A question has been mumbled around the region (well, by a few of us) about where the Zone-tailed Hawks have gone. After all, last year was the worst drought in the entire state, much less the Big Bend region. Nevertheless, we are certainly used to seeing this Turkey Vulture psuedo-mimic around once in awhile.
A portion of that answer was revealed:
Maravillas Ranch.
Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus)
We were thrilled. Also exciting was adding this species, with a couple of others, to the Maravillas Ranch possible species list for the festival.
Our day on this property south of Marathon was to scout a couple of locations I had yet to visit, while orienting Cameron to parts of the property.
Had this been an exercise in recording the most species we could, our total would have been higher.
During this scouting we came across the following species; this list generated by eBird:
43 species total
2 | Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
still just paired up, from my obs.
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|---|---|
10 | Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura |
2 | Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus
FOY for MY. First of prop for MY, in location previously un-searched. This bird has been abnormally scarce for the region, this year,... generally.
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1 | Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis |
1 | Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
FOY. First of property for MY.
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8 | Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto |
8 | White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica |
12 | Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura |
4 | Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
food carries.
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9 | Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons |
2 | Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
conservatively. Did not search extensively. !st HY's may have dispersed. lakehouse.
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12 | Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
one female on nest, HY's from Lakehouse first nest seemed dispersed.
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6 | Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens |
5 | Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans |
4 | Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis |
5 | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
Ad. male, female. 3 HY's. scraggly oak motte on w.side of road, heading to lakehouse.
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12 | Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii |
2 | Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
heard only. maybe 3. heat of the day. Good habitat patch was finally surveyed. Biggest find of the day probably, as there aren't too many (accessible??) scrub-jay locations in Brewster Co. First of property. Found in previously un-surveyed location. However, location was thought to be promising for this species.
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3 | Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
heard only. Did not pursue this trip.
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2 | Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus |
2 | Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus |
1 | Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
same general location across lakehouse
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8 | Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos |
1 | Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre |
7 | Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens |
3 | Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps
not as many singing this particular morning.
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7 | Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca |
10 | Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii |
2 | Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus |
25 | Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata |
7 | Summer Tanager Piranga rubra |
4 | Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis |
1 | Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus |
5 | Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea |
1 | Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor
vocalizing male on territory. Same location.
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10 | Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
numbers have increased in two weeks. Several singing males.
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5 | Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus |
8 | Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus |
12 | Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
seemed more prevalent ..
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10 | Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
certainly more. Often vocalizing. Only observed adults.
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4 | Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum |
6 | House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus |
5 | Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria |
While I wasn't scouring the property for butterflies this time, we did happen across this guy:
Texas Powdered-Skipper (Systasea pulverulenta)
Definitely a favorite species, to go along with its Genus mate, (S. zampa) Arizona Powdered-Skipper. Both of which are found in our area. Both of which have been found at Maravillas Ranch.
We also encountered this guy once more, or an individual like it.
There's lots of butterflying (is that the proper verb?) in Arizona, but nobody seems to combine it with birding on one site like you all do.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, have you ever had to choose a side between the birds and the butterflies? I'm assuming that at some point, predatory birds have turned their sights on the butterflies, and maybe some of the larger butterflies have slurped up a bird every now and again? Does it make you cringe when a butterfly gets chomped, or does the satisfaction of knowing "it's just nature" cool your ire?
I don't speak for Matt, but I try not to be one of *those* birders, who rolls eyes over interest expressed in a non-bird... and this blog was started to share our outdoors adventures in the region - we are simply too easily entertained to focus on ONLY birds. Also, when birds stop being active, the bugs are still flying...
DeleteChoosing sides isn't really an issue - it's just cool to see life as it happens. We've seen some weird stuff, like a mated pair of sulphur butterflies flying around, except something had snacked half of one of them. It's nature. We're privileged to see it. Except the butterfly slurping a bird, we have not seen that - but it would be AWESOME.
That semi-snacked butterfly sounds like a war hero.
DeleteI was wondering more so if you all ever get nervous when say an rare butterfly shows up. To use a birdy anecdote. they had a Long-tailed Duck show up on the Salt Lake in Utah earlier this winter. The bird was a bit sickly but a great sighting for the area. Before long, it had been picked off by a Harrier. Of course it's totally natural, even expected in a sense, but still it seems bittersweet in a way, much like the taste of a Queen butterfly... : )
Laurence,
ReplyDelete"Does it make you cringe when a butterfly gets chomped, or does the satisfaction of knowing "it's just nature" cool your ire?"
No. , Yes.
Only thing about a bird snacking on a butterfly is when it's during an inappropriate time.
Por ejemplo:
I'm leading a kids group around and talking butterflies. I say, "the Queen butterfly eats milkweed as a caterpillar. You are what you eat, right guys? So as an adult, the Queen's orange color acts as a warning, 'Do not eat me as I will give you a 'tummy ache'." So, birds know to avoid certain butterflies."
Then, a Northern Mocking swoops down and snacks a Queen.
-Matt
Ha! This is the best example of a Mockingbird living up to its namesake I've ever heard.
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