No matter why, or for what, you are there or have been called out there.... things can happen. Good things.
Most recently, Heidi and I were out at the Davis Mountains Preserve (DMP, The Nature Conservancy of Texas) aiding a very cool moth survey. That can be fun enough.
Then this guy twitters a double-tap...triple, and perches...often... but not for long, all the while gnat-catching:
Look out. Where did it go?
There it is, at the bottom left corner:
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White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis)
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An outstanding bird. These less-than-excellent-photos attest to the fact that we were not on a birding trip specifically. Nevertheless, field notes and these photos were sent to The Nature Conservancy and to the Texas Bird Record Committee (TBRC).
Regarding the TBRC, if I am reading the Texas Review Species List correctly this would be the 34th documented White-eared Hummingbird for the state of Texas.
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Rich Kostecke of The Nature Conservancy just posted, on TXBirds List-serve, a comprehensive Spring Review of the DMP and also alluded to the up-coming Open Weekend in mid-July.
The following is a copy-and-paste of this evening's post. It is
LONG but worth the read. Study up :-)
Dated Thu, 4 Jul 2013....
With field work, holiday travel and the like, I have been incredibly tardy in
posting much of anything this year and this is no exception. However, I
figured I should post a report on the birds we have been seeing at The Nature
Conservancy's Davis Mountains Preserve (Jeff Davis Co.) ahead of the open
weekend in mid-July (12th-14th if I recall correctly), especially since last I
heard several birders were considering the trip out there. I also figured I'd
comment on the Long-eared Owls we found nesting on the preserve.
First some set-up. We have been conducting bird surveys on the preserve during
May and June during the last couple of years (2012 and 2013) to assess the
impacts of both the 2011-2012 wildfires and the on-going drought on the bird
community. This is a rare instance when we actually have data prior to the
impacts
with which to make comparisons. I did a preliminary write-up on the project
in the last Texas Birds Annual. Anyway, as some have noted, beetles, drought,
and wildfire have had a
significant impact on the forest/woodland habitat in the Davis Mountains. The
system has definitely been impacted and changed, perhaps for good. If the
system has not been nudged onto a different ecological trajectory, we are
certainly near that tipping point if drought continues and additional wildfires
occur. Large parts of the range could transform from pine forest and
pinyon-juniper woodland into a chaparral-type community dominated by oaks and
other hardwoods and/or grassland. In many areas, the forest is more open and
more exposed. That may be a mixed blessing. Historically (prior to the
1930s), the natural ecological condition of the forest was likely more open
with fewer trees. Perhaps the biggest factor limiting recovery right now is
precipitation. Luckily, the area seems to be experiencing monsoon conditions a
bit earlier than usual. Hopefully these monsoon rains will not only start
early, but go late to help alleviate some of
the precipitation deficit. If we get some good precipitation, the surviving
trees should do alright and with more resources available to them due to
reduced competition may actually be able to withstand beetles and drought
better. Anyway, so while there have been some significant changes in the
mountains, not all is lost. While numbers may have shifted in relation to
environmental conditions, pretty much all the expected species are still
present. And, while we may not be finding as many exciting vagrants as in the
past, there is still the potential to turn up some surprises. The Long-eared
Owls are a good example of that.
In regards to the owls, a group of us found them in the course of conducting
the aforementioned, formal bird surveys on the preserve. We kept things quiet
for several reasons. First and foremost, we wanted to reduce disturbance and
the potential for nest abandonment. This is a pretty rare and special
occurrence, after all. Both nests were located in high traffic areas. The
pass-through traffic did not seem to bother them, but after we discovered the
nests they were definitely very aware of our presence we when we were looking
at them (so, having lots of people stop to gawk at them may not have been a
good thing for nest success over the longer term). Second, the owls were not
going to be chaseable. The upcoming open weekend is the first public access
since the owls were discovered. At this point, as of 6/22, the nests are
deserted. We assume that all of the young have fledged. However, keep your
eyes peeled for them from just below the
mouth of Wolf Den Canyon up to the pipe gates at the end of the Madera Canyon
Road as, though they may scatter somewhat after fledging, they may still be in
the general vicinity. Please, absolutely no use of tapes or recordings to draw
them in!!! Long-eared Owls are not particularly responsive to play back,
anyway.
Anyway, the mountains are showing well after the recent rains. Everything has
greened up, the creek is flowing again, and the tanks have filled. With that
said, for those who will be visiting on the open weekend, the roads are a bit
more interesting than they have been. High clearance is usually adequate for
Madera Canyon Road, but if the rains continue, there may be some spots where
4WD could be needed. High clearance will definitely be needed for the handful
of low water crossings on Madera Canyon Road. Upon arrival at the preserve,
you will have to check in with preserve staff and/or volunteers. They can
provide updated info on road conditions. Also, there may be some closures of
certain trails (Tobe Canyon) to protect the resource. Again, check in with
preserve staff and/or volunteers for details. Some good birds have been seen
in Tobe Canyon (listed below) and a White-eared Hummingbird was recently seen
in the canyon, but there are
a few other places with equal birding potential. If Tobe Canyon is closed
off, perhaps the best and easiest alternative would be the Limpia Chute Trail.
Pine Peak can also be good. The bird communities for all of those sites are
actually pretty similar. Remember, hiking is involved in getting to all of
these sites (4-6 miles round-trip). The recent rains have also resulted in a
tremendous hatch of mosquitoes. Finally, if you do bird the preserve, we would
appreciate reports on what you observed.
Now the recent bird sightings and commentary of some species that are likely to
targets for folks.
'Mexican' Mallard 2 (pair) on Madera Creek 6/24, but others were seeing them
throughout 6/23-6/25; responding to the sudden availability of water in the
creek and tanks.
Montezuma Quail 1 heard near Jones Tank on 6/24; other birds heard calling
along Jones Tank Road/Trail
Wild Turkey 5-7/day
Turkey Vulture 4-8/day
Cooper's Hawk 1-5/day; several active nests (at least 1 with nestlings)
throughout Madera Canyon, Right Hand Canyon, and Tobe Gap Road
Common Black-hawk 1 Madera Canyon Road on 6/25 (somewhat sparse this year?
Nesting habitat may have really taken a hit from the fires and drought)
Zone-tailed Hawk 1 over Tobe Canyon on 6/25, but recent reports (fly-overs)
from the lower parts of Madera Canyon on the Preserve and Jones Tank Road/Trail
area
Red-tailed Hawk 0-2/day
White-winged Dove 1-8/day
Mourning Dove 9-26/day
Western Screech-owl 0-2/day (throughout Madera Canyon)
Elf Owl 1 heard on 6/23 from the McIvor Conservation Center or MCC
(historically, they have been found in the LE Wood picnic area)
Common Nighthawk 1 on 6/23
Common Poorwill 1-5/night (several around the MCC and cabin)
Mexican Whip-poor-will 1 female with chick on 6/24 (usually fairly reliably
found in the upper parts of Madera Canyon; also recently found in Pine Canyon
and last year I had them in Tobe Canyon)
White-throated Swift 0-20/day (can be heard/seen overhead just about anywhere,
but I have had best luck with them in the pinnacles above Tobe Spring and the
rock outcroppings and walls around Mount Livermore)
Magnificent Hummingbird - none seen this trip, but I have recently had 1 at
Tobe Spring, which might be the most accessible spot to try for the species
Black-chinned Hummingbird 0-6/day
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 2-17/day (most up Madera Canyon and in the higher
country)
Acorn Woodpecker 2-3/day
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1-5/day
Northern Flicker 1 on 6/24
American Kestrel 0-3/day (pair have nested around the buildings just west,
up-canyon, of the MCC and have successfully fledged young this year)
Peregrine Falcon 0-3/day (pair have successfully fledged 3 young from a nest in
the pinnacles in upper Tobe Canyon; they are all very vocal right now)
Western Wood-pewee 8-13/day
Gray Flycatcher 1-10/day (throughout Madera Canyon - the default empid during
the breeding season)
Cordilleran Flycatcher 0-4/day (high country and mesic canyons)
Buff-breasted Flycatcher - none seen this trip, 1 was seen in late May in lower
Wolf Den Canyon and may still be around, but is likely moving around
extensively and is likely to be extremely difficult to locate)
Black Phoebe 1 on 6/24 at the tank by the cabin; responding to the recent
availability of water in the creek and tanks
Say's Phoebe 1-3/day
Dusky-capped Flycatcher 0-1/day (Tobe Canyon, but can be found at other sites -
Bridge Gap/Limpia Chute Trail, Pine Peak, etc.)
Ash-throated Flycatcher 7-24/day
Cassin's Kingbird 5-10/day
Plumbeous Vireo 5-8/day
Hutton's Vireo 1-4/day
Stellar's Jay 1+ on 6/25 (the higher you are, the better shot you have at them;
spots like Tobe Canyon the canyon heads below Mt. Livermore, the Limpia Chute
Trail, Pine Peak)
Western Scrub-jay 1-4/day
Common Raven 1-4/day
Violet-green Swallow 0-2/day
Barn Swallow 0-2/day
Mountain Chickadee 1-7/day (can be found along Madera Canyon up-canyon from the
facilities, Right Hand Canyon Road, and the higher country)
Black-crested Titmouse 2-11/day
Bushtit 2-6/day
White-breasted Nuthatch 7-10/day
Canyon Wren 2-6/day
House Wren 0-2/day (best shot is the higher country)
Bewick's Wren 2-12/day
Western Bluebird 0-2/day (best shot is in lower Madera Canyon)
Hermit Thrush 1 on 6/25 upper Tobe Canyon
Northern Mockingbird 0-1/day
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 on 6/25 upper Tobe Canyon
Colima Warbler 1 on 6/24 upper Tobe Canyon (looked good for a pure Colima,
though note that a hybrid swarm of Colima x Virginia's warblers are suspected
in the mountains; rare but can stumble across any of the Colimoid-type warblers
in any of the high country areas)
Virginia's Warbler 0-2/day upper Tobe Canyon and other highland areas
Grace's Warbler 2-4 day (mostly upper Madera Canyon, Tobe Gap Road, Tobe
Canyon, Limpia Chute Trail, and other highland areas)
Painted Redstart - Maybe once a breeder, but seemingly more of a fall migrant
in recent years with birds beginning to show up in August
Spotted Towhee 10-25/day
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1-4/day
Canyon Towhee 0-2/day
Chipping Sparrow 7-13/day
Black-chinned Sparrow 2-6/day
Lark Sparrow 0-3/day
Hepatic Tanager 1-15/day
Western Tanager 0-4/day
Black-headed Grosbeak 4-6/day
Blue Grosbeak 1-4/day
Indigo Bunting 1-2 males on territory in Tobe Canyon on 6/24 and 6/25
'Lilian's' Eastern Meadowlark 1-2/day (in the meadow by the MCC)
Brown-headed Cowbird 1-3/day
Scott's Oriole 0-1/day
Lesser Goldfinch 2-13/day
Richard Kostecke, Ph.D.
The Nature Conservancy
318 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78701
