Balmorhea

A bit of light birding was done on 3 March, 2012 in Reeves County:

Balmorhea State Park:
1 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors - 1 Female
3 Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera - 1 male, 2 female
2 Greater Scaup Aythya marila - 1 male, 1 female. Photos taken.
4 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus - 1 displaying male, 3 female
2 Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
1 Snowy Egret Egretta thula
4 American Coot Fulica americana
1 Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
X Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus - heard only

Lake Balmorhea:
2 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
60 Snow Goose Chen caerulescens
60 Ross's Goose Chen rossii
400 American Wigeon Anas americana
2 Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi
10 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
11 Greater/Lesser Scaup Aythya marila/affinis
2 Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
1 Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis
4 Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus clarkii
6 American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
1 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
1 Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus - mature adult
1 American Kestrel Falco sparverius
300 American Coot Fulica americana
9 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
2 Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
6 Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
1 Herring Gull Larus argentatus
1 Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
1 Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
1 Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus
50 Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
1 Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
40 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
1 American Pipit Anthus rubescens
6 Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys
1 Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
1 Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
7 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

Of note, the Bank Swallow was a bit early, the grebe numbers were extremely low, the sparrow flocks were few and far between, and overall conditions away from the lake proper were extremely dry. But as it was, the trip was still quite productive for lingering waterfowl and insect life was finally picking up from the winter lull. Folks visiting the lake for birding should note that day use fees have gone from $4 to $5 for birder vehicles, though it's posted as a per-person day use fee (under the assumption of fishing). It is always a productive, interesting trek and it's as close to a "beach" as we have out here, bringing a bit of the coast inland to us. Now if we could just get some skimmers and oystercatchers....