BIG YEAR NEWS

I learned today that my manuscript on my ABA birding big year has been accepted for publication by Texas A&M University Press!!! Of course, there's lots to do between now and then, but I'll be happy to do it.

Coastal Birding

Well, I did get to bird along the TX coastal bend in Port Aransas on Friday (Mar. 19) at the Birding Center and Paradise Pond (after talking about my Big Year in Rockport the night before). There were eight species of warblers, including N. Parula, Yellow-throated, Black-throated Green, Prothonotary - spring is beginning. Then last night I was back at the coast, but this time the upper coast in Lake Jackson/Clute talking to the bird club there, and today I birded at Sabine Woods (owned by Texas Ornithological Society). Highlights today were Hooded Warbler, as well as most of the warblers of last week. It's wonderful to go birding and see flashes of yellow and flitting birds starting to fill the treetops and brush.

Soon to bird

It's been awhile. Shortly I'm headed down to Rockport, where I'm scheduled to give a talk on my big year tonight. Then tomorrow I can bird Port Aransas before I return home. There should be some early migrants there, I hope.

Rusty Blackbirds

After giving a talk on backyard birding at an assisted living place in Granbury this afternoon, I went over to Cleburne's Buddy Stewart park to see if Rusty Blackbirds were there this year. And they were - at least three of them in a large flock of starlings and Red-winged Blackbirds. Then the skies let loose with a thunderstorm and a bit of small hail, and I hightailed it to home. At least I got to bird a little bit.

Rufie still guarding

Yesterday, our wintering female Rufous Hummingbird attacked, at least four times, a poor innocent American Goldfinch that really wanted to drink from the ant-guard water reservoir on one of the hummingbird feeders. At each attack the goldfinch sort of fell off the feeder, flitted off a short distance, and then returned, only to be attacked again. The yard is full of water containers, and there are four other hummingbird feeders, but there was something about that one that made it special apparently.

Cedar Waxwings

This year the Cedar Waxwings have been so common in our yard, great flocks coming down to drink from our little pond and birdbath. I've taken many pictures, and have compiled a few of them to use to make a new painting. I think it's finished now, although I may go back and touch up a few things. I've done about 20 paintings of various sizes since the wonderful weekend class that I took from John O'Neill in late October. I think the waxwing picture is one of my favorites so far.