Scissor-tailed Flycatcher – Abilene Birding Club Tour

Right on the heels of us seeing our first Ash-throated Flycatcher of the season on Tuesday, we followed up on Wednesday with spotting a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, (Tyrannus forficatus). A beautiful long-tailed bird, white head and breast, with pinkish to orangish under-wing coverts.  In the days since, we have seen numerous of both species.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

In other news, the Big Country Audubon Society visited San Angelo Saturday morning.  Yours truly, was invited to take the lead and show them some favorite birding spots.  Linda White was my co-pilot and we welcomed John and Susie English, Kathy Hampton, Joe Thompson,Edna Ross, Joan Howard, K.W. Kingsley, Colleen Tiernay, Bera Johnson, Gerald McAnally, JoAnne Wilks, Linda Beyer, and Dan Sigmonds.  I hope I have all these names right as I am reading off off a hand-written list.  If there are errors, call 1-800-LindaWhite.  🙂  (That’s me, to the far left in the photo below.)

Big Country Audubon Club photo courtesy John English

We birded San Angelo State Park, The Bluffs pond, Middle Concho Park, and Spring Lake Park.  We were at it from about 9:30AM until about 4;30PM, with an hour lunch break at the Golden Arches.  During that time we saw the following species.

1. Brown-headed Cowbird
2. White-crowned Sparrow
3. White-winged Dove
4. Mourning Dove
5. Golden-fronted Woodpecker
6. House Sparrow
7. House Finch
8. Ash-throated Flycatcher
9. Osprey
10. Northern Harrier
11. Pyrrhuloxia
12. American White Pelican
13. Black-necked Stilt
14. Northern Shoveler
15. American Coot
16. European Starling
17. Greater Yellowlegs
18. Great Blue Heron
19. Red-winged Blackbird
20. American Avocet
21. Turkey Vulture
22. Black Vulture
23. Killdeer
24. Snowy Egret
25. Barn Swallow
26. Great-tailed Grackle
27. Pied-billed Grebe
28. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
29. Black-crested Titmouse
30. Double-crested Cormorant
31. Cinnamon Teal
32. Bewicks Wren
33. Black-chinned Hummingbird
34. Purple Martin
35. Sharp-shinned Hawk
36. Cliff Swallow
37. Northern Cardinal
38. Blue Jay
39. Belted Kingfisher
40. Eurasian Collared Dove
41. Lark Sparrow

A great time was had by all.  Click on any image to see an enlargement.