whence for example in Kerrville it
was 49F at 2 a.m., and by 7 at daybreak it was 59F!
The Gulf low stratus and flow got here. No migrant
motion through yard. About noonish Kathy spotted
the FOS Spotted Towhee, a female at the birdbath!
Only got a shot through the windowscreen though.
An hour later when I was tossing afternoon seed,
a male popped up out back! Sure would like a
decent pic for the website. Was a House Wren in
the front porch flower bed, no doubt hunting the
butterflies in the Blue Mist. In the afternoon
before 3 p.m. there was a Downy Woodpecker in the
big Pecan just off the front porch. A Ladder-back
was chasing it around. Downy is scarce here, it
has been a couple or few months since I have seen
one. Later about 5:p at least one Audubon's
Oriole moved through yard calling. One Ruby-throated
Hummingbird was still around, but did not seee the
Rufous. Scrub-Jay was out there. Near last light
I saw the female Spotted Towhee scratching under
the Laurel where I toss seed. Sure hope it sticks
a bit.
Here is one of the 3 Green Jay that visited our
yard on Oct. 19, 21, 22, and 23 so far. Whaddabird!
Winter '08-09 some small flocks invaded north
into the plateau getting up to Leakey and Bandera, at
least. That was the winter Syd and Jackie Chaney had
a few coming in to their corn feeder a mile south of town.
One pic just isn't enough. Don't worry, if I get
them in the sun, you will get to see more ...
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Oct. 16 ~ Northerlies blew all night, and
have veered to northeasterly for today. Low
was 59F and felt great. Saw two hummers early,
presumedly the Ruby and Rufous of yesterday.
Town run day. At the post office I heard a
FOS American (Water) Pipit fly over calling.
Then over at the park I heard one again, could
have been the same bird. At park no Cordilleran
Flycatcher. Bummer. There were 5 FOS White-crowned
Sparrow at the entrance garden, 2 ad. and 3 imm.
In the woods there was a FOS Hermit Thrush,
a couple House Wren, a gray-headed Orange-crowned
Warbler was likely the Rocky Mtn. orestera
subspecies, a Ringed Kingfisher, Myrtle Warbler,
a Kinglet (Ruby), and at least 4 Nashville Warbler.
Heard a sweet soft chip that got away. Heard a
Gnatcatcher. On the way home on 187 just north
of 360 a FOS Northern Flicker flew over the road.
It was orangeish of underwing. Saw four FOS species,
all wintering type birds, on the day after the front.
Winds calmed down in the afternoon finally. Lots of
the Cypresses are turning rusty, lots of Pecans
dropping leaves, the Maxmillian Sunflowers exploded
into bloom and the river in a few sections is lined
yellow, with lots of butterflies on them. Our
Blue Mist Eupatorium bloom is fading as the lower
number of butterflies here shows. High temp peaked
about 76F or so, and dry, great.
Oct. 15 ~ We have a front progged to arrive
today, so the low stratus from the Gulf is
being sucked up in front of it. Some fog-mist
and a low of about 70F. Tomorrow morning is
supposed to be 15F cooler. One Ruby-throated
Hummingbird remains this morning. Mid-morn a
Rufous (probably, or Allen's) showed up,
a new one, not the imm. male that was last
here over a week ago. Probably an imm. female.
So we have three feeders out, each on a different
side of the house, two hummingbirds, and one
knock-down drag-out hummer fight. Ridiculous!
It must be sport to these Rufous Hummers. It
is at least the 8th Rufous type we have had
here this fall. None looked or sounded Allen's
to me. Just getting one Scrub-Jay out there
the last week or so. At least one stuck.
Heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The front got
here about 1:30 to 2:p.m. with 10-20 mph northerlies,
warmed to 87F or so before it did. Still no
Lark Sparrow, they are outta here. Been about
six days at least, maybe a week, since they
were here. Our local breeders depart. New birds
from somewhere else move in, in the winter.
Oct. 14 ~ Low about 64F, the low stratus and
southerly gulf flow is back. Saw one imm. male
Ruby-throated Hummer at a feeder in the a.m.
Heard a Kinglet. Had to run to town early so
a park check. Heard a few Myrtle Warbler chips.
I am certain I heard a Townsend's Warbler
on the island, but got distracted with a flycatcher,
and then could not find or hear it again before I
had to go.
Up in the woods, near the south end of the island
there was a calling CORDILLERAN Flycatcher.
Older books might just show it as Western Flycatcher.
It is very very rare here, I have only encountered
a couple locally prior and was never able to get
any documentation. Fortunately it was giving the
diagnostic obviously two-syllable broken call note,
so I could confirm it was not a Pacific-slope Flycatcher.
Tried to get a docushot, but it was too far away on the
island, I was late and had to go. Got one crummy one.
Reminds me though, it only takes one good bird to
make your day! It is a new addition to the Utopia
Park bird list. I looked at ebird to see if any
area records listed there. NONE are listed for Uvalde
County, or for the entire Edwards Plateau (1900-2020).
Gadzooks! That's a good bird! Mark Lockwood's
Birds of the Edwards Plateau says some reports from
the plateau, but none ever documented.
Brought a couple of Rosie's egg, chorizo,
and cheese breakfast tacos back. It is the little
things, oh, and good birds. Was too busy at the desk
and did not see anything in the yard, save at the flowers.
On the butterfly front there was a Desert Checkered-Skipper,
and a FOY Ocola Skipper for new things on the Blue Mist.
A small odd hairstreak got away, a few Grays around,
this was not that. A Julia's Skipper was still
out there, a male Whirlabout, Southern Broken-Dash,
but the Coyote Cloudywing was a no-show today, a one
hour wonder. Got good shots anyway. One Ailanthus
Webworm moth, been seeing a few around.
Oct. 13 ~ Low of 56F was very nice, sunny, still
getting to upper 80's, almost 10F above normal.
Just getting one Scrub-Jay out there. Did not
see a hummingbird the first couple hours of the
morning. The last couple Rubies probably took off
on that north wind yesterday, as they like to do.
Oops, Kathy saw one in the afternoon, but which
was not here all day prior. In the morning I saw
what I would call my first group of winter Chipping
Sparrow. A dozen moved into the big pecan from over
towards river, then out along back fence where I
toss seed. We saw a couple yesterday, but this is
a flock that just moved in. Wintering Chippies,
that are migrants from elsewhere. Sharpy was out
there too. Heard Kestrel, Kinglet, and Crane.
In woodpeckers, a Golden-front was chasing the
Ladder-back all around the tree with the best Pecans.
So, a woodpecker, being bugged, by a woodpecker.
If only Woody could see! Pass the popcorn please.
Best bird was a butterfly, the first Coyote
Cloudywing I have seen in a few years, since
fall of 2016. Most years we do not get one.
Maybe 4 years of 16 I recorded it, a couple of
those years just one or two, one year several,
and one year they were everywhere in a huge invasion.
A hundred if not two or more. This one was tame
(or hungry) enough to allow shots on the Blue Mist Eup.
Saw an Anole take a Dun Skipper. Saw a fresh winter
form Questionmark, my FOY. Screech-Owl going
off after dark.
Oct. 12 ~ Low was about 62F, and humidity is back.
Frontal passage around noon, but with no rain and
barely any temp change. Just a wind change to north.
Still nearly 10F over average for the date, but 10F
less than yesterday. Just ahead of the front in
the a.m. a couple Myrtle Warbler went through yard.
The first since the exceptional early bird Sept. 30.
A Kinglet (Ruby) and a Gnatcatcher (Blue-gray) went
through as well. Otherwise slowish. The Sharp-shinned
Hawk is out there though. Mid-afternoon I thought
I heard cranes going over. Just before dark Kathy
heard a flock going south. In leps there was a
Funereal Duskywing on the front porch flowers,
I think it hit each type, one Julia's Skipper
still out there, a Vesta Crescent, and a couple Gray
Hairstreak, among the more common stuff. One of
the Gray HS was so worn you could have made it
into anything.
After dark the Barred Owl was going off. In case
I haven't mentioned it, though unlikely, these, our,
Barred Owl never add any superfluous 'and you',
much less another 'and you all' at the end
of the call. Who cooks for you, who cooks for you.
That is it here. Never have I heard any additional
'and you alls' here. Fascinating that
there can however be more than one intro 'who'
note. Sometimes it can be two or rarely three of them.
Oct. 11 ~ A low of 54F was great, especially since
the forecast is to break heat records today. Saw
a Hutton's Vireo coming into the birdbath,
but that was the only thing different all morning.
Seems just a couple Ruby-throated Hummingbird left.
Saw a FOS Sharp-shinned Hawk in the big Pecan in
the morning. The little terrors are back. Heard
a Lincoln's Sparrow. Kathy saw an Orange-crowned
Warbler. A few Field Sparrow around but the Lark
seem to be gone. Saw a Southern Pearl Crescent
butterfly which is new, also a Mimosa Yellow was
great and an LTA (less than annual) sure thing.
After dark there were lots of moths at the porch
light, more than I have seen all year. Took some
pix, don't know what all but one of them were.
A Texas Wasp Moth I recognized. Neat was a Hister
Beetle that came in. A scarcely seen bug, despite
them being around. I just counted and have seen
45 species of butterflies from the porch this month
so far. Bet a few have slipped through undetected
too. Wish we had more flowers. Late afternoon
I saw 94F on the cool shady front porch. Had to
be near a hun in the sun. A few local sites were
98-99F, Del Rio was over 100F. I think the high
temp records for the date were tied or broken at
many area stations. After breaking all time heat
records in mid-July and mid-Aug., it seems we should
not be doing that again, still, in mid-October.
Oct. 10 ~ Low was 58F or lower, I saw a 56 at KRVL.
Good thing, we can trap enough cold air in the house
to last all day through the heatup. I saw 92 on the
cool shady front porch, local WU stations were in the
upper 90's F! An Orange-crowned Warbler was at
the bath early. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher went through
the yard, this time of year here, each might well be
the last of them until March. They winter in the
brush country, but not here in the upper Sabinal drainage.
Mid-morn I saw the White-patched Skipper on the Blue
Mist Eup. and when I got back out with camera it was
gone, again. Dang thang. A Phaon Crescent was new,
and hungry, it spent all day on the flowers. After the
burner tomorrow there is supposed to be a front and
wind-change, which hopefully will bring birds. It
seems kinda slow out there right now. Except for
squirrels in our Pecans. That Black Rock Squirrel
goes up into the tops of the trees, puts one nut in
each cheek pouch, one in the mouth, and heads off.
The Screech-Owl was going off in the yard over the
bath late evening. Was a hot day.
This is a bad pic of a good bird, so which is allowable.
It was a long-distance accidently high ISO docushot grab.
Canon autofocus grabbed the background on 9 of 10 shots.
Miracle there is this one bad one. This is the Cordilleran
Flycatcher at Utopia Park Oct. 14. It does not show
how green above and yellowish below the bird was. Note
the big white teardrop shape behind the eye typical of
the two 'Western' Flycatcher complex species.
Luckily it was giving diagnostic calls so I knew what
I was looking for before I laid eyes on it.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Oct. 9 ~ Low was about 62F. We are progged for
a smokin' hot weekend with subsidence,
records will probably fall on peak heat Sunday.
I saw 88F on the cool shady front porch in the
afternoon. Birds were dismal today. Nothing
here, or at the park woods. About 50 Monarch
in the park woods was it. Heard something good
at the library garden but it moved away before
I could find or ID it. The Rufous Hummer was
still here this morning. Butterflies are the
main action at the moment. At the library garden
which barely has any flowers, but a few, there
was a Fatal Metalmark. What a sad highlight.
Here on the Blue Mist Eup. besides the usual
which included over 2 dozen Large Orange Sulphur,
5 Queen, 2 Soldier, a Monarch, lots of Dun Skipper
still, but the Southern Broken-Dash are decreasing,
there was a False Duskywing, a Texas Powdered-Skipper,
and maybe the same Orange Skipperling. The
White-patched never came back. The water in the
river is 3 FEET below normal level at the park.
Send rain.
Oct. 8 ~ Low was 53F, and maybe got a dF cooler
than that. Love a cool morning. Two Audubon's
Oriole came in, one to the bath, which was the
first summer bird in the photo break a month
ago. Now it is a second fall bird. The head is
entirely black now. Not all clean and neat, but
in general head appears adult-like, fully black.
Quite the change in a month or so. Molt is fast,
it has to be. I missed getting a shot of it
though, durnit. The Rufous Hummer remains, it
is an immature male.
As far as migration motion goes, it is about over
here for lots of stuff. As far as the migrants
that are just in the U.S. to breed and spend most
of the year in Mexico or further south, the insectivores,
most are gone. There is just a trickle of them
left now. The first wave or half of fall migration
is them departing, and that train has left the station.
The second half of fall migration is the birds showing
up, some of which winter here. That is just barely
getting underway with some of them as FOS recently.
We are now in the tween time.
There was a White-patched Skipper (Chiomara) on the
Blue Mist Eup. briefly. When I came back out with
camera it was gone, and it did not return. I got
an email from Sylvia Hilbig out West Sabinal Rd.
in BanCo, she and Steve had a female American Redstart
at their water feature yesterday the 7th. Always a
great bird here in fall. She said there has been a
White-tailed Kite out there, and has had Northern
Harrier, and a flock of Sandhill Crane earlier this
week. Some great stuff, and great to hear about it!
Oct. 7 ~ Bottomed out at 54F again, 3rd day now.
Sunny, no rain in sight. The river is a rivulet.
A Rufous Hummingbird is at the front porch feeder
before sunup, so must have been here late yesterday
but I missed it. First one in a couple weeks at
least. A couple Ruby-crowned Kinglet were trying
to go the the birdbath. I never saw either get
down in it, one got on a rock adjacent a couple
times. They mostly seemed to be attempting a
splash-bathe as a vireo does. We did not see
the Zebra Heliconian butterfly today, so it
thrilled us for 9 days here. Sure great to get
to watch one again after a four year absence.
Did have 2 Soldier at once, an Orange Skipperling
was new. Snouts dialing back thankfully.
Had to make a quick town run late in afternoon,
checked park woods but no birds. There were at
least 75 Monarch floating around and hanging up,
which was awesome. The big peak is still a couple
weeks ahead. These will likely clear out on the
next notherlies. Some Cypresses are really rusty
orange below the spillway where no water flow, they
turned early. The Mulberries are starting to go
yellow too. Saw my first Maxmillian Sunflower bloom
at riversedge. Those look about to bloom well.
Lots of yellowing Pecans and the Sycamores are
going as well.
Oct. 6 ~ Another 54F low is great, sunny and clear
is nice, but we need some rain, it is parched out
there. Kathy spotted the Zebra about 11:15 during
its morning visit. You can see it has worn, and is
less black, getting browner than it was when it
showed up 9 days ago. Still awesome to watch though.
A Panoquina skipper was out there off and on a bit,
I think it was the P. lucas - Purple-washed Skipper
again. Could not get a good shot, but think the dings
in the wings were the same wingdings. There was
a Texas Wasp Moth out there briefly too, which
took 50 tries over a couple hours waiting for it to
return, but got a usable shot, barely. They are so
ginchy I can't believe it. The three Danaus
milkweed butterflies continued (Monarch, Queen, and
Soldier). At least a couple dozen Large Orange
Sulphur around, 1-2 Cloudless passing by, half-dozen
Lyside. An Orange-crowned Warbler was hunting in the
blooming Frostweed. Feeders are quiet, the Titmice
and Chickadees stopping by to gather sunflowers for
hiding, but they are eating somewhere else mostly
now, as are most of the local seedeaters.
Oct. 5 ~ Low of 54F, sunny, awesome. Across the
river some Scissor-tails are singing before sunup
when still dark and just cracking light. They will
be gone soon. Anyway, it's Monday, to the desk!
Sounded 3 Audubon's Oriole early, only saw two.
Heard a Greater Yellowlegs flying downriver about 9,
probably flushed off of park mudflats at first
visitor. A FOS Orange-crowned Warbler came into
the tub pond and used the emergency animal egress
branch to get to the water and splashed a bit.
One Blue-gray Gnatcatcher went through. Did not
see the Sapsucker. Seems like the Lark Sparrow are
thinning. I think there is a lot of seed crop from
the foot of rain in late spring (whence the tap shut
off) which caused a good flower bloom, and lots of
good (wild natural) seed sources are available now.
In case you are using less seed now, or seeing
fewer birds around, this is likely a factor, quite
normal in early fall.
The Zebra showed about 11:15, and after nectaring
on the Lantana (it blows off the Blue Mist Eup.)
it landed on patio to imbibe water for 5 minutes.
Amongst a bunch of Snout it looked quite the oddball.
Must be 10 Large Orange Sulphur out there, females
in every variation of color in the book, some pretty
nice looking, lots of males. Kathy thought she might
have had a Black Swallowtail. One Clouded Skipper.
The Soldier was back, a Monarch and some Queen rounded
out the milkweed butterflies. One Celia's
Roadside-Skipper is getting late here. One fresh
Common Checkered-Skipper, a Julia's still, a
Mestra. The flowers are great fun right now. But
the Lantana are fading this cycle of flowering,
right at prime time. I saw the Zebra on the Blue
Mist for the first time after ignroing it for 8 days.
Oct. 4 ~ Low was about 57F, some scattered clouds
and partly sunny. Got up to upper 80's, so
warm still. About 9 a.m. or so I had a Black-throated
Green Warbler in the big pecan right off front porch.
FOS, only one so far this fall. Then a FOS Sapsucker
was in the pecan off north side of house. It was a
first fall male Red-naped. Record early. It looked
adult-like, but without the black chest crescent.
One Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Nashville out there
as well, Scrub-Jay and the Indigo Bunting continue.
Before noon we went for a spin about. First checked
the park woods. A few warblers were a couple Nashville,
a Wilson's, and likely the last Black-and-white
of the fall here. One White-eyed Vireo, a Belted
Kingfisher, and nearly two dozen Monarch floating
around the woods. Heard an Indigo Bunnie from across
the river. Then we checked a private prop. (permissioned)
in BanCo out Jones Cmty Rd., where a Frostweed patch
in a pecan bottom. On the way along the county line
before the crossing there was a FOS Kestrel on the
power line. The Frostweed patch had another Wilson's
and two more Nashville Warbler, one Indigo Bunting,
and a gaggle of chorusing Lesser Goldfinch, the usual
Titmice and Carolina Wrens, another Kinglet (Ruby).
A nice patch of Pigeonberry there, but which is mostly
depleted already.
Then we checked the pond on the golf course by the
Waresville Cmty. No Least Grebe. A couple Thornbush
Dasher dragonfly. About 5 male Red-winged Blackbird,
one male Vermilion Flycatcher is the first I have
seen in weeks locally (wonder where it is from), one
Linclon's Sparrow, which led to the FOS Marsh
Wren when it scolded and chased the Linc out of the
cattails where it had landed. A Common Yellowthroat
was also in the cattails, making 5 species of warblers
today, which is a good day here in fall, with none of
either Yellow, Orange-crowned or Yellow-rumped Warbler.
The Zebra (butterfly) was still around the yard.
Five plus Large Orange Sulphur at once, a Julia's
Skipper, a Clouded Skipper, lots of Dun and Southern
Broken-Dash, a Mestra, new was a Soldier in mint
condition. One Monarch and a few Queen. One Large
Orange Sulphur visited later that was smaller than
a big Lyside. Amazing. Squirrels are going ummm,
nuts, on the Pecans. We have a very poor crop again
this year, and between them in the day and the coons
at night, there will be nothing for the birds in winter
in no time, and we can forget getting any ourselves.
I'll have to find a good roadside or riveredge
tree somewhere. The hail storm took ours out in late
May as they were just starting to take and form. Due
to that, and the drought, the Hackberry crop is pretty
weak here too.
Oct. 3 ~ Low was 54F, sunny, then clouded up for a
couple hours mid-morn, then cleared before noon.
Heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Kathy heard an
Audubon's Oriole, I saw a House Wren in the
flower bed, perhaps the same as yesterday's here.
One Nashville Warbler working the Pecans. The
Zebra was around briefly in the late morning.
Seems more Turkey Vulture yesterday and today,
I suspect the first migrants are starting to pass
through. Yesterday a number were up higher and
proceeding directly south over the river, looking
like migrants. This morning seemed like a dozen
in a lift off from the ridge behind us promptly
disappeared. Might be 10 Ruby-throats here this a.m.,
lots of fighting at the feeders. The Indigo Bunnie
is still out there.
This is an adult Cooper's Hawk at our birdbath.
Always have a thick bush or stick pile next to the
bath so birds have a place to dive into just in case.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
October 2 ~ Low was 51F, clear, dry, and beautiful.
Got up to the low 80's, chamber of commerce weather.
Early there were 3 Nashville Warbler together in
the yard, which eventually came down to the bath.
Heard a Hutton's Vireo out there too. About
a half-dozen Ruby-throated Hummingbird still here.
Town run day. As I got to the crossing just down
the road a flock of sparrows flushed out of the
weedy seedy stuff, at least 20 of them. The dozen
that I then got in bins were all Clay-colored, I
presume the whole flock was. Good numbers here.
One Blue Grosbeak imm. was in with them. A female
Green Kingfisher at the crossing too.
At the park in town there were 2-3 Nashville
Warbler, a FOS House Wren, 2 white-eyed Vireo,
9 Blue-winged Teal, 3 Pied-billed Grebe, a
couple Blue Jay, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and at
least a dozen Monarch butterfly were floating
around the woods. Two Belted Kingfisher were
fighting over a section of river. Once they chased
upriver, and shortly came haulin' donkey back
down, both of them, with a Ringed King right on their
rears. That is his part of the river.
Kathy spotted the Zebra before 11 this morning,
and I saw it again about 2 p.m. The Purple-washed
Skipper was a no-show though. Did not see it again.
One Gray Hairstreak was new. One Monarch came
by the yard late afternoon. The rest was the
same gang as all week. Still lots of Snout
but they seem to have relented a little bit.
Heard Turkey at dawn, been seeing 2-3 around.
A second House Wren was in the yard in the afternoon.
The behavior of interest today was an Indigo
Bunting, which burst into song, the first of that
I have heard in a month. Would a migrant passage
bird sing? Then the bird did a full flight
song. It seems to me it is likely one of the
local breeders, still here on its territory.
October 1 ~ Another 42F low is again surely in
record territory if not one. Only 10dF above a
freeze on the date is incredible. No migrant
motion again. It has been surprisng to me that
after such a big strong frontal passage a couple
days ago, in late September, there was so little
(almost no) bird movement on it here. One Myrtle
Warbler. I must be in the wrong place, for that.
Oh to be on a coast where it floods with birds
after a fall front like that.
About 11:45, and again at 3:p.m. the Zebra came
by the Lantanas. Now day 4 for it here. So neat
to see, maybe some better pix. What an awesome
butterfly. Saw a Nysa Roadside-Skipper, and the
False Duskywing was out there again today too.
More Large Orange Sulphur, still clouds of Snout
and lots of skippers. Just after 5:p.m. I spotted
a Panoquina skipper on the Blue Mist. Thought it
was an Ocola at first, took a few pix, it disappeared,
brought them up on the computer and saw it was a
Panoquina lucas - a PURPLE-WASHED Skipper! A
mega-rary in UvCo! Went back out and refound it,
and got better shots. I have seen it now in 3 falls
including the first time in 2013 when I found the
first UvCo record at the library garden. One showed
up in 2016, and now this one is the third. The first
10 years here I saw none. It is a Mexican species
that barely wanders north to the LRGV (lower Rio
Grande Valley) some years. And note I saw a
species on Oct. 1 that I did not see all month
in September. Didn't even get through the
first day of the new month.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ September summary ~ ~ ~
The great transitional month from summer to
fall. We really beat the heat from the very start
of the month with northerly flow from the first big
cyclone that plowed north through Louisiana. We
were cooler than the last bunch of Septembers, as
additional systems repeated and kept the northerly
flow going here much of the month. Precip was on the
dry side, below avg., at 2.3 inches. The river is
two FEET below normal, we are in D1, near D2 drought.
Butterflies were down from August, so diversity
likely peaked for the year already. But there
was a Zebra! As in Heliconian, or Longwing.
My first locally since 2016! Frostweed is just
getting going, some Tropical Sage is doing well,
but most areas are fairly devoid of flowers due
to the drought. It was 46 species for the month,
down (20%) from the 57 in August.
Odes were way down from August, they seemed to
crash fast and early this year. Most of the
month you could hardly find any. There was
ANOTHER male COMET Darner at the Waresville
golf course pond, for a couple weeks mid-month.
It is a great rarity in UvCo. This is the third
one this summer here. A couple Twelve-spotted
Skimmer and a few Band-winged Dragonlet first week
of month were great since both can be missed in
fall. Most of the individual numbers though were
the migrants passing by, from somewhere else,
going somewhere else: Red, and Black, Saddlebags,
and then Wandering, and Spot-winged, Gliders, plus
Green Darner. The local populations mostly seemed
dismal. Drought is not helping. I did not see a
Rubyspot, and only a couple Thornbush Dasher at the
Waresville pond. It is all but over for the ode
year here. I count 20 species for the month,
down from 25 in both July and August.
Birds were great, there was lots of migrant
motion lots of days from the dozen or so species
of regular common passage migrants. The Least Grebe
from late June was last seen Sept. 11. Some of the
LTA - less-than-annual, fall migrants seen were single
Yellow-bellied and Alder Flycatcher, a Western
Tanager, a MacGillivray's Warbler, TWO male
Lazuli Bunting, a Peregrine, a couple Calliope
Hummingbird, and an American Redstart. Also
my first ever here September Myrtle Warbler on the
30th. No stellar rarities, but very interesting.
It was about 103 species for the month for me locally,
with no Lost Maples visit.
~ ~ ~ end Sept. summary ~ ~ ~
~ ~ this was the update header for September ~ ~ ~
September! Finally! One of the biggest months
of the year here for passage migration. Prime
time for raries. A FOS Baltimore Oriole sang
outside on Sept. 1. At least one Calliope and
a few Rufous Hummingbird continued at our feeders
that day as well. Sept. 4 had FOS Willow Flycatcher
and a rare here in fall MacGillivray's Warbler.
Sept. 3 we had 1.25" and the 5th saw .2 of rain.
Sept 5 was my FOS Monarch butterfly, a second on 6th,
third and fourth on 7th. Sept. 6 on the heels of
a couple days of rain all around there were FOS
Mourning Warbler (3+) and American Redstart amongst
a fair bit of movement (for here), as well as
FOS Pied-billed Grebe at UP, and my FOS (Larry
had some already) Blue-winged Teal before sunup
blasting downriver. A White-tailed Kite near the
golf course entrance also on Sept. 6 is a scarce
bird here. A 54F temp was seen on the morning of
Sept. 10th, none had been noted in 4 months. Three
Yellow-headed Blackbird on Sept. 11 were my FOS.
An FOS Common Yellowthroat was seen Sept. 13, my
FOS Belted Kingfisher was the 14th. A Solitary
Sandpiper flew over southbound early on the 16th.
My FOS Clay-colored Sparrow was on the 19th.
The 20th saw 3 great FOS: a Peregrine Falcon
stooped over the 360 x-ing, a Western Tanager and
a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher were in our yard. Three
more FOS were on Sept. 25: a Long-billed Curlew flew
over calling in the mist in the morning, followed by a
major sign of fall, TWO Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the
yard, and then a calling Alder Flycatcher was a great
find at the park entrance garden. My FOS Lincoln's
Sparrow was the 28th, thought I had one earlier though.
A Zebra Longwing butterfly was in yard Sept. 28 ++, is
my first since 2016. A FOS Myrtle Warbler (Yellow-rumped)
was record early on Sept. 30.
~ ~ ~ end update header archive copy ~ ~ ~
~ ~ back to the daily drivel ~ ~ ~
Sept. 30 ~ Holy cow I can't believe how fast
the month shot by. Low was 42F! Almost surely a
record, which in SAT is 47 for the date. So just
10F over freezing here this morning! KRVL hit 41,
and we may have too. I wasn't watching it.
Amazing. Heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet early. Then
a record earliest ever Myrtle Warbler was up in the
big Pecan. My first September date, prior I could
say all Sept. Yellow-rumps here were Audubon's.
Now, except one. In the watch what you wish for
department, there were THREE Scrub-Jay out back at
once for a bit, collecting sunflower seeds it seemed.
The Zebra (butterfly) came back about 11:30, got a
few shots, and never saw it again the rest of the
day. Did see a False Duskywing, which is new for
the month on the last day, so great. It was a fresh
beauty too. The Snouts were not as bad as yesterday,
but still hundreds around the house, thousands going
by. At least one Monarch, about a half-dozen Queen.
A few Fiery Skipper, maybe 8 Dun, at least 5 Southern
Broken-Dash, nice to see skippers. One yellow morph
Lyside Sulphur. Heard but did not see an Indigo
Bunting out back. The three hummer feeders seem to
be guarded by three birds, with occasional others
sneaking in here and there, so maybe a half-dozen
birds still here, all imm. male Rubies.
Sept. 29 ~ Low was 44F! OMG! My that is refreshing.
Last recorded temp in 40's here was a late late 43F
low on April 30. And this one is on the early side.
Has to be within a couple dF of record cold. But so
figure five months at 50F or (and mostly way) above.
Only heard one migrant mid-morn when either a flatulent
Dickcissel or maybe a few flew over. Let's hope
it was three birds. Saw one Scrub-Jay out back. Only
got up to about 76F or so, and dry! Outstanding.
The Two-tailed Swallowtail is still here. Thousands
of Snout are going by and hundreds coming into water
or nectar. Finally about 10:40 the Zebra was back at
the Lantana. Saw it from my chair at the monitor.
Bolted out and grabbed a few docu shots. What an
awesome butterfly. That shallow-stroke flight pattern
presents such a neat twittering effect. I got a pic
with it and the Two-tailed Swallowtail in the same frame.
Butterflies were busy on the Blue Mist too, at least a
half-dozen Dun Skipper, at least 4 Southern Broken-Dash,
a Texas Powdered-Skipper, a Giant Swallowtail, a Celia's
Roadside-Skipper, Sachem, Fiery, and Whirlabout, amongst
others, and pounds of Snout. No hairstreaks or blues,
crescents or patches. The Zebra came back at 1: and 2:45
and after over 60 frames since the morning there are a
few bearable ones. A Fatal Metalmark was on the Frostweed
later p.m., my first individual metalmark of the month.
So looked great despite being beat and worn. At least
it was still ID'able.
Sept. 28 ~ The front arrived pre-dawn with some
wind but no precip. It was still in the upper
70'sF at 3 a.m. and by 4 it had dropped 10dF
and was blowing 15-25 mph out of the north. Low
was about 64F. Morning was mostly 10-20 mph but
regular gusts at 25-35 mph. It is a fall front,
no rain, lots of wind. Got up to 75F or so. No
bird movement. There were 6 Field Sparrow at once
at the bird bath. Saw a vireo make a couple
attempts at a splash-bathe, but bath was busy
and it departed without bathing or being ID'd.
Heard two Scrub-Jay. Great was a FOS Lincoln's
Sparrow at the bath. After seeing what surely was
one shoot away a few days ago, got this one in bins.
Late afternoon the wind finally laid down a bit.
The bird of the day was a butterfly. A Zebra
Longwing (Heliconian) was briefly on a Lantana out
the office window by the tub pond. I grabbed
camera and Kathy but did not get a shot before
it left, at least Kathy got a glimpse of it.
Been a while since I have seen one, they have
been very scarce the last 5 years. Just checked,
last year I saw a Zebra was 2016, four years ago,
a couple or few seen that year. None since. I have
seen more actual Zebra here more recently. During
wet periods they can get numerous, e.g., five on one
walk through the park woods for instance, then during
droughts they can be absent for years, or maybe one
or two over a whole year if lucky. They are as
erratic as the hydrologic cycle. But my what a beautiful
fancy butterfly! They are deceptively fast with
that weak-appearing twittery shallow-stroke flight
pattern. Then a Two-tailed Swallowtail showed up
on the Lantana at front porch. It stayed for a few
pix but was worn very pale, and missing much of one
hindwing, so two-tailess, and not the looker you want
for pix. Same bunch of skippers and Snout on the
Blue Mistflower.
Sept. 27 ~ Today is the warmup day before the front
which arrives after midnight, and will be dry,
but with lots of wind. So we have the gulf low
stratus getting sucked up ahead of it, and a 72F
low. With strong southerlies we usually see very
little to no southbound migrant motion. Worked on
stuff here, will save my time for whence better more
migrant conducive conditions exist. Saw nothing
go through the yard all day. Got hot too, was
92F on the cool shady front porch. Dryer than
summer though. Local WU stations had 95, 96,
and 98F readings at 4 p.m. Summer doesn't want
to let go. There were a couple hundred Snout around,
at least. The Blue Mist Eup. and Frostweed were
covered with them. Many were the smallest I have
ever seen, almost hairstreak sized, barely over a
half-inch long. A fair number of skippers were on
the Blue Mist too: Celia's Roadside-, a Clouded,
2 Sachem, 3+ Southern Broken-Dash, a Fiery, and several
Dun. Peak Queen count was 7, a few Large Orange Sulphur,
one Little Yellow, a Lyside, so a few things to look
at anyway besides tiny Snouts. Maybe a half-dozen
Ruby-throated Hummingbird remain, all seemingly
immature males. Can't wait for the front.
Sept. 26 ~ The low was 62 or so at midnight, and
warmed to 72 by dawn. It was clear with northerly
flow at midnight, cloudy with gulf clouds and
fog-mist in the morning. Only migrants in yard
were a Gnatcatcher and a Nashville Warbler.
Checked park before noon, no migrants there,
or at the pond by the Waresville Cmty., or at
the Frostweed patch at the 360 x-ing. Did see
a few leps: a Hackberry Emperor at Waresville,
a Clouded Skipper at the park, a Monarch at the
Frostweed patch. On our Blue Mist were a few
Southern Broken-Dash, a Celia's Roadside-Skipper,
a Fiery Skipper, and a Julia's Skipper.
There were dozens of Snout coming in every time
Kathy sprayed water around. Green Darner and
Black Saddlebags were about it for odes. The
bugs are weak, no doubt drought related. We are
in D1 on the edge of D2 per the Drought Monitor.
The riverlet is down a couple feet below normal
and not flowing above ground in many areas. Hit
the upper 80's F in the afternoon. Did I
mention there are tadpoles in the tub pond now?
Will have to watch and see what type, but do not
care for them really if Leopard Frog. They will
take the Mosquitofish so will have to remove them.
Still small and black right now. If Cricket-Frog
or Barking Frog, then great!
Here is the Zebra Heliconian (or Longwing) that has been
around the yard all week, 5 days now. First one we have
had locally since 2016, for me at least.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Sept. 25 ~ An even cooler 56F this morning, weewow.
About 9:30 it was drizzling in the fogmist and I
heard a FOS Long-billed Curlew fly over up there in
the gray haze somewhere. Later morn there was a
Nashville Warbler and TWO FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet!
To me a major sign of fall, a kinglet. Then a town
run fer errands. Park stop of course. No migrants
in the woods. Deadsville. One Belted, one Ringed,
and two or three Green Kingfisher around the pond
and island. Leaving I stopped at the deco garden
at the entrance. An ALDER Flycatcher popped up and
proceeded to begin calling at me. I got a couple
docu shots before I lost it. Then leaving I saw
it across the road but it shot back into the big
row of dense shrubbery by the water co. and I was
late by then so had to go. Great to hear one in
the fall so as to get a positive ID! Pwip! Pwip!
Sort of similar to a Pewee (Eastern) chip note.
Most falls I do not get a positive ID on one.
Heard an Indigo Bunnie here late in the p.m.
Saw 82F on the front porch, dry, wonderful.
A Monarch was on the Blue Mistflower late p.m.
Saw a Least Flycatcher out front at last sun.
Keep forgetting to mention the Lindheimer's
Senna has been blooming great for a couple weeks
now.
Sept. 24 ~ I saw 58F on the front porch early, at
first crack of light, probably dropped another dF
or two though, wasn't watching it. Awesome.
Sure seems quiet out there in the mornings now.
The place has emptied out, barely any hummers, did
not see any migrant motion early, and all the breeders
that migrate away are gone except Lark Sparrow.
Kathy saw two Scrub-Jay today, so after a two day
absence either the missing bird is back, or another
showed up. Did not hear a White-eyed Vireo, but
did hear one Indigo Bunting bzzz in the morning.
One Orchard Oriole was on clothesline and dropped
down to seed on patio where other birds were eating.
One Yellow Warbler in afternoon. Saw 85F on the
cool shady front porch, so near 90 in the sun.
A few Southern Broken-Dash (skipper - butterfly)
were on the Blue Mistflower.
Sept. 23 ~ A low of 62F was awesome. Scissor-tails
are the only thing singing as light just breaks.
Just one Scrub-Jay here, but at least it is one
Scrub-Jay here. There is a White-eyed Vireo across
road but it is not our local nesting bird which was
absolutely gone yesterday if not the day before.
As Kathy noticed, this bird's call, we never
heard from ours. I presume an immature, certainly
a passage migrant White-eyed Vireo. Because they
arrive early and stay late, it is hard to get
passage dates on them, until you know your local
birds are gone. Which you can tell by listening
to them every day. I bet this one can't even
do perfect Ash-throat and Summer Tanager calls.
I am sure there have been migrants passing by,
as their numbers have been higher than the local
baseline numbers. Ran to town late afternoon in
peak heat, looked at the park woods anyway, seemed
everything was sleeping save one Ringed Kingfisher.
Not a White-eyed Vireo there either. Heard a
Wilson's Warbler here at the casita at last
sun. Kathy had a Rufous-crowned Sparrow at the bath.
Sept. 22 ~ Low of 66F, brisk northerlies, and it
feels like the first day of fall. No morning
migrant motion in yard though. Sure is getting
yellow of leaves out there. Being in the 70's
sure is great. Certainly less than a dozen
hummers, maybe less than a half-dozen remain
present. A week from peak of a couple hundred,
and they are almost all gone. No Indigo or Painted
Bunting, and did not hear any White-eyed Vireo
around today. They too have departed. One Yellow
Warbler went through yard today. Maybe the strong
northerlies are causing much to overfly us? It is
clearing out here fast. There was only one
Scrub-Jay around a little bit today. We had one
for a several days, then two for a few days which
hung out together all the time. Kathy heard
what sounded a Scrub-Jay being predated after
dark last night, and now we only have one again.
What takes a Scrub-Jay at roost? A Ringtail is my
number one guess.
Sept. 21 ~ Low about 66, with some light sprinkles
and showers, maybe .1 or so in pre-dawn hour or so.
Looks like was a band from Beta off the Texas coast.
No migrant motion first few hours. Nice northerly
flow though. Heard Scissor-tails at dawn over at
golf course across river. No greenie Painted
Bunting today, the Chats are gone, the Vermilion
Flycatchers are gone, only a few hummers left too.
Two Scrub-Jay still. In afternoon one each Yellow
and Nashville Warbler, one mostly brown ad. ma.
Indigo Bunting. Still a White-eyed Vireo or two.
Again flushed a small bird as I walked by the tub
pond. This a LBJ, little brown job, that looked
like a Lincoln's Sparrow. Which would be FOS,
but it shot off, gettin' smaller as it flew
away, and looking like a Lincoln's all the way.
Kathy heard a bird being taken by a predator
after dark, said it sounded like a Scrub-Jay.
Sept. 20 ~ Got down to at least 56F, maybe lower,
wow. Soooo good. Still dry northerly flow aloft,
and no migration motion early in morn again. The
Scrub-Jay was gathering sunflower seeds out back,
so has discovered the food supply, and appears to
have designs on hanging around. And there is the
second one, still here too. So we have a pair it
seems. Before 10 I was out in driveway when a
male Scissor-tail flew by low going north and
right as it got over the gate it burst into song
climbing straight up and flipped at the crescendo,
twice! Full display flightsong right in front of me.
Almost OD'd on awesomeness.
About 11-1 we went and checked park and golf course.
Heard a couple Yellow Warbler along 360. No Least
Grebe on the pond, it may be gone. A sparrow got
away there that looked a White-crowned, which would
have been an early FOS. Saw the male Comet Darner
dragonfly, and a couple Thornbush Dasher.
At the park woods there were a couple Wilson's
Warbler, a Least Flycatcher, two Common Yellowthroat
(one female type, one imm. male), one Hutton's
Vireo, and heard a Yellow-throated Warbler. One
Belted Kingfisher at the pond. Then checked the
Frostweed by the 360 xing on way home. One Nashville
Warbler was it there for small stuff. A third
C. Yellowthroat was just upriver from the bridge
where the FOS was a week ago. No odes at the
crossing though, but the immigrant Green Darners.
Season seems to be ending early here this year.
Park didn't have squat for odes either.
We were on the 360 bridge walking back to trucklet,
luckily my eyes were on the ground, and I saw a
shadow of something going over. We get a lot of
vulture shadows here and you get tired of looking
up and into the sun for another dang vulture. This
shadow however was highly suspicious, it was a suspect
shadow. By all means a shadow of great interest. It
was smaller, and a fast shadow. This shadow was
not lollygagging around. My nose went up like
an infield fly as I looked toward the sun for said
shadowmaker. Instantly upon sighting it I said to
Kathy 'falcon!', followed immediately by
Peregrine! Just as she got on it, it stooped toward
the pasture on the other side of the treeline and
we lost it behind the trees. Never saw it again.
Short and sweet, but a Peregrine! It gave a few
flaps as it began the dive, you could see the
acceleration, and when it closed its wings it was
like turbo warp drive speed initiated. Whaddabird!
One of the times I went to birdbath to add water
and flush it (fills with feathers all Aug. and Sept.)
I lifted it up and a Ribbonsnake was under it! It
bolted into brushpile. Very cool. They are too
small to take a bird, but maybe a frog or bug
coming in is another story. Later in afternoon
I saw a bird bathing in bath that bare-eyed I kept going
back and forth between oriole and tanager on, because it
was greenish and yellowish, with a lower white wingbar,
but the bill was short and stubby, with lots of yellow
in it and tanager shaped. It was a Western Tanager!
It flew off directly across fence out of yard. Then
late near last sun there were TWO Empidonax flycatchers
in the yard. One was a Least, the other disappeared
quickly and was a Yellow-bellied, but which at least
I got a good close view of for the ID.
Sept. 19 ~ A low of 62F, at least, might have hit
61, KRVL had a 59 briefly. I check it on the way
to toss seed, but which is usually before the final
dF or two drop. Not much migrant motion in the morn.
A pair of imm. Baltimore Oriole seems the same two
around all week. One Gnatcatcher might have been
new, or not. In a gap between trees I saw a few flaps
of what looked like a cormorant heading south, and
which could only have been a Neotropic (size and tail).
Have to let it go, and would be a yard bird. Ouch.
Did a dump and recycling run 11-1 or so. Which
meant a park woods check. One Wilson's
Warbler, a Chat, heard a Ringed King upriver, and
one Catocala Underwing moth with orange hindwing.
Later here at casita heard a Ringed as well. Went out
Seco Ridge to check the Evergreen Sumacs for that
fancy metallic green and orange-red Cerambycid and
found none. There has been fiber optic cable being laid
along the road and the one best magic bush where
they met to select mates, which had to be 50 years
old or more, is gone, no trace of it. They call
it progress.
After a post office pickup I saw Big Ern was there
so braked for BBQ chicken and a pound of pork ribs.
Lunch and dinner to die for good. And Kathy is off
the hook to cook. About 7 p.m. a FOS Clay-colored
Sparrow was on the patio! Adult, awesome. A dozen
Lark and a few Field there as well as two Indigo Bunting,
one a continuing adult male. After dark heard a couple
Barn Owl go over, and I presume that begging
Screech-Owl of a week and more ago is the other
noise out there.
This is the first pic of an Alder Flycatcher here.
Sorry about the grainy and over-exposed, settings
were for in the dark woods. It was much greener
and yellower than these pics show. Fortunately
it was in a calling mood unlike most that pass through.
It makes a good generic Empidonax flycatcher pic.
Oliveish above, some yellowish below, usually a
messy breastband of olive, two wingbars and an eyering.
Ya seen one you seen 'em all, just hope they call.
Actually they are learnable, but are usually the last
group of birds one learns well, which means well
enough to ID most of them even when they are silent.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Sept. 18 ~ A low of 64F is outstanding. Early
saw two Nashville Warbler (still same ones?),
a couple Baltimore Oriole, and heard a Dickcissel.
Heard a Scrub-Jay out back. Saw the ad. ma.
Painted Bunting with yellow on back early in morn.
Town run errand day. A stop at the park woods
found only two greenie Painted Bunting, besides
a small buteo that got away. Hummers have blown
out big time, there might be a dozen around by
the end of the day. Late Kathy saw the two
Nashville Warbler gleaning pecans still. I saw
one Monarch pass by southbound. Heard an
Audubon's Oriole early, and an Orchard Oriole
late. A few Turkey were over in the corral.
Topped out at about 84F, at least 10F cooler
than a few weeks ago. Lots of Barn Swallow
going north low from a roost to feed early in
the morning. Water is at least two feet from
going over the spillway at the park. It just
keeps dropping. Heard an Upland Sandpiper at
dusk. Sure wish I could find the magic pasture.
Sept. 17 ~ Low about 68F, still north or northeast
flow. Seems like it should help us get migrants
but no action early in yard save a Gnatcatcher
and the two Nashville Warbler gleaning the leaves
in the pecanlets, again right out the nook window
whilst we had breakfast, just feet away. Probably
the same birds, now on day 4 around the yard. Heard
a Scrub-Jay mid-morn. Clouded up before noon. One
Yellow Warbler was around. Some rain cells in the
area in afternoon, finally one found us, we got
about .2 of an inch of precip. Every bit counts.
Took us from peak heat at 84 to 74F. Late I saw
the ad. ma. Painted Bunting with yellow on back.
Was a big hummer blowout yesterday, and which continues
today. The Rufous was here early still. Maybe 50
or so Rubies left in the morning, and probably not
two dozen in the evening. Heard an Upland Sandpiper
at dusk, at midnight another. Probably a bunch went
by in between? The ones right at dusk and just after
are quite low, and are just getting in the air for a
night of flight, and spent the day on the ground
locally. The ones you hear late are very high up by
comparison.
Sept. 16 ~ Another 65F low is wonderful. Just
before 8 a.m. a Solitary Sandpiper flew south
right over the yard, calling. I was at my
observation station (chair on front porch) and
heard it coming so got a decent look. Been a
few years since I saw one from yard, and do not
even see one every fall. Probably flushed off
the mudflats at park pond when first visitor
showed up. A half-hour later a couple very
yellow below Kingbirds flew north up the river
habitat corridor, almost certainly Couch's.
Then three more birds flew north together which
were long-winged, medium sized, fairly Larid
appearing. Maybe Black Terns but I just saw them
flying away. Wish I could run to the park. Too
much to do. Heard Aububon's Oriole early.
The Rufous Hummer that showed up yesterday
continues, it is missing much of the right
half of its tail, so will be easy to track
here. There are way fewer hummers (all but one
Ruby-throated) this morning, and way fewer again
in the evening. Might have had a hundred in the
a.m., probably 50 at last call, at most. Big
departure day, again. Yesterday started the big
departure, today it continued. Were a couple
hundred a couple days ago. The mid-Sept. blowout
with first frontal passage is underway.
Orchard Oriole went through, one female
Yellow Warbler, a Gnatcatcher, a little bit
of movement. On a stuck-at-the-desk day.
Will have to hope something shows up at the bath.
Speaking of which Kathy spotted the Scrub-Jay
at the bath, which is the first time one has
been at it in 7+ years at this place. We had
Blue Jays at it the last invasion year for them,
but have never pulled a Scrub-Jay in. I think it
might have found sunflower seeds out back, as it
was out there the last couple days, and now at
the water. It came back late in the day with
a friend, TWO Scrub-Jay at the bath! Watch
what you wish for.
At least a couple Baltimore Oriole came in to
the birdbath, methinks imm. female and imm. male,
maybe an ad. female too? Maybe pix of two of them.
Chat was at bath too, still a couple of them across
road in the thicket. Chitting. Do you know chit
from chat? Or do you not know chit? Sometimes
I digress... Late at last seed call on the patio
the ad. male Painted Bunting was there, the one
with the yellow lower edge of green back, the
third day for it now. Just one or two greenies
left, and a couple brownies, imm. Indigo, plus
one ad. male Indigo continues as well. Lots of
Field (8-10) and Lark (16-20) Sparrow, just a few
Chippy. At last sun two Nashville Warbler were
gleaning in a small yellowing pecan, as a couple
days ago. Something attractive to them there.
With the few Hooded Orio at the feeders there
were four species of oriole here today.
Sept. 15 ~ Low of 65F was great, I could get
used to this. What a world of difference a
temp spread in the 60-80 range is from the
70-90's. Night and day. There seemed
no migrant motion through the yard in the
morning. Maybe over the day some things will
pass through. There was north to northeasterly
flow last night. Also seems there was some
hummingbird departure yesterday afternoon.
Which seems to be ongoing this morning on
the still light north flow. Will be easy to see
any big numbers change via fluid usage. It was
likely barely a hundred hummers during last hour.
Heard a Dickcissel in yard later morning, and one
Scissor-tail flew over high going south.
It is great having about 4 dozen Red Turkscap
flowers going at once for a couple weeks. If
the deer hadn't repeatedly eaten the tops
off all the stalks in the summer I am sure it
would have been a very impressive show this year.
It is still good, at least some made it, about
a 8' strip of it, started from harvested seeds.
Our one (transplanted from one small stalk a few
years ago) Frostweed is now a dozen stalks with
flower heads all just about to open up. A Southern
Broken-Dash was on the Blue Mist Eupatorium. One
Monarch came by and sniffed them but continued on.
About 11 a.m. heard a Rufous Hummingbird, the first
in four days at least, so a new bird, and at least
number 6 for the fall, here. One greenie and
one ad. male Indigo on patio. Few Turkey over
in corral. Black Rock Squirrel still around.
Noonish flushed a warbler out of the Turkscap and Am.
Germander that was probably a Common Yellowthroat.
Tail was too long for a Mourning, but could
have been a Mac. Just saw it well enough to
say probably a Yellowthroat, absolutely not a
Mourning. Later Kathy had a female Wilson's
at the birdbath.
Sept. 14 ~ A 67F low was great, sunny, a light
NE flow so clear and no clouds. Like utopia.
Hear a chat still, Kathy saw one yesterday at
the bath. A couple Baltimore Oriole went through
yard early. Heard a Scrub-Jay out back about 9,
I wish one would find the sunflower seed here.
Perhaps a good time for a reminder to watch
what you wish for. Ran to town early and a
quick check of the park woods where there were
no migrants. It seems to collect birds over
the morning and is better later than earlier.
The pond, much quieter of hominids than on the
weekends, had two Ringed Kingfisher, and a FOS
Belted Kingfisher. Up at top of island, which
is not anymore due to the water level dropping
near a couple feet, there were two Green Kingfisher.
So a king trifecta today. Still busy with hummers
but seemingly thinning slightly over the day.
Like maybe a quarter or so left?
Then back here at the hovelita with a couple
of Rosie's egg, chorizo and cheese
breakfast tacos... There is a small pecanlet
tree right outside the window at the nook where
we sit to eat breakfast and lunch. There were
two Nashville Warbler in it, two to four feet
away, for minutes. Gleaning something off the
yellowing pecan leaves. I think bugs come into
the sap they exude and get stuck in it. It was
a great show at point blank. They sure are
small warblers. In the afternoon I got a few
shots of an imm. male (first fall) Baltimore
Oriole at the bath, but missed the ad. male that
Kathy saw at it. Then after 6 p.m. Kathy spotted
an adult male Painted Bunting on the patio!
It was not the one with yellow across breast,
last here a week or so ago. It is a new
different one, perfectly red below. Great
late date, for an ad. male. It has a band of
yellow across back at lower edge of the lime
green. Pure bright sun yellow. Awesome looking.
Sept. 13 ~ Low was 69F, cloudy and humid, a
little breeze. No migrant motion through
yard in a.m., shoulda gone out yesterday
when stuff moving through yard. We went
out for a couple hour check mid-day. The
woods at the park had no migrants. One Great
Egret still at pond. A half-mile south of
town at a private spot with some Frostweed saw
a Least Flycatcher, a Yellow Warbler, a
greenie Painted Bunting, and over at river
female Summer Tanager, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,
an Indigo Bunting and two female Wilson's
Warbler. Then at the golf course pond we missed
the Least Grebe as a guy raced by the pond in
a golf cart just as we got there, and we saw
no blackbirds. At the 360 xing we walked a
Frostweed patch and had one more Indigo
Bunting, and an imm. Mourning Warbler.
Number 7 of the fall, and in last 8 days.
Then just above the crossing streamside was
a FOS female or immature Common Yellowthroat.
Heard two Yellow Warbler along the way, saw
two Scissor-tails and a few Vermilion Flycatcher.
Saw a half-dozen Fireweed in bloom in or
along river, and one nice XL Goldenrod was
open, what a beautiful plant.
A Gnatcatcher went through yard late afternoon.
A sprinkle hit about 3:30 dropping temp
from 85F to 80, then to 77 by 4:30 and 73F at 5:30!
Amazing for the date. Wonderful. Over a
couple hours we got about .15" of an inch.
Late at last call for seed on the patio there
were 3 greenie Painted and 4 brownie Indigo
Buntings, one Indigo is an adult male. Late
afternoon there was a Turkey tussle over in the
corral, a couple males in partial display,
maybe 7-8 big toms all trilling the warbled
notes that almost sound like distant cranes
(but rounder). Ruby-throated are the only hummer
here now, making up for it in numbers, there are
probably about 200 present.
Sept. 12 ~ Low of 65 F is fine, mostly cloudy,
got up to about 90F. Was a little movement early
but I was too busy to go play hooky and bird.
Through the yard I had a few Orchard and at
least 2 Baltimore Oriole, and a Yellow Warbler.
Seems less buntings, might have been a flight
out last night? Lots of Ruby-throated Hummers
(150-200), but no Calliope or Rufous for the first
time in a couple weeks. I last saw both yesterday
in the morning, did not have either in the
afternoon. Sure was great to have one, and
often two Calliope, around for a couple weeks.
The Hooded Orioles were around hitting the feeders,
at least three. Had a count of 18 Lark Sparrow.
Only a few of each Indigo and Painted bunnies
today.
Another little seen, depicted, and known plumage.
This is a first summer Audubon's Oriole, about
a year old and just molting into its first adult
type plumage. The black feathers are all new adult
type plumage. Some new olive back feathers, and
yellow throat feathers are also coming in, more
adult plumage. Note this bird as a juvenile started
out all green and greenish-yellow, before these
feathers faded with a beating from a year of wear.
As the birds in the break pics a few weeks ago.
The yellow-green underparts are now very pale, nearly
white in places. Some of the formerly green upperparts
are worn to gray as upper tail coverts or rump, and
scapulars. Keep in mind green can wear to gray in a
year. You can see this in flycatchers (Empidonax,
pewees), buntings (Painted), and even warblers among
other things. The dirt stuck on the bill is Texas
Persimmon, lots of birds here show this mid-Aug. to Sept.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Sept. 11 ~ Low was 57F, and fantastic. No more
rain, but cloudy all day and did not hit 80F.
Wonderful. Not much for migrant movement in
the morning. Heard a Blue Grosbeak, presume the
ad. male of yesterday. Also heard a Dickcissel and
saw a bunch of buntings. A bzzzzz of buntings.
One Calliope Hummer still here in a.m. Noonish
did the town errand run. Drove through golf course on
way, no grasspipers, saw the Least Grebe from the
car, a driveby sighting, and there were 3
Yellow-headed Blackbird on the powerline over
the pond, which departed in short order.
Then at Utopia Park saw a Ringed King, and the
Pied-billed Grebe continued, but that was about it.
No migs. Did not hear the Yellow-throated Vireo
in yard, or at park. Only one Summer Tanager at
park, and Kathy had a red one here. They have
thinned out too. After Rosie's tacos for
lunch here I saw a (THIRD for the fall) male
Lazuli Bunting at the bath but it flushed as
I went for photos. An oriole came down for
some consolation pix, it felt so bad for me.
It was a juvenile (HY - hatch year) male Hooded.
Heard a Gnatcatcher in yard. The fairly adult
male looking Hooded at the office feeder is a
first summer bird, but molting into second basic,
so looking better than it did all summer.
Saw a worn juv. Blue Grosbeak at the 360 xing
on way out this a.m., and then another very
similar bird here on patio at last call. They
are on the move now.
Sept. 10 ~ A low of 54F is astounding. There
hasn't been one of those seen around here
in four months! The record low for SAT this date
is 56F so we had to be right about there, here.
Had to find pants with legs. We finally got a
little rain, mostly right around and after dawn,
was .6 of an inch. So we are about 2" for
the month now. Saw one Callope and one Rufous,
and a hundred or likely more Rubies. The 7 greenies
continue, and saw 7 brownies, Indigo Bunting, at
once. The patio is buntingtopia. Even the two
adult male Indigos left are mostly brown now. A
Dickcissel was out there farting away. Even
better than a Dickcissel fart was an adult male
Blue Grosbeak. Of which I have not seen one in
a month, our local breeders have been long gone,
and this is surely a transient from somewhere else.
Kathy saw a male Hooded Oriole on a feeder. The
high I saw was 63F, making me wonder what the
record low high is for the date. This has to be
very close, at or near one. Less than a 10dF
spread on Sept. 10 is amazing. It will cause
an early blowout of hummers is my guess.
Sept. 9 ~ Low about 73F again, very humid, the
first fall cold front on way inbound, arriving
in afternoon sometime. Had to run to town early
so a quick look at park woods. At far north
end in weedy patch, Indigo and Painted Bunting
immatures, and another Mourning Warbler. Unlike
the ones here Sunday it had no white around eye
so a new different immature. The sixth one I
have seen in the last 3 days. One Ringed King
was on island, and finally I saw an immature
Green Heron, no doubt from the pair that nests
on the island. Two Yellow-throated Warbler at
park woods, and one in yard.
Was about 80 before it started to cool just before
noon whence a few sprinkles. About 74F at 1 p.m.
was great. As of 3:30 p.m. all the rain has missed
us, we have a tracelet. One Yellow Warbler was in
the yard. There will be bird movement when the
wind changes, maybe tomorrow. Last couple days
had strong southerlies which shut down southward
progression. Later afternoon heard a Dickcissel
out in the pecans.
After 5 p.m. Kathy spotted an oriole at the
office feeder but couldn't see it through
the reflection. Hooded are in and out all day
but usually chatter on way in and there had
been none. I slowly moved my head to get eyes
on it, and it flushed when it saw me. It was
a male Scott's Oriole, of which I haven't
seen one in the yard all year. We have had a
pair nest nearby in prior years and be daily users,
but they were not around this year. Actually lamented
to Kathy in the summer about not hearing that beautiful
awesome song. Now I hope it got a taste of that
sweet sweet fluid and comes back. And wonder
if was one that knew about the feeder as it is
under the carport steel roof out back and not
out in open view to regular passersby like a
couple other feeders are.
A bit after 5 p.m. it had cooled down to 69F or
so, which is hard to believe after the last three
months of 5 p.m. temps. No one complained.
Junction and Rocksprings were at 59F! At 7 p.m.
we were 64F with northwest winds! Hummer feeders
were backed up before dark. Still two Calliope
and a couple Rufous Hummers at the feeders, lots
of Rubies, my guess is about a hundred. Did not
see a Black-chinned today. Had a last light
count of 7 greenies, 5 on the patio and 2 out back,
and 3 or 4 Indigo of which one is a continuing
adult male.
The Soldier butterfly from yesterday was back on
the Blue Mist Eup. today, new was a Texas Powdered-Skipper
on it. But all we got was spit on for precipitation.
A 100% chance and I could have counted the drops.
A tracelet. Lots of folks north and east got it,
some too much, but most of the Hwy. 90 strip of
Medina, Uvalde, and Kinney Counties missed it so far.
Sept. 8 ~ Low was 73F, still struggling to
cool off here. Highs in the mid-to-upper 80's F
is still a big relief after a hundred days near a
hundred dF. Rain is forecast all week and a
cold front is progged to arrive tomorrow,
Wednesday. The first real front of fall.
Some sprinkles over morning, a hundredth or two.
Still two Calliope and at least two Rufous
on the front feeder. No bird movement
apparent early through yard. The Chat hit
the bath. One female Yellow around yard after
mid-day. A Dickcissel at the bath was an ad.
female, not the usual immatures we get in fall.
Monarch #5 was at the Blue Mistflower briefly.
A Soldier was on it in the afternoon, so with
the usual few Queens, hit the Danaus trifecta,
all three of our 'milkweed' butterflies.
About 5 p.m. I found a just shed snakeskin
right out front by the flowers and stepping
stones. Wished I'd have seen the snake. It
was not there a couple hours earlier. It was
fresh enough to see the pattern, it was from a
Western Ribbonsnake, the most-seen snake in the
yard. The skin was 43" long with kinks in it!
It had to be 45"! Snakeskin stretches as it
molts so you cannot claim the snake was that
big, but it was a biggun'. Maybe 10% or
so for stretch during shed? Even at 20% it
would be a 3 foot Ribbonsnake. The biggest
I have seen is maybe 30" or so.
Sept. 7 ~ A low of 66F or so was outstanding.
I saw KRVL hit 64, we might have, I wasn't
watching, but saw 66F, 20 min. or so before that
usual final dip of a dF or two. What a treat
on what to many marks the end of summer, Labor Day.
Not much for migration motion early. Three
Indigo Bunting, 2 brown imm. or female, one
male continuing. Five greenies in a.m. on patio.
One Gnatcatcher, one Orchard Oriole. Still
two Calliope, 2-3 Rufous, maybe 4 dozen Ruby-throated,
and a couple imm. Black-chinned Hummingbird.
Had a Monarch on the Blue Mistflower early.
Noonish I ran down to the crossing and checked
the Frostweed patches up and down river a bit.
Nothing going in either, save one Monarch,
one Orchard Orio, one greenie Painted Bunting.
Did see some Clammy-weed in bloom, a delicate
beauty. Some Fireweed (Lobelia) is opening in
the river. Out back of house I saw some
Fall Rain Lily, first of those this fall.
After lunch there was a Dickcissel at the bath
briefly. Best was during my last seed toss at
3 p.m., as I walked by the little fenced-in garden
area with the tub pond, a Mourning Warbler
flushed out of it! It was right under the
office window! It landed in the Lantana
there 6' from me long enough for me
to see it was not the expected greenie
popping up, but a Mourning Warbler! An hour or
so later Kathy thought she saw it at the bath,
but a Cardinal flushed it away. There was a
Southern Broken-Dash (skipper) on the Blue
Mistflower.
Sept. 6 ~ Low of 68 was great. We are on the
heels of the system that has caused rain all
over the area for the last 3 days. There have
been areas in central Texas that got 3, 5,
and further north 10 inches of rain over the
last few days. The low is fading away, after
the last few spits late last night. Before
sunup about 6:45 a small group of Blue-winged
Teal shot by following the river habitat corridor.
About 7 a second group went by. Was only a dozen
total, but my FOS this fall so great to see, and
hear those wings whistling. I haven't heard
anything big flap that fast in months.
Early a couple Yellow Warbler, couple Orchard
Oriole, a Gnatcatcher went through. About
10 we went looking for signs of migration motion.
Pulled into the golf course entrance road and
spotted an odd shaped raptor a couple hundred
yards away in treetop snag. White-tailed Kite!
Got a distant docushot for the hawk page. Never
know when you will see one here. More often
you don't.
At the golf course pond at Waresville I had a
quick look at the Least Grebe but it disappeared.
A few Red-winged Blackbird, one Yellow Warbler,
a Least Flycatcher, a Gnatcatcher and an imm.
Vermilion Flycatcher. Great was a COMET DARNER
dragonfly. This is no doubt NOT the one here
early in summer, but a new one, they don't
live that long as flying adults. One has not
been there for the last month prior. There
seems to me to be a connection between hurricanes
going north up the Mississippi and us getting
Comet Darners a week later. There was also a
male Twelve-spotted Skimmer there, the second
one of the fall after the one Kathy trolled in
with water in the yard. There were no grasspipers
to be found. Heard the Shrike again.
At the park pond there was a FOS Pied-billed Grebe.
Then we checked the park woods. They often seem
a bit slow and you have to stand around and be
still shortly so things come back out. More often
than not I find the good birds on the way out
after I have walked all the way in, been still
ten minutes, and slowly work my way back. We saw
three FOS Mourning Warbler, one ad. fem., two imms.,
which got pix of the latter two. After 30 plus
minutes in there we saw a FOS American Redstart,
an imm. male which proceeded to preen a bath out
right overhead. Canon autofocus did not want
me to have a nice pic to show you. There was
also a Louisiana Waterthrush there, Kathy spotted a
Black-n-white Warbler, there were a couple Yellow,
a Nashville, a Yellow-throated Warbler, and a
Wilson's. Eight species of warblers at once
in the woods in early Sept. is nothing short of
fantastic, nearing amazing. A dozen individual
warblers! Also there was a Gnatcatcher, Red-eyed,
Yellow-throated, and White-eyed Vireo, a Green
Kingfisher, and a Ringed King calling upriver.
Saw some Orange Bluet in binocs near top of
island.
We drove up to West Sabinal Road via Jones Cmty.
Rd. and looked at a couple thousand acres of great
looking pastures, with no grasspipers, saw one Monarch.
At the low wet spot by Haby's there were dragonflies.
At least 4-5 Band-winged Dragonlet, another male
Twelve-spotted Skimmer, and ovipositing Wandering
Glider. The water does not stay there all the time,
what happens with the eggs or larvae? There were lots
of Gliders, Saddlebags, and Green Darner, everywhere.
On Jones Cmty Rd. by the second cattle guard leaving
town down in the Frostweed and Turkscap there was
another Mourning Warbler. So four of them today,
and that last one in Bandera Co.
Back at the house just before 1 p.m. and there was
a Nashville Warbler working the yard. Mid-afternoon
a Nysa Roadside-Skipper was on the Blue Mistflower.
Later about 7 p.m. there were two Calliope Hummingbird
at once on the front porch feeder. Thought I saw two
yesterday as well. At least a couple Rufous still,
one imm. male Black-chinned, and a few dozen Ruby-throated
are most of the hummers. Late I got a count of
7 greenies on the patio, all look immatures. Two
imm. Indigo Bunting as well. The Black Rock Squirrel
continues, as do Screech-Owls after dark.
Sept. 5 ~ Low was 73F with some clouds. Very
little migrant motion. A Yellow Warbler, a
couple Orchard Oriole, one Dickcissel, one
Gnatcatcher. That was it the first few hours
of morn. On the patio seed there were a dozen
House Finch, mostly juveniles or immatures,
a dozen Lesser Goldfinch, a half-dozen Lark
Sparrow, couple Chipping and a few Field Sparrow.
In buntings there were 6 Indigo, one a continuing
mostly brown adult male, and 6 Painted, 5 greenies
and the continuing ad. male with yellow on breast.
Heard a Scrub-Jay uphill in the live-oaks.
About 2-3 p.m. there was a quarter inch of rain,
cooled it from 85 to 75F. Very nice. A Calliope,
and at least 2, probably 3 Rufous Hummers continue.
Only saw one imm. male Black-chinned, at least
3 dozen Ruby-throats. The Coyotes went off nuts
after the rain, not waiting for dark to get going.
It was over a dozen barely a hundred yards uphill
behind us. Awesome sounds.
Here is a better pic of the Least Grebe at the
golf course pond by the Waresville Cmty., this
pic taken Aug. 30, two months into its visit.
Said to be 9" long, book measurements are
often of a museum specimen with neck stretched
out. You would swear if you saw this bird all
4 oz. would fit in the palm of your hand.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Sept. 4 ~ A wonderful 69F low felt fantastic.
Heard an Upland Sandpiper early this morning.
A couple Orchard Oriole and a Yellow Warbler
went through first thing. Counted 5 greenies
on patio, two are new, way way grayer than the
three that were left yesterday. Still a Calliope
and at least a couple Rufous Hummers here. Town
run so park check, where there was a sprinkling of
migrants. Best was a female MacGillivray's
Warbler, maybe my fourth fall record in 17 falls.
Very scarce and LTA - less than annual, as a fall
migrant here. One Wilson's, two Nashville,
two Yellow and a Yellow-throated Warbler. Then
there was a FOS Willow Flycatcher and two Least
Flycatcher, plus one Empi that got away, which
was likely an imm. Acadian. A Great Crested
Flycatcher showed well, one Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,
heard an Orchard Oriole or two, male Summer Tanager.
So at least a dozen migrants in the acre woodlot
at the north end of park, probably a few more if
I had more time. Lots of dragons out there this
morning. The two usual types of Saddlebags and
Gliders, and lots more Green Darner.
About 3:30 p.m. we got some rain-cooled outflow
in the afternoon to break the heat a bit, but no
more rain, yet. Some nearby areas got some.
It dropped us to about 79F for the heat of the
day hours. Late late afternoon there were some
swallows feeding low, saw one Chimney Swift in
with them. Saw one adult male Black-chinned
Hummingbird, which is new. Kathy spotted an ad.
male painted Bunting on the patio, first in a week,
and is the one last here, with the yellow crescent
across breast. I have seen this bird about 4 times
in four weeks. Got a docushot through the window,
good late date for an ad. male. Out in yard was a
Yellow Warbler, couple Orchard Oriole, Gnatcatcher,
heard a Least Flycatcher across road from gate and
a Dickcissel called from in the pecans. More
migrant motion is great to see.
Sept. 3 ~ Low was 75F and still no rain here yet.
Now they say this afternoon to early evening.
By then they will be saying late evening.
They are also talking about some sort of real
actual fall front middle of next week. Should
be lots of bird movement just ahead of it, then
grounded during it, and a push right behind it.
You get three free chances with every front.
I saw last night NOAA called the missed rain
forecast a "relatively large spatial error".
Interesting way to explain how you totally blew
where the rain was going to fall. Imma try that.
Well you see officer it was a mere spatial error...
This morning just a trickle of movement. A couple
each of imm. Orchard Oriole (hit the bath early),
Yellow Warbler, and Gnatcats went through.
A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher went over high
at migration altitude, southbound. Chat took
a bath as did female Summer Tanager, later
the male Summer Tan took a dip. A dozen
Lark Sparrow on the seed, half are juveniles.
Three greenies still here. A male Hooded Oriole
was with the female or imm. today, but it did
not look like a full ad., probably a first
summer getting first adult plumage. Kathy
glimpsed it later at the bath. The super pale
first-summer Audubon's Oriole was also
at the bath late morning. Yellow-throated
Vireo still singing. At least two imm. male
Black-chinned Hummingbird still here, one
Calliope, at least two Rufous, and a couple
or few dozen Rubies.
Finally about 4:20 an outflow boundry hit and
dropped us from 94 to 82 in 15 minutes, by
5 the rain was here and it was 70F! I stood
in the outflow as it arrived, until it got wet.
Only saw four Turkey Vulture and a couple Barn
Swallow on it. After it passed I see 1.25"
for a total! WEEWOW! The Frostweed really
needed it badly to bloom well. I see a couple
spindly Broomweed with single flowers open.
It is not making any brooms this year. Of
course no Plateau Agalinis came up this summer
in the drought. Heard an Upland Sandpiper go
over about 10 p.m. as it was clearing behind
the rain.
Sept. 2 ~ A low of 76F was a wee bit better, but
not exactly refreshing. Some parts of the plateau
got rain last night, not us. Supposed to today.
We'll see. In the morning there was some
migrant motion, I presume being pushed ahead of
the rain sheild to our north and northeast.
There were a half-dozen Orchard Oriole, about
4 Yellow Warbler, a couple Gnatcatcher and a
Dickcissel. Movement. Wednesday is a too busy at
the desk day so not able to look much all day. Did
see a Calliope and at least a couple Rufous
Hummingbird, but in afternoon it seemed there
were fewer hummers. Maybe some headed out of
town today. Heard Audubon's Oriole, saw
the two ad. ma. Indigo Bunting which are nearly
in all brown winter plumage now, one tailess.
Three greenies on patio. Immature Hooded Oriole
hit a feeder. The clouds kept it cooler, about
87F at 5 p.m. is a treat these days. Got spit
on a few times over the day, but no real rain.
Still looking for the actual advertised rain.
Lots of Screech-Owl noise outside after dark.
September 1 ~ Gulf moisture and clouds came in
to hold the heat, a 79F low is the highest low
all summer so far. Rain chances begin this
afternoon after this last day of peak heat from
this brutal couple of weeks of the sub-tropical
high. Thick clouds kept it cooler though. It was
only 89F at 3 p.m., and just barely got 90 or 91F at
peak heat, so dialed back quite a bit. The male
Indigo without tail is still here, as is at least
one ad. female, and at least a few greenies.
Mid-morn a FOS Baltimore Oriole sang outside.
Thought I heard one chatter last week, but that
beautiful whistled song/call leaves no doubt. Otherwise
single Gnatcatcher, Orchard Oriole and Yellow Warbler
were the morning migs in the yard. Heard some
Audubon's Oriole. One Calliope and at least
three Rufous Hummingbird continue, a few imm.
Black-chinned still here, and lots of Ruby-throated.
~ ~ ~ August summary ~ ~ ~
It was dry, the drought continues to get worse.
A number of trees were lost in an outflow boundry
that topped 40 mph mid-month. Same trees would have made
it if not drought-stressed brittle. There was 2"
of rain which was a botanical life-saver but nothing
for the aquifer. By the end of the month the river
is a foot below the spillway, water was still going
over it at the start of the month. Many sections
of the river are dry, it is strictly underground.
Temps averaged 5-7F above normal for the period,
with record high temps in mid-August. Daily highs
were in the upper 90's F instead of lower, as
in the good old days.
One little tiny butterfly made the month, a CLYTIE
MINISTREAK! My first local photos, had glimpsed
a couple prior. A White-patched Skipper was my
first in a few years, they are far LTA - less than
annual, so a very good find. A Soldier the last
three days of month around yard was great since
missed altogether last year, another LTA species
here. It was 57 species of butterflies locally
for the month, with no Lost Maples trip. Up four
over July. Which is actually pretty good for the
fairly flowerless drought conditions. Much was
due to an invasion presumedly from southward, of
lots of little stuff like blues, hairstreaks,
skippers, and such. My first Metalmarks of the
year were nice, finally.
For odes, a few good things were seen, in the
yard passing through. A male Twelve-spotted Skimmer
came into sprayed water one day. Two Four-spotted Pennants
are even rarer here, they passed over one day in a
big flight of the four usual migrant dragonflies
(Gliders and Saddlebags). A Macromia sps.
River-Cruiser also crossed the yard one day,
probably Bronzed. Macromia have been very rare
here lately. A couple Red-tailed Pennant were at
local ponds, a few Thornbush Dasher at the Waresville
golf course pond. Otherwise it was the regular
expected types, and numbers seem way down over normal.
No Widow Skimmers around. Flat with July, it was 25
species of odes for the month. A bit weak. A Lost
Maples trip would have added a few, a least.
Birds were good, as there is lots of migration
motion in August. Lots of FOS fall dates for birds
on the move. Many local breeders are departing,
and everything is in molt. The wonderful spring
and summer daily chorus of birdsong is over. The
best bird was the continuing LEAST GREBE at the
golf course pond adjacent to the Waresville Cmty.
Present since late June, that we know of, to
Aug. 30 so far. An ANHINGA Aug. 18 at Utopia Pk.
was the other best bird, only my second locally.
A flock of 18 BUSHTIT in the yard a couple times
were great, since they have been scarce lately.
A latest ever for me GOLDEN-CHEEKED Warbler on
Aug. 31 was fantastic. An earliest ever Blue-headed
Vireo Aug. 29 was also outstanding. A male Lazuli
Bunting the 27th was on our patio, a second male was
at the park the 31st, they are rare here in fall.
Numbers of Rufous Hummingbird were high by late August,
four, with one Broad-tailed and 2 Calliope just at
our feeders. It was 98 sps. of birds for me locally
in August, and I know Little Creek Larry saw a couple
I didn't. Way up from my 82 in July whence
virtually strictly breeders. My BOB total (butterflies,
odes, and birds) was 180, way up over the 160 last
month, more bird diversity was the biggest difference.
Fall migrants.
~ ~ end Aug. summary ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ the August update header ~ ~ ~
August. The last month of climatalogical summer
is often a month of dog days. Peak heat, and
actually a big month for bird migration movement
that is properly considered fall migration. The
morning of Aug. 2 before sunup I heard my FOS
Upland Sandpiper going over. Late afternoon Aug. 2
we saw the LEAST GREBE at the golf course pond again,
after missing it for a month of visits. It was
still there Aug. 29, discovery date was June 27.
Saw FOS Least Flycatcher and Rufous Hummingbird Aug. 7.
FOS Ruby-throated Hummer showed on Aug. 10. An ANHINGA
at Utopia Park Aug. 12 is accidental here. A Couch's
Kingbird was also there that date. The heat broke records
around central TX Aug. 14-16. Aug. 17 we had rain
and 68F at 4 p.m.! A Verdin Aug. 16 is a post-breeding
wanderer from the brush country. My FOS Barn Owl
flew over at 11 p.m. Aug. 17. On Aug. 18 a CLYTIE
MINISTREAK was photo'd, an accidental butterfly
here from southward. A Loggerhead Shrike Aug. 23
was my FOS. Three Rufous Hummer at our feeders
at once here Aug. 25-6 is a strong showing. The
Shaffer's have a couple too. A Broad-tailed
Hummer was here Aug. 25, a Calliope Aug. 27-31.
Also Aug. 27 an adult male Lazuli Bunting is a rare
fall record. FOS on Aug. 29 were a Dickcissel and
a Blue-headed Vireo, the vireo is record early.
Aug. 30 there were 2 Calliope and 4 Rufous Hummers
here at our place. Also a FOS Wilson's Warbler
was at Utopia Park. Also at the park, on Aug. 31,
a second male Lazuli Bunting was seen, and best of
all, my latest ever Golden-cheeked Warbler. That
is goin' out of the month in a ball of flamin'
glory!
~ ~ end Aug. update header copy ~ ~ ~
~ ~ back to the daily drivel ~ ~ ~
Aug. 31 ~ A low of 77F might the highest low so far
this summer. Some morning clouds, which is what
held the heat in. Early saw a Calliope Hummer,
heard a Yellow Warbler or two, and a Dickcissel.
Had to go to town so a look at the park of course.
Man am I glad I did. The Wilson's and Black-n-white
Warbler of yesterday were gone, not suprisingly.
The Great Egret, 2 Green Heron, Green and Ringed
Kingfisher were there, now that no hominids shoutin'
and splashing around the pond. A Least Flycatcher did
not look like the bird of yesterday. Heard a
Great Crested Flycatcher. One ad. fem. Indigo Bunting,
one Orchard Oriole. New was a (second this fall!)
male Lazuli Bunting, bluer than the one we had in
our yard! Awesome fall record at the park. One or
two Yellow Warbler and one Yellow-throated Warbler.
Then in the big live-oaks up in the woods was the
bird of the day. I never did see the second bird
though. A dispute between two birds means you have
to pick one to get on first when they stop. I chose
the right one this time, based on some white in tail
and yellow on head. It was a GOLDEN-CHEEKED Warbler!
It chipped several times too. My latest date ever
(Aug. 25 was my prior) in 17 falls here! Not an
ad. male, was a female or immature type, I think an
imm. male. Pure snow white undertail coverts, vent
area, flanks, thin dark dark eyeline with an uptick
distally, darker forest green above with bright golden
cheek. Whaddabird! A day maker. Just amazing what
a 15 minute look in the woods can do. Just a quick
look at the park. Later in afternoon in yard had an
Orchard Orio and a couple Gnatcats. Brutal hot and humid
out there.
Aug. 30 ~ Still 75F for a low. Heard an Upland Sandpiper
go over first thing before 7 when I was tossing seed.
An imm. or female Calliope Hummingbird came in and
was tame allowing shots to be had. Seemed 3 Rufous
at one feeder and I think another was at the front
feeder at the same time. It was literally hummin' on
the side (patio) porch in the morning. Lots of Rubies,
only a few imm. Black-chinned, the Broad-tailed
Hummingbird is still here too. I would say there
are four Rufous here. A Bell's Vireo sang in
the yard.
We took a spinabout 10-12 or so, starting with the
Least Grebe at the golf course pond adjacent to the
Waresville Cmty. Finally mighta gotta bit better
pix of it. Were a few Red-winged Blackbird there,
a Bell's Vireo sang over on the golf course.
In dragons, fair numbers of Wandering Glider and
Black Saddlebags, smaller numbers of Red Saddlebags,
Spot-winged Glider and Green Darner. A couple skippers
(butterflies) on some Frog-fruit were a Sachem and
a female Whirlabout. At Utopia Park there was a
FOS Wilson's Warbler, a female. Also a female
Black-and-white Warbler was in the woods, as well
as a Least Flycatcher.
Another Least Flycatcher was along 360 on the way
home. Here at the hovelita there were Audubon's Oriole
in the bath when we got back. Tragedy was while we
were gone a deer ate the flowers off of a half-dozen
of our Snow-on-the-Mountain plants. Destroyed them.
That is what the Clytie Ministreak was on. Now they
won't reseed besides losing a great bug attractant.
Sure I can walk and drive around to lots of it, but
this was in the yard right out the door and we had
been nurturing it for months. Dozens of flower heads.
Dang deer. There was a Yellow Warbler out there,
Yellow-throated Vireo still singing, as is White-eyed.
Aug. 29 ~ We are stuck in it now, another low of 75F,
and about a hun for a high. Brutal out there folks.
Early there was a FOS Dickcissel in the yard. Noonish
there was a Blue-headed Vireo at the bath! It is a
record early date (Sept. 9 is my prior earliest FOS)
for me here by nearly two weeks. I saw a week ago
on Texbirds someone reported a Savannah Sparrow, and
this week in Austin an Orange-crowned Warbler was
photo'd, both are way early as well. Ssshhhh...
it happens.
A couple Audubon's Oriole were around, got another
pic of the odd first summer bird. A juvenile Chat
also bathed. Saw one Yellow Warbler, a Gnatcatcher,
an Orchard Oriole, so barely a slow drip of migrants.
Heard the Verdin in the Mesquites across from the gate.
Heard and glimpsed the Calliope Hummingbird again, still
seems at least 3 Rufous Hummers. Lots of Ruby-throats,
fewer Black-chins. Butterfly of the day was a Soldier
(Eresimus), which is not just the first this year, I
did not see one at all last year. So a nice sight.
We need this high pressure regimen to break. They
have it progged the heat wave to last through Tuesday
which will make a week of this 75-100F yech.
Calliope Hummingbird, one of two at our feeders Aug. 30.
Note wings extend past the very short tail, bill is
short as the head, pale peachy sides. Has a nice soft
chip note too. America's smallest bird at 3.25",
and up close they don't seem that big. This is
probably an immature male.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Aug. 28 ~ A low of 75F is great (coulda been worse)
but a drag too. Looks like the month is going to
go out flamin'. We have four days at a hun or
so on deck. Heard a Bell's Vireo singing by
the north fence from the couch when we were having
coffee. Great start. Then a Scrub-Jay was in the
live-oaks on the slope in back. Then I saw and
heard the Calliope Hummingbird, surely the one I
saw yesterday. One Orchard Oriole went through.
Town run and a look at the park. One Great Crested
Flycatcher and a Yellow Warbler was it for migrants
in the woods. Water is a foot from going over the
spillway. At least Rosie was there this Friday,
after missing her last week. I am so stuffed I
can hardly type. About 4 p.m. I saw 102F with a
109 heat index at Hondo, and over a hun at KRVL.
Beeville was 102 with a heat index at 118. The
dragonfly highlight of the day was in the morning
when Kathy sprayed some water around the yard, a
male Twelve-spotted Skimmer came in! FOY, and not
a sure thing every year. Great bug! I would never
have guessed one could literally chum in a dragon
spraying water with a hose. Kathy also saw two
Roadrunner chasing around behind the cottage.
Aug. 27 ~ Low of 72F and the cool streak is over.
A gaggle of Rufous Hummers continues. Mid-morn I
saw an imm. or female Calliope Hummingbird on the
Tropical Sage and Red Turkscap. Like the Broad-tail
I did not see it at the feeders, but of which two are
presently Rufous guarded. Hard to get things to
stick when that is the case. Hear the Yellow-throated
Vireo still singing. Mid-morn a Zone-tailed Hawk
circled over low a couple times, all the birds
dive for cover. Late morning heard the Audubon's
Oriole troop around. Kathy saw a Hutton's
Vireo coming in to bath.
I watched a Field Sparrow give calls I have never
heard. Never would have guessed that was what was
making the noises I was watching be made from 10's
away. It was deep throaty wrenish gibberish, sorta
like a Lark or Rufous-crowned Sparrow might make.
Or even that Yellow-throated Vireo gibberish talk
thing. From a Field Sparrow at point blank. I gotta
say, I live with them, and am an audio freak. So
hearing something I have not ever heard reminds me of
how little we actually know, and how little all our
experience really is. I have been birding 65 of
my 64.5 years, and I regularly hear new different
sounds I have never heard. Like that thing begging
out there at night now. All our experience is
just not that much, and certainly a lot less than
some think it is.
Kathy counted 7 greenies at once on the patio at
last call for seed. One ad. ma. Indigo continues,
now without tail. A number of immature and female
Indigo still here. Outstanding was an adult male
LAZULI Bunting on the patio just after 10 a.m.!
Lazuli are very rare here in fall, most falls I do
not see one here. Surely I have never seen a male
still with blue breeding plumage here in fall.
Great since I missed it this spring too. Not to
mention a bunting trifecta on the patio. Only got
a docushot through a window. Whaddabird! That
incredible blue is unique in American birds.
Saw a nice 20" Western Ribbonsnake over at the
cottage. Black Rock Squirrel went in the cottage when
a door was open, I ended up chasing it out the back
door. Seems like he is moving in. Nearing sunset
the White-winged Doves departed the trees around
the yard, was about 38 total. I know there are
about a dozen juveniles around, so probably a
couple dozen adults.
Aug. 26 ~ The low lows run continues, was 66F again,
which is incredible. Ninth day consecutive with
a low below 70F. Has not happened in all my now 17
Augusts here. We're gonna pay for it, I know.
A Gnatcatcher must have slept in yard, it was
calling way before sunup. I was trying to figure
out how many Rufous Hummer are here and had
three at once coming into the patio porch feeder,
two is the usual limit here, and that is not often.
Did not see the Broad-tailed today though. Nor
an ad.ma. Black-chinned. Still good numbers of
imm. or female (mostly the former methinks) here,
but Ruby-throats are really increasing quickly.
Later in day two Orchard Oriole in pecans, a Hooded
coming in to feeders. Saw the ad. male Painted
Bunting that was here this week with the yellow
across lower breast. Saw a Painted Lady (butterfly).
Another Gnatcat late a dusk. The weird begging after
dark continues, must be a begging baby Tex-Mex Screech-Owl.
Also heard a begging young Barred Owl across road
toward river. Just west of the river crossing
at 360 in that first small pasture there was a
flock of at least 8, maybe 10 Common Ground-Dove.
Surely some adults with some juveniles. It was a
large group, for here.
Aug. 25 ~ I saw 66F before sunup, and KRVL had 64!
About 3:30 I saw 94F on the cool shady front porch.
Maybe one Yellow Warbler was it for morning movement.
No ad.male buntings, and fewer juveniles here. Have
not seen a Blue Grosbeak in several days, they are gone.
More Ruby-throated Hummers though. Better was a
FOS Broad-tailed Hummingbird (imm. or fem.) in the
afternoon. It was feeding at the Tropical Sage
and Red Turkscap, not the feeders, when I saw it.
An imm. fem. Rufous is guarding one feeder, I hear
another, and maybe another. I am losing track of
all of them.
I see the Black Rock Squirrel has a new burrow
entrance at corner of the cottage. Sure a neat beast.
Locals mostly shoot them for undermining foundations.
Seems if a squirrl can take it out, there should have
been six or twelve more inches of concrete? Saw a
Northern Cloudywing and Tropical Checkered-Skipper
on the Frog-fruit, but which is fading. For the
second night there has been some weird call I don't
know, I presume a begging something. After dark, it
moves around a lot. One is sorta like a mini-Barn
Owl, not as loud or harsh and graty, but a jjjeeeeep
about a second long. The other call is downslurred,
a plaintive whistle, a second long. Most of the
things I run down out there that I never heard before
turn out to be mccallii Screech-Owls so presume that
is the case. My tape recorder is shot so no good
way to get a decent rendition. The camera when
on video has poor sound quality.
Aug. 24 ~ Another 66F low is amazing. I can't
believe this string of lows in the 60's we have
had. This is the 7th in a row. Started by that weird
mid-August front that dragged through. It far
over-perfomred with the lows, followed by the MCS a
couple days ago that was called an over-achiever,
again, no weakness on the modeling. We sure needed
the break from the heat. There are two begging baby
Zone-tailed Hawks somewhere behind us, hanging high up.
I thought I heard two a few times the last few days,
but this morn the begging competition was more than
obvious. Heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo this morning,
the first in a month since the mid-July heat spell
whence they bugged out. So this is a transient.
Lots of mid level cumulus kept us in low 90's.
In the afternoon I heard a troop of Audubon's Orio
over in the corral. Had a sick Lesser Goldfinch that
died in the afternoon. In other avian maladies, there
is a Field Sparrow here with a big round growth on one
foot. Did not see any adult Indigo Bunting today,
and the numbers of greenies (imm. Painted) are down.
The north flow for the last few days may have inspired
some departures. There is a Rufous Hummer guarding
the front feeder, but it is not the one there a couple
days ago. Looks like a young male maybe, but certainly
not one of the last two here this weekend. So five
here now so far this fall, just at our feeders. More
Ruby-throats showing up and less Black-chins around,
the latter are departing in numbers. Ran to town for
P.O. quickly in late afternoon, a Great Egret was at
the park, no time so I didn't walk the woods.
No Scissor-tails along roads. Had a real harsh
chatter I would swear was a Baltimore Oriole but
could not find it over by the gate.
Aug. 23 ~ A lower than progged 66F low was outstanding!
NOAA says the MCS yesterday to our east over-performed.
How about the models not being very good? Temps
are great though, afternoon in shade was 92F. Heard
an Upland Sandpiper early. There were two Rufous
Hummingbird here, the imm. male of yesterday, and a
new adult female. Seems a good year for them so far.
A juv. and an adult female Hooded Oriole were at feeders.
Heard a couple Orchard Orio go by. The Bell's
Vireo still singing over in corral.
We went for a couple hour spin-around 10-12 or so.
First went to the golf course pond by the Waresville
Cmty., the LEAST GREBE continues, but my dozen pix
were murdered in the first degree by Canon autofocus.
Woulda been my best shots. It chose reflection of
cattails way far behind the bird to focus on, despite
giving me the holy sacred blue box on the bird. So if
you need some upsidedown cattails... Only one Red-winged
Blackbird left there, the breeding flock is gone. So are
the martins and swallows. Best was a FOS Loggerhead
Shrike. In Odes, several Thornbush Dasher, Wandering
and Spot-winged Glider, Red, and Black, Saddlebags,
Green Darner, just the usual stuff. A Sachem was
on the Frog-fruit there, which is going great still.
Then we checked the park. My FOS Cattle Egret was
along muddy bank where was water. Water is about 8"
from going over spillway now. The trees below the
spillway which are usually at waters edge are not
and all the Cypresses and Sycamores have turned.
As in rusty brown fall colors, done for the year.
It was obvious a week ago, I have been forgetting
to mention, but now it looks like October below
dam. Many Pecan and Hackberry are also showing
yellow now as well. Drought makes an early leaf
change and drop.
At the muddy edge exposed along island in woods, I
presume the same Louisiana Waterthrush continued since
Friday. Got some docu shots, it is at maximum fresh
brightness, an ad. that has just finished post-breeding
molt. We had great views. Two Yellow Warbler, three
singing Yellow-throated Vireo, heard a calling Great Crested
Flycatcher, saw one Least Flycatcher, and one Hutton's
Vireo. So some migrant motion, but nothing major. We
stopped at the 360 x-ing on the way home, some Audubon's
Oriole were leaving the river as we got there, perhaps
the ones going through our yard over a half-mile away.
Another Yellow Warbler, just about no odes, the water
is way low. Also a Yellow Warbler at the golf course,
and one in yard, so at least five total this morning.
Heard an Upland Sandpiper at twilight. Late heard
a Barn Owl go over calling. Very neat were after
dark three mccallii Screech-Owl doing all sorts of
calling around the yard at once. At one point of
silence one broke into the single note hoots that
sound very similar to Pygmy-Owl toots. None of the
others were calling at the time and it would give 4-5
single well-spaced hoots, stop a while, repeat. If
one heard this alone without any other calls, I can
not imagine someone thinking it was a Screech-Owl.
I say that as an owl whisperer that has called
Flammulated Owl into the branch over my hammock.
A hard hard listen at the tone though and it is
not the sharper musical Pygmy-Owl tone, but a flatter,
slightly lower, deeper, version of it, barely with
a distinct Screech-Owl tone or quality.
Aug. 22 ~ We lucked into another cool low at 69F.
We cherish them here if you haven't noticed.
There was a big area of rain to our east crossing
the hill country and plateau from the north in
the morning. Kept most of the sun from us and so
had a great cool morning. Cool means it was still
in the 70's until noon. Wonderful. Shoulda
snuck in some birding. Here in yard early there
was an imm. male Rufous Hummingbird with a row of
gorget feathers at botttom of gorget, so different
from any prior here so far. Third one here this
August, fourth in area with the one at park yesterday,
just that I have seen. Who knows how many others
are at feeders around, surely Judy Schaffer has a
couple. Great to be seeing Ruby-throats after months
of only Black-chins. One ad. ma. Black-chinned is
still here, the rest immatures or females.
Heard an Upland Sandpiper low about 9 a.m., dropping
down for the day. A couple Yellow Warbler went through
yard. I briefly got binocs on a FOS Nashville Warbler.
The juv. Hooded Oriole was at the hummer feeders. A
different ad. male Painted Bunting was on patio.
Two ad. male Indigo continue, both barely blue now.
Molting here before going, whilst most have left.
Late morning Kathy spotted Audubon's Orioles
coming into the birdbath. I got some shots through
the magic screen while they bathed. She said it was
five birds at once. I was too busy taking pix, but
it was a oriole traffic jam. It is a flock of fledged
juveniles banding together. No adults. Looking at
pix later it may well have been 6 birds! Then heard
a Bell's Vireo singing along fenceline with corral.
Yellow-throated Vireo still singing out there too,
and White-eyed is almost always going.
~ ~ ~
For pix we are going to show some greenies this week.
That is non-adult male Painted Bunting. They are
green buntings, and can be a juvenile (this years
young), an adult female, or a first spring male,
so fairly tricky to sex and age at a glance. I will
chip these off into a separate page one day, but for
now here is some study material.
This is a nearly year-old first spring or summer
(on left), and a fresh juvenile (right) Painted Bunting.
While most first spring males are all green like females,
some first spring/summer males show some reddish
color on underparts, maybe 10% here. Those stay
mostly like this one all spring and summer. Another
color phase of first spring males has some blue flecks
in head and is yellower below.
This is a worn female. I can't say if a one year
old, or more. But I think a first summer. The worn tail
tells us it is not a juvenile, and a female that has been
nesting. Note the bright green back compared to the dull
gray head. Either the back feathers are new and fresh, or,
are unworn as is the rest of the bird. Most of the bird
is year old worn grayed formerly green feathers. Green
wears to gray in many birds, like Empidonax flycatchers
which are often very green when fresh and gray when worn.
That head was initially green.
This is a first spring male in May. The blueish area
on shoulder is a tip off for a first spring male. Not all
show it but if present, it is a young male.
Not sure on this one, taken Sept. 15, it is probably an adult female.
See the greenie?
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Aug. 21 ~ One last low in the 60's for a bit,
at 68F. What a great break it has been this week
with just the slightest northerly flow. Hear
the Yellow-throated Vireo singing out there still.
Two were singing at the park on my town run.
Also at park was a Lousisiana Waterthrush, the
FOS for those this fall. One Yellow Warbler at
park as well, and at least one was in the yard too.
The other good park bird was a Rufous Hummingbird
at the Red Turkscap at the entrance sign. Always
good to get away from feeders here. A juv.
Hooded Oriole came by, haven't seen the one
that was here in a week. Heard the Bushtits
over in corral again. Heard the begging baby
Zone-tailed Hawk high overhead behind us somewhere.
They just hang up there at a thousand feet and
beg. It often can sound similar to a Long-billed
Curlew call. Little Creek Larry said he has seen
a few Blue-winged Teal among nearly a hundred
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck over on Little Creek.
The BBWD must have had a good year breeding over there.
Late in the afternoon there were three Yellow
Warbler here in the yard, 2 males and a female.
Looking west late you could see the brown and orange
haze from the smoke from the fires way out west.
Saw a male Painted Bunting last thing late on
patio. It was the one with the yellow band
across breast I saw a week ago, but not since.
Counted 7 greenies at once on the patio late.
Heard an Upland Sandpiper right as it got dark.
Taking off to fly for the night.
Aug. 20 ~ Another 65F low is a dream. Third day
at or about record lows for the dates. Outstanding.
Not much for migrant motion in the morn though.
A couple Orchard Oriole was about it, later a
Gnatcatcher. The begging baby Zone-tailed Hawk
continued high up behind us somewhere. Great
was the flock of Bushtit went through the yard
again, but it was quick this time. I missed the
start and counted 14 going over the cottage.
One male Indigo Bunting still here is getting to
be barely blue. A couple young are still begging
and flying over to draw and back. Only the female
has attended them. A couple tame baby Field
Sparrow around. The Titmice are already stashing
sunflower seeds. Saw a Giant Swallowtail, which
have been few, likely the one Kathy saw yesterday.
Saw a Sachem on the Blue Mist Eupatorium.
A rain cell to the west blocked the sun for us
about 3 p.m. in the afternoon keeping it in low 90's.
About 4 p.m. a couple cells blew up and ran down the
divides on either side of us, just spit a trace
here, the Utopia rain kryptonite held, but dropped
temps to 78F by 5 p.m.! Beat the heat again.
Right as they cells got by I saw two Purple Martin
low out front, they are largely gone now. Then I
saw a Chuck-will's-widow flying barely over
the trees going up the draw! Yeah it was darkish
out, but way too light for Chucks. It was absolutely
positively not a Nighthawk, which often come out
in the day after rains. Hummer numbers went up
after the cells went by, besides lots of imm.
Black-chins, I saw two adult male and an immature
or female Ruby-throated at one feeder. Firefly number
a handful now. Lots of Barn Swallows after the
rain as well, a few Chimney Swift too.
Aug. 19 ~ A low of 65F is surely at or near a
record low for the date. It is a dream these
dog days of summer. Gives hope for the fall.
Heard a couple Upland Sandpiper low just after
sunup. Hope to sneak over to scan airstrip later.
About 9 a.m. there was an imm. or female type
Rufous Hummingbird at the front porch feeder,
and an ad. male Black-chinned chased it away.
I presume a transient, as only immatures or
female Black-chins here now. A male Painted
Bunting was briefly on the seed tube early.
Must be at least 10 immatures around. Several
imm. Indigo as well. Just before 10 a.m. there
was a begging baby Zone-tailed Hawk high over
the house. One Yellow Warbler and a couple
Orchard Oriole went through yard, heard the
Yellow-throated Vireo singing.
In afternoon had to run to town for seed. At
park heard a Green King up at island. In the
thick stuff on island I heard what sounded like
a Mourning Warbler, but there was no seeing it.
At north end of island heard what sounded a
Wilson's Warbler, which disappeared. There
are mudflats along edge of river, it has
dropped another couple inches. The rain was
great for the immediate ground and plants, but
nothing much for the aquifer. Did a spin
around the airstrip and checked the big horse
pasture on way back, no grasspipers. I keep
forgetting to mention, every day the last few
we have seen the Black Rock Squirrel around,
often on the patio.
Aug. 18 ~ A low of 66F has to be at or near the
record. The record low for the date at SAT is 67F.
It was wonderful. Rain-cooled, but with fairly
dry northerly flow behind it so quite nice. I see
lots of big green pecans it knocked out of the trees
before their time, and lots of dead branches finally
fell out. Later in day down the road I saw a
Hackberry over 40' tall split in two. A big
old one. They are dry and drought stressed, and
the 40+mph outflow yesterday took it and lots of
branches down.
Before 7 and at 8 a.m. I heard single Upland Sandpiper
fly over low calling, looking to go down for the day.
Heard a Yellow Warbler mid-morn, then saw an ad.
female about 3 p.m. in pecans. Saw a couple Orchard
Oriole. Male Indigo still here, no male Painted.
Saw an immature or female Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Saw a Nysa Roadside-Skipper at Blue Mist Eup. at
front porch. Between 3 and 4 p.m. there was a rain
cell nearish, it spit on us a few times, and dropped
it from 91 to 86F, and a half-hour later to 82!
Went from getting icky to bearable.
I was out front after 4 p.m. and heard real close Upland Sandpipers!
Three flew by right over the road at treetop
level! I don't know if they came up from the
area across the road where lots of dry flowers
and grasses, or were looking to go down, but
they were a couple feet over the tops of the
Mesquites across from the gate! Calling as they
flew by low and slow. Awesomeness. Grasspipers!
I heard them going toward airstrip so went over
and cruised it and checked the pasture the horses
are in all day, and did not see them. It seems
ideal perfect habitat. There were a bunch of
juvenile Vermilion Flycatcher a couple of which
were just out of the nest and probably from the
corral nesters. Also a number of juv. Eastern
Phoebe, and a few Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.
Hundreds of dragonfly were hawking low over the
pasture. Mostly Spot-winged Glider, some Wandering
Glider, and Red, and Black, Saddlebags. But no Ups.
The biggest hit of the day though was a tiny tiny
butterfly. Outstanding was finding a CLYTIE
MINISTREAK on Snow-on-the-Mountain in the driveway!
Ran for camera and Kathy, got 10 pix, all but one
trash, way out of focus (from point blank). An hour
later I found it again on the Frog-fruit, another set
of out-of-focus throwaway pix obtained, one barely ok.
Have I mentioned lately how poor the autofocus is on
the Canon SX40? It is way beyond horrible. Barely
usable for nature work. Everything you see here in
focus is a miracle. I read once a optics guy called
it quirky. That is the nicest way to say how badly
it sucks. But I digress... I have seen
a couple of Clytie here in 16 years. This is the first
time I got an ID shot to prove it. One at the library
garden about 5 years ago was the last. They are a
south Texas specialty whose range is fairly strictly
in the brush country. They do not regularly or
normally even get north to Hwy 90. It is one of
the 10 or so butterfly species out of 145 or so
that I have seen around Utopia, that I had not
obtained a photo (holy irrefutable proof) of.
So it was critical to get an ID docushot. Those
are the ones you really really like to get. Now
if I could get a Silver-spotted Skipper pic.
Aug. 17 ~ Saw 74F for a low before sunup. No
migrants through yard though. Before 7 a.m. the
Porcupine I saw last night climbed down out of a
pecan in the corral, through the hog fence, walked
across yard, then through the front hog fence, across
road and headed over towards the draw. Once
several years ago I found one roosting under
some roots deep in a shady spot there. What
an amazing animal. The way they saunter, that
stride, if you can call it that, which is more
of a waddle, is amazing. The result of eons of
not giving a shat, from wearing your prickiness
on your coat.
Was fairly icky but cooler than last bunch of
days with 90F and sticky at 2:45 p.m. Whence
the cooler dry air got here from the not cold
whatsoever fairly unusual mid-August cold front.
It kicked off a cell north of town and upvalley
which blew up into a major one in 15 minutes,
at 3 we unplugged everything as the outflow
boundry hit with 40+mph winds and lots of
lightning. Then it poured for a half hour,
followed by a moderate rain for a half hour
and looks like we got about 3.5 cm, or 1.35"
of the holy wet stuff! Temps went down to 68F
at several local WU stations, our wet thermometer
actually showed 66F at 4 p.m.! Today, we
beat the heat. Sometimes it is the little
victories in life. A couple miles east of us
they got 2.5" and a couple miles west up on
the divide there was 4-5"! We were in a
light slot. Had warmed up to 70F at 7 p.m.,
over 20 lower than it has been at that time.
Saw no ad. male Painted Bunting again today,
one male Indigo, two of the begging baby
Indigos must have fledged yesterday at most,
they can hardly land and perch. At least 10
greenies, imm. and female Painted Bunting.
After the rain I saw two Red-eyed Vireo in
the hackberry by the gate, which then flew
into the yard pecans. They never made a sound.
Fall migrants moving south down the river
habitat corridor. There were a bunch of dragons
moving southward the last couple hours of light.
Amongst all the usual stuff TWO Four-spotted
Pennant went by! They are rare up here, but
I have seen them a couple times in migrating
flocks like this. Saw at least 3 maybe 4
Firefly at dusk. At 11 p.m. my FOS Barn Owl
flew over heading SW. Have not heard one in
months, they do not seem to summer locally.
Aug. 16 ~ It was 76F at quarter to seven, often
it drops another dF right before sunup, but I
have seed to toss and bird bath to refill, so
didn't watch it. I heard a FOS Yellow Warbler
first thing as I was reading temp, it zzzeeted
several times up in the pecan, but I did not see
it. Wasn't awake enough to persue. After
breakfast there was a Verdin in the Mesquites
across from the gate. Have had one the last four
falls, this is the 3rd in mid-August here. Is it
the same one? I presume they are post-breeding wanderers
moving up from the very drought stricken (worse
than us) brush country to the south of us. A
couple Orchard Oriole went by. Hummers are way
down, there has been a major departure the last
few days. They can't handle the heat, and
there are no flowers.
Last two days most local areas broke their heat
records, today was at or near, for 3rd day straight.
Worked inside. Saw 97F on the cool shady front
porch in the late afternoon, searing in the sun.
The action was at dusk as it cooled down. Kathy
was watering whilst I was on patio facing her
and she looked up and said 'whooaa'.
I looked up and a Chuck-will's-widow was
10' over my head, and barely cleared the
roof as it flew over the house. They are still
around, but silent a month now.
Then I was out in driveway and a yearling
Porcupine sashays on by, sweeping the road as
it did. It went through the hog fence openings
easypeasy. They must be all quill, those
are 6" squares maybe. Then it crossed yard
toward the water trough in the corral, I lost
it behind the wellhouse. What a cool beast.
The fall Firefly flight doubled in size, I saw
one in the yard, and a second one over in the
corral. And then the one in the yard flew over
into the corral toward that one. And then
there were none. I lost my Firefly. Much later
I did see another out by gate. Lots of bats at
dusk lately. A, or the, Red, and a bunch of
Brazillian Freetail.
Aug. 15 ~ A 74F low, a few morning low clouds
went by, but nothing significant. Gonna be a
burner. NOAA says should tie or break some area
records today, as was done yesterday. Seems
like about the tenth summer in a row that we are
5-10F above average temps, all summer long. Saw
98F in shade about 5 p.m. on front porch, whence
was 102 at KRVL and SAT, 106 at Del Rio, 107 at
Junction, Hondo was 104 and Uvalde 105F. Ughhh,
working on stuff inside today.
Did not see any morning migrant passage, not even
an Orchard Oriole or Gnatcatcher. Only different
thing was a male Painted Bunting briefly at a
feeder, but which did not look like the one
briefly here yesterday with the yellow breastband.
Another transient. It is that time of year.
About 10 greenies out there. Some fem. and juvie
Indigo as well, and the two shabby ad. male Indigo
continue too. Around peak heat I flushed a Chat
out of the Blue Mist Eup. at the front porch.
Coolest spot around, Kathy sprays water on them.
Saw a Black Rock Squirrel on the patio, have not
seen one around in a few months, at least. It
lives nearby but is very people shy. Decades of
being shot at will do that. About 7 p.m. finally
3-4 Orchard Oriole went through yard.
Then at dusk I saw my FOS fall Firefly. The fall
flight is seperated from the spring flight usually
by 6 weeks or more. They are just about gone
if not already by July 4. Then none are seen until
mid-August or so, whence a fall flight will commence,
peaking in September usually. I have no clue as to
the biology, ergo, are these the progeny of the spring
flight, or unrelated and on a different schedule?
Are they the same species? They look it to me,
as Lampyrid layfolk.
If you just have to have a new bird photo to see,
check out the hawk photo page revamp... almost 20
new pics there. This week the bird of the week
was a butterfly...
Here is a Clytie Ministreak (Ministrymon clytie),
Aug. 18, 2020, on Snow-on-the-Mountain in our driveway.
This plant has twice the flowers of the other specimens
around because the hose squirt reaches it, and BAM!
A Mexican species, generally in the U.S. a deep south
Texas brush country specialty, extremely rare on the
Edwards Plateau. This image is about 10 times life size.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Aug. 14 ~ Low was a wee bit under 74F. No
morning clouds. They are predicting Saturday,
tomorrow, to be peak heat from this spell. It
looked about 98F at peak heat in late afternoon
on cool shady front porch. It is roughly 6:30
p.m. when peak temp starts to drop. A couple
Orchard Oriole went through yard early. Town
run day. Saw Little Creek Larry, he said he
saw a Snowy Egret besides the Great Egret
(which continues) at the park. He also saw
a Spotted Sandpiper again. Over at Little Creek
he saw a FOS Blue-winged Teal, I forgot to ask
date. He said he has been 102-104F for high temps
about 2 mi. ENE of town. I did not see the
Anhinga today, but if in the water they are
easy to miss. Or it may have been a one hour
wonder. There were Ringed and Green Kingfisher
up on the island, a Green Heron, and a few
greenie imm. Painted Bunting were in the woods.
Later here a Gnatcatcher in yard.
Aug. 13 ~ Low was 74F, no typical morning low
clouds from the Gulf, the high pressure is
too strong, in 99th percentile for that per NOAA.
We have about four more days of it before it
moves off somewhere and lightens up on us.
It is brutal out there in the afternoons folks.
In the morning here there were at least a half
dozen Orchard Oriole that went through the yard,
ended up with 7-8 minimum. Heard an Upland Sandpiper
right before sunup, low, looking for a place to
go down. Saw a female Black-n-white Warbler.
Still two ratty male Indigo Buntings but new
was a male Painted with yellow on underparts
that makes it obviously not one of the local
residents we have been seeing. Those have been
absent the last couple days anyway, our yardish
breeders have departed on schedule. This bird
was not seen again later in day. Heard both
the Red-eyed and the Yellow-throated Vireo still
singing. Got pix of a skipper I am not sure of,
looked an odd Roadside- type but not sure.
Saw 96F on the cool shady front porch about 3 p.m.
Many hill country areas and along Hwy. 90 were at
100F. An adult Red-shouldered Hawk seemed to be
making off with prey in the afternoon. About 7 p.m.
I saw an ad. male Black-chinned Hummingbird.
Had not seen one all day, or the prior two.
Monday the 10th was the last day the I saw
the one that had been here guarding the office
feeder in back. Heard Screech-Owl at dusk,
waiting for dark to hit the bath as it will
do on super hot days. Finally at 11 and midnight
a couple more 10 minute skywatch sessions at
each hour yielded a single Perseid meteor. Both
very good ones, a greenie and and an orange one,
both close and coming my direction with great
trails. Very nice.
Aug. 12 ~ Low of 75F is at least a break from
the heat. It was a baker in the afternoon, 95F
in the shade on front porch. Surely a hun in
the sun. Had to run to town early so a check
of the park, which hit paydirt. Water is over
an inch from going over the spillway. Up at the
north end of woods and island, where I presume it
flew up off one of the old logs the turtles sun on,
was probably drying its wings, an ANHINGA flushed!
Fortunately it landed in that big dead cypress
with all the great snags. You could not see it
from the main park, you had to take the trail
through the woods all the way to the fence and
then over to river to see it through a hole in the
trees. I got a few distant docu shots anyway.
It was a female. It is only the second Anhinga I
have seen here, the other a male May 4, 2011.
In other words I have seen more (each) of Tropical
Parula, Rufous-capped Warbler, Short-tailed Hawk,
and Clay-colored Thrush here than Anhinga.
That first male flew off as I pulled into the park
so I did not get any pix, this first local docs
methinks. Whaddabird! They (1-2) are nearly annual
at the waterholes around Uvalde, but accidental up
here in hills of the Edwards Plateau. I see in
ebird one was at Ft. Inge the first week of August
this year. I have a photo of one there from over a
decade ago. No Edwards Plateau sightings so far
this year in ebird. The I-35 corridor (Ft. Worth,
Waco, Austin, SAT, to Laredo) is the normal western
edge of regular (scarce) occurrence. There was also
a Couch's Kingbird at the main pond, my first
post-breeding wanderer locally this summer. Also
saw the imm. fem. Green Kingfisher.
Then back at the hovelita after we had couple of
Rosie's egg, chorizo, and cheese breakfast
tacos I was outside and heard Bushtits! I had
mentioned several days ago I thought I heard
them. This time I got the full monty whole flock.
Ran in for camera (to just about no avail) and
yelled Bushtits for Kathy. The flock worked
from the junipers along north fenceline to the
Mesquite and Hackberry by the gate, then right
over my head into the yard pecans, then over to
the corral pecans and then junipers. My best
count-estimate as they flew over was 18 in the
flock. Awesome! They have been quite scarce
since that exceptional drought. This is a few
family groups no doubt. I didn't get to see
most of them well enough to check for black ears.
A great flocklet of birds! All I got for pix is
some Bushtit butts. Which ain't much!
But can see one has new tail feathers growing in.
Such big excitement for such a small bird.
Walking around tossing seed I heard a buzzzzz
every several steps from hidden in the bushes.
Maybe I mentioned this before, but it should be
called a 'buzz of buntings'™. Two male
Indigos here, in heavy body molt, they are ratty.
No male Painted, but a bunch of greenies (fem. and imm.).
Mid-afternoon I saw a White-patched Skipper (Chiomara
asychis) on the Frog-fruit, which it looks remarkably
like. First one I have seen in at least a few years.
Ran inside for camera and it was gone when I got back
out. Did have it in the yard once before, maybe five
years ago. It is far less than annual, strictly
a very scarce vagrant here. A great bug! Did
another couple 10 minute watches at 11 and midnight,
still no Perseids for me.
Aug. 11 ~ We are stuck in the doldrums running
roughly 75-100F for a daily temp spread. These
are the dog days. A first summer male Black-and-white
Warbler came into the birdbath early in a.m.,
as did an adult Yellow-breasted Chat (molting tail)
and the Summer Tanager (also in heavy molt molting
tail). New begging baby Chipping Sparrow. The one
ad. ma. Indigo Bunting left is in heavy molt, much
of the body is gray. A couple juvie Indigo and one
ad. fem. also present. Juv. Blue Grosbeak on
patio again today. Lots of greenies (imm. or
female Painted Bunting) but did not see an adult
male Painted today. Couple Gnatcatchers went
through. Great stars late but in two 10 minute
observation periods after 11 and 12 I saw no
Perseid meteors. Moon was coming up shortly
so blew it off.
Aug. 10 ~ A 74F low, and not much for morning
low clouds from the Gulf, just the humidity.
Kathy had a male Orchard Oriole leaving the
bath, wished I would have caught it there, bath
was in sun at the time. No other migrant birds
seen until 11:30 a.m. when I saw an ad. male hummer
with a dark throat. Noticing a very long tail
I knew it wasn't that last male Black-chinned
here. Then it turned and showed me the color
in throat. Sure enough, FOS ad. male Ruby-throated
Hummingbird. Another fall migrant.
Most of the migrants in the yard in the morning were
dragonflies. Several dozen, first good wave I have
seen this fall (for them). At least a couple dozen
were Spot-winged Glider, a dozen plus Wandering Glider,
and about a dozen each of Black, and Red, Saddlebags.
So some numbers, but not from here, passage transients.
No one knows from where they come or where they go.
A mystery like millions of things in nature, this is
what makes nature observation fascinating and exciting.
The Frog-fruit was going well with butterflies.
One Rounded Metalmark is still there, day 3.
Two handfuls of Olive-Juniper Hairstreak, they
are thick now. Lots of more common little stuff,
a Vesta Crescent, etc. A female Eastern Pondhawk
dragonfly was flycatching adjacent to the
flowers, presumably picking off smaller stuff (like
small flies) coming in. They sure are pretty.
Male Blue Grosbeak hit the patio for seed late in
day, one each male Painted, and Indigo Bunting continue.
Aug. 9 ~ Low of 74F with a bit of the low Gulf
stratus off and on over the morning. Was 84F
in shade of front porch at 11 a.m. Later in day
about 7:30 p.m. I was checking local temps.
We were 89F on the front porch, most local Utopia
WU stations were reading 90 to 92F. From NOAA,
SAT was at 96 and Austin 98F! So I guess everything
is still relative, we are better off than others.
Heard Audubon's Oriole first thing in morn.
We went over to the golf course pond about 9 a.m.
hoping to check it before it was disturbed.
An immature female Cooper's Hawk was
hunting juvie Red-winged Blackbirds there so
we were too late. Heard Purple Martins overhead.
No grasspipers on the fairways. Went out Jones
Cmty. Rd. to W. Sabinal Rd. checking another
couple thousand acres of great looking pastures,
nothing there. A couple Scissor-tails and some Lark
Sparrow, a couple Mockers, an Eastern Bluebird.
Briefly stopped at the county-line crossing and
grabbed an aquatic plant I had before in a tank
here, but don't know what it is. Some in
the tub now. It is an ammonia eating dream.
There was a Red-eyed Vireo there, and an imm.
male Green Kingfisher. An imm. fem. Green King
was at the 360 crossing as we left home earlier,
and another imm. fem. was at the island at the park.
Three Green Kings this morn, all immatures. At
Utopia Park, we heard a Ringed Kingfisher upriver.
Best was a Great Egret, the first one of the fall.
Also there were several White-eyed Vireo, a Summer
Tanager, at least one ad. Blue Jay. Water is no
longer going over spillway at park, it was still,
barely, on Friday, down over an inch since then.
We saw an Orchard Oriole along a road somewhere.
Driveway Frog-fruit patch had the bigger female
Rounded Metalmark on it again later morning. Late
afternoon 8 Olive Juniper Hairstreak at once were
on it plus an Orange Skipperling and some assorted
stuff. The Yellow-throated Vireo is still singing
around yard. Juvenile Blue Grosbeak on patio is
likely from the patio-using nesters just across
the road. It was there in a.m. and again at last
sun, a fresh beauty. Late p.m. on the patio were
5 juv. Painted and 2+ juv. Indigo besides single adult
Painted and Indigo. The Indigo gave another flight
song once as it was leaving after feeding. Nice
to see more juvie Lesser Goldfinch after they
got wiped out in the hail in late May.
Turned on the front porch light for a couple hours
to see if anything was out there. Nope. Nothing.
I am amazed at the dearth of bugs. The wall was
empty. No micros, not a bunch of little stuff
moving around, deader than a doornail. We are
here in the river habitat corridor, how can there
be no bugs at a light at night? Something ain't
right out there...
Aug. 8 ~ Was 75F for a low, blech. Some morning
clouds, nice and humid. First thing at quarter
to seven the first hummingbird at the front porch
feeder was the Rufous. Have not seen it again.
Tanked and split methinks. No migrant movement
in morning. One male Painted Bunting, lots of
greenies. In late afternoon there was a Least
Flycatcher out by the gate feeding in yard. One
Gnatcatcher as well. Yellow-throated Vireo still
singing, but is not mated. Ad. with a new juv.
Field Sparrow on the seed.
Best action today were the butterflies on the
Frog-fruit. The two patches we water are still
going, one very well. Best was my FOY Metalmarks
(Calephelis), there were two, both Rounded
(perditalis). Great to see some finally!
There were 10 Olive Juniper Hairstreak at once
on the Frog-fruit! Fresh green ones through worn
brown ones. One Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak. One Orange
Skipperling, several Reakirt's and a Ceraunus
Blue, Vesta Crescent, N. Mestra, a Lyside, one Nysa
Roadside-Skipper, some Dun Skipper, a Common
Checkered-Skipper. On Lantana and Blue Mistflower
Gulf Frits, Pipevine, and a few Queen.
To catch up on the mystery birds ...
The birds in photo breaks the two prior weeks were
juvenile (HY - hatch-year) Audubon's Oriole.
And here is the bird of the week ...
This is a long-range docu shot of the female Anhinga at
Utopia Park Aug. 12. Yes those are orange webbed feet.
Males are all black of chest and neck. Water-Turkey and
Snakebird were understandable names for it. They often
swim with body underwater, just head and neck exposed.
The dagger of a bill is a fish spear.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
Aug. 7 ~ Another week has flown by. Low was 74F.
Some gulf low stratus. Heard some Upland Sandpipers
in the a.m. early, low, maybe four, will have to go
scan the airstrip. Heard Long-billed Thrasher over
in the corral and Audubon's Oriole up the hill
behind us. Town run fer shtuff. On on the front
fence as I left a Least Flycatcher was working it.
Though thought I heard one in late July, will count
this seen bird as my FOS. Went over to the
airstrip and punched gate code in, cruised the mile
or so of it and saw no grasspipers, or in the nice
pasture adjacent. Did see a nice ad. fem. Blue
Grosbeak, and an ad. Scissor-tail with no tail,
it is that time. Then cruised around the golf
course, alas no grasspipers there either.
But was a fair bit of traffic on it already. Did
not see the Least Grebe, there was one female or
juvenile Purple Martin on the wire over their house.
Nice local late date for a bird that surely nested
or was hatched here.
At the park there was one imm. fem. Green Kingfisher,
heard a Ringed King upriver, a couple juv. Painted
Bunting up in the woods. Couple new begging juvie
Blue Jay were a late clutch. Saw Orange-striped Threadtail
and Orange Bluet in damselflies. On the way home
just south of town I hit a big yeller thing I am
fairly certain was an Imperial Moth. Bummer. Some
Cenizo is in bloom in response to the rain. The Purple
Sage of fame, but not of true sages, it is a mugwort.
New Riders of the Purple Mugwort didn't have a ring
to it anyway. Kathy saw a Chat at the bath and male Blue
Grosbeak on the patio. After 7 p.m. and watering I was
watching the front porch hummer feeder. One ad. male
Black-chinned Hummer was joined by an immature or
female Selasphorus, either a Rufous or Allen's
Hummingbird and a FOY. A long distance fall migrant.
Rufous is the default here. At one point in the
afternoon I thought I heard a couple Bushtit over
in the corral. Also saw a planthopper that looked
a Flatid, family Flatidae, this of the genus Ormenis,
but my pix were all out of focus.
Aug. 6 ~ Low of 75F and the low stratus from the
Gulf is back. Sure was a nice five day break
while it lasted. Saw a different Gulf Coast Toad
this a.m. before sunup on front steps. One male
Indigo and two male Painted Bunting on seed early.
Likely the same two Painted as last night, and the
draw breeder Indigo. Only 84F or so at noon, still
bearable, as long as you are not digging holes.
Great was at last sun twice the male Indigo Bunting
went into full flight song, and it was awesome.
I was on driveway with sun at my back, each flight
was 50 yards or so of singing. He must be leaving
soon. Interestingly I have never seen a Painted
do flight song. Do they? One Gnatcat late in day.
After dark a big Ox Beetle came into a light in
the cottage. Huge bug! Awesome beast. Almost
forgot, saw a Macromia sps., River Cruiser dragonfly
fly around the yard briefly in heat of afternoon.
Aug. 5 ~ A 70F low still feels great. Was in town
earlyish and stopped at the park. One Ringed King
calling from upriver, a Green Heron. A couple Black
Vultures in the woods still with down makes me wonder
if they hatched there. Heard some Purple Martin overhead,
but no migrants there (or in yard). Did find a couple
egg, cheese and chorizo breakfast tacos to go at Rosies.
The one ad. ma. Indigo Bunting still here (the draw
nester) is only giving the first few notes of song,
not the full monty. Lots of juvie Lark Sparrow and
House Finch. Did not see a Hooded Oriole on the
feeder the last two days. It was too busy stuck at
the desk Wednesdays for me. Late at last sun two
ad. male Painted Bunting showed up, first ones all day,
and saw none yesterday or the day before. They could
be transients, or ads. that disappear to lose the
begging and just show late to top the tank up. A
couple Orchard Oriole and Gnatcats went through
nearing last sun as well. At 11 p.m. an Upland
Sandpiper called southbound overhead.
Aug. 4 ~ WeeWow a low of 66F! It's like heaven.
For an hour or two. Saw a Gulf Coast Toad by cottage
before sunup when tossing seed. No male Painted Bunting
at the seed in the morning. One male Indigo. Two
just-fledged juvie Painted being fed by ad. female.
It is as if the males left before the last two
were out of the nest. It has seemed that way to
me many times over the years. Sometimes also it seems
like they leave for a few days to shake the begging
and then show up a day or two to top tank one last
time before departing. Male Roseate Skimmer dragonfly
around the wet patio in morning, ignoring my tub pond.
Mid-morn a flock of aerial insectivores were around
a bit. A few dozen Barn Swallow, a couple each Cave
and Cliff Swallow, maybe a dozen Chimney Swift and
at least 4 Purple Martin included one ad. male. Nice
showlet. On the Frog-fruit was a Mournful Duskywing,
Buckeye, and an Orange Skipperling, a bit later a
Julia's Skipper, Texas Powdered-Skipper and a
Desert Checkered-Skipper were on it. One ad. male
Black-chinned Hummingbird continues, still guarding
the back (office) feeder. A few Orchard Oriole went
through, and a couple Gnatcatcher. Field Sparrow is
still singing.
Aug. 3 ~ A low of 68F felt fantastic. I saw KRVL
had a 66 for a moment. Forecast has us in a
cooker for the next ten days plus. I can tell
the yard is greener already from the rain a few
days ago. I see a couple new baby Gambusia have
been dropped in the tub pondlet from one of the females.
No Sabine's Gull yet, but the birds are sure
using it for drinks. Lots of baby House Finch and
Lark Sparrow on the patio.
I do not hear the Red-eyed Vireo that has been
singing around the last two months. The Great
Crested Flycatcher has been gone a week or two.
Do do not hear the Blue Grosbeak singing now either.
It seems like some of the male Indigo Bunting
left, I only saw one late in day. Maybe all the
ad. ma. Painted Bunting have departed, I saw none
today. First week of August is when they leave.
You can still get some ad. males, but they are
often not the birds that were the local territorial
ones. There are near a dozen female and juvenile
Painted around. A White-striped Longtail (skipper
- butterfly) was the first since one in the spring
and always great to see here. Took until the 3rd
to see a butterfly sps. missed the month prior.
What they said were outlier forecasts a week ago
that called for rain today, turned out to be the
correct ones. A weak shortwave was the trigger.
From 5 p.m. and shortly after it went from over
95F to 70F by 5:30 in over a half-inch of rain.
Holy H2O! Which besides much happiness throughout
the valley, initiated a termite hatch as often
the case. After it stopped I measured .6".
So about 2.35" Friday night to Monday late
afternoon. A life-saver. Some Chimney Swift
buzzing around at last sun.
Aug. 2 ~ Before 7 a.m. when I was tossing seed
I heard an Upland Sandpiper call several times
from not very high up, coming down for the day.
Should go check some pastures. A few Orchard
Oriole and a Gnatcat or two went by yard.
Saw the male Blue Grosbeak on the patio here.
It was pretty toasty out there, but between 5 & 6
there were a few sprinkles that took ten off the
top and dropped it to upper 80's for a bit.
We were over at the golf course pond by the
Waresville Cmty. Saw some FOY Snow-on-the-Mountain
flowers open. No Comet Darner but we saw that
rascal the LEAST GREBE! It is still there!
After missing it 5 times (at least) in the last
month! In a dinky pond. It hides in the cattails.
There was also a juv. Western Kingbird feeding
around the pond, and a juv. Vermilion Flycatcher.
Red-wings still nesting, some juvies out and about.
August 1 ~ August!?!?!? OMG! It started on
a great note, at 68F! Maybe the first reading
in the 60's for a month. I see we
ended up with 1.75" of rain from the event
yesterday evening. Astounding! More rain
than the last two months put together, most of
it in barely over an hour. It was getting dire.
We were in D1 drought, on the cusp of D2.
Normal June and July is 6+" of precip,
we had less than 1.5" this year. It is
a lifesaver for some late summer bloom.
There was a trough axis moving across the Great
Plains which brought a front through, on July 31.
Late last night after the rain I saw a yearling
Red-spotted Toad on the patio. Also one of the
small (round) native snails was out cruising
around.
Several Orchard Oriole went through over the
morning, over a half-dozen. A couple Gnatcats
in the afternoon. In Leps saw a Texan Crescent,
a Nysa Roadside-Skipper, among about 10 sps.
for the new monthly list. Late p.m. a couple
more Orchard Orios went through. At last sun,
the ad. fem. Cooper's Hawk took a small
passerine, I think a juvie Lesser Goldfinch.
Late p.m. about 11 I thought sure I heard an
Upland Sandpiper call a few times from high
overhead.
This might be the same bird as last week, or another in same group.
What lovely plumage.
~ ~ ~ July summary ~ ~ ~
It was dry until the last few hours of the
month when we got 1.75" of rain finally.
Flowers were shot and all but non-existent
for most of the month. Frog-fruit was the
one thing going well. A comet, NEOWISE, gave
a great show mid-to-late-month. Twice this
month I saw a Great Plains Skink at the house.
Butterflies were 53 species, so up a few from
June and the high monthly total for the year
so far. Ornythion Swallowtail was the best
rarity seen, in the yard July 3. The only other
LTA - less than annual species, was a Laviana
White-skipper. Did see a Nysa Roadside-Skipper.
Lots of little stuff was on the Frog-fruit, a
clear invasion, mostly blues, hairstreaks,
skippers, and some crescents. At least a
couple Ctenucha moths were seen which have
been missed the last several years. Mestra
numbers are good with 5 at once on one little
Frog-fruit patch.
Odes were 25 species, up a couple from June.
But numbers are way down overall, they are
hard to find and scarce in general. Best was
the continuing male Comet Darner from late June
at the golf course pond by the Waresville Cmty.
A couple Red-tailed Pennant were around which
are barely annual, just a few per year. Only
saw a couple Widow Skimmer.
Birds were 82 species that I saw, all locally
breeding species. Little Creek Larry had a
Spotted Sandpiper late in month which is likely
a migrant from elsewhere. A duck sps. that flew
over July 3 was something good that isn't
supposed to be here. It was not a Wood Duck
or Whistling-Duck. Saw Poor-will twice this
month which is great. Four juvenile Audubon's
Oriole together late in month was great, and
more current breeding evidence.
~ ~ ~ end July summary ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ archive copy update header ~ ~ ~
July. I wouldn't expect a lot here the next
month. A continuing male Comet Darner (first was
one on 27th of June, two on 28th) at the Waresville
golf course pond was seen July 5, 11, and 19. After
the dry June lots of breeding birds seem to be winding
it down now, and not going another round as in wet
June years. Be prepared to melt if out and about
after about 11 a.m. or so! There was record
breaking heat here July 12, 13, & 14. Most days
are mid-90's with higher heat index. A rare
here Ornythion Swallowtail was seen July 3. A Great
Plains Skink was in the yard July 15 and 17. A very
nice comet in mid-July was a totally chaseable
stake-out that showed very well. Late July four
juvenile Audubon's Oriole together is interesting.
The biggest rain in two months was the evening of
July 31 (today!), at least 1.5" here. I saw
in ebird in late July over toward Uvalde reports
of a Gray Flycatcher which is most excellent, and
a more expected but scarce Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
~ ~ ~ end update header archive copy ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
July 31 ~ Low was 75F, with some low gulf
stratus for most of morning. But hot in the
afternoon. A front is supposed to be inbound
later afternoon or early evening. Just after
3 p.m. I saw KRVL in rain at 82F, those lucky
bastards, we are bone dry in upper 90's.
Water is barely going over the spillway at the
park. Not sure how safe it is to swim when the
water is stacking up and barely going over, but
it doesn't seem to concern the visitors.
Another small group of Orchard Orio through
yard early, which will be a near-daily phenom
the next month plus. Like the odd Gnatcatcher
or two. Daily. When I was in town on the errand
run Kathy had a male Orchard at the bath, plus
a Yellow-throated Warbler, and a Red-eyed Vireo
was in the tree over it. I have never seen a
Red-eye at a bath. They never go to it. Bunch
of buntings around, at least 10 or 12, Indigo
and Painted.
At the park on the island up in the woods
there was a Blue Jay and an Audubon's Oriole.
Great combo of birds in the same place and time.
One juv. Painted Bunting up in woods. Two Green
Heron were around the park pond. One Common Grackle
in willows at south end of island looked like a
juvenile just starting to molt into first basic
(winter) plumage. No odes, whaddup with that?
The front got here, outflow boundry was about
7:15 and 30-35 mph. A bunch of Chimney Swift
were on it, trapped for who knows how long.
The band of storm cells is over 100 miles wide
east to west and has been marching for a about
a hundred miles. They were just steering. I
presume it is an aerial plankton smorgasbord
for them. By 7:30 the rain hit and in an hour
we had 1.5" of sweet holy rain! OMG! That
is more rain as we have seen in 2 months. The
temps went from 92 to 72 in an hour. OMG! And
the people danced and sang... But the lightning
was bad so we have to unplug everything, hence
the tardy update upload. It was a two hour
event, still raining as I do this. The Barking
Frogs are the only thing thrilled as me about it.
July 30 ~ A low of 71F felt great. The gulf
stratus got here shortly after sunup and kept
it bearable for the morning. A small group of
Orchard Orio went through yard early, and one
Gnatcatcher. Another coon climbed the fence
and ransacked the tub-pond. I guess you have
to wear a mask when you are always sneakin'
around screwing other people's stuff up.
A thickish mid-level layer of stratus parked over
us for the afternoon and kept it cooler than
planned, 87F much of afternoon on front porch.
Supposed to be getting a weak front washing out
in the area tomorrow and Saturday, some rain is
predicted. Pray, dance, sing, drum, whatever it
is you do for rain, now is the time to do it.
Saw two ad. male Black-chinned Hummer still here.
July 29 ~ Low was 70.5F, and felt great. A
Flock of at least 4 Orchard Oriole went over
early, high and fast, passage migrants on the move.
We played hooky at the office here until 2 p.m.,
going to Lost Maples SNA this morning, finally,
for a get out and hike. I am about a dozen trips
short for a normal spring and early summer this
year. We had been unable to get weekend entry as
they are only allowing half normal traffic, and so
are booked weeks in advance, before we can tell
if we can sneak away for half a day. So we did
it during the week. There were very few people
and it was great, like the old days. We saw no
one once we were past the ponds.
Due to the lack of rain it is very dry, there
are hardly any flowers, and very few bugs, including
butterflies and odes. Most of the breeding
season seems over for the birds. Lots of stuff
is gone already. In 5 hours going up to the
high-water spring on Can Creek a mile past the
ponds (about 4 miles total), we did not see or
hear any Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped
Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Ash-throated and
Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Indigo
Bunting or Blue Grosbeak, Chat, White-tipped Dove,
Green Kingfisher, or Audubon's Oriole. Lots
of stuff is gone already. Feeding stations are
closed down and un-serviced.
Only heard two E. Wood-Pewee and two Summer Tanager
so those have mostly bugged out. Heard two
Hutton's Vireo. Somewhere high up over
the parking lot at the trailhead was a begging
Zone-tailed Hawk. We saw two Olive Sparrow,
and an ad. and juv. Rufous-crowned Sparrow.
There were still numbers of Red-eyed (8+) and
White-eyed (10+) Vireo, as well as Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher. Heard a few Canyon Wren but did
not lay eyes on one, as fairly usual. Heard a
few Ladder-backed Woodpecker, saw a few Common
Raven, a Red-shouldered Hawk, lots of Titmouse
(Black-crested), a few Carolina Chickadee, lots
of Carolina Wren, a few Bewick's, good
numbers of N. Cardinal, a very few E. Phoebe,
some Barn Swallow, Turkey and Black Vulture.
In butterflies there was little. A few Sleepy
Orange, a Gulf Fritillary, a Dun Skipper, four
E. Tiger Swallowtail (3 dark-form female, and 1
yellow), three Spicebush Swallowtail, a few
Snout, it was between dreary and dismal. No Sister
or Red-spotted Purple, or Two-tailed Swallowtail, no
Amblyscrites (Roadside-skippers), I did not even
see a single Pipevine or Queen. The Buttonbush was
the main blooming attractor. It had bumblebees on
it wherever it was in bloom. Odes were not much
better. Best were 4 or more Comanche Skimmer, but
no Neon, Flame, or Widow Skimmer. Some E. Pondhawk
and Blue Dasher, a Red-tailed Pennant, a Wandering
Glider which bolted and left the main big pond
heading into orbit, a few Swift Setwing, a Green
Darner, and one Leaftail that was likely Five-striped.
Seemed really weak for the date. Damsels were a few
Kiowa Dancer. Pitiful.
In herps: saw 3 lizards, single Six-lined Racerunner,
Four-lined Skink, and Texas Spiny Lizard. No snakes.
A few turtles slid away in the ponds, which amazingly
were Pond Sliders. Amphibs were one yearling Red-spotted
Toad, some Blanchard's Cricket-frog and a Leopard
Frog. Fish were Mexican Tetras and the Notropis shiner
at high-water spot. I love those MexiTets, some were
3" long and fat! Below ponds a Bluegill is the
first I have ever seen there, with dark in the soft dorsal.
In a pondlet I check the sunfish at all the time. The
usual Bantam and Red-breasted Sunfish, the latter in
spectacular breeding colors presently.
Plants are stunted from lack of rain, the Frostweed save
some in the creekbed is half the height it should be, same
for lots of stuff, like the Senna. The flowers I saw a
few of were Lindheimer's Senna, Cedar Sage, Mountain
Pink, Snapdragon Vine, but Buttonbush was the only
thing really going well. If you are up at dark-thirty,
Venus is the 'morning star' in the east before
dawn, whilst red Mars is near zenith almost straight up.
Should have gone up on the hill behind us with scope and
nabbed Mercury, which is in Gemini right now, low in East
before dawn.
What is weird is how there are more Indigo and Painted
Bunting in our yard than at Lost Maples now, and the same
for Audubon's Oriole. Afternoon was warm back
here at the casita, got up to mid-90's or better.
Kathy spotted orioles at the bath, I got the bathroom window
open, and heard them as I took some pix, it was the
troop of juvenile Audubon's Orios! Only 2 can fit
in the bath at once if you were wondering. Three could
fit, IF they would stop fighting. Got a few shots but missed
some great fighting action that was too fast. Three
Hooded were at the hummer feeders here. A group of
rain cells went by later in afternoon, all we got was
the outflow, but which was great, for cooling us down to
84F or so before 6 p.m. when it was 94.
July 28 ~ A 72F low was great. Common Nighthawk
went by about 6:40 a.m. or so. Just a bit of
gulf stratus, warmed up fast, and got to the
upper 90's F. Hear one Blue Grosbeak and
one Indigo Bunting still singing, half-heartedly.
Chat is calling but not really singing, Summer
Tanagers around but just calling, they seem done.
Vermilions seem to be working on another clutch
the way the male chased a Phoebe out of an area
in the corral. Did hear four vireo sps., the
three regulars still singing, plus a Bell's,
but no Hutton's. Heard a Scissor-tail
which seem to be done for the most part too.
Only passage bird was a Gnatcatcher late in the day.
Still only Black-chins for hummers and almost all
are immatures, only two adult male left at most.
July 27 ~ The gulf stratus got here and kept it
balmy, 74F was the low. Dawn chorus is no longer.
Just a few things singing, and not very much.
It is remarkably quiet before sunrise already.
A dry June means a very weak July breeding session.
Most has given up. A troop of Audubon's Oriole
went through early, a Martin or two overhead,
one Gnatcatcher went by southbound. The cool
shady front porch was 90F around 3 p.m., pretty
toasty in the sun. Neat at last light was a
migrant Great Blue Heron up at 1000' (obviously
not local movement) dropping down looking for a
place to roost.
Two great departures I have been forgetting to
mention recently... first, the cowbirds are gone.
Last week they bugged out. The daily flock of
white millet eating ad. male and female
Brown-headed and Bronzed Cowbirds, have not been
around for most of a week now. Good riddance.
The odd hatch-year juvie still around, but the
ad. flock of nest parasites is gone. Surely
they can tell stuff is not re-nesting. The
other departure was that bastard Ash-throated
Flycatcher that spent a week terrorizing everything
in the yard, I presume after the female left,
is finally gone. All the birds in the yard were
glad to see it go.
July 26 ~ A spritz of rain from a band of Hanna
went over right around sunup. We might have gotten
about .15 of an inch. That was it, but which
was great, at least something. The rain-cooled
low was 71F which was also great. Deep far south
Texas got lots of rain, some areas a foot! And it
is flat down there. Will probably fill Falcon Lake.
We got a couple day break from the oppressive heat
and a couple dust-free days. High was about 90F again.
A couple Orchard Oriole went through yard mid-morn
but that was it for migration motion.
We went to the park noonish, everyone must have left
due to the rain forecast, which then didn't happen.
Great to see it soooo empty on a Sunday in summer.
Had one Green Heron below the dam. Heard a Purple
Martin overhead. Up in the woods there was one
Black-and-white Warbler, a transient. One Common
Grackle was in the willows at the island. Collected
some Maxmillian Sunflower for the tub pondlet, and
a few Gambusia (Mosquitofish), still need to get some
Ludwigia and other things.
July 25 ~ 'Nother balmy 75F low. Now Hurricane
Hanna is set to go much further south than original
forecasts a couple days ago. Deep south Texas will
get some much-needed rain, we will be lucky to get any.
Winds were off and on E to ENE from the circulation,
and lots of clouds, so we barely hit 90F, which is
10dF off the recent highs and a treat in itself. Be
nice if one of the bands would throw a rain cell our way.
Great being in 70's for the evening instead of
the 80's. The little things...
The Audubon's Oriole juveniles went through yard
and I counted 4 all-green and yellow hatch-year birds
as they moved from the big Hackberry over the shed to
the Mulberry over the cottage. The single note begging
call is not unlike the chuck note of an Orchard Oriole.
Deeper, not as sharp, longer of duration, and with
perhaps a wee bit of a bleating aspect to it. Always
great to see they had nesting success locally. Maybe
it could be two sets of two young that joined up and
not one clutch of four? I do not see any adults.
I have been looking at the male Indigo Buntings for
molt the last few days. What could have easily seemed
one bird at a glance is at least three different
males based on different molts. One missing a patch
on left side of head, another with sheathed feathers
all over the head, another with a big gray area on one
side. Then after all that hard work over a few days,
about 8 p.m. there were FOUR males at once on the patio!
I have only been seeing one at a time. Sure makes it
easier when they all show at once.
Had a Zone-tailed Hawk fly by and over in afternoon.
You can barely see the comet now, with the moon near
first quarter the sky is washed out with too much
light. It still looks good in binocs, but is fading
fast, and nothing like it was a week ago when no moon.
This cosmic show is all but over. Just catch it next
time if you missed it. It's only 6800 years until
it returns.
This appears to be... an excellent photo quiz picture.
Tail is spread, left wing spread, head shows well. It is
always great to get any shots of this little-seen plumage,
and acquire more breeding evidence as well. If only I
could see the brows, squirming, and page flippin'. ;)
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
July 24 ~ 75F is as low as she goes presently
apparently. No morning clouds and occasional
easterly winds. Afternoon upper 90's F with
low 00's heat index. We are hoping for
some rain tomorrow or Sunday from the system
(Hanna) in the Gulf and wish they would quit
bending the forecast track south. Meanwhile
here the drone of the cicadas do not make it
feel any less like the dog days of summer
when it is in the upper 90's. Some local
WU stations showed over a hun here today.
There was a Hutton's Vireo which sat on
edge of birdbath early this morning. Two or
three Hooded Oriole visiting feeders but no
ad. male. Great was the family group of
Audubon's Oriole that was in yard a bit.
Looked like at least two, probably 3 juveniles,
and 2 adults. They were in most of the yard
trees over 15 minutes or so. Lots of calling.
A great show. Mighta got a shot of a juv.
Town run, Rosie was gone so no tacos today,
Friday just isn't the same. Little Creek
Larry said he had a Spotted Sandpiper on the
dam at the park this morning. This is undoubtedly
a fall migrant, right now is the time the first
ones return from nesting. Fall migration for
shorebirds is in full swing in July. Should
have Upland Sandpipers going over any night,
I have been listening just after dark but not
heard one yet. There was one Hutton's
Vireo up on the island at the park, but that
was it. Otherwise slow, the park is packed with
hominids.
July 23 ~ Low of 75F or so, you take what you
can get. An Eastern Wood-Pewee was in yard
early in the morning. A herdlet of Orchard
Oriole went through yard early, a half-dozen or
so, first morning with more than a single or two.
A few Hooded Oriole were around as well, a pair
consisting of first summer male and female were
on a feeder together multiple times, indicating
they are still nesting. A lone juvenile was also
around. A, or the, Yellow-throated Vireo came
close to going to bath, which they virtually never
do. Once a juvenile came in to it a couple years
ago. An adult White-eyed Vireo came in and besides
splash-bathing several times, it actually sat on
rim of the bath a few times. It was in very heavy
molt, of head, body, and wings, and is the most
disheveled WEVI I ever saw.
Later morning an Audubon's Oriole or two
went through, so 3 sps. orioles this morn. I heard
a FOS Least Flycatcher out on the fenceline but
it was gone when I got out there with binocs.
Hear the Bell's Vireo singing a bit over in
the corral, so 4 vireos by noon since the Red-eyed
is still singing. Heard a Great Crested Flycatcher.
Nearing noon when looking for the Least Flyc. I saw
a FOY Laviana White-Skipper at the Frog-fruit.
In the afternoon I saw 8 Chimney Swift heading
south down the river habitat corridor. Hope
they weren't leaving already. Still heard
a few Martins overhead, they will be gone soon.
Couple Nighthawks at dusk, heard one boom. Eastern
Screech-Owl calling. Heard some weird call about
11 p.m. that maybe was a cuckoo. Comet still showing
well, but dimming fast. Still a great binocular
view object.
July 22 ~ A 76.5F low, headed for mid-90's
and again a slight chance of a shower, so good
and humid. Saw a Questionmark butterfly early
in morning. Bath was busy early too, everything
comes in to fill up on water first thing. An
oriole seen briefly looked an Orchard. Chat
came in, a juv. Summer Tanager took a bath, the
stream of Cardinals seems endless. Kathy saw
the Yellow-throated Warbler on the portable
shade gazebo we have on the patio. A juvenile
Yellow-breasted Chat came into the birdbath in
the morning. Only saw one ad. male Black-chinned
Hummingbird today, guarding the office feeder.
Should be a Rufous around any day now. Bird of
the day was nearing dusk, when a Poor-will flew by,
whilst still light out! Nighthawks do so regularly,
but this was tiny, round-winged with no white band.
Either a juvenile or a parent with young to feed.
Have only had a very few from yard in 7 years,
though they a present within a mile on the rocky knolls.
July 21 ~ Low of only 76F is not very. Have a
slight chance at showers they say, will believe
that when I smell rain. In the morning had
Gnatcat and Orchard Oriole go by. Dang coon
climbed a garden fence and got in the new tub
pond. On one side the fence is lowish (4'),
so will have to raise that. Maybe run a hot
wire to it, wait and watch with the switch in
hand? Heard Audubon's Oriole out there
in the morning. Some Chimney Swift went over in
afternoon. There were some small scattered
showers semi-nearish in afternoon. Not close
enough to smell, was hot and sticky. More
Gnatcats in afternoon. Comet still showing
well, but still dimming fast, seems another
magnitude less tonight. Still bare-eyeable
if you know what to look for and where to look.
No Chucks calling, they have fallen silent.
If it would rain they would call, and so would I.
Great to be losing a minute a day now, a month
after the solstice.
July 20 ~ A 72F low was good. No low stratus from
the gulf, so sun out of the gate and gonna be a hot
one. First thing a Titmouse was over at the pond
and went to the branch I stuck in it so anything
can crawl out. Always the first bird to check
anything new out, the titmouse. The Chickadee
watched and went to fence noting it. Early morning
had Gnatcatcher and an Orchard Oriole go through
yard, and another gnatcat or two over the day.
For both, their southbound passage should pick up
steam the next few weeks. Saw a real rusty female
Indigo Bunting on the patio, there has only been a
male showing up, they probably have a nestful of
young over in the draw near where he sings. The
first few immature male Black-chinned Hummingbirds
are showing dark feathers in the throat now. There
were some off and on easterly winds over the day,
due to a low in the NW Gulf of Mexico. Saw the
comet from the driveway at dark. Looks great, and
is seeable with the bare eye, barely. Interesting
is that it obviously is not as bright as it was last
night. Amazing to be able to see that difference
in dimming in one day. No chucks called. The
Texas Powdered-Skipper was on the Frog-fruit in
the afternoon.
July 19 ~ Low of 72F again is wonderful. But boy
is it parched out there. We are over six weeks
with just an inch of rain since the deluge the
last two weeks of May. It's all or nuthin'
here now for precip. Heard a couple Gnatcats go
through yard, the Indigo Bunting was in a singing
mood this morning, Painted are all but silent.
Only a very few ad. male Black-chinned Hummers
left here now.
Went over the the Waresville pondlet on the golf
course. One male Comet Darner continues but again
no Least Grebe. Seeming like a miracle I saw it
at all. Red-winged Blackbirds still nesting. The
Barn Swallows got out of the nest since last week.
One female or imm. Purple Martin was on the wire
over the pond. Then we checked the 1450 knoll,
no Black-capped Vireo. It is so parched and
toasted it is hard to believe how lush it was
five weeks ago. Heard a Rufous-crowned Sparrow,
heard one and saw another Roadrunner, heard
a Field Sparrow and White-eyed Vireo, but it
was quiet, though getting warmer at noon. No
flowers, no butterflies, no bugs. We need rain.
We went to the crossing after dinner at last sun
whence I aqua-mogged through the mud and collected
a couple cattails and a water lily. We'll see
if they make the transplant. But the tub-pond has
a couple plants in it now. Saw a couple American
Rubyspot damselfly. After dark we went over to
the 1500 knoll to our north and had great views
of the comet NEOWISE. It was fairly impressive,
and much better than last week, higher up in darker
skies. We could see it bare-eyed without binocs.
That is a long tail it has! Kathy heard an
Eastern Screech-Owl. No Chucks called at dusk.
July 18 ~ A low of 72F felt good. The low stratus
from the gulf got here around sunup and kept the sun
at bay a few hours. There is a disturbance over
south Texas where a few scattered showers, some
afternoon clouds kept the heat dialed back to 90F.
Heard the Hutton's and the Bell's Vireo
to go with the White-eyed, Red-eyed, and Yellow-throated,
for five species of vireo from the porch today.
It's vireotopia. If I could just get a stray
Black-capped... at the bath with photos.
Some begging baby Lesser Goldfinch are nice to
see since the first set since the hail storm in
late May. They showed up yesterday actually.
LEGO were wiped out by the hail. There were a
few pairs around the house in late May, only
one male for two weeks after the storm. Then a
female so by mid-June they must have been underway
with a nesting attempt, now we have a couple young.
Normally there are too many and at least a couple
sets fledged by now, instead of their first clutch.
Got the filter going and am filling the tub, soon
to be a 50 gal. pondlet. Sure to soon have Marsh
Wren, Sora, breeding Least Bittern, and maybe a
Sabine's Gull. Have to put a hole in it for
overflow prevention, grated so I don't lose
Gambusia when it pours. The Wooly Ironweed is
sure popular now. A couple nice male Large Orange
Sulphur were on it quite a while, as was a Texas
Powdered-Skipper, the first one of the month.
There are Dun Skipper on it all day. Then a FOY
Southern Skipperling was on the Frog-fruit. Saw the
Turkeys over in the corral. Late p.m. there were a
couple begging baby Yellow-throated Warbler getting fed
in the pecans in front yard. These are another set.
One interesting botanical note I have been meaning
to mention. Some Pecans have re-sprouted leaf
clusters where they were lost in the hail event.
There are many bright green fresh leaflets on
a number of trees. Not all of them has done this
but several have. No Chuck calling at dusk.
It is that time of year again... July, when some
adult male Painted Bunting initiate some sort of
supplemental molt we do not seem to understand.
Some ad.ma. are perfectly fully red below now, others
mottled with light areas, sometimes yellowish. Here
is another variation you won't find well-described
in the literature. I noted this male getting pale a
week plus prior to this pic.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
July 17 ~ A 76F low does not bode well for the
afternoon temps. In the morning I had another
look, and a decent if brief one, of the Great
Plains Skink I saw a couple days ago. This was
a most wanted reptile here for me, so great to
see, and better to have it around the house.
Sure would love a pic, but they are not the
type to sit out in the open and sun. It took
15 years to see a Tree Lizard here, and 16.5 for
this skink (had one awful look once). If I was
retired of course instead of working often 6 days
a week, that time would have been reduced
considerably no doubt. Still looking for a
Copperhead to photo.
There was an Eastern Wood-Pewee in yard early,
getting chased by the Ash-throated Flycatcher.
The Pewee is way faster and more agile. It
appears to think the Ash-throat is a big dumb
lunk of a bully. Indigo Bunting still singing, as
is Blue Grosbeak, but the Painted Bunting have
nearly shut up. Heard a Hutton's Vireo
in the yard again, if I would have heard it
yesterday it would have been 5 species of vireo
in the yard. Most of the ad. male Black-chinned
Hummingbird have bugged out of the last week
to two. Very low numbers of them remain. It is
overwhelmingly immatures now, but some ad. fem.
still present. Roadrunner was in the Bluemist
no doubt hunting the Green Anole lizards that
hang around front porch (no doubt after my
precious butterflies that come in to the flowers).
Did the town errand run and park check. Summer
Tanager still singing, ours in yard has gone quiet.
Saw the Red-eyed Vireo in the woods, a couple
juv. White-eyed Vireo besides some adults. But
quiet overall. Heard the RingKing way upriver.
No odes. It has been busy and packed with people
so is fairly highly disturbed Memorial to Labor Day.
We're half way there. Not much mask wearing
overall in town. But Rosie has tacos, and it is
back to the hovelita and livin' la vida quarantina.
Saw an Elada Checkerspot on the Frog-fruit in the
driveway. Chuck still going off at dusk.
July 16 ~ A 73F low was as chilly as it got.
Some low stratus kept it below 80 until after 11.
Indigo Bunting singing briefly early, and then
at seed out back later. Painted Bunting include
a few males, a few females, and a few juveniles.
They will build the next few weeks before the
males depart at the end of the first week in August.
Heard a Bell's Vireo sing over in Mesquite
across from gate, to go with the Yellow-throated,
Red-eyed, and White-eyed all still singing. Later
it was in the corral along fenceline. Heard
the Great Crested Flycatcher, Ash-throat still
harassing everything in yard. Besides the ad. fem.
Hooded Oriole at the feeders, an Audubon's
Oriole went by yard, but none have caught on to
the feeders here.
Did my final 50 gal. pond tub cleaning before I place
it and start filtering and filling with water. Once
you start filling you can't move it. It has to be
fenced or deer, coons, and who knows what would ransack
it endlessly. Birdbath is mud every morning due to
the dang coons. Even with just 40 gallons of water in it,
that weighs over 300 lbs., 50 is 400! Have to scrape a
bit to make a level spot. The well water has iron in it,
which grows algae, so I remove it (carbon). Generally
enough macro plants will keep micros from taking hold
but no sense in having any algae-grow from the git-go.
The Frog-fruit was active. Saw Tropical and Desert
Checkered-Skipper, besides some Common, for the
Pyrgus trifecta. A Dusky-blue Groundstreak was
new. A Ctenucha (diurnal moth) finally didn't care
and let me get pics, finally. Lots of all the regular
stuff I have been mentioning. It could take 10-15
minutes to get away from the patches before you
ID everything on it. Late afternoon there were 5
Mestra on it at once. The Olive-Juniper Hairstreak
show up most at peak heat, 6 at once, at least.
Heard one Chuck-will's-widow gave a fair session
of calling at dusk. They will be done real soon.
I am surprised he is still going.
July 15 ~ Low was about 72.5, a couple hours of
low stratus before it gave way to the sun. Kathy
heard a Nighthawk before 7 a.m. Ran to town early
so a quick look in the woods at the park, nuthin'
happening. Getting quiet out there folks. Back
here I saw the Long-billed Thrasher sneakin'
around where seed tossed. An adult female Hooded
Oriole came in and took a bath. So mom and a juvie
here now, sure wish the male would show. Still a
few Martin overhead, Indigo Bunting barely still
singing. A few male Painted around, one took a
bath early. Late in day at least 2 juvenile Painted
Bunting were on seed out back, besides a couple
ad. fem. types. Heard a Hutton's Vireo.
After spraying water around a male Roseate Skimmer
was out there a bit. Kathy saw a Smoky Rubyspot
in the yard, but I couldn't find it. I have
only seen one in the yard before. Usually the
Rubyspots are fairly tied to waters edge here,
a beast of the streamside vegetation. Spraying
water around is magic though, for odes and for
butterflies, it can get nearly instant results.
During these hot dry spells it clearly is something
they are looking for and needing. Late near last
sun a male Common Whitetail was patrolling the
Frog-fruit for a last meal. For being common,
they are pretty spiffy with that bright snow white
abdomen.
Besides the daily butterflies, there was a Nysa
Roadside-Skipper on the Bluemist Eup late in day.
The Celia's on the Wooly Ironweed is a fairly
regular visitor. There was one Horace's Duskywing
puddling on some wet mud. One Giant Swallowtail
went by. Saw what surely was a Tropical Checkered-Skipper
on the Frog-fruit. Common and Desert are regular.
Saw my FOY baby Six-line Racerunner (lizard), just
a few inches long, and wow are they neat looking.
Had a quick look at what surely was a Great Plains
Skink (Plestiodon (was Eumeces) obsoletus) out back.
It is the first one I have seen in 16+ years here
in Utopia. It has been high on my 'wanted'
list as it is should be present here. They are diurnal
but very secretive as I understand it. Also saw a
FOY baby Anole (lizard) that was not 3" long yet,
counting the tail.
July 14 ~ Low was 73F and felt great, a respite,
if only brief. Several local area stations were
at 102F in the afternoon. Uvalde hit 104 and Del
Rio 109. I guess we are lucky it is not 128F like
Death Valley was a few days ago. Which is actually
a wonderful place I spent a fair bit of time exploring.
Though generally avoided it early June until
later September.
There was a Ribbonsnake in the house which ducked
into a place where we couldn't chase. Hope
it finds its way back out the way it came in!
They are harmless, more or less our version of a
Gartersnake here. Though we do have a Black-headed
Garter found locally, scarcely.
Ringed Kingfisher flew right over house in a.m..
A few Black-bellied Whistling-Duck followed
shortly after. Heard an Audubon's Oriole
over in corral and uphill behind us in the big
live-oaks. There was a female or imm. Hooded
Oriole at the hummer feeders in the a.m., have
not been seeing one around so nice. Saw it again
later out office window, it is a juvenile Hooded.
Heard the Red-eyed, Yellow-throated, and White-eyed
Vireos all singing, the Great Crested Flycatcher,
Blue Grosbeak still singing. Heard a Rufous-crowned
Sparrow out back, and later afternoon heard the
Long-billed Thrasher smacking in the Mulberry.
A female Common Whitetail dragonfly was in yard
a bit. Trying to decide where to put a 50 gal.
tub for a dragon pond. Since easy access to some
lillies and cattails, Myriophyllum, Gambusia, etc.,
what the heck with that presently unused heavy duty
tub. Shoulda done it a long time ago. Maybe I
could get a yard Sora? How many cattails would it
take? Worked this a.m. trying to shade some
tomatoes that are still trying to make it in this
brutal heat. One Chuck was calling a bit at dusk.
At twilight we went over to the 1500' knoll
just north of us for some altitude hoping to see
the Comet NEOWISE. On the dirt road on way over a
Poor-will flushed from the side of the road.
Then Kathy saw something bigger, so either a Chuck
or a Nighthawk, briefly as it flew off, habitat
is Nighthawk. We did see the comet, which was
neat, but no Hale-Bopp (the last 'great'
comet, in '97). Great comets are those you
can see with the bare eye. This you need binocs
to spot. As it gets higher in darker sky over the
next week viewing should improve. We could see it
with 7 and 8x binocs, better in the 20x scope,
but I forgot the 25-45x zoom eyepiece which I
will dig out for next time.
July 13 ~ Low of 72F felt great, lowest temp in a
week, which is a cryin' shame. It was record
hot at SAT and Del Rio, presumedly here too. It hit
90 before noon, 97 by 1:30, several local stations
were reporting 102-103F at 3 p.m., before peak heat.
Humidity was down to 20 percent or so early afternoon.
At 5 p.m. KRVL hit 105F and 11% humidity (!), DelRio
hit a 112F (!), it was 101 in the shade on the front
porch. So had to be 105 in the sun, a couple local
stations had 107-8F, likely in sunny spots. We are
about 10F over average highs. Junction, Castroville,
Hondo, and Uvalde all hit 108F! Gadzooks! Holy
thermality heat man! Who left the oven door open?
At midnight it was still 85F.
Birds were at the bath all day trying to cool off.
What I presume is the male Ash-throated Flycatcher
is terrorizing everything for a week plus now. What
seems to have happened is that the female left after
their third failed attempt and abandon. He is left
and pissed off, taking it out on everything in the
yard smaller than himself. Constantly harrassing
everything, being a mean tyrant of all things,
this tyrant flycatcher. Mean as a California Bird
Record Committee member.
Kathy spotted a Black-n-white Warbler out front mid-day,
female or immature. Early evening after 7:30 Kathy spotted
the Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the bath! They never come
in, save very rarely when it is over a hundred. It is
the first time I have seen it at the bath here. Only
twice in 16 years have I seen one come into water, both
times it was 104 or 105F. Luckily the bathroom window
was open so through my magic screen I got a shot. I have
a feeling you are going to see another cuckoo pic.
In butterflies saw a nice yellow morph Lyside Sulphur.
Saw the Tawny Emperor cross the yard again, the
Mournful and False Duskywing were both around again
as well, besides the usual Funereal. Lots of the little
stuff still on the Frog-fruit. Hairstreaks, skippers,
and mostly Reakirt's Blues. Some Mestra, a
few Queen and Sleepy Orange. The Dun Skippers love
the Wooly Ironweed, which is in good bloom now, a great
dark purple fuzzy flower.
July 12 ~ Low was 75F, not much for morning stratus
from the gulf. Probably hit 102F or so as a few
of the local WU stations reported. Was 97 in the
shade on the front porch. Brutal. After about 95F
the humidity is cooked out though, so no heat index
on it when that hot. We were 25 percent or so this
afternoon at peak heat. Saw (and heard) a Ringed
Kingfisher flying north upriver in the morning.
Later the Long-billed Thrasher was around out back
a few times today. Neat since we normally don't
have a thrasher out the window. An adult Zone-tailed
Hawk soared low over trees and house late morning.
The rest was the usual gang. We went for a swim
at peak heat later in afternoon. Water is getting
warm in spots, and down a few inches too. Send rain.
Wasn't much singing it was too hot. Damselflies
way down after last weeks breeding frenzy, just a
very few of the same types left. Swift and Checkered
Setwings were it for dragons. A few Dolomedes fishing
spiders, one bigger rustyish fuzzy one that looked
different from the usual D. scriptus, with small
pale-ringed dark eye-spots on abdomen. Late near
last sun a yellow Swallowtail came into water which
was likely an Eastern Tiger. Saw one False Duskywing
here in yard which might be a FOY. Did not hear a Chuck
at dark. Only a very few Firefly left flying now. It
was a great second wave, now we wait to see if we get
a good fall flight.
July 11 ~ Low was 75F, not much for morning clouds.
Was a roaster, a hun in the sun in the afternoon.
A female Black-n-white Warbler bathed in the morning.
Too many cowbirds, at least they will depart soon.
I have seen 4 juveniles around in the last month or
so, none being attended by our yard birds. They all
found the place, but were not raised by any of our
regular users. About 10:30 a.m. I heard a Long-billed
Thrasher over in the corral, about 11 it was outback
thrashing all over the place. Got a few docushots.
Was very dull on upperparts, perhaps a juvenile.
Quick spin to town, park was crowded so I skipped it.
Noonish I checked the Waresville pond at the edge of
the golf course. Did not see a Least Grebe, one male
Comet Darner continues. Can't believe how much
the baby Barn Swallows have grown in a week. One male
Eastern Pondhawk was different. A couple male Purple
Martin circled over pond and nest boxes. Lots of all
the same butterflies on the driveway Frog-fruit here.
Numbers continue to build well. One Goatweed Leafwing
came in to water sprayed about, a nice male. Two
Chucks called at dusk., one over in corral where it
seemed to have nested.
How can you tell it is 104F here? That is what it takes
to get a cukcoo at the birdbath. Otherwise juicy worms
(caterpillars) and such provide enough moisture. Only the
third time in 16+ years to see one drink at the bath, all
three times it was 104 or more. Was at 3 diff. yards too.
Ya gotta love those zygodactyl feet! Two toes forward, 2 back.
Note yellow on upper mandible, not just the lower.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
July 10 ~ A 75F low was a frog hair better than the last
couple days. The low stratus kept it bearable all
morning, but the afternoon was a burner. Near a hun.
The yard was the same stuff as expected now. Late
p.m. there were 7 Turkey over in the corral. It was
town run fun day. I should say taco run as that is
the best part, that last 10 min. stop at Rosie's.
No one wearing masks here in town, save a tourist I saw.
Numbers of Large Orange Sulphur going by, fewer
Cloudless. Still hearing a few Purple Martin.
Did a quick park check, lots of people for noonish.
Summer crowds. Water still going over spillway but
level is dropping fast. By the island was the ad.
fem. and the imm. Green Kingfisher. Still singing in
woods were Red-eyed, White-eyed, and Yellow-throated Vireo,
Yellow-throated Warbler, Eastern Wood-Pewee, all
but the Red-eye likely nesting. The Red-eye I think
is an unmated troller, been here 5 weeks or more,
and have not seen a second bird. No leps or odes.
Little Creek Larry said on his creek there, there
are near 70 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, most
are young of the year. So several pairs must have
nested over there. I saw at least 3 pair at the
S. Little Crk. bigger (N.) buffalo wallow where they
sometimes nest, when it still had lots of water in
early June.
Just in case you haven't heard, there is a comet
visible to the NNE at about 5 a.m. right now, and
from I think Monday it will be visible after sunset
instead of before sunrise. Then it will be between
WNW and NW I think. Check spaceweathercom or
skyandtelescope.com, or space.com, any will have
links with sky maps etc. The first site mentioned
has a photo gallery with great pics of it.
July 9 ~ Looked like another 77F low here this morn.
Morning stratus, so no immediate sun is a bit of
a break in itself. We are progged for another
heat wave this weekend into early next week.
Birds were all the same. Male Indigo Bunting was on
the patio. A male Painted has some major pale areas
on underparts now, clearly body molt is going on.
Ringed King calling from river last hour of sun.
The fem. Ladder-backed Woodpecker is roosting in her
hole regularly now. Comes in before last sun and enters.
Barred Owl calling after dark.
Butterflies were about the same too, but lots of that
fun little stuff on the Frog-fruit. At least a couple
dozen butterflies at once, of well over a dozen species
makes you momentarily forget the heat. Four Olive-Juniper
Hairstreak at once, maybe 6 total, a few Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak
at once, 3 Mestra together, a few Vesta Crescent, Bordered
Patch, a bunch of Reakirt's Blue (near a dozen),
and then Eufala, Julia's, Fiery, Dun, Whirlabout,
and Desert Checkered-, for skippers. Lysides, Little
Yellow, Dainty Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, and a few others,
all on Frog-fruit. A Tawny Emperor flew by back porch
in morning.
July 8 ~ Low was 77F, clouds stuck until noonish
so still barely 82 then. At least a little break.
A very warm afternoon, 94F in shade on front porch.
So it was near a hun in the sun. Oh, but it is a
dry hun. A hun stinks anyway you measure it.
Thought I saw a juvenile Painted Bunting, very
gray, barely green. The rest was the same gang.
Frog-fruit had a couple Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak,
Funereal and a Mournful Duskywing, a few Vesta,
lots of Reakirt's Blue, Fiery and Whirlabout
Skipper, a couple each Mestra and Lyside. Low-end
entertainment, but entertainment. Like hearing
the Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue
Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting, Chat, Yellow-throated
Warbler, and other stuff singing outside. At least
it is something to look at or listen to. Field,
Lark, and Chipping Sparrow all still singing.
July 7 ~ Low was 75F or so. Overcast and muggy.
A few drops of rain fell at one point, perhaps
when the humidity slipped below dripping for a
second. But clouds generally kept the heat at
bay for most of the day. Low 90's was it,
which constitutes a break at this point. Blue
Grosbeak is still going strong with song early.
Many things are fading fast. The Indigo Bunting
is losing steam for instance. Was a Gnatcatcher
around in morning. They are so fast and agile
it never ceases to amaze me. Saw a Desert
Checkered-Skipper on the Frog-fruit among lots
of Reakirt's Blue and Olive-Juniper Hairstreak,
one Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, some Whirlabout and
Dun Skipper, a few Fiery, a couple Vesta and a
Phaon Crescent. At least it is something to
look at without going anywhere.
Late in day saw a Cuckoo get a Katydid. The Katy
dropped like a rock out of the tree when it realized
it was spotted and in trouble. The cuckoo dropped
right after it, both into tall grass under a smaller
pecan. The cuckoo looked around for 10 seconds,
spotted it. The end of Katy. Then during my dinner
I saw out the side window at least a half-dozen Turkey
over in the shade in the corral. A couple Chucks still
barely going at dusk.
July 6 ~ The low was not very at 77F. The KRVL
stats showed a whopping 6 hrs at or below 79F
overnight, hitting 76 for a half-hour. These
are some high lows. I looked to see what the
scolding scene was about. The Roadrunner was
drinking from some holes in the patio that hold
water briefly, whilst all the birds around give
scold calls and vacate said patio. I am sure
they take lots of inexperienced just-fledged
baby birds. A mid-morn sprayabout brought in
a male Roseate Skimmer dragonfly to the wet
shiny patio, and two Funereal Duskywings to
a wet carpet remnant outside the cottage. A
juv. female Black-and-white Warbler came into
the bath mid-morn. About 2 p.m. a narrow band
of rain went over, took 10dF off the top for
an hour and change. Only a few hundredths here.
The cloud debris though kept it from getting as
hot as forecast, lowest 90's instead of upper.
A couple Chucks half-heartedly singing at dusk.
Was shooting some small butterfly pics on the
Frog-fruit and later saw I got my FOY Ceraunus
Blue.
July 5 ~ Low was 72F, a few local WU stations
were showing a toasty 100 in the late afternoon.
That was when we were in the river swimming.
The water is warming up though. We need more rain.
Was 96F on shady porch in the later afternoon,
so surely we had a hun in the sun. Brutal heat.
The morning yard stuff was all the same. We
putted around to a couple stops 11-1 or so.
The pond by the Waresville Cmty. had maintenence
work being done, so if the grebe was still there
it was hiding. We did see one male Comet Darner
still there though. Kathy saw a Widow Skimmer.
A second set of baby Barn Swallow being fed are
more than a week from fledging still. The Martins
seem gone (early) from the house in disrepair.
At the 360 x-ing there were Rubyspot dragonflies,
only American but at least 10, finally. Also a
FOY Five-striped Leaftail. Neat was a Tawny Emperor
which hit the river surface 3 times to get water
no doubt. Had a glance at what was surely a Viceroy.
Saw Longeared Sunfish and Texas Cichlid. Birds
there were Indigo and Painted Bunting, Yellow-throated
Warbler and Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Grosbeak,
Chat, and some more common stuff.
We checked the 1450 knoll. Thought I might have
heard a dribble or two of Black-capped Vireo calls.
Kathy saw a juv. vireo she wasn't sure of
but there was an adult White-eyed in the near vicinity.
A good number of Ash-throated Flycatcher, seemed
over a half-dozen. Must be young out of nests
now. But it was hot already hitting 90F so not
prime time for birds. Just a few Zexmenia left
blooming, one Mournful Duskywing on them. What was
amazing was how the carpet of flowers two weeks ago
is brown, dried, and cooked, in the last week plus
of high 90's F on that hot SW facing slope.
Baked. All of them. It went from a lush cornucopia
of color to dry brown toast in two weeks. The
June bloom has left the room. It was a good one,
surely leaving a great seed crop behind.
From just after 4 to just after 5 we were in the
water cooling off. I mostly do the banks for bugs,
and listen for birds since can't carry binocs.
Lots singing in the heat, which means still nesting.
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Blue Grosbeak, Chat, Yellow-throated
Warbler, Painted Bunting, Black-crested Titmouse,
Summer Tanager, were all very vocal as in territorial
singing. Saw my FOY small fish, that is, native
fish, which means one of the 'minnows' in
our case. Black-tailed Shiners, several dozen, finally.
Kathy spotted a nice male Red-breasted Sunfish in
breeding colors. A few small Largemouth Bass.
In dragonflies just a few Swift Setwings for anything
big, the rest was damsels, and they were numerous.
Saw my FOY Stream Bluet, dozens of Double-striped
Bluet continue. Several each of Blue-ringed, Dusky,
and Violet Dancer. A bunch I couldn't see close
enough. Thought I saw a Powdered Dancer but it got
away.
Saw A couple Dolomedes fishing spiders. One unseen
one jumped on my arm as I reached for a baby sword
fern on a cypress root, it quickly jumped off onto
the tree. It was so fast I didn't know what it
was until it stopped on the tree a few inches from my
hand. I just knew something jumped on me but my eyes
could not begin to catch up to it until it stopped, it
was so fast. Nice that it wasn't attacking.
It reminded me of how mis-informed our ideas are about
so many things, like spiders, are. Most folks are
amazingly scared of spiders, with snakes and sharks
running close behind, just ahead of anything that
buzzes in flight. Everything is not out to get you.
Childhood cartoons did more to scare people of buzzy
insects than anything else.
July 4 ~ Low was about 73F, and no clouds, high
pressure has taken over. Was 95 in the shade on
front porch in afternoon, a few local WU stations
were showing 99F at peak heat. We do lose the
humidity though when it gets that hot. It goes
dry. It is the biggest day of the year in town,
so we stay hidden and avoid it all. The first-summer
Black-n-white Warbler came into the bath early
in the morning. Providing good looks and finally
a couple weak pix enough to study his state of molt.
Otherwise was the about same gang of birds and
butterflies. Kathy saw a male Widow Skimmer go
over the house, after I saw the FOY just yesterday
at the park.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, formerly known as (B-b) 'Tree-Duck'
for their habit of perching in trees. They whistle well too.
A few nest locally, the immatures are duller and have dark bills.
~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~
July 3 ~ The 73F low was better than 75 the last
few days. KRVL had a 72. Perplexing was a duck
that flew over the house in the morning. It was
not a Whistling-Duck or a Wood Duck, the only
two types normally possible in summer. Looked like
one of the Aythya group of diving ducks. It was
'one that got away'. Wish I had my bins
on when I spotted it. The Red-eyed Vireo was in
the Mulberry over the cottage early in morn. The
Black-and-white Warbler was singing right out
the office window, adding those warbly trills
for flourish at the end sometimes. Oh those
first-summer singers.
Best thing in the morning was a swallowtail
butterfly that was at least an Ornythion
Swallowtail, though maybe it could have been
something rarer. It was clearly not a Giant
which we see daily. Flight pattern was obviously
not a Giant, with shallow twittering flaps. It
appeared to be almost without hind wings. The
dark bar at posterior or trailing edge of
forewing absolutely did not cross any other
bars and was isolated inwardly by yellow its
entire length. It was an Ornythion or better.
Broad-banded being the long-shot outside chance
and only other possbility, no record in UvCo. Late
afternoon saw a Mournful Duskywing on the Frog-fruit.
Town run day. Nice to see masks being used.
Still out of three-quarter PVC. Pretty
busy, food store out of some items too. I hear
the annual firework show at the park is ON,
which is the biggest crowd of the year here,
and can be seemingly near a couple thousand
people. You won't find us amongst them.
Up in the woods at the park there was the
juv. Green Kingfisher, a juv. White-eyed Vireo,
and a juv. Eastern Wood-Pewee. Yellow-throated
Warbler and Vireo still singing (nesting).
Finally saw a FOY Widow Skimmer (dragonfly)
but the pond was pretty quiet for odes. A few
Fragile Forktail were in the woods as was one
Clouded Skipper.
July 2 ~ There was a trace of rain overnight,
maybe a tenth, from a system that was said to be
dissolving way north of us. Radar shows Lost
Maples might have gotten a quarter inch. Low
was 75F anyway, and plenty humid. Heard the
Ring King flying high over river going north
early in morning. In the afternoon an Inca Dove
was on the patio. Haven't seen one here
in yard in a bit. Male Blue Grosbeak was on
the patio. Heard the Red-eyed Vireo over in
corral. Saw the female Ladder-back go into
the nest hole she dug to roost. This the hole
the Ash-throats took over, built a nest in, and
abandoned. Just a wee bit of Chuck calling at
dark, they are already running out of steam.
A couple new butterflies showed up on the Frog-fruit
which I missed last month. At least they waited
until the 2nd to show up. A Marine Blue is my FOY,
missed getting a pic though. Two Orange Skipperling
were out there as well, I saw no skipperlings in June.
Those flowers continue to be a hotbed of activity all
day though, watch yer Frog-fruit. Lots of Reakirt's
Blue, a few each Olive-Juniper Hairstreak, and Mallow
Scrub-Hairtreak, several Whirlabout, plus more
Dun and Fiery Skipper, a Julia's or two,
Funereal Duskywing and Lyside Sulpur, some Snout.
Great fun in the heat of the day, and it got hot,
probably 95 or 96F. The second wave of Firefly
is on the wane, it has peaked here in the yard,
far fewer than a week ago. Saw an Eyed Elaterid.
July 1 ~ Hope the first half of the year was not an
indicator of the second half. Low was 76F, with
low stratus thick enough to mist a bit at one point.
Yellow-throated and Black-n-white Warbler singing
out front early. A Rufous-crowned Sparrow came in
and used the bird bath in the morning. The rest
was the same gang, and it is Wed., a busy desk day
for me here. Saw 92F on the shady front porch, and
it was very humid so felt worse. Always glad to
get through the first day of the month without
seeing any butterfly species I missed the prior
month. A Ringed Kingfisher was calling quite a
bit over at the river. Yellow-throated and Red-eyed
Vireos singing later afternoon, heard Cuckoo a few
times.
~ ~ ~ June summary ~ ~ ~
It was a dry one, I don't think we had an inch of
rain total at our place. Just some tenths here and
there, a quarter and a third. But it was a slightly
cooler one, we had many lows in the 60's F, and
highs not in the 90's. So we kinda skated on
the heat compared to recent drought regimen temps.
The flower bloom was good due to the foot of rain
in the last half of May, which kept things going
well and made for a good June bloom.
Butterflies picked up after a poor May (worst ever
in 16 prior Mays at 33 species). June found species 50
on the 30th. A couple got away, one I thought was a
Metalmark, and another surely was a False Duskywing.
The last few days of the month there was a significant
influx of species that are irruptive here. Mostly
little stuff, like skippers, blues, and hairstreaks,
but which could indicate an invasion year is in the
works. It has been a couple years since the last one,
we are overdue, and have had rains. Finally saw an
Arizona Sister for the year this month, but still
missing a Crimson Patch. Lots of Elada Checkerspot
on the 1450 knoll SW of the 360 x-ing. The end-of-the-month
surge saw FOY for several species: Theona Checkerspot,
Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Desert Checkered-Skipper,
Eufala Skipper, and Phaon Crescent. The highlight of
the month was a Brazillian Skipper on June 23 on the
Blue Mist Eup. at our front porch. First in the yard,
and my first locally in several years. In moths saw a
Virginia Ctenucha and two Texas Wasp Moth but generally
night lighting is frighteningly dull and devoid of bugs.
Saw a half-dozen Eyed Elaterid.
One of two Comet Darner (Anax longipes), at
pondlet by Waresville Cmty., Utopia, June 28, 2020.
Odes were about 23 species, a big uptick from the
woeful May total of 13. Missed Lost Maples so, uh,
lost, a few sps. there. A couple COMET Darner (Anax
longipes) were highlights, June 27-28, at the golf
course pondlet by the Waresville Cemetery. There
are only a handful of UvCo records. Over a dozen
Thornbush Dasher there, methinks they are breeding
there now. I did not see a Rubyspot of any flavor
this month, which is odd. Usually our crossing has
lots of American with a few Smoky, there were none
of either.
Birds were mostly the normal expected stuff, the
breeding species are the story in June. The month
with the fewest transient species. As in none besides
local post-breeding wanderers usually. But this year
there was one. A new bird for the local list at that.
Likely the first ever reported in the upper Sabinal
River drainage, a LEAST GREBE. This at the pondlet
on the golf course by the Waresville Cmty. on June 27.
The other report of interest was Little Creek Larry
seeing what he thought were 4 Spotted Sandpiper tightly
together interacting in early June at the spillway in
park. Which is far too late for migrants here, these
birds likely nested locally, and it was likely two
young with adults. A Cassin's Sparrow singing
south of town a few miles June 4, is a far less than
annual occurrence up here in the hills. Saw Eastern
Wood-Pewee feeding a young again at Utopia Park.
Otherwise the big story was the loss of birds from
the late May hail storm carpet bombing. There was
obviously a huge lack of birds around our place, and
a dearth at other spots locally we frequent. Many
species were clobbered. Vultures and Lesser Goldfinch
in particular. More than the usual number of single
trolling unmated birds around. I tally 85 species
I saw locally in June, just within 4 miles of Utopia.
So maybe 95 are around, missed a few with no Lost
Maples this month. All but the grebe are breeders
here. This is very high breeding diversity for such
a small area.
~ ~ ~ end June summary ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ archive copy update header ~ ~ ~
June!?! It is time to dig up interesting breeding
records. The Downy Woodpecker in May will be hard
to top. A tantalizing report was of multiple Spotted
Sandpiper at Utopia Park June 3, at least 3, probably
4 birds, which would seem to indicate local breeding,
which is unknown. A TROPICAL Parula was reported in
ebird at Lost Maples in early June. On June 23 a
BRAZILLIAN Skipper butterfly here is a far less than
annual rarity. A LEAST GREBE at the dinky golf course
pondlet adjacent to the Waresville Cmty. on June 27 is
likely the first known in the upper Sabinal River drainage.
Two COMET Darner dragonflies at the same place are very
rare odes in UvCo.
~ ~ ~ end archive copy update header ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ above is 2020 ~ ~ ~
Back to Top
Go, look, see, take notes and pictures, boldly nature nerd where
no one has before. Few things rival the thrill of discovery.
Besides having fun and learning, you will probably see some things
people won't believe without photos. ;)
~ ~ ~
Read UP from bottom to go in chronological sequence.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~