West Texas birding

[lulubelle]

Not really a good place to put this post, but this seemed as a good a spot as any other!

Went for a 3 day trip to Lubbock, Monhans (Sand Hills State Park) and Big Spring (Big Spring Sate Park, Comanche Trails Park and the road around the airport), Texas. While the numbers weren't impressive, I did get some quality birds, including some killer views & video of a Ferruginous Hawk!! I went to some Lubbock hotspots and then headed a little more west to round up a few more species for the year and hopefully more lifebirds. Ended up with 5 lifers: Barn Owl, Burrowing Owl, W. Bluebird, Lark Bunting, and Ferruginous Hawk.

Here are a few photos. The Burrowing Owl was fairly far out in the field, so it is not a great shot, but I watched it for more than 30 minutes - even saw it catch a small snake! I found a Ferruginous Hawk on a pole a little ways down the road from the Burrowing Owl - got photo & video!!! I saw 2 out at Mule shoe NWR, but this was up close & personal!

I will put the Ferruginous Hawk video in the post right after this one.

Burrowing Owl
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1029/5180159700_fcf660f2d0_z.jpg


Cactus Wren
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1428/5179558597_6f33d827e6_z.jpg


Lark Buntings
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1412/5179558411_c13339dfaa_z.jpg


Was a good trip, saw some interesting things while birding - like Buddy Holley's grave site. Ate some great mexican food - Cafe Jalisco in Lubbock - I highly recommend it!! Love the Prairie Dogs - they were a real treat to watch!:D

Added some other photos in the photo gallery section

[lulubelle]

hawk video & more photos.


Ferruginous Hawk video:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15387427@N08/5180171846/


Pyrrhuloxia - male
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5179557247_f3d5621947_z.jpg

Pyrrhuloxia - female
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1267/5180231408_2b9ab1f171_z.jpg

[JimTx]

nice shots ... look like you had a great trip!

[Y Cymry]

Thanks for posting this Laura, it brings back a lot of memories of birding trips to that area.

The last time I was out there (in 1996?) we were birding that very cemetery in Lubbock and came across Buddy Holly's grave by accident. We found four forms of Dark-eyed Junco there: Slate-colored, Oregon, Pink-sided and Gray-headed.

Even further back I used to lead some 2-3 day birding and camping trips for Dallas Audubon. One of those trips each year in late winter or early spring was to Muleshoe NWR for the cranes and other goodies and to Sundown, TX for Lesser Prairie Chickens on the lek. One year we had had a very good day for owls at the refuge with five species: Great Horned, Barn, Short-eared, Long-eared and Burrowing. That evening at supper I had the bright idea of trying for an Owl Big Day by scaring up a Screech Owl somewhere. Everyone was game so we drove out to a city park in Levelland, Tx. We were in the process of playing tapes (both eastern and western I think) and shinning flashlights when the local police, mistaking us for gang members, came out and showed us to the gate. This may have been the genesis of my outlaw birding days! :D

[lulubelle]

Ken,

I really enjoyed the trip for any number of reasons, although I dipped on quite a few target birds. I couldn't find a Scaled Quail or a Black-throated Sparrow to save my life - both supposed to be abundant species at the Monahans Sand Hills & the quail at Big Spring State Park.

I had no idea Buddy Holley had anything to do with Lubbock, so to see the sign indicating his grave and then to look out my window and there is his grave site - NOT what I was expecting at all!

You had much better luck at Muleshoe than I did by far. Goose Lake was devoid of any birds. White lakes - 1 was dry and the other had minimal water. I drove back to the picnic area and got a few birds there. I didn't drive the little bit that seemed to be available to drive down - no maps to be found and I chose not to walk back to Mulberry Pond - I think that is the correct name!. I did go up the road to Paul's Lakes - was scouring the Prairie Dog town in hopes of finding a Burrowing Owl - spotted this huge bird sitting square in the middle - my lifer Ferruginous Hawk!!! That is when I figured out that my camera battery was dead, I hadn't packed the extra or the charger.:(
(However, I did come prepared for any weather event!). So no photos of my first hawk, but I was able to watch it for more than 30 minutes before it flew! The Prairie Dogs seemed absolutely oblivious to it. (Needless to say that I went to get a charger as soon I got back into Lubbock!!)

Once I got to the lakes, I was disappointed - not a single bird on either one. I had read reports of Green-wings, etc being seen the day before. Kept hearing some odd noises, but couldn't quite get the sense of direction they were coming from. After about 10 minutes, I look up and find 18 Sandhills flying in!! Was so excited! Then I hear more and I scan the eastern horizon, panning south - there were at least 2000 more in the air, if not more than that! Oh wow, what a sight!!! Between the Ferruginous Hawk & the Sandhills - that made the drive out there worth it!

I got my lifer Barn Owl as I was driving Hwy 87 into Big Spring - had I chosen the alternate route I was considering that very morning -I wouldn't have had the experience of seeing that big white bird swoop in from the right and bank & turn in front of me as I slammed on my brakes! It was about 1 1/2 - 2 ft higher than my car and right in my headlights!

Monhans Sand Hills State park was very neat, but that was where I was surprised to not find some birds that were supposed to be hugely abundant. However, I was hoping to at least get 1 Lark Bunting - I spotted 2 and then eased around the corner and flushed about 100 of them !! They very kindly flew up to and perched on the wires so that I got some great looks!! Defintely a spot I would like to bird agaiin.

I was so tempted to drive further west in my search, but instead chose to head back to Big Spring, to bird the state park and a few other spots. While the state park there is very pretty and the scenic drive is lovely, the vegetation is so dense that you really would have to be there at the right time of day and the right time of year to be able to get a bird. It was silent when I got there and the few birds that I actually got onto were out of & back into the bushes so quickly, I never stood a chance! Not a spot I would want to bird again!!

My last stop was to drive a road that circled the city airport. It wasn't well marked and a security guard directed me to a road running through the airport. It had Praire Dog towns on both sides of the road, so I thought what the heck! I went down the road a little ways behind the prison (they have a small prison right next to the small airport - go figure!), stopping to scan the mounds periodically. I can't believe I was able to spot that little owl out there in the grass, but there it was at my last chance stop to possibly get one!!! The kicker is that I was NOT on the road I had asked him to direct me to - I was a different one and had I gone to the right one I wouldn't have gotten the owl! When I made a turn at the dead end of this road, I was able to see the telephone poles that had been to my right. I just happened to look up and not 10 feet from my car was the Ferruginous Hawk sitting above me!! Great way to end the trip and a simple mistake in directions netted me 2 awesome opportunities!!

I can see why the area brings back fond memories for you - wish I been birding then and could have gone on one of the trips! So did you get your screech owl before you were escorted out of the park?!

[camcar]

I see how it is! Coming into my neck of the woods without a heads up.:)
I am glad that you had fun out here. If you had sent a message with some target birds I could have pointed out/shown you some areas. There is a Prairie Dog town east of Lubbock that usually has some good sparrows and many FEHA. Clapp Park is always a good place to check as well.

I hope that you posted to eBird as well. Steve Collins and I are trying to convince birders out here to use it more.

Cameron

[Y Cymry]

Lulubelle said: I had no idea Buddy Holley had anything to do with Lubbock, so to see the sign indicating his grave and then to look out my window and there is his grave site - NOT what I was expecting at all!

Yes Charles Hardin Holley (Buddy Holly) was born and raised in Lubbock and may be the most famous person to come from that city. On another birding trip years ago I passed through Marion, Indiana and discovered who their hometown legend was (James Dean).

Lulubelle said: I can see why the area brings back fond memories for you - wish I been birding then and could have gone on one of the trips! So did you get your screech owl before you were escorted out of the park?!

Back then it seemed that the local birding groups only went on two types of field trips: a half day at White Rock Lake or a month in Peru or Africa. Yes, Warren Pulich led his annual bus trips to the coast to see Whopping Cranes, but I thought there were other intermediate overnight destinations that would be of interest to local birders so got on the fieldtrip committee to promote the idea.

Alas, no Screech Owl was seen or heard, we were not even sure if it was a reasonable expectation, so we didn't try very hard. We always found 3-4 owls on these trips, but this was the only one where we saw nearly everything possible.

[lulubelle]

Cameron,

I sent an email to Anthony Hewett, plus I paid much attention to your posts on Texbirds. I also signed up for listserve on LEAS. I actually thought of emailing you, but since I kept track of all the areas that you've mentioned over time, I thought I had my hotspot list pretty well settled! However, in retrospect, the wiser thing would have been to contact you (especially since Susan T suggested that I contact you before I left!)! I even thought about trying to contact you while I was there, but didn't want to inconvenience you.

I did go to Clapp Park, Maxey Park, Lubbock Cemetary, the Canyon Lakes right behind the cemetary - all the way up to MacKenzie Park. I hit the Lubbock Landmark & Muleshoe. I attempted to find Smyer Playa - how I couldn't find it I am not sure, but I didn't find it (I am on Ebird now and I know why I couldn't find the Smyer Playa - the map I 1st printed gave me the impression it was right off of 114!). I tried working the stretch of FM 54 & the area between FM 54 & FM 37. The spots just weren't very birdy when I hit them. Clapp Park looks like it would be amazing for spring & fall migration! Maxey had quite a few people there. Didn't go to MacAlister Park or the Buffalo/Ransom area - opted to drop down southwest to Monahans.

However, since there are a few species I didn't get, that means I just need to come back your way! I will get in touch with you next time, if you don't mind!

As far as Ebird, I have been a long time supporter/user! In fact, I have already corresponded with Steve regarding one of my sightings at Muleshoe. He seems very nice. Ebird was one of the other tools I used to check on what was being seen in the Lubbock area, as well as the other areas I was considering driving to. It is a big help, but only as good as the data entered. I wish more people would use it.

[camcar]

I am glad you are an eBirder, it is a pretty awesome tool.

Anthony doesn't usually respond to emails, so contacting him is usually fruitless - unless you have a new bird he hasn't seen in the county. As for everything else, it seems you had a pretty good plan of attack.
I haven't had much time to bird between professional birding and school, but I can/will always find time to help out. I definitely hope that you will return to this area. Hopefully next time we will have a lot more bird activity up here and an updated eBird (Steve is working on updating every county list).

Cameron

Smyer Playa is very difficult to find if you aren't familiar with this area's road structure. The playa is NW of Smyer down a dirt, county road right next to a feed lot.

[lulubelle]

Well then I guess I am lucky he replied to my 1st email and explains why I didn't get a reply to the 2nd!!!

Are you going to do the Lubbock area CBC this year?

[camcar]

That is rare! I don't know where I will be during the Lubbock CBC. If I am in Lubbock I will probably help out, but if I go home for Holiday I probably won't. It all really depends on when I have to conduct bird surveys for work.

Cameron