Smith's Longspurs

[Talon]

I checked in on Cement Creek Lake today and scared up a handful of Smith's Longspurs (at least five). At one point one of them came back around and landed within twenty feet of me right out in the open and I was able to put the scope on him for good identification. They were about half way between the gate and the lake.

[dpbronze]

You Should Chase These !
Way to go, Joe. It is maybe since about 2002 that we had Smith's in the county? And they were on a tiny ranch out in west Ft Worth where alot of oil/gas pipeline construction work has occurred since. I found a couple (or flushed a couple times) in the cruddy late afternoon light with the 'beedling' call - something like a cowbird - giving the Smith's away. There was a Sprague's Pipit as well; numerous sparrows, including a LeConte's that just couldn't convince itsself to fly away ! DavidP
ps- (edited Mon AM) some more browsing online reveals a reported Rock Wren well soutn of the metroplex about a week ago - Joe always used to tell me the rock dam at Cement Creek should have been a good place for a Tarrant ROWR, even tho' he went on to find one someplace else a few years back !

[Combatbirder]

Got 3 Smith's longspurs at about 9:17 this mourning also had aSpraug's pipit. Walk the fields between road and the creek between the gate and the lake

[Talon]

Found eight Longspurs today in the same area. That's three days in a row for them. Maybe they will stay around a while. Also a Sprague's Pipit and a Grasshopper Sparrow amongst all the Savannahs. I didn't know about a yellow rail even though I was wishing I could find one. If you go looking around the lake, were boots!

[lulubelle]

This is an interesting place - a bit hard to find if you don't know exactly where to hang the quick right to get to the gravel road! Perhaps if I were to go with someone who knew how to skirt the lake better than I was attempting to, I might have better luck!! Got the Spraugue's Pipit & think I got a flock of Longspurs, but I need to confirm the call that I recorded. Tail pattern looked right. There were more coots than anything, several Pied-billed Grebes, 32 Am. Wigeon, 4 N. Pintails and a handful of N. Shovelers. I spotted what I almost thought was a Least Grebe, but the doggone thing dove and I couldn't relocate it. Wishful thinking on my part I am quite sure!!!
I wasn't game to walk the perimeter of the lake for the Yellow Rail - got 2 at Anahuac - will be happy with those, although this would be a great Tarrant county bird!! This is one f those places that makes me realize how much more I need to learn calls and work on key birds like sparrows. David arrived about an hour or so after I did and the flock of what I was hoping were the longspurs seemd to have vanished from the area I was consistently seeing them in. Nice to have a bit of company for a little while!

[Barbara T]

Laura,

When Carol Culin and I were there last Thursday, there were two Eared Grebes on the lake, one of them in first year plumage. It was interesting to see the reddish tint on the throat so clearly since Eared Grebes are usually so far out on area lakes. They may have been what you thought was a Least Grebe.

We were successful in finding the Smith Longspurs and Sprague's Pipit. What a great record for the county, Joe.

[Birder 13]

When Susan T. and I were there on friday we also saw a scissor-tailed flycatcher.

[lulubelle]

Barbara,

Thanks. When I first spotted the bird I was so surprised to be as close to it as I was and my first impression was a Least, but then I thought it was a little too big. As I moved my bins up for a good look, it dove and must have resurfaced behind some reeds. That it may have been an Eared Grebe now makes sense with what I did see. I didn't expect to find either one there!

[Sngcanary]

I was at the Jacana site at Choke Canyon State Park yesterday and ran in to Barbara Tompkins who told me about these birds. Martin and I were both surprised that this never hit Texbirds. Are there any photos of the birds?

[Mary Lee]

Has anyone seen the Longspurs recently? What about the Sprague's Pipits or the Yellow Rail? Any other interesting sightings at Cement Creek? I'll post to Texbirds if there have been recent sightings.

Thanks!