If you haven’t read chapter one, click here. Of course, it isn’t titled chapter one, because when I wrote it I didn’t know that someday there would be a chapter two. Frankly, I don’t know where this post will lead until I start typing, AKA writing. It may be a bunch of nonsense. I do that on occasion, you know.
Anyway, we went out today to do a bit of birding, planning on hitting all of our usual haunts where we ususally find something to write about. We stopped first at Twin Buttes reservoir, and would you know there were a few birds, but no water. Yes, I will repeat, no water. No wonder there were few birds. We are in an extreme drought, so we are waiting patiently for some heavy rains.
Next we drove by the parks at Lake Nasworthy, namely Middle Concho Park, and Spring Creek Park. Still plenty of water there, but the levels are dropping a little. That is because Lake Nasworthy gets it water from the Twin Buttes Reservoir. We did see several small birds, the usual ones that hang around, and four Red-tailed Hawks.
Red-tailed Hawk
When we go birding, (and photographing birds), Ann keeps a journal of what we see, like the one of little Angie’s that was pictured in my previous post. Normally this time of year we can see about 30-35 species at a time. Today I think we managed only about 25 today. Something about the migration being off schedule, or they are passing by here and looking for more favorable places to spend the winter. Today we saw, besides the four Red-tailed Hawks, some Eastern Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ladder-backed and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and several species of sparrows, etc.
As we passed the gun club, we saw some Claybirds flying, but I imagine they were spooked by the gunfire there. I told Ann we shouldn’t put them on the list. They are hard to photograph in flight, too.
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention, we saw the first Ring-billed Gulls of the winter season. Soon the little beach at Mary Lee Park will be overrun with them. But we can also hope that sometimes there will be a Tern of some type, mixed in with them.
Well tomorow it is supposed to get really cold, a high of 47 is forcast, (but what do they know) so we’ll probably hang out at home. Freeze for tomorrow night, too. The change may bring in some of the winter ducks and other water fowl that we are used to.
Well, I am going to get out my winter jammies. Stay warm, you guys.
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 