Bird (and nature) News Archive # 38
July 1 to December 31, 2022

Old Bird News XXXVIII

Some commonly used abbreviations used are:
"in town" - means in Utopia
sps. - species
(ph.) = photo obtained
ad.=adult; imm.=immature; ma.=male; fem.=female; juv.=juvenile
odes=Odonata = dragonflies and damselflies; leps=Lepidoptera (butterflies)
FOS - "First of Season" (usually used for 1st spring or fall migrant to show up locally)
FOY - First of year - 1st one seen this year
FOF - First of fall
LTA - Less than Annual
UP - Utopia Park on 1050 just west of 187
UR - Utopia on the River
LM - Lost Maples SNA; GSP - Garner St. Pk.
SRV - Sabinal River Valley
SR - Seco Ridge a couple miles west of Utopia in Uvalde County
 (our yard March 2005 to Mar. 2013)
BanCo - Bandera County
UvCo - Uvalde County
WU = Weather Underground (sometimes local station readings referenced)


Bird News Archives Index

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Bird News Archive XXXVIII (#38) ~ July 1 - December 31, 2022

.... in reverse chronological order, unless you scroll to end and read from the bottom up.

BIRD & NATURE NEWS 2022

Notes without location cited are in or from yard which is a couple miles south of town at edge of the river habitat corridor. If it doesn't say where it was, it was in or from the yard. Often a few daily yard notes is all the drivel you get. Ready, steady, go!

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July through December 2022


Read from bottom up to view in chronological order.

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~ ~ ~ the old news ~ ~ ~


~ ~ ~ 2022 Summary (long) ~ ~ ~

Well 2022 was not very normal with the continuing pandemic, its economy and gas prices, the drought, and a lack of a running river. We did not mix much out there, kinda layin' on the low. We stayed within 5 miles of town all year, and again did not drive 1000 miles. Homo sapiens sedentarius here. Must be at least nine of 10 years of 1000 miles of driving or less now, barely breaking it one year. We did not even do Lost Maples this year, which is fairly astounding to me too. The only bird I am fairly sure to miss from that is Canyon Wren. There are a few others easiest there, but usually that is the one big fairly sure to miss species.

In some regards the extreme degree of the drought depressed biology here makes it not worth the time (and money) to cruise the roads. Every time we did, we could not find anything. Over and over and over. I have never seen it so dead out there. Empty pastures, hedgerows, and woodlots, the park, and dying trees are everywhere. We have been doing lots of other work, some of which you will even get to see here. Like the long overdue overhaul to the buttefly photos pages we just completed.

Most of the year here was spent in D4 (exceptional) drought, pulling up to D2 (severe with long-term effects) later in fall, back to D3 at end of year. Most of the year there was no river above town, and no water going over spillway at the park pond. We could not swim at our local deepwater hole with bedrock bottom! Had water but was not turning over enough and too warm. It was one of the couple worst flower blooms in two decades. Fruit, nut, and seed crops were poor at best, again. Many plants did not even sprout, or only barely came up. For instance there was essentially no understory in the park woods where usually lush and knee high or better. Also no riverside Frostweed patches. My two favorite groups of watchable beasties here, birds and insects were exceedingly reduced in numbers and often just plain hard to find.

I think the 35 species of Odes (dragon and damselflies) is the worst annual total ever for me here in 19 seasons of recording that. I have probably hit that in a good day here back when it was good ode times. In the good ode days. Many sps. were just a very few seen too. Several formerly common and regular things were missing completely. Like Rubyspot damselflies. None. Wow. Keep in mind odes had never recovered from the prior 7 year exceptional drought, not to mention, OK I will, the Rainbow Trout. Which are bad for odes. See the Ode News page for some specifics about 2022 hits and misses. There were no rarities seen this year. No Comet or Turquoise-tipped Darner.

Butterflies were just a little better than odes. They were a record tying low of 68 species for the year. We spent all fall constantly checking our planted patch of flowers here, which were better than the deco gardens and butterfly garden at the library in town (which is ridiculous!). After a weak spring bloom, there was virtually nothing blooming in natural areas until after the late Aug. rains. But which was too late to do very much for the fall bloom like sprout Frostweed. In fall there was pretty good (hourly) coverage, at our planted flower patch. Monthly species diversity totals in the teens (!!!) much of the spring and summer through August were excruciating. No rains, no flowers, no bugs. Water is life.

There were no major rarity butterflies seen, and nothing new added to the local list. The best we mustered was a handful of the LTA - less than annual, species. See the Butterfly News page for more specifics on the hits and misses of 2022. As for other bugs and buggish critters... Hardly any fireflies or other beetles as well. Only one Zopherus, two Eyed Elaterid, a couple Cerambycids, a couple Cicindellids, etc., ad. infinitum. Moths were scarce at porch lights, and so on. Never saw it this bad for bugs here. Several formerly common or regular species were unseen. As an aside since not insects, spiders were conspicuously absent as well. Right when I start to get interested in them I can hardly find any.

Birds were tough to come by this year. Both spring and fall migrations were lackluster at best. The usually very common migrants were barely, if, common. In drought times, the birds just keep on going. The nesting season seemed to have very low productivity. Most clutches seemed to be only one or two young fledged. Things like Scissor-tailed Flycatcher seemed to come in and leave, going somewhere else to nest this year, no doubt due to lack of bugs. Far fewer swifts, swallows and martins as well. No flying bugs. Fall migration is not exactly gangbusters here, and it was very slow, even when compared to normal slowness. What may have been the second best bird of the year was at the park in late November. A small gull was reported on the pond for a few days. Unfortunately I did not get the word until gone. It sounded like it was a Bonaparte's Gull, as reported.

Here is a run through the year of avian highlights... A bunch of times in winter I heard a Long-eared Owl nearby, but was never able to find it visually. Little Creek Larry had an Eastern Towhee much of Feb. at his place, a good bird here. An influx of the western Gambell's White-crowned Sparrow was good in our yard. Three in Feb. became at least six by the end of March, most I have ever seen at once here. A huge flight of American Golden-Plover passing overhead in the dark at 00:30 on March 30 was likely hundreds of birds. A few decent (LTA) passerines were seen in spring migration. Veery and Gray-cheeked Thrush were at UP Apr. 22nd. There was a flood of Painted Bunting this year all the locals noticed, we had 16 males at once in our yard, third week of April. A 3-day Brewer's Sparrow April 20-22 was very good here in the yard. An Ovenbird at UP the 23rd was the first in a few years. Nice was a male Chestnut-sided Warbler April 24. May highlights were a few birds in the yard. A Philadelphia Vireo May 3, and a N. Paraque on May 13 were great. Also good was a calling Alder Flycatcher on May 21, and a calling Yellow-bellied Flycatcher May 25. Fairly oddly the bird of the year was in June, when the morning of the 16th there was a LIMPKIN calling from over at the river for 10 minutes. There was a big invasion across the E. U.S. this year with ten or more states getting new first records of them. A pair of Couch's Kingbird were in the area here late April to early July, but seemed to be moving around too much to be nesting. Apparently a pair of Tropical Parula nested at Lost Maples SNA this June. The first we know of that locally. Nearishby down in Uvalde a family group of Clay-colored Thrush seems to confirm a new furthest north known nesting of them, by more than a hundred miles, nearing two hundred. In late August there was a big major rain event, finally, of six or so inches. A few Yellow-crowned Night-Heron were reported at UP, I only saw one imm., but two plus an adult were reported in August. Aug. 18 was my first ever August Black-headed Grosbeak here. An ad. male Calliope Hummingbird was here Aug. 19, a female or imm. Sept. 5-8. Only one Broad-tailed Hummingbird this fall, imm. or female. Maybe a half-dozen Rufous Hummingbird over the fall. A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher on Sept. 7 was good in yard. In October I heard what I am sure was a Green-tailed Towhee but since my first here not counting a heard bird for that. I waited this long. Only one each Mourning Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler all fall, but two Am. Redstart and the usual single Catbird. Did I mention how weak passage was in fall? Slim pickin's. Park woods were dead. No understory, no bugs. Morris Killough got phone photos of an Am. Woodcock right off Main St. in Utopia on Nov. 13.

When you add it all up there was lots of neat stuff seen, and lots of very interesting records, despite it being a way off year. With way off normal coverage, though I have always been a 'think global, bird local' kinda guy. Lots of stuff was missing is probably the bigger story, but harder to figure it out to tell. I count about 170 species of birds seen within a few miles of town in 2022. Bearable considering the lack of big water, and since there were some good neat things amongst it.

We have to wait until next growing season to see which trees have lived, and which birds and bugs start to come back. Here's to hopin' the rain returns!

~ ~ ~ end 2022 Summary ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ OMG not another summary!?! ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ December summary ~ ~ ~

It was a cold dry month. Not an inch of precip in total, we got .7, less than three-quarters. Several strong cold fronts but with no rain for us. Some near-record (if not tying it) cold temps. Sub-zero chills overnight one night, coldest three morns here were 11, 13, and 15F around Chirstmas.

Saw one species of dragonfly, a Variegated Meadowhawk. Saw 19.5 sps. of butterflies. A quick glimpse of a probable Questionmark is the .5. Good was the Mexican Yellow here since late October making it to earliest December. Saw a N. Mestra early in month as well. Getting slow for bugs now.

Birds were weak as they have been. A Fox Sparrow early in month was great, since LTA - less than annual, present Dec. 1-5. Outstanding was a heard only flyover flock of WESTERN Bluebird Dec. 13. Sounded like 8-10 birds. My second flyover flock of them locally, again alerted to them by their call being so different from Eastern. The other great thing was one-hoot, the Long-eared Owl showing back up Dec. 26. Last heard in spring.

~ ~ ~ end December summary ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ archive copy Dec. update header ~ ~ ~

December ~ A FOX Sparrow on the 1st started the month with a bang. First one in a few years here for us, still here the 5th. Apparently a small GULL swam around the park pond Nov. 24-26, which was thought to be a Bonaparte's. My FOS Am. Wigeon were on Dec. 8 at dawn. A small flock of WESTERN BLUEBIRD flew over calling (heard only) up in the mist on the 13th. A few ducks are being seen at Little Creek and the park pond. I saw 13F here on the 23rd, with single digit chill factors, which had been subzero overnight. The first of 3 mornings in the lowest teens and a major hard freeze event for Christmas. On Dec. 26 I heard what sounds the Long-eared Owl again here, last heard it in spring. One loud low single hoot with some wind blowin' through it.

~ ~ ~ end archive copy Dec. update header ~ ~ ~


Dec. 31 ~ A category lower than NOAA and WU had it progged for. KERV had a 32F! We had 34F here. So a chilly morn, but sunny and warmed up quickly. Saw about 70F by 1 p.m., and 74F by 3 p.m., wow. Well there went another year, hope you had fun and enjoyed the ride. A bit bumpy and kinda rough if you ask me.

What was amazing this morning was all the bird song I heard. Today is about 22 seconds longer today than yesterday. So we have added a mere couple minutes and change to the photoperiod since the solstice. This morning I heard the four-note see you see me song of the Carolina Chickadee, the phone ring song of Black-crested Titmouse, several bars of Cardinal song, a Bewick's Wren sang several measures from 20' up atop a Hackberry, and House Finch was belting out bars atop the Pecan. It was a marked difference in the silence of late. Bird song!


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Dec. 30 ~ Low of 47F, a showerlet, maybe a couple hundredths of precip, overcast. Near 60 by 11 a.m., great to not be cold. Some more showerlets in afternoon, stayed in the low 60's F all day. Great to not have to go to town today, feels a holiday. Now if there were just some birds. Chipping Sparrow flock is about 80 birds, a few Field with them. Cedar Waxwing flock might have been 35 birds. The rest was the same.

After many days of work we have finally finished the upgrade and updated those old rough original butterfly family group photo pages. Over a hundred new higher res pics are on them now. The long overdue image upgrade finally happened. They no longer hurt to look at. It was painful for me anyway. You will find a much higher grade of mediocre now. Most species here have at least one decent image. Link is above. Still have more to do, holes to plug with higher res pics, but enough done and new to mention it now. They are worth checking out again.

Dec. 29 ~ A low in the 50's is great. Oh not to feel a chill. Wonderful. It was in the low 40's F at midnight, 50 F by 1 a.m., and 57F or so by dawn! Great to see no freeze on the ten-day forecast! Could use some rain though. Went to town a day early again this week as like last Friday it will be mayhem there tomorrow. The store runs out of stuff too. We beat the rush. Checked park to no avail, just making sure it stays avian free or nearly so. Little Creek Larry said he had a Spotted Towhee this week, his first this season. Otherwise it is all the same still. Saw a Dogface at the park. It got up to 70F in the afternoon, but stayed mostly cloudy. About 3 dozen waxwing worked over the hackberry right over back office corner of house and carport for a couple hours. The carport is steel so constant tinks of falling hackberries.

Dec. 28 ~ Finally we are above freezing this morning, a toasty 40F. Even more amazing was it exceeding expectations and getting up to 70F in the afternoon! That was a mighty chilly five days. We are now set for a week of nice days. And need it. About 20 waxwing were out there briefly on some berries. Nice having a few Myrtle Warbler out there for a bit every day. Things seemed to enjoy it warming up out there. I sure did. A treat to not be freezing. Not catching anything but the usual couple Field in the Chipping Sparrow flock. Did see a Sleepy Orange butterfly today, first butterfly since last Thursday.

Dec. 27 ~ Low was 25F, 5th morning of hard freeze from this arctic air event. KERV had 24F. A brutal cold event the whole five days with hard freezes, centered on Christmas. Three morns in the teens, two in the twenties. Warmed to about 60F in the afternoon. Open up and air out. Birds were all the same that I saw. Gets pretty monotonous here in winter, especially in drought times. We are hiding out, I mean working, inside by the heaters, and have tons to do, so fine. Wait until you see what I did. LOL

Dec. 26 ~ Happy Boxing Day. Whatevs. It was a chilly 22F on the front porch at dawn. At least it warmed above the low teens for lows today! I did not see anything different today. A few waxwings were around, heard the Lincoln's Sparrow. The Myrtle Warbler flocklet and Kinglet (Ruby) came by. At least a dozen Am. Goldfinch. Got up to a toasty 62F or so in the afternoon. We opened up to warm the inside up and it was great. The amazing event of the day was at 9:45 p.m. when ol' one hoot showed back up. Sounds like a Long-eared Owl. I think I last heard it in March or April. Don't know what to make of this development. It was freezing so I was not going chasing after it.

Dec. 25 ~ Well it is that Merry Christmas time again. My wife is a Santaologist. They believe in Santa. We wish y'all a good one! It was 15F this morn at dawn! at least half a category colder than progged. This was a serious serving of arctic air. Over freezing by about 10 a.m., mercifully. Last three mornings were 13F, 11F, and 15F. So about 60 of 66 hours we were below freezing. Broken pipe at a trough over in the corral has a big stream which just a little downhill turns to a big ice run. There were again three Myrtle Warbler in a flocklet that were around the yard for a bit. Heard the Kinglet (Ruby). The rest was the same gang. Great was a look at a Gray Fox out back about noon. It was said to have reached 50F at peak heat.

Dec. 24 ~ OMG, it was 11F on the front porch at 7 a.m. when on my seed tossabout. That is some mighty cold air. Surely again right at or around the record for the date. Brutal cold. Birds went through the seed needless to say. That male Red-winged Blackbird was back from the golf course across the river. The rest was the same lineup. It was said to have been over freezing about noon to 5 p.m. or maybe a littlle later. In the upper 30's was the best we saw here. So it was 40 hours plus below freezing, a 6 hour wee peek above it, and 16 more hours of freezing by tomorrow morn (Sunday) when it breaks freezing again. Three days in an icebox.


~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

Dec. 23 ~ At 7 a.m. I saw 15F on the front porch, at 8:30 it read 13F! Winds were 10-15 mph so single digit chill factors, at best. Brrrrr! Doubt we'll see the high side of freezing today. Parts of Alaska are warmer. Sure glad I went to town yesterday. Bird bath frozen solid, top layer of tub pond was solid ice too. The caballeros had to break the ice in the horse troughs. Had the one Robin. The birds sure burned through the seed quickly. Only thing different I saw was one male Red-winged Blackbird. Which when departing headed straight for the golf course. The Myrtle Warbler was around quite a bit. Prolly sneakin' some seed. Otherwise it all looked the same to me the few times I went out to make sure it had not broken freezing of temps. I only ever saw 30F for a high on front porch, though it felt a solid burnin' 32F in the sun in late afternoon. I found an Anole frozen on porch that had fallen out of cracks where sheltering. Brought it in for warming. Felt like a popsicle. Imagine waking up in my house!?! Hope it likes the blues and rock. KERV was below 15F for 10 hours last night to this morning! They were 12F from 4 to 8 a.m.! We were not far above that. All the soft vegetation here has that purple tint of death now. The WU almanac shows the record low at SAT for this date at 15F, so we were right there on the edge of it, as always a few dF colder here. Their record low for the 22nd is 6F!

Dec. 22 ~ Overcast and damp, low about 47F, which is higher than it will be from this afternoon when the Arctic air and front arrive, until Monday afternoon! Ahead of the front the warm air is sucked up from southward. I saw 64F on the front porch around 1 p.m. shortly before it arrived. I went to town so won't have to go tomorrow. There was nothing in the park woods or on pond, and Little Creek Larry said he hasn't seen anything different. First few puffs of cold air were just after noon, the shock waves ahead of the front. At 3 p.m. KERV was showing 29F! We were in 30's with 20 mph winds gusting higher. I think we have all the hatches battoned down. Extra layers on the windows and so on. At 4 p.m. KERV readings were 24F and a wind chill of 8F! Tomorrow morning should be nice. We dropped about 40dF in about 4 hours. By 9 p.m. it was in the teens and wind chills were below zero. Blowing 20-30 mph gusting to 40! OMG!

Dec. 21 ~ Happy Merry Solstice! The shortest daylight day. A 7:30 sunup isn't all bad yaknow? I don't have to be out there tossing seed until 7. Was clear late last night but overcast, gray, and damp this morn. Low about 34F and nearing foggish. KERV had 32 and Fog. Last day to get everything ready for the big freeze which starts tomorrow shortly after noon. Most of two or three days will be below freezing. Am going to town a day early and before that hits hopefully. Tossing a bit of extra seed the last few days so they can get some fat on. Not seeing anything different, maybe some severe cold will change things up a bit. It will keep me inside by a heater. Had the 30 or so waxwing and Kathy saw a Robin at the bath. At least a dozen Mourning Dove but not seeing so many White-winged now. Heard a Ringtail up on the roof, they have a light dainty step and gait.

Dec. 20 ~ Foggy first thing, dropped to about 40F around dawn. Just a few days left to get everything ready to go arctic to polar of temps Thursday through Monday. Got up into the 50's F and was nice when the wind stopped. Did not see anything different in birds. Was the same gang. Two Myrtle Warbler, a Kinglet (Ruby) and heard a White-crowned Sparrow. The birds better fatten up for the big freeze from Thursday to Saturday when it might just barely break freezing Sat. afternoon for a bit. Hope the Texas power grid holds this year.

Dec. 19 ~ Misted all night and stayed in the 40's F, so cool, gray, and damp. Probably got a tenth of an inch of precip. Warmed to 55F or so later in day when the sun even made an appearance. Out of the wind in the sun 55 is fine. There is some super cold on the way starting Thursday. Going to run to town before it hits this week so as to not be out in it other than tossing bird seed. Which the yard denizens were pretty intense on today. Same stuff here, nothing new. A Robin, a few Waxwing, an Eastern Phoebe, couple Myrtle Warbler, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinal, and lots of Chipping Sparrow.

Dec. 18 ~ I saw 26F on the front porch at 7 a.m., was clear then but overcast moved in just after sunup. KERV had a 25F! It was mighty slow to warm up, to a blazing 50F or so around 3 p.m. The Chipping Sparrow and Cardinal line the yard edges in the shrubs or trees waiting for the ritual morning toss of seeds. They start chipping excitedly as soon as they see me go by and hear the sweet tinkling of white millet and sunflower seed hitting the dried leaves on the ground. Saw nothing different but was mostly inside where warmer. Late p.m. it was misting.

Dec. 17 ~ About 42F for a low, a little bit of breeze much of the night and some clouds kept it warmer. Some sun off and on over the day, got up to 55F or so. Did not see anything different, the same birds and butterflies. Though the waxwing flock in the big Pecan first thing was about 30 birds, most I have seen at once so far this fall. Only saw one Robin. Couple Myrtle Warbler and a Kinglet (Ruby). At dark, it feels like it will be a very cold tomorrow morn.

filling in more blanks of missing species...


~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~ ~

Dec. 16 ~ No freeze, low about 35F and sunny. KERV showed 33F. Upper 40's F by 9 a.m., was nice. Later next week real cold is coming for several days, some arctic or polar air will really make it feel like winter. A House Finch was cheerily belting out some song up in the top of the big Pecan early. Town run and park check. The woods were devoid of anything avian, it is dreadful out there. The bark is bare. We may have been getting rain lately, but the insects were way drought depressed, and there won't be a chance to even start a recovery until the next season, at soonest. The birds just move through to go find food. Saw a couple Gadwall, Little Creek Larry said there were four earlier. He also said the pond south of him on Little Creek has Pintail, Wigeon, and Gadwall. Upriver of the island there were 20+ Ring-necked Duck. Saw one Variegated Meadowhawk, my monthly dragon total skyrocketing to one.

Dec. 15 ~ Well there is the first real freeze of the season. I saw 27F on the front porch at 7 a.m.! NOAA had KERV progged at 34F and WU had Utopia for 38F. KERV had 28F and froze for about 4 hours. So both missed big on the low and first real freeze up here in the hills. The big cities eastward (SAT and AUS) still have not frozen this season yet. Heard a Long-billed Thrasher across the road mid-morn. A couple Myrtle Warbler in Pecans, heard a few Robin early. Mostly the same gang. Saw low 60's F in the afternoon so warmed up well under the sun. Many of the same butterflies about but had a quick look at what appeared a Questionmark. Did see Dainty Sulphur, Little Yellow, and Common Checkered-Skipper again.

Dec. 14 ~ The front got here yesterday evening. Was a dry passage as many are here. Just the wind, and not a real howler this time. Low about 55F with 10-15 mph northerlies which will advect cold air all day. Sure is great to see the sun and blue skies! It appears as we might have a real freeze when it gets done blowing cold air here. A couple accipiter induced flushings of the seed eaters in the morning, one a Sharp-shinned, the other a Cooper's Hawk. A handful of waxwing were in the Hackberries out back. A few butterflies were out in the upper 60's F heat. First of month were a fresh Reakirt's Blue with a bad sense of timing, a Variegated Fritillary, and Snout. The rest were things that have been around, like an Orange Sulphur, Vesta Crescent, Gulf Frit, and so on.

Dec. 13 ~ Flatlined at 67F all night. Gray and misty still of course. Front inbound this eve will clear it out finally. Saw and heard the Lincoln's Sparrow that has been furtive here a few weeks now. Nothing like a few accipiters to keep everything ginchy. Also heard White-crowned Sparrow and Common Ground-Dove. Outstanding was mid-morn when some bluebirds flew over up in the low clouds so I could not see them. Sounded like 6-10 of them though, they called incessantly. They were WESTERN BLUEBIRD! It was an audio blast from the past. I hear Eastern darn near daily, and these were not any sound I have ever heard from them, but clearly a similar bluebird. The call is quicker (shorter of duration), softer, to my ear more musical, less mechanical, only one syllable, never a note with more than one frequency in it. It is close to Eastern, but not. I have a 2011 record of a flock flying over Seco Ridge calling, which I got visuals (binocs!) on. Eastern vs. Western calls are quite distinctly different from each other. Mountain Bluebird is a whole 'nother animal regarding vocalizations and not close to the more similar Eastern and Western flight calls. Checked the date of the flock at SR: Dec. 14, 2011, missed by a day, holy cow. Western occurs far less frequently than Mountain here, which is less than annual. Western status for me here is one calling flyover flock per decade so far, on Dec. 13 or 14. So now you know when to go out and listen.  ;)   Sure like to find some on the ground here.

Dec. 12 ~ Low about 62F, almost foggy, overcast, a quick showerlet, right when tossing seed at 7 a.m. A front is supposed to clear it out tomorrow, finally. It has been a long damp gray spell here. Still foggish at noon. Some Brewer's Blackbird were over at far end of the corral. A bit later morn atop the big pecan in the gray mist, I heard an off blackbird that was likely Rusty. It chucked a few times, sounded a Rusty to me. It was a single by itself, so another 'point' in favor of a Rusty. Heard the Fox Sparrow flush (flight alarm chips), and some White-crowned sseeets. The rest was the same gang. On one accipiter induced flushing event it was 70 or so Chipping Sparrow that departed yard. No Lark Sparrow for weeks, maybe a month, but still a couple Field Sparrow which winter. The question is, are they the breeders here? It seems to me they are. That is the sense I get. They are always here or around nearby. Saw the N. Mestra again.

Dec. 11 ~ Low about 62F with an overnight (dry) frontal passage. Amazing was seeing the sun in the morning! Was partly cloudy over the day, and got up to a blazin' 75F! Had two White-crowned Sparrow at once, one singing out back. Heard the Fox Sparrow chip when it flushed on seed toss rounds. Heard a Common Ground-Dove out back. The rest was the same stuff. Some butterflies were out in the heat. Six new for the month were a female Cloudless Sulphur, a N. Mestra, an American Lady, a Red Admiral, an Orange Sulphur, and the Mexican Yellow is still here! It must be the same one seen weekly multiple times (except the cold wet spell) since October 30. So, about 6 weeks here now. It is all the Tropical Sage scattered about. There is a fair bit of it in a few patches. Others seen were Pipevine Swallowtail, Queen, 2-3 Gulf Fritillary, Dainty and Lyside Sulphur, Little Yellow, and several Sleepy Orange. Thirteen species is good for the date here!

Dec. 10 ~ Overcast with occasional mist, 65-70F for a temp spread. Stuck in a rut with this for two or three weeks now. Have been too busy to get out, and am not into getting wet and muddy over it. Especially when birds are at extremely reduced drought stricken levels anyway. I am sure the sun and birds will return eventually. A weak front is supposed to arrive tonight with a low chance of rain, and some minor cooling. Kathy heard the Hutton's Vireo in the live-oaks upslope. Thought I heard that darn Junco flush again. Heard a Brewer's Blackbird flock over at the other end of the corral a quarter-mile away. The rest was the same gang.

filling in more blanks with better photos...

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

Dec. 9 ~ Overcast with mist-drizzle, whooda thunk? Low 64F. Continued damp, gray, and mild is the forecast. Nice not to have to be burnin' BTU's. But tracking lots of leaves into the house. The fog-mist-drizzle all week has totalled about a half-inch of precip since last Saturday. Might have hit 74F. At the park there were a few Myrtle Warbler around the spillway and a couple across the river. But the woods were dead, nothing. No bugs in the bark, no winter mayfly hatch yet. A small group of Am. Goldfinch were in the Sycamores below the spillway at park. Here at the hovelita, I counted seven of them this morning. A whopping three Myrtle Warbler were here in the morning. Saw two Queen and a first-of-month Dainty Sulphur besides some Gulf Frit and Sleepy Orange.

Dec. 8 ~ Still overcast with mist and nearly balmy. Low in mid-60's F again, getting up to mid-70's. But a bit mucky of the surface out there. Thousands of leaves have fallen this week from the Hackberries, Pecans, and the Mulberry. It is getting to look like winter. At dawn I heard a flock of ducks go over up in the low clouds, northbound, several called, they were my FOS Am. Wigeon. Some Robin and a few Am. Goldfinch, a few E. Bluebird. A brief bit of sun popped out a few butterflies. A couple first of month species were Lyside Sulphur and Common Checkered-Skipper. Probably had a Red Admiral but it got away, was all dark.

Dec. 7 ~ More fog, mist, and drizzle. Wet, but mild of temps so fine. Another half of a tenth of an inch of precip. Maybe ran 64-74F. Got a fire ant bite (Texas native) first thing. Wonderful way to start the day. Heard a Hutton's Vireo in the live-oaks out back. The rest was the same gang. Stuck at desk anyway. Saw first of month Queen and Little Yellow besides the other same few butterflies yesterday. The Great Horned Owl pair is calling after dark lots again. Heard the Screech-Owl too. Have not heard the Barred Owl in months though. Kinda think we lost it. It was a regular thing calling over at river for 9 years but has been absent since spring.

Dec 6 ~ Still the same, fog, mist, 58F at midnight, 62F at dawn. Maybe half a tenth of an inch of precip. Stayed overcast all day, maybe hit 68F at peak heat. Mid-morn saw a good bird but don't know what. It was a tiny small buteo. It was perched up in top of the big Pecan, but was fog-mist so only a silohuette. I thought it was near a Cooper's Hawk but fatter and bulkier, chunkier, and I could not see a long tail. Decided to go get bins and it flew. It was clearly a tiny small buteo, not an accipiter. Bird of the day gets away, again. Saw the first few butterflies of the month finally: a Pipevine Swallowtail or two, two Gulf Fritillary, a Sleepy Orange and a Vesta Crescent. The rest was the same gang.

Dec. 5 ~ Pea soup all night with fog, mist and drizzle. Another .1, tenth of an inch of precip. Low was about 55 at midnight, it was 60 by dawn, and might have gotten near 70F at peak heat. Stayed very overcast after the dense fog lifted around 11 a.m. Was a big presumed accipiter flushing of everything about 10:30. Three dozen Robin and a dozen Waxwing, five dozen plus Chipping Sparrow, a half-dozen each White-winged and Mourning Dove, dozen and a half Cardinal. Later had the Myrtle Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. About 2:45 I caught a glimpse as it flushed, and heard several calls, of the Fox Sparrow out back. Day 5 here for it now. Very cool. Heard White-crowned Sparrow too. Both were where I toss seed. A pair of Great Horned Owl were at it late.

Dec. 4 ~ Drizzled all night and about 56F or so. Maybe a couple tenths of an inch. Accipiter must be watching as the birds are absent at the seed toss spots. It was horribly slow all day. And misting. After dark it added dense fog, less than a hundred yards visibility, nearing pea soup. Was in the 50's F all day, flatlined. They say a front passed yesterday, but you would hardly know. I slow-rolled out the back west end of UvCo 360 and there were no birds.

Dec. 3 ~ It was in the 50's F around midnight, but low 60's by dawn. Fog and mist, a bit of drizzle, maybe a tenth of an inch of precip. Maybe got up to 64F. Birds were the same gang except, I heard the Fox Sparrow call. Still have not seen it. The accipiters keep the stuff pretty skittish. The Mulberry is de-leafing now, a yellow carpet underneath it. As is the nicely yellow Hackberry out office window.

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Dec. 2 ~ It was about 48F around midnight, and about 53F by dawn. Foggy and misty all night, a tenth of an inch of precip. Nothing different here in the morning. Some Robin and Waxwing but could not find a Fox Sparrow. Town run and a park check. Three Myrtle Warbler and a Golden-crowned Kinglet were around the island and woods at the park. Also saw my FOS Gadwall, a single bird. One Belted Kingfisher and a Great Blue Heron. Little Creek Larry saw a gull on the park pond last Friday to Sunday, Nov. 24-26. He said it was dinky small and thought it a Bonaparte's. No photo so no positive absolute ID though and will be relegated to hypothetical status. He said it is the first gull he has seen on the water ever here. The Cypresses along the river are near peak, flaming rusty orange. The planted Maples around town are also around peak, lots of nice color here right now. For the teeny mini-fall we get anyway. The Pecans largely de-leafed this last front and week.

December 1 ~ Three weeks to the solstice and shortest day! Was upper 30's F around midnight warming to about 40 by dawn. Foggish. A few dozen Robin and a couple dozen Waxwing came into the birdbath, Junipers, and Hackberries. Looked like four Am. Goldfinch, first flocklet this fall. Kathy saw a FOX Sparrow coming into the bath! First in a few years here, they are far less than annual so always a great find locally. She also saw and I heard later the White-crowned Sparrow. Then I heard the Fox Sparrow give a call. Did not see it though. Great bird here.

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It was a wet one, with 3.50-3.75" of rain here! Others locally got more and less as is Texas rain. A great November total. We may have kissed freezing on the cheek but there was no real freeze yet. There were some prolonged wet and cold spells. The poor Pecan crop is gone, the poor Hackberry crop will not last long, neither will the weak Juniper berry crop. Seed crops are weak as well, as expected when much of year spent in D4 exceptional drought. Currently we are D2 and water is about 18" from going over the spillway at the park pond.

Not much to see in odes, a few Variegated Meadowhawk and a Green Darner or two was about it. They are done until next spring. Butterflies were fair and remained the main action, at the few flowers we have left blooming. Which is a few Blue Mistflower (Eup.), a last burst of Lantana blooms, and a decent bit of Tropical Sage scattered about. Numbers were low and nothing rare, but since a bad year for butterflies (and bugs of all manner), October's leftovers were still great. Some Cowpen Daisy was going in the corral, nothing like good years though, a wee bit of Maxmillian Sunflower along the river in a couple spots. Saw almost no blues, hairstreaks, or metalmarks, and hardly any skippers. No small stuff. A Mexican Yellow was visiting yard most of the month. On the 28th finally a Clouded Skipper showed. An Elada Checkerspot and a N. Mestra were here early in month. It was 34 species, good considering this years poor monthly diversity showings.

Birds were weak as can be in November. Best bird was the Am. Woodcock Morris saw at his office just off Main St. the 13th. Mostly Nov. is the arrival of some of the wintering species, unless you get lucky with a stray or tardy migrant. We see wintering Nov. arrivals, like N. Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Vesper and White-crowned Sparrow, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Am. Goldfinch, Am. Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Brewer's Blackbird, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Myrtle Warbler, some Cranes or Geese heard overhead. You get to see old friends again. I saw about 53 sps. by accident, and heard of 8 or so more species seen locally this month.

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November ~ Nov. 1 another Golden-crowned Kinglet was heard after the first of fall on Oct. 31. A FOS Blue-headed Vireo was at the park the 4th. A flock of Blue Jay was seen flying over this week. A single was at our place Nov. 5. Our FOS Robin (one) was here the 8th, mid-morn the 9th there were a dozen. Winter got here Nov. 11 when a very strong cold front arrived. It brought a FOS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a FOS Hermit Thrush was seen at the park. My FOS Brewer's Blackbird were on the 12th. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was just off Main St. in town the 13th! A FOS American Goldfinch showed up the 14th. Both Merlin and Gadwall were reported about the 15th or so. I have been hearing a Junco since the 15th at our place, yet to be seen. At the park the 18th were 25 Ring-necked Duck. My FOS Vesper Sparrow were two on the 24th. I saw my FOS White-crowned Sparrow Nov. 26, finally. The three plus inches of rain Nov. 19-26 was amazing. My FOS Cedar Waxwing were 10-12 on the 27th.

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Nov. 30 ~ A dry cold front blew in overnight. Low about 39F (KERV had 37F), sunny and breezy. Didn't see anything different on the bird front. Windy most of day with the post-frontal blow. Might have hit 60F briefly but never felt like it. Heard that Junco again. Saw the Myrtle Warbler. Saw a Field Sparrow amongst the Chipping. The Cypresses are bright rusty along the river now, maybe at peak orange. The Hackberries are yellow, and the Mulberry is bright yellow. No leaf falls off it and makes it through the night without a deer vacuuming it up. Lots of Pecan leaves falling finally too. Looking more like fall, with winter coming soon.

Nov. 29 ~ We flatlined about 64F all night. Foggy at sunup. Eventually warmed to 75F or so. Birds looked the same gang. Some Robin and a few Waxwing. Three butterflies I did not see among the 14 sps. yesterday were Common Checkered-Skipper, Pipevine Swallowtail and Sachem. Seven Gulf Frits at once on the Lantana, still the Mexican Yellow around. Saw an American Goldfinch at the bird bath after noon. Saw a male Cooper's Hawk go over. Heard Cranes going over mid-day. Belted Kingfisher was rattling over at the river near dusk. One single Red-winged Blackbird departed in the afternoon.

Nov. 28 ~ Another clear cool 34F low, 5dF below the official predictions. KERV had a 32F, 7F below progged low. The record hi-low temps this date are 21-91F! That is quite a temp range possible. At least 50 Robin were here early, as well as a few Waxwing. A Yellow-shafted Flicker stopped for a sunrise preen in the top of the big Pecan. Kathy saw a Golden-fronted Woodpecker at the bath with the Robins in the morning. She saw a Mockingbird there in the afternoon. The 74F or so warmth made another good butterfly day. Best was a Clouded Skipper, first one this month, and only a few all fall. Good was a Mexican Yellow that is probably the same one here before the cold wet spell. At least 6 Gulf Fritillary, a dozen Sleepy Orange, about 5 each Vesta Crescent and So. Dogface, two Fiery Skipper, the rest mostly the same as yesterday. Single Red Admiral, Lyside, Large Orange and Cloudless Sulphur, a Queen, but a Dainty Sulphur, and a few Little Yellow. Fourteen species, won't be much more of totals like that. One more warm day tomorrow.

Nov. 27 ~ A low of 34F here was almost a category lower than progged. NOAA had KERV for 42F and WU had us for the same. I said to Kathy at 11 p.m. last night it was already that and going to get way colder. KERV had a 33F! I totalled my precip notes and since the 19th when the last 8 days of mostly overcast with drizzle, showers, fog, and mist, started. We are over THREE INCHES at 3.25" here! Incredible. That is a good November here as winter is (historically) our dryest season. The afternoon got up to a smokin' hot 75F! Got to open up and air out (warm up) the house and cottage. Saw the White-crowned Sparrow again. Kathy heard something being taken by an accipiter uphill behind us. I saw a small group of 10-12 Cedar Waxwing, which are my FOS. Heard that single American Goldfinch again. The rest was the expected usual suspects. There were some butterflies out to greet the heat though. Single Large Orange, Cloudless and Lyside Sulphur, a Little Yellow, 3 So. Dogface, a Red Admiral, single Comm. Checkered-Skipper and Fiery Skipper, a few Vesta Crescent, a Queen, one American Lady, a Snout or two, and a few Gulf Fritillary.

Nov. 26 ~ Awoke to clear skies after it raining lightly for several hours overnight. I saw 38F on the front porch before 7 a.m., though it could have been the breeze and evap on the wet thermometer. About 3 cm of rain (1.25"!) from after dark yesterday evening until when the skies cleared here in the wee hours. Amazing. It has been a great week plus with precip. Nice to see the sun though! Got up to maybe 60F in the afternoon. First thing there were some Brewer's Blackbird up in the big Pecan. The best excitement for me was finally a FOS White-crowned Sparrow. Always great to see that first one. Was an adult leucophrys (eastern type, our default here). There were some Robin around a bit. Heard that Junco flush again today, it sure is ginchy. In butterflies saw a Snout, a Southern Dogface, and a couple Sleepy Orange. Blew from the west most of the day finally relaxing near dusk. It will be chilly in the morning.

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Nov. 25 ~ Still sprinkling and drizzling, low about 52F. A front passes tomorrow, so about 24 hours more of this to go. It has been cloudy with drizzle for ten days, but at least we got some precip on the plants. It is back to chilly and damp, yesterday's warmup is gone. We are just hunkering down for the holiday here, thankful not to be out in it.  ;)  It is a work day at the desk anyway. An operator is standing by if you need a Lined Gem Tang, or somesuch. About 10 a.m. or so the precip stopped and it appears .75 overnight (18-19mm) and in the a.m., which is great of course. There were some Robin around and at a flush event I estimated 35-40 birds, at minimum. So, most at once so far this season, and great. We are supposed to get one more shot of rain overnight before this clears out. We might have hit 54F, about 15 dF below averages for now. Rain started again after dark, will wait for a total in the morn when it is all over.

Nov. 24 ~ Happy Thanksgiving turkeys! Light showers or drizzle all night, and much of the day totalled 15mm or about five-eighths of an inch more of precip since dark yesterday evening. We have over an inch from the last 4 days now. Maybe 1.1". Outstanding, if a little wet (ok, saturated) out there. Was in the mid-rising-to-upper 50's over night. Great not to be chilly. Wet is better than cold and wet. Right before noon the warm-sector air arrived and it went from mid-50's to mid-60's in 15 minutes. The Chipping Sparrow are up to 80 birds here now. Around noon a brief moment of sun that lasted 15 minutes brought out a few butterflies. I saw a couple Sleepy Orange, a Pipevine Swallowtail, and an American Lady. First ones in days.

Made a quick run to the park, to little avail. Saw a couple Eastern Phoebe, heard Bluebirds. Upriver of the island two ducks flushed but did not get an ID look due to trees, and skill level no doubt. Might have been Wood Duck. One Cooper's Hawk out front by entrance sign flew right over a Raven on the ground and didn't even think about it. Neither did the Raven. They must already know each other.

Back here where water collects in the road by the corral a hundred yards down road from us there was a bit of a bathing scene. Great was a Blue-headed Vireo, only the second I have encountered this fall. There were a couple FOS Vesper Sparrow, several Field and lots of Chipping. Some House Finch and Cardinal were the rest. And a couple E. Phoebe in the corral. I wonder why?

Nov. 23 ~ Drizzle and mist all night, low about 48F, warmer than most of the last four days. So wet, but not with the chill. Got up to a flamin' 55F, which was great. With the overnight and all day drizzle added about 3 more tenths of an inch of precip. So a half-inch or so in last three days. There were a dozen or so Robin in the big Pecan first thing at 7 a.m. They sure squawk at you when you walk out of the house. Look, human! Heard the Junco again out back and uphill. Quick run to town for a couple items, besides Rosie's tacos. Little Creek Larry said he counted 30 Ring-necked Duck a couple days ago at the park. None at noon, but there were people around the spillway. One Golden-crowned Kinglet in the small group of Titmouse and Chickadee in the live-oaks. The remarkable quiet locally continues.

Nov. 22 ~ Still cloudy with drizzle and mist. Low this morn about 47F, higher than the high temps the last 3 days, so a nice break from the chill. Got up to about 54F, warmer than the last four days. Another tenth of an inch of precip. Birds remain shy and skittish, I presume due to accipiter. Did see a Kinglet (Ruby). Heard a Caracara over in the corral. Otherwise nothing different except at the last trace of light when I heard a flock of ducks bolt over. They were bigger with lower pitched wingbeats than small ducks like teal or Ring-necked, so were probably Wigeon, Shoveler, or Gadwall maybe. It sounded like about 40 birds, a good-sized flock.

Nov. 21 ~ Low about 42F with drizzle on it. Still gray, chilly, and wet, so I will be working inside guarding heaters. Maybe got up to about 47F. Near another tenth of an inch of precip. Here is what is out there daily: N. Cardinal, Black-crested Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Chipping Sparrow, House Finch, and some White-winged and Mourning Dove. Those are the only things of which there are more than a couple or few. Then in the one or two each category, add Carolina Wren, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, maybe an Eastern Phoebe or two, and a couple or few Common Raven, not sure how many Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk, most days I hear a Golden-fronted Woodpecker and a Bewick's Wren. Been one Myrtle Warbler and a Kinglet (Ruby) or two daily or so. Some days a Field Sparrow or two. There are more pigs and deer around than birds.

Nov. 20 ~ The cold damp overcast continues. Lows in the upper 30's, high about 44F maybe. Birds were the same gang. No butterflies. An accipiter or two are hanging around watching the seed, which shall we say, kills activity here. I am not in the mood to go out in the wet cold to go look for things, so working at the desk. A few brief periods over the day the Chipping Sparrow flock is out there, as well as the Cardinals. The Chickadees and Titmice are around, but it is slow. Might have heard a Pyrrhuloxia. I think when we have these bad drought events the birds largely just keep going and pass on through. There are not the normal usual food crops available. This is one of the worst years for Hackberry crop I have seen here. Seed crops seem fairly poor as well. Nuts are gone, save the two-legged hominids.

Nov. 19 ~ Cloudy, wet, and cold. Low in upper 30's F, high maybe 42F. Got a couple tenths of an inch of precip in the morning. A cold rain. We take any precip we can get here these days. I counted 60 Chipping Sparrow, so their numbers are still increasing. Did not see anything else amongst them. Much of the day there was nothing around, I presume due to an Accipiter as always seems the case when everything hides or goes elsewhere all day. Not up for going out in the cold and wet, will wait for warmer dryer days. Oddly it seems like there are more green leaves still on trees than usual for the date.

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Nov. 18 ~ Overcast, low about 45F, high maybe 54F. About 10F below averages for now. I heard that Junco again this morning, and this afternoon. Absolutely what it is, but sticking to the cover at fenceline and uphill behind us. Did a Woodcock walk at the woods in the park, which means looking for one, not walking like one. People would laugh. Nothing in the woods. A couple Kinglet (Ruby), some Chickadee and Titmouse. Best was my FOS Ring-necked Duck, 25 of them. Little Creek Larry said he had a couple Gadwall there early in the week, and a few days ago a Merlin at his place. He also saw a Ringed Kingfisher at the park, this morning. Ringed and Green have been rare as hen's teeth here since spring. I had one Belted Kingfisher at the park.

Nov. 17 ~ Overcast and cool, was about 40F at sunup but was in upper thirties overnight. Heard a Kestrel out there early. Glimpsed what was likely a Lincoln's Sparrow sneaking away. Confirmed by call later in day. Swore I heard a Junco again out back. A Myrtle Warbler and a few Robin around. Can't help but wonder if it is the same male Myrtle that wintered here last year. Working the same routine. Goes through yard in the morning southward, and back through northward in the afternoon, every day. Some Eastern Bluebird are probably not local birds but winterers from northward. A bit after noon Kathy spotted a Gray Fox working just outside the fenceline. Now that it is not hot, they are out hunting in the day.

Nov. 16 ~ Low about 38F, KERV had a 35F, NE winds 10 mph picked up from the back side of the departing last front. High about 58F. We have reached the wintry portion of fall. A couple dozen Robin were at the birdbath early, washing down Hack- and Juniper berries no doubt. Little Creek Larry has commented on how few Hackberries those trees have this year. Drought. Key winter forage for lots of stuff, especially birds. Pretty quiet out there and the butterflies are fading fast, diminishing numbers of the same 6-8 species mostly now. Soon there won't be anything to write about. We need some birds. Thought I heard a Junco again.

Nov. 15 ~ Winds slowed down overnight, but still light, and probably what held it at 33F quelling a freeze. Not much motion out there though. Kathy had some Robin at the birdbath. I heard a Golden-crowned Kinglet uphill behind us in the live-oaks. A bit after 1 p.m. I heard and then saw an American Goldfinch. Just one, but certainly absolutely what I heard yesterday, and will give the 14th the FOS date. Later afternoon had a or the Myrtle Warbler. Only a few butterflies came out to brave the 55F peak heat. We have near-freezes slated for the next 5 mornings with high temps in the low-to-mid 50's F. Sorta wintry. Thought I heard a Junco again.

Nov. 14 ~ Low maybe 47F or so, and drizzling. Maybe a tenth (.1) of an inch of precip, keeps the dust down. Front arriving this afternoon around 3 p.m. Last warmest day for a week or more methinks. Got up to 68 or 70F (some local WU stations). Nothing different on the bird or butterfly front save something heard only, otherwise was the same gang. One Monarch stopped. Heard single Field and Lark Sparrow. Windy from late afternoon on with a post-frontal blow. In butterflies, saw a or the Julia's Skipper, a Sachem, a couple dozen Vesta Crescent, one Elada Checkerspot, Queen, Gulf Frit, Sleepy Orange. Mid-day thought sure I heard an American Goldfinch call a couple times, tut-tut-tut.

Nov. 13 ~ I saw 33F just before 7 a.m., not sure it got any colder. KERV was 30 or below for about four hours. The local WU station I looked at flatlined at 33F, as we did here. Might have gotten up to 58F at peak afternoon heat. At least two dozen Robin were here this morning. Chipping Sparrow are up to about three dozen. Here they come. Great was getting a call from Sydney Killough about Morris just photographing a bird at his office on Main St. in town! She e-mailed the pic and it was a WOODCOCK! Awesome bird! Looks like 2019 was my last one here, I have seen about 5 in 19 years here. It flew off after a bit. The woods and swampy area at the park is where all but one of the ones I have seen were. It is the Killoughs for the win today! THANKS for sharing the great news! One was in a yard in Alpine a week or so ago. Now is the time to be looking, as the ground freezes up north. Here in the afternoon it was dead silent, then I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk fly off.

Nov. 12 ~ A low of 35F is the coldest since March probably. Winds still 10-15 mph which is likely what stopped the freeze. Winds let up over the morning and afternoon warmed to 60F. A very typical winter temp spread here. In the morn a small group of Brewer's Blackbird flew by, my FOS. More than a dozen Robin were around much of the day, eating Hackberries and visiting the bird bath to wash them down. Nice to see again, those males are beautiful. Might be a couple dozen Chipping Sparrow here now. A couple Kinglet (Ruby) were around, one Myrtle Warbler. Had biz work to do here so was busy. A few butterflies about when it warmed, the same gang and fewer of them.

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Nov. 11 ~ Low about 68F which was the high as a strong cold front is arriving at daybreak. Great was in the morn I saw a woodpecker that did not look like the regulars on the nearest power pole. Too big for a Ladder-back and head was flatter than Golden-front. It was sitting right on side at top where G-f sits. Light was terrible, just a silohuette. Came in for bins, and then saw my FOS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. One Robin and one Myrtle Warbler out there too. Town run, a quickie park check. Little Creek Larry had a FOS Hermit Thrush there this morning. The strong winds of the front hit whilst I was in the woods and that was the end of that. A 10dF drop in 10 seconds. But it felt like more. There was one Golden-crowned Kinglet there, and later had one at yard here. It poured briefly when I was in town waiting for Rosie's tacos. That big steel open-air covering she put up is great. We did not get half the rain here as the downpour in town was. But a bit found us later in afternoon. Looks about 14mm, around nine-sixteenths of an inch. Outstanding. Most of the day from noon it dropped through the 50's F, with 15-20 mph winds gusting to 30 mph. The wind and rain should clean the Halloween TP out of the town's trees anyway. As the sun went down it felt like the upper 30's. Couple chilly mornings ahead.

Nov. 10 ~ Low about 67F, still the warm moist Gulf flow with low stratus. Last warm day before the front arrives. Looks like it is going to actually cool down after passage. Saw a Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly in yard, exploding my monthly ode species list up to one. Last shot at some butterflies methinks. Saw a Northern Cloudywing early, new for the month. One each Monarch and Mestra. A small med. brown skipper got away, either Julia's or Celia's. One Texas Wasp Moth. Late afternoon a Mexican Yellow seemed to hit every Salvia flower still open. It appeared a new different individual and has been a week since I last saw one, but I can't be absolutely sure. Always great to see though.

Nov. 9 ~ Low about 69F, some streamer showers they call them pre-dawn. Precip was a bit over .10, maybe an eighth of an inch. Keeps the dust down and I don't have to water. There were at least a dozen Robin in the big Pecan about 9:30 a.m., after the single FOS last night. A Myrtle Warbler and a couple Kinglet (Ruby) went through, an Eastern Phoebe is around. Still lots of Vesta Crescent, a couple Pearl Crescent, one Monarch, and new was a summer form (black hindwings) Questionmark. Seemed pretty fresh looking, maybe got fooled by the 80F warmth?

Nov. 8 ~ Rinse and repeat. Low about 68F, some barely mist early from the low stratus the Gulf sends. Mostly the same stuff and less of it. Send new birds. Late in day Kathy got us our FOS Robin, a single up in the big Pecan. Saw one Monarch, and at least 50 Vesta Crescent today, many on the Tube-tongue which some is flowering again. There was one pair of Pearl Crescent. I forgot to mention when in town Friday, since it was just Halloween, bits of course got TP'd by our finest youth. Including a good job on the town square park. Where oh yeah, the annual craft fair was this past weekend. Oh those kids...

Nov. 7 ~ Low of 68F, maybe, and the Gulf flow so humid NOAA called it 'air you can wear'. A bit of mist earliest morn. Sounds lovely, eh? Got up to about 82F. There was a bit of sun in the afternoon. Heard the Hutton's Vireo and a couple Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Myrtle Warbler, and a Belted Kingfisher over at the river. The rest was the same gang and without the Blue Mist going, far far fewer butterflies. More Vesta Crescent though. Mostly now it is the Pierids on the Tropical Sage. A half-dozen each of Large Orange and Cloudless Sulphur, two Lyside and a Dainty Sulphur, maybe 18 Sleepy Orange.

Nov. 6 ~ It was clear and 50F at 7 a.m., overcast and near-fog at 60F an hour later. That was when the warm moist Gulf low stratus got here. Couple Kinglets (Ruby) in the morn, 10 or 12 Chipping Sparrow, an imm. Cooper's Hawk, some Eastern Bluebird, and general slowness continuing. In butterflies at front porch a female Whirlabout, a Gray Hairstreak, and a Buckeye were new for the month. The rest were the same gang. A guy in Austin had a Ruby-spotted Swallowtail today! Found one entry point under the fence hogs are using so a couple new tent stakes holding that bottom strand down should disappoint them tonight.

In the afternoon 82F heat We took a walk over into the corral to check the Cowpen Daisy, which is a fraction of a good year for it. But lots of butterflies, of not many species. New for the month were a couple pairs of Fiery Skipper, a couple Sachem, and a Checkered White. In Crescents there were a hundred Vesta, no Phaon, 2 Pearl, and 1 Texan. At least one Elada Checkerspot, a few Buckeye, 6-8 Variegated and 20 Gulf Fritillary, a few Pipevine Swallowtail, a few dozen each of So. Dogface and Sleepy Orange, one Orange Sulphur, 5 Dainty Sulphur, a few Little Yellow, one Com. Checkered-Skipper. No blues, hairstreaks, metalmarks, and less than 10 skippers. A couple Eastern Phoebe and some Chipping Sparrow was about it for birds.

Nov. 5 ~ Only light NW flow but bringing some cool air from the frontal passage and the 45F low was great after that 70F yesterday morning. Such is fall here. Clear and dry, I saw a 15 percent humidity reading at KERV in the afternoon. Great was Kathy hearing a Blue Jay over in the draw, we have not had one here probably in a couple years at least. It sounded like it was alone though. A day after Larry said he had a flock go over. For singles locally I get the feeling they are dispersing local young. The invasions of northerly migrants are usually small groups (family?) that stick together. Some migrant Chipping Sparrow are showing up, their numbers are up, maybe 10 or 12 here today. Thought I was seeing a few more the last few days. One Clay-colored Sparrow was with them at the bird bath. Butterflies were active in the 75F afternoon warmth. New was a Dainty Sulphur. Saw both the Elada Checkerspot and the Pearl Crescent again, at least a half-dozen Vesta still here. One Mestra was about briefly, and a Common Checkered-Skipper. What looked a Red Admiral blasted by quickly, too fast to count. The rest was the same gang, mostly Pierids.

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Nov. 4 ~ It flatlined at 70F all night, with that warm moist low stratus deck from the Gulf. Front supposed to pass this evening, but dry here. Might have hit 80-82F peak heat. The yard has been very slow for birds lately, which continues. Had an Elada Checkerspot mid-morn, species number 20 for the month. Town run so a park check. A couple small Titmouse and Chickadee flocks in the trees. A few Myrtle Warbler, couple Kinglet (Ruby), and best was a FOS Blue-headed Vireo which was quietly singing. Otherwise not much activity. No odes. Saw some Cowpen Daisy going, which have to check in the afternoon when it warms. Some stunted Maxmillian Sunflower along river edges is the only other thing I saw blooming that wasn't planted. River is less than 2' below spillway at park pond, maybe 18-20". Cypresses getting lots of rusty orange color, looking nice. Little Creek Larry said he had a Coyote on other side of pond at the park one day this week. A great sighting at the park. One day this week (I think at his place) he also had a flock of Blue Jay fly over! We do not have a flock worth as local residents, so it is likely this is a flock from elsewhere, probably from some distance. They have flight years whence lots move, perhaps almost a decade since we had the last flight here.

Nov. 3 ~ Low about 66F. We are back in low Gulf stratus season. A regular thing here, especially in Nov. when not northerlies, is near-fog. The low stratus from the Gulf is thickened up by the orographic (lifting) effects of the warmer moist air hitting the first step of altitude increase at south edge of the plateau just south of us. Heard a Kinglet (Ruby) but that was it for the morn. Heard Flicker and Kestrel nearby. Kept checking the Blue Mist for butterflies, to no avail. I hate to see it go, it was soooo good the last two months. Kathy saw a Monarch go by.

Nov. 2 ~ Low about 55F and made it up to about 75F. Partly cloudy, very light of wind, so nice. Coyotes got something about dawn not too far away, the pack went off nutso as when they make a kill. No bird movement though. Heard a couple Kestrel early. One Myrtle Warbler went through in morning. Kathy counted 16 White-winged Dove and 5 Eurasian Collared-Dove at once. Butterflies continue their fadeaway, but since the 2nd, seven new ones for the month I did not see in yesterday's dozen species. A Monarch, a Mestra, the Mexican Yellow (day 4 for the third one of the fall), a Common Checkered-Skipper, a or the Pearl Crescent, a Painted Lady, and best of all, a Texan Crescent, which I did not see in October.

November 1 ~ Low about 58F, partly cloudy. Forecast is for rabbits on the white millet birdseed and squirrels in the Pecan trees. Pigs must have punched another hole in the hog fence, they are tearing the yard up, no doubt digging up the nuts the squirrels bury. Coons ravage the trees all night too chewing off the end two feet of branches with nuts. Deer stand on hind legs and get anything low. We will be lucky to get one nut to split.

Saw a Coyote over in corral first thing early. Heard Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Hutton's Vireo mid-morn. Then heard another Golden-crowned Kinglet before noon. Yesterday was the first of fall individual. A couple Myrtle Warbler chipped through southward over the day.

Great was after 5 p.m. out front when a Flicker flew into the big Pecan whilst I was at base of it. It immediately began wika wika wika calls yukking it up. It had orange wings, it was a tweener. Then another came flying in, with red wings. I moved to get a better angle and it flew, followed by the orange-winged bird, and then followed by a Yellow-winged bird! There were three at once in the big Pecan. A yellow-, a red-, and an orange- winged bird. That explains all the noise.

Butterflies started the new month with 12 species. Singles of Julia's Skipper, Gray Hairstreak, and Lyside Sulphur, two or three each So. Dogface and Vesta Crescent, a few each Snout and Gulf Fritillary, about 5 each of Pipevine Swallowtail and Large Orange Sulphur, ten Cloudless Sulphur, and 15 or more Sleepy Orange. After 5 p.m. finally saw a Phaon Crescent. Was about 74F then. At least one Texas Wasp Moth is still here.

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There was some rain, about 3" where we are, others had more and less locally. But in that area. There had been almost none since the big event in late August so it was badly needed. We are in D2 stage drought. The river has come up a bit, still not going over spillway at park, but coming up. Temps were likely around average, maybe on the warm side of average. No freeze yet.

Odes were 13 species as they fade away for the year. Only two sps. were damselflies, the rest dragons. Nothing unusual or odd, they were the most likely to occur. A Red-tailed Pennant early in month might have been the best thing, then an Eastern Amberwing. Shows how weak it was. This was a very poor year for odes here.

Butterflies were slow, but still the biggest action and excitement. Thanks to some flowers we planted we got to see them without having to go anywhere. It was 49 species at the front porch this month. Which will make Oct. the top species diversity month of the year no doubt. As October often is. There was some big Snout movement SW to NE, but the bulk of the southbound Monarch passage missed us this year. I never saw more than 40 in a day, and that only once. It was low single digits most days. The rare items were the first Tropical Buckeye in a few years (on the 2nd), an Orange-barred Sulphur (on 4th), three different Mexican Yellow, and a second White-patched Skipper (on 23rd) for this fall. A few Mestra were around. Overall numbers were wayyyy down. Especially the small stuff which was largely absent.

Bird activity dropped wayyyy off this month. The big month of movement here is September. Most of the migratory breeders depart by September if not earlier and the winterers are not here yet. Some wild food crops like nuts, seed, or fruit also disperse local residents so they are more scattered foraging naturally. The bird of the month got away, it was a heard only Green-tailed Towhee (23rd). That smarts. The three best seen birds were all at our bird bath. Mourning (2nd) and Black-throated Green (27th) Warbler, and a Catbird (8th). Seems like about 65 species or so for me this month. I know Little Creek Larry had at least a handful I did not.

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October ~ A great FOS on the 2nd was a Mourning Warbler in our flower beds. Also the 2nd, a FOS Greater Yellowlegs flew over high calling. The 2nd and 3rd Lincoln's Sparrow of the fall were early morn Oct. 5. My FOS Belted Kingfisher was on the 7th. Oct. 8 there was FOS Catbird and House Wren, and an orestera (Gray-headed-Rocky Mtns.) Orange-crowned Warbler. Oct. 15 I saw my FOS Sharp-shinned Hawk, and a Great Egret. The 16th finally a FOS Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler, and a FOS N. Flicker was heard a few times. A cold front and about 2.5" of rain on the 17th felt autumnal, as did a single FOS Sandhill Crane flew over the 17th late in day. Heard a flock of cranes go over on the 20th. Also autumnal was a low of 42F a couple days after the front on the 19th. The 23rd I heard a Green-tailed Towhee but did not see it. The 26th a low of 38F was the first of the 30's F this fall, and in six months. On the 27th our FOS Black-throated Green Warbler was here. The 28th there was a FOS pair of Wood Duck above the island at the park in the river. The last FOS of the month on the 31st was a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

There is some bit of southern butterfly invasion going this fall, minor, but some scarcer things are showing up. Oct. 2 a Tropical Buckeye was here. On the 4th a female Orange-barred Sulphur and a female Mexican Yellow. Recall Sept. had White Peacock and White-patched Skipper, so clearly some few good butterflies arriving with the flow from the south. The 13th I had 25 species on the Blue Mistflower and Tropical Sage around front porch. On Friday the 14th there were small numbers of Monarchs about, 10 on our Blue Mist and over 30 in the park woods. A second White-patched Skipper of this fall showed well on the 23rd-24th. The third Mexican Yellow of the month and fall was here Oct. 30-31.

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Oct. 31 ~ And there goes another month! At least we had some rain. Low was 48F, with some thin clouds. Only two months to do all those things I was going to do this year!?! Got up to about 76F in afternoon, but partly cloudy. After having a Ruby-crowned Kinglet early, late morning I heard a FOS Golden-crowned Kinglet around the yard. Finally something new after the front, and a real 'winter bird' here. OK, late fall to early spring to be technical. Near dusk a Kestrel was noisy uphill behind us in the live-oaks.

Butterflies are fading. Saw the Orange Skipperling and a few Vesta Crescent but that was the only small stuff. One Monarch, five Queen, a few So. Dogface, saw the Mexican Yellow again, a half-dozen each Large Orange and Cloudless Sulphur, 15 at least Sleepy Orange, and a couple Pipevine Swallowtail. One Texas Wasp Moth. Tomorrow starts a new month list so will be trying to muster everything I can quickly before its all gone. November is a good time for rare stuff though. My Two-barred Flasher, Ruby-spotted Swallowtail and Band-celled Sister photos are all from November.

Oct. 30 ~ Low of 44F was half a category lower than progged. At least the wind finally stopped. Dry, cool and clear is fine. Still no bird movement. I thought after the front there would be something by now. Nada. Not a darn thing. In afternoon at the fast-fading Blue Mistflower there was a pale morph female Orange Sulphur, a new species for the month, always greatly appreciated on the 30th. Then the third Mexican Yellow of the fall was on the Tropical Sage (Salvia) and seemed to end up diving into a thick patch of Blue Mist to roost. A couple Lark Sparrow and Lesser Goldfinch still. White-winged Dove are about 15 per a Kathy count. They fairly disappeared after Sept. 1 when dove season opened. Much of which is the population moving south to spend the winter where warmer anyway, just perhaps with a little gunblast diplomacy incentive to get going.

Oct. 29 ~ Low about 50F and might have made it to 70F at peak heat. The post frontal northerly winds continued much of day until late afternoon. So though in the 60's F it barely felt like it. Besides one flyover Myrtle Warbler, did not see anything different in birds. Did I mention it was windy. Not many butterflies either. The Blue Mist at front porch is exposed to northerlies, so was cooler there all day. Did see the Orange Skipperling and a couple Phaon Crescent. Not at the flowers were a Painted Lady and a Questionmark. The rest was the same gang. The butterfly action is fading fast. All the animal activity has been very surpressed due to the drought. So the little bit of flowers we have get an oversized result in response (and appreciation) since not much else out there now.


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Oct. 28 ~ There was a quick pre-dawn passing line of rain from a cold front. Was 65F until dawn whence shortly after the north wind arrived and it dropped to upper 50's F. It was about 15mm, .6x, or five-eighths of an inch of precip. We are still at D2 level drought, so anything is great. Not to mention a dust-buster. The post-frontal blow lasted most of the day, it might have clawed its way back just past 65F in the late afternoon. Town run fer stuff. Great was a FOS pair of Wood Duck above the island at the park in the river. One Orange-crowned Warbler was the only passerine migrant I saw in the trees, in a small group of Titmouse (Black-cr) and Chickadee (Caro.). River water level is rising. Lots of Cypresses are getting real rusty. Little Creek Larry said he heard small group of Cranes going over a few days ago. Probably be some behind this blow.

Oct. 27 ~ Low about 50F, maybe a click lower after I looked at 7 a.m. Late morning Kathy spotted a Black-throated Green Warbler at the birdbath. Finally, thought I was going to miss it this fall. Was an imm. female. Also there at the same time was an Orange-crowned Warbler, a Hutton's Vireo, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It was two minutes of feathered flurry and fini. Nothing else different all day and overall numbers remain way down. Couple Lark Sparrow and Lesser Goldfinch still. Butterflies were the same, the Fatal Metalmark was still here early morn, as well as the Phaon and Pearl Crescents, and the Julia's Skipper. A new different from the one last week Giant Swallowtail was briefly about the Blue Mist. Still a handful of Texas Wasp Moth.

Oct. 26 ~ A low of 38F is the first thirties we have seen in 6 months. Welcome back! Nice quiet night without 20-30 mph gusts all night. At midnight last night there were three Great Horned Owl calling, a pair towards the river, and one behind us uphill in the live-oaks. This morn had one Myrtle Warbler go over, and a N. Flicker calling from the Cypresses at river. Back to butterflies. Which were all the same, except a Fatal Metalmark, which is the first metalmark I have seen this fall. Celia's Roadside-, Orange Skipperling, and Julia's Skipper all still here. Was too busy at the desk as Wednesdays are here. But not much activity out there currently. Without the planted flowers it would be pretty dead out there.

Oct. 25 ~ Blew like heck all night. Around midnight there were gusts at 30-35 mph. I did not follow up on those numbers overnight. It was a very noisy night. Low was about 50F, and finally the wind was laying down in the mid-morning. Mostly the same few birds, the only different thing was a male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher stopped briefly in the big Pecan, gave some bik notes while up there. The rest of them are all gone, and been so since the last prior front almost a week ago.

Mostly the same butterflies on the Blue Mist and Tropical Sage. The Blue Mist is crashing fast now. Gonna miss it. For the first time all fall there were crab spiders on it today (3!). I have been looking for them. One had a Vesta Crescent, another with a Sleepy Orange. Hard to love 'em. In skippers, saw the Julia's, the Celia's Roadside-, and Orange Skipperling again. One Monarch, maybe 20 Sleepy Orange, still single Phaon and Pearl Crescent. Saw a big male Sceloporus lizard on office window screen but looking into the sun light was no good so no ID. Probably an E. Fence (Prairie) as I have never seen a Rose-bellied on a window screen (or house), only on trees.

Oct. 24 ~ A balmy low of 70F, overcast but no rain yet. Have a couple chances today but most Rosyln remnants are already well north of us. Seemingly just a couple Lesser Goldfinch and Lark Sparrow around still. We are in that nadir of avian action between the breeding and wintering populations presence. Still some butterflies though, including the White-patched Skipper now on day 2 here, and a Pearl Crescent on day 3. One or two Monarch. Butterfly numbers are clearly decreasing, and fast. They will be done soon. For all the rain talk for today for the last five days, you would think we would have seen more than a couple drops. Mostly sunny, 85F. It was at 70 percent chance, then 50, this morning 40, and it has been sunny most of the day. Last hope is for a squall line when the actual cold front gets here tonight. Update: that was a wash here, we had a dry passage, but it blew up to our northeast. This front has a big blow behind it. Which got here around dark, and proceeded to howl all night.

Oct. 23 ~ About 64F for a low, overcast and humid with Gulf flow. Was clear at midnight. Had a heartbreak of a heard bird here this morning. I heard it call at least four times, and knew what it was but did not see it. Came in for bins, back out, looked all around house, nothing. It was the thin hissss note of a Green-tailed Towhee. Which would be my first one here in 19 years. I have not seen one in the county, though they occur in the west part in very low numbers (1-2, maybe a few in a good year) probably annually or nearly so. I don't bird over westward much the last decade. It is probably the most regular occurring species in the county that I have not yet seen. There have been a bunch in the last 20 years, but I don't chase birds that others find for a tick on my UvCo list. It would have to be pretty darn good. As such I am reluctant to add it to my yard or county list as a heard bird. It will be relegated to hypothetical status. One Ruby-crowned Kinglet was the only other transient detection.

Much lower butterfly numbers today, they are fading fast. Great was the second of this fall, White-patched Skipper (Chiomara georgina). Since LTA - less than annual, always a treat to see. The Phaon and Pearl Crescent were both still present among the Vesta. One Mestra, a Monarch, and in skippers the Julia's and Desert Checkered- both continued. The rest was the same gang. Later afternoon some thick higher clouds showing up that are from a spun off band of Hurricane Roslyn that made landfall in Nayarit, Mexico this morning. It has travelled half way across Mexico by afternoon and the remnants moisture it leaves will meet an approaching cold front and cause rain here tomorrow if we get lucky. I hope San Blas is OK in Nayarit.

Oct. 22 ~ Was clear at midnight, low about 62F around 3 a.m., and by 4-5 a.m. was about 64F with low overcast and Gulf stratus. Not much for bird movement out there. At least a couple Lark Sparrow. Keep hearing alarm notes from Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals indicating accipiter attack, and getting occasional glimpses of an imm. Sharp-shinned Hawk working the edges of yard. No hummingbirds, now for five days straight. At least there are still some butterflies to look at. Great was TWO Elada Checkerspot at once. New was a Phaon Crescent, the Pearl Crescent was still here, and of course at least a handful of Vesta. Saw the Tawny Emperor sunning on the big Pecan trunk again mid-afternoon. One Mestra still, a tiny small Queen again that was here yesterday, a Julia's Skipper was still here too. First in a while was a big female Pepsis Wasp which briefly landed on a fading Frostweed flower.




A preliminary search suggests this may be Erynnyis oenotrus.

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Oct. 21 ~ A low of 45F was over half a category colder than predicted. Not complaining. Clear and dry, more C of C weather. The Goldenrod in the river is 2-3 weeks past peak and nearing done, but the Fireweed is still going. Water has come up a bit, likely due to all the pastures stopping irrigation for the season. The Cowpen Daisy is going in one spot across river, and has butterflies, will have to give it more than a quick glance this weekend. Did see a couple Phaon Crescent on it, the rest mostly a bunch of what we have around the porch. But needs going through. Also the deco garden in front of park has some blooms and flowers now, so needs looking at. There were no migrant birds at the park. Deadsville. A few Green Darner, some Bluets out over the water were probably Familiar. A pair of ovipositing Variegated Meadowhawk are the first of them I have seen this fall. Little Creek Larry said he saw some Pied-billed Grebe after the front Tuesday, but they blew out right away. Here at the hovelita, I saw a Southern Skipperling on the Blue Mistflower today, after squatting to squint at a dozen, it finally paid off. First one of the month. After 4 p.m. a few good butterflies showed up. The Elada Checkerspot from yesterday showed back up. Then a Pearl Crescent was the first in months, and a nice big Tawny Emperor was sunning on the trunk of the big Pecan.

Oct. 20 ~ Low about 45F or so, I saw KERV had a 42F. Clear, cool, and dry, very nice. A Myrtle Warbler flew over chipping early at dawn, and a Kinglet (Ruby) out there. Heard some Sandhill Crane going over southbound midday. In butterflies the Mexican Yellow was still here, and a Southern Broken-Dash which I had not seen the last several days, likely a new one. Still a Julia's Skipper though. Late in day an Elada Checkerspot showed up. Saw 7-8 Texas Wasp Moth at once. Good year for them. Too busy in the office and having fun with plumbing. Great duetting from the pair of E. (mccallii- TexMex) Screech-Owls right over the shed at dark. Third day with no hummingbirds.

Oct. 19 ~ A low of 42F was a cheap thrill. We haven't felt that probably since March. Maybe early April at the latest, about six months. Sunny and dry. Chamber of Commerce weather. Not seeing signs of post-frontal bird movement yet. Ravens coming into yard hunting Pecans. As the squirrels are. Got up into low-mid 70's F so butterflies were out. Most the same, but 5 Dainty Sulphur after the first one in weeks yesterday is a wave. A second of fall Mexican Yellow was great. Couple Monarch went by, Mestra still here, as was the Mournful Duskywing, and now 2 Orange Skipperling. Besides a Common, a Desert Checkered-Skipper is nice. Still Julia's, Dun, Fiery, Sachem and Whirlabout in skippers.

Oct. 18 ~ Northerlies and cool air got here last night after the rain moved south and east. Low was 53F! Outstanding. Only bird I saw in the morn was a N. Flicker with yellow wings that landed in the big Pecan. Probably a good Yellow-shafted, which is the most common type of N. Flicker here. But a good number of Red-shafted, and intergrades, so wing color is not enough to call one a proper '-shafted' as if confirmed pure of type. Heard a Kinglet (Ruby) but pretty quiet out there today. Amazing was neither of us saw a hummingbird today! First day of that since early March. Seven months. Now we do the five without them. Hopefully we will get a passing stray or two yet.

Some butterflies back out in the upper 60's F warmth in the afternoon. One new one, a fresh Mournful Duskywing, was nice. Saw the Giant Swallowtail again, and confirmed it a Giant. About a half-dozen Pipevine Swallowtail. In Sulphurs, a few each Large Orange and Cloudless, one each Lyside and a Dainty, over 15 Sleepy Orange, a few S. Dogface and one Little Yellow. Numbers of Snout heading SW. Couple Gulf Fritillary, 2 Gray Hairstreak, 4 Vesta Crescent, and the one N. Mestra. In other skippers (besides the duskywing above) there was the Orange Skipperling, a Julia's, couple or few Whirlabout, Fiery, Sachem, and a Eufala. About 21 species, but numbers noticeably down. Wait until after that 40F morning tomorrow.

Oct. 17 ~ RAIN! Started about midnight when 75F still, the main event was ending around 10 a.m., with about 6 cm, or two and three-eighths". Then another quarter inch at noon, totalling about 67mm, or 2.6" or so. A perfect slow-soaker to boot. Temp at dawn 64F but some WU stations were below 60F before 11 a.m. as the cooler air arrives. We had only had a half-inch of precip in the 6 weeks since the big 6" event the last two days of August. It was parched out there. A flock of ten Lark Sparrow was odd since I have not seen more than 2-4 for a couple weeks or more. Cannot help but wonder if they are migrants arriving from elsewhere. Heard Hutton's Vireo. After not for several days, I heard a couple Scissor-tails later in afternoon, they will depart tomorrow is my guess. Only one or two Ruby-throated Hummingbird still here. About 4 p.m. I heard a FOS Sandhill Crane overhead and looked up to see one lone Sandhill Crane beating tracks south on the northerlies. A few butterflies poked their heads out around 3 p.m. peak heat at maybe 62F now. Five species was a bit short of the 25 sps. yesterday.

Oct. 16 ~ Low only 70F, hopefully the last of that for a bit. The second decent front, but the first real bigger cold front (with actual real cool air) of fall is inbound tonight. Ahead of it this morning at dawn my FOS Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) landed in the big Pecan and chipped a few times. To me always a great sign of fall arriving. Lots of years, but not this one, I get a few Audubon's type (western) Yellow-rumps in late September, much earlier than Myrtle ever arrive. Heard a Kestrel across road toward river in morn. Thought I heard a Flicker in the morn, just before 3 p.m. one was calling toward the river, a FOS. Heard a Belted Kingfisher calling over at the river nearing dusk.

For butterflies, this is the last warm day for a few and I expect a major drop in activity post-front. Had a brief look at a Swallowtail that was a Giant or better, showing up and leaving in a few seconds. The rest was the same gang, dwindling in numbers as the Blue Mist fades past peak. Our patch must have been over 400 stalks with flower heads, on about 35-40 sq. ft. of it combined, on either side of front porch steps. It was a fantastic show for a month. I saw a Lady sps. that could have been a West Coast though all are American or Painted here until proven otherwise. Certainly that bar along leading edge toward apex was orange and not white as in Painted and American. In Skippers continuing were the Orange Skipperling, 2 Julia's, the Celia's Roadside-Skipper, besides the common ones. A Mestra, at least 3 Monarch over the day, did not see the Bordered Patch though. Managed to muster 25 species again at the porch today. Good enough for not starting the car anyway.

Oct. 15 ~ Low about 66F, overcast, balmy, waiting for real fall to arrive on Monday. One FOS bird early in morn, a Sharp-shinned Hawk. No songbird migrants in yard all day. A few Ruby-throated Hummingbird continue. At dusk a Great Egret flew upriver, the first one I have seen all fall. So it's back to butterflies. A Desert Checkered-Skipper was new. Continuing are a Celia's Roadside-Skipper, an Orange Skipperling, and the torn and frayed Bordered Patch. Two different Monarch first half of day. A pair of Buckeye were on the Tube-tongue in yard. A Clouded Skipper was maybe the third one this fall. Saw Southern Broken-Dash, Whirlabout, Fiery Skipper, some Sachem. We will see a precipitous decline in action after the cold front gets here. And hopefully a new set of birds.

Thanks to the nice lady that shared these great bat photos!


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Oct. 14 ~ Low about 66F or so, overcast and humid. Waiting for that first big front, now Sunday eve arrival methinks. Just a few Ruby-throated Hummingbird left, a handful maybe, all imm. males. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet went through in morning. Not much moving out there. Two Lark Sparrow. Waiting for the front. There were 8 Monarch on the Blue Mist first thing, so they roosted in the Pecans last night. A few went by overhead as well. First day with more than two this fall. At the park in the woods there were over 30 just starting to stir. Larry said he had a few go by as well. Mid-Oct. is usually peak here, but a good big flight is very rare. Lots of Bluet (Enallagma sps.) damselflies out over the water, looked Familiar but too far. A few Green Darner and some Blue Dasher for dragons was about it. They will be all but done when that front hits. Forgot, oops... On the way to town, just across the river on 360 there was a flock of 13 Common Raven in a pasture. But no Scissor-tails, and have not heard them the last couple days, methinks they departed.

Oct. 13 ~ Low about 64F is great. A few low clouds early, briefly, then sunny. A Kinglet (Ruby) and the Hutton's Vireo were the only two birds besides a few residents over the morning. Only a very few Lark Sparrow left. Not seeing the Chipping Sparrows that bred either. Butterflies remain the action. Best new one today was a FOS Elada Checkerspot. Always great to see and easy to overlook when a bunch of Vesta Crescent around. A Texas Powdered-Skipper was new, but much seemed continuing holdovers: the same Bordered Patch, an Orange Skipperling, the N. Cloudywing and Funereal Duskywing, 2 Mestra, and so on. One Monarch was briefly here. Still several Texas Wasp Moth. A second different Bordered Patch showed up late. I count 25 species of butterfly about the front porch and magic Blue Mist Eupatorium today. The neatest thing was Shirley from the store sent me a couple pics of what look like mating Red Bat on the ground! She took them night before, will see if I can put one up here. Very cool sighting. Thanks for sharing that Shirley!

Oct. 12 ~ Lows creeping back up, about 67F this morning. A real actual cold front is progged for next Mon. or Tuesday, but we have most of a week of 90F highs until it gets here. On the warmish side in the afternoon. Heard the Hutton's Vireo over toward the draw in the morn. Just a few Lark Sparrow left, most seem to have departed. Kathy said way fewer hummers yesterday as fluid consupmtion went way down, and only a few today. The front next week should usher the rest out. Butterflies were mostly the same gang. A Northern Cloudywing was new. Two Mestra at once is the first of that this year. At least one Monarch in morning, and another in early afternoon. Still 20 Queen and 3 doz. Lyside Sulphur. Four or five each at once of Cloudless and Large Orange Sulphur. Late in day a FOS Bordered Patch showed up, a bit worn and torn. One Ailanthus Webworm Moth. Had one of those big green Scarabs, a Peach or Fig Beetle type, come into my pipe smoke and buzz me a few times.

Oct. 11 ~ Low about 65F with some low Gulf stratus for a few hours. Heard Kinglet and Gnatcatcher first thing, Kathy heard a Hutton's Vireo mid-morn. No migrants all day. Hate seeing some Blue Mist flowers turning brown, passing peak. Hope we get a few more weeks, it has been awesome. Today saw the Orange Skipperling and Buckeye again, a Variegated Fritillary, one Monarch stopped briefly, maybe the seventh of fall, and another (maybe) Mestra was around too. More than two dozen Andromena Moths, they are thick now. Saw the Julia's and Celia's Roadside-, Skippers were both still present.

Oct. 10 ~ Low of 56F, partly to mostly cloudy in morn. Only migrant all morn was a Kinglet (Ruby). Was standing at the Blue Mist patch looking at butterflies and a skipper landed on my nose. How the heck am I supposed to ID that? Clearing by noon. The low 80's are totally fine after summer. Mostly the same butterflies on the magic Blue Mist, but an Orange Skipperling was new. The Funereal Duskywing and Common Checkered-Skipper were both around, after not seeing either yesterday when I was trying to have a run on skippers. The rest here: Sachem, Fiery, Dun, Whirlabout, Julia's, Southern Broken-Dash, Celia's Roadside-, 11 sps. of skippers and missing a couple of yesterday's. At least it is something to look at. A mint fresh Buckeye was on the Blue Mist later afternoon. What a beauty. It was four Texas Wasp Moth I counted at once. Saw a male So. Dogface just barely if over an inch long, smallest one I have ever seen by far. Over a dozen Andromena Moth (aka False Underwing).

Oct. 9 ~ Low about 57F, some mid-level clouds. First thing before sunup I hear the Scissor-tails going off early across the river in morning. Had a bare-eyed look through a windowscreen at what appeared an imm. Mourning Warbler at the bath but when I got outside did not hear or see anything. Keep forgetting to take bins to bathroom in fall. Heard a Kinglet (Ruby) in the morn, another in the afternoon. There is a notable yellowing of leaves happening out there now. The Mulberry is really starting to turn, and some Hackberry and Mesquite are showing yellow too. In afternoon Kathy had a Nashville Warbler at the bath.

Still great butterfly action on the Blue Mist mostly. New was my first Eufala Skipper of the fall, and a Mournful Duskywing was around a few hours. One Black Swallowtail, couple dozen Pipevine. At least a half-dozen each of Large Orange and Cloudless Sulphur, one pale morph female Little Yellow, dozens of Lyside. Single Monarch and Mestra in the morning. The same skippers all still here: Julia's, Dun, Fiery, Whirlabout, Sachem, Southern Broken-Dash, Celia's Roadside-, no big numbers just one or a few of each. In the prior two days saw 3 other sps. of skippers, so a dozen sps. are around, at minimum.

Oct. 8 ~ About 62F for a low and overcast. About 9 a.m. Kathy spotted birds at the bath. There was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet threatening to come down, four Nashville and two Orange-crowned Warbler. One of the Orange-crowned was a gray headed western orestera (Rocky Mtns.) subspecies. We see a few here, like western type Wilson's Warbler. Then nearing noonish Kathy spotted a FOS Catbird at the bath! Always a great bird to see here. That drip is magic. A Gnatcatcher was out in the Pecans in the afternoon. Weird not hearing White-eyed Vireo. Heard another Kinglet later in day. Late in the afternoon a FOS House Wren was in the flower bed.

In butterflies, still many hundreds of Snout passing. Single moment counts at the Blue Mistflower were 30 again on the Queen, and 40 on Lyside Sulphur. Eight species of Skipper were Common Checkered-, Whirlabout, Fiery, Sachem, Dun, Julia's, Celia's Roadside-, and Southern Broken-Dash. A Mestra showed up late in afternoon, maybe the 6th one this fall.

not current photo - but Monarchs passing through now

~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

Oct. 7 ~ The Gulf flow made it back so it was back to low stratus with humidity, and warmer lows, saw 64F. Still great after all those 74's all summer. One Ruby-crowned Kinglet was the migrant for the morning. Town run. On 360 east of the river there were a dozen Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the pasture fenceline. This is the usual Oct. buildup we get. The park was fairly devoid of migrants save the FOS Belted Kingfisher, an ad. female.

In butterflies, the Monarch spent the night and was out first thing early. The Funereal Duskywing was also still here. Queen count was 30 at once, my high count so far. A half-dozen of the False Underwing (Hypocala) Andromena Moths, the couple Texas Wasp Moth still here too. A second Clouded Skipper was different from yesterday's FOS. Later afternoon a Julia's Skipper, a Sachem, and a Southern Broken-Dash were around.

Oct. 6 ~ I saw 54F before 7 a.m. and final dip. KERV had a 51. Still Ruby-throated Hummingbirds so still fighting at the feeders. I suspect a dozen or so are around. All imm. males best I can tell. A number have a spot or few gorget feathers now showing at bottom center. Best bird was a greenie, imm. or female Painted Bunting briefly at the bath, first I have seen in a week. This is the very end of the window for them. Lots of the same butterflies around front porch and the magic Blue Mist. Five Gulf Fritillary at once were all mint fresh and all looked like females. Great was a Cloudless Skipper, first I have seen this fall of this usually common species. Also saw a Celia's Roadside-Skipper, getting late here for them. One Funereal Duskywing, and late in day a Monarch (No. 6 for fall) showed up. Two small Texas Wasp Moth were on the flowers. Kathy saw a blue of some sort. I had a quick look at a Ruf-All Hummingbird in the afternoon, Rufous or Allen's, Selasphorus sps., which are Rufous here until proven otherwise. Screech-Owls noisy just after dark.

Oct. 5 ~ Low was 53F, before the final dip. KERV had a 51. Some bit of clouds early gone in short order so dry blue skies, quite nice. I heard two Lincoln's Sparrow way out front in the tall grass first thing early. Otherwise no mig motion all day. Had a quick town run early and so a stop at the park. The only migrants were a flock of Turkey Vulture in the vulture roost tree. It was at least 45 birds. They were just starting to lift off, many with wings spread warming up. Wait until they get a mile south of town, there was a string of 5 hit pigs, hatch-year size, maybe 6-8 months old. Which is why we have grill guards on our trucks here. Butterflies were mostly the same. One new item was a worn Painted Lady, my first this fall. A fresh Variegated and 3 Gulf Fritillary were nice. Dozens of Lyside Sulphur. The Blue Mistflower is rockin' for a couple weeks now.

Oct. 4 ~ I saw 56F before the last dip, saw KERV had a 52F low. Still some high clouds from Orlene in a.m. No migrant motion in the morning save single Gnatcatcher and Kinglet (Ruby) passing through. More Bluebird going over high up might have been migrants. Still a Hutton's Vireo out there, and a Lark Sparrow still singing a bit. Bird action is really dialed back. Plenty of Snout and Lyside Sulphur to make up for it though. Outstanding was a female ORANGE-BARRED Sulphur. But which only stopped on a couple Blue Mist flowers and quickly split. What a gorgeous beauty! Have not seen one in several years, they are far less than annual. Later I saw my first marcellina (Spotted) Cloudless Sulphur of the fall, which was also a female, and of the sort nearest in appearance to a female Orange-barred, but in detail not close to my eye. Saw a couple huge Lysides, big as a big Large Orange Sulphur. Then later afternoon a female MEXICAN YELLOW showed up! First of the year! LTA - less than annual, not a sure thing here every year.

Oct. 3 ~ Low about 55F with high overcast. Which is more sheared off tops from Hurricane Orlene which came ashore south of Mazatlan in the dark this morning as a Cat 1. Blocks the sun anyway. As of 10 a.m. two migrants, Kathy had a Nashville Warbler at bath, and I had a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Pecans. Have never seen a Gnatcat at the bath. Bugs are plenty juicy apparently. Heard Ruby-crowned Kinglet number 2 of the fall. Three times I thought sure I heard a Black-throated Green Warbler out front in pecans, but when I finally got bins and went looking there was nothing in the trees. I was too old and slow.

Butterflies continue to be the big show, at the front porch. Great was a Nysa Roadside-Skipper, first of fall. Maybe had one in spring? They have been scarce since the drought. Lots of Snout, Queen, and Lyside. A number of the Lyside were pure yellow form types. One Dun Skipper, Whirlabout and Fiery too. Both Cloudless and Large Orange Sulphurs around in multiples. No warblers in the flower patch today.

Oct. 2 ~ Low maybe 52F, was before the dip, KERV had a 48F! Some high cirrus here being sheared off the tops of Hurricane Orlene in the Pacific off SW Mexico. Only 82F for a high is delightful! No migrant motion in the morn. Did some weed-whacking that was long overdue, what sprouted after the late Aug. rain. Remembered how much I did not miss doing it all summer, the cup a tenth full part of the drought. Need to be able to get out and around all the trees without risking chiggers, in case of bird. Forgot to mention yesterday, a Hutton's Vireo is singing out there. About 4 p.m. or so I heard a FOS Greater Yellowlegs flying over southbound. Called a bunch of times, but I could not pick it up. Late just before dark a line of 5 Turkey Vulture were headed upriver just over Cypresses looking for roost site. In with them was one Swainson's Hawk. Our local breeding TV's are almost all gone before the end of September. These are surely not of local origin, and migrants from elsewhere.

Here is the bird of the day story. Resting in chair on front porch after yard work about 11:30. Heard a rustle to my left in flower bed. Turned to look, the bird flew right by me around front porch, and towards tub pond. My ID only got to Geothlypis sps., it was either a Common Yellowthroat or a Mourning Warbler. In September here Mourning usually far outnumbers Yellowthroat by factors. As it flew by I implored it mentally to call to no avail. I got up and went around corner, there was nothing at the pond area I could see. A Yellowthroat would have gone there into the cattails. After 4 p.m. was out on front porch looking to see the Buckeye (butterfly) again, still lamenting the bird not calling earlier. A bird flushed out of the flower bed to left of porch again, I turned and saw a Geothlypis shooting over to a low-cropped (2') hedge of Junipers at driveway edge. As it flared to dive in, it called. Mourning Warbler! It is a late FOS date for one, but a great save after missing them so far. In fall they are primarily a September bird here, but last week of Aug. to first week of Oct. is the window. So it must have circled back around the house to the Red Turkscap patch it initially came out of when I first heard it fly into flower bed. Which is pretty juicy ground-warbler stuff. The countless Snout surely look pretty juicy. The birdbath is on that side of house too, bet it was there at some point. Earlier in afternoon Kathy said she saw it (olive and yellow warbler) fly out of the Lantana in front porch flower bed. Finally after dinner about 7 p.m. I was looking out front into flowers from inside house, in case of bird in flower bed. One pops up on these little stone supports for the mesquite pillars. Leans over and grabs a bug off the Blue Mist as I get in bins on it. Mourning Warbler! It is an immature with a yellow throat, which figures at this late date. It turned around and showed me those long undertail coverts, awesome. It dropped back down into the flowers. So left it alone to hope it got a couple more Snouts.

Butterflies were mostly the same gang as of late. Lots of Queen, Lyside, and Snout are the big three. Did see a Ceranus Blue and Gray Hairstreak. Different was a Buckeye Kathy spotted that only stuck briefly, and which was a TROPICAL Buckeye. Which I have not seen in several years, maybe 5 or so, since the last half-decent fall invasion. Great bug! We have had a few good southern invasion falls with small numbers, but most years you don't see one. Then there were some moths. On the Frostweed, a couple of those orange and black small ones I think are a Lichen Moth of some sort (c.f. Lycomorpha pholus), an Ailanthus Webworm moth, and what I think is a False Underwing type (c.f. Andremona Moth - Hypocala andoromena). Lots of other moths I don't know as well. On the Blue Mist Eup. was my FOS Texas Wasp Moth.

October 1 ~ Weewow, it's October! I saw a 55F low and KERV had a 54. Only migrant motion I saw was a Rufous Hummingbird in the morning. I think number 5 of the fall here this year. The rest was the same. Very few birds at the seed, I presume there is some wild food crop available now as often so much less traffic. Only a few Lark Sparrow left yesterday, and not seeing the Chipping that summered and bred. Probably going to miss Mourning Warbler this fall as the Frostweed patches they frequent did not pop up this drought year. At least the butterflies have picked up a bit with the immigrants from the south. Today in skippers saw Fiery, Whirlabout, Sachem and Dun. The Gray Hairstreak still here. Lots of Snout, Queen, and Lyside Sulphur.

~ ~ ~ September summary ~ ~ ~

The big rain event at the end of August seemed to be the break in the summer heat we needed as mostly the month was low 90's instead of high, and lots of lows in the 60's instead of the 70's. Even saw the 50's by the last week of the month. There were just a few light bits of rain after that 5-7" event at the end of August. Which however did spur some September fall flower bloom action. River is still 3' below spillway at park pond.

Odes remained severely depressed here. I count only 18 species of dragonflies, of which only two were damselflies. Looking like I missed any Rubyspot this year here. Best was a single male Twelve-spotted Skimmer (at park) which is less than annual for me here. Also a Thornbush Dasher at the park where very rare was good. A few E. Amberwing, a couple Red-tailed Pennant, both of which might not show up any given year so always good. But it was scraping for scraps.

Butterlies showed well with an influx from the south of many species. Fortunately due to August rains there were some few flowers at least for them. Without our watering around the house and flower plantings we would not have seen very much out there. As it was had 40 species for the month, and I can't think of one that was not from the yard. Biggest sps. diversity month of the year so far. One day I had 20. There were the first five migrant Monarchs. There was a BIG wave of Snout, thousands of them latter part of the month. Good flight of Queen too.

A few rarer items showed making it more fun to keep an eye on the flowers. Three good LTA - less than annual - species showed. A White-patched Skipper (Chiomara) on the 18th, a White Peacock the 26th (first in about 5 years), and an Empress Leila the 29th. Though it has been a very limited influx, at least it was something this year.

Birds were good as always in September. It is the big departure month for many of our migratory songbirds, for those that do not leave in August. Fair numbers of our common migrants like Yellow Warbler and Orchard Oriole in particular. Fewer but some Least Flycatcher, Dickcissel, Wilson's and Nashville Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, the other most common migrants. I saw 90 species right here with a few of those at the park. Little Creek Larry saw at least a handful that I did not.

Best bird was a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher the 7th, which are LTA - less than annual. There was a four-day Calliope Hummingbird Sept. 5-8. Saw a Broad-tailed Hummer at dawn the 23rd and dusk the 24th, but so had to have been here the 22nd and 25th. A female Bullock's Oriole is a scarce migrant here in Sept. (22nd). A couple evenings as it got dark I counted a couple dozen Upland Sandpiper calling overhead gaining altitude to fly for the night (4th and 11th). Kathy spotted the FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet the 19th.

~ ~ ~ end September summary ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ update header archive copy ~ ~ ~

September ~ The 2nd brought a few FOS items. Maybe three Baltimore Oriole were in the yard. A Traill's type (Willow or Alder) Flycatcher was at the park. A fall Firefly was my first since spring at dark. A couple dozen Upland Sandpiper at dusk the 4th means they were in pastures up-valley that day. My FOS Nashville Warbler was the 5th. Thought I saw an imm. or fem. Calliope Hummingbird on the 5th, confirmed it on the 6th, and saw it the morning of the 7th. Also on the 7th was a FOS Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in our front yard. A Couch's Kingbird was in yard on the 10th. On the 11th some Blue-winged Teal were bolting downriver at dawn. At twilight on the 11th there was a nice liftoff of Upland Sandpiper, I heard a couple dozen. My FOS Clay-colored Sparrow was on the 12th. A 62F low on the 15th is noteworthy. On the 18th I saw my FOS Wilson's Warbler. Also the 18th was my FOS Monarch, and a rare White-patched Skipper (Chiomara). The 19th saw my FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Two FOS migrants on the 22nd were an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Lincoln's Sparrow. A Bullock's Oriole was also the first real fall migrant of those, also the 22nd. The 23rd there was a FOS Broad-tailed Hummingbird at our feeders at dawn, and a bit later a FOS Swainson's Hawk. The 24th we had FOS American Redstart at our bath, a fly-by FOS Olive-sided Flycatcher. Late the 24th the Broad-tailed Hummer was here again. On the 26th there was a FOS Common Yellowthroat, and the first White Peacock butterfly I have seen in several years. On the 27th had FOS Kestrel and a thrilling low of 55F, followed by a 52F on the 28th.

~ ~ ~ end archive copy update header ~ ~ ~


not current photos, but of things currently out there...
these are some of the day-flying moths on flowers right now.








~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

Sept. 30 ~ Low about 54F again. Wonderful. I could stand this all year. Got up to 90F, but much dryer, so totally bearable. No migs in the morning. Saw a Northern Cloudywing (butterfly) on the Blue Mist in the morning. In the afternoon a couple Fiery Skipper. No Summer Tanager, Vermilion Flycatcher, or any greenie Painted Bunting. Three of the last summer holdouts here. Poof! Gone! A couple White-eyed Vireo still here though.

Was a town run day so check of the park. A Hutton's Vireo was in the woods, but that was it for anything different. Great was the male Yellow-throated Warbler still there by the north end of island in woods, but no Summer Tanager. The warbler has been on territory there since March! Little Creek Larry said he had 4 Blue-winged Teal yesterday morning. Some Green Darner, a Black Saddlebags, some Checkered and Swift Setwing, a Red-tailed Pennant, and some too distant bluets was it for odes. Forgot to mention Little Creek Larry said he had some Killdeer this week, which are migrants showing up from elsewhere.

Sept. 29 ~ A very comfortable 54F for a low, which I could get used to. After a summer of 74F lows, and coupled with the dryness, this is outstanding. No mig motion in the morning, save a single Nashville Warbler at bath just before noon. Did not hear a greenie (Painted Bunting), or the males of Vermilion Flycatcher and Summer Tanager. They likely departed. Mostly it was butterflies. Thousands of Snout again, counted two dozen plus Pipevine Swallowtail at once out on the Tube-Tongue patches. Saw the Texas Powdered-Skipper again, a Gray Hairstreak was new. Great was an Empress Leila, one of the Emperors like Hackberry and Tawny, but the rarest of the three here. I saw one last year, but have not seen any in 7 or 8 of the last ten years here. So, a good bug. In Skippers saw Sachem, Fiery, and Whirlabout

The great mystery of the day was a call we heard before sunup sitting in bed with coffee, and then again at dusk just before dark at 8 p.m. I asked Kathy what it was in the morn, she replied, an alien. That is how foreign the sound was. Single notes well spaced mostly but closer together at other times. I thought at first it might be a very distant ambulance. Fairly clearly whistled somewhat low-pitched, and hollow, reminiscent of say Elf Owl chirps. At dark Kathy heard it fly from one calling spot to another in the Pecan over the bird bath. I was out front trying to see something but could not, it was too dark. I think it must be another new and unknown to me call from the mccallii Screech-Owl. Lived with them 20 years and still hearing new things from them. I have had individuals that did essentially perfect Saw-whet Owl and Ferrigunous Pygmy-Owl calls. Surely they have never heard either. No other Screech-Owl I know of has this variety of calls.

Sept. 28 ~ I saw 52F before the final dip just before sunup, so probably hit 51 like KERV did. Did not see squat for birds today. No migs. But, the male Vermilion Flycatcher and Summer Tangers were both still here. Butterflies are still active, but the Lantanas, Frog-fruit and Tropical Sage are all past peaks so less is stopping. The Blue Mistflower Eupatorium is going gang-busters though. Must be at least 300 flower heads now. A pair of Whirlabout were nice. A Little Yellow, several each Large Orange and Cloudless Sulphur, another Mestra (the 4th one maybe), a Texas Powdered-Skipper, hundreds of Snout and a couple dozen Queen. Did see the puff of a Silver-Puff flower. Late in day I found a less-than-inch long Scorpion. Pretty neat looking when so small, which I almost never see.

Sept. 27 ~ A low of 55F was fantastic, the first below 60 since April methinks. About time. Might have hit 85F peak heat. In morning I heard a FOS Kestrel but which when I went out was not there. A big ad. female Cooper's Hawk was up in top of the big Pecan. The Kestrel must have buzzed it. LOL. No migrant motion besides the raptor. Couple dozen Ruby-throated Hummingbird around. Heard the Screech-Owl at dark. Heard some bluebirds going over high in morn, that could be migrants arriving from elsewhere this time of year. Still some Fireflies, but we are past their peak for the fall flight now. At least it got up to a couple dozen at once after the pitiful spring flight.

Mostly just got checks of the butterfly flowers on breaks from the desk and computer. Finally after it warmed up about 11 a.m. or so I saw the White Peacock again, so a two-day record. It must have tanked and split, as it was not seen again after the morning. Black, Giant, and Pipevine Swallowtail, Large Orange, Cloudless, Lyside Sulphurs, a female Dogface, some Sleepy Orange as always, still lots of Snout, a couple Gulf Fritillary, couple dozen Queen, late in day Monarch number 5 of the fall. Vesta Crescent. Some skippers were single Sachem, Whirlabout, Dun, and Julia's the latter first in several weeks here, plus one Southern Broken-Dash. Early morn I saw a Celia's Roadside-Skipper, latish for that. No blues, hairstreaks, or metalmarks. But a whopping 20 species of butterflies around the front porch in a day is better than some whole months were here over the summer. Some falls in good years you can see 40-45 species in an hour just at one good patch of flowers like the library garden used to be, or the deco gardens at park and north end of town.

Sept. 26 ~ Low of 67F. More hummers at the feeders, a big bump in numbers from say last Thursday four days ago. No other migs in first few hours of the morning though. About 4:30 in the afternoon while working at desk all of sudden on the garden fence out the window was a FOS male Common Yellowthroat, which went down to the tub! The cattails are working! They must be about 7' tall now, one little 50 gal. tub full. Plus a water lily and some other aquatic veg besides Gambusia Mosquitofish. Still waiting for Marsh Wren, Sora and Least Bittern. But it is a start! One day have to put a tub list together, since Green Jay and Audubon's Oriole are both on it.

Some butterflies were great. Best was a WHITE PEACOCK. First I have seen in several years here, maybe since 2017 or so? Whatever year was that last good fall butterfly invasion, I think five years ago. Kathy got a good docushot (see below). Saw Monarch number 4 of the fall. Great was a female Questionmark. The sex was determined by watching it lay eggs, on Hackberry. That is a mighty tiny egg. Saw the Southern Broken-Dash again, still numbers of Snout going by. Male and female Cloudless and Large Orange Sulphur, and still Lysides going by. New were a Dainty Sulphur and a mint fresh Variegated Fritillary.

A bit after 7 p.m. just the tops of the highest trees are getting sun. I was walking by the big Lantana out front off porch, and the White Peacock flew out of it. It had gone to roost in it! It landed out in the grass yard. Then 5 minutes later, I heard the Common Yellowthroat in the Lantana. Then I watched the White Peacock fly from the grass over to the Frostweed and after much decision-making, landed to roost in it. Best bug ever so far on the Frostweed, grown from one 6" stalk I dug up and trans-planted. So as I am thinking about how neat this is, the Yellowthroat flies over to the Frostweed. He was watching it too! Now they are both in it! OMG. The bird went from you-are-great to you-better-not in a split second. All of a sudden the Peacock bolts and a nano-second after that, the Yellowthroat lands right where it was. It was going after it! The Peacock shot 15' over back into the Lantana somewhere, the Yellowthroat over to the short hedge of junipers at edge of driveway. Catastrophe averted. How many good butterflies do not make it on the way, due to birds? Last Christmas we lost a county first Teleus Longtail to an Anole!

Sept. 25 ~ Low about 65F, and clear. A front is coming this evening so we are at the hot warmup part in front of that today. Saw about 6-8 hummers at once on the front feeder this morn, all Rubies. But was not out there vigilantly. There is a wave of them showing up right in front of the front. About 8:30 the birdbath had 2 Wilson's and a Yellow Warbler drop in for a sip and splash. Also a Yellow-throated Warbler came down, which was a female or imm. male, not the territorial adult male that continues. A couple more Wilson's Warbler came in over the next couple hours, surely different birds, which made four of them here this morn. A Wilson's wavelet. The third individual had nice orange in forhead and lores so was one of the two western subspecies in fresh basic (winter) plumage, and not the eastern nominate (default here) type. Not every year, but I see very low numbers of these here.

Had a 25 count on Queens in the morning Male and pale morph female Large Orange Sulphur. Fewer Snout finally but still a hundred or more. Still Lysides mostly going by, a couple dozen at least. A Sachem was the first in months. Sure great to see some butterflies! The Tropical Sage is fading, past this peak now. Maybe will go off again in a month or so. The Lesser Goldfinches are nuts about the seeds. Had one greenie (imm. Painted Bunting) still here. Kathy spotted the imm. Cooper's Hawk (from local nest) hiding high in the pecan over the birdbath. A couple brief showerlets dropped a couple hundredths of an inch of precip and the temp to 76F from about 90, which was great. Afterwhich the light winds turned to a NE flow. A pre-frontal sign of the front! The real cool air won't get here until Tuesday morning though.

Sept. 24 ~ Low about 65F, which is fine. And the bird bath says.... there was some migrant motion last night a day ahead of the front. Between 8:30 and 9 a.m. again. Which maybe is when they are actually falling out of the sky? There were TWO American Redstart (FOS), a female and a male(!). The male kept coming back the female not. We had great long views of the male. Whaddabird! Also coming down were a female Wilson's Warbler (first female of fall), a Nashville Warbler, and a female Yellow Warbler. Plus an imm. Chat, which I suspect is a passage bird, but could be local too. Have not seen one here in several days. Then shortly later I saw (in bins) a FOS Olive-sided Flycatcher fly by. Then it was dead all day. Summer Tanager still here.

In butterflies, got a higher count of Queen, of 26 at once. Three new species for the fall were single Ceranus Blue, Phaon Crescent, and a Southern Broken-Dash. The, or the third, N. Mestra was around a bit. Black, Giant, and Pipevine Swallowtail, a Large Orange, still numbers of Lyside Sulphur. Still lots of Snout, a few hundred at minimum.

Late in the day as the last sun was nearing the Broad-tailed Hummingbird came in to the front porch feeder a couple times. Did not see it all day yesterday after my dawn encounter, and did not see it all day today until nearing last sun. Where is it all day? Appears a female or imm. female, no dark feathers in throat. Love that soft chip call. It also made a high thin seet whilst pointing bill directly at a Ruby-throated that was acting a bit uppity towards it.

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Sept. 23 ~ Another low about 62F, KERV had 61. Totally awesome. A Broad-tailed Hummingbird was at the front porch feeder at dawn, my FOS. A bit later a couple Mourning Dove flushed from the top of the big Pecan, followed by a FOS Swainson's Hawk coming in to land in it! It saw me below and flared off just as it was going to land. Nice adult light morph. Thought I heard a couple chips from a Black-throated Green Warbler out there. Kathy saw a female Summer Tanager at the bath, of which there have only been two males around for a couple weeks. So suspect it is a migrant from elsewhere.

Town run and park check to make sure still nothing there. One Spotted Sandpiper was it for migrants. Up in the woods the males of Summer Tanager and Yellow-throated Warbler are still present, the warbler gave some song. In dragons, a half-dozen Green Darner, which is more of them, an Eastern Amberwing, two dozen Blue Dasher, and that was about it save some bluets that looked like Familiar. Little Creek Larry has had some more Blue-winged Teal over on his creek, he heard some White-fronted Goose go over, and only has a couple hummers (Ruby) left.

In butterlfies here there was a different Black Swallowtail from yesterday, a Giant and a few Pipevine Swallowtail, a Texas Powdered-Skipper, hundreds of Snout, couple dozen Queen, and at least a dozen Vesta Crescent. Still Lysides going by, the odd Gulf Fritillary and Sleepy Orange. Great Firefly show at dusk, with a couple dozen at least in front yard. Had one greenie imm. Painted Bunting late in day.

Sept. 22 ~ Happy Equinox! I saw 63F before the final dip so surely it hit 62F here for a low. KERV had a 60F! Weewow! The thrill of it all. High temps are per NOAA well above normal, in the mid-90's F. The summer heat just hates letting go. They are talking a dry front next Monday, so cooler is coming, after four more days well above normal. We have spent most of the last four months well above normal.

There was migrant motion! One of my favorite things. Mostly 8:30 to 10:30 or so at or around bird bath was where the action was. A couple Nashville Warbler hit the birdbath first, then a male Wilson's Warbler. Then a FOS Orange-crowned Warbler came in. Followed by a female Bullock's Oriole which came in a few times. It is the first one I can call a fall migrant, as the July birds are locally breeding or bred post-breeding wanderers, not migrants from elsewhere. I would swear I heard a Black-throated Gray Warbler across the road but could not see anything. Then I had a FOS Lincoln's Sparrow in the taller unmowed grass behind the birdbath. All the while a parade of the local stuff was at the bath too, including the male Summer Tanager. Which is fairly gray billed now. What is the deal with horn-ivory pale colored bills, versus gray bills on Summer Tanager. Is it seasonal, e.g. hormonal?

Still some butterfly action. Hundreds of Snout still passing. A bunch of them are barely over a half-inch long, the smallest Snout I have ever seen. New was a female Black Swallowtail on the Tropical Sage, and a male Whirlabout on the Blue Mistflower. At least 20 Queen on the Blue Mist as well. One Little Yellow, about 8 Vesta Crescent on the Frog-fruit, a Reakirt's Blue and an Orange Skipperling. Great to see a few new different things after a dearth of such.

Sept. 21 ~ Low of 67F was fantastic after the last four days at 73. What a difference. Our male Summer Tanager was singing from the big Pecan with the one nearly half-mile away down the ridgelet counter-singing with it. The male Vermilion Flycatcher is still here too. It does almost 7 months here on territory, arriving in earliest March. The female has been gone a month. The tanagers arrive in early April so are at about 5.5 months here now. Heard one Gnatcatcher mid-day. But no migrant motion today, again. Best thing was maybe nearly 20 Lark Sparrow chorusing in the big Junipers along north fence. They went off like I have not heard in months. All going at once, what an incredible chorus. Probably getting ready to depart for the season.

In butterflies, still Snouts going by, but not as many. Still lots of Lyside Sulphur. A couple Lyside were the yellow morph. Saw a or the Giant Swallowtail and N. Mestra both again, as well as the beat worn Olive Juniper Hairstreak still on the Frog-fruit. New on that were at least a half-dozen Vesta Crescent. A wave of immigrants. Then a Dun Skipper was the first in a month or two. Saw 21 Queen at once, still no Soldier. One Funereal Duskywing went by, as did a male Large Orange Sulphur. There were two Gulf Fritillary, some Pipevine, and a couple Sleepy Orange. A couple dozen Firefly at dusk, makes for a nice show.

Sept. 20 ~ Another 73F low, and just some scattered low stratus for the morning. Saw 90F on the cool shady front porch, so a few hotter in the sun. No migrants through yard all day, in stark contrast to yesterday. Still the Summer Tanager and a handful of Ruby-throated Hummingbird here. Some butterflies anyway. Still Snout going by but less than the last couple days. Great was the first Northern Mestra I have seen this year (FOY). Also Monarch number two of the fall was around amongst 18 Queen, and a Giant Swallowtail stopped to sample a few flowers.

Sept. 19 ~ Low about 73F again, getting up to low 90's F now. At least it is much dryer and the days are way shorter. An Eastern Screech-Owl was calling just before 7 a.m. right over shed out back in a big Hackberry. There was motion last night, there were migrants this morning. Five Nashville Warbler at once vying for a spot in the birdbath, a couple more up in trees. A couple Yellow Warbler, the still here male Yellow-throated Warbler came in, then plus some residents like Lesser Goldfinch, Cardinal, Chickadee and Titmouse, all right around and after 8:30. It was party for 10-15 minutes. Then a FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet came in, but was too fidgety to use the bath. Kathy thought she maybe heard one a few days ago, but only one chidit.

And but (I know, don't start a sentence with a conjunction, but don't two negatives make a positive?-LOL) no Chat. The last 4-5 months that was what started the morning bath parties as often as not. Did not hear one yesterday either, I think they bugged out finally. There were still two rattling around out there a couple days ago. The Summer Tanager, 2 White-eyed Vireo, and 1 greenie imm. Painted Bunting are still here. Very few Ruby-throated Hummingbird left, maybe a dozen? Seems the three feeders are each being guarded by single birds now. Another is on patrol at the Turkscap and Tropical Sage patch. Eastern Screech-Owl calling at dusk over shed.

There were lots of Snout again, still going SW to NE, at times hundreds at once. They hit the ground when you spray water. So we do. One American Lady was on the Blue Mistflower, a Gulf Fritillary was around a bit, a Sleepy Orange, a couple Pipevine on the Tube-tongue, one pale female Large Orange Sulphur on the Tropical Sage, dozens of Lyside Sulphur again as well, and 15 Queen. No small stuff though, even on the Frog-fruit. On that are a couple types of native bees, and bombyliads, and Snouts were on it.

Sept. 18 ~ Low of 73F, some off and on low stratus. Mid-morn at birdbath there was a female Yellow Warbler and a male FOS Wilson's Warbler. Only two migrants I saw all morn. Surely if you went out and beat the bushes you could kick some things up, like a Mourning Warbler. A couple Gnatcatcher went by over the day. Heard one greenie Painted Bunting. At dusk there was the best Firefly show I have seen maybe this year. There were at least 20 in the front yard. Great to see.

In butterflies, lots of Snout going by, surely there are thousands passing. We had hundreds at once coming it to a mud puddle we made for them. They are rain-chasers and we just had a bunch of that a few weeks ago. And here they are. One Large Orange Sulphur, some Lysides, and on the Blue Mist Eup., Queens. I counted 20 Queen at once, and as I was counting first a White-patched Skipper (Chiomara georgina) landed on some Blue Mist right in front of me. They are LTA - less than annual, and a rarity here. Always great to see, but it just hit a few flowers and bolted off. Then a FOS Monarch came in. My first migrant Monarch of the fall!

Sept. 17 ~ Low about 73F, still warm and muggy. Be glad when this is over. No migrant motion in morn. Noonish I went over to the pond on the golf course by Waresville Cmty. for a look. I can't believe the lack of odes. Where are the dragonflies? I saw 4 Black and 1 Red Saddlebags, 1 Green Darner, and 1 Blue-ringed Dancer damselfly. No birds at the pond but the usual fall flock of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher scattered around the course. Checked the 360 x-ing, and saw no odes there either.

The best bird was a fish. I saw a Long-nosed Dace below the crossing, a nice big one, just one. They are regular up at Lost Maples headwaters in small numbers. But I had never seen one way downriver here. Of course with 99 percent of the river private, determining particulars of native minnow species distribution here varies from problematic to impossible. Also at the crossing were some Texas Cichlid, one still in breeding colors, half dark. Mostly it was Long-eared and Red-breasted Sunfish though.

not a current photo

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Sept. 16 ~ The gulf flow returned overnight so a low about 72F, with low stratus and muggy. Those 60's were nice while they lasted. No migrant motion in morn. Town run so park check. The male Summer Tanager in woods there is also still present singing. Was the only thing I had. Little Creek Larry had a Ringed Kingfisher at the park pond this morning. Earlier in week he had a flock of Blue-winged Teal with 4 Shoveler there. Ducks! He says his hummers are about all gone too, just a couple or few left. Saw in bloom a couple open Goldenrod in river, a Sneezeweed, and some Cowpen Daisy in the corrals on 360 across river. Lots of Boneset Eupatorium blooming on other side of pond at park. I heard the Indigo Bunting sing from its Hackberry at last sun, it is still here! What makes some leave to molt elsewhere after nesting, and others stay on the territory to molt? One greenie was still out there as well. A baby Anole took a fly off my foot! You have to be fast to grab a fly with your mouth.

Sept. 15 ~ I think the low was 62F here! KERV had 58F! OMG! What a treat, I needed a sheet. Did not see any mig motion first half of morn. Kathy saw the Yellow-throated Warbler at the bath and the Summer Tanager is still singing. These are both the continuing summering birds that bred adjacent, as is the still here male Vermilion Flycatcher. Some of their kind have departed, some long-departed, but some remain on territory, probably until they nearly complete their post-nesting molt. Mid-morn a female Yellow and a Nashville Warbler were at the bath. An Eastern Phoebe was around yard, a new arrival which now could be a migrant of some distance from further afield in mid-September. This is when the first wintering birds from elsewhere start showing up. Heard a Scissor-tail. Nice to see us improved all the way up to D2 (severe) drought at the new U.S. Drought Monitor map out today. The west half of Bandera Co., and almost all of Medina and Bexar Counties both are still D3 or worse. UvCo is mostly D2 now.

Sept. 14 ~ Maybe 67F for a low, some clouds moving in with Gulf moisture. No migrant motion in morn. Summer Tanager and White-eyed Vireo still singing, a couple Chat still noisy but not really song, Titmouse still singing a little, as are Lesser Goldfinch. A little Lark Sparrow song here and there but they are about done. Kathy had a Hutton's Vireo a couple feet from kitchen window in the Sumac. Had one greenie imm. Painted Bunting. In the afternoon a Yellow Warbler and a Least Flycatcher were around a bit. As it neared dusk a Dickcissel called. There is a plant flowering out back, I presume bird deposited, which is an ornamental favorite of locals, Four O'clock (Mirabilis jalapa). This is not the wildflower found here by that name but a cultivated horticulture species. Said to attract Sphinx moths since open mostly at night. Hmmmm...

Sept. 13 ~ Another 64F low is relished. What a difference it makes cooling the house down. It lasts all day, even when getting to 90F. No mig motion through early afternoon. The last two days prior, I have been seeing what seems like lots fewer hummingbirds. It is looking like fair numbers of hummers rode the minor frontal passage out of dodge. I saw only a few yesterday in the evening and this morning is just plain slow compared to what it was before the slightest northerly flow arrived. Other than the Calliope last week, it has been all and only Rubies for about 12 days or so now. Lots of leaves are falling from the Pecans already, green even. Sorta think due to the drought. The Blue Mistflower is getting another bloom cycle underway. Saw 10 Queen on it at once. All fresh in good condition. On the Frog-fruit in the driveway had a very worn Olive-Juniper Hairstreak, with no olive left. Heard a Scissor-tail over in corral late in day.

Sept. 12 ~ Before the final dip at dawn I saw 64F which was outstanding! Weewow! It surely hit 63 and maybe 62 by time it bottomed out. KERV had 61F! Been way too long since we felt that. Around mid-morn a few migs went through, a Baltimore and a few Orchard Oriole, a Yellow Warbler and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and about 10 a.m. at the birdbath, the FOS Clay-colored Sparrow. They are a real sign of fall here. Still a greenie (or two) and a couple Indigo Bunting. Heard a Bell's Vireo besides the couple White-eyed still out there. The Bell's is a passage transient. Vermilion Flycatcher male still here, not for long though. Hear a seemingly bigger louder begging owl doing a squeal note. Maybe a Great Horned?

Sept. 11 ~ Another 67F low is fantastic. It was only 70F at 8:30 a.m., amazing. First thing about 6:45 I heard the begging baby Eastern Screech-Owl out back. Before 7 a small flock of Blue-winged Teal blazed right over the yard heading south. They are so fast that it is almost that 'by time you hear them they are gone'. Almost. A few Orchard Oriole went by early before sunup, a few more mid-morn. Heard a couple Yellow Warbler go by. Hooded Orioles still coming to feeder. Male Vermilion Flycatcher still here. Got warm though, probably 91F or so. There were a couple spits of rain around 4 p.m. as the 'front' such as it was, passed. One dropped it to 82F for a bit, while raising humidity. Some nearish by may have gotten some precip but showers were widely scattered and few.

At twilight there was a great liftoff of Upland Sandpiper. From just after 8: p.m. until about 8:20 I heard at least a couple dozen. All lowish, southbound, gaining altitude for a night of flight. When I see flocks usually a minority call. So the number of calling birds is likely a fraction of them. There must have been numbers in the pastures upvalley all day. At least now they were green and probably had some bugs. When the sun comes up they will be in Mexico.

Sept. 10 ~ Low about 73F, and a bit muggy. No migrants through yard first half of morn. About 10:30 four went through almost all at the same time. One Yellow Warbler, a Baltimore Oriole, and an odd pair of Tyranids. First I heard a Couch's Kingbird calling, so got binocs. They were together in the big Hackberry left of gate. When they flew together I saw the other bird was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. They flew very close together and landed in top of Pecan on north side of house. Then continued on in a minute. There were migrants for two minutes.

The way they stayed so close together made me wonder if they were a pair. Scissor-tails are known to hybridize with Western Kingbird, and I am pretty sure there is a record of a vagrant hybrid maybe on east coast, that was a Couch's Kingbird x Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. It was not a fully tailed male STFL for sure, but males are growing new ones right now so often do not show a full tail presently. That said, I thought it was a female but only saw it in flight, though at about 50' or less, close. Only the Couch's called and it called alot.

Saw a young Four-lined Skink at the front porch. Around 7 p.m. a rain cell ran north to south just east of us looking like maybe an inch or so in town and out on 187 a mile east. We got about a tenth of an inch (.10). Typical Texas rain. But it did take 10F off the top and dropped us to 80 in a couple minutes. Supposed to be a front arriving from the north tomorrow, mostly dry but some might get rain. It is considered an 'early season' front at this time of the year per NOAA.

not a current photo...

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Sept. 9 ~ An amazing 67F low felt fantastic. Heard the Summer Tanager singing, and Kathy heard a Hooded Oriole singing. Locally territorial birds still burning off excess testosterone. No morning migrant movement through yard the first few hours of light though. In the late afternoon here at the hovelita there was an Inca Dove calling.

Town run and park check. Saw a few new flowers around blooming: Snow-on-the-Mountain, Boneset (a white) Eupatorium, Buffalo Bur, Lindheimer's Senna, and a couple Frostweed. That rain was a miracle for a fall bloom. Some Mealy Sage going off again as well. At the 360 x-ing there was a Louisiana Waterthrush. At the park pond, water is back to 3' below the spillway. No Night-Herons, Little Creek Larry had a couple Green Heron earlier.

Dragons were the highlight at the park, and most were just upriver of the top of the island. Not many but a couple different ones, and clearly some new things. A male Widow Skimmer is getting late, it showed the wear too. One Eastern Amberwing, one Thornbush Dasher (lots of Blue Dasher) were new arrivals, Thornbush very rare at park. There were several Green Darner, but best was a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer which is my FOY and not a sure thing annualy.

Sept. 8 ~ An amazing 68F for a low was fantastic. KERV had 67F! Dreamy. Just a few migrants early, a Baltimore Oriole, couple Orchard, a Yellow Warbler, and a Least Flycatcher. Saw the Calliope Hummer again working the Tropical Sage, yet to see it at a feeder. Day 4 for it. In the afternoon on the seed out office window in back besides a greenie imm. Painted Bunting there was an ad. male Dickcissel. Most of the fall birds I see here are immatures and females, so a treat to have a male on the ground at 15'. Beautiful bird, great colors and patterns, it has it all. New Drought Monitor map shows us all the way up to D2 level now. From D4 two weeks ago. Which is still severe, and we are still a foot behind, but we got some major relief. Some flowers are blooming now in response. I saw a nice male Cardinal Feather so there must be some females around. Lots of patches of Wood-Sorrel coming up a few opening, a few Rain Lily. A couple more Shaggy Cap shrooms, which disappear overnight I suspect to the deer.

Sept. 7 ~ Low of 72F, just occasional low stratus passing early, mostly clearish. Still with NW flow so dryer than the summer sticky regime. I did see the Calliope Hummingbird first thing early. Otherwise no migrants around the yard first half of morn. There was a blowout last night. We were thick with them nearly a week. First as the trough arrived they started showing, got thicker as it passed, and an actual wave followed on that first clear night after it passed. Then it was good for a couple days (the last couple days) and now it is all gone. Migration also means here today gone tomorrow.

Finally about mid-morn a few migrants showed up and broke the silence. Couple Baltimore and a few Orchard Oriole, a Gnatcatcher, a Yellow Warbler, a Least Flycatcher. After noon there was a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher sneezing out in the Pecan trees out front. Do not get them every fall so always a treat. Later saw one Nashville Warbler. A big drop in birds since yesterday but one good one, and it only takes one good bird to make your day. Kathy spotted a Northern Cloudywing (butterfly) on the patio porch. I had a quick glimpse at what looked like a Dusky-blue Groundstreak out front. About 5 p.m. a rain cell passed near enough to spit on us and drop the temp from about 90F to 76F.

Sept. 6 ~ Low of 71F, scattered low stratus, no solid deck, sun out early. More Baltimore and Orchard Oriole, and Yellow Warbler, a Dickcissel, and a couple Least Flycatcher. Heard a Canyon Towhee in one of the branch-stick piles. First in a month I think. Mid-morn I was on front porch and spent 5 minutes watching an imm. or female Calliope Hummingbird at 5-10 feet. It seemingly hit every Tropical Sage flower, which are many (a few hundred right around porch). It also hit the Clammy-weed, which has a big drop of nectar. This is the bird I glimpsed briefly yesterday. Got to hear it call several times too, that pillowy-soft chip. Wonderful. Other than the hummer most of the birds seemed to stay around much of the day. Great to have migrant activity around the yard.

Sept. 5 ~ A brief low of 69F, KERV per NOAA had 65F! The clear skies arrived last night and there were migrants today. Morning best of course but much of it was around much of the day. There were 10 or 12 Orchard and 4-5 Baltimore Oriole, a FOS Nashville Warbler or two, 6 Yellow Warbler, 2 Least Flycatcher, a Dickcissel, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher for passage transients. Breeders still here hanging on are Yellow-throated Vireo and Warbler, Summer Tanager and Chat. Saw a Gulf Fritillary, first in a bit, more Lysides, couple each Sleepy Orange and Queen, about a dozen Snout. Had work to do here but it looks like it would have been a great day to see some of the few migrants we get. Bet there was a Mourning Warbler or two out there somewhere along the river. In the bird of the day always gets away department, I saw a hummer I am sure must have been a Calliope, but a Ruby-throat chased it from the Tropical Sages. Saw another Firefly at dark.

Sept. 4 ~ Overcast, low about 71F. Damp out. Heard an Upland Sandpiper at first light early. Some Orchard Oriole and Yellow Warbler early. A couple Baltimore Oriole too. A Caracara flew by. Yellow-throated, White-eyed, and Hutton's Vireo all heard singing or calling. One Least Flycatcher in morning. Chat and Cardinal making song type noises they are so thrilled to see green vegetation and have cooler temps. In the afternoon a Dickcissel was out there, and a couple greenie imm. Painted Bunting.

Yard is greenest it has been all year. The Tube-tongue has burst forth so some ten-foot diameter patches of 2-3 inch ground cover height purple flowers. In a wet year it is 6 inches tall. One major water year I saw some a foot tall with huge flowers, didn't recongize it at first. There is also some Wood-Sorrel blooming now, that beautiful magenta, hardly saw any all spring. Amazing what a half-a-foot of water can do. At the last glow of orange light to the west about 8:15 p.m. over 6 or 8 minutes I heard at least a couple dozen Upland Sandpiper go over southbound, taking off for a night of flight. There must have been a bunch in some pastures upvalley a few miles.

Sept. 3 ~ Low about 73F, some low stratus but not solid, some sun too. In afternoon became overcast, and latest afternoon to early evening some rain cells were nearish and dropped it 84F to 74F, then sprinkled a little just before dark. Birds were the same. Heard a couple Baltimore and saw a number of Orchard Oriole. The Yellow-throated Vireo and Warbler continue. A few Yellow Warblers, a couple grayish greenie imm. Painted Bunting. Heard an Upland Sandpiper overhead heading south as it got dark.

Yard is greener than it has been all year. The 4' section of hog fence I put up to protect the deer-ravaged Red Turkscap was knocked down. I heard the commotion last night just after midnight, now I know what that was, I flushed a deer out of the front porch flowerbed. It was no doubt eating the ripe Persimmons. In morn saw everything low on that treelet is gone. Dang deer. There are a boatload of these all over the place. They had to walk up 3 stairs onto front porch to get into that flower bed! I see about 5 of a columnar mushroom I think is Shaggy-cap (Coprinus sps.), or something very similar. There was a showerlet around dark, we had a bit over a tenth of an inch, maybe .15 or so.

Apologies for the poor old shot... which is a
Mavica (floppy disk) digiscope.

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Sept. 2 ~ Low about 73F. Some scattered low stratus off and on early. Saw stars last night, which, have not been visible much lately. First thing there were 2-3 at least FOS Baltimore Oriole in the big Pecan and going to the gate Texas Persimmon with Orchard Orioles. Couple Yellow Warbler, heard a non-Yellow call but could not see it. Usually the ones you can not find, are the good ones, it is some cosmic thing. Five very gray greenies (imm. Painted Bunting) is an increase. A couple imm. Indigo too. One Least Flycatcher in morn and afternoon. Kathy saw a male Baltimore Oriole near bath in the afternoon. Did have an ad. ma. Indigo in heavy molt, which I think is that same continuing bird from the draw, now more brown than blue. A couple Upland Sandpiper called nearing dusk. At dark I saw my FOS fall Firefly.

Town run. On way down road to crossing had Yellow-throated Vireo and an Ash-throated Flycatcher. Thought I heard a Mourning Warbler. There was water flowing at the crossing! Not a lot but that was definitely water movement, I remember what that looks like. The park pond about half-filled, maybe 2' from going over spillway now, instead of four. I heard some dry crossings north of town have water again now too. For the main big event I heard 5-7" were the totals, higher were north toward Vanderpool. Water was muddy, only saw a Great Blue and a Green Heron trying to see anything in it. At edge of the woods by start of island there was a FOS Traill's type Flycatcher, either Willow or Alder. Habitat better for the latter.

September 1 ~ Weewow it's September! The start of fall for climatological (or meteorlogical) seasons. Which differ from astronomical seasons. Two-thirds of the way through the year now. Low of 72F. Cloudy, overcast, humid, maybe some stray showers around. Some Orchard Orio and Yellow Warbler early. One Gnatcatcher in the morn, another went by mid-afternoon. Heard the Yellow-throated Vireo again. Orchard Orios hitting the Persimmons. Couple Caracara were walking around in the corral. At last light another Upland Sandpiper called overhead southbound. Kathy heard an Ash-throated Flycatcher. More Lyside Sulphur going by SW to NE, about 20.

I see the U.S. Drought Monitor has moved us up to D3, from D4, on the new map today. Data is crunched on Tuesdays, new map out Thursdays, so it does not reflect the 5" we just got Tues. and Wednesday. We likely will show as D2 when it is updated next Thursday. A NOAA report said that Lake Amistad came up 170,000 acre feet, and 10'! I hear the Medina River bed now has water running in it again as well! Can't wait to see the park pond and river tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ August summary ~ ~ ~

The big news was that there was rain! It was Texas fickle rain so totals varied widely. The last two days of month saw over 5" at our place! Our total for the month is over 7.5"! The wettest month in a year, maybe two. Most of the month we were at D4 exceptional stage drought, until the rains came. A couple nice rounds of Cenizo blooming resulted from the rains. The river is 4-5 FEET below normal bank. Drought stage is D4 (through 29th anyway). Exceptional. Trees are dying and wells are going dry. The park pond is less than half full with lots of exposed bank along edges. The island at park pond has not been for at least a couple months.

Bugs (insects) were weak, due to the drought no doubt. Porch light hardly brought in anything. For the most part no butterfly-type flowers, save where being watered. Butterfly diversity was likely the worst August I have seen in 19 here. Certainly fewest individuals. A Dusky-blue Groundstreak was exciting, sadly, the only one I have seen this year. They used to be abundant. Maybe 17 species of butterflies, a third of which were only one individual seen. Pitiful. Odes were only 13 species. There were a few more overall, as the first fall migrants from elsewhere show up. Not due to more local production. It remains incredibly depressed out there for them. The pond at Utopia Park is amazingly devoid of dragons and damsels. I have not seen a Rubyspot this summer! As the fish are concentrated when water levels get low, predation on ode larvae goes up.

Birds get interesting with the first few species of the early fall migrants starting to pass through. Ruby-throated Hummingbird shows back up as the Black-chinned of summer depart. A few Rufous Hummer pass through. By the second half of month Orchard Oriole and Yellow Warbler are numerous. You might hear the odd Upland Sandpiper going over in the dark. A couple Solitary Sandpiper were at the park now that it has exposed mud banks again. A few Dickcissel through yard mostly early in month.

A huge part of August is our migratory breeding bird population departing over the month. No more dawn chorus. Adult male Painted Buntings leave the first week of the month. A few interesting things were noted though. A Peregrine Falcon on the 15th was great, though brief, it had a date south of here somewhere. A Black-headed Grosbeak the 18th is my first August record here. Calliope Hummingbird is always good, an ad. male best, one was here on the 19th. There were a few Yellow-crowned Night-Heron reported at Utopia Park over the month, an adult, and a couple immatures at least. I saw an imm. Aug. 12-26 (ph.). I count about 73 species seen locally, within one of July total.

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August ~ OMG fall migrants! At dusk on the 3rd I heard my FOS Upland Sandpiper of the fall. On the 4th a FOS Least Flycatcher was in our front yard, another was at Utopia Pk. on the 5th. On the 6th had a FOS Dickcissel. On the 8th were the second-of-fall for Dickcissel and Rufous Hummingbird. Two more Dickcissel here on the 10th. Another Upland Sandpiper on the 11th. Orchard Orioles are moving south through yard daily. A couple adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird were reported at Little Creek Aug. 9 and 12. Some FOS Blue-winged Teal blazed down Little Creek dawn the 10th or so. An imm. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was at Utopia Park on Aug. 12 at the north end of the island. Many local areas got a little rain on the 11th and or 12th. The 13th I saw my FOS ad. ma. Ruby-throated Hummer here, and a FOS Yellow Warbler. The 15th a Peregrine Falcon flew by southbound. Bigger on the 15th, there was rain; we had 1.25" at our place. A Black-headed Grosbeak on the 18th is my first August date here. A Calliope Hummingbird was here on the 19th. At least two Yellow-crowned Night-Heron were seen at the park this week, I saw one Aug. 19. Lots of Yellow Warbler and Orchard Oriole passing through now. A Louisiana Waterthrush was at the park on the 26th. The imm. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron continued there that day as well, and an adult was seen earlier in the week. A significant rain event here on the 30th and 31st brought over 5" to float out of the month with.

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Aug. 31 ~ More rain! A low of about 72F, but in the rain around sunup it dropped a bit more, some local WU stations were showing 69F in the morn. Again the main event started pre-dawn and lasted a couple hours. Looks like an eighth of an inch under 2"! Which means about 5.5" in about 27 hours. Incredible. Maybe there will be a river again? We were in a flash flood warning for a while as the main cell departed.

A Yellow Warbler or two, same for Orchard Oriole. One greener greenie imm. Painted Bunting, that is neither of the two here yesterday. Kathy saw an Empidonax flycatcher that might have been a Willow. About 11 a.m. an Upland Sandpiper must have come up off the airstrip as it was just barely over the corral trees as it gained altitude, calling the whole way, it flew across the front corner of the yard heading for river and toward golf course and pastures on other side. Heard a Dickcissel in yard in the afternoon. Also another quick small shower, maybe another eighth of an inch. About 5 p.m. there were 4 Yellow Warbler, 2 Yellow-throated Warbler, and the Dickcissel in the big Pecan. The Yellow-throated were not ad. males, either females or immatures. About 6 p.m. I heard the Couch's Spadefoot Toad call from the front yard. Soooo cool to hear that in yard. The rain was finally enough to get the Zexmenia to bloom, it has not most of the summer. Just before dark at last sliver of light I heard an Upland Sandpiper go over southbound. At least a couple dozen Lyside Sulphur went by, SW to NE over day.

Aug. 30 ~ Oh my! A rain event happened about 5-7 a.m. dropping about 1.85", or 1 and seven-eighths", or 47mm or so! Low about 72F, and now the 10-day shows rain chances every day with highs in the 80's F. Surely very humid, but a break in heat, and maybe some water for that empty bank. Kathy found a Barking Frog in the house, which was repatriated to the great outdoors. Another rain cell hit late afternoon about 5-6 p.m. with another inch! I would say about 3" for the day, so far. The birds were the same gang. Some Orchard Oriole and Yellow Warbler, and 2 very gray greenies (imm. Painted Bunting). A Bell's Vireo that tried to sing was clearly not one of the local birds as its sounds were nothing of the sort. A passage juvenile. Around dark another half-inch of rain fell! We are at 3.5" for the day! OMG! Incredible. Kathy heard the Spadefoot Toad out front after dark.

Aug. 29 ~ Low of 75F is not very. Another hot one in store, and then we are to get a slight drop and some rain chances for a couple days. Bunch of Orchard Oriole, a few Yellow Warbler, all around yard, some at bath for another splash parade at 8:30 a.m. Chat seems to start it, as it uses it every morning. Otherwise it was the same stuff here today. Did see a female Large Orange Sulphur on the Red Turkscap. Have not heard the Bell's Vireo in a couple days now, methinks it left. Might have heard a Rufous Hummer, has not been one in several days. Maybe the weather the next week will knock some birds down. I saw 94F on the cool shady front porch, a bit toasty in the sun, and it was very humid, surely a hun with heat index. Saw female Summer Tanager and Orchard Oriole hit the Texas Persimmon.

Aug. 28 ~ Low of 74F, and a bit of broken low stratus deck off and on early. Gonna be a hot one. I saw it just over 92F on the cool shady front porch about 4 p.m. Heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher first thing early. Quite a parade at the birdbath about 8:30 or so. This is why I devoutly rinse and refresh the bath and refill the milk jug dripper every morning before sunup. Over ten minutes there were a half-dozen Orchard Oriole, 4-5 Yellow Warbler, 2-3 Yellow-breasted Chat, and the orange first-summer male Hooded Oriole. Plus a number of Lesser Goldfinch and Cardinal, and a couple Titmouse. Needed a pipe smoke after that, so manned front porch station, and whilst basking in the afterglow I heard then saw a Least Flycatcher flippin' around the Pecans. That last ad. male Indigo Bunting continues, in pretty heavy molt. Been here since mid-late April, so four months on territory, though the other local males have all departed. Still giving the odd snippet of song from the Hackberry left of gate. It and a Painted used that same tree as a singing post all summer, but not at the same time.

Aug. 27 ~ Low of 71F was nice. Clear at first, then some low stratus, then sunny. Got into low 90's F. Early lots of Orchard Orio and a few Yellow Warbler around yard and at birdbath. Saw the ad. ma. Vermilion Flycatcher still on corral fenceline. Chat at the bath, and a greenie Painted Bunnie. Did a dump and recycling run to make space for more. It has been months, since early spring. Went west out the back end of 360 to 359. Saw one Common Ground-Dove. Water flow at the 360 crossing seems to have doubled and must nearing TWO gallons per minute now. Should be 100-200. Still not flowing downstream below the bridge though. It is almost all Ruby-throated Hummingbird here now, I only see a few imm. Black-chinned left, maybe two or three. At least a few dozen Rubies present.




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Aug. 26 ~ Low was 72F, clear and sunny for the first time this week. Orchard Orioles and Yellow Warblers are the story. In the afternoon for orios I saw 5 imm. or female and one male around the bath at once. Three in it together again. Two greenie Painted Bunting here. One dull gray toned, one bright fresh one. The dull one is obviously a juv. just a month old or so. The bright one could be a young from say June now molted into first basic (winter) plumage, or an ad. fem. that has molted into basic plumage. There was a Yellow-throated Warbler in the yard before sunup for the first time in a couple weeks.

Town run so a park check. The imm. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was still at the north end of the island. Little Creek Larry said he had an adult there early one morning this week. Saw the ad. Green Heron. Great was a migrant warbler, also at top of island, a Louisiana Waterthrush. First one of the fall, and can miss it, so great to see. Heard a Yellow-throated Vireo sing, and a Red-eyed Vireo call a few times in woods.

In flower news, there are some! The rain has inspired a few to pop. I saw the first Fireweed, aka Cardinal flower, the aquatic Lobelia, at the 360 x-ing. A few Snow-on-the-Mountain are now blooming, but hardly any came up compared to normal. The Purple Sage (that is a Mugwort not a sage) Cenizo is flaming in bloom as it responds to every couple inches of rain with a full roaring show for a couple days. There are spectacular patches of it around. For maybe another day or two. A few Day-flower (aka Widow's Tears) are open around the porch here. Great to see something, anything, blooming besides what we water.

In bugs, saw a Vesta Crescent fly across the patio. At park for dragons, a couple each Spot-winged, and Wandering Glider, a couple Green Darner, a Red-tailed Pennant, a Black Saddlebags, a Red Saddlebags, several Blue Dasher, an Eastern Pondhawk, and a Checkered Setwing. Low numbers but at least a wee bit of diversity.

Aug. 25 ~ A low of 72, and very wet out there from the prior rain. Don't think it did much overnight. Sure a welcome break. Weird to get a washed out tail of a front and sorta nothing-burger of a disturbance, that breaks the heat for a week with major rains, in late August. Awesome. Heard an Upland Sandpiper or two going over before sunup. Again I heard the Couch's Spadefoot Toad calling, in the morning. Can't find it, as always. Even when it is light out! The imm. Zone-tailed Hawk is still begging high overhead to the west behind us. In Yellow Warbler, I saw a couple, then Kathy spotted four at once in the bath of Yellow Warbler. The four were all female or imm. and one I saw was an ad. male so at least five are here. At least as many Orchard Oriole as well. It is almost like fall migration. Some nearish rain cells brought a cooling 80F outflow in later afternoon but no precip.

Aug. 24 ~ Overcast, 74F, ground still damp but don't think it rained any more. The break from the heat is great though. Early there was a herd of Orchard Oriole, over a handful, and a Yellow Warbler, both could be holdovers from yesterday. Also a Gnatcatcher went through early. One greenie Painted and one ad.male Indigo Bunting still here. A few brown Indigo too. Might have been a couple Yellow Warbler out there. The Eastern Bluebird family still seems to be around visiting not quite daily, but nearly. Did not detect the Rufous Hummer today, 3 days was it. Great was after dark hearing a yapping juvenile Eastern Screech-Owl! So they got at least one young out this year! It was in a big Hackberry right over the shed out back 10' from the corner of house and office.

For a rain report, a light shower moved in and parked for the afternoon, giving a minor slow soaking, and kept temps about 76F. A big win. It was about an eighth-inch per hour for three of them. So about three-eighths of an inch, or 1 cm. Which makes three quarters (.75) of an inch with the same total Monday a couple days ago. Which then makes the total 3" here so far for the month. The wettest month in way too many. May was the only wet month in last ten or so? There was 3.5" which fell mostly on two days in May. We might get a little more before this all moves out. Thrilled for the heat relief too.

A highlight of the day was when we got to watch that first-summer male Hooded Oriole take a long full monty bath like never before. Generally the body including rump is orange now, the back and wings are black. Most of the bird has molted in the last month. Still no wing coverts, so no wingbars or white edges whatsoever on wing. Tail is black and mostly replaced now, but not all grown out yet. One interesting part is that it shows a half way there black bib on the breast coming in, but the lores and face are still not black at all really. The crown and head is still mostly green like a first summer bird. No black lores and lower face yet. A really neat plumage only available very briefly for observation here, a first-summer male in late summer as they molt into their first adult type plumage.

The bird of the day that got away today were some swallows. A small group flew over which I only caught flying away, but just after they passed right over head. I saw 3 but trees blocked lots of my view. They were not Rough-winged, Bank, Barn, Cliff, or Cave. They looked like Tree Swallows to me, which is what my mind said when I saw them. Now is a great time to catch them passing by.

Aug. 23 ~ Low of 72F is much better. Doesn't look like it rained much overnight, sprinkles maybe. A light showerlet briefly early and mid-morning, but not much to add to total yet. Outstanding to have a break from the summer heat since it started the second week of May and we had three months already. Before sunup I heard the first in months Eastern Screech-Owl calling from over in the draw where they seem to reside. The Rufous Hummingbird was at the front feeder again first thing, day 3 for the fourth one of fall here. A few Orchard Oriole and a Yellow Warbler were around yard. One greenie Painted Bunting, a few brown Indigo, and one adult male still continues.

Under a big cloud shield and 85F at 3 p.m. is great. Rain more scattered today it seems, and not anything but a few spritzes here over the day. The Tropical Sage we have been nursing all summer is now with some flowers, great spots of red, the hummers love it. A stalk of Indian Mallow has some flowers too. Later in afternoon I saw three imm. Orchard Orio IN the birdbath at once. They left so I refreshed the water in it. Kathy said as soon as I left it an ad. male and a first summer male went into it and sparred whilst bathing. Five here at once anyway.

Aug. 22 ~ Low of 76F is not very, quite balmy too. They have us progged for rain and 90F or below all week. Sure hope they are right this time. We could use a break from the burn, and some water. BTW today is the ONE HOUR day. Length of day is one hour less than it was at the solstice. So two months, to lose an hour. We lose another hour of day length in just the next month.

Been meaning to mention, now seeing sap on the Pecan leaves. They exude a sweet sticky layer making the leaves shiny, which attracts insects, which is why Yellow Warblers hang out in the pecans all day in fall. The smallest gnats get stuck at times, and Yellows are excellent gleaners. Larger (still very small) types (Dipterids - gnats, flies) appear to be feeding on it, making themselves more nutritious in case of Yellow Warbler.

Before sunup there was a Rufous Hummingbird at the front porch feeder, no doubt what Kathy heard last night as it got dark. A few Orchard Orio went through, and one Yellow Warbler was around early, which later was at the birdbath. Kathy heard a Hutton's Vireo over north fence in the junipers. It seems as quickly as a Persimmon turns purple, it is eaten, since what is there are only green ones now. So the birds are really watching it, with their UV vision. I saw a Chat fly out of it, and Titmouse and Carolina Wren came by and checked it. Male Vermilion Flycatcher still here, as is the male Summer Tanager. Still begging baby Lark, Field, and Chipping Sparrow, and Hop-along, the flight challenged Carolina Wren.

An outflow boundry with cooler air got here shortly before 4 p.m., taking 10F off the 91F we were at. Humid, but cooler, and can smell rain, which should be inbound. It rained all around us for about three hours with us only seeing spits. Some got good totals no doubt, there were thundercells. Finally about 7-9 p.m. we had some slow soaking light rain. At least we got a little, and 75F. Lots of areas in central Texas got inches, some nearby. But not us. It was 1 cm, or about three-eighths of an inch. The Barking Frogs were thrilled.

Aug. 21 ~ Low about 74F, balmy, a few sprinkles fell. The system landfalling into northern Mexico and south Texas yesterday, PTC 4, seems to have mostly evaporated, and under-performed fairly well. Though a slug of moisture has come in from it which might make for more rain in a day or two. A few Orchard Oriole went by southbound in the morning. Kathy saw a fem. or imm. Black-and-white Warbler at the birdbath in morning, a Yellow Warbler female in afternoon. I saw the Yellow out in the Pecans. The rest seemed the same. At least one male Indigo Bunting still here. There were two greenies, imm. Painted Bunnies. Kathy heard a sharp chip from a different hummingbird right at last light. It did't return after the last sip.

Aug. 20 ~ About a 73-93F (in shade) temp spread today. At least a half-dozen Orchard Orio went through yard, likely more. Saw the 1st summer female Hooded Orio at the feeder out back. At least one ad. ma. Indigo Bunting still here, as well as one greenie (imm. or female Painted Bunnie). No Blue Gro. A few Chat still around. The juv. Bell's and a couple Wide-eyed Vireo still here. Heard a Yellow-throated Vireo way uphill behind us. The one sprig of Clammyweed that came up again this year has a small flower cluster on it. I see a few Wild Petunia (white here mostly) opened as did a few Rain Lily flowers, which I suppose by now would be the fall Rain Lily, not spring Rain Lily. They are said to be different at some genetic level.

The following are not current photos, but show current events




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Aug. 19 ~ Low about 73F, some mid-level clouds, and shortly before dawn some sprinkles. We got three-eighths of an inch (1 cm) of precip. Keep it coming. A FOS Calliope Hummingbird was at the Salvia in the morning, an adult male which are the scarcest type here. Most are females and immatures. By 10 a.m. a first-year male Ruby-throated Hummer was guarding the flowers. A small Texas Persimmon by front porch that gets watered has some fruit. About 10 are purple, each showing signs of birds eating them. Now for some orioles to find them. Baltimore usually really go after them, so do Orchard. Heard flight song from that same ad. ma. Indigo Bunting this morning as it left seed area. Have not seen any Blue Grosbeak in a few days, they seem to have left. Heard the begging baby Zone-tail again today.

Town run for supplies so a look at the park. Just south of town over the pasture at the SW quadrant of the 1050 x 187 intersection was a Zone-tailed Hawk. One Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was at the same big root mass at the north end of the island as a week ago. Little Creek Larry said he saw two at once, and a third bird flushed out of a tree that looked like one as well. So there may be three there. A good showing. He has also is seeing one juvenile Green Heron, they got one young out of the nest this year. He also saw a Solitary Sandpiper a couple days ago, besides a Spotted. One Spotted was there today. I had a glimpse of a warbler in the woods that got away, and was of great interest, durnit. Could not dig it back out.

Aug. 18 ~ Low of 73F, no morning low stratus deck. Later afternoon some local WU stations were showing 98-99F. A front is washing out over the plateau, we had a minor outflow that took a wee bit off the bake. A few more Orchard Orios going through yard. Very surprising before 9 a.m. was an adult male Black-headed Grosbeak. First heard in the big Pecan, then the dying Hackberry, and finally seen in the Mulberry before 9 a.m. It is surely my first August sighting of one locally. Oddly there was one in latest June and early July over in Concan, which surely is the areas only summer record of that sort. Well over half of falls I do not see one, though very small numbers do move through the area annually. It is easy to miss any given year here. The ad. ma. Black-chinned Hummingbird continues, as well as a dozen or two immatures. One imm. chased the imm. Bell's Vireo out of the little Pecan by the patio porch just feet from me. Saw one ad. ma. Ruby-throated, and at least one immature, probably a few. I had a warbler of some sort get away in the later afternoon. Was white below posteriorly. A warbler of great interest. A different buzzed flight note. It was good, and it got away, the bird of the day.

Aug. 17 ~ Low about 74F, back to that. A few wisps of low stratus from the Gulf, but the high is building back in. Supposed to not last though and maybe more rain over the next week after a couple hot days. Two Gnatcatchers out in yard early at dawn. The begging Zone-tailed Hawk still up high overhead behind us to west. Late afternoon the male Summer Tanager was quiet singing in the big Pecan. Winding it down. A few Orchard Oriole went through in a.m., and a few more in late afternoon. Bell's Vireo still about. One greenie Painted Bunting is all I see left. Lots of baby Lark Sparrow, and some new Chipping and Field juvies besides the adults. The ad. ma. Black-chin Hummer continues. The first-summer Hooded Oriole is really getting orange of body. The breast patch is starting to come in well now. Still no wingbars (wing coverts), but new rectrices (tail) are growing out.

Aug. 16 ~ Wow, wet ground. Low about 72F and damp. The yard is greener than it was yesterday, and for the last month. In one day. The low is now out over Big Bend area in the trans-Pecos, where they also need rain badly. Amazing how together it still looked in early a.m. on its third day inland. Good thing it did not have a day out over the Gulf to build. Some areas east of Laredo had 5-10" of rain! About 9 a.m. there was a Red-eyed Vireo singing in corral, first I have heard in at least a month. Then about 10 a Yellow-throated Vireo was singing out front, the first in a couple weeks at least. Probably both are localish post-breeding wanderers that have yet to run out of singing gas. White-eyed and Bell's Vireo were both still making noise out front as well. Four vireos is always great. In morn a few Orchard Oriole went through, heard Yellow and Black-and-white Warbler. Late afternoon a Gnatcatcher went through. Common Nighthawk still calling 'beer'  'beer'.

Aug. 15 ~ Some sprinkles began in the wee hours before dawn. The low was 71F. The low system Invest 98-L seems to be over-performing. It made landfall yesterday, and is still together, and with circulation, just crossing the Rio Grande around Eagle Pass this early morn. A band of rain from it seems headed our way. The second Yellow Warbler of fall was out there early, and a few Orchard Oriole. Just before 10 a.m. a Peregrine Falcon flew south not high over the Cypresses that line the river. Always a great bird to see. It was almost funny how the birds alarmed right at the instant my mind said 'falcon!'. Off and on sprinkles and showerlets all morning. Hard to believe we made noon still in the 70's. We lucked into a nice band training over us in the afternoon, by time it was done we had 1.25" for the day! OMG! A perfect slow-soaker as they call them too. Never got past about 75F all day, incredible. The Barking Frogs were thrilled after dark.

Aug. 14 ~ Another 72F low is nice, that ought to be the legal minimum for a low. The disturbance that went over the last couple days west to east has now become a weak low, Invest 98-L, just offshore out in the Gulf. Now it is going to march west across south Texas with rain. They need it as badly as we do, so great for them. We may get lucky and get some. We had easterly to NE winds from the circulation and the debris cloud shield kept temps down, topping out at only about 85F! What a great break. Saw at least two greenies, imm. Painted Bunting, might have been three. Saw an ad. fem. Indigo Bunting feed a juvenile, so it just got out of the nest. Saw the juv. Bell's Vireo that has been around, likely from the corral nesting.

Kathy said the hummer fluid usage has plummeted the last few days. Which means for the most part the hoardes of immature Black-chinned have vacated, finally. That was the overwhelming bulk of what was here. It was in the low hundreds. I saw the one still here ad. ma. Black-chinned, and two ad. ma. Ruby-throats. Saw a couple that looked like imm. Ruby-throated, amongst at least a couple dozen still here Black-chin immatures. Also had a visit from the getting oranger every day first-summer male Hooded Oriole. A few Orchard Oriole went through yard. The male Vermilion Flycatcher is still here. Best beast of the day was a butterfly, the first Dusky-blue Groundstreak I have seen all year. It hit both the Lantana and the Blue Mist Eupatorium.

Aug. 13 ~ Low of 72F and the ground is wet. Wow. Plenty humid though. Just after midnight last night at last sound check I heard three species of amphibians celebrating the rain by calling. Rio Grande Leopard Frog, Barking Frog, and the Couch's Spadefoot Toad called too. Amazing for just under an inch of rain. In the morning did hear titmice singing, and an inspired distant Summer Tanager was as well. Finally there was a migrant swarm of dragonflies, the first I have seen this fall. Most were Spot-winged Glider, but Black, and Red, Saddlebags, Green Darner, and one Wandering Glider were among the couple dozen hawking low over the yard. Great to see, now we have some, for a couple hours, since some showed up from somewhere else.

Mid-morn I saw my FOS ad. male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the office feeder on the heels of Larry's sightings the last few days. Recall those two imms. I saw in the last week but did not call them for a FOS date. Then late morn I heard then saw a FOS Yellow Warbler in the Pecans. I am sure that is what I heard and glimpsed that got away a couple days ago. The rule is to never claim or record any ID (much less a FOS date) that you are not ten thousand percent sure on. I would much rather have a sure date a couple days later, than a maybe probably speculative date, a couple days earlier. Eventually they will all fill in, and change, anyway. Being sure is better and more important than being first.

Heard the Common Ground-Dove out back. Great to see all these tiny baby lizards around. Maybe 1.5" of body, and nearing 2 of tail. Eastern Fence, Six-lined Racerunner, and Green Anole are the three numerous ones that seemingly had decent seasons. Late afternoon we had an outflow from a cell that cooled it a bit and spit a hundredth or two of precip on us. Kathy had an Ash-throated Flycatcher, which are mostly departed for the year now. She also heard a Common Nighthawk at dusk. I heard an Upland Sandpiper overhead southbound "Whip-ip-ip-ip-ip". Listen as and right after it gets dark, and as it gets light.



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Aug. 12 ~ The rain cooled air provided a low of 70F! Weewow! First thing early before 7 a.m. there was some drama out front. A young fawn crashed into and then through the hog fence, coming from the corral. It sprinted across yard right past me, crashed into and through the hog fence on other side of yard. Shortly it crashed back through it and across yard to far corner, whence I saw a Coyote out on the road stalking it. The fawn was freaked out, it doubled back across yard and went back through the north fence again and headed up draw. Not long after I heard some odd strained fawn bleating. If it had stayed in the yard the Coyote likely would not have come in after it. It was panicked.

Town run and park check. Little Creek Larry said he had ad. ma. Ruby-throated Hummingbird this morning, and Tuesday (9th). First I have heard of this fall, though surely those two I saw this last week here were immature Rubies. He also saw some small fast ducks blazing down the creek at dawn one day that were Blue-winged Teal, the first of fall as well. It is mid-August. There were reports of an inch to 1.5" of rain in some areas locally yesterday, north and south of us and town. More reports of dry wells.

At the park the imm. Barred Owl is doing well it seems, head almost fully feathered now. An imm. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was at the north end of the island, first I have seen in a while locally and always a good bird here. One just fledged still begging Summer Tanager in main park still being attended. There was a Red-tailed Pennant dragonfly. An amazing lack of odes, and birds, forget butterflies, there are no flowers. Some, lots of, trees are turning as if it is late fall.

About 4 p.m. a rain cell found us, and took 15dF off the top dropping it to 81F and stopping the solar heating. We got just under a quarter-inch! A real dust-buster, for a day or so. OMG about 7 p.m. another cell found us and dropped another half-inch plus. Probably 22-23mm, or seven-eighths of an inch for a total. Incredible. With the tenth yesterday we can say we have an inch for August. A few Chimney Swift were overhead after the rain. There was the usual termite hatch as well. So everything got protein. Besides the molting ad. ma. Indigo Bunting, there are two still fully blue ad. males here.

Aug. 11 ~ Some mid level clouds kept some heat in, low was 75F and muggy. First thing I heard a Common Nighthawk pre-dawn. About 6:45 an Upland Sandpiper flew over not too high up, going north, so was looking for a place to go down for the day. Gnatcatcher out there early also. Nothing singing. Heard the begging Zone-tail up behind us somewhere later morning. The big live-oaks block view to west. Was about 94F at 1 p.m. when a cloud sheild saved us from the sun. Which was followed by a whole tenth of an inch (.1) showerlet over an hour, and temps dropping to 80F by 2:30. A thrill here these days. Maybe something to hold the dust down for a day. Any sort of break in the heat whatsoever at this point is great. Some others in the area no doubt got some real rain. I heard a zzzeeet and saw a flash through the trees that seemed a Yellow Warbler to me, but did not get a confirmatory ID look.

Aug. 10 ~ Low of 73F, no morning clouds from the Gulf. Prepare to bake. A small impulse of disturbance is supposed to move over, over the next few days, so low-end precip chances on way. Saw 97F in shade on front porch late afternoon. An outflow hit after 7 p.m. dropping us to a chilly 90F. Did hear two Titmouse countersinging still, before sunup. Only things left singing. A few Orchard Orio through yard, they are on the move now. Heard one Dickcissel in the morning, but at last seed toss late there were two out back. Saw one ad. male and two greenie Painted Bunting, first ad.ma. in a couple days, two greenies, one ad. male Indigo Bunting in heavy molt, one ea. ad. male and female Blue Grosbeak. About 15 ea. Lesser Goldfinch and House Finch, a dozen Lark Sparrow, about 6-7 Field and at least 8 Chipping Sparrow are likely the local breeders and some young of the year from them. A dozen White-winged Dove. Hop-along the flightless Carolina Wren continues. Kathy heard the begging Zone-tail way up high somewhere, and she saw another Mockingbird at the bird bath. That makes four Mockers in the last four weeks. Mocker movement. Vermilion Flycatcher still here, saw one male Summer Tanager, heard a couple White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo gone a week or so now though. Heard a Bell's Vireo over in corral but it sounded like a juvenile learning to sing, not the perfect-songed adult bird that was there on territory all summer. Likely one of its young.

Aug. 9 ~ Low of 74F, a couple hours of a low stratus deck. The alpha male Blue Grosbeak seems to have finally quit dawn singing. Hitting the seed a lot, he will be gone soon. Some Orchard Oriole through yard in morning. The ad. male Black-chinned Hummer is still here. I heard a begging juvenile Zone-tailed Hawk way up high behind us somewhere. They just hang up there at 1000' if not two, begging loudly, later July and August is when. Heard a Gnatcatcher mid-day. A couple more southbound Orchard Oriole nearing dusk, an ad. male belted out one measure of song. At dusk a Great Blue Heron flew downriver over the Cypresses. Only saw one greenie Painted Bunting today. A juv. Chat still poking around in the seed.

Aug. 8 ~ Low of 75F and just a brief bit of low stratus from the Gulf. The second Rufous Hummingbird here this fall showed up in the morning. A flocklet of Orchard Oriole went through yard southward earlyish-morn. The rest looked the same. Hot and very humid until later afternoon when it becomes just hot and kinda humid. Did see the ad. ma. Black-chinned Hummer still here. Later after 7 p.m. a Dickcissel landed in the big Pecan, called a few times, and flew out southward.

The two begging baby Carolina Wren are still at it. One is messed up, it does not fly right. Lots of hopping and skipping as it flaps but seems unable to actually fly properly. It is now 31 days out of nest and still begging and being fed. Something got messed up in development, which was likely related to the food shortage. The other young is seemingly taking advantage of the situation and I presume parents will be ejecting it from the territory shortly. Late as it got dark out on the road next to corral I saw a Chuck-will's-widow ON the road.

Aug. 7 ~ Low was 74F, way better than 76. Kathy saw an ad. male Painted Bunting on the patio in the morning, first one in three days. The last few are trickling out. We saw it again mid-morn. Only a couple greenies (fem. or imm.) left too. Heard the Bell's Vireo singing over in the corral, but have not heard the Yellow-throated in a few days. White-eyed or two still calling, but moving around a lot, seeming like not nesting still. A half-dozen Orchard Oriole again went through yard southbound in morning. Heard a zzeet that was likely a Black-and-white Warbler. Saw a flock of a dozen White-winged Dove, the first real flocking I have seen since spring nesting commenced. Saw the ad. male Black-chinned Hummingbird still here today.

Aug. 6 ~ A bit balmy at 76F for a low. There were a few sprinkles just before dawn, a full blown near-dampening. A minor disturbance passing provided clouds that kept it a few dF cooler anyway, though humid. First few hours at least a half-dozen, probably 8, Orchard Oriole went through yard all moving south. It's on! Fall migration. Again saw what looked an imm. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Had a great look at a Common Ground-Dove which flew right by me over the patio, and later was calling out back. Seems it found the seed. Have not had any around since winter so nice to see. I thought sure in the morning I heard a Dickcissel. Then about 4 p.m. again I thought I heard one. Then at 7 p.m. it was calling from up in the big Pecan. So it was here all day. I was not combing through everything on the seed so did not see it on the ground. But since I only saw one in spring over at the usual nesting pasture on UvCo 354, it is great to have one here again.



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Aug. 5 ~ Low of 74F again. we have had a couple dozen of these recently. Interesting for every night NOAA has called for 72. Only once did it get that low in last couple weeks. The models consistently cannot place the lows high enough. Because it goes against all the prior modeling data no doubt. The two baby Carolina Wrens are still begging, today is a month, day 28 out of the nest. Incredible. A few Orchard Oriole went through yard moving south first thing, no doubt passage birds. Great look at a male in the Mulberry. Thought pretty sure I heard a Calliope Hummingbird first thing early. That sweet beautiful pillowy soft Selasphorus chip. There was a swarm and I had to get seed out, the Titmice were complaining, and the sun wasn't even up yet! I bet if the titmice had not have seen me they would have stayed quiet longer.

Town run and park check. Little Creek Larry said he saw a couple Spotted Sandpiper at the pond early. Also said he had a young Roadrunner at his place, and a group of 3 nighthawks (Common) which were probably adults with a young, or an ad. with 2 young. He also said a neighbor brought a mauled mostly gone, just enough to ID remains of a White-tailed Kite by. Because they figured he would still be able to ID it. At park on the former island I saw a Least Flycatcher on the heels of yesterday's FOS. A couple Blue Dasher dragonfly. Some of the big old deep-rooted Cypresses are now starting to turn rusty, like it is October or November. I saw or heard over town no Chimney Swift, Barn Swallow, or Purple Martin. The local breeders are all gone. The water is not flowing below the spillway at park, or at the UvCo 360 crossing, just rocks. Here at the hovelita we did not see those last adult males of Black-chinned Hummer or Painted Bunting today.

Aug. 4 ~ Low of 75F, some low stratus trying to block the sun a little bit, not very well. Another scorcher, I saw 98F in the shade on the front porch. Relentless heat. We are pouring water on plants trying to keep stuff alive. Mostly just continuing to quiet down out there. Another fall migrant (!), about 4:30 I saw a FOS Least Flycatcher out in the front yard, watching a fenced Lantana with a couple flowers on it. Something came in to a flower and snap! Probably the last one of one of those endangered flies. I had a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher later in afternoon. Kathy saw a Mockingbird at the bath later. I think about the third she has seen in the last month, all seemingly one-minute passage birds just stopping for a drink. That drip is magic.

Aug. 3 ~ Low of 76F is kind of a drag. There was low Gulf stratus, so kept the heat in. Often it arrives right at sunup, which is great as you get max radiational cooling, and then some sun shield to keep it cooler a few hours. When it gets here at 2, 4, or 6 a.m. you lose some or a lot of that overnight cooling. It is an interesting phenom here anyway. I saw 99F on the cool shady front porch. Local WU stations were showing 99 to 104.5F, most about 102F. Hondo and Uvalde both showed 105F highs. A burner of a day, I was busy on computer.

Blue Grosbeak is the one thing still going strongest at dawn. What little else there is still going is half-hearted. Saw the ad. male Black-chinned Hummingbird still here guarding the office feeder in back. I did not see anything different today, it was the same as it ever was the last two months. Lesser Goldfinch still doing a Couch's Kingbird amongst its run of mimicry when singing. I had a quick dash to town for P.O. stuff. Right at south end of town at the 187 x 1050 intersection there was an adult Zone-tailed Hawk soaring over lazily at treetop level providing great views. Only takes one good bird to make your day. At dusk I heard a half-dozen calls from a FOS Upland Sandpiper. It sounded like it was over on the airstrip or in that horse pasture adjacent. The calls were repeated and coming from ground level, not a bird passing overhead. Was already getting dark, pig-thirty, and I did not feel like getting gun to walk over there to look for it.

Aug. 2 ~ Back up to 74F for a low and no low stratus deck. Same old song and dance, a hun in the sun. Gotta say, did not have 'experience desertification first-hand' on my bingo card. No relief in sight on the 10-day or any long term I can find. I heard yesterday there is no water at the 8-mile. That is the high bridge river crossing 8 miles south of town. First bridge is the 4-mile. For bonus points, how far south of town is the four-mile? Anyway, they had never seen it dry. Here we are again at the levels of the infamous Texas drought of the 1950's. Just like a decade ago.

Kathy saw an ad. male Painted Bunting at the bath nearing dusk. I saw the one worn ad. ma. Black-chinned Hummer still here. Pretty sure I saw an imm. male Ruby-throated Hummingbird as well. Short straight bill, super bright dark emerald green in sun, and the sides were so rufous at first I thought it might be a Selasphorus. Black-chin sides get buffy, and maybe even the slightest faintest bit warmish toned. But imm. Rubies can be pale rufous almost like a Calliope. As was this bird. Strikingly rufousish, at a level which a Black-chin never presents or imparts. The first-summers of male and female Hooded Oriole were at feeder, no doubt the pair that bred nearish and was ushering a couple young here. Which I am not seeing lately.

August 1 ~ OMG it's August!?! Low was 73F, some low stratus from Gulf off and on from 9-11 or so. First thing pre-sunup there was a Black-and-white Warbler singing out front a fair bit. I suspect it is the one that bred nearby as one on the move in passage would probably be over singing. Probably the last of that I will hear this year. Did hear a Yellow-throated Vireo a few times. Before 10 a.m. out back I saw at once two ad. male Painted Bunting, 4 ad. ma. Indigo, and an ad. ma. Blue Grosbeak. Always appreciate these last views of the season whence ground littered with this dazzling eye-candy before it all departs. At last sun there were 5 Orchard Oriole in a group in the top of the big Pecan out front. Might have been a family group from the area, but could have been a passage flocklet as well. Today was 30 min. less daylight than at the solstice.

~ ~ ~ July summary ~ ~ ~

Temps ran 5-10F over normal averages, continuing the trend from May and June. Miraculously we lucked into 2.5" of rain early in the month, however we remain in D4 exceptional drought. The river is 4-5' below normal bank in many places. In many areas up and down the valley there is no water above ground. There is no water below the spillway at the park pond, below the 360 crossing, or a the 8-mile bridge. It is as bad or worse than the 2011-12 years at peak of last exceptional drought we just had and never yet recovered from.

Insects were depressing for their absence. There are hardly any to see. A porch light barely brings anything in. There are almost no flowers for butterflies, and there are very few odes (dragons) over or around any water you might find. No grasshoppers or 'worms' (caterpillars). Looks like 19 (maybe 20) species of butterflies. Last July was 53 species. This is my worst July in the last nineteen of keeping track of species diversity here. Odes (dragonflies) were just as bad. I have never seen it like this, so devoid of them. Only managed to muster a meager 15 species, many were just one individual seen. A couple each of Halloween and Red-tailed Pennant were maybe the best things, since you can miss them here some years. Also probably the last looks at Orange-striped Threadtail this year.

Birds were the same breeding gang for the most part. At the end of the month the first long-distance fall migrants showed up to give hope for cooler temperatures ahead eventually. By the end of the month many of the local breeders that are migratory are leaving for the season, until next year. Many seemed to be leaving early this year, no doubt due to the lack of bugs. They are a critical food (protein and calcium) source for nesting season. It was severely lacking and clutch sizes overall were obviously reduced. Most were two at most. Many were just one fledged young (especially larger species). Best was the continuing Couch's Kingbirds on July 7, present in the area from latest April, about 6 weeks at least. Longer distance passage migrants showing late in month were a Rufous Hummingbird on July 26, and on July 29 single Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper at the Utopia Park pond. I saw 72 species very locally in July, essentially at park or in yard.

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~ ~ ~ archive copy July update header ~ ~ ~

July ~ A Verdin on July 1 at the P.O. continues (since June 24). An amazing TWO INCHES of rain fell July 3 pre-dawn. Couch's Kingbird continues south of town a couple miles July 7 (since late April). Lots of begging baby birds, and heat. Flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies are all way down in numbers. We are in D4 exceptional drought, send rain. I saw in ebird a few interesting reports from the Concan area the last few weeks. A Mexican (was Green) Violetear was SE of Concan on July 7, a couple Green Jays have been reported, and a late June and early July an ad. male Black-headed Grosbeak is very surprising. A Rufous Hummingbird here at our feeders July 26-27 is the first long distance 'fall' migrant I have seen. Sure like to be wherever it came from. A couple fall migrant sandpipers at the park pond on July 29 were a Spotted and a Solitary.

~ ~ ~ end archive copy July update header ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ back to the daily drivel ~ ~ ~

July 31 ~ One more scorcher and we will be through another burner of a month. Our third month of summer and of 5-10dF over average temps, so far. A quarter of the year with about six weeks at least still ahead. Around Aug. 7 is halfway from solstice to equinox. Chronological versus astromical half-way differs by a couple days per Sky and Telescope. Already daylight is almost 30 minutes less than at solstice, now six weeks after. The peak 3 months of UV and sun is done, but not necessarily peak heat. A low of 72F felt fantastic after a bunch of 74's lately. What a difference two dF can feel.

Not a whole lot still singing at dawn. Heard Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Bell's Vireo. A few White-eyed Vireo calls, not sure if still nesting. A bit later House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch sang. Some sounds from Chats, noises, but not like singing. Early saw presumably that last same adult male Painted Bunting that continues, at the altar of the holy white millet tube of course. Just a few greenies left too. Usually we are covered in them now. Heard an Orchard Oriole out there again early, chucking. The two baby Carolina Wrens continue begging and tagging along with adults. Twenty three days out of the nest now.

July 30 ~ Hanging tough with the 74F lows lately. And highs about 98F or so. No morning low clouds. This sub-tropical high is soooo strong, and once it sets up, it seems mighty hard to dislodge for four months. One worn ad. ma. Black-chinned Hummer continues. The Rufous is gone, not seen since Thursday, now two days ago, was a three-day bird. Kathy saw a hummer with a bent lower mandible. Heard an Orchard Oriole, the mew call, as often from a bird that is on the move, as in a migrant. Most of the rest was the same. Clearly fewer greenies (imm. and fem. Painted Bunting) here now too. They appear to be departing early like the ad. males. There are no bugs to eat here this year. Evidenced by how many and often Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak have spent so much time here at the seed this summer. Wayyy more than normal. The usual supplementary protein and calcium source is not there. Which is why those two first-summer male Blue Grosbeaks have barely molted all summer.

not a current pic

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July 29 ~ Low was 74F. No low stratus, go directly to the sun. Did not hear the Rufous Hummer in the morn, it probably left. Did not see the male Painted Bunny either. I can't believe how early they bugged out this year. The two juv. Carolina Wrens continue begging like their first week out of nest, today makes three weeks. Sure great not to see any Cowbirds out there, but the 3 E. Cottontails probably eat more seed. Town run and a park check. Great was two fall migrant sandpipers! A Spotted and a Solitary. Outstanding, been a while since I have seen a sandpiper at the park. The one juvenile Barred Owl is getting feathers on the head now. One Eastern Wood-Pewee was calling in the woods. Kathy heard a Common Nighthawk at last crack of light.

July 28 ~ I guess the 74F low was better than it was yesterday. No morning low stratus. The Rufous Hummer was still here in the a.m., so day 3. Saw one ad. ma. Painted Bunting early in the morning and at last call only. It seems like the last one, a couple weeks earlier than we usually get to that point. A few male Indigo still around, not as many as there were, had a four at once count at last seed call, peak was seven. Three or four male Blue Grosbeak still here, counting the two first-summer birds. Fewer Hooded Oriole coming in less often.

July 27 ~ Low of 76F is not very. Only an hour or so of low Gulf stratus arrived after sunup. Saw one ad. male Black-chinned Hummingbird, after none yesterday. Saw one ad. ma. Painted Bunting, after none yeterday. Most ad. males of those two are gone now. The Rufous Hummingbird continues, probably an imm. male. Saw the two first summer blue-headed Grosbeaks present since spring. Both have fairly fully blue heads now, one has nape still not all filled in. That one has no other blue. The other has a little blue on the underparts and upperparts. Generally most of their bodies are very worn nearly year-old first basic (winter) plumage. They provide a good example of how retarded molt can be, due to a shortage of food.

The two of three juvenile Carolina Wrens that made it the first week continue. Begging still with soft yellow area at bill gape. They fledged July 8, now 19 days ago. Have never seen young at this stage of un-development this long after fledging. Sometimes the parents boot the young out of the territory within a week of fledging! Great was a pair of Common Ground-Dove, since we have not been seeing them. Also had a couple cackling Caracara uphill behind us. Forgot to mention yesterday, but saw it again this dusk, a bat that is likely a Red Bat. Foraging over the yard, much larger and slower of wingbeat than the Brazillian (was Mexican) Freetails. Got a little bit of warmth in the color tone off it. We used to have a pair of them resident here but have not seen them in a year or so.

July 26 ~ Saw 74F for a low. No significant low stratus from the Gulf, gonna be a cooker again today. We are running uppermost 90's F, at least 5dF over the former average. But which is a couple-few dF less than it was all last week. Seeing no adult male Painted Bunting on the millet tube. Appears as a blowout has occurred. Normally their big blowout is Aug. 7-9 or so, but I think due to the drought, like so much, they will depart early this year. In the afternoon I first heard, then saw, my first long-distance fall migrant of the year. A Rufous Hummingbird, female or immature type. Went from 8 hummers on the feeder to one real fast. Had a dragonfly go by too fast to ID but it looked like a Pale-faced Clubskimmer, which amazingly I have not seen this year.

July 25 ~ Low of 74F, a little bit of morning low stratus from the Gulf, a couple hours worth maybe. That dang pig was back making sure any Prickly Pear we were trying save got totally trampled under foot. I will have to do something at the corral gate post. Sure great not feeding all those cowbirds. Otherwise the same summer gang. Out back saw a pile of feathers indicating that between noon and 4 p.m. a White-winged Dove was taken. Probably by a Cooper's Hawk. Saw an orange colored skipper fly by, but no ID, probably a Fiery. Still working on finer points of skippers in flight. Weird not hearing the male Painted Buntings singing any more, they are shut down and becoming scarce fast. Less Indigo but still at least some few going. One fairly adjacent over in the draw, often sings from a big Hackberry right on the fenceline left of gate. It is nesting over there somewhere, feeds here, often giving flight song on departure from seed injestion sessions. Bless his exhuberance.

July 24 ~ Low was 75F, a bit of low Gulf stratus arrived just as the sun came up, but just barely, not thick. Gave a few hours of a slight break in solar heating. Seems like fewer Cowbirds, finally. I saw a few juveniles, unattended strays from elsewhere, and that was it. The main flock of adults was not here today, it seems the bulk of Brown-headed have departed. The Bronzed always stay much later in the season, but there are just a few of them. All cowbird nest predation here in Aug. and Sept. is by Bronzed, not Brown-headed. In other departure news, I only saw one adult male Black-chinned Hummingbird here today. Lots of juveniles and immatures, maybe some females, but the adult males are fairly vacated. So where do they go? Mountains of Mexico? Some obvious departures of breeding birds are ongoing. Saw one Little Yellow (butterfly).

July 23 ~ Low was 74F, a wee bit of Gulf stratus early off and on, just a little something for the humidity when it hits 92F. Somewhere around 95F or so the humidity magically evaporates and we drop to 30% or lower, sometimes low 20's. Oh but its a dry heat my foot, it's a hundred! Adult male Blue Grosbeak on the patio early. What a great seedeater to have out there. Eagle-eyed and ginchy. I was in chair on back porch, and I am afraid to breathe as if it detects movement it bolts. It looks like it is watching me for movement, one twitch and its gone.

Saw an adult male Orchard Oriole mid-morn. Kathy saw one a week or so ago. Many like to speculate (often foolishly) about every birds status. For some it is a full-time hobby. Is it the same bird Kathy saw still hanging around? Is it what is called a post-breeding dispersant that bred nearish by? Or is it a migrant from elsewhere which actually could occur now too? Pick a guess, any guess, one is as good as the next. Otherwise it was the same June and July gang. And hot. Weird how quiet the Chats are. Probably between nests, and trying to decide whether or not to do another round. In wetter years they do a last nesting in August. I do not expect that this year. But we are seeing a few fresh young around the yard so the few pairs did get some out so far already.

Not current photos.

This a Chrysomelid beetle of which there are many types. Leaf-chafers might be one group name for them. Here they are past chafing and more like devouring. These are flea-beetles. Note the enlarged base of hind leg. When they trigger it, they jump faster than your eye can follow, a foot in a tenth of a second.




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July 22 ~ Low of 74F was way better than yesterday, and I can't believe I can say that about a 74F low. There was some low Gulf stratus first couple or few hours again. Kathy heard a Common Nighthawk right over yard before sunup. A female Red-winged Blackbird hit the seed early, have not been seeing one come in lately. Just a male or few, once or twice a week or so. Saw a juvenile Chat hopping around all the seedeaters wondering what the deal was. Town run and park check. Heard a Yellow-throated Vireo upriver of the park. One begging juv. Red-shouldered Hawk there. Drying up fast. Now maybe FIVE FEET below normal bank level. The water lillies all browning and dry. Below spillway the Cypress and Sycamore are mostly turned of color, many Sycamores dropped leaves already due to drought. In dragons saw 2 Red-tailed Pennant, and a Leaftail, likely the same three beasts for three weeks now. Little Creek Larry said almost all his Chimney Swift are gone, and I heard none over town. I also only heard a couple Purple Martin, and a few Barn Swallow. The insectivores are bailing early this year. The Scissor-tails didn't even stay to nest. A note from Tom Collins of Center Point said the Kerrville butterfly count had only half the number of species they recorded last year.

July 21 ~ A ridiculous low of 78F. Gulf low stratus for the first time in a week, held the heat in overnight. At least it stayed at or below 82F for four hours due to the clouds. I remember 68F lows were regular at Lost Maples in July in the late '80's. My how things have changed in a few decades. A pig came back and finished destroying our Prickly Pear patch. Has to be small to get through the gap in the gate. But knows not to show up if lights are on. The little bastard belongs in a burrito.

Heard both the Bell's and Yellow-throated Vireo singing at early-thirty pre-sunup, and yeah a couple Wide-eyed Vireo too. Kathy heard a Canyon Towhee. I heard a warbler bk bk bk series uphill in the live-oaks out back, probably a or the Black-n-white. Parade of Hooded Oriole at the feeders in the morning. Saw my FOY juvenile Blue Grosbeak finally today. Late for the first young, presume I missed some earlier. Another hun in the sun day. One Queen on the Blue Mistflower.

July 20 ~ Saw 75F at 6:40 a.m., it might have dropped a dF more, KERV had a 73F for a low. Saw the family of four Bluebirds still around and together. Two of the baby Carolina Wren continue, probably lost one, there were three. They are growing much slower than usual, 11 days out of the nest still with much yellow on bill and begging like it was the first day out. There is not the usual amount of food to be had. Often early in the nesting season when the adults are hot to re-nest ASAP, the young are kicked out of the territory in a week or less. The last batch of the year always gets a few more days, or more of parental attention. But these are not near as developed as they should be at 11 days out of the nest.

The, or a, Great Crested Flycatcher was around in the afternoon. Lots of baby birds out there, especially Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Painted Bunting, Lark Sparrow, and some Chipping and Field Sparrow. The Blue Mistflower Eupatorium is blooming again and it is really weird how there are so few (no) butterflies out there. Thirty flower heads with nothing. Saw 99F on the cool shady front porch, so over a hun in the sun out there. Still running nearly 10dF over historical averages. With no relief in sight, nothing on the ten-day.

July 19 ~ Low of 75F was not very. The oven roasting will continue. A hun in the sun is our new daily normal. Been meaning to mention I have not been hearing many Purple Martin the last week. Just a few here and there, the prior couple weeks there were lots with young, overhead multiple times daily. Some are probably leaving already. Heard the Bell's Vireo still over in the corral singing, it no doubt nested. A Great Crested Flycatcher was around in the morning a bit. Couple Ash-throated out there off and on all day. I saw local WU station readings at 101, 102, and 103F, it was plenty toasty out there. Was still 84F at midnight!

July 18 ~ Low of 72F, same at KERV. No significant low stratus. Nice there is still some dawn chorus at 6:30 a.m., nothing like it was, but still some going. Chats must be between rounds, and you take them out of the equation and it gets a lot quieter than just one species ought to make it. Kathy saw a Black-and-white Warbler at the bath early, which looked female or imm. type. I heard Orchard Oriole in the corral, presume that first-summer male. Lots of baby House Finch. Five each at once counts on males of Lesser Goldfinch and Painted Bunting. Probably all nesting adjacent. I see and especially hear, at least two of the baby Carolina Wren still around the house. No Chucks at dark. Not hearing Nighthawks now either.

July 17 ~ The 70F low was outstanding! The TEN new chiggers I woke up with not so much. Must have harvested them on my last listen and lookabout outside after midnight. Did not have any when I went to bed. Must have been out in driveway, will do some trimming. Some Prickly Pear we have been growing was destroyed, which must have been pigs, the patch is all busted up. Happened a couple years ago too. It is the one patch that gets some extra water, so had fat juicy leaves. Ransacked. Has to be a smaller one as the only openings in alleged hog fence are small. Probably via the gate to corral behind cottage which has a bit of a gap.

Birds were the same gang. Male Vermilion Flycatcher seems to be figuring out that mean ol' Phoebe is not here any more, and is spending lots more time in the yard. Which is great. At last light I heard a couple distant half-hearted "wills-widow" calls from a tired Chuck. After a shower counted now 15 minimum chiggers I am currently hosting, not of my own volition. All on sensitive skin areas of course. There have hardly been any chiggers, or skeeters, all spring and summer so far, due to the lack of rain. But there are hardly any dragonflies, butterflies, and there were hardly any fireflies this year too.

July 16 ~ Low was 74F, saw 95F on the cool shady front porch in the afternoon. Today is hump day for climatological summer, we cross the half way point of June-August, and are now on the back half. Days are nearing a minute less daylight per day than the day prior. We are about 13 minutes less daylight per day than peak day length at solstice. Nearing a month past the solstice, and the tail end of the peak UV window. Did have a juvenile Great Crested Flycatcher in the yard in the morning. It was still begging but not being attended. So just fledged from fairly nearby. Otherwise it seemed the same gang still here. Got a chigger. Need to weedwhack the walking paths around yard. Have not had to do one single full yard mowing all spring and summer as nothing grew as usual due to the exceptional drought. Half of the yard (in sun) it is brown like winter and getting cooked to over 100F daily.


~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

July 15 ~ An amazing low of 69F was outstanding. Lots of the area had rain (besides us) last night around dark, I saw KERV was mostly 67F overnight. Weewow. The birds were singing as if they liked it too. But all looked the same here today. Town run where it was all the same as well. Besides a Green Heron at the park there were the pair of Common Grackle continuing. I have not heard or seen any young yet this year. With the pair still here, we can hope they will yet produce some. One ad. ma. Painted Bunting is a bird out moving around since they don't nest there. In odes it was the same. Halloween and Red-tailed Pennant, a Leaftail, and Eastern Pondhawk, Red Saddlebags and Checkered Setwing, mostly singles of each. In damsels, some Bluets that were likely Familiar. Did see one Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on 360, an ad. female. Otherwise the same mid-summer gang. Forgot to mention lots of Cenizo in bloom from the rains this week. It goes off a couple days after the rains, and some are looking pretty nice right now, but only last two days.

July 14 ~ Low of 74F, we'll take it. It was still over 80F after midnight last night. The new normal. No morning low stratus, the baking will continue. Birds looked the same gang, it is mid-summer. Another new Chipping Sparrow young begging, but only one, and but, at least no cowbird. Can't wait for Cowbirds to leave, which should be soon. They eat a ton of white millet, my bunting food. Speaking of which more begging baby Painted Bunnies out there too. Grayish greenies. Again late in afternoon or early evening some nearby rain cells were about. We just got spit on again, but it dropped us from a hun in the sun to 80F in short order. What a great break from peak heat. Some folks got some rain, there was thunder and such. No Chucks calling at dark again.

July 13 ~ Low about 71F was nice, the high is so strong though we are not getting the morning low stratus from the Gulf. The first-summer male Hooded Oriole hit the front porch feeder about 8:30 and then gave a nice bit of song for a minute after it left. Nice to hear that since I've had no breeders in earshot. Blue Grosbeaks are still singing well, three or four going, but two are first-summer birds with little blue, but which is slightly increasing as of late. Chat was in the bath first thing. Probably a half-dozen of them per day use it. There are at least three pairs around our place, and we are seeing several juveniles about as well. They never produce lots of young, at least here lately. One or two per nest is it. But they do two or three rounds.

Had to run to town mid-morn. Little Creek Larry said he hardly has any ad. ma. Black-chinned Hummers left, and it is almost all immatures. We still have some adult males, but a fraction of what they were. There are still some Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks over at his creek too. I saw an ad. Green Heron at the park, one of the breeding pair no doubt. Yellow-throated Vireo is still singing. No odes seems mighty weird.

But a new species of ichthyfauna. We hardly ever get that here. Like all new fish species here the last oh about a hundred years, it is an introduced species, and not native to the Sabinal drainage. Only the seven minnow species are native here. There are now shoals of Sailfin Molly in the pond. They are natural in the Nueces drainage but not Frio or Sabinal (sub-) drainages. Nearest I know of are in the Leona River at the Hwy. 90 park in downtown Uvalde, where it is very doubtful they are natural there. People like to put them everywhere, like big mosquitofish. But they are more herbivorus. Sometimes they can do algae control work, but the filament or hair algae that is a problem here is not generally eaten by anything. Obviously someone thought we should have some mollies here.

Who knows what ecological ramifications it will have? The (introduced non-native) bass certainly approve. At least the molly is a south Texas native species, and the males are pretty when in breeding colors. But usually this sort of thing does not play out well for the locals (natives) in the long term. The fish in the pond think a thousand people from Austin just showed up. Certainly trout introductions hurt the ode (dragonfly and damselfly) populations here and at Lost Maples SNA (and probably Garner S.P. as well). With all the bass and perch introductions, it is incredible the remnants (which is at best what we have) of the populations of the seven species of native minnows continue. Though I have only seen six of them.

Late in day there were more rain cells nearish but not close enough to send a cooling outflow. Just west enough to block some sun at peak heat. It was a hun plus in the sun. Brutal. I heard no Chuck-will's-widow call at chuck-thirty (last crack or sliver of light). I think they are out of gas. Three months of that and you would be spent too. We will still get the odd belt-out, especially after it (if) rains, but more grunting will be heard now. Kathy heard something that was probably begging baby Common Nighthawk.

July 12 ~ Low might have hit 75F. The same gang here. There is an adult male Hooded Oriole now coming into the back feeder. So after a couple weeks of the first summer male and female, then with their juveniles, now a 5th bird shows up. Nice to see that color. Wonder where it was all spring and earlier in summer? Another baker of a day, a hun in the sun. But again late near sundown some nearby rain cells from this boundry that continues gave us some outflow and took the edge off the heat. We got maybe a half of a tenth of an inch of precip (.05). Spit on. But, we got cooled off 10F.

July 11 ~ Cool air, an amazing 70F low, and wet ground. When the environment is in critical drought conditions, every half inch of precip is pure gold. Still hear the Yellow-throated Warbler singing over in the nearest Cypresses toward river about a hundred yards away. Also heard Orchard Oriole early, presume the first-summer pair we are getting off and on. Might be five Hooded Oriole hitting the feeder now. Weird after not having any all spring, they all show up. Not much different for birds otherwise. The heat goes on. Before 5 p.m. I saw readings of 109F at Hondo, 108F at Castroville, 107 in SAT, and so on. The SAT 107F is an all time high for the entire month of July. Local WU stations showed 102-106F! I saw 101F on the cool shady front porch. Record level heat. All the birds are panting to cool. Again some rain cells formed from this washed-out boundry area. None hit us, but some nearish enough to offer outflow dropping it 10F to 90F. One local WU station showed a 111F heat index right before the outflow hit! It was so hot (how hot was it?) the Dillo was on its back four legs up in the birdbath! I swear the birds in the tree overhead raised their eyebrows. Last slice of light still at least two, maybe three distant Chucks calling, but only briefly, and not our closeby near breeder bird.

July 10 ~ I presume it was some of the rain-cooled air, the low was 72F, very nice. The heat will not relent though. Forecast is for a hun plus the next three days, a few dF dialed back a few days, and back to another hun plus heat wave. It is relentless. It did not used to be like this here. The climate has changed. Way less rain and way hotter temps, we used to have to go to Del Rio to live like this. Welcome to desertification. That 30 inch per year average rainfall line has moved 100 miles east in 30 years. It was right here, now it is near Seguin east of SAT. So, what was it like 100 miles west of us? Del Rio. That is what we are becoming here.

Maybe a week or two of the year in the worst of July or August peak heat waves it used to be like this. This summer excess heat and record heat waves started the second week of May and there have only been a few minor very brief breaks. Mostly hotter than the worst prior heat waves, averaging 5-10dF over normal historical averages, again. We should have had a hot last month, we have had a record hot two months so far.

The first-summer male Black-n-white Warbler was singing around yard pre-sunup. It has been here about two months now, and raised at least two young from a very nearby nest. The Yellow-throated Vireo was singing out there pre-sunup as well. The three just-fledged Carolina Wren are still about. A bunch of Hooded Oriole using the hummer feeders, mostly the office feeder in back, which stays the coolest. One oranger bird might be an adult male.

It was at least a hun in the sun in the afternoon. Local WU stations showing 100-105F. About 6 p.m. or so some rain cells again popped up along this remnant boundry to our north. So first we lost the sun and a few dF. Then we lost power after a lightning strike I think north of town. Then nearing 7 p.m. the edge of a rain cell hit us, we got a half-inch of precip, and it dropped into 70's F! After just getting spit on yesterday, this was great. A little bit of relief goes a long way. As it hit the wind gusts on the initial outflow hitting us here were near zero visibility for a couple minutes due to dust, at 30-40 mph!

July 9 ~ Low about 75F again, and zip for morning low stratus. I saw 80F at 9 a.m., 90F at noon, and between 4-5 p.m. it hit a hun in the shade. Some local WU stations were showing 102-105F. Right on the record line for much of the area. Brutal hot. There was a front way further north in Texas that caused rain, which drove outflow boundries down into central Texas, which then cooked up into thundercells. A couple were nearish enough to send outflows here, which dropped it from about 102F to a chilly 92F near end of day. A few outflow-blown drops hit here, that was it. Kathy saw a juvenile Mockingbird at the bath, a post-breeding dispersant. That might have been the only new item. Maybe some more new baby Lesser Goldfinch and Cardinal. Still too many Brown-headed Cowbird here, they will be departing very shortly now, but not soon enough. I still have not seen any of our local breeding birds attending to or getting begged from a juvenile here this year. Kathy heard a Cicada. I saw a Funereal Duskywing butterfly.


~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

July 8 ~ Low about 75-76F, a bit on the warm side. The sub-tropical high is building in stronger for a few days, so almost no low Gulf stratus. I saw some 80F readings locally by 9:30 a.m., so we will be a hun in the sun. Town run fer shtuff so a look at park. E. Pewee singing at the crossing as I left for town. Had a group of begging juvenile Yellow-throated Warbler in woods at park, and another group of them in the big live-oak behind the general store. In the park woods there was a juvenile Yellow-throated Vireo, and a juvenile Yellow-breasted Chat on the island. The Chat doesn't nest there so we know it is a post-breeding dispersant. Was an imm. Painted Bunting there too. Odes were a Black Saddlebags, a female Roseate Skimmer, and the three Pennants continue: Halloween, Banded, and Red-tailed. Not much though.

Here at the hovelita in the afternoon there was a new batch of 3 just-fledged juvenile Carolina Wren! I mean just out of the nest. Still all together. Parents feeding them. I can't believe they got another set out so fast. Kathy spotted the adult female Bluebird at the bath with the two juveniles. It took her (mama bluebird) ten minutes and two baths for them to figure it out. She was drenched. Finally they drank and splashed in it. It was their first time obviously. Been a big wave of juvenile Black-chinned Hummingbird the last several days. Hopefully their last for the season. Draining feeders.

July 7 ~ Low of 74F, the high pressure is going to be near full strength for the next week with highs at or above 100F daily. And no rain in sight. One Black-bellied Whistling-Duck flying downriver at dawn. At least some good birdsong before and around sunup continues. Indigo and Painted Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Cardinal, White-eyed (3 diff.) and Yellow-throated Vireo, B-c Titmouse, Lark, Field, and Chipping Sparrow, are all still territorially singing (nesting) in or adjacent to yard. And Vermilion Flycatcher sputtering while fluttering up above it all. The Carolina and Bewick's Wrens are around, might be hearing more Bewick's Wren juveniles. The E. Bluebirds are still around with at least two young. Yellow-throated Warbler was singing in front yard Pecans mid-morn.

Due to a very complex calculus error I had to run to town to get some birdseed. The good stuff (50 lb. sacks of white millet) is due in tomorrow, so just some low-grade mix to hold a revolt off for a day. A small army of buntings without white millet can be a dangerous thing. This required a look at the park of course, which broke my heart. I thought I heard a Verdin repeatedly calling across the pond on other side. Yellow-throated Vireo and Warbler are both still singing. The two juvie Red-shouldered Hawks are running along the very low waterline and out in the drying water lillies. Water is down four feet from normal bank, and if it hadn't have been dredged of flood buildup a decade ago there would be rock islands out in it. Up in the woods there was a very close begging baby Barred Owl. Still downy on head but flight capable. In dragons there was a Leaftail (looked 4-stripe), three Red-tailed, two Halloween, and one Banded Pennant, a couple Eastern Pondhawk, a Blue Dasher, and a Swift Setwing. No damselflies. Heard distant Chucks at dark here but not our close one.

July 6 ~ Low about 74F, just a wee bit of low Gulf stratus briefly. High about a hun in the sun. The different thing today was Canyon Towhee! The one we had left in March to go breed somewhere, there have been none since. Today I saw at least one, thought there were two, and heard a call that is strictly made by two birds interacting. Late in day Kathy saw one at the birdbath. I presume one is the bird that wintered and left in spring. They depart fall-to-spring territory, leaving water and seed to go to the breeding grounds to find a mate and nest. And then come back. Clearly some sort of seasonal movement. It happens every year, they leave to breed somewhere else. Usually I do not see one until August, I presume the early stoppage this year is drought related.

July 5 ~ Low about 73F, a few hours of low stratus from the Gulf early. Then the sun showed its hot head. Heard the Great Crested Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, and Yellow-throated Vireo early, Yellow-throated Warbler more distantly but still visiting yard daily. First-summer fem. and juv. Hooded Oriole on the back hummer feeder at the same time. Must be hers. Kathy saw the male Summer Tanager back in yard. Seems like it has been avoiding it due to that incessantly begging juvenile. Saw likely the same ad. Red-shouldered Hawk in the Pecans out front. Hope it is getting Cotton Rats (Sigmodon). Kathy saw the first-summer male Black-n-white Warbler at the bath again, so it is still around. The White-eyed Vireo still nesting over in the draw tangle.

July 4 ~ The big middle holiday of summer, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. A quiet one here since the big annual firework show was cancelled (fine by me) and there is no river as usual (not good). So the typical tourist crowds are not here. Usually the biggest day of the year for visitors here. The low of 72F was nice, the low stratus from Gulf kept it below 80 until 11 a.m. or so. A few hours to do things outside without being overheated is a welcome respite.

Saw another Desert Checkered-Skipper, and a Dun Skipper was on the Wooly Ironweed, of course. It is a bit restricted in a deer proofish cage so it can't spread out at the top and be pretty as usual. But that Dun sure finds one open flower. I see two Red Turkscap flowers now. The deer sure butchered it. It should look like a hedge, it looks like ground cover. Heard a singing Eastern Wood-Pewee out front in the Pecans for a bit.

It was weird after dark having no firework show explosions a couple miles north in town, and really weird having it be quiet of road roar the hour after the show ends. Usually sounds like an L.A. freeway out there. Even the locals were not setting them off, methinks due to the burn ban. They might have banned fireworks as well, as quiet as it was. It was quite odd for all the peace and quiet on the fourth. A real holiday of another sort, the animals, wild and especially dogs, and cats, surely loved it. Heard the Spadefoot Toad again.

July 3 ~ After some near misses with rain cells yesterday evening, a low that formed over NE Mexico and the Rio Grande sent a mass of rain over Uvalde and Real Co. We got TWO INCHES here from 12:30-6:30 a.m. A fair bit of thunder and heard a few hail stones. Saw a report of .25" hail at Leakey. Also saw reports of 3" of rain along the Frio River at Leakey and down to Uvalde. Some very badly needed precip for the area. Low was 70F. We might have hit 80F around noon. Incredible. This low forming along the Rio Grande in northern Mexico was not predicted two days ago.

In other climate news, this weekend is the twenty year anniversary of the big flood of 2002 when Utopia flooded. The year before we moved here. The flood more or less ended a decade-long drought and began a 5 year wet cycle. It was a three day event over July 2-4, with 2-3 feet of rain. A tropical low moved in and stalled, and would not stop raining. Nearby a few decades prior, one of the state and national record or near-record rain events is listed as occurring at Medina, it was four feet over a few days, from a named system that moved in (Amanda, or Amelia?), stalled and rained out around poor Medina. Utopia was spared the worst of that one. But not 2002.

Critters were the same about the casita. Kathy saw a Black-n-white Warbler at the birdbath, which sounded like the first-summer male that has been around and bred. I saw a juvenile Indigo Bunting, my FOY, and saw a juv. Hooded Oriole, besides first-summer male and female. One first-summer Blue-headed Grosbeak (male Blue) looks mostly the same still, just blue-headed. It has been here since May and is singing uphill in what is certainly sub-par habitat. Many juv. Lark Sparrow and Painted Bunting, some juvie Chipping and Field Sparrow. I got some fence up to hopefully save what is left of the Red Turkscap after the deer massacred it. I see one flower on one of the stubs. Also see a flower on the Wooly Ironweed, which had to be caged due to deer.

July 2 ~ Low maybe 73F, Gulf low stratus moving in at sunup. Gives us a couple hours before the sun begins bearing down, however with the price of increased humidity. Which doesn't matter at 75F, but when it hits 90F it does. I saw 96F in the shade in afternoon. A few nearish rain cells blocked sun late in day so a bit of relief from the burn. Maybe upvalley and over in the Frio Canyon they got some rain. Was lots of thunder, just no precip made it to town and southward to us. Birds were the same gang of begging babies. One of the Summer Tanager juvies is still hanging around begging hoping parents show back up to feed it. Not seeing them. Heard the kip notes again, of Kingbird or Scissor-tail. Saw one of the juv. Bluebird. After dark I heard what had to have been a Couch's Spadefoot Toad right outside house, but could not spot it as always.


~ ~ ~ last prior update below ~ ~ ~

July 1 ~ And there goes the first half of the year, here comes the second half, hope yer ready. It started at about 73F for the record. Hot and dry is all I see in the forecast. Kathy heard an unknown grating call going up and down river early before sunup, maybe a heron or egret sort of thing. Town run fer shtuff. Little Creek Larry said he had some kind of heron or egret thingie distantly in flight. Best bird was a Verdin which I heard last week at the post office but didn't mention as I did not see it and Lesser Goldfinch juveniles make a very similar call. It was still there this week, and is a Verdin. So then June 24 was the first date on it. Nothing at the park, but a few odes. Saw a FOY and LTA Four-spotted Pennant, a Red-tailed Pennant, a Swift Setwing, a Green Darner, and some Bluets of some sort, probably Familiar. Very few flying.

In the afternoon here Kathy saw the first summer male Black-n-white Warbler. A couple rain cells got nearish enough to give us some outflow and drop it from a hun to 90F, and then a second one spit on us a bit and made it 85F. So we beat the worst of the afternoon heat. After 7 p.m. I got a count of SEVEN male Indigo Bunting at once, and could not see the patio. Has to be all of them nesting around, and maybe a couple more. Heard a Gnatcatcher out there late in day. Late Kathy heard an Eastern Wood-Pewee calling over at the river.

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~ ~ ~ above is 2022 ~ ~ ~

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Index page with links to all 'Old Bird News' pages ...

Bird News Archives Index

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Links to last decade of old bird news pages below,
broken into six month increments. One day I'll quarter it
out by season as well, so all years of each season are
together, perhaps making say, searching springs easier.


Odd numbered archives are January through June.
Even numbered archives are July through December
(except a couple when the split missed, probably due
to excessive amount of drivel in spring).



Bird News Archive XXXVII
January 1, 2022 - June 30, 2022

Bird News Archive XXXVI
July 1, 2021 - Dec. 31, 2021

Bird News Archive XXXV
January 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021

Bird News Archive XXXIV
July 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020

Bird News Archive XXXIII
January 1, 2020 - June 30, 2020

Bird News Archive XXXII
July 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019

Bird News Archive XXXI
January 1, 2019 - June 30, 2019

Bird News Archive XXX
July 1, 2018 - Dec. 31, 2018

Bird News Archive XXIX
January 1, 2018 - June 30, 2018

Bird News Archive XXVIII
July 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017

Bird News Archive XXVII
January 1, 2017 - June 30, 2017

Bird News Archive XXVI
July 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016

Bird News Archive XXV
January 1, 2016 - June 30, 2016

Bird News Archive XXIV
July 1, 2015 - Dec. 31, 2015

Bird News Archive XXIII
January 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015

Bird News Archive XXII
July 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

Bird News Archive XXI
January 1, 2014 - June 30, 2014

Bird News Archive XX
July 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013

Bird News Archive XIX
January 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013

Index page with links to all 'Old Bird News' pages ...

Bird News Archives Index

Go, look, see, take notes and pictures, boldly nature nerd where no one has before. Few things rival the thrill of discovery. Besides having fun and learning, you will probably see some things people won't believe without photos.  ;)
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