ightings
I don’t know about you, but things are pretty hohum around my place when it comes to birds.
I am seeing my usual Carolina chickadees, black-crested titmice and northern cardinals. I also had a brief visit from a golden-fronted woodpecker to check out my suet block. But I have seen no cedar waxwings, no yellow-rump warblers – not even a blue jay.
However, some folks in Texas are seeing some unique and unusual avian species in this new year.
A common pauraque was seen at Aransas. (This bird’s scientific name is Nyctidromus albicollis, which is not common at all.)
A black-bellied whistling duck was seen in Bell County, a fulvous whistling duck showed up in Nueces and snow goose (non-whistling) was reported in Bexar. Also, an Egyptian goose put in an appearance in Caldwell and in Starr, at the Salineno Wildlife Preserve, a red-billed pigeon was spotted. (I’ve never seen one.)
Hummingbirds, long gone from my place, are still buzzing around at other locales. Ruby-throated hummers were reported in Uvalde and black-chinned in Bexar. And a rare berylline hummer was spotted in El Paso. (I’ve never seen one.) Hummer reports also came in from Tom Green, Brazoria, Pearland and Austin.
Finally, on Jan. 17, a groove-billed ani was reported in Hidalgo. (I saw one in Trinidad.)
Hummers, geese, ducks and swans – all sorts of avian wonders are soaring and swimming in our fair state.
Just not around my place.
