Monday 22 February 2016

Texas Targets

16 days to go!

Planning now is at an advanced stage but it's a movable feast due to ever changing targets. I'm hoping to catch some late wintering species as well as the rarities that are present at the moment. I should also connect with some early Warbler gems. I'll definitely be re-acquainting with the exquisite Yellow-throated, which is thankfully an early migrant...


The internet has blown the Birding wide open with TexbirdsTexas RBATexas Chase Birds and Lower Rio Grande Valley hotline amongst others!!

It's almost like being there already.

Then there's that wonderful resource eBird. You can search for sightings of a particular species to see how recently it's been seen or look at historic records to give you an idea of previous occurrences. You can also search a specific site to see what might be expected there. Great fun!

Below is a list of my targets...as things stand as of today...

ABA Lifers
COMMON CRANE
NORTHERN JACANA
GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER
BLUE BUNTING

Texas ticks
Common Merganser 
Golden Eagle
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Sage Thrasher
Rough-legged Hawk
American Woodcock
Greater Pewee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Short-eared Owl 
Anna's Hummingbird
Hammonds Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Lapland Longspur
Chestnut-collared Longspur
McCown's Longspur
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Fox Sparrow
Purple Finch
Cassin’s Finch

Red Crossbill

There are also a couple of excellent rarities present that I have already seen on previous trips...

White-throated Thrush (3 birds present!)
Crimson-collared Grosbeak (3 birds present!)

Plenty to go at. I'm also hoping something else is going to show up. There's an excellent chance of that. I'll be exploring many parts of this vast State. Well as many as Louise will allow me to...I'll have to keep her well supplied with these...


I hope to post on a regular basis and I also hope I can provide some entertainment for you...






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