tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55301272012-01-30T00:33:16.167-06:00A Chronicle of Life in the SwampJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.comBlogger3281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-73507652125024346832012-01-29T23:58:00.002-06:002012-01-30T00:33:16.176-06:00

After all these years of feeder watching, I finally get a Purple finch! Not only is it a new bird for the yard list, but for my Texas list as well! A couple of Rufous Hummingbirds are also still hanging around. Drove down to Pleasure Island this afternoon.  This is one of several Common Loons I saw along the shoreline: One more Pleasure Island snapshot.  Love those yellow slippers

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-34538975178887536412012-01-27T13:21:00.001-06:002012-01-27T13:49:16.595-06:00

Last Saturday I went on a Golden Triangle Audubon Society field trip that started at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and ended at Cattail Marsh in Beaumont.  Due to road work, the Shoveler Pond loop and Skillern Tract were closed, so our access to the refuge was limited.  We spent most of our time near the new visitor center (still under construction).  Best bird there was an unexpected

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-15786316529636899992012-01-17T23:38:00.003-06:002012-01-27T14:00:58.416-06:00

OK, so this is the way it works: about once a month I post something on this blog, usually just a few birding highlights since my last blog entry, accompanied by some examples of my mediocre digital photography.  Then I tell myself that from now on I'm going to start posting more frequently, and sure enough, about a month later I finally get around to posting again.   Well 2012 is off to a good

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-52164513380251999622011-12-31T23:54:00.001-06:002012-01-01T03:24:57.377-06:00

I recently noticed that the frequency of my blog postings has decreased to exactly one per month.  Well, it's the last hour of the last day of December, so in keeping with tradition... Hm.  Maybe I should make a new year's resolution to blog more often.  Maybe, but my record of fulfilling resolutions makes that more than a bit doubtful.  As far as my 2011 resolutions go, the less said the better

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-22715927763803292322011-11-11T23:39:00.001-06:002011-11-12T09:20:42.131-06:00

Thanks to Jana Wittle, who called me with the news, I was among those who got to see the Long-eared Owl at Sabine Woods today.   Actually there were at least two present, but one flew off before I arrived and could not be refound.  I know that better photos were obtained by others, but here's one of mine: Long-eared Owl is always a good find, and particularly so in eastern and coastal Texas,

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-84751543293666348102011-10-23T11:02:00.008-05:002011-11-12T01:36:18.336-06:00

Yesterday this Prothonotary Warbler was at the pond, also about a million mosquitoes. I managed to get a few crummy pictures while being slowly drained of blood. Amazingly, depite the long drought our pond has not gone dry. From what neighbors have told me, an artesian spring once fed into the pond (thus the name of our subdivision, Artesian Acres), but local municipalities have lowered the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-40311552751798699852011-09-25T02:12:00.005-05:002011-09-25T02:42:39.955-05:00

Time to get caught up on recent bird stuff. Our Mississippi Kites were last seen on August 7. As I noted in my last blog entry, on that day they were unusually active. Their restless behavior was probably a preparation for migration, because the next day they were gone. Date of departure, August 8. Texas has been extremely hot and dry all summer. Through the month of August we continued to

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-60433305809656264672011-08-07T13:25:00.002-05:002011-08-07T13:27:31.258-05:00

Got all misty-eyed yesterday because the babies have left the nest and are acting all grown-up. Not our kids; I mean the couple of young Mississippi Kites that recently fledged from a nest across the road from our house. Yesterday, for the first time, I saw them really testing their wings, soaring, swooping, and doing some aerial acrobatics. The parents were also flying around, and at one

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-23654515514564336552011-07-18T23:57:00.012-05:002011-07-19T00:43:21.662-05:00

These pictures of a male Summer Tanager and a Carolina Chickadee were taken this past Sunday, from the bedroom window that overlooks our birdbath.The drought has kept our birdbath busy, but other than the usual summer birds there isn't much to report. On July 10th I was in the pool at the Silsbee Country Club when a Swallow-tailed Kite flew directly overhead (as commonplace as these sightings

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-64604893715975663482011-06-28T23:58:00.007-05:002011-06-29T00:41:07.337-05:00

Just finished this acrylic painting of a couple of Reddish Egrets cavorting in the surf. It's based on a series of photos I took at Bolivar Flats. The behavior was probably a ritualized territorial dispute, but looked more like a ballet.On June 19th I was watching a pair of Mississippi Kites circling over our neighborhood, when I saw one fly to it's nest in the crown of a spindly pine across the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-73733723208853429962011-06-07T01:06:00.014-05:002011-06-07T01:35:27.904-05:00

Found this Three-toed Box Turtle on our front lawn. Michelle and the kids also got to see him before he ambled off into the shrubbery.At night all sorts of critters are attracted to our porch lights. Some, like the junebugs and horseflies, fly around, bounce off the lights, try to sneak inside when the door is opened, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Then there are the legions of

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-56257940576964917292011-06-04T15:11:00.002-05:002011-06-07T00:21:27.732-05:00

This morning I went on the Golden Triangle Audubon Society's annual field trip to Hardin County. I happen to live in southern Hardin County, but the focus of this trip was the Firetower Road/Gore Store Road area north of Silsbee. Firetower Road can become a muddy wallow after a rain, and when it's dry - as it is now due to the drought - you have to be careful driving the sandy stretches. The

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-66467245591372099862011-06-02T23:45:00.002-05:002011-06-02T23:46:25.002-05:00

Had a pleasant surprise on my drive home today. As I exited I-10 onto Highway 69 northbound I saw a Swallow-tailed Kite fly low over the lane of traffic ahead of me. It appeared to have flown up from the median strip. A Swallow-tailed Kite in the middle of Beaumont might seem unusual, but in prior years I've had several summer sightings along Highway 69 between I-10 and Highway 105. I wonder

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-87609518408806225842011-05-28T17:11:00.005-05:002011-09-25T02:45:03.632-05:00

Just a typical scene at Cattail Marsh (the shorebirds in front of the Roseate Spoonbills are White-rumped Sandpipers).Due to the latest in a seemingly endless series of crises - about which the less said the better - I missed the peak of spring migration (commence sad violin music). Didn't get to do any birding at all in April (insert wailing and gnashing of teeth). In past years our backyard

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-30694241180607727932011-03-31T01:18:00.016-05:002011-03-31T02:18:38.126-05:00

You know he's not the king of Bedside Manor He's not the Tom Jones that lives next door He's not the king of Bedside Manor He hardly even lives there anymore... "The King of Bedside Manor" Barenaked Ladies On March 21st one of our neighbors, Tim Jones, a local pervert and former Tom Jones Impersonator, pleaded guilty to six charges of Indecency With A Child, and one charge of Indecency By

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-9180742261798408102011-03-18T00:41:00.008-05:002011-03-18T01:07:24.707-05:00

Saw my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season from our kitchen window on the morning of March 16th. It was a male - these early arrivals always are. A moment later it was joined at the feeder by a second male, and they actually shared a peaceful moment, both sipping contentedly, without any violence erupting between them. As I was leaving the house that morning I saw our wintering

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-54499265094716469532011-03-13T23:59:00.020-05:002011-03-14T11:47:53.978-05:00

As a birder, I've always found March to be a strange, awkward, in-between time, sort of like 8th grade. It's not quite winter anymore, and yet it's not quite spring. The winter birds are leaving or have already left, while most neotropical migrants are still down in the neotropics. Whatever birds I'm looking for, in March it always seems to be either too late or too early. Case in point:

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-56846197905106309952011-03-05T23:10:00.006-06:002011-03-05T23:31:43.666-06:00

I painted this Scarlet Tanager today from photos I had taken at High Island. It's the first watercolor I've done in a very long time. So long, in fact, that some of my paint tubes had completely dried up, and for my blue I had to resort to a tube of gouache, because my cobalt and ultramarine blue watercolor tubes had both solidified. This was an excercise in rendering the bird, so composition

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-61147022235968566622011-03-05T07:25:00.003-06:002011-03-05T23:38:52.699-06:00

We are finally getting some substantial rain this morning, and thank goodness. Freezing weather followed by drought conditions is not good for the garden. I expect most of our tropical foliage will recover with adequate watering, but at the moment most of our less hardy plants are withered and leafless and not so pretty at all. I don't have much bird news. A couple of Purple Martins seen from

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-23014681531493883272011-02-27T22:11:00.010-06:002011-03-05T23:38:16.620-06:00

I recently took the kids on their first trip to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. No alligators! I so wanted to show the kids some real gators, but I guess it was still too cold. Considering what happened when I introduced the kids to a harmless Red-eared Slider, maybe we were lucky not to encounter any bigger toothier reptiles. Bryce learned the hard way that when a turtle pulls its head in

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-62770595247968396572011-01-10T06:38:00.004-06:002011-01-15T23:54:06.722-06:00

Over the weekend we had a male Rufous Hummingbird at our feeders, our first hummer of 2011, and of the season, for that matter.  Nice when you get one that is easy to identify.  He had just a few green flecks on his back for contrast.Sunday morning we had yet another American Robin invasion.  For a while they appeared to be holding a convention on our lawn. This photo was taken in our front yard

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-66719805825096001242011-01-03T23:05:00.002-06:002011-01-03T23:12:02.513-06:00

Over the weekend, for the first time in months, I got to do some real birding (as opposed to casual feeder watching).  I even have a few bad photos to prove it, such as this ventral view of a female Vermilion Flycatcher: My first bird of 2011 was a Blue Jay at our feeders on the morning of New Year's Day.  That afternoon I drove to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and Smith Point, ostensibly in

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-69726228905299854732010-12-29T01:07:00.004-06:002010-12-29T01:14:36.895-06:00

Michelle and I continue to work all the time.  The rest of the time we spend with the kids.  Doesn't leave room for much else. Bryce and Lucy are completely recovered from their surgeries. My surgery was successful and my nose is now fully functional. My daughter wanted very much to see Yogi Bear.  We went.  Before it was over she was asking to be taken home.  It was that bad. On the 19th the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-73928036033797008732010-12-15T08:25:00.001-06:002010-12-15T09:10:33.260-06:00

I'm writing this from my comfy adjustable bed in Baptist Hospital in Beaumont while listening to Tom Russell songs on my iPhone.Yesterday morning I had nasal surgery (thanks to Dr. Parks and his crack medical team). They held me overnight, and now it's Wednesday morning and soon they'll discharge me and I can go home. Everything went well, except for one tense moment last night when my IV

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-19128991575663289502010-12-13T01:54:00.009-06:002010-12-13T02:02:01.873-06:00

Winter is here, at least as far as the local bird population is concerned. This weekend I did some looking around our yard, and observed most of the usual suspects. We haven't had any hummingbirds lately, but we do get a few each winter, and as an expression of optimism I'm keeping the feeders filled.  Recent sightings of note: I was pushing the kids on the swings in our backyard when an Osprey

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-79635330583415502872010-11-24T07:01:00.002-06:002010-11-24T14:58:44.844-06:00

The kids have recovered from their tonsillectomies. Lucy bounced back right away. Bryce had a harder time of it, and it's taken him a few days to get his appetite back. But now he's more or less back to normal, which means he's climbing the walls, getting into everything, and generally driving us crazy.I'm iblogging from my iPhone again. I don't usually get excited about gadgets and new

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-32661637505772144482010-11-19T09:13:00.001-06:002010-11-19T09:18:21.627-06:00

This is the first time I've blogged from the iPhone...the convenience of which may make my blog postings more frequent. Or not; typing by the one-finger hunt-and-peck method is a bit frustrating. Then again, the iPhone will allow me to do brief on-the-scene reports, making the blogging experience more immediate and timely. If it works, that is. We shall see.As I write I'm sitting in the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-76050471007958223772010-09-23T01:05:00.010-05:002010-12-13T02:10:19.330-06:00

Last Sunday (9/19/10) I went back to Sabine Woods.  There were still plenty of flycatchers and warblers, but this time, no deer flies!  I can handle the mosquitoes, but the flies are not deterred by repellant, and can make birding miserable.  It was nice to be able to observe birds without being under constant attack. I had a total of 18 warbler species - Tennessee, Nashville, Northern Parula,

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-78002068373830961372010-09-13T01:16:00.015-05:002010-09-13T02:30:41.667-05:00

I find more reptiles and amphibians within a few yards of our front door than anywhere else.  Sometimes I suspect that someone is leaving them there.  It was like that on Friday, when I came home to discover not one but TWO snakes on our front porch.  As I approached the house I saw this big gray serpent, at least three feet in length, dash into the shrubbery.  It was an adult Yellow-bellied

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-50570697245684973002010-09-10T00:57:00.007-05:002010-12-13T02:11:09.097-06:00

Here are a few snapshots of flycatchers taken over Labor Day weekend at Sabine Woods, Jefferson Co., TX. Eastern Wood-Pewee: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Alder/Willow ("Traill's") Flycatcher:

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-22359931436739184112010-09-08T02:33:00.008-05:002010-09-13T01:53:41.107-05:00

Saturday I spent a few hours at Sabine Woods and found it to be jumping with migrants.  In terms of numbers it was comparable to a good day in April, but the species composition is quite different in fall.  Flycatchers were particularly abundant, with numerous empids (including Least, Yellow-bellied, and many "Traill's" types), Eastern Wood-Pewees, and Great Crested Flycatchers.  Warblers were

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-28310745436969881422010-08-09T02:06:00.001-05:002010-08-09T02:09:04.798-05:00

This weekend I saw a documentary about the life of Errol Flynn, who lived hard and died of a heart attack at the age of 50.  Like Errol Flynn, I've been diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and I'm fast approaching the Big Five-Oh.  I would find this more worrisome, except that our similarities end there - unlike Flynn, I'm not a heavy drinker with a morphine habit who suffers from chronic

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-3352596625678838602010-07-26T14:28:00.012-05:002010-08-09T02:14:28.217-05:00

Thought I'd post a belated report on the pelagic trip out of South Padre Island on July 17th.  What a great trip!  These days it's rare that I am able to spend a full weekend birding, rarer still that I travel a substantial distance to do so.  Parental responsibilities tend to limit such activities and keep me close to home.  So I was really looking forward to this trip, and as it turned out, I

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-53243452846288593762010-07-14T22:04:00.026-05:002010-07-15T00:58:06.218-05:00

Indeed I do wish I had a lawnmower.  One that works.  I actually own three, but two of them are useless relics and one is at best semi-functional.  It's a Snapper riding mower, and a more capricious, cantankerous, and temperamental beast never existed.  Turning the key to start it would be too easy.  Instead I have to pull the rope starter - usually many, many, many times.  Even if I can get it

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-24388163375525411922010-06-24T01:05:00.001-05:002010-06-24T01:10:04.432-05:00

Lately the hot steaminess of our weather has been punctuated by some muy grande thunderstorms.  On Tuesday I was standing at our living room window, looking out on our soggy front yard (the haphazard occurrence of rain is much appreciated) when I heard a loud boom of thunder and our lights went out. Moments later I saw a brilliant flash, followed by a boom that was loud enough to shake the house

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-71530939106056568912010-06-14T03:06:00.004-05:002010-06-14T03:18:03.367-05:00

Summer is here, with all its heat, humidity, and bugginess.  Apparently airborne insects see me as a kind of bipedal landing strip (or filling station, in the case of the mosquitoes).  Twice today I also had that old familiar burning sensation...some fire ants just wanted to say hello, and watch where you're stepping... My mom, who lives in California, came to stay with us for a week, and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-5261681205104398112010-05-27T02:23:00.006-05:002010-07-11T12:59:22.624-05:00

Last Saturday I went on a Hardin County field trip with Golden Triangle Audubon Society.  I got to ride with the Wittles, and we drove Firetower Road and Gore Store Road north of Silsbee, making stops where the habitat was interesting and the birds were singing.  I don't think I've ever been on a field trip where tapes (antiquated term - we are firmly in the digital age now) were used so

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-33396313203597454072010-05-16T07:02:00.006-05:002010-05-16T07:37:07.885-05:00

Thought I'd post a few more recent photos.  This blotchy young male Summer Tanager was pigging out on mulberries at High Island on 4/25/10: This Black-throated Green Warbler was photographed at High Island on the same day: Worm-eating Warbler in an oak at High Island on 4/18/10, trying to blend in with its surroundings, and pretty much succeeding: Newly hatched lubber grasshoppers holding a

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-69799329868496531922010-05-16T06:04:00.010-05:002010-05-16T07:35:28.528-05:00

Yesterday, in the middle of a drenching thunderstorm, I decided to go to Sabine Woods.  By the time I reached Port Arthur the storm was clearing, and from then on the weather was fine.  The atmospheric disturbance probably improved the birding - from what John Wittle later told me, most of the migrants present at Sabine Woods in the afternoon weren't there in the morning.   Driving through the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-43817887274007250662010-05-15T09:40:00.011-05:002010-05-15T09:52:50.591-05:00

Last night we had some muy grande thunderstorms, and power was knocked out. This morning I checked the yard for passerine migrants and was rewarded with a single Red-eyed Vireo.  Not exactly an awesome fallout, but I'll take what I can get.  Migrants have been scarce here lately, with the season winding down and the prevailing southerly winds probably blowing them all clear to Canada.  We still

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-137602009669751892010-05-02T23:56:00.005-05:002010-05-03T00:52:28.390-05:00

We had a little fallout here yesterday morning, first evidenced by a singing Chestnut-sided Warbler (yard bird #138) in our front yard.  I was alone with the kids so I couldn't spend much time birding or go far from the house, but for a while our yard certainly qualified as a target-rich environment, with Great Crested Flycatcher, Gray Catbird, Tennessee Warbler, Summer Tanager, Rose-breasted

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-35538462835541414272010-04-18T00:04:00.003-05:002010-04-18T00:10:36.377-05:00

The clear skies and prevalence of south winds has not been good for the birding here.  I can't speak for the coastal hotspots, but today was awfully quiet on the home front.  While tending to the garden I heard a vireo singing (probably Yellow-throated - some of them sound very alike to my ears), but otherwise there was nothing new.  The only warblers I saw today were Yellow-rumped.  Haven't had

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-367762938044547462010-04-13T01:15:00.016-05:002010-04-13T02:43:19.060-05:00

Due to AT&T's dastardly decision to end its Worldnet service at the end of March, I am now without a web site and have had to change my email address.  Eventually I'll find a new web host and Birdswest.com will fly again.  Until then I have this blog.  I'm still trying to get AT&T to stop billing me for the service they've cancelled - maybe a couple more hours on the phone and I'll get through to

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-42089794146231123742010-03-05T23:26:00.003-06:002010-04-13T02:28:35.036-05:00

Yesterday when I got home from work a Brown Thrasher was singing from atop one of the trees in our yard.  First one I've seen here this winter.  It's a bit early for a returning migrant, so I'm wondering if it hasn't been here all along, lurking deep in the undergrowth, watching us come and go, silently plotting and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.  Hmmm, not sure I like these sneaky

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-34050890356149352242010-03-03T23:58:00.004-06:002010-03-05T23:30:07.175-06:00

Our Allen's Hummingbird hasn't been seen in several days, and is probably gone.  Considering that they are early migrants, and by this time have already returned to breeding areas in northern California, I figured he would be leaving us soon.  This photo was taken on February 24th, near the end of his brief stay with us: According to the TOS Handbook of Texas Birds, studies suggest that males

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-44937050400089823712010-02-21T11:50:00.001-06:002010-02-21T11:56:36.160-06:00

The possible Allen's Hummingbird continues to be seen at our feeders as of this morning.  I've managed to get a few better photos, and thought I'd post a few here. Any comments or opinions regarding the identity of this bird are certainly welcome.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-50194085376605202392010-02-19T23:26:00.002-06:002010-02-19T23:30:08.833-06:00

First saw this hummingbird yesterday, and then again this evening at our feeders.  The photo is a bit fuzzy, but you can clearly see that it's an adult male with green back and crown.  I couldn't see any red feathers on the back.  Hopefully it will hang around and I'll have a chance to study it more closely...maybe even get some better photos.  Apparently there is the occasional adult male Rufous

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-89700320882186793912010-02-07T13:41:00.013-06:002010-02-07T14:08:53.421-06:00

Wood Duck, that is. Flushed a male at close range as I stood by the pond. Didn't notice its presence until the swoosh! and whir of wings. At one point it looked like it was gonna try to make a landing in a pine, but then it corrected its flight path and kept going. Also saw an adult Cooper's Hawk soaring off to the north. It was a biggun, so probably female. She had a large gap in the secondaries

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-20886996239817473692010-01-18T23:57:00.007-06:002010-01-19T02:22:35.616-06:00

Since the beginning of the year we've had some very cold days (not by more northerly standards, but it's all relative). Temperatures briefly bottomed out at a chilly 18° F, cold enough to freeze our hummingbird feeders and bathroom pipes. For a while I even put on a jacket. I was hoping that the continent-wide blast of arctic air might bring us some interesting birds, maybe even that elusive

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-34368232465346796972009-12-19T01:34:00.020-06:002010-01-19T02:25:04.919-06:00

Yes, I am still alive...I think. The year is almost over, and not a moment too soon. Last time I spent a day birding was...in 2008? No birding for me this year, just the unrelenting tortures of the damned (as usual) and time spent working and raising my two lovely little monkeys. At least the kids are happy and healthy, and that's all that matters at this point. Occasionally I have seen birds

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-71320183567190164282009-04-07T23:20:00.008-05:002009-04-08T00:51:20.901-05:00

Thought I'd post a brief note on recent sightings from our little half acre in the swamp. First, the firsts: Our first returning Broad-winged Hawks were seen on 3/29. First Northern Parula was heard buzzing in the treetops on the morning of 3/30. First Yellow-throated Warbler (my favorite parulid!) graced the pines along our fence on 4/6, and this afternoon (4/7) our first Summer Tanager of the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-26503738194791324102009-03-15T23:06:00.003-05:002009-03-15T23:08:56.260-05:00

This very green Selasphorus-type hummingbird decided to spend the winter at our feeders, which is where I took this photograph on March 12th. A gorgeous adult male Rufous Hummingbird also wintered here (most often lurking in the azaleas along our driveway), and was last seen during the first week of March. Our first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season arrived on March 1, beating our earliest

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-10710503460903136022009-01-05T23:31:00.024-06:002009-01-06T20:06:33.439-06:00

Ah, glorious winter. A time of snow and funny hats. We've had both at our home. Yes, we've actually had some snow - four inches fell on December 11th. Made the yard look sort of like this for a day.So much for life in the tropics. Lingering snow is unusual in Southeast Texas, but then the weather has been wildly inconsistent. Lately it's been alternating between cold/damp and warm/muggy.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-38969426067013065272008-11-05T23:59:00.006-06:002008-11-06T01:39:51.663-06:00

Since October 30th we've had this Buff-bellied Hummingbird in our yard. He's fond of the thicket along our driveway, which is where this photo was taken on the 31st. Birds like this remind me that we really do live in Texas, even if this part of the state sometimes feels like it's slipping into Louisiana. Other recent additions to our yard list include a Swamp Sparrow at the pond on October 19th

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-30741538028980177962008-09-15T13:43:00.013-05:002008-09-15T15:15:38.608-05:00

Looks like Ike tore things up pretty good. I've been reading online reports from local news sources because for those of us who live in the so-called "Golden Triangle" the national news channels are worthless. The only places on the Gulf Coast that receive decent coverage from them are New Orleans, Houston, and Galveston. Even when a storm doesn't directly impact those cities they still get the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-74564271550554984142008-09-13T14:28:00.010-05:002008-09-15T09:35:27.819-05:00

Hurricanes are boring because they lead to evacuations, and being an evacuee is extremely tedious, particularly if you don't have a good book with you. Take my word for it. I've had to evacuate twice in less than a month, so I should know.The news: the babies and I are at Michelle's brother's home in Bossier City, LA, safe except for the looming threat of tornadoes as the remnants of Hurricane

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-70480228365859509782008-08-25T22:04:00.006-05:002008-08-25T22:26:48.989-05:00

No birding here. Work work work. Over the weekend there was a Jabiru in another part of Texas - some other birders tracked it down for looksies. Got pictures and everything. If I wasn't so tired I'd be envious. Hereabouts I've only noticed an increase in Broad-winged Hawks, which means there must be great hordes of them around, because I'm really not very observant.So far it's been a very wet

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-70007590271967641582008-08-08T22:51:00.007-05:002008-08-09T00:11:05.394-05:00

Still working on the garage. This evening I was preparing to mess with it some more when I noticed a cicada killer (a.k.a. giant ground hornet) down in the grass wrapped around a very immobilized cicada. These wasps are big enough to fly while gripping a cicada. I maintained a respectful distance.The biggest wasp I've ever seen was in Costa Rica, where huge bugs abound. I was birding in Braulio

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-66630432061231657192008-08-05T23:19:00.011-05:002008-08-06T22:09:18.479-05:00

Ever since Hurricane Rita we've been watching the Gulf nervously for the next monster storm. There was Hurricane Humberto, which snuck up on us, and didn't even get classified as a hurricane until the night it made landfall. Yesterday we found out that Tropical Storm Edouard was coming our way, so we had time to make preparations and indulge in excessive worrying. The City of Beaumont took no

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-48174776853066176412008-07-28T12:30:00.006-05:002008-07-28T17:04:41.164-05:00

I don't have much bird news to report. It's not because we're in the summer doldrums, I just haven't had time for birding. My binoculars have been in the closet since we got back from our last trip to Louisiana. Accidentally I still manage to see a bird now and then. On Saturday I was working in the yard and spotted an adult Swallow-tailed Kite circling to the northeast. Seeing one here is a rare

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-82750392473565053212008-07-05T10:27:00.013-05:002008-07-07T23:47:47.371-05:00

Time to get caught up on the bird news from my neck of the woods, which ain't much. On June 15 Michelle and I saw a flock of about 10 Wood Storks flying east over Highway 69 not far from home. Not-so-coincidentally a flock of similar size was reported the same day near Sour Lake, just a few miles to the west. On June 29 I saw a Mississippi Kite flying over our yard - bird #218 for the year

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-13206991032450249702008-06-10T22:51:00.014-05:002008-06-11T00:55:04.394-05:00

My darling Michelle took this photo from inside the house one day while I was at work. She called to let me know a pair of crested birds with yellow bellies were fighting right outside our windows. Only after I got off the phone did I realize that from the description they must be Great Crested Flycatchers. Of course this never happens when I'm home with my camera handy. Then they always stay in

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-68939429171602641792008-06-06T21:24:00.034-05:002008-06-07T01:28:57.856-05:00

When I first started this blog ages ago (2003?) it was for my own amusement and to keep a record of the sort of incidental stuff that Birdbase wasn't designed for - bugs, reptiles, petty complaints, criminal activity, strange atmospheric occurrences, etc. I didn't actually think that anyone else would read it except for a few friends, and since most of my friends have better things to do and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-7752094490625492222008-05-30T00:33:00.012-05:002008-05-30T01:25:12.856-05:00

On Monday (5/26) I did some quick birding along Gore Store Road and Firetower Road north of Silsbee. At my first stop along Gore Store Road I heard a Prairie Warbler singing (bird #215 for the year list), and in a trashed-out clearcut along Firetower Road I had a Greater Roadrunner (#216). The last time I saw a roadrunner in Southeast Texas was in this same area back in the 1980s. Yellow-breasted

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-71210179087327813442008-05-25T23:43:00.032-05:002008-05-26T01:42:38.911-05:00

The weather has turned hot and humid, and when that happens things tend to get buggy. Wasps, horseflies, and other bitey types are flourishing. This morning I photographed this assasin bug that was climbing a banana leaf in our yard. They are reputed to have a nasty painful bite, and in appearance this one reminds me of the vicious alien invaders in Starship Troopers. This is the black phase of

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-29875658124871888292008-05-23T23:36:00.024-05:002008-05-24T02:35:47.848-05:00

This colorful fellow was at our feeders yesterday and today. A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak comes as a nice late season surprise, considering how few neotropical migrants have graced our yard this spring. Aside from the grosbeak the only other migrant seen here in recent days was a Yellow Warbler in our pecan tree on the 15th.On the 14th I saw a Pileated Woodpecker fly from that same pecan tree (

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-20719960183114300252008-05-12T22:58:00.006-05:002008-05-13T01:37:27.631-05:00

Friday there was a fire at City Hall and we had to evacuate the building. The fire was on the roof and the damage was minimal, but the air inside was full of lingering fumes from burning insulation, so we were told to take the rest of the day off. This gave me a couple of hours of freedom from the job and Michelle and the babies, and I took the opportunity to get some tasks done at home. The

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-39570605245511982032008-05-05T22:47:00.026-05:002008-05-06T01:11:42.091-05:00

Yesterday I had another opportunity to do some coastal birding, and this time I decided to concentrate on wetland birds. My first stop was Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Orchard Orioles were coming to flowering shrubs by the entrance station, and by stationing myself nearby I was able to get a few decent photos.While waiting for this oriole to pose for me I noticed a pair of Swainson's Hawks

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-47844152316058806262008-04-27T23:27:00.014-05:002008-04-28T01:58:23.702-05:00

Bryce finally came home from the hospital on Saturday, and except for a big bandage on his belly he's the same as ever - still playful and full of smiles. No more trips to the emergency room, please. We've had quite enough. Little fellow gave us quite a scare this time.With large numbers of migrants reported on Saturday, and signs and portents of an impending fallout on the coast, Michelle

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-18054669928103343992008-04-25T07:01:00.005-05:002008-04-28T02:03:28.045-05:00

Bryce has been in the hospital the last two days. What started as a boil on his belly turned into a serious staph infection. On Tuesday night Michelle took his temperature and he had a fever of 105. She rushed him to the hospital while I stayed with Lucy, and the next morning he went in for surgery to remove the infection. He's been a brave little fellow and is back in his usual good spirits, as

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-9906998061607589372008-04-23T00:03:00.026-05:002008-04-23T02:07:27.080-05:00

Spring migration is at its peak, so there are bound to be a few birds worth mentioning. On Saturday I had a Red-headed Woodpecker fly over our yard and become bird #177 for the year list. More surprising (at least to me) was a Red-breasted Nuthatch by the pond that same day. Hadn't seen or heard one here since January, and I figured they'd already headed north. Does seem a bit late. Of course

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-52260239076452763952008-04-14T23:12:00.007-05:002008-04-23T02:04:27.654-05:00

Ok, a quick summation of what's happened since I blogged last. Ugly contact dermatitis on my hands resulting in trip to Minor Care resulting in discovery that my blood pressure was dangerously high, resulting in increased pill consumption and an uncomfortable degree of perspective on the brevity of life. Bryce has been crawling and getting into things. Lucy still doesn't have any interest in

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-87107940524916925692008-04-03T01:32:00.007-05:002008-04-03T02:06:05.572-05:00

Happened again. This time the dog came at Michelle in our driveway as she was unloading the kids. Again she called the sheriff, and again we had an officer visit us and tell us there was nothing he could do except talk to the owner and try to persuade him to control his animal. This evening we went to a sporting goods store and got cans of pepper spray for next time (as the sheriff had advised us

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-39570490842567054582008-03-31T01:50:00.011-05:002008-04-03T02:09:09.726-05:00

I had a few hours for birding on Sunday and made the usual trip to Anahuac NWR and High Island. There was a strong south wind and very little evidence of migration. Ran into Cin-ty Lee birding with a friend at the Boy Scout Woods, which was absolutely dead. From there we went to Smith Oaks, which was a little better, but not much. Added only a few species to the year list today - Redhead and

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-24478725574240954502008-03-30T23:18:00.018-05:002008-04-15T22:03:10.106-05:00

Yesterday Michelle and I took the babies to the newly opened Shangri La Botanical Park and Nature Center in Orange. We'd heard great things about it and wanted to see for ourselves.It was everything we hoped it would be and more. The landscaped grounds were beautifully integrated with the natural vegetation of the swamp. We had the babies with us in a double stroller, so rather than take a swamp

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-83927392334804675642008-03-25T22:29:00.011-05:002008-03-26T00:53:44.911-05:00

Just spent a weekend in hell. No, I didn't see any birds there. Took a trip with Michelle and the babies to her ancestral homeland of Louisiana (make that incestral homeland for all the cousin-marrying yokels and kin of Jerry Lee Lewis). You'll recognize Louisiana as the setting for those 3 am commercials for "Girls Gone Wild" with Snoop Dogg (a reference I'm throwing in mainly to boost my blog's

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-75164229312833358362008-03-18T23:21:00.006-05:002008-03-18T23:57:20.682-05:00

Saw my first Chimney Swifts of the season flying over downtown Beaumont today. Not only have the swifts returned, but suddenly there seem to be crows everywhere. I see them wherever I go, and yesterday I even had a few Fish Crows where I work. After work today I went to Sabine Pass to look for the Fork-tailed Flycatcher, which was reported to still be present this morning. High winds were blowing

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-50025611717162362632008-03-16T23:18:00.024-05:002008-03-17T21:37:45.662-05:00

Checking my email I see that on Saturday a Fork-tailed Flycatcher was found at Sabine Pass. I was birding on Saturday (by some small miracle) but in the wrong place. I went to High Island and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge instead. I guess missing the FTFL (which would have been an ABA Area lifer) is my karmic comeuppance for not participating in a scheduled Sabine Woods work day. The bird was

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-77266057299276364472008-03-14T21:52:00.008-05:002008-03-14T22:35:11.472-05:00

This picture of Bryce and Lucy was taken in our yard this afternoon. As you can see winter is over. Azaleas and honeysuckle are already in full bloom, and we expect to have temperatures in the 80s this weekend (global warming again). Last weekend I replanted a palm tree that was too close to our front porch. Might as well be living in the tropics, and for about seven months of the year we are.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-37745990040719947152008-03-06T01:33:00.005-06:002008-03-06T02:05:08.975-06:00

Had our first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season at our feeders on Wednesday. That's the earliest date I've got for a returning migrant by more than a week. It's that darn global warming I guess. We also still have a male Rufous hummingbird frequenting our yard. Spring comes early to Southeast Texas, and the azaleas and honeysuckle are already in bloom here. I know, I know...global warming

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-50604129511363121332008-02-28T22:07:00.005-06:002008-02-29T01:18:31.395-06:00

Today, by an accident of geography, I found myself at a Barrack Obama rally. He was addressing a crowd directly across the street from where I work, and when most of my coworkers went I tagged along. I'm not a Democrat and have no intention of voting for him, but it did get me away from my desk for a while.Beaumont is only a medium-sized city, and politicians on the campaign trail rarely stop

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-53445729255444036252008-02-10T22:39:00.001-06:002008-02-13T22:45:47.941-06:00

This afternoon, while other lucky birders were on Padre Island enjoying the White-crested Elaenia, I was driving around Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge picking up mundane year birds such as Mottled Duck, Merlin, and Lesser Yellowlegs. It was a nice warm day but not buggy. The Skillern Tract presently has some excellent habitat for shorebirds and waders, and it was there that I had my best bird

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-72923496021099714822008-02-07T22:33:00.000-06:002008-02-08T00:14:06.209-06:00

I got American Robin this week! Yeeeeeee-hah! Species #110 for 2008! To anyone with the temerity to attempt a big year in the same year as I (fools!), my best advice is to quit while you're ahead. It's pointless. I just got American Robin, didn't I? You may have a strong lead now, but I'm right behind you. Look over your shoulder. That's me. I'm fast on your heels. Getting nervous yet?I think

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-59614515856065343662008-01-29T22:36:00.000-06:002008-01-30T00:13:05.144-06:00

I mean really, Turdus? Don't tell me someone wasn't snickering when they named that bird. Latin is such a cruel language. When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along... Funny - brings to mind a bird walk I went on many years ago with a park ranger in Yosemite. He took the "bird walk" bit literally, and demonstrated for us the distinctive walks of the different birds. Some bounce, some

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-73282353964248352022008-01-28T21:23:00.000-06:002008-01-28T22:47:44.752-06:00

No birds today. No birds over the weekend either. Being of a scientific mindset I consulted the magic eight ball, according to which the likelihood of any birds in the near future is very doubtful. Birds tomorrow? My sources say no. Wednesday? Don't count on it. Thursday? Outlook not so good. Friday? Ask again later. Big plans have been made for next weekend, so I'm assuming no birds then. Might

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-40272910084127048072008-01-20T21:39:00.000-06:002008-01-21T00:20:43.189-06:00

Yesterday my not-so-big year (a.k.a the Smallest Twitch) finally passed the century mark. I had a few hours for birding in the afternoon, so I went to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. First stop was the Skillern Tract. It was there that I found this headless yet fully functioning Least Sandpiper. Probably due to its lack of eyes, ears, and brain I was able to get quite close for this photo.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-85190156660038971882008-01-17T21:47:00.000-06:002008-01-23T22:26:56.560-06:00

This morning I was surprised to find a couple of Pine Siskins at our feeders (#74 for the year list). We've had siskins here before, but that was during an invasion year. These are the first I've seen this winter, and I doubt they are part of any larger movement. If an irruption is going on it hasn't been very well publicized.Temperatures continue to yo-yo. At the moment we are in a cooling trend

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-26744832585529053362008-01-14T23:58:00.001-06:002008-01-15T01:54:30.973-06:00

Sorry. That pun was cruel and unusual.These western (interior breeding) Willets were photographed yesterday at Sea Rim State Park. Willets have two allopatric breeding populations, one along the eastern/gulf coast, and the other in the western interior. The eastern and western birds differ in behavior and morphology. How different are they? Even I can tell them apart. And that means I smell a

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-54253586141890433842008-01-07T22:38:00.000-06:002008-01-10T01:18:57.744-06:00

I love birding games, particularly anything with the word big in it - big days, big sits, big years. These days I don't have enough time or money to do birding in a big way, but I enjoy following the exploits of those who do. A British couple, Alan Davies and Ruth Miller, are presently attempting to set the record for a world big year. Best of luck to them! To do so they will have to see over

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-90548139242775610332008-01-01T22:21:00.000-06:002008-01-02T07:33:52.029-06:00

Jean-Paul Sarte once wrote that "hell is other people" (actually what he wrote was "L'enfer, c'est les autres," but I don't read French). I also don't usually quote beret-wearing existentialists, but he really hit the nail on the head, even if he did it in the wrong language.We just returned from a disasterous family trip to California. When I say disasterous I mean like the Hindenburg. The

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-36484800685569825232007-12-22T21:52:00.000-06:002008-01-10T01:23:49.448-06:00

Today I took part in the Bolivar Peninsula CBC. Each year our party starts the day by walking along a wooded bayou near Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. This morning the woods were full of birds - highlights included a Common Ground-Dove, a bright red Eastern Screech-Owl, a Wilson's Warbler, and a small flock of Vesper Sparrows.After birding the bayou we walk back to our cars through an adjacent

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-84120102414142890132007-12-21T20:09:00.000-06:002007-12-21T20:17:59.316-06:00

You just couldn't make this stuff up. Jim Stevenson, Galveston's unofficial animal control officer, is in the news again. This time someone might be trying to shoot him! Check out this article in the Houston Chronicle.A dead cat, shots in the dark, and a birder on the lamb!

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-10714925377115362122007-12-21T19:25:00.001-06:002007-12-21T19:59:15.446-06:00

This is part of a huge icterid flock that I encountered last Sunday in the boggy grasslands of western Jefferson County. It might have been the largest such flock I've ever seen. Over 90% of them were Brown-headed Cowbirds, which will not come as good news to America's cup-nesting songbirds.When they are packed like that how do they fly without colliding?In other news - as if it could be called

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-51892951372685051482007-12-11T20:59:00.000-06:002007-12-11T22:49:50.740-06:00

Today I heard a familiar sound as I was leaving work - the shrill seep-seeps of pipits somewhere high overhead. Once upon a time they were called Water Pipits, but then there was a split, and our Water Pipits became American Pipits - as distinguished from the Asiatic form known by its Asiatic name, Japanese Pipit (also sometimes referred to as Siberian Pipit). But according to Wikipedia both the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-17771900144946732162007-12-03T21:08:00.000-06:002007-12-03T22:27:36.370-06:00

Amazing. It's December and we still have flowers in our yard. Salvia, shrimp plant, turk's cap, roses, and camelias are all very much in bloom. How long it will last I don't know - the temperature is expected to dip tonight. Along with the flowers we have a few lingering hummingbirds, including a Selasporus type (probably Rufous) at our feeders yesterday, and an Archilochus type (probably

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-63005741868148599092007-11-24T13:03:00.000-06:002007-11-24T14:34:41.652-06:00

Rain rain rain. This is no fun. We're in the middle of Blackest Saturday, the not-so-famous shopping day after Black Friday. It's cold (by local standards) and wet (by any standard). Getting wetter too. Going birding? Gimme a break. I have kids. I'm lucky if I occasionally get to see the light of day. Not that the babies aren't wonderful little bundles of joy, because they are. But they aren't

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-48997963038608460682007-11-07T23:36:00.000-06:002007-11-08T00:21:55.674-06:00

Started a new job today with the City of Beaumont - no more days spent in the recliner with a bowl of ice cream balanced on my belly and the TV tuned to The Maury Show (love those paternity tests). Yesterday a Red-breasted Nuthatch visited our yard, and I also had my first Chipping Sparrows of the season. At least one Ruby-throated Hummingbird was still coming to our feeders - otherwise just

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-57975775103306842382007-11-01T18:12:00.000-05:002007-11-01T18:48:33.816-05:00

The air is full of smoke this evening from multiple bonfires. Either all the neighborhood leaf piles reached critical mass simultaneously, or our neighborhood is celebrating the Celtic New Year, which starts today. Traditionally the ancient Celts would gather and set bonfires on this day to usher in the new year. Not that we have any ancient Celts here. Probably just a coincidence.Look real hard

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-3998979980390857832007-10-28T14:42:00.000-05:002007-10-28T20:57:03.671-05:00

An email was recently sent out to the TOS membership urging opposition to the impending sale of the Christmas Mountains in West Texas. The area in question is 9,200 acres of pristine habitat contiguous with Big Bend National Park. The National Park Service has expressed interest in acquiring the area, but Jerry Patterson, our Texas Land Commisioner, refuses to allow them time to make a proposal.

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530127.post-5040617275130387282007-10-24T22:37:00.000-05:002007-10-25T09:08:15.318-05:00

I heard my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the season in our yard this morning. Once again the return of a winter bird neatly coincides with the arrival of a cold front. Later in the day I was returning home, and as I walked to our front door I was surprised to find a crow sitting on our birdbath. Surprised because it didn't immediately fly at my approach. I came to within a few feet of the

Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899699250195298210noreply@blogger.com0