Seasonal Sightings for Central Prairie and East Texas

Compiled by Bert Frenz,
North American Birds, Subregional Editor, East Texas and
Texas Ornithological Society, Director, Region VI, Central Prairie, Texas.

Fall Season: August 1 - November 30, 2002

The 67 Texas counties included in this report are:  Anderson, Angelina, Austin, Bastrop, Bell, Bowie, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, DeWitt, Falls, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Gonzales, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Karnes, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, Marion, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Red River, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Travis (eastern), Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Walker, Waller, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson.  

Reduced from over 3000 reports of 317 species.

(Photo of Common Poorwill by Charles Perkins, taken at Fort Hood on 25 November.)

Weather reports:

Ellen Ratoosh, 18 August, Burleson County, "... at the Turf Farm (Co. Rd. 443) off Hwy 50 in Burleson County. We were there from 16:00-18:00, it was in the low 90s, mostly sunny, humid, with light south winds. Considering the amount of rain we had on Thursday, there was surprisingly little standing water on the turf and fields, but we still had a number of good sightings."

Darrell Vollert, 19 August, Washington County, "The Chappell Hill area in eastern Washington County received almost nine inches of rain last Thursday [15 August]. The heavy rains left pastures and agriculture fields in the Brazos River bottom east of Chappell Hill flooded. Shorebirding has been good (for the Central Brazos Valley) along FM2447 east of Chappell Hill. …. A pasture on the south side of FM2447 still had standing water this afternoon. Water should still be in the pasture through at least tomorrow."

Peter Barnes, 25 August, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County, "It was hot and humid and the skies were clear on Sunday. Nevertheless, many birds were present at Richland Creek WMA, and 74 species were observed in four and a half hours, including 12 species of large wading birds. Water levels are still too high for shorebirds."

Byron Stone, 28 September, Williamson County, "Weather was sunny, clear, calm with temperature in the high 60's at dawn to high 80's by 12 noon."

Darrell Vollert, 30 September, Washington County, "In the Brazos Valley for the past 9 days we have been experiencing low temperatures around 60-65 and high temperatures around 90. The humidity has been very low the past several days. We had strong northerly winds most of last week. Yesterday there was quite a bit of haze in the air."

Darrell Vollert, 9 October, Washington County, "Birding continues to be good in Washington County the past few days. The cold front we were expecting early Monday morning stalled just north of our area. We have a very unstable atmosphere now. Little impulses are moving across the state from southwest to northeast bringing rain to our area. We had 2/10ths of an inch of rain on Sunday evening, 1.6 inches on Monday afternoon, .45 on Tuesday afternoon, and 1.3 inches of rain early this morning (10/9). More rain is expected this afternoon and tonight. A strong cold front is expected to move through the state on Sunday. ... Birding continued to be very good this afternoon in my neighborhood.

Darrell Vollert, 10 October, Washington County, "Not too much migrant activity today. It sure was a nice/cool day though. The cold front that had been stalled just north of our area since Monday [7 October] picked up strength and passed through during the early morning hours. We had a strong northwest wind all day that brought in dry air."

Ellen Ratoosh, 13 October, Brazos County, "Our long-awaited cold front came in last night, and I just wish the RBAS hawk watch trip had been today instead of last week, because judging by the hawks going by my house, the Brazos Bottoms must have been hopping. First, before the front: on 10/12, it was 90ish, humid, and mostly sunny. ... Today, 10/13, it was about 60, raining on and off, with light north winds, and heavy overcast. ...

Byron Stone, 13 October, Williamson County, "A strong frontal system with winds from the north reached Austin by 5:45 a.m. today, and by sunrise in the Granger area, forty miles NW of Austin, temps had dropped from the low 70's to the low 50's and the wind was steady and strong from the north gusting to 40 mph estimated. Skies were continuously cloudy, but precipitation was absent in most areas. Of special note were large numbers of newly present waterfowl overhead and on lakes, surprisingly large numbers of Swainson's Hawks at this relatively late date utilizing structural lift provided by the strong steady north wind, and season high numbers for Avocets, Franklin's Gulls and White Pelicans (for me at least)."

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 12:06, "If you are in Central Texas you may want to get out and watch the skies. There are massive numbers of raptors, vulture, anhingas, some geese, Franklin's Gulls etc., cranes etc., moving through right now (12:00 noon). My estimate of total number of bird as yet since about 10:20 is 10-12,000 birds and still counting. Plenty of passerines too. Just a heads up to let you know what the front has brought in today. I am going back out but more later after another spat of watching on totals."

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 15:36, "Well this first big front of the season sure brought the birds and fortunately I did not have to leave the yard here near Utley, in Bastrop Co. to realize it. Raptors, Geese etc. poured over the yard and I stared and counted until I was sated and weary of it. From about 10:00- 3:00 birds poured over in a virtually unbroken narrowish stream. There was very little kettling activity except with the pelicans, storks and cranes. Most hawks and vultures merely passed through as though a river of birds with a speedy current. I am surrounded by thick woods and viewed all from a small meadow behind my house thus was unable to really see from horizon to horizon, however the "river" seemed to fluctuate only to about 1.5 east and 1.5 west of me on average and were in sight most of the ~5 hrs. I was out. I had to work fast considering the speed they passed over. … Lots of passerines as well, quite a day of birding from the comfort of one's own property, sort of a mini-Big Sit!"

Darrell Vollert, 23 October, Washington County, "The strong cold front that passed through the area on the 13th brought in a number of Yellow-rumped Warblers and White-throated Sparrows. Don't recall these species being so widespread this early in October. We have had so much rain lately that the Army Corps of Engineers may declare the entire Chappell Hill area a wetland. More rain is on the way in the next few days."

Ellen Ratoosh, 27 October, Brazos County, "There's been almost 9" of rain in my yard in the last 8 days, with more expected tomorrow."

Rich Kostecke, 27 October, Bell County, "In general, there has been a noticeable movement of waterbirds (cormorants, pelicans, waterfowl, gulls) onto the reservoirs in Bell and Coryell Counties. Songbirds have been more sporadic in occurrence. However, I have been coming across occasional large, mixed-species flocks. Most of the songbirds in these flocks can be considered year-round residents or winter residents, but a few migrants have also been tucked into these flocks."

David Wolf, October, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "Lake Rayburn continued to drop until the rain in late October, creating extensive mudflats and marshy shoreline for waterbirds. Weather events that affected bird movement during this period included Hurricane Lili on Oct 3; a major cold front on Oct 13-14 followed by cool nights and clear warm days through Oct 17; and a dreary period of rain and overcast from Oct 19-27 as several week fronts to the north and moisture from the southwest collided over the southern half of Texas."

Byron Stone, 2 November, Williamson County, "Skies were overcast, a light wind was from the NE, and temps were in the fifties. Rain didn't begin falling until late morning."

Peter Barnes, 3 November, Freestone County, "The rain varied between a drizzle and a downpour all morning at Richland Creek WMA, making birding a bit of a challenge. The birds didn't seem to mind though, and I observed 75 species. ... There were 13 species of waterfowl, including 600 flyover Snow Geese and 2 Ross' Geese, and 1 Hooded Merganser in the south unit."

Brush Freeman, 3 November, Bastrop County, "Last night [3 Nov] even though there was light rain I heard the largest movement of geese and ducks I have had thus far this fall. Literally almost every time I stepped out on the porch I could hear geese, it sounded like a 50/50 split of White-fronteds and Snow… The birds were so low they often sounded as if they were only 2-3 hundred feet up and in a couple cases I could hear them in the house with the doors closed. I also heard wigeons a couple of times."

Bert Frenz, 4 November, Brazos County, " Beautiful clear skies and pleasant temperatures brought out birds and birders after a torrent of rain late October to early November. On 4 November alone, Brazos County received 4.5" of rain, bringing the yearly total to 34.25" and that is 0.54" above average for the first time in our local weatherman's memory."

Darrell Vollert, 5 November, Washington County, "We have had much more rain here in Washington County than Brazos County has had this year. We have had close to 45 inches here."

Darrell Vollert, 5 November, "What a gorgeous day we had today! ... This afternoon and evening seven large flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew over my residence. …"

Byron Stone, 5 November, Robertson County, "The whole countryside south and east of Hearne was so flooded that anyone from bayou country would have felt right at home. Every field had standing water."

Tim Fennell, Fall season, Williamson County, "Above average rainfall (especially the last two weeks of October) and below average temperatures led to full reservoirs and stock ponds and a pleasant Fall with leaves staying on the trees longer than in the past few years."

Bird Sightings:

LOONS THROUGH GREBES

Common Loon: (3) 27 October (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake, Williamson County [FOS, uncommon].
Common or Pacific Loon: (2) 27 October (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [Common Loon is occasional to uncommon].
Common Loon: (1) 9 November (Rich Kostecke, David Cimprich), Temple's Lake Park, Lake Belton, Bell County [rare on Bell Co. checklist; probably uncommon].
Common Loon: (4) 11 November; (1) 16 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.
Common Loon: (2) 14 November (Oscar Carmona), Lake Raven, Huntsville State Park, Walker County [not listed on park checklist].
Common Loon: (5) 17 November (Rich Kostecke, Brandon Best), Dana Peak Park, north side of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.
Common Loon: (6) 22 November ((Rich Kostecke), Rivers Bend Park, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.
Common Loon: (30+) 23 November (Tim Fennell), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [good count; uncommon].
Common Loon: (1) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Lake Bastrop, Bastrop County

Pied-billed Grebe: (1 adult, 1 juvenile) 11 August (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare nester].

Peter Barnes, NETFO Newsletter, August, "Pied-billed Grebes raised at least 3 young at Richland Creek WMA this summer (Truman Powell), and an adult and a juvenile were seen on Aug 11 (PB)."

Pied-billed Grebe: (1) 18 August (Darrell Vollert), stock pond along FM50 south of Independence, Washington County [occasional].

Horned Grebe: (3) 11 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [not listed in fall on Bell Co. checklist, but expected; uncommon].
Horned Grebe: ("a few") 23 November (Tim Fennell), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [uncommon].

Eared Grebe: (1 at dam) 21 September (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone); (9) 10 November (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon].
Eared Grebe: (4) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Lake Bastrop, Bastrop County [uncommon].

Western Grebe: (1) 23 November (Tim Fennell), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [casual].

PELICANS THROUGH ANHINGAS

American White Pelican: (1) 24 August (Dede Crusinberry), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional in August].
American White Pelican: (7) 28 August (Ingrid Huskey), Alcoa Lake, Milam County [occasional].
American White Pelican: (1, apparently injured) summered until 6 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan), southeast of the TX 147 bridge, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [occasional].
American White Pelican: (370) 29 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [fairly common; good count].
American White Pelican: (660) 3 October (David Wolf), resting on Marion Ferry flats at Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [high count].

On 12-13 October American White Pelicans streamed across East and Central Texas in unprecedented numbers, traveling with a cold front.
American White Pelican: ("waves of pelicans numbering between 7500 and 10,000) 12 October; ("several thousand") 13 October (George Russell), south of the Hwy 19 Trinity River bridge in north Lake Livingston, Trinity/Walker/San Jacinto counties intersection [unusually large number, moving with cold front].

George Russell, "12 Oct. Lake Livingston (north). Waves of White Pelicans numbering between 7.5 thousand and 10 thousand. Also at least 10K terns and other shore birds as well as several thousand cormorants, 1000+ great and snowy egrets, several hundred great blues. ... Others [terns] were in numerous flocks flying to and fro. I suspect, like the pelicans they were resting after a long flight in front of the cold front. 13 Oct. Lake Livingston (north). ... several thousand Pelicans."
George Russell, in Ethician News October 14, 2002, Lake Livingston, "... Then on October 12, a little cool front brought with it an amazing influx of birds from the North. We took the boat out to monitor the shores of the Cathedral and for some reason I felt compelled to travel up river. The skies were clear and the air crisp. ...
"Further ahead we thought we saw a new subdivision on the horizon. The houses appeared like an alabaster village, or a pure white city in Andalusia. When we arrived at the spot, we were greeted by thousands of beautiful White Pelicans. The first flock consisted of at least 2,500 birds!!! As we moved up river, flock after flock appeared on the horizon where they were resting near the water's edge. Each group consisted of well in excess of a thousand birds. Then as we neared the Trinity River bridge at Riverside two huge waves of Pelicans arrived from the North and flew to meet their friends. A conservative estimate of the total number of Pelicans would be 10,000+!!!
"The next day, my parents wished to see the Pelicans, so we decided to take the boat out before Church services at the Cathedral. ... We left the eagles for the place of the pelicans and when we arrived a thousand of more flew toward another group of their friends further North but at least another thousand remained to be photographed. Amongst the pelicans were various species of shore birds that I was not able to identify. As the waves were rather high and the skies overcast, we were the only boat on the lake that day which made the experience all the better."

American White Pelican: (large migrating flocks seen over 3 different sites) 13 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf, et al.), including TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County.
American White Pelican: (3744) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [accompanying a massive migration, "From about 10:00-3:00 birds poured over in a virtually unbroken narrowish stream."].

Brown Pelican: (1) 21 August (Lawrence Buford); (1 juvenile) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), Alcoa Lake, Milam County [casual].
Brown Pelican: (1) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [casual].

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 15:36, "From about 10:00-3:00 birds poured over in a virtually unbroken narrowish stream. The last group of White Pelicans I saw numbering 53 birds had somewhere along the way picked up a Brown Pelican which seemed quite at home with them."

Neotropic Cormorant: (1) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), Lake Alcoa, Milam County [occasional].
Neotropic Cormorant: (1) 9 September (James Phelps), picnic area near boat launch, Gibbons Creek Reservoir, Grimes County [occasional in early September].
Neotropic Cormorant: (5) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Shipp Lake, Bastrop County [occasional].
Neotropic Cormorant: (2) 10 October (Jesse Fagan), Nacogdoches ponds, Nacogdoches County [rare in East Texas].
Neotropic Cormorant: (1) 13 October (Jesse Fagan, et al.), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [rare].
Neotropic Cormorant: (1) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), along the Atoyac arm below TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [rare].

Double-crested Cormorant: (16) 1 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), over Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches/Angelina County [occasional].
Double-crested Cormorant: ("several thousand") 12-13 October (George Russell), south of the Hwy 19 Trinity River bridge in north Lake Livingston, Trinity/Walker/San Jacinto counties intersection [unusually large number, moving with cold front].
Double-crested Cormorant: (800-900) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [accompanying a massive migration].
Double-crested Cormorant: (2000-5000) 21 October (Kenneth Russell), north Lake Livingston, San Jacinto counties intersection [unusually large number].

Kenneth Russell, passed to George Russell, "At least 2000 to 5,000 cormorants and about 25 white pelicans just went by the boat houses and then just in front of the bridge not more than a hundred feet out."

Double-crested Cormorant: (800-1000) 26 November (Virginia Landeck), Lake Livingston, viewed from edge of state park, Polk County.

Anhinga: (25) 11 August (Peter Barnes); (~25) 24 August (Dede Crusinberry); (18) 25 August (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [uncommon].
Anhinga: (1 male) 18 September (Lizzie Furuta, Ellen Ratoosh), soaring over Bee Creek floodplain, Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].
Anhinga: (6 flying down river) 19 September (James Phelps), Bates Ferry Road at the Brazos River, Brazos/Burleson counties [occasional].
Anhinga: (231) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [accompanying a massive migration].

BITTERNS THROUGH SPOONBILLS

American Bittern: (1) early October (Alan Byboth), Camp Tyler, Smith County [first reported in Smith County in past 5 years; occasional in East Texas].
American Bittern: (1) 9 and 16 November (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [occasional].
American Bittern: (3) 3 November; (1) 29 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].

Least Bittern: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), in flight across Shipp Lake, Bastrop County [rare].

Great Blue Heron: ("several hundred") 12 October (George Russell), south of the Hwy 19 Trinity River bridge in north Lake Livingston, Trinity/Walker/San Jacinto counties intersection [unusually large number, moving with cold front].

Great Egret: (265) 3 October (David Wolf), upper Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [high count].
Egret species: (300+) 4 October (Georgette Guernsey), Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [good count].

fide Nancy Bird, "from Etoile Park looking across at the Angelina County shoreline she found 200+ White Pelican, 300+ Foster's Terns and 300+ Egret species. This was shortly after the hurricane hit the Louisiana coast."

Great & Snowy Egrets: (1000+) 12 October (George Russell), south of the Hwy 19 Trinity River bridge in north Lake Livingston, Trinity/Walker/San Jacinto counties intersection [unusually large number, moving with cold front].

George Russell, "12 Oct. Lake Livingston (north). Waves of White Pelicans numbering between 7.5 thousand and 10 thousand. Also at least 10K terns and other shore birds as well as several thousand cormorants, 1000+ great and snowy egrets, several hundred great blues.

George Russell, in Ethician News October 14, 2002, Lake Livingston, "... Then on October 12, a little cool front brought with it an amazing influx of birds from the North. We took the boat out to monitor the shores of the Cathedral and for some reason I felt compelled to travel up river. The skies were clear and the air crisp. Soon we began to see more and more Snowy and Great Egrets by the hundreds, if not thousands."

Great Egret: (200+) 2 November (Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor), Marion's Ferry area and the Angelina River Bridge area, Angelina County [good count].

Snowy Egret: (100+) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), Lake Alcoa, Milam County [common; good count].
Snowy Egret: ("many") 14 September (Brush Freeman, Mark Lockwood), Shipp Lake near Smithville, Bastrop County [common].
Snowy Egret: ("good numbers") 16 September (Randy Pinkston), pond on south edge of Temple, Bell County [uncommon].
Snowy Egret: (74) first week of October (Georgette Guernsey), swamp south of the Neches River, Polk County [good count].

fide Nancy Bird, "Also during the 1st week of Oct. (GG) observed in the swamp south of the Neches River in Polk County - just across the river from Angelina County the following - 70+ Wood Stork, 28 Roseate Spoonbill, 15 Great Blue Heron, 47 Great Egrets, 63 Cattle Egret, and 74 Snowy Egrets. A note from (GG): They are logging the Fiberboard Lake area and this could have caused the misplacement of the above birds."

Snowy Egret: (1) 24 October (Georgette Guernsey), Marion Ferry area, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [somewhat late].
Snowy Egret: (8) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [late departure, uncommon].
Snowy Egret: (2) 9 and 16 November; (3) 29 November; (1) 3 December (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [late departure].

Tricolored Heron: (1 immature) 21 October (James Phelps), Country Club Lake, Bryan, Brazos County [rare in last half of October].

Reddish Egret: (1) 22 August (Brush Freeman), Shipp and Stagner's Lakes; (1) 14 September (Brush Freeman, Mark Lockwood), Shipp Lake; (2, including one white morph) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Shipp Lake; (1 dark morph) 9 October (Brush Freeman), Shipp Lake, east of Smithville, Bastrop County [rare].

Cattle Egret: (1) 7 November (Darrell Vollert), stock pond along US290 near its intersection with FM 1155 in Chappell Hill, Washington County [late departure, occasional].
Cattle Egret: (2) 8 November; (1) 10 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [late departure].
Cattle Egret: (6) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Crystal Lake area, Bastrop County [late departure].
Cattle Egret: (~10) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Salt Lake, Guadalupe County [late departure].
Cattle Egret: (12) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Delhi Lake and St. Mary's Road area, southeastern Bastrop County [late departure].

Green Heron: (1) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Crystal Lake area, Bastrop County [late departure].

Black-crowned Night-Heron: (10+ adults and juveniles) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), Lake Alcoa, Milam County [occasional].
Black-crowned Night-Heron: (1 juvenile) 14 September (Byron Stone, Kathy McCormack, Jenny Rasmussen, Stu Wilson); (1 juvenile) 15 September (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [uncommon].
Black-crowned Night-Heron: (3 adults) 15 September (Tim Fennell), Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon].
Black-crowned Night-Heron: (2) 15 September (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].
Black-crowned Night-Heron: (1 adult) 25 August; (1 subadult) 15 September; (2) 29 September (Peter Barnes), south unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].
Black-crowned Night-Heron: (1 adult, 1 juvenile) seen periodically from ~3 October to at least 21 October (Virginia & Wally Landeck), adjacent to Lake Livingston State Park, Polk County [uncommon].
Black-crowned Night-Heron: (2) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southeastern Caldwell County [rare].

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: (1) 16 September (Ellen Ratoosh), flying over Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [rare at this location; occasional in area in September].

White Ibis: (3) 17 August; (2 juveniles) 18 August; (30+ adults and juveniles) 19 August (Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms at FM2447, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional].
White Ibis: (1) 24 August (Dede Crusinberry), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [uncommon].
White Ibis: (no.?) 14 September (Brush Freeman, Mark Lockwood), Shipp Lake near Smithville, Bastrop County [uncommon].
White Ibis: (1) 3 October (Oscar Carmona), Huntsville State Park, Walker County [uncommon].
White Ibis: (45-75 on 4 visits) 6-15 September (David Wolf, et al.); (6) 4 October (Georgette Guernsey), Marion Ferry area, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [uncommon].
White Ibis: (27) 15 October (Jesse Fagan), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [uncommon].
White Ibis: (3) 20 October (Fred Collins), FM529, east edge of Waller County [uncommon].
White Ibis: (2) 20 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [late departure, uncommon].
White Ibis: (no.?) 25-26 October (Tyson Hart), Flag Pond, Lake Somerville, Lee County [occasional].
White Ibis: (1) 26 October (Jesse Fagan), Nacogdoches ponds, Nacogdoches County [late departure].

Plegadis species, probable Glossy Ibis: (1) 29 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [Glossy is very rare; White-faced is uncommon].

Peter Barnes, "The bird of the day was a probable winter adult Glossy Ibis in the north unit. The bird was a Plegadis ibis with a dark brown eye and a narrow border of gray along the upper and lower borders of the facial skin between the eye and the bill."

Plegadis species (1 White-faced and 1 Glossy perhaps?): (2) 31 August (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Roxie Rochat, Bill Eddie), Granger Lake area, Williamson County [White-faced is uncommon; Glossy is very rare].

Roseate Spoonbill - made an unusually good showing in East Texas this season and lingered well into October in Central and East Texas.
Roseate Spoonbill: (16) 8 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan), shore below Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Roseate Spoonbill: (1) 19 September (Frank & Jeanette Bumgardner, John Muldrow), Flat Rock Park, Lake Waco, McLennan County [listed as accidental on McLennan County checklist, but uncommon in general Oaks & Prairies region].
Roseate Spoonbill: (46) 3 October (David Wolf), Marion Ferry flats at Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [high count for occasional species].
Roseate Spoonbill: (28) first week of October (Georgette Guernsey), swamp south of the Neches River, Polk County [good number, occasional].
Roseate Spoonbill: (4) 7 October (David Phalen), tank on south side of Hwy 21, near border with Brazos County, Burleson County [occasional in October].
Roseate Spoonbill: (2) 14 September (Brush Freeman, Mark Lockwood); (18) 19 September (Brush Freeman); (2) 9 October (Brush Freeman), Shipp Lake near Smithville, Bastrop County [uncommon].
Roseate Spoonbill: (13) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Roseate Spoonbill: (up to 3) 1 August to 13 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon].
Roseate Spoonbill: (1) 13 October (George Russell), mouth of Pools Creek near Waterwood Mariana, north Lake Livingston, San Jacinto County [rare].
Roseate Spoonbill: (1) 19 September and 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), North Bosque Wildlife Area of Lake Waco across from the Flat Rock Park boat ramp, McLennan County [listed as a vagrant (less than 10 sightings) on the 1997 McLennan County checklist; probably more common than that however].

Frank Bumgardner, "The spoonbill was a loner and was about the fourth time in the twenty plus years I have been here. I still feel it was the same bird that me, my wife and John Muldrow had earlier in the same place."

David Shackelford, "I have seen three spoonbills in the county this year."

Roseate Spoonbill: (7) 20 October (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan), Attoyac arm of Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County [late; occasional].

David Wolf, "Roseate Spoonbill - exceptional numbers visited the Lake Rayburn area this fall and they stayed late. Season high count was 46 on upper Rayburn in Angelina & Nacogdoches Counties on Oct 3 (David Wolf). The last birds were 7 on the Attoyac arm of Rayburn (Nac Co) on Oct 20, a late date for us (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan)."

Roseate Spoonbill: (1) 21 October (Fred Collins), stock pond on Brown Road, Waller County [occasional].

STORKS AND VULTURES

Wood Stork: (20) 11 August (Peter Barnes); (200) 24 August (Dede Crusinberry); (170) 25 August; (250) 15 September; (350) 22 September; (0) 29 September (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [unusually high number].

Peter Barnes, NETFO Newsletter, August, "Wood Storks were at Richland Creek WMA throughout the month, with an unusually high count of 170 birds on August 25 (PB)."

Peter Barnes, NETFO Newsletter, September, "Richland Creek WMA was the major site for large waterbirds, hosting all 13 expected species during the month. The most notable of these were a high count of 350 Wood Storks and and 20 Roseate Spoonbills on Sept 22."

Wood Stork: (4) 20 October (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan), upper Attoyac and McAlister Park, Nacogdoches County [tie with previous late departure record].
Wood Stork: (2) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), along the Attoyac arm below TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches and San Augustine counties [latest departure on record for East Texas].

David Wolf, "Wood Stork - good numbers (though not exceptional) were scattered around our area this fall, but what is most noteworthy is that we had our latest date ever. Four over the Attoyac arm of upper Rayburn (Nacogdoches and San Augustine counties) on Oct 20 tied our late date, but then 2 were seen here on Oct 27 (both records David Wolf, Jesse Fagan) for the latest record that I have for the entire Pineywoods region."

Black Vulture: (262) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [unusually large number, accompanying a massive migration, "From about 10:00-3:00 birds poured over in a virtually unbroken narrowish stream."].

Massive numbers - thousands - of Turkey Vultures migrated with through Central Texas, reaching the coast at Corpus Christi, on 13-15 October, traveling with a cold front.
Turkey Vulture: 13 October (Randy Pinkston), Bell County [Randy Pinkston, "Oct 13, strong push of migrants with cool front."].
Turkey Vulture: (~5100+) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [massive migration].

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 12:06, "If you are in Central Texas you may want to get out and watch the skies. There are massive numbers of raptors, vulture, anhingas, some geese, Franklin's Gulls etc., cranes etc., moving through right now (12:00 noon). My estimate of total number of bird as yet since about 10:20 is 10-12,000 birds and still counting. Plenty of passerines too. Just a heads up to let you know what the front has brought in today. I am going back out but more later after another spat of watching on totals."

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 15:36, "Well this first big front of the season sure brought the birds and fortunately I did not have to leave the yard here near Utley, in Bastrop Co. to realize it. Raptors, Geese etc. poured over the yard and I stared and counted until I was sated and weary of it. From about 10:00- 3:00 birds poured over in a virtually unbroken narrowish stream. There was very little kettling activity except with the pelicans, storks and cranes. Most hawks and vultures merely passed through as though a river of birds with a speedy current. I am surrounded by thick woods and viewed all from a small meadow behind my house thus was unable to really see from horizon to horizon, however the "river" seemed to fluctuate only to about 1.5 east and 1.5 west of me on average and were in sight most of the ~5 hrs. I was out. I had to work fast considering the speed they passed over.
"From a radar image my dad, Jack Freeman, in southern Oklahoma sent me yesterday afternoon, it was obvious to me that we would have a significant movement here today. It has been many years since any serious hawk-watching/counting on my part so I am a bit rusty therefore don't lean on me to hard regarding my numbers as one person can only work so fast with mix species flocks moving rapidly. I tried to be conservative though some species I did actually try to accurately count. In many cases it was impossible. The leaden skies as a background prevented me from seeing details on many of the Buteos. The last group of White Pelicans I saw numbering 53 birds had somewhere along the way picked up a Brown Pelican which seemed quite at home with them.
"Lots of passerines as well, quite a day of birding from the comfort of one's own property, sort of a mini-Big Sit! Totals when I stopped at ~3:00 (as numbers were quickly dropping off) below: Turkey Vulture ~5100+, Black Vulture 262, Broad-winged Hawks ~ 12,350, Swainson's Hawks ~7950, …

Turkey Vulture: (80 in flocks of 6-15) 13 October (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [migration].

Ellen Ratoosh, 13 October, "Our long-awaited cold front came in last night, and I just wish the RBAS hawk watch trip had been today instead of last week, because judging by the hawks going by my house, the Brazos Bottoms must have been hopping. First, before the front: on 10/12, it was 90ish, humid, and mostly sunny. ... Today, 10/13, it was about 60, raining on and off, with light north winds, and heavy overcast. ...

Turkey Vulture: (~261) 14 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [migration].

Brush Freeman, "It rained or was very wet the first half of the day putting down most migrants however, as of about 2:30 it appears that a number of raptors are up and at it again, mostly Turkey Vultures (~261) and accipiters so far. If in south central Texas you might want to check the skies as it continues to clear somewhat for migrating birds later on during the afternoon."'

Turkey Vulture: (3290) 13 October; (17,153) 15 October (fide Patty Beasley), Corpus Christi Hawk Watch.

Patty Beasley, 13 October, Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, 10/13, "The hawks did insist on barreling through the watch today along with a welcome cold front. This is the earliest yet we've seen vultures come through in the numbers recorded; they're about a week to ten days early in those numbers. Definitely a watch for the books this season. Here's Paul's take on the day:
"Well, today did turn out to be good. Of course, the hawks still like coming in at the end of the day -- we had 5200 after 4 pm. Most of our birds for the day were Turkey Vultures and Swainson's, and at the end of the day we had one mixed kettle streaming in from way out front, mostly to the west, at the same time we had a group coming back from the SE. (Bob watched part of this group make a big loop over the golf course and come right back overhead). Made for a bit of a chaotic ending. And we had another 140 Turkey Vultures that looked to be setting down at Pollywog. As a result of all this we stayed until 6:30, and most of the locals went for jackets. Another half hour and I would have too. The day stayed cloudy for the most part, with a strong north wind, and the birds stayed fairly low. Count for 10/13: Turkey Vulture: 3290"

Patty Beasley, 15 October, Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, 10/15, "Kirsten's got the color for us today: 'Yet another excellent day on the hill. We had to wear our "winter clothes" as it was quite chilly with the wind today. There were a few highlights to mention. One was the beautiful kettles of Swainsons, one stream of 200 passed directly over head with 7 dark morphs. ... And an amazing sight, the sheer number of migrating turkey vultures we had today. We had one stream to the east that totaled 9700! It lasted for 40 minutes! Joel says it is the largest group of turkey vultures he has ever seen. It no doubt was the largest I had ever witnessed. Pretty fun, huh! - Kirsten"
...Glenn Swartz sent in tonight from his house, which sits on the top of the Nueces River bluff about a half mile north and east of the watch site. Glenn had his banding traps up at the house when he happened to look up around 5:30 tonight. Oh joyful fate! Holy buzzard bait, Batman ... that's a lot of vultures!:
"I sat out front and counted from 5:30ish (when I first saw them while letting the dog in) to 6:30 (until I caught a bird in the trap, the first one in 11 hours of trapping). I counted 70,800 TV's [typo?]. There were about 75 SWHA and 3000 BWHA mixed in with them. I didn't count hawks, but I was looking for a Zone-tailed. No luck. - Glenn"

Patty Beasley, "Just for fun, I went checking back over data from the past five HWI years, and then another 15 years from pre-HWI watch days. Even though we can't count Glenn's tally in the official watch count, the watch still managed to set a new one-day record today with its count for turkey vultures as well. Kudos! In 1999, the watch tallied a grand season total of 36,688 turkey vultures, with the peak day coming on October 12 (11,101) and a second peak following the very next day (8,136). In 2000, another banner year for turkey vultures, with a season total of 30,029. Peak flight in 2000 was on October 20, with 10,483 vultures counted. Fun, indeed! I'd say so! Outstanding! With today's flights, we're now up to over 23,900 turkey vultures on the official count, and we've got about four weeks or so yet to go. I'm banking on another few good count days, as indications from up north are that still more TV's are well on their way south.
"Watch count for 10/15: 221 broad-winged hawks, 5 red-tailed hawks, 807 swainson's hawks, 2 red-shouldered hawks, 1 unidentified buteo, 17153 turkey vultures (!), 94 sharp-shinned hawks, 19 cooper's hawks, 10 unidentified accipiters, 44 american kestrels, 6 peregrine falcons, 1 merlin, 1 osprey, 6 northern harriers, 1 prairie falcon, and 10 unidentified raptors.
Day total: 18381. Season totals to date: 46 ......Black vulture, 23,925 ...Turkey vulture …"

WATERFOWL

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: (hundreds) 24 August (Tony Gallucci), Trinity County [occasional].

Tony Gallucci, "Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Trinity County) -- when I moved from Trinity County in 1986 I had but a single record for the county, that of a flyby group of 12 in 1985. I have maintained a presence in the county to continue updating my records, but have been there exclusively in the winter and spring, until last weekend. Aug 24th I found hundreds in the backwater sloughs at the upper end of the lake. At the point where I first saw the birds in 1985, I watched over a hundred fly past, and a pair was tending six recently fledged youngsters. A Wood Duck nest box program in the area has certainly helped these birds, though there was no shortage of Wood Ducks either."

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: (5) 13 October; (7) 20 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [very rare after September].
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: (23) 22 October; (adults and their young continue to hang around the ponds) ~17 November (Oscar Carmona), Raven Nest golf course ponds, Huntsville State Park, Walker County [very rare in East Texas in fall and winter].

The pattern of Greater White-fronted Goose migration was clearly defined with season, with a few arrivals 4-5 October, but large numbers of widely spread flocks moving with the cold fronts of 13 and 27 October, then dwindling numbers in early November.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (1) 4 October (David Ringer, Jason Pike), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [FOS; occasional].
Greater White-fronted Goose: (5 in flight) 5 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert, RBAS field trip), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [FOS, uncommon].
Greater White-fronted Goose: (587 in 7 flocks) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [major flight over area on the first cold front of the fall].
Greater White-fronted Goose: (144-146) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [accompanying a massive migration].
Greater White-fronted Goose: (3 large flocks) 13 October (James Phelps), passing over Shenandoah Subdivision before dawn, College Station, Brazos County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (750) 26 October (Guy Luneau, Joan Luneau, Scott Luneau), Rusk County [unusually large number].
Greater White-fronted Goose: (no.?) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [second wave with north wind].
Greater White-fronted Goose: (flock heard above clouds) 27 October (Brush Freeman), Bastrop County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (350+) 27 October (Darrell Vollert), Washington-on-the-Brazos SHP, Washington County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (400+) 27 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (25) 27 October (Peter Barnes), south of Tyler, Smith County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (1 flock) 2 November (Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor), Marion's Ferry area and the Angelina River Bridge area, Angelina County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (multiple flocks heard overnight) 3 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County.

Brush Freeman, "Last night [3 Nov] even though there was light rain I heard the largest movement of geese and ducks I have had thus far this fall. Literally almost every time I stepped out on the porch I could hear geese, it sounded like a 50/50 split of White-fronteds and Snow."

Greater White-fronted Goose: ("a few") 5 November (Byron Stone), flooded shallow drainage, Brushy Creek, a mile east of Thorndale, western Milam County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (1) 20 November (Joe Yelderman, Karen Arquette, et al.), Waco wetlands, McLennan County.
Greater White-fronted Goose: (3) 24 November (Darrell Vollert), Washington-on-the-Brazos SHP, Washington County.

Unlike the white-fronted geese, the Snow Geese were held back through the period of extensive rains in late October and with the first break of weather in the first days of November, the Snow Geese started pouring through Central Texas. Numbers than dwindled until another push 25 November. Here's the migration pattern:
Snow "Blue" Goose: (5 with flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County.
Snow Goose: (40+) 26 October (Tyson Hart, Matt Piazza, Jason Duke, Megan Dominguez), Flag Pond, Lake Somerville, Lee County.
Snow Goose: (30+) 27 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Washington County
Snow Goose: ("large passage") 26-27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [movement with north wind].
Snow Goose: (1 flock heard overhead) evening of 26 October; (flock of 80 white phase) 28 October; (100s) 1-4 November (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.

Ellen Ratoosh, 2 November, "Both last night and this morning, there were 100s of Snow Geese passing over going south. I saw several flocks and heard more during the night."

Ellen Ratoosh, 4 November, "since Friday, I've heard/seen 100s, maybe 1000s of Snow Geese passing over, day and night."

Snow Goose: (1 tucked in a flight of 125 pelicans) 1 November (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [his FOS].
Geese: (16 flocks in 5 minute span) 2 November (Bill Morris), Chappell Hill subdivision, Washington County.
Snow Goose: (345 in 5 groups) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell); (10) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner), Granger area, Williamson County.
Snow Goose: (~100 in 2 flocks) 2 November (Heather Mathewson, Meg Byerly, et al.), Gibbons Creek Reservoir, Grimes County.
Snow Goose: (600 flyover) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County.
Snow Goose: (75 white & blue phase) 3 November (Sandy Dillard), Bryan, Brazos County.
Snow Goose: (multiple flocks heard overnight) 3 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County.

Brush Freeman, "Last night [3 Nov] even though there was light rain I heard the largest movement of geese and ducks I have had thus far this fall. Literally almost every time I stepped out on the porch I could hear geese, it sounded like a 50/50 split of White-fronteds and Snow. … The birds were so low they often sounded as if they were only 2-3 hundred feet up and in a couple cases I could hear them in the house with the doors closed."

Snow Goose: (flocks heard) 4 November (Keith Arnold), Bryan, Brazos County.
Snow Goose: (many flocks heard in early AM, flock of ~100 seen flying through the rain ~11 AM) 4 November (Bert Frenz), Nantucket subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.

Bert Frenz, 4 November, Brazos County, " Beautiful clear skies and pleasant temperatures brought out birds and birders after a torrent of rain. On 4 November alone, Brazos County received 4.5" of rain, bringing the yearly total to 34.25" and that is 0.54" above average for the first time in our local weatherman's memory."

Darrell Vollert, 5 November, Washington County, "We have had much more rain here in Washington County than Brazos County has had this year. We have had close to 45 inches here."

Snow Goose: (flock of 120) 5 November (Darrell Vollert), his residence on FM1155, Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Snow Goose: (~300 in one flock) 5 November (Byron Stone), flooded shallow drainage, Brushy Creek, a mile east of Thorndale, western Milam County.
Snow Goose: (~600 in one flock) 5 November (Byron Stone), Granger Lake, Williamson County.

Byron Stone, "About 4 in the afternoon, I stopped briefly at Granger Dam and saw a larger flock of Geese, about 600, simultaneously taking flight from the surface of the lake."
Byron Stone, 5 November, Robertson County, "The whole countryside south and east of Hearne was so flooded that anyone from bayou country would have felt right at home. Every field had standing water."

Snow Goose: (700+ flying south) 8 AM 5 November (Keith Arnold), over Nagle Hall, TAMU campus
Snow Goose: (1) 7 November (Darrell Vollert), flying southeast under a flock of south-bound Sandhill Cranes, FM2447 near New Year's Creek.
Snow Goose: (1 flock of ~15) 9 November (Larry Harris-Haller, et al.), Lick Creek Park, College Station, Brazos County.
Snow Goose: (flocks of 150+ and 60+) 17 November (Darrell Vollert), Brazos River Road, Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Snow Goose: (7) 19 November (Brush Freeman), 535 south of Cedar Creek, Bastrop County.
Snow Goose: (flocks of 40+ and 30+) 24 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Snow Goose: (2500+ in 13 flocks throughout the day) 25 November (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill subdivision, Washington County [good count; a brisk north wind helped push the birds south].
Snow Goose: (1 flock heard) 24 November; (1 flock heard, 1 flock of 40+ seen) 25 November (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County.

Ross's Goose: (6 in flock of 30+ Snow Geese, flying E-SE) 27 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Washington County [uncommon].
Ross's Goose: (1 in flock of 75 Snow Geese) 3 November (Sandy Dillard), Bryan, Brazos County [occasional].
Ross's Goose: (2 in flocks of 600 Snow Geese) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [uncommon].
Ross's Goose: (3 in flock of 60+ Snow Geese) 17 November (Darrell Vollert), Brazos River Road, Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Ross's Goose: (30+ mixed in 2500+ Snow Geese in 13 flocks throughout the day) 25 November (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill subdivision, Washington County [good count; a brisk north wind helped push the birds south].

Mallard: (7) 10 September (David Wolf, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry area, Angelina County [occasional in September].

Mottled Duck: (4) 24 August (Tony Galluci), Lake Livingston, Trinity County [occasional].

Tony Galluci, "Four on the upper end Aug 24 were noteworthy, as I've considered them vagrants on the lake."

Mottled Duck: (2) 11 August; (1 adult female with 4 chicks) 25 August (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional; nesting data].
Mottled Duck: (4) 13 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Sore Finger Wildlife Area, Granger Lake, Williamson County [occasional].

Northern Shoveler: (no.?) 25 August (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [FOS, early arrival].

Green-winged Teal: (1) 15 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [FOS, occasional].

Canvasback: (4) 20 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone, David Stone); (23) 9 November (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [FOS, occasional].
Canvasback: (1 at TX 147 bridge, 2 on pond near Melrose) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), San Augustine County [FOS, occasional].

Ring-necked Duck: (3) 6 October (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [early arrival; rare].

Greater Scaup: (3 males, 2 females) 27 November (Tim Fennell), CR 414 stock pond, Granger area, Williamson County [rare].

Surf Scoter: (1 first winter) 24 and 30 November (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge on Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [5th record for the Nacogdoches/Angelina county and Lake Rayburn area; 1st record in over a decade].

Surf Scoter: (1 female or immature) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Salt Lake, just south of Luling in extreme northeast Guadalupe County [casual].

Common Goldeneye: (1) ~17 November (Oscar Carmona), Lake Raven, Huntsville State Park, Walker County [2nd consecutive winter for this species at park; occasional in mid November in East Texas Pineywoods].

Hooded Merganser: (3) 16 August; (2) 21 August (Georgette Guernsey), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [very rare this early].

Red-breasted Merganser: (7 female-type) 10 November (Tim Fennell), viewed from Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [occasional].

Ruddy Duck: (2) 15 September (Tim Fennell, Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [early arrival; occasional].

KITES, HAWKS AND EAGLES

Osprey: (1) summering and present all August (Mike Dillon, David Weaver), Martin Creek Lake, Rusk County [very rare].
Osprey: (2) 24 August (Brush Freeman, Eric Carpenter), Fayette Lake, Fayette County [rare in August].
Osprey: (1) 1 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [early migrant; rare at this date].

Swallow-tailed Kite: (no.?) 10 August (Jim Coleman), US 90 crossing of the Trinity River bottom, Liberty County [uncommon].

White-tailed Kite: (1) 5 August (James Phelps), White Switch Road off FM 159, south Brazos County [rare].
White-tailed Kite: (2) 12 August (Rob Fergus), Webberville Park, eastern Travis County [occasional].
White-tailed Kite: (1 adult) 17 August (Jeffrey Hanson, Shawn Ashbaugh, Tim Hissam), Turnersville Road; (1) 17 August (Dan Smith), intersection of Turnersville Road and Williamson Road, southeastern Travis County [rare; may be same bird].
White-tailed Kite: (1) 17 August (Shawn Ashbaugh, Jeffrey Hanson, Tim Hissam and, independently, Dan Smith), southeast Travis County [occasional].
White-tailed Kite: (1) 13 September (Kent & Debbie Moore), their ranch off FM 1361 between Hwy 50 and Hwy 36, Burleson County [rare].
White-tailed Kite: (1 juvenile) 15 September (Shelia Hargis, Mary Hesalroad), Hwy 183 and CR 177, Caldwell County [rare].
White-tailed Kite: (1) 5 October (Darrell Vollert), near Clover Road, which is just south of FM 2621, Washington County [occasional].
White-tailed Kite: (1) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner), on FM 971, east of Friendship Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [rare].
White-tailed Kite: (up to 4) fall to ~10 November (Glenn Shroeter), Independence, Washington County [occasional; kites have been reported in the Clay-Independence area during fall and winter since 1973].

Mississippi Kite: (1 juvenile being fed once per minute by adult) 12 September (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hills subdivision, Washington County [seems late].

Darrell Vollert, "At Fred and Mary Brandt's residence in Chappell Hills Subdivision north of Chappell Hill I observed an adult Mississippi Kite feeding at least one juvenile bird today. The juvenile kite was perched in a neighbor's large pecan tree. The adult kite fed the begging juvenile bird throughout the day. At times the juvenile was fed once a minute! I heard the juvenile bird call throughout the day and knew when the adult bird brought in food, as a juvenile kite's call becomes shriller when food is brought in. The adult bird was observed catching dragonflies on the wing, tearing off the wings of the dragonflies, and bringing the tasty morsel to the begging juvenile bird. An adult kite and juvenile kite have been observed soaring in Chappell Hills Subdivision all this week. I was unsuccessful in finding a Mississippi Kite nest this summer in the Chappell Hill area. Adult birds were observed in the area throughout the summer. Finding a kite nest can be very difficult in this area. At the moment it appears to me that this was a very late nesting pair of kites. In previous years the local nesting kites migrated by the last week in August. Last summer a pair of kites nested in my Chappell Hill yard. They raised two young. The two juvenile birds were fed by the adult birds up until the day they migrated. What I am wondering is- do adult kites continue to feed juveniles during migration? Have any of you observed adult Mississippi Kites feeding juvenile birds during migration? I do know that Mississippi Kites migrate in family groups. It could very well be migrant kites that I saw today."

Mississippi Kite: (adult feeding juvenile) 16 September; (adult & juvenile flying) 19 September; (1 juvenile) 23 September (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hills subdivision, Washington County [very late local nesting].

Darrell Vollert, "Last Thursday I mentioned that I observed an adult Mississippi Kite feeding a juvenile kite in Chappell Hills Subdivision north of Chappell Hill. At the time I wasn't sure if these were migrants or local nesting kites. As it turns out these were local nesting kites. On Monday, September 16 I observed an adult Miss. Kite feeding the juvenile kite again in Chappell Hills Subdivision. This is a extraordinarily late nesting record. My guess is the first nesting attempt failed for some unknown reason. Usually the local juvenile Mississippi Kites are flying about by late July-early August. Juvenile kites branch for four to five days before attempting to fly. This afternoon (9/19) the adult and juvenile Mississippi Kite were observed flying just above the treetops in Chappell Hills Subdivision. I also observed (8)Mississippi Kites soaring very high in Chappell Hills Subdivision this afternoon. Undoubtedly these were migrating birds."

Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 13 August (Georgette Guernsey), TX 147 bridge at Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County.
Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 17 August (Louis Debetaz, Charles Kent, Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor); (1 capturing a Forster's Tern) 13 October (Jesse Fagan, Georgette Guernsey, et al.); (1) 15 October (Jack Windsor), Kurth Lake, Angelina County.

fide David Wolf, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "To the utter amazement of the observers, a Bald Eagle at Kurth Lake on Oct 13 harassed and then caught a Forster's Tern."

Bald Eagle: (2) 1 September (David Weaver), Martin Creek Lake, Panola and Rusk counties.
Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 9 September (James Phelps), picnic area near boat launch, Gibbons Creek Reservoir, Grimes County.
Bald Eagle: (2 adults) 14 September (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor), Ryan Lake, Angelina County.
Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 24 August (Dede Crusinberry); (1 juvenile) 25 August (Peter Barnes); (1 juvenile) 15 September (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County.
Bald Eagle: (2 adults) 17 September (John Prouty), Huntsville, Walker County [uncommon, but strange location].

John Prouty, "I did observe two adult Bald Eagles circling about 300 FT above the near downtown in Huntsville. They were visible for about three min before drifting off the SE toward SHSU. Eagles were seen several times in Huntsville last winter but this is the earliest sighting I am aware of."

Bald Eagle: (1 3-4 year-old) 21 September (Pineywoods Audubon field trip), Etoile Park, Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County.
Bald Eagle: (2 adults) 10 October (John Muldrow), Lake Waco, McLennan County.
Bald Eagle: (5) 13 October; (2) 19 October (George Russell), north Lake Livingston, San Jacinto County.

George Russell, in Ethician News October 14, 2002, Lake Livingston, "... The next day [13 October], my parents wished to see the Pelicans, so we decided to take the boat out before Church services at the Cathedral. ... The day before I was hoping to see an eagle but did not really expect to see one for some reason. Today however, I had a premonition that an eagle would appear. Little did I dream that 5 eagles would make their appearance!!!
"After leaving the Marina we headed around the Cathedral shores and at exactly the spot where I had seen the first eagle in my life, two eagles were doing aerial acrobatics or "Eagle Ballet". I had seen adult eagles during courtship displays behaving in this fashion but these were two juveniles, and it was Fall. They careened toward Zwicky Creek and we followed them, observing them for at least 20 minutes as they displayed their talents. A third eagle came up to watch but did not participate in the sport. ...
"Upon our return to my parent's house we went out on the deck to observe the vultures, terns, hummingbirds, sandpipers and other species, when two eagles flew directly over the house toward the Cathedral. A minute or so later a third eagle flew over and then the two juvenile acrobats began to display their talents. Their fun was broken up by a crow that took great pleasure in attacking one of the eagles, chasing it and pecking at its tail feathers. Five eagles in five minutes is pretty wonderful and I hope is a sign of good tidings for all."

Bald Eagle: (1 immature) 18 October (Brush Freeman), over river at Webberville County Park, eastern Travis County.
Bald Eagle: (1) 18 October (Brush Freeman), extreme western Bastrop County.
Bald Eagle: (1 immature) 4 October; (1 adult, 1 3rd year juvenile) 24 October (Georgette Guernsey), Marion Ferry area, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County.
Bald Eagle: (1 immature) 26 October (Rich Kostecke), Temple's Lake Park and/or Miller's Spring Nature Area, Lake Belton, Bell County
Bald Eagle: (2) seen off and on during October and to 2 November (Oscar Carmona), Huntsville State Park, Walker County [winter residents at the state park; expected to stay throughout].
Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County.
Bald Eagle: (2 adults lining old nest with cut grass) 6 November (Georgette Guernsey), Ryan Irrigation Field, Angelina County.
Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 22 November (Rich Kostecke), Rivers Bend Park, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.
Bald Eagle: (1 adult) 23 November (Tim Fennell), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County.
Bald Eagle: (1) 23 November (Jerry Walls), Christmas Creek Nature Preserve, adjoining Sam Houston National Forest, Montgomery County.
Bald Eagle: (1) 24 November (Brush Freeman), Bastrop County.
Bald Eagle: (1 immature soaring with Turkey Vultures) 24 November (Glenn Shroeter), Old Independence Road, Prairie Hill community, nor th of Brenham, Washington County.
Bald Eagle: (2) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County.

Northern Harrier: (1 female) 18 August (Byron Stone), Williamson Road, southeast Travis County [early arrival].
Northern Harrier: (1 juvenile) 8 September (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [early arrival; occasional].

Sharp-shinned Hawk: (1) 7 September (Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), Alazan Bayou WMA, Nacogdoches County [early arrival].
Sharp-shinned Hawk: (1) 8 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [early arrival].

Cooper's Hawk: (1) 11 August (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].
Cooper's Hawk: (1) 14 August (Ellen Ratoosh), circling over Oakwood Intermediate School (behind College Station Conference Center) in College Station, Brazos County [early arrival].
Cooper's Hawk: (22) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [unusually large number, accompanying a massive migration].

Harris's Hawk?: (1) 5 November (Brush Freeman), just east of Hwy 183, Burleson Rd near McKinney Falls State Park, eastern Travis County [very rare; probable id but very brief observation].
Harris's Hawk: (no.?) ~23 November (Sandra Skrei, fide Brush Freeman), near Cedar Creek, Bastrop County [rare].

Broad-winged Hawk: (1 migrating) 5 August (Georgette Guernsey, fide Nancy Bird), Crown Colony; (1) 12 August (Georgette Guernsey), Lufkin, Angelina County [early for migrant; species nests in East Texas].
Broad-winged Hawk: (1) 11 August (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [very early migrant].

Bert Frenz, "The Broad-winged Hawk is curiously early as a migrant. Most August sightings are in areas where summer nesting has occurred, such as East Texas Pineywoods, Bastrop (lost pines) and in Waco. The only Post Oaks Savannah records for August, not associated with breeding, are: 23 Aug in Lee County, 26 Aug in Washington County. A 14 Aug record in Bell and a 19 Aug record in Williamson are suspected local breeders. 28 Aug and 31 Aug records in Bastrop County are migrant flocks. Is this new 11 Aug record a post-breeding wanderer from the Pineywoods east of Richland Creek WMA or a very early migrant from the north or an undetected local breeder?"

Peter Barnes, "I presumed that Broad-wingeds nested in that region so thanks for educating me on that fact. Since no one spends much time birding the local area in the summer, an undetected local breeder is certainly possible. It did behave somewhat like a migrant though, as it went up in a thermal and then started drifting south. I will keep my eyes out for them if I get up the energy to visit the area in the summer."

Broad-winged Hawk: (613) 3 October (David Wolf), over McAlister Park and TX 147 bridge, Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County [sizable flock for East Texas].
Broad-winged Hawk: (12,350) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [massive migration through Central Texas].
Broad-winged Hawk: (2) 23 October (Carroll Moore), flying over Lanana Creek, Nacogdoches County [late].
Broad-winged Hawk: (2) 23 October (Carroll Moore), Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County [late, occasional].

Swainson's Hawk: (1) 5-26 August (Tim Fennell), perched in same group of trees where two adults and a juvenile were seen in August 2001 and two adults and a probable second year bird were seen 27 June to 16 July, Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [rare].

Swainson's Hawks pass through Central Texas regularly, but usually in small numbers. This season had a huge anomaly on 6-7 October, as shown in this pattern of migration:
Swainson's Hawk: (250+) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick); (1) 8 September (Byron Stone, Aletha Snowden); (2) 15 September (Tim Fennell); (100+, all but 3 in a kettle moving along a ridge south of the lake) 21 September (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone); (58, including 40 in one kettle near Willis Creek Park) 28 September (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell); (2500+) 6 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), west of Granger Lake; (3500+) 7 October (Tim Fennell), Granger area, Granger Lake, Williamson County [fairly common].

Tim Fennell, fall report, "While Swainson's Hawks are common migrants through the Granger area, the flights 10/6- 10/7/02 were the largest I've seen with 2500+ birds on 10/6 and 3500+ on 10/7."

Swainson's Hawk: A massive migration 6-7 October followed a straight line from Ft. Worth (Tarrant County), to Granger (Williamson County), to Hornsby Bend (Travis County), to Bentsen Rio Grande (Hildalgo County), completely bypassing the coastal hawk watches at Smith Point and Corpus Christi, but picked up by the Hornsby Bend hawk watch. Substantial numbers continued until 16 October, with very few after that date. Below is a chronological history of the October migration.
Swainson's Hawk: (1200+) 6 October (D.D. Curie), east of Ft. Worth.

D. D. Currie, Tarrant County, 7 October, "Observed a kettle of 1200+ Swainson's Hawks on Sunday at 9:30am over the intersection of Eastchase Pwky and Meadowbrook in east Ft. Worth."

Swainson's Hawk: (2500+) 6 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), west of Granger Lake, Williamson County.

Byron Stone, Williamson County, 6 October, "Tim Fennell and I birded the Granger Lake area today, 10/6/02, ... The highlight of the day was a huge lift-off of Swainson's Hawks from a large agricultural field west of Granger Lake. We first noticed hawks kettling over this field at about 10:30 a.m. We stopped to look and discovered hundreds of birds lifting off and hundreds more still in the plowed field. We drove to the south end of the field (bounded on the east by CR 347) to get a better vantage and spent almost 30 minutes watching and counting hawks. We agreed that a conservative estimate of the number of Swainson's Hawks was over 2,500. There may have been several times that many present. I know my counting abilities were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and staggering beauty of this spectacle. Included in the mix were a few Black and Turkey Vultures and one dark-morph Swainson's Hawk. Look out Veracruz, they're comin' your way! We did not find a single Broad-winged Hawk in the mix."

Swainson's Hawk: (1825) 6 October (Peg Wallace), Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County.

Peg Wallace, Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County, 6 October, " … I got there at noon, and immediately started seeing Swainson's. ... Between 1 and 2, I found a huge (for Hornsby!) kettle of what I finally decided were Swainson's Hawks pretty far out. They were behind a telephone pole from me, and when I moved over to get a better look, I lost them! Boy, was I ever kicking myself, until about 3:30, when another huge kettle came right over the drying basins! They were only there for maybe 5 minutes; they kettled up and were out with no dallying around! Then, 15 or so minutes later, another one! Altogether, I counted 1825 Swainson's, a new record for Hornsby! Most of them came over very high, and very fast, giving little time to count them, or to appreciate them. …

Swainson's Hawk: (0) 6 October (Sumita Prasad), Smith Point Hawk Watch, Chambers County.

Sumita Prasad, Smith Point Hawk Watch, 6 October, "Year-to-date Totals (through Sunday 6 Oct 2002): Swainson's Hawk, 52" [none on the 6th].

Swainson's Hawk: (3500+) 7 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), west of Granger Lake, Williamson County.

Tim Fennell, Williamson County, 7 October, "I went home through Granger this afternoon (10/7/02), hoping to catch some birds coming in on the weak cold front. As I got to the Circlevile store at 3:30 pm, I noticed a kettle of hawks. I pulled into the parking lot of the store and saw that they were Swainson's when I put my bins on them. I then saw an even larger kettle to the north and then another! Over the next half hour, at least 3500 (very conservative estimate) Swainson's passed over the store. Some of the locals came over to where I was watching to ask what I looking at and were amazed when they looked up and saw the swirling masses passing overhead.
"About 5:00 pm, I got to the same fields on CR 345 where Byron Stone and I had so many Swainson's yesterday. By this time the sky had darkened as storm clouds moved in. I counted 538 Swainson's on the ground and, as I finished counting them, I looked up to see a kettle of 250+ Swainson's settling down into the same fields. I would have liked to hang around to see how many more might have settled down in the fields for the night but I had to get home.

Swainson's Hawk: (500) 7 October (Martin & Connie Hagne), Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo County.

Martin & Connie Hagne, Hidalgo County, 7 October, "On the Swainson's migration theme: They have arrived in the Rio Grande Valley. We observed over 500 Swainson's Hawks in one kettle over the levee at Bentsen SP in Mission yesterday afternoon during Bill Clark's raptor seminar. Another 50 or so were seen mixed with other birds during the day."

Swainson's Hawk: (1973) 7 October (Peg Wallace), Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County.

Peg Wallace, Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County, 7 October, "It was another record day for me, starting at 10:00 with a humongous kettle of Swainson's that came right overhead. They came into view rather far out, but kettled up again right in front of me. It was fabulous! They were hard to count, with all the wheeling and turning, and they didn't stream in any real organized fashion, but I did my best and counted them several times as they went through: my initial count was 1500, my final tally 1200, which is what I put into my records, but I could easily have lost some in all the shuffling around. It was so amazing to have all those hawks streaming off; the whole sky was filled with birds. I've never seen anything like it! … Wow....so, after I caught my breath...more Swainson's. This time not so many, only 250, then a few small bunches. 400 more came between 11 and 12, then the stream came to an end. The wind came up, and more clouds. I saw several birds go up into the clouds and disappear, so perhaps there were still Swainson's going over, but I couldn't see them. I found a few Sharpies and Coopers' Hawks, some Kestrels, and even some migrating Turkey Vultures, but no Swainson's until 4 PM, when a small flight of 59 came through just before the rain began. Totals for Oct. 7: Swainson's Hawk: 1973."

Swainson's Hawk: (0) 7 October (fide Patty Beasley), Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, San Patricio County.

Patty Beasley, Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, 7 October, "I'm beginning to think those Swainson's have slipped on by us to the west. Radar seemed to indicate several fairly good-sized flights far to the west of the watch site yesterday and again today. The front is stalled north of us and is now expected to hit tomorrow. After it does, it'll back up on top of us. Typical frontal behavior for this area for this time of year, for those that actually make it all the way through the Coastal Bend. As to whether those huge Swainson's flights were/are on the front or the back side of the approaching system remains to be seen." [no Swainson's were reported on the 7th]. Season totals to date: 220 Swainson's hawks."

Swainson's Hawk: (0, windy with low clouds) 10 October; (2161) 11 October (Peg Wallace), Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County.

Peg Wallace, Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, 11 October, "After a slow day Thursday [10 Oct], things picked up in a big way. Friday was fairly quiet for the majority of the day, with mostly Cormorants and TV's until late afternoon, when all of a sudden the Swainson's arrived. Between 3:30 and 4:30, I had 2100+ Swainson's go by! Most of them were very far away, and very high up, so I was counting Swainson-colored dots, but some of them came close enough to see. There were Turkey Vultures in with them, but I think most of them were residents because I saw many of them drop out as the Swainson's streamed away. I did see a small stream of TV's go by earlier in the day, so I know they are beginning to come through. The excitement ended almost as quickly as it started, and by 5:00 all was calm. ..."

Swainson's Hawk: (3976) 12 October (Peg Wallace), Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County.

Peg Wallace, Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, 12 October, "Well, I thought yesterday was great! Today, I went out to do the Hawk Watch as part of the monthly bird survey, and because I suspected that it might be another good day. Again, it was slow to start, but once the hawks started coming, they came! At noon, a kettle of 400 appeared to the west. About 15 minutes later, a much bigger flock started kettling over the drying basins. I was able to call Rob Fergus, who was leading the count-down for the morning survey, and most of the folks got out of the building in time to see at least a few of the 2000+ hawks I counted. In between these kettles were some Sharpies, a Merlin and a Peregrine. From then on, there were Swainson's overhead for most of the afternoon. There were several more large concentrations, but also quite a few that just meandered through. Some of them even stayed for a short while to catch a quick snack before continuing on south. Several other buteos were mixed in, including one I could almost call a juvenile Ferruginous-this bird was completely white underneath, with very small black wing-tips as the only markings I could see. I also saw 1 Broadwing with a small group of dallying Swainson's, and at least one Red-tail went through."

Swainson's Hawk: ("strong push") 13 October (Randy Pinkston), Bell County.
Swainson's Hawk: (7950) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [massive migration; highest count he has had at this location].

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 12:06, "If you are in Central Texas you may want to get out and watch the skies. There are massive numbers of raptors, vulture, anhingas, some geese, Franklin's Gulls etc., cranes etc., moving through right now (12:00 noon). My estimate of total number of bird as yet since about 10:20 is 10-12,000 birds and still counting. Plenty of passerines too. Just a heads up to let you know what the front has brought in today. I am going back out but more later after another spat of watching on totals."

Brush Freeman, Sun, 13 Oct 2002 15:36, "Well this first big front of the season sure brought the birds and fortunately I did not have to leave the yard here near Utley, in Bastrop Co. to realize it. Raptors, Geese etc. poured over the yard and I stared and counted until I was sated and weary of it. From about 10:00- 3:00 birds poured over in a virtually unbroken narrowish stream. There was very little kettling activity except with the pelicans, storks and cranes. Most hawks and vultures merely passed through as though a river of birds with a speedy current. I am surrounded by thick woods and viewed all from a small meadow behind my house thus was unable to really see from horizon to horizon, however the "river" seemed to fluctuate only to about 1.5 east and 1.5 west of me on average and were in sight most of the ~5 hrs. I was out. I had to work fast considering the speed they passed over.
"From a radar image my dad, Jack Freeman, in southern Oklahoma sent me yesterday afternoon, it was obvious to me that we would have a significant movement here today. It has been many years since any serious hawk-watching/counting on my part so I am a bit rusty therefore don't lean on me to hard regarding my numbers as one person can only work so fast with mix species flocks moving rapidly. I tried to be conservative though some species I did actually try to accurately count. In many cases it was impossible. The leaden skies as a background prevented me from seeing details on many of the Buteos. The last group of White Pelicans I saw numbering 53 birds had somewhere along the way picked up a Brown Pelican which seemed quite at home with them.
"Lots of passerines as well, quite a day of birding from the comfort of one's own property, sort of a mini-Big Sit! Totals when I stopped at ~3:00 (as numbers were quickly dropping off) below: Turkey Vulture ~5100+, Black Vulture 262, Broad-winged Hawks ~ 12,350, Swainson's Hawks ~7950, …

Swainson's Hawk: (3277) 13 October (fide Patty Beasley), Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, San Patricio County.

Patty Beasley, Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, "Brush is located in Bastrop County, north and east of Corpus Christi by some four-five hours. Between 12 different raptors species, he counted about 12,350 broadies, more than 7950 Swainson's, 71 more of other buteos, falcons, accipiters, etc., and another 1500 unidentified raptors. Wow! Not bad, for a house count. He's on the raptor highway, though; right down the central flyway."

Swainson's Hawk: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Flat Rock Park and the beach area of Airport Park, Lake Waco, McLennan County.

Swainson's Hawk: (1400+) 13 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), south of Comanche Bluff, Williamson County.

Byron Stone, "A strong frontal system with winds from the north reached Austin by 5:45 a.m. today, and by sunrise in the Granger area, forty miles NW of Austin, temps had dropped from the low 70's to the low 50's and the wind was steady and strong from the north gusting to 40 mph estimated. Skies were continuously cloudy, but precipitation was absent in most areas. Of special note were large numbers of newly present waterfowl overhead and on lakes, surprisingly large numbers of Swainson's Hawks at this relatively late date utilizing structural lift provided by the strong steady north wind, and season high numbers for Avocets, Franklin's Gulls and White Pelicans (for me at least). ... Swainson's Hawks - 1400+ - most were seen south of Comanche Bluff at 0730 lifting off w/ N. wind."

Swainson's Hawk: (2217) 14 October (fide Patty Beasley), Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, San Patricio County.
Swainson's Hawk: (no.?) 15 October (fide Patty Beasley), Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, San Patricio County.

Patty Beasley, Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, 10/15, "Kirsten's got the color for us today: 'Yet another excellent day on the hill. We had to wear our "winter clothes" as it was quite chilly with the wind today. There were a few highlights to mention. One was the beautiful kettles of Swainson's, one stream of 200 passed directly over head with 7 dark morphs.'"

Swainson's Hawk: (no count taken) 14-15 October (Peggy Wallace), Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County.

Peggy Wallace, Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Oct. 14 & 15, "It's been a couple of interesting days. I'm afraid I missed Sunday, much to my chagrin after seeing Brush Freeman's posts! Just had too much else I had to do, and I was tired! Sounds like it was extraordinary, though."

Swainson's Hawk: (~3500) 16 October (Martin Hagne), Hidalgo County.

Martin Hagne, 16 October, "This morning about 10 am while driving from Weslaco to Edinburg (the "country" way) I came across more raptors that I have seen down here in a while. I drove north up Westgate Drive (Mile 6 W). About 1/2 way between Weslaco and Edinburg I notice several kettles of Turkey Vultures over plowed fields. After slowing down a bit I saw some buteo types mixed in. After another 1/2 mile north I came across several large kettles, and some were starting to stream. After scanning the skies I started to see large numbers of TV's, Swainson's and Broad-winged hawks. A few accipiters were also mixed in. By the time I realized I'd better move along (which was maybe only 5-10 minutes) I had "counted" about 3500 Swainson's, 2000 TV's, 200 Broad-wings, and a hand full of accipiters. The area was covered in raptors for about 2 miles long, North to South, and about 1/2 mile wide. They all streamed off to the SSW at a good speed."

Texas Hawk Watch Seasonal Numbers:
Swainson's Hawk: (0) 6 October; (0) 7 October; (0) 8 October; (0 in rain) 9 October; (5) 10 October; (7) 11 October; (9) 12 October; (12) 13 October; (11) 14 October; (12) 15 October; (13) 16 October; (9) 17 October; (0) 18-19 October; (2) 20 October; (0) 21-28 October; (15) 29 October; (8) 30 October; (0) 31 October; (2) 1 November; (0) 2-5 November; (2) 6 November; (0) 7-10 November; (3) 11 November; (2) 12 November; (0) 13 November; (3) 14 and/or 15 November (168) YTD total (Sumita Prasad), Smith Point Hawk Watch, Chambers County.
Swainson's Hawk: (54) 4 October; (1825) 6 October; (1973) 7 October; (8 in bad weather) 8 October; (744) 9 October; (0, windy with low clouds) 10 October; (2161) 11 October; (3976) 12 October; (no count taken) 13 October; (2, cold wet & windy) 14 October; (2) 15 October; (?) 16 October; (11,425) YTD (Peg Wallace), Hornsby Bend Hawk Watch, Travis County.
Swainson's Hawk: (0) 7 October; (4) 8 October; (17) 9 October; (382) 10 October; (910) 11 October; (21) 12 October; (3277) 13 October; (2217) 14 October; (?) 15 October; (807) 16 October; (3) 17 October; (0) 18-19 October; (2) 20 October; (0) 20 October; (3) 21 October; (1) 22 October; (0) 23-26 October; (1) 27 October; (1) 28 October; (5) 29 October; (6) 30 October; (1 rufous morph) 31 October; (7) 1 November; (rained out) 2 November; (0, in rain) 3 November; (rained out) 4 November; (0) 5-6 November; (2) 7 November; (1) 8 November; (2) 9 November; (0) 10 November; (1) 11 November; (0) 12 November; (3) 13 November; (0) 14 November; (7910, including 8 dark morph and 1 rufous morph) YTD; (fide Patty Beasley), Corpus Christi Hawk Watch, San Patricio County.

White-tailed Kite: (1) 12 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate near Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional].
White-tailed Hawk: (1 juvenile) 16 October (Fred Collins), his farm on Repka Road, Waller County [occasional].

Zone-tailed Hawk: (1) 26 October (Oscar Carmona); (1) 27 October (Steven Gross), Huntsville State Park, Walker County [only the second record for East Texas, the first being at the same location in February of this year].

Oscar Carmona, "This afternoon, 10/26/02 at approx. 2:45 p.m., there was a break in the rain and I decided to get out of the office and see if there were any birds moving around. I was at Huntsville State Park near the Raven Lodge facility when I noticed a large dark raptor across the lake flying over the tops of the pines turkey vulture style with a slight dihedral. I decided it is worth checking every Turkey Vulture out here since I had a Zone-tailed here at the park last February. As soon as I got my bioculars onit, the white bands on the tail, yellow bill, and yellow legs jumped out at me. I was able to stay with the bird for about 5 minutes as it flew over the pines and made an unsuccessful pass at a Downy Woodpecker that undoubtedly did not see it as a threat. I eventually lost the bird as it flew into the pines across the lake from the Prairie Branch camping area. I am starting to think that this may be the same bird I saw last winter and this bird may winter here again. This looks like the same scenario as the Zone-tailed that has wintered over the past several years in the Lost Pines at Bastrop."

Steven Gross, "I followed up on Oscar Carmona's sighting at Hunstville State Park and braved the rainy conditions to see the Zone-tailed Hawk. Not long after I set up shop on the patio of the Lodge in the park, crows were heard and seen across the lake, mobbing a dark raptor. This bird escaped their clutches and began soaring much in the fashion of the Turkey Vultures that were already aloft. The hawk had the trademark field marks of the Zone-tailed: yellow legs and cere, a very dark and feathered head (nearly if not actually black), and a banded tail. The whitish band nearest the bird's body was not fully formed, but the other tail barring was clear and distinct."

Krider's (Red-tailed) Hawk: (1) 18 October (Eddie Ray), Texas Eastman in Longview, Harrison County.
Krider's (Red-tailed) Hawk: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), near Soda Springs in Luling area, Bastrop County [uncommon form].

Harlan's (Red-tailed) Hawk: (1) 12 October (Shirley & Dan Wilkerson), 2 miles east of Comanche on Hwy 36, Comanche County [occasional].
Harlan's (Red-tailed) Hawk: (1) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), west of Granger, Williamson County [occasional].
Harlan's (Red-tailed) Hawk: (1) 13 November (Randy Pinkston), along Gooseneck Road, south of Salado, 1.3 miles south of FM 2268, Bell County [same individual that has returned to same location for past 3 - 4 winters].

Red-tailed (dark-phase) Hawk: (1) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner), south of Thrall, CR 424?, eastern Williamson County [rare form].

Byron Stone, "Returning from the whooper sighting, we found a dark-phase Red-tailed Hawk just south of Thrall on CR 424(?). This bird was entirely chocolate brown on head, body and upper wing surfaces, had dark underwing coverts with lighter flight feathers and dark tips to the outer primaries. Legs were yellow. A stunning dark-phase raptor!"

Red-tailed Hawk (melanistic): (1 not Harlan's, nearly all black) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Shiloh Road and ponds, Bastrop County [rare].

Red-tailed Hawk: (38 in 1/2 day) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southwest Bastrop County and northeast Guadalupe County [good count].

Ferruginous Hawk: (2) 28 September (Dan Wilkerson), 1 mile west of Gustine, Comanche County [occasional].
Ferruginous Hawk: (1) 12 October (Shirley & Dan Wilkerson), Comanche County [occasional].
Ferruginous Hawk: (1 dark phase) 5 November (Rob Fergus), Webberville Park, eastern Travis County [rare].
Ferruginous Hawk: (1 light juvenile, soaring with Turkey Vultures) 10 November (Rich Kostecke), CR 220, just east of the Burnet/Bell County line [rare].
Ferruginous Hawk: (1) 23 November (Willie Sekula), 4 miles N.E. of El Oso, Karnes County [rare].
Ferruginous Hawk: (1) 30 November (Derek Muschalek, Willie Sekula), Helmers Road, DeWitt County [rare].

Golden Eagle: (1 adult) 21 November (John Eriksson), Waller, Waller County [very rare; about 5 records for county].

Crested Caracara: (24 in 1/2 day) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southwest Bastrop County and northeast Guadalupe County [good count].
Crested Caracara: (1) 29 November (Mary Dabney Wilson), Hwy 47 at Thompson Creek, Brazos County [uncommon, somewhat less so in Brazos County where this is the first report since February].

Merlins, typically a rare fall migrant, were seen this season in good numbers.
Merlin: (1) 14 September (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare; first record for estate].
Merlin: (1) 15 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [early arrival; second earliest fall record for area].
Merlin: (1) 22 September (Brush Freeman), north of Granger Lake, Williamson County.
Merlin: (1) 22 September (Tim Fennell), CR 110, east Round Rock, Williamson County [photographed].
Merlin: (2, including one female of Taiga race) 28 September (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Friendship Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County.
Merlin: (1) 4 October (Eddie Ray), Texas Eastman in Longview, Harrison County.
Merlin: (1) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County.
Merlin: (1 flying south with determination, with storm front) 13 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Lizzie Furuta), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.
Merlin: (3) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [accompanying a massive migration].
Merlin: (1) 16 October (Randy Pinkston), Temple, Bell County.
Merlin: (1) 20 October (Truman Powell), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County.
Merlin: (1) 27 October (Brush Freeman), Bastrop County.
Merlin: (1) 2 November (Rich Kostecke), McGregor Park, Lake Belton, Bell County.
Merlin: (1 flying south, just behind Sandhill Cranes) 5 November (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.
Merlin: (1 female) 17 November (Byron Stone, Erik Huebner), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County.
Merlin: (1) 20 November (Joe Yelderman, Karen Arquette, et al.), Waco wetlands, McLennan County.
Merlin: (1) 23 November (Tonna & Larry Harris-Haller, et al.), Lake Bryan, Brazos County.
Merlin: (1) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Sayer's Road, Bastrop County.

Peregrine Falcon: (1) 15-16 August (Susan & Don Schaezler), their property, Guadalupe County [occasional].
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 21 September (Cathy Liles), on stadium lights at Texas A&M football game, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 25 September (Guy Luneau), Texas Eastman at Longview, Harrison County [occasional].
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 9 October (David Phalen), circling over Large Animal Clinic, then head southeast over Texas A&M University campus, College Station, Brazos County [rare].
Peregrine Falcon: (2) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [accompanying a massive migration].
Peregrine Falcon: (1 juvenile anatum subspecies) 13 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [rare].
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 28 September; (1) 26 October (Jesse Fagan), Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County [occasional]
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 26 October (Tyson Hart, Kim Crumpler, and, independently, Heather Mathewson and Chris Niebuhr), Kyle Field during football game at Texas A&M University, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 30 October (fide Leslie Calvert), near Bryan High School, Bryan, Brazos County [occasional].
Peregrine Falcon: (1) 31 October (Susan Schaezler), her property, Guadalupe County [occasional].

Prairie Falcon: (1) 11 November (David Cimprich), about 2 mi. south of Briggs at the eastern edge of Burnet County [rare].
Prairie Falcon: (1) 16 or 17 and 24 November (Brush Freeman), off 969 west of Bastrop, Bastrop County [rare].
Prairie Falcon: (1) 22 November (Sheridan Coffey, et al.), Schaezler property on Old Wiederstein Road, Guadalupe County [rare].
Prairie Falcon: (1) 23-24 and 29-30 November (Susan Schaezler), Guadalupe County [rare].

TURKEYS THROUGH CRANES

Wild Turkey: (3) 27 August (Darrell Vollert, Dougal Cameron), oxbow lakes property off FM2447 in Brazos River bottom, east of Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare].
Wild Turkey: (8) 6 October (Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), south of Chireno, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Wild Turkey: (3) 29 October (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [uncommon, not often reported].

Northern Bobwhite: (1 heard) 1 August (Darrell Vollert), heard calling in Chappell Hills subdivision from the New Year's Creek bottom, Washington County [occasional].
Northern Bobwhite: (2) 1 August (Darrell Vollert, Tim Kiphart), Brazos River Road, east of Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional].
Northern Bobwhite: (10 in family group) 25 August (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [very rare for WMA; Peter's first record for the WMA.].
Northern Bobwhite: (1 female, 4+ chicks) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon].
Northern Bobwhite: (1 male) 19 September (Ellen Ratoosh), in the planting strip of an apartment complex parking lot at the corner of Southwest Parkway and Anderson, up the street from Bee Creek Park, College Station, Brazos County [rare; unusual location; continues a trend of past spring where bobwhites were sighted in several urban environments.].
Northern Bobwhite: (5) 31 October (Susan Schaezler), her property, Guadalupe County.

King Rail: (1 or 2) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), marsh below Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [rare].

Byron Stone, "The most remarkable finds of the day, however, were in the marsh below Granger Dam. While walking the edge of the cattails, we heard many Soras call in response to handclaps. Near the western edge of the marsh, however, we heard a loud, descending series of grunts which could only be one of the Rallus rails. It was very throaty, sounding like the "engine turning over" call of Clapper Rail, with which I am familiar. We had a copy of the NGS tape of bird songs & calls. We played Virginia calls and got no response. When we played the taped calls of King Rail, however, we had an immediate response consisting of a repeat of the descending grunts followed by a few single "kek" notes. We waited a bit and played the taped call again, and had another immediate response, this time from very near the tape recorder. We did not see the bird, and it did not respond to a third play of the tape, but we are fairly certain that we had 1 or possibly 2 KING RAILS vocalizing in this marsh, based on the response of one or more birds in the marsh to the taped King Rail calls, and by the identical appearance of the live birds call to the taped call, consisting of a very loud, deep, throaty descending series of grunts rather like a Mallard alarm call. This is deeper and louder than any calls of Virgina that I am familiar with."

Virginia Rail: (1 heard) 10 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [no fall records included on 2000 Bell County checklist].

Sora: (1 heard) 13 August (Keith Arnold), Country Club Lake, Bryan, Brazos County [earliest fall sighting for Central Brazos Valley, the previous record being 22 Aug 1981 in Lee County; the only other local record for August is 28 Aug 1959].
Sora: (1) 29 September; (2 adults, 1 juvenile) 20 October; (1) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [uncommon in October; occasional in November].
Sora: (1) 16 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [occasional in November].

Purple Gallinule: (1 adult, 1 juvenile) 20 August; (2 adults, 4 immature) 2 October (Georgette Guernsey), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [occasional].

David Wolf, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "Six Purple Gallinules (2 adults) were still at Kurth Lake on Oct 2, our lates date ever (GG). ... This is currently our only site in our region for this species, but in the past they have not been seen after late August."

Continuous rains at the end of October held back Sandhill Crane migration, but as soon as the weather cleared the cranes passed through in unprecedented numbers, spurring multiple reports and many comments even among non-birders.
Sandhill Crane: (~1137 in 21 flocks, 6 more heard but too far to count) 31 October; (119) 1 November; (20-22+ flocks) 5 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County

Brush Freeman, 31 October, "As of 4:45pm I have noted the best movement of Sandhills to date today with a count of ~1137 in 21 flocks (avg. 54 per flock). I also heard at least 6 other distant flocks beyond the tree line and my visual horizon which were thus were not counted."

Brush Freeman, 5 November, "Before I left for town the sandhills began coming over, when I returned home at almost 3:00 they were pouring over. I counted at least 20-22 flocks that I could see and there were several other distant flocks of almost the same number that I could only hear."

Sandhill Crane: (5) 31 October; (150+ in groups of 60+, 60+, 17 and 15; then later more until 5:30 PM, mostly in flocks of 70-100) 5 November; (large flock) 6 November (Shirley Wilkerson), over Kurten, Brazos County [uncommon].
Sandhill Crane: (120 in 1 flock) 5 November; (2 flocks of ~30 each within 10 minutes) 6 November; (1 flock heard) 7 November (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.
Sandhill Crane: (~300 in 6 flocks in 1 hour) 5 November (Rob Fergus), Webberville Park, eastern Travis County.
Sandhill Crane: (47 in one flock, flying south) 5 November (Bert Frenz), over Nantucket subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.
Sandhill Crane: (~55 in 1 flock) 6 November (Rich Kostecke), over West Fort Hood, Bell County.
Sandhill Crane: (~600 in 7 flocks) 5 November; (500+ in 4 flocks) 6 November (Darrell Vollert), his residence on FM1155, Chappell Hill, Washington County.

Darrell Vollert, 5 November, "What a gorgeous day we had today! ... This afternoon and evening seven large flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew over my residence. Some were flying really low. One flock of about 20 cranes passed over shortly before 6pm and they had their legs down as if they were going to land nearby. A total of approximately 600 cranes passed over this afternoon. I don't think I've ever seen that many fly over this area in one day before."

Sandhill Crane: (160+ in 4 flocks) 7 November (Darrell Vollert), over FM2447 near New Year's Creek, Washington County.
Sandhill Crane: (225 with 1 Whooping Crane) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner); ("many" still present) 24 November; (13 at CR 435) 27 November (Tim Fennell), south of Thrall, eastern Williamson County.
Sandhill Crane: (61 on ground) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Shiloh Road and ponds, Bastrop County.
Sandhill Crane: (9) 19 November (Fred Collins), Betka Road, Waller County.

Whooping Cranes, real rarities in migration, were found this fall in an unprecedented number of sightings:
Whooping Crane: (2 adults, 1 juvenile) 4 November (Kiel Kenwood, Frank & Jeanette Bumgardner, Bill & Nada Wareham, E.G. White-Swift, Karen Arquette), for ~3 hours in afternoon in a plowed field off of Lake Shore Drive between Stein Beck Bend Road and the Brazos River, McLennan County [casual].

Frank Bumgardner, "This afternoon between 2:15 and 3:25 there were a family of three Whooping Cranes in a plowed field off of Lake Shore Drive between Stein Beck Bend Road and the Brazos River. Two adults and onne young. Observed by Frank & Jeanette Bumgardner, Bill & Nada Wareham, and E.G. White-Swift. … I want to give credit to Kiel Kenwood who originally located the family of Whooping Cranes in Waco."

Whooping Crane: (2) 5 November (Karen Arquette), 8 miles north of Waco and about 1/4 mile west of I-35, McLennan County [casual].

Karen Arquette, 5 November, "I heard cranes again outside at 9:45am. They were flying pretty low and at the tail end of one flock I saw two Whooping Cranes . I'm 8 miles north of Waco and about 1/4 mile west of I35. Great Backyard bird !!!"

Whooping Crane: (8) 5 November (Elizabeth & Richard Moon), north of Florence, Williamson County [very rare].
Whooping Crane: (1) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner); (1) 22 November (Mike Austin); (1) 23 November (Lynn Barber), west side of CR 435, southeast of Thrall, eastern Williamson County [casual migrant; photographed by Tim Fennell].

Byron Stone, 17 November, "Notes have already been posted with the most exciting news - we found a single adult Whooping Crane foraging on the ground with a large flock of Sandhill Cranes on the west side of CR 345 southeast of Thrall. ... Whooping Crane - 1, Thrall, still can't believe it but we did get photos."

PLOVERS THROUGH SANDPIPERS

Black-bellied Plover: (1 adult in breeding plumage) 19 August (Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms at FM2447, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare].

Semipalmated Plover: (5) 15 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare; first record for WMA].

Peter Barnes, "A morning at Richland Creek WMA yielded 61 species. Although species diversity was relatively low, there were quite a few birds of interest. The ponds at the far north end of the North Unit have been drained, and there are extensive mudflats. These ponds can only be accessed by walking from the "blind" at the north end of the North Unit. The shorebirds are quite spread out and the walk around the ponds is 2-3 miles. Water is being pumped into the first large pond on the right near the entrance to the North Unit. A few dabbling ducks were present and more should be there soon. The highlights were 12 species of shorebirds and many large waterbirds in the North Unit."

Bert Frenz, "The Semipalmated Plover is rare anywhere in the Oaks & Prairies and I am not surprised it has not been previously found at the WMA. There are about 60 records for the area, but most of these are at Granger Lake in Williamson and at WMARSS in McLennan, sites that are water areas of Blackland Prairies. The Post Oak Savannah corridor seems to pick up only a few of these migrants."

Semipalmated Plover: (1) 6 September (David Wolf); (16) 8 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan); (21) 10 September (David Wolf, Robert Truss); (8) 16 September (Georgette Guernsey); (21) 15 September (David Wolf, et al.); (6) 18 September (Georgette Guernsey), Marion Ferry area, Angelina County [uncommon].
Semipalmated Plover: (1) 19 September (Randy Pinkston), Temple, Bell County [rare].
Semipalmated Plover: (1) 21 September (Pineywood's Audubon field trip), Marion's Ferry, Angelina County [uncommon and somewhat late].
Semipalmated Plover: (1) 13 October (David Wolf), Attoyac arm below TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [late migrant during cold front; occasional].
Semipalmated Plover: (1) 8 October (Tim Fennell); (1) 20 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone, David Stone), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [occasional; a bit late; photographed].

Mountain Plover: (19) 20 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone, David Stone); (34) 22 October (Tim Fennell); (41) 25 October (Tim Fennell); (10) 26 October (Tim Fennell); (14) 27 October (Tim Fennell); (13) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell); (31) 10 November (Tim Fennell); (4) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner); (28) 22 November (Mike Austin); (54) 27 November (Tim Fennell), Granger area, Williamson County [rare in region, but locally common here; photographed].

Locations:
1. 'megafield' bounded by Alligator Rd on north, CR 352 on east and CR 353 on south. -- seen here on 20 Oct, 22 Oct, 25 Oct, 26 Oct, 27 Oct, 22 Nov, 27 Nov
2. field southwest of "L" turn on CR 359/360 - 26 Oct, 10 Nov
3. plowed field near Bell Co. line, east of Granger - 2 Nov
4. north side of CR 346 - 10 Nov, 17 Nov

American Avocet: ("a group") 13 October (George Russell), north Lake Livingston, San Jacinto County [occasional].
American Avocet: (1) 20 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
American Avocet: (4-5) 4-5 October; (8) 22 October (David Ringer, Jason Pike), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [occasional].
American Avocet: (19) 26 October (Jesse Fagan), Nacogdoches ponds, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
American Avocet: (28) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
American Avocet: (5) 2 November (Rich Kostecke), Temple's Lake Park, Lake Belton, Bell County [late migrant, occasional].
American Avocet: (1) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [late migrant; occasional].
American Avocet: (1) 9 November (Rich Kostecke, David Cimprich), southeast Bell County [uncommon].

Solitary Sandpiper: (1) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Shiloh Road and ponds, Bastrop County [rare in November].

Willet: (1) 13 August (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [rare].

Upland Sandpiper: (1) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Granger Lake area, Williamson County [very rare in November].

Whimbrel: (4) 21 August (Lawrence Buford), Sore Finger Wildlife Area, Granger Lake, Williamson County [very rare].

Long-billed Curlew: (2) 15 September (Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [rare in September].

Long-billed Curlew: (1) 15 September (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake area, Williamson County [rare in September].

Long-billed Curlew: (1) 28 September (Guy Luneau, et al., NETFO hawk watch), flying over Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [casual in East Texas].

fide Peter Barnes, NETFO Newsletter, September, "The most notable shorebird reported was the rare Long-billed Curlew that flew over Lake O' the Pines during the NETFO hawk watch on Sept 28 (GL et al.) ."

Ruddy Turnstone: (2 adults) 19 August (Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms at FM2447, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [casual].

Sanderling: (2) 19 September (Frank & Jeanette Bumgardner, John Muldrow), Lake Waco, McLennan County [rare].
Sanderling: (2) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare].

Semipalmated Sandpiper: (5) 15 September; (7) 22 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare in Post Oak savannah corridor].

Baird's Sandpiper: (5) 17 August (Chris Harrison); (5+) 18 August (Darrell Vollert, Ellen Ratoosh, Lizzie Furuta), turf farms along FM 50, Brazos bottoms, Burleson County [occasional].
Baird's Sandpiper: (2) 10 September (James Phelps), Turf Farm off FM 50, Burleson County [occasional].
Baird's Sandpiper: (3) 14 September (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor), Ryan Lake, Angelina County [occasional].

Pectoral Sandpiper: (2) 16 September (Randy Pinkston), pond on south edge of Temple, Bell County [occasional].
Pectoral Sandpiper: (1) 25 August; (4) 22 September (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].

Dunlin: (1) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), WMARSS, Waco, McLennan County [rare].

Frank Bumbardner, "One Dunlin was with a Semipalmated Sandpiper and a flock of Least at the Waco sewage ponds. ... The dunlin was only the third that I have seen in the county [in 20+ years]."

Dunlin: (3) 13 and 20 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Dunlin: (1) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: (100+) 17 August (Chris Harrison); (100+) 18 August (Darrell Vollert, Ellen Ratoosh); (250+) 10 September; (50+) 12 September (James Phelps), turf farms along FM 50, Brazos bottoms, Burleson County [occasional in Central Brazos Valley].

Chris Harrison, 17 August, "First time I have seen Buff-breasteds in the area in the fall migration and I have never seen them that close before (of course, we didn't have a camera!)."

Darrell Vollert, 18 August, "We saw much of the same yesterday that you saw on Saturday morning at the turf farm. Actually, Buff-breasted Sandpipers are quite reliable at the turf farm during fall migration. Last year Ellen and I birded the turf farm on Sept. 2 and located 8 Buff-breasteds. On Sept. 16 last year we found 100+ Buff-breasteds."

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: (1 juvenile) 16-19 September (Randy Pinkston), pond on south edge of Temple, Bell County [occasional].

Short-billed Dowitcher: (2) 15 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare].
Short-billed Dowitcher: (2 juvenile) 15 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [occasional].

Long-billed Dowitcher: (1 juvenile) 7 September; (2 in basic plumage) 18 October (Randy Pinkston), Temple, Bell County [occasional].
Long-billed Dowitcher: (13 in calling in flight) 5 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert, RBAS field trip), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [rare in Central Brazos Valley].
Long-billed Dowitcher: (180+) 13 October; (49) 20 October; (35) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Dowitcher species: (35) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Dowitcher species: (3) 9 November (Rich Kostecke, David Cimprich), Milam County [occasional].
Dowitcher species: (6) 29 November (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [Long-billed is occasional to uncommon; Short-billed is rare].

Peter Barnes, "At Richland Creek WMA in Freestone County (north-central Texas) yesterday, I observed 6 silent dowitchers in basic plumage. I had a close view of one bird about 50 feet away. As it flew off directly away from me, I had a decent view of the tail, which showed white and dark bars of approximately equal width. The dark bars were certainly not wider than the light bars. This characteristic suggests Short-billed Dowitcher, yet the references that I have aailable state that Long-billed is the species that migrates later in fall and occasionally winters in north-central Texas."

Wilson's Snipe: (1) 4 September (Tim Fennell); (1) 14 September (Byron Stone, Kathy McCormack, Jenny Rasmussen, Stu Wilson), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [early arrival; rare].

American Woodcock: (1) 7 November (Ann & Kent Richardson), 103E, Angelina County [occasional].

Wilson's Phalarope: (2) 17 August (Chris Harrison), turf farms along FM 50, Brazos bottoms, Burleson County [occasional].
Wilson's Phalarope: (9) 18 August; (8) 19 August (Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms at FM2447, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare].
Wilson's Phalarope: (2) 15 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].
Wilson's Phalarope: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Salt Lake, just south of Luling in extreme northeast Guadalupe County [very rare in November].

GULLS AND TERNS

Laughing Gull: (2, apparent 2nd winter birds) 21 September (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [rare].

Bonaparte's Gull: (1 adult) 25 October (John Muldrow, fide Willie Sekula), Lake Waco, McLennan County [early arrival; occasional].
Bonaparte's Gull: (4) 11 November; (~30) 23 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [listed as rare in fall on Bell County checklist; regionally it is uncommon].

California Gull: (1) 23 November (Tim Fennell), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [no records for East Texas; photographed].

Tim Fennell, "While visiting family in northeast TX this weekend, we birded Lake O' the Pines (northeast of Longview) for a couple of hours this morning. The most interesting birds were a Western Grebe (seen from Lakeshore Park looking towards Island View) and a possible winter adult California Gull (at the swimming beach by the boat ramp at Lakeshore Park. I'm not the best with gulls but hopefully some of my photos will turn out to confirm if this is the correct ID or not)."

Herring Gull: (3 adults flying south along the river) 5 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert, RBAS field trip), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [rare].
Herring Gull: (1) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Herring Gull: (1) 2 November (Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor), Marion's Ferry area and the Angelina River Bridge area, Angelina County [occasional].
Herring Gull: (2 first-winter) 3 November (Randy Pinkston), pond between Belton and Temple, Bell County [rare].

Gull-billed Tern: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Shipp Lake, Bastrop County [casual].

Caspian Terns were reported in greater numbers than usual in Central and East Texas.
Caspian Tern: (1) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), Lake Alcoa, Milam County [rare].
Caspian Tern: (2) 15 September (Tim Fennell, Chris Merkord, Jennifer Reidy), Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [rare].
Caspian Tern: (2 seen from Cassells-Boykin) 6 September (David Wolf); (1 above Etoile) 8 September; (6) 10 September (David Wolf, Robert Truss); (8 in 3 groups) 15 September (David Wolf, et al.); (5) 16 September (Georgette Guernsey), Marion Ferry area, Angelina County [uncommon].

David Wolf, "We have far more records of Caspian Tern in September than any other month, but this year migrants seemed almost common on Rayburn."

Caspian Tern: (2) 16 September (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [rare].

Brush Freeman, "Whilst on the couch reading, door open as usual, when I heard the distinctive, distant calls of a Caspian Tern flying approaching from the north. I hurried out and found a place where I could view the sky and sure enough there were two Caspian Terns, still calling, flying overhead fairly low. New yard bird. They were flying south. These are fairly notable for Bastrop County though occur with some frequency at Lake Bastrop and Fayetteville. They are pretty regular in the fall at Lake Alcoa and points further east and southeast. I am a bit west of their normal migration route."

Brush Freeman, "Surely the Sooty Tern in Ft. Worth and the Black Skimmers in Dewitt were related to the TD but that has passed now. I don't know about Caspians, I feel they have to pass through here unseen by most of us in small numbers, as they are not as rare as the Austin Checklist makes them out to be. I could go with rare to very uncommon, but this may be because there is a lack of observers out and about at the times of year when they are most likely to occur. Lk. Alcoa, Lk. Bastrop and Fayetteville rarely are birded yet there are almost always terns, pelicans, waders/storks etc on them in season . Lake Bastrop , now that it is very restricted with only one public place from which to view the lake (at a price) is now virtually never birded. I haven't been there in a long time and I don't know of anyone else that has. These three lakes are all power plant lakes and for whatever reason always have larids of some type whilst flat Reservoirs Like Granger, Georgetown, Belton, Shippe, Gonzales, Sommerville, etc. seem not to attract the birds in any numbers. Would be interesting to know why that is."

Caspian Tern: (4) 28 September (Guy Luneau, et al., NETFO hawk watch), Lake O' the Pines, Marion County [uncommon].
Caspian Tern: (8) 20 October; (2) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Caspian Tern: (2) 31 October (Oscar Carmona), over Lake Raven, Huntsville State Park, Walker County [occasional].
Caspian Tern: (1) 2 November (Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor), Marion's Ferry area and the Angelina River Bridge area, Angelina County [occasional].
Caspian Tern: (2) 3 November (Peter Barnes), outside Richland Creek WMA, on FM488, near the Richland Creek reservoir dam, 400 yards from the intersection with Hwy 287, Freestone County [occasional].

Common Tern: (1) 19 September (Frank & Jeanette Bumgardner, John Muldrow), Lake Waco, McLennan County [rare].

Forster's Tern: (300+) 4 October (Georgette Guernsey), Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [good count, abundant].

fide Nancy Bird, "from Etoile Park looking across at the Angelina County shoreline she found 200+ White Pelican, 300+ Foster's Terns and 300+ Egret species. This was shorty after the hurricane hit the Louisiana coast."

Forster's Tern: (10,000+) 12 October; ("fewer") 13 October (George Russell), south of the Hwy 19 Trinity River bridge in north Lake Livingston, Trinity/Walker/San Jacinto counties intersection [unusually large number, moving with cold front].

George Russell, "12 Oct. Lake Livingston (north). Waves of White Pelicans numbering between 7.5 thousand and 10 thousand. Also at least 10K terns and other shore birds as well as several thousand cormorants, 1000+ great and snowy egrets, several hundred great blues. ... Bert, the terns were inhabiting floating logs in an area known as 'the jungle' which is south of the Hwy 19 Trinity River Bridge. They were crowded wing-to-wing, much like the purple martins in migration on practically every one of hundreds of floating logs over a huge area of perhaps hundreds of acres. I called them 'peeps' because there was such a chorus of their chirping."

Least Tern: (1 immature) 16 August (Georgette Guernsey), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [first county record].
Least Tern: (1) 17 August (Dick Pike), Nacogdoches sewage ponds, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Least Tern: (2) 22 August (Brush Freeman), Shipp and Stagner's Lakes, east of Smithville, Bastrop County [rare].

Black Tern: (2) 3 August (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor); (8) 16 August (Georgette Guernsey); (4) 17 August (Louis Debetaz, Charles Kent, Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor); (3) 20 August (Georgette Guernsey), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [early August sighting is rare; others uncommon].
Black Tern: (26+) 17 August (Darrell Vollert), Brazos bottoms at FM2447, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional].
Black Tern: (1) 29 September (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [late migrant].

Black Skimmer: (3) 9 September (Brush Freeman), near Guadalupe River and Hwy 183, DeWitt County [casual; appearance coincides with Tropical Storm Faye].

Brush Freeman, "I was driving this morning back home and had 3 Skimmers flying south about 2 miles north of the intersection of the Guadalupe River and Highway 183 in Dewitt Co. It is about the only birding I have been able to do despite the fact I spent the whole storm on the coast and we were right in the eye for hours."

DOVES AND PIGEONS

Eurasian Collared-Dove: (9) 13 August (David Henderson), Gonzales area, Gonzales County [uncommon].
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (6 shot) 1-2 September (fide Keith Arnold), near intersection of FM50 and FM60, Burleson County [still rare in this county].
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (pair) present everyday during winter; (~10) summer (Mark Gray), near Wal-Mart, Bastrop, Bastrop County.
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (no.?) 29 September (fide Brush Freeman), Falls County [first county record].

Brush Freeman, 15 October, "Here are two more ECDO counties for the map. Kaufman Co. per note below and Falls Co. from a note I got on the coast last week. (/29 in the case of the Falls Co, report.)."

Eurasian Collared-Dove: (1) 14 October (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (2) 16 October (James Phelps), BTU Power Plant on Atkins Road at Finfeather Lake, Brazos County [rare; new location].
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (1) 14 November (Fred Collins), Waller, Waller County [uncommon?].
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (6) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Luling area, Bastrop County.
Eurasian Collared-Dove: (1) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick), CR 419; (1) 15 September (Tim Fennell); (1) 20 October (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone, David Stone); (6) 10 November (Tim Fennell); (2) 17 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Erik Huebner); (2) 27 November (Tim Fennell), Holy Cross Cemetery, Granger area, Williamson County [uncommon].

While White-winged Doves are phenomenally common in some counties of Central Texas, they are almost completely absent in other counties: from 7500 in a single flight in Bastrop County to a single bird setting a new county record in Burleson County:
White-winged Dove: (7500) 5 August (Brush Freeman), CR 969, 23 miles east of Austin, western Bastrop County [phenomenal flight of doves].

Brush Freeman, "This morning about 23 miles east of Austin I witnessed a spectacular White-winged Dove flight in part. I saw several very large groups of White-wings flying east/southeast several hundred feet up in the air. I don't know how many doves actually passed over the area as I think I only caught the flight in midstream or so as I was driving 969. However there were so many flying over I had to pull to the shoulder of the road to try for an estimate. In the time I was there I guess I would estimate of doves that I actually saw to be between 7-8,000 birds.

White-winged Dove: (9) 6 November (Fred Collins), near Monaville Fire Department on Cochran Road, Waller County [still rare in this county].

Fred Collins, "Yesterday near the Monaville Fire Department on Cochran Road I saw 9 white-wing doves near a house on a utility wire. White-wings are still rare in Waller County and I was surprised to see them. This small community on 20 houses is the same area that I have had Eurasian Collared Dove with some regularity over the past three years. I guess it will also be the toe-hold for White-wings in this Central section of the County."

White-winged Dove: (1) 7 November (Alan Rockett), 2 miles south of Caldwell, Burleson County [first county record].

Common Ground-Dove: (1) 14 October (Robert Truss), on Hwy 59 S in the Diboll area, Angelina County [very rare in East Texas].

David Wolf, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "A Common Ground-Dove near Diboll on October 14 was studied at close range (RT); this species is rare and unpredictable in our area but we have more records for October than any other month."

Common Ground-Dove: (3) 20 October (Tim Fennell), CR 438, southwest of Thorndale, southeast Williamson County [occasional, Tim identified 6 dove species this day; photographed].
Common Ground-Dove: (1) 26 October (Tim Fennell), CR 438, Granger Lake area, Williamson County [occasional].

CUCKOOS THROUGH OWLS

Black-billed Cuckoo: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), around lake, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [very rare fall migrant].

Brush Freeman, "The big find of the day was a Black-billed Cuckoo, A rarity anywhere in Texas in the fall but away from the coast it is exceptional. Both the Travis and Tarrant County lists show no records for the month of September."

Five reports of late-departing Yellow-billed Cuckoos is unusual:
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County [late departure].
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: (4) 20 October (Guy Luneau), Rusk County [very late departure; beyond dates listed on Pineywoods checklist; in 2001 there was a 19 Oct sighting in Gregg Co.].

fide Peter Barnes in NETFO Newsletter, "Yellow-billed Cuckoos usually depart in late October, and the last ones seen were on Oct 20, including 4 individuals beefing themselves up for migration by gorging on Buckeye Butterfly caterpillars in Rusk Co. (GL)."

Yellow-billed Cuckoo: (1) 20 October (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [late departure; rare].
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: (1) 21 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [late departure].
Yellow-billed Cuckoo: (1) 26 October (Rich Kostecke), his backyard, Copperas Cove, Coryell County [late departure; rare].

Greater Roadrunner: (1) 7 August (Guy Luneau), Texas Eastman in Longview, Harrison County [occasional].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 26 August (Guy Luneau), Rusk County [occasional].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 27 August (Tom Boykin), south of Central Park between the park and the catchment pond, Hwy 6 bypass, College Station, Brazos County [rare].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 29 September (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [occasional].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 12 October; (1) 14 October (Guy Luneau, Joan Luneau, Scott Luneau), different parts of Rusk County [occasional].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 14 October (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [uncommon].
Greater Roadrunner: (2) 27 October (Tim Fennell), CR 230 in Lawler, near Florence in northwestern Williamson County [occasional].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 28 October (Alan Byboth), Camp Tyler, Smith County [occasional].
Greater Roadrunner: (1) 30 November (Tim Fennell), Sweetwater Trail, Lake Georgetown, Williamson County.

Groove-billed Ani: (1) 13 August (David Henderson), Gonzales area, Gonzales County [rare].

Barn Owl: (2) 24 August (Brush Freeman, Eric Carpenter), Fayette Lake, Fayette County [seldom reported].
Barn Owl: (1) 15 and 18 November (Fred Collins), FM 362 at Baethe Road, Waller County [rarely reported].

Fred Collins, "They were formerly abundant on the Katy Prairies but the last few years had disappeared entirely. Then last year after some decent moisture they returned and are quite common again this year. The Sigmadon population is healthy again hence the owls. What a difference sufficient rain makes. Also the duck numbers on the Katy Prairie are excellent this year."

Barn Owl: (1 heard) 26 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [rarely reported].

Burrowing Owl: (1) 26-27 October (Tim Fennell); (1) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell); (1) 6 November (Tim Fennell), FM971 ~.8 mile west of CR358, Granger area, Williamson County [rare].

Short-eared Owl: (1) 19 November (Randy Pinkston); (1) 22 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove Wildlife Area, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [rare].
Short-eared Owl: (1 at dusk) 20 November (John Muldrow, fide Frank Bumgardner), near the intersection of Compton Scholl Road & Wolf Lane, west of Waco, McLennan County [rare].
Short-eared Owl: (1) 23 November (Brush Freeman), 1209 and Watson/Walfer Road, Bastrop County [FOS, rare].

NIGHTHAWKS THROUGH SWIFTS

Common Nighthawk: (1) 20 October (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [late departure, occasional].
Common Nighthawk: (1) 26 October (Eric Lisenbe), Aggie football game, Texas A&M University, College Station, Brazos County [late departure].
Common Nighthawk: (2 flying south) 6 October; (2) 28 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional in October].
Common Nighthawk: (1) 10 October; (1) 28 October (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [late departure; occasional].
Common Nighthawk: (1) 7 November (Cathy Liles), Kyle field during Consol vs. Bryan game, Texas A&M University, College Station, Brazos County [late departure].
Common Nighthawk: (1) 10 November (Rich Kostecke), HEB in Copperas Cove, Bell County [late departure].

Common Poorwill: (1 hatch-year) 25 November (David Cimprich), Fort Hood, Bell County [no fall records for Bell County; occasional in spring, rare in summer; photographed].

David Camprich, "On 25 November, a soldier brought a "baby hawk" to the Natural Resources office on Fort Hood. This was a cold, damp, windy day. The bird was brought over to my office for identification. It was a after hatch-year (definitive basic plumage) Common Poorwill. It was somewhat emaciated and, at first, it was very lethargic but it slowly became more active. I thought that it had probably been in a state of torpor when found and was now coming out of it. Unfortunately, the soldier who brought it in left before the bird was brought to me and so I was unable to learn where precisely it had been found, except that it was somewhere on Fort Hood. A few things that the soldier had said along with the type of box the bird had been brought in made it seem likely that it had been found round one of the motor pools which would be the Bell County side of the fort. We judged that the best thing to do would be to place the bird back outside in appropriate habitat. It was placed on a rock shelf on a wooded hillside on the east side of the fort. Two days later, I checked up on the bird and found it dead only about a meter from where it had been placed."

Chuck-will's-widow: (1 calling) 15 August (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [very late in season to be calling].

Brush Freeman, "I just returned from the yard where I was listening to probably the latest calling Chuck-wills-widow I have had here in Bastrop Co. in the last 17 years. I listened to a single bird calling for ~11 minutes continuously at a estimated distance of 125 yds. The dialect of this bird's song is completely different that what I typically hear in these parts so I don't know if it a migrant passing through or if it is a local resident that has lingered nearby. The last Chuck I heard here previously this season was on July 31 (same for Painted Bunting) though usually I will hear both of those species up until Aug. 6-8 on or near this property.

Paul & Georgean Kyle, "We had a Chuck-wills-widow calling near Mansfield Dam on Tuesday night [13 August] -- it seemed late to as as well." [Travis County?]

Chuck-will's-widow: (1 observed) 15 September (Guy Luneau), Rusk County [occasional in fall].

Chimney Swift: (1) 21 October (Jack Windsor), Lufkin, Angelina County [occasional].
Chimney Swift: (2 over North Park St.) 23 October; (7 over Harrison St.) 25 October (Darrell Vollert), Brenham, Washington County [occasional in last half of October].
Chimney Swift: (11) 27 October (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan), over Chireno and Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County [late departure, uncommon].
Chimney Swift: (9) 27 October (Georgette Guernsey), Jones Lake, Angelina County [late departure, uncommon].
Chimney Swift: (1500) 27 October (Rick Schaefer), over Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County [very late flight of such high numbers].

David Wolf, "Chimney Swift - a remarkably late flight of 1500 birds over Nacogdoches town on Oct 27 was a surprise (Rick Schaefer); other observers saw small numbers that day. This is about a week later than we normally see the last few individuals."

Chimney Swift: (1) 28 October (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [late departure].

HUMMINGBIRDS AND KINGFISHERS

Buff-bellied Hummingbird (probable): (1) week of 9-13 September (Susan Schulze), College Station, Brazos County [rare, 4th county record].
Buff-bellied Hummingbird: (1-2) from 10 March to 4 November (Margaret Cook), her feeders, northern Austin County [reappearing yearly since spring 1995].
Buff-bellied Hummingbird: (1-2) from 13 March to 17 November (Sue Ruotsala and Billie Bernard), their feeders, northern Austin County [reappearing yearly since spring 1997].
Buff-bellied Hummingbird: (1) from 30 March into December (Marcia Effinger), her feeders, Old Chappell Hill Road, Chappell Hill, Washington County [arrived somewhat late this season; reappearing yearly since May 1998].

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, usually mostly gone after mid October were still well represented in the Brazos Valley, with many lingering into November in Central and Eastern Texas.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: (1 immature) from late October to 1 November (Shirley Wilkerson), Kurten, Brazos County [late departure].
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: (no.?) 28 October (Nancy Bird); (no.?) 29 October (Jack Windsor); (no.?) 3 November (Gladys Guthrie), Angelina County [LOS; November sighting is very rare].
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: (1 adult male, 1 female) to 5 November (Margaret Cook), her feeders, northern Austin County [occasional in November].
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: (1) 7 November (James Phelps), Shenandoah Subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: (1) 20 November (Jimmie Putnam), Angelina County [extremely late; very rare].
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: (1-2 females) through 26 November with 1 female lingering into December (Fred & Mary Brandt), Chappel Hill subdivision, Washington County [late departure].

Broad-tailed Hummingbird: (1 male) 24 November (Derek Muschalek), Karnes County [casual].

Reports of Rufous Hummingbird increased this fall. Typically the species is rare to occasional.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1 male) 12-23 August (James Phelps), his backyard feeder, College Station, Brazos County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1 male) 20-22 August (Marj Swies), her feeders, extreme western Williamson County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) 24 August (Doyle Spitzer), his residence in Klump community southeast of Brenham, Washington County.
Selasphorus hummingbird species: (1 female) 24 August (Laura Bottone), Lindale Club Lake, Smith County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) mid September (Gail Cole), Brenham, Washington County.
Selasphorus hummingbird species: (1 female type) 16 September (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) 16 September (Susan Schaezler); (2) 17 September (Ron Cabel & Lee Clausen), Schaezler property, Guadalupe County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) ~18 September (Gail Cole), Brenham, Washington County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1+) fall season (fide Darrell Vollert), Brenham, Washington County.
Rufous/Allen's hummingbird species: (1 immature) 20 September (Shirley Wilkerson), Kurten, Brazos County [good photographs].
Rufous Hummingbird: (2 adults) 29 September (fide Fred Collins), Garden Acres, Bryan, Brazos County.
Selasphorus species: (1) 9 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) 21 October (Kitty & Jim Anding), Harvey Community, Brazos County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1 hatch-year male) 2 September to 24 November (David Cimprich), Kempner, Lampasas County [bird was netted on 14 October and identified to species]
Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird: (1 adult female) 2 September to at least 1 December (David Cimprich), Kempner, Lampasas County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1) week of 21 October and still present 1 December (Susan Schulze), College Station, Brazos County.
Rufous Hummingbird: (1 immature) 26 October - 3 December (Shirley Wilkerson), Kurten, Brazos County.

Green Kingfisher: (1) 1 September (Tim Fennell), along North San Gabriel River, Rivery Park, Georgetown, Williamson County [casual].
Green Kingfisher: (1) 10 November (Rich Kostecke), Lampasas River from an old bridge crossing off of 2670 east of Maxdale Rd/2670 jct, Bell County [rare].

Green Kingfisher: (1 female or immature) 23 November (Bernice & Ed Jackson), Champion Lake, south of Dayton, southern Liberty County [no records listed on 2001 Pineywoods checklist which includes northern Liberty County; no records listed on 1998 UTC checklist which starts just south of Liberty County].

Bernice & Ed Jackson, "Champion Lake is south of Dayton on HWY 1409. Turn on CR 417 and go to the end. It is part of Trinity River NWR now. We have not gone back to look again because of the holidays, but will try to go again soon. I am fairly certain this is Liberty County."
Rare Bird Report From:
Distance to bird: 15-20 feet
Duration of observation: 5 minutes
Habitat : shallow water cypress lake with heavy brush
Description: Small body, about the size of a cardinal. Large white cheek/neck patches which separated the large head and bill from the green white-speckled body. Large heavy black bill. Perched with tail cocked. Sat more horizontal than Belted Kingfisher. Flight fast and direct only about a foot over the water. Faint clicking/tapping noise given while perched. No sound noticed when flushed.

WOODPECKERS

Red-headed Woodpecker: (1 juvenile) 9 September (James Phelps), picnic area near boat launch, Gibbons Creek Reservoir, Grimes County [occasional in area, but regular at this location].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (21 moving north very high along the lakeshore, in groups of 3-4, seen every 5-10 minutes) 21 September (Pineywoods Audubon field trip), Etoile Park, Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County [fall dispersal to better foraging grounds?].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (2) 25 September (Dan Calloway), CR 156 and CR 124, Bastrop County [rare].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (1 juvenile) 28 September (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), CR 353, Williamson County [occasional].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (1 immature) 9 October (Brush Freeman), off PR 1C, Bastrop State Park, Bastrop County [rare].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (1 juvenile) 15 October (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [rare in city limits; uncommon in region].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Shiloh Road near Watterson area, southern Bastrop County [rare].
Red-headed Woodpecker: (1 immature) 28 November (Brush Freeman), near old military academy, Church Street, Bastrop, Bastrop County [rare].

Red-naped Sapsucker: (1 adult female) 19 November (Brush Freeman), near Whistling-Duck ponds in large cedar elm, Crystal Lake area, southwestern Bastrop County [casual; sketched; field notes].

Brush Freeman, 20 November, "Jeff Hanson and I looked for the Red-naped Sapsucker this morning but did not see it. I forgot to mention yesterday that the bird is an adult female complete with white chin and red nape. It most likely is in the same area but the cedar elms here are extensive and private."

Hairy Woodpecker: (1 male calling) 14 September; (3) 19 September; (1 seen, 2-3 heard) 9 October; (1) 17 November (Brush Freeman), Bastrop-Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [rare and irregular].
Hairy Woodpecker: (2) 29 September (Peter Barnes), south unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional].
Hairy Woodpecker: (1) 27 and 31 October (Brush Freeman), Pecan Trail, McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County.
Hairy Woodpecker: (1) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Pleasant Chapel Road, Bastrop County

Red-shafted (Northern) Flicker: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Hwy 86, just south of Bateman near the Bastrop/Caldwell county line [occasional].

Pileated Woodpecker: (1) 12 October (Tyson Hart, et al., on TAMU Wildlife Society field trip); (1) 25 October (Tyson Hart), Flag Pond, Lake Somerville, Lee County [rare in county; occasional at adjacent Somerville WMA].

FLYCATCHERS

Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 15 August (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [rare].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 25 August (Darrell Vollert), FM2447, east of Chappell Hill, Washingtion County [occasional].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 1 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 7 September (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (4) 15 September (Tim Fennell), 1 at CR100 and 3 at Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 16 September (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [occasional].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 16 September (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [rare in fall].
Olive-sided Flycatcher: (1) 3 October (Truman Powell), Tyler, Smith County [occasional in September, not listed in October on East Texas Pineywoods checklist].

Eastern Wood-Pewee: (1) 14 October (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [late migrant; occasional].
Eastern Wood-Pewee: (1 immature) 30 October (James Phelps), Lick Creek Park, College Station, Brazos County [late migrant; rare; good details].

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: (1) 6 September (David Wolf), base of TX 147 bridge, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [occasional].
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: (1, plus 3 empid species) 8 September (Byron Stone, Aletha Snowden), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon].
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: (1) 7 September (Randy Pinkston), Lampasas River, Bell County [rare on Bell County checklist].
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: (no.?) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [uncommon].

Brush Freeman, "Empids were fairly numerous with 4 species found, the most numerous being Traill's types of which I believe the majority constituted Alders based on calls and habitat they were found in. Next numerous were Least."

We had an unusual number of fall sightings of Acadian Flycatcher including a number of remarkably late birds.
Acadian Flycatcher: (1) 15 September (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [migrant; uncommon].
Acadian Flycatcher: (1 seen vocalizing, "swee" call) 18 September (Darrell Vollert), Brazos River at US290, Washington County [rare in fall].
Acadian Flycatcher: (1 seen and heard vocalizing "swee" call) 8 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [very late sighting; latest regional sighting on record. Other later records: 2 Sep 2000, 2 Sep 2001, 3 Sep 1997, 16 Sep 2000, 18 Sep 2002, 19 Sep 1985, 19 Sep 2000, 24 Sep 2001].

Darrell Vollert, "Since this is a very late record for Acadian Flycatcher I thought I'd better give you some details of my sighting. The flycatcher was found at the edge of a heavily wooded area on a neighbor's property. The bird was observed in a green ash tree and in a huisache tree. Got my best looks at the flycatcher while it was perched in the medium-size huisache tree. I noted an eye-ring. The breast was whitish for the most part with some faint streaking on the breast. The bird flicked its wings nervously. Another bird chased the flycatcher deeper into the woods and that is hen I heard the unmistakable "swee" call that Acadian Flycatchers make occasionally. I am sure this was an adult bird."

Acadian Flycatcher: (1) 11 October and possibly 15 October (Darrell Vollert), Harrison/Walnut Hill St., Brenham, Washington County [very late departure].

Darrell Vollert, "As incredible as it may sound, I found another Acadian Flycatcher on Friday (10/11) in Brenham. Found the bird in the Harrison/Walnut Hill Street neighborhood in Brenham. This flycatcher was foraging in the mid to upper level of the canopy (in pecan trees). The flycatcher was foraging in a park-like setting. I heard the "swee" call of this flycatcher several times. Got a real good look at the flycatcher too. Noted an eye-ring, two white wing bars, and whitish underparts with very light streaking on the breast. The two empids that I saw last week had sort of a crest (for the lack of a better term). Leasts and Yellow-bellieds have a more rounded head than Acadians."
Darrell Vollert, 15 October, "Tuesday, October 15, on Harrison Street I saw an empidonax flycatcher. It was seen late in the evening and the lighting was poor at the time. The flycatcher was actively foraging in a large juniper and I only obtained distorted views of the bird. I did note a round-shaped white eye-ring and light streaking on the breast. The flycatcher was silent. It could have been the Acadian Flycatcher that I saw the previous Friday in the same area."

Acadian Flycatcher: (1) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery off LaSalle Drive, Waco, McLennan County [very late departure].

Frank Bumgardner, "One Acadian Flycatcher was in Oak Wood Cemetery off LaSalle Drive and was id by sight and voice. Located alongwith a large mixed flock of warblers. ... You're right. it is the latest that I have had an Acadian Flycatcher in the county. This bird was observed in the open hawking insects and calling."

Traill's Flycatcher: (2 silent) 25 August (Peter Barnes), south unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare].
"Traill's" type Empidonax flycatcher: (4) 28 August (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
"Traill's" type Empidonax flycatcher: (2) 7 September (Jesse Fagan, Robert Truss), Alazan Bayou WMA, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
"Traill's" type Empidonax flycatcher: (4) 14 September (Robert Truss), Nacogdoches sewage ponds, Nacogdoches County [occasional].

Alder Flycatcher (probable): (1, not calling) 16 September (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [rare].
Alder Flycatcher: ("fairly numerous") 19 September (Brush Freeman), Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [uncommon].

Brush Freeman, "Empids were fairly numerous with 4 species found, the most numerous being Traill's types of which I believe the majority constituted Alders based on calls and habitat they were found in. Next numerous were Least."

Traill's type flycatcher: (1) 15 September; (1) 22 September (Peter Barnes), in the willows on the main road into north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare].

Willow Flycatcher: (1 singing) 11 August (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare].
Willow Flycatcher: (1 calling, 1 silent empidonax) 31 August (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Roxie Rochat, Bill Eddie), Granger Lake area, Williamson County [rare].
Willow Flycatcher: (no.?) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [occasional].

Hammond's Flycatcher: (1) 9 October (Brush Freeman), near Alum Creek, Bastrop State Park, Bastrop County [casual; only three other records for Oaks & Prairies region].

Brush Freeman, "However I did find a Hammond's Flycatcher very near the intersection of County Rd. 192 and Park Rd. 1C. The bird remarkably was within 60-70 yards of where the first documented winter record of the species for the state was made on Feb. 16, 1987. … Occasionally it would fly up to a large elm on the south side of this small clearing but did not stay there very long before returning to the sun drenched bushes which it favored. The animal was somewhat vocal with sporadic sharp, single call notes which made its discovery much easier. Due to the amount of yellow in the belly and vent I suspect this is a first fall bird but I am not 100% on that."

Gray Flycatcher: (1) 24 November (Derek Muschalek), Karnes County [casual, but 4th record in county since 1990].

fide Willie Sekula, "Derek Muschalek asked me to post a message that he found a Gray Flycatcher near his house in Karnes County today. This is the fourth record of Gray Flycatcher in Karnes County since 1990. The first bird wintered for three years from 1990 through 1993 and was seen by over 100 birders. The Gray Flycatcher that Derek found today was seen on a private ranch in a huisache, mesquite, hackberry and bois-d'arc pasture. This same site had a Gray Flycatcher winter there in 1998-1999 and a single sight record on October 10, 2000."

"Western" Flycatcher: (1) 23 November (Brush Freeman, Mark Lockwood); (2) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [accidental; only ~2 records for Oaks & Prairies region].

Brush Freeman, 23 November, "Mark Lockwood and I visited McKinney Roughs in Bastrop County this morning and found a "Western" Flycatcher amid a group of mixed passerines. This empid was ~232 paces from the north end of the Pecan Trail."

Brush Freeman, 1 December, "I went down the Pecan Trail to see if I could find the Western Fly that Mark and I found last Saturday. After several stops where I was able to whistle in bunches of birds, I located it only about 50 yards south of where we first had it. I was able to see it a bit better than last week but it was hard to keep up with amid all the yellow-rumpeds. I finally had it in the open when suddenly another empid appeared and interacted with it briefly. It also appeared to be a Western. I was flabbergasted. I kept the owl whistle up but I could not hold their attention and I quickly lost one bird but I am almost 100% both were Westerns. For sure one is. This time I tied two small pc.s of bright orange survey tape up at both last week's and this week's locations for whatever good that will do. I also heard one of the birds vocalize briefly as the two chased each other but it was quick and I can't expect to remember or duplicate it. I would give 20.00 for a DNA sample from either of these two birds! One can only wonder about which species they really are."

Say's Phoebe: (1) 8 October (Byron Stone, Aletha Snowden), Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [rare regionally, but regular at this location].
Say's Phoebe: (1) 20 October (Tim Fennell), CR 438, southwest of Thorndale, southeast Williamson County [occasional; photographed].
Say's Phoebe: (1) 13 November (Rob Fergus), eastern Travis County [occasional].
Say's Phoebe: (1) 19 November (Brush Freeman), 535 south of Cedar Creek, Bastrop County [rare].
Say's Phoebe: (1) 21 November (Stan Welso, et al.), Sayer's Road, Crystal Lake area, southwestern Bastrop County [rare].
Say's Phoebe: (1) 24 November (Brush Freeman), Old Sayer's Road area, Bastrop County [rare].

Vermilion Flycatcher: (1) 20 September (Chris Merkord), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [rare].
Vermilion Flycatcher: (1 male) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [very rare].

David Wolf, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "A gorgeous male Vermilion Flycatcher off the TX 147 bridge on Oct 27 (JF,DW) was on exactly the same snag as one at this time last year; could it be the same individual."

Vermilion Flycatcher: (1 immature) 29 October (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [uncommon].
Vermilion Flycatcher: (1) 21-28 November (Stan Welso, Brush Freeman, et al.), Sayer's Road, Crystal Lake area, Bastrop County [uncommon].

Ash-throated Flycatcher: (1) 24 November (Brush Freeman), Old Sayer's Road area, Bastrop County [very rare after September].
Ash-throated Flycatcher: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southeastern Caldwell County [very rare].
Ash-throated Flycatcher: (1) 30 November (Derek Muschalek, Willie Sekula), Old Davy Community, DeWitt County [very rare].

Great Crested Flycatcher: (1) 5 October (Jim & Kitty Anding, Karen Brady), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [rare; late departure].
Great Crested Flycatcher: (1 calling repeatedly) 8 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [late departure. Prior October records for CBV are: 1 Oct 1985, 2 Oct 1985, 6 Oct 1996, 8 Oct 2000, 9 Oct 2000. Other late records are 10 Oct 1998 in Williamson Co. and 18 October 1997 in Colorado Co.].
Great Crested Flycatcher: (3 heard only) 9 October (Brush Freeman), Bastrop State Park, Bastrop County [late departure].
Great Crested Flycatcher: (1 heard calling) 9 October (Darrell Vollert), along FM1155, downtown Chappell Hill, Washington County [late departure].

Couch's Kingbird: (1) 13 September (Fred & Judy Donaldson), Webberville Park, eastern Travis County [rare].
Couch's Kingbird: (1) 18 October (Brush Freeman), subdivision just east of Webberville County Park, western Bastrop County near Travis County line [rare].

Brush Freeman, "This morning I made a quick trip to Webberville Park and a small subdivision just across the Travis/Bastrop Co. line near the river just downstream from Webberville Park. ... However in the subdivision just to the east, I found a Couch's kingbird on a power line ... The Couch's was actually in Bastrop County, though just across the county line, providing only the second county record that I am aware of. This is no doubt the same bird that has been reported often from nearby Webberville Park."

Couch's Kingbird: (1) 2 November to at least 29 November (Jesse Fagan, Claudia de la Cruz, Mimi Hoppe Wolf, David Wolf), Nacogdoches sewage ponds, Nacogdoches County [first confirmed record for entire Pineywoods region].

David Wolf, "Couch's Kingbird - Nov 2-24 (at least) at the Nacogdoches sewage ponds. Found by Jesse Fagan and Claudia de la Cruz; photographed later that day by Jesse and tape-recorded (song and call) by Mimi Hoppe Wolf. Still present on Nov 24. Will keep you posted on last date. First confirmed record for the entire Pineywoods region. There is one previous record of a Couch's/Tropical kingbird."

David Wolf, "The Couch's Kingbird was definitely last seen on Nov 29 (by me), but I just got a vague email that implies that another local birder saw it on Dec 8 (I asked her to clarify the date), so it may still be around."

Jesse Fagan, "My wife and I found a Couch's Kingbird on 11/2/02 at the Nacogdoches Sewage Ponds, Nacogdoches County, TX. The bird was tape recorded (both song and call) and photographed. It represents the first confirmed record of Couch's in the East Texas/Pineywoods region. The bird was present as of 11/24/02 having remained at the ponds for over 3 weeks. It appears very active and at home; the sewage ponds represent an ideal spot or a bird of this type. The weather in the area the past few weeks has been unseasonably warm (feeling more like October) and "tropical." I, of course, can not predict how long this bird will remain, but the weather is becoming increasingly cooler and more seasonal."

Couch's Kingbird: (5) 27 November (Derek Muschalek, Yorktown's Coleto Creek Park, DeWitt County [unusually large number].

A surprising number of Western Kingbirds, or less likely "yellow-bellied" kingbirds, were reported late in the season.
Western Kingbird: (10+) 5 September (James Phelps), Tom J. Moore Farm on White Switch Road, Brazos County [occasional in fall].
Western Kingbird: (1) 10 September (Darrell Vollert), junction of South Market Street and US290, Brenham, Washington County [occasional].
Western Kingbird: (1) 30 September to 2 October (Randy Pinkston), Scott & White Clinic, Temple, Bell County [late departure, very rare].

Randy Pinkston, "This morning I was amazed to see a solitary Western Kingbird foraging around a parking lot bordering Scott & White Clinic in Temple. I did a double take to make sure it wasn't just one of those hatch-year scissor-tails that can sometimes look like a Western Kingbird. This bird was the real McCoy with squared black tail and yellow underparts. The bird disappeared almost as fast as I had spotted it. Western Kingbirds typically depart my area during the last week of July and the first few days of August, with a few birds lingering through mid-August. This is my first record beyond mid-August in nine autumns here in Bell County."

"Yellow-bellied" Kingbird: (1) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [any such kingbird at this date would be rare;
"Yellow-bellied" Kingbird: (1) 15 October (Keith Arnold), utility wires at A&M University Methodist Church, College Station, Brazos County [very late departure for Western Kingbird; very rare if Cassin's Kingbird].
Western Kingbird: (1) 30 October (Stu Wilson), near New Sweden Church in northeast Travis County [very late].
"Yellow-bellied" (Western/Cassin's?) kingbird: (1) 12 November (Willie Sekula), Falls City, Karnes County [late and/or rare].

Willie Sekula, "While mowing the grass and stickers (sand burrs) around my house this afternoon, I spotted a yellow-bellied kingbird flying overhead. It landed in a cedar elm about 30 yards away. I ran to get a pair of binoculars but unfortunately it was gone. The kingbird did not show bright yellow below and it did not show a notched tail. I highly suspect that it was not a Couch's/Tropical type kingbird but a Western/Cassin's type. It would have been nice to confirm the identification of this bird."

Eastern Kingbird: (500+) 27 August (Darrell Vollert, Dougal Cameron), oxbow lakes property off FM2447 in Brazos River bottom, east of Chappell Hill, Washington County [amazingly large concentration]. 

Darrell Vollert, "The fields were absolutely teeming with Eastern Kingbirds, Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and Dickcissels this evening. As we were leaving the property and entering FM2447 Dougal and I observed 500+, yes 500+, Eastern Kingbirds in flight over the ag fields along the road. I've never seen that many Eastern Kingbirds at one time."

Eastern Kingbird: (90 in 2 flocks) 4 September (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf, Robert Truss), over McAlister Park, Nacogdoches County [common; largest concentration this season for East Texas].

Scattered Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were reported regularly through the end of the period, including these last ones:
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: (1 male) 20 November (Randy Pinkston), Temple, Bell County [late departure].
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southeastern Caldwell County [late departure].
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: (2) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Cedar Creek area, Bastrop County [late departure].
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: (3) 28 November (Tim Fennell), Old Settler's Blvd, Round Rock, Williamson County [late departure].

VIREOS THROUGH SWALLOWS

White-eyed Vireo: (1) 16 November; (1) 24 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional in November].
White-eyed Vireo: (1) 29 November (Susan Schaezler), her property, Guadalupe County [late].
White-eyed Vireo: (1) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [late departure].

Bell's Vireo: (1) 14 September (Byron Stone, Kathy McCormack, Jenny Rasmussen, Stu Wilson), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [rare].
Bell's Vireo: (1) 21 September (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [rare].

Yellow-throated Vireo: (no.?) 10 August (Jim Coleman), Liberty Park, Liberty County [uncommon].
Yellow-throated Vireo: (1) 7 September (Randy Pinkston), Lampasas River, Bell County [locally uncommon].

Blue-headed Vireo: (1) 15 September (Peter Barnes), north unit, Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [early arrival for area; first record for WMA].

Bert Frenz, "This is an early arrival date for the county. Other early arrival dates set from 1964-2001 for Oaks & Prairies counties are: 29 Aug for Williamson, 11 Sep for Lee, 11 Sep for Washington, 14 Sep for Brazos, 15 Sep for Bell, 15 Sep for Waller."

Blue-headed Vireo: (1) 20 September (Darrell Vollert), Harrison Street, Brenham, Washington County [early arrival].

Warbling Vireo: (1) 16 September (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional; FOS].
Warbling Vireo: (2) 19 and 21 September (Randy Pinkston), Bell County [rare].
Warbling Vireo: (1) 23 September (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].

Philadelphia Vireo: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Park Road 1C, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [rare].

Red-eyed Vireo: (1 heard only) 28 September (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [occasional].
Red-eyed Vireo: (1) 5 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert, RBAS field trip), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [occasional].
Red-eyed Vireo: (1) 14 October (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [occasional].

Green Jay: (1) 17 November (Willie Sekula), FM 3191 near Cestohowa, Karnes County [range extension of about 15 miles].

Willie Sekula, "While driving to church this morning I was surprised to see a Green Jay fly in front of me along FM 3191. The bird was crossing FM 3191 flying into a cedar elm. This was near Cestohowa in Karnes County. I've seen Green Jays southwest of Karnes City also in cedar elms. The bird this morning was near Cibolo Creek. The spot is about 15 miles from the place southwest of Karnes City. This is the closest to my house that I've ever seen Green Jays. There may have been more than one bird. I didn't have time to check out how many birds may have actually been with the bird that I observed."

Tree Swallow: (5-6) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Crystal Lake area, Bastrop County [rare; late departure].
Tree Swallow: (3) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Salt Lake, just south of Luling in extreme northeast Guadalupe County [late departure, rare].
Tree Swallow: (1) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Sayer's Road, Bastrop County [late migrant, rare].

Northern Rough-winged Swallow: (1) 6 November (Darrell Vollert), over Masonic Cemetery, Chappell Hill, Washington County [late; rare].

Cliff Swallow: (1, plus ~6 Petrochelidon species) 16 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [late departure; occasional].
Cliff Swallow: (1) 20 October (Jesse Fagan), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [very late departure; exceeds latest date shown on Pineywoods checklist].
Cliff Swallow: (no.?) 23 October (Mike Creese), Wilson County [late departure].

Cave Swallow: (20+, including at least 20 nests now inactive) 17 September (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert), Aquacultural Research & Training Facility, Hwy. 60, Burleson County [species originally reported near this location on 7 March 2001; current observation is first confirmed record of nesting].

Barn Swallow: (1) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Hill's Prairie, Bastrop County [late migrant; rare].
Barn Swallow: (4) 28 November (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [very late].

NUTHATCHES THROUGH WRENS

Red-breasted Nuthatch: (1) 2 November (Oscar Carmona), Huntsville State Park, Walker County [occasional].
Red-breasted Nuthatch: (1 male) 27 November (Tim Fennell), Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [FOS; uncommon].

White-breasted Nuthatch: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Park Road 1C, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [rare].
White-breasted Nuthatch: (1) ~12 October (Jerry Walls), Christmas Creek Nature Preserve, extreme western Montgomery County [occasional].
White-breasted Nuthatch: (2+) 12 October (Tyson Hart, et al., on TAMU Wildlife Society field trip), Flag Pond, Lake Somerville, Lee County [rare; although listed on the Lake Somerville checklist, there have been no records of this species there in a couple of decades.]
White-breasted Nuthatch: (2) 12-13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County [not listed in fall on county checklist; listed as vagrant in winter and spring; this pair have been seen 5-6 times at the same location over the past 18-24 months].

Frank Bumgardner, "The pair of White-breasted Nuthatches had been located by me and John Muldrow on the 12th feeding at a suet feeder at a grave sight. Over the last year to eighteen month we have located this species at the cemetery and at the pecan grove near the soccer fields below the dam at Lake Waco. ... The nuthatches have been seen rarely on and off at the cemetery and pecan grove below the dam no more than five or six times over the last eighteen months to two years."

White-breasted Nuthatch: (1) 26 October (Brush Freeman), Webberville Park, eastern Travis County [occasional].
White-breasted Nuthatch: (1) 29 and 31 October (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [uncommon].
White-breasted Nuthatch: (2) 2 November (Oscar Carmona), Huntsville State Park, Walker County [occasional].

Bewick's Wren: (1 or more) 20 and 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Bewick's Wren: (2) 14 November (Georgette Guernsey), Kurth Lake area, Angelina County [occasional].

House Wren: (~16) 14 October; (1) 10 November (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [occasional, good count].

Winter Wren: (1) 15 October (Mimi Hoppe Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [early; occasional].
Winter Wren: (1) 3 November; (1) 9 November; (1) 16 November; (1) 24 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [FOS, occasional].
Winter Wren: (1) 20 November; (1) 23 November (Darrell Vollert), his yard, Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional].
Winter Wren: (1) 27 November (Derek Muschalek, Yorktown's Coleto Creek Park, DeWitt County [his FOS, uncommon].
Winter Wren: (2-3) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County.

Jim Hinson, "On the subject of Houston area Winter Wren populations, it does appear that we may be having an invasion year of sorts. Winter Wren's, being a species not always seen here during winter, (at least by me and numerous others), are showing up in several of the more wooded areas around town, and in numbers. Houston Audubon's E.L. Moore, The Houston Arboretum, and Bear Creek Park, are all holding them this year."

Sedge Wren: (3) 4 October (Eddie Ray), Sabine Mining Company land, Harrison County [FOS, occasional].

Marsh Wren: (6) 24 August (Tony Gallucci), Trinity County [no August records listed in 2001 Checklist for Pineywoods of East Texas].

Tony Gallucci, "MARSH WREN (Trinity County) -- in the past this was a difficult bird to locate in the Lake Livingston area, more than likely due to inability to reach reedbeds because of muddy swamp lands. Past records mostly came from boat surveys. at my old place, a rather extensive reed bed has grown up along about a mile long stretch of shoreline that is accessible. I didn't work the entire stretch for wrens, but in about ten minutes along a short stretch I came up with six."

Marsh Wren: (1) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].
Marsh Wren: (no.?) 20 November (Joe Yelderman, Karen Arquette, et al.), Waco wetlands, McLennan County [rare the McLennan County checklist].

KINGLETS THROUGH GNATCATCHERS

The invasion of Golden-crowned Kinglets this season was impressive and, perhaps, greater than seen in decades.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County [FOS].
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 15 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [very early arrival].

Brush Freeman, "at ~4:00 I heard a GCK. I got off the roof about 20 minutes later and was able to followed its "zee-zee-zee" calls and saw it well. There were a couple of RCKs and a couple the expected warblers and chickadees with it. This is really on the early side for Bastrop Co. as the first ones normally don't appear until about Oct. 25 - Nov. 1 and sometimes much later."

Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 18 October (Mimi Hoppe Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [FOS for East Texas].
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 27 October (Brush Freeman), Bastrop County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 31 October (Susan Schaezler), her property, Guadalupe County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 31 October - 1 November (Shirley Wilkerson), Kurten, Brazos County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 31 October (Darrell Vollert), Walnut Hill Street, Brenham, Washington County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (4) 2 November (Carroll Moore, Jack Windsor), Marion's Ferry area and the Angelina River Bridge area, Angelina County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (8+) 3 November (Sandy Dillard), Bryan, Brazos County
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 3 November (Byron Stone), McKinney Falls State Park, eastern Travis County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 2 November (Brush Freeman), Tahitian Village south of Bastrop, Bastrop County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (2) 3 November; (2) 9 November; (2) 16 November; (3) 24 November; (4) 30 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (2) 4 November (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 7 November (Darrell Vollert), along FM2447 near New Year's Creek, Washington County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (3) 7 November (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (1) 7 November (Rich Kostecke), Fort Hood, Coryell County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (7) 9 November (Tonna Harris-Haller, RBAS field trip), Lick Creek Park, College Station, Brazos County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (2 at Willis Creek Park) 10 November (Tim Fennell); (4 on CR 337, 2 at Willis Creek Park) 27 November (Tim Fennell), Granger Lake, Williamson County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (3-4) 15 November (Darrell Vollert), Harrison Street, Brenham, Washington County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (6-7) 17 November (Brush Freeman), Pleasant Chapel Road, Bastrop County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: ("continue in large numbers") ~17 November (Oscar Carmona), Huntsville State Park, Walker County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (2) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Pleasant Chapel Road, Bastrop County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (4) 19 November (Derek Muschalek), 8 miles southwest of Yorktown, DeWitt County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (2) 22 November ((Rich Kostecke), Rivers Bend Park, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (8) 23 November (Tonna & Larry Harris-Haller, et al.), Lake Bryan, Brazos County [good count; outnumbered Ruby-throated 8:3].
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (3) 24 November (Darrell Vollert) Washington-on-the-Brazos SHP, Washington County.

Darrell Vollert, 27 November, "Golden-crowned Kinglets are very common in the county this season too. I see at least one everyday throughout the county! Have never seen anything like it."

Golden-crowned Kinglet: ("in multiple locations") 24 November (Byron Stone, Aletha Snowden), eastern Williamson County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (21) 29 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County.

Brush Freeman, "As has been commented on by others lately Golden-crowned Kinglets are thick this year. I counted no less than 21 birds this morning and I was seldom out of earshot of at least one."

Golden-crowned Kinglet: (10, a 1:1 ratio with Ruby-crowned) 29 November (Susan Schaezler), her property, Guadalupe County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: ("a few") 29 November (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: (14+) 30 November (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), Sweetwater Trail, Lake Georgetown, Williamson County.

Tim Fennell, "Golden-crowned Kinglets started showing up mid-November and numbers continued to rise the rest of the month. High count of 14+ on 11/30/02."

Ruby-crowned Kinglet: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Bastrop County [early arrival].
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: (50+) 30 November (Tim Fennell), Sweetwater Trail, Lake Georgetown, Williamson County [unusually large number].

BLUEBIRDS THROUGH THRUSHES

Eastern Bluebirds were reported this fall in particularly good numbers.

Mountain Bluebird: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), Hwy 86, just south of Bateman near the Bastrop/Caldwell county line [rare].

Swainson's Thrush: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Park Road 1C, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [very rare fall migrant].
Swainson's Thrush: (1) 27 September (Byron Stone), Rivery Park along the North San Gabriel River, Georgetown, Williamson County [very rare in fall].

Byron Stone, "Yesterday afternoon I was able to make a brief birding visit to Rivery Park along the North San Gabriel River in Georgetown. Very few birds were present except for several dozen White-winged Dove coming to drink/roost along the river. One notable find, however, was a single Swainson's Thrush foraging in the understory about 1/2 mile upriver from the I-35 bridge. This species is listed on the Austin area checklist as occurring only sporadically in the fall."

Swainson's Thrush: (1) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [very rare in fall].
Swainson's Thrush: (1) 26 November (Sandy Dillard), Lick Creek Park, College Station, Brazos County [extremely rare this late away from the coast; id by eye ring, brown back and brown tail].

Hermit Thrush: (44) 19 November (Derek Muschalek), 8 miles southwest of Yorktown, DeWitt County [unusually large number].
Hermit Thrush: (2 in full song) 19 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [unusual to be singing].

American Robins appeared earlier (13 October) than usual and were present by the hundreds by the end of October and the thousands by mid-November.
American Robin: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County.
American Robin: (55+) 27 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Washington County [FOS].
American Robin: (300) 27 October (David Wolf), San Augustine County [FOS].
American Robin: (5) 27 October (Tim Fennell), CR 232, between Florence and Jarrell, in northern Williamson County.

Brush Freeman, 31 October, Bastrop County, "I did have about 80 Am. Robins which seemed to have come in overnight."

Chuck Sexton, 31 October, Austin area, "Wintering Robins also showed up in substantial numbers in their usual haunts in the cedar brakes in early to mid-October, but of particular note, masses of robins have descended into urban areas of Austin much earlier than normal. We usual see Robins coming into town in big numbers in January-February *after* they have depleted the berry crops in natural habitats surrounding the urban area. This year, perhaps because of increased hackberry crops, they are seen by the hundred or thousand in many residential areas of Austin already. They may leave this environment when/if they deplete these particular food resources."

Kelly Cotten, "Dallas has been experiencing the same influx of American Robins that Chuck Sexton has noticed in Austin. Last year, the White Rock Lake area was noticeably lacking in Robins over most of the winter. This year, they arrived in large numbers in mid-October and seem to be foraging mostly on the fruits of hackberry and virginia creeper."

Brush Freeman, 17 November, "Birded mainly in Bastrop State Park a short while this morning and primarily near the small lake in the park and points near there. … American Robins, as opposed to last year, are everywhere by the 1000's and I also had several flocks of Cedar Waxwings and a few Am. Goldfinches. The push of robins has made it completely to the coast where Petra and I found a few even on Matagorda Is. Thursday."

American Robin: ("countless" in 1/2 day) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southwest Bastrop County and northeast Guadalupe County.
American Robin: ("thousands") 29 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [unusually large number this season so far].

Brush Freeman, "There are thousands of Am. Robins in the woods here, feeding on cedar and yaupon berries."

CATBIRDS THROUGH WAXWINGS

Gray Catbird: (1) 22 August (Art Mackinnon), Hwy 529 near Brookshire, Waller County [occasional].
Gray Catbird: (1) 2 September (Louis Debetaz), Azalea Trail, Lufkin, Angelina County [occasional].
Gray Catbird: (1 adult) 2 September (James Phelps), Lake Somerville State Park-Nails Creek Unit, Lee County [uncommon].
Gray Catbird: (1) 23 September (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [uncommon].
Gray Catbird: (1) 20 September and 1 October (Louis Debetaz), Azalea Trail, Lufkin, Angelina County [uncommon].
Gray Catbird: (1) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [uncommon].
Gray Catbird: (1) 14 October (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [occasonal].
Gray Catbird: (1) 27 October (Brush Freeman), Bastrop County [uncommon].
Gray Catbird: (1) 29-30 October (James Phelps), Lick Creek Park, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].
Gray Catbird: (1) 2 November (Brush Freeman), Tahitian Village south of Bastrop, Bastrop County [rare in November].

Sage Thrasher: (1) 12 October (Jay Packer, Mrs. Packer, Lorie Black), O.H. Ivie Reservoir, Coleman County [rare].

Jay Packer, "I went birding on Saturday morning with Lorie Black and my mom to OH Ivie Reservoir, about an hour and half southeast of Abilene, in Coleman County. The best bird of the day was a SAGE THRASHER. This is the first time I've ever seen one in the Abilene area. They've been seen at least one time before in this area."

Brown Thrasher: (1 hatch-year) 17 November (David Cimprich), Kempner, Lampasas County [rare in Edward's Plateau; banded by David in his yard].

Long-billed Thrasher: (1) 17 September (Ron Cabel, Lee Clausen), Schaezler property, Guadalupe County [rare].

Sprague's Pipit: (1) 13 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [FOS, rare].
Sprague's Pipit: (2) 13 October (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [FOS].
Sprague's Pipit: (~16) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Earhardt Road, Bastrop County [good count].

Like American Robins, the Cedar Waxwings appeared early and have remained in very high numbers.
Cedar Waxwing: (10) 14 October (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [very early; occasional]
Cedar Waxwing: (flock of ~20) 15 November (Darrell Vollert), Harrison Street, Brenham, Washington County [FOS, early arrival, occasional].
Cedar Waxwing: (5) 16 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [FOS].

WARBLERS

Blue-winged Warbler: (1) 27 August (David Wolf), McAlister Park, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Blue-winged Warbler: (1) 10 September (Brush Freeman, Gary Spenser), Utley, Bastrop County [rare].
Blue-winged Warbler: (1) 19 September (Brush Freeman), around lake, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [rare fall migrant].
Blue-winged Warbler: (1) 10 October (Tim Fennell), Rivery Park, Georgetown, Williamson County [probably latest record for the Oaks & Prairies region; rare fall migrant, but particularly scarce after the third week in September; Brush Freeman's new regional list shows a single dot at the beginning of the month].

Tennessee Warbler: (1 juvenile) 8-9 September (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Tennessee Warbler: (1) 2 November (Brush Freeman), Tahitian Village south of Bastrop, Bastrop County [very rare in November].

Orange-crowned Warbler: (1) 14 September (Byron Stone, Kathy McCormack, Jenny Rasmussen, Stu Wilson), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [very early arrival; rare].

Nashville Warbler: (1) 19 November (Derek Muschalek), 8 miles southwest of Yorktown, DeWitt County [late migrant; rare].

Northern Parula: (1 drab juvenile) 17 October (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [late departure, occasional].

Yellow Warbler: (1) 3 August (Jesse Fagan), Alazan Bayou WMA, Nacogdoches County [early arrival, uncommon].
Yellow Warbler: (2) 11 August; (1) 29 September (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [occasional in early August; uncommon in late September].
Yellow Warbler: (22) 27 August (David Wolf), Nacogdoches County and TX 147 bridge at Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [high count].

David Wolf, Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "Yellow Warblers were one of the commonest migrant passerines, and the first reports were singles at Alazan Bayou WMA on August 3 (JF) and Etoile Park on August 16 (GG). The only sizable movement was on August 27, when a total of 22 were seen in Nacogdoches County and the TX 147 bridge after a severe thunderstorm (DW)."

Chestnut-sided Warbler: (1 hatch-year male) 9 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [very rare in fall migration, only sighting this fall in Central Brazos Valley].

Darrell Vollert, "A hatch-year male. I originally saw this warbler at the end of my property. I studied this warbler very carefully for some time. Noted gray underparts-the same color as that of a Tufted Titmouse. The sides of the bird were chestnut colored. The crown and forehead were yellowish. Saw two white wingbars. The nape and mantle were olive colored. The face was gray with a thin white eye-ring. The bird called several times. The call sounds very similar to that of a Black-throated Green or Pine Warbler. Saw this bird several times in the neighborhood after my initial sighting. This is the first time I've ever seen a Chestnut-sided Warbler in the CBV during the fall."

Chestnut-sided Warbler: (10 13 October (David Wolf); (2) 20 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [two latest records for East Texas].

Magnolia Warbler: (1 hatch-year male) 11 October (Darrell Vollert), Harrison Street, Brenham, Washington County [rare fall migrant].

Darrell Vollert, "a hatch-year male. The warbler had yellow underparts with black streaking on the sides and flanks. The undertail coverts were white. The tip of the underside of the retrix feathers was black. The warbler's head was gray and it had a white eye-ring. Two white wing-bars were noted."

Magnolia Warbler: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County [occasional].
Magnolia Warbler: (3) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [moving with cold front, occasional].

Black-throated Gray Warbler: (1) 24 November (Brush Freeman), Fairview Cemetery, Bastrop, Bastrop County [very rare].

Brush Freeman, "This morning there was a Black-throated Gray Warbler in the Fairview Cemetery east of Bastrop. The bird was with a mixed flock of Yellow-rumpeds, Pine Warblers, Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, etc. The Cemetery was very birdy but due to the number of folks visiting there I was obliged to keep a respectful distance and could only work a portion of it. This is the 11th Bastrop County record/report that I am aware of. Maybe there is an exceptional easterly push by this species this year as I have been told that there is even one in Florida."

Black-throated Green Warbler: (1) 9 August; (1) 14 August; (1) 21 August (Susan Schaezler), her land, Guadalupe County [early arrival; photographed].
Black-throated Green Warbler: (1) 30 August (James Phelps), Brazos County [occasional in August].
Black-throated Green Warbler: (1) 31 August (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell, Roxie Rochat, Bill Eddie), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [occasional in August].
Black-throated Green Warbler: (25+) 2 September (James Phelps), Lake Somerville State Park-Nails Creek Unit, Lee County [occasional; unusually large number].
Black-throated Green Warbler: (1) 2 November (Brush Freeman), Tahitian Village south of Bastrop, Bastrop County [rare in November].

Blackburnian Warbler: (1) 10 September (David Wolf, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry area, Angelina County [rare].
Blackburnian Warbler: (1 in mixed flock with Pine & Yellow-rumped warblers) 23 November (Tonna & Larry Harris-Haller, Paul van Dyke, Heather Mathewson, ~12 home-schooled children), Lake Bryan, Brazos County [rare fall migrant, not expected this late; latest Oaks & Prairies area record is 30 October.].

Tonna Harris-Haller, "It was a surprise. I theorized the relatively warm fall and an active feeding flock possibly contributed to the Blackburnian hanging around. There were multiple plumages of pine warblers in the flock with varying degrees of yellow on the throat and breast. Unfortunately I didn't see the back of the bird so couldn't confirm the presence of back stripes. When compared to the pine warblers, this bird had:
1. A stronger eyeline.
2. More prominent white wing bars. The upper wing bar was larger than the lower.
3. An orange-yellow throat fading to a yellow upper breast
4. Darker, sharper flank streaks.
The orange in the throat was the feature that caused me to take a closer look instead of assuming it was another Pine warbler. Based upon throat color and general coloration of the bird, I called it a fall female although I suppose it may have been an immature beginning to acquire some orange in the throat."

Yellow-throated Warbler: (1) 9 October (Brush Freeman), in pines southeast of swimming pool, Bastrop State Park, Bastrop County [rare].

Pine Warbler: (1 immature) 4 October; (1 male) 11 October (Darrell Vollert), Harrison Street, Brenham, Washington County [occasional in October].
Pine Warbler: (2 adults) 6 October; (1) 27 October; (2) 3 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional in October].
Pine Warbler: (1) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare for WMA].
Pine Warbler: (2) 24 November (Darrell Vollert), Washington-on-the-Brazos SHP, Washington County.

Darrell Vollert, 27 November, "Pine Warblers are very common this season in Washington County. Have been seeing at least one almost everyday wherever I am in the county for the past two weeks."

Pine Warbler: (1) 24 November (Byron Stone, Aletha Snowden), CR 434, Williamson County [rare].

Byron Stone, "Aletha Snowden and I birded riparian areas and a few agricultural fields in eastern Williamson County between Round Rock and Thrall this morning, Sunday November 24, 2002. Highlights were PINE WARBLER (uncommon to rare in eastern Williamson County) ... The Pine Warbler was actively foraging at mid-levels in a pecan or similar hardwood beside a small creek south of the junction of CR 434 and CR 436."

Pine Warbler: (9) 27 November (Derek Muschalek, Yorktown's Coleto Creek Park, DeWitt County [unusually large number for DeWitt County].
Pine Warbler: (60+) 29 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [unusually large number].

Brush Freeman, "Another species that is super abundant this fall is Pine Warbler. I have 5-6 that are coming into the feeders and as I walked around this morning I figured I had at least 60 birds and I am several miles away from the pines."

Prairie Warbler: (1) 13 August (David Henderson), park south of Gonzales, Gonzales County [very rare in August; no records shown on Oaks & Prairies checklist (draft) or on Central Texas Coast checklist; one August record on Austin Area Checklist].
Prairie Warbler: (1) 20 August (Georgette Guernsey), Kurth Lake, Angelina County [rare].
Prairie Warbler: (1 first fall or female) 21 August (Brush Freeman), Webberville Park, eastern Travis County [rare].
Prairie Warbler: (1) 27 August (David Wolf), McAlister Park, Nacogdoches County [late migrant; occasional].

Palm Warbler: (1 western type) 1 November (Brush Freeman), Utley, Bastrop County [FOS, occasional].

American Redstart: (1 female) 9 August (Susan Schaezler), her land, Guadalupe County [early arrival; photographed].
American Redstart: (6, including 2 adult males) 13 October (Mike Manson), College Hills subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [occasional, record highest count for this species in fall in Central Brazos Valley].

Mike Manson, "All of those birds were seen while I was sitting on my front porch at good, old 1204 Dominik Drive in College Station. All of the birds I saw on Sunday, October 13, were in one flock, which included the six American Redstarts (two males, four females or immature males. I found it amazing, too, it was the most I had ever seen at one go), one Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, one Blue-Headed Vireo, two or three Nashville Warblers, two Orange-Crowned Warblers, one Black-Throated Green Warbler (male), and one Summer Tanager (female or immature male)."

Prothonotary Warbler: (1) 14 September (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor), Ryan Lake, Angelina County [late departure; later than any other fall records shown on East Texas Pineywoods checklist].

Swainson's Warbler: (1 singing) 11 August (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare].

Ovenbird: (1) 15 September (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [very scarce].
Ovenbird: (1) 28 September (Mary Dabney Wilson), College Hills subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [rare in fall].
Ovenbird: (3 in one flock) 10 October (Derek Muschalek), near Old Davy Community, DeWitt County [rare fall migrant; unusually large number].
Ovenbird: (1) 27 October (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [rare].

Northern Waterthrush: (1) 11 August (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [early migrant; very rare].
Northern Waterthrush: (5) 6 September (David Wolf); (3) 8 September (David Wolf, Jesse Fagan); (3) 10 September (David Wolf, Robert Truss); (7) 15 September (David Wolf, et al.), Marion Ferry area, Angelina County [occasional].
Northern Waterthrush: (1) 14 September (Brush Freeman, Mark Lockwood), near Utley, Bastrop County [rare].
Northern Waterthrush: (3) 14 September (Louis Debetaz, Jack Windsor), Ryan Lake, Angelina County [occasional].
Northern Waterthrush: (1) 14 September (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [occasional].
Northern Waterthrush: (8-9) 17 and 19 September (Jesse Fagan), Nacogdoches ponds, Nacogdoches County [good count, occasional].
Northern Waterthrush: (1) 21 September (Pineywoods Audubon field trip), Etoile Park, Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County [occasional].

There are very few fall records of Louisiana Waterthrush in the Central Oaks & Prairies, so six reports this fall is particularly unusual and especially so for sightings as late as 2 October.
Louisiana Waterthrush: (1) 10 August (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate near Chappell Hill, Washington County [few fall records; early migrant].
Louisiana Waterthrush: (1) 7 September (Tim Fennell, Tim Hissam, Kathy McCormick); (1) 8 September (Byron Stone, Aletha Snowden), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [rare].

Byron Stone, 8 September, "… Best bird was probably the LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH which I missed once during the rain despite hearing it call repeatedly. A return trip later provided excellent looks at this bird. Thanks to Tim Fennell who found the bird in the same location the day before."

Tim Fennell, "The latest record I have for Williamson County, that I feel confident about is from the weekend before (9/7/02) along the San Gabriel River. I was able to study that bird at close range for 15-20 minutes and all field marks supported Louisiana. Byron Stone called in the bird on 9/8 with a Louisiana Waterthrush recording."

Waterthrush species, possible Louisiana: (1) 15 September (Tim Fennell), Willis Creek Park, Granger Lake, Williamson County [late record for Louisiana; Northern is rare].

Tim Fennell, "The waterthush I saw at the lake edge at Willis Creek Park on 9/15/02 was seen only briefly and I reported it as "probable" Louisiana based on the supecilium and buffy flank color. The view was so brief though that I perhaps should have reported it as "possible" Louisiana."

Louisiana Waterthrush: (1) 14 September; (1) 2 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare; late date and very late date].

Darrell Vollert, 14 September, "Northern Waterthrush (1) observed along Ash Creek on the south side of the property, Louisiana Waterthrush (1) observed just north of the dam on the north side of the property."

Bert Frenz, "According to the database, 15 fall migration records for the Central Prairie range from 23 July to 9 Sep, the bulk (11) of these lie between 19 Aug and 9 Sep. This year Tim Fennell has a probable (later changed to possible) Louisiana Waterthrush on 15 Sep in Williamson Co."

Darrell Vollert, "Here are details of my September 14th LAWA sighting at the Clarann Estate north of Chappell Hill: Observed the waterthrush north of the Polk's Lake dam along a creek. The waterthrush had a white throat with no streaking, buffy flanks, white supercilium that broadened behind the eye, and the waterthrush bobbed its tail in a slow and semi-circular motion. Observed the waterthrush on perched on logs at the water's edge and turning over leaves along the creek. When I saw this LAWA I knew it was a very late migrant.
"Earlier that same morning I observed a Northern Waterthrush in yaupon hollies along Ash Creek on the south side of the estate. Also observed the waterthrush very briefly along the edge of the creek. This waterthrush had a washed-out supercilium that narrowed behind the eye, the throat had streaking, and the bird bobbed its tailed rapidly in an up and down motion.
"An interesting pattern has developed at the Clarann Estate that I want to share with you all. During fall migration I find Louisiana Waterthrushes foraging along the edges of the creeks at the Clarann Estate. Northern Waterthrushes are primarily observed in the yaupon hollies and other shrubs along banks of the creeks at the estate. They spend little time foraging along the water's edge.
"I observed a waterthrush on Monday, September 9 in the same area that I saw the Louisiana on the 14th. Did not get a good look at the bird. It was foraging along the creek north of the dam. Makes me wonder if it wasn't the same Louisiana Waterthrush that I saw on the 14th."

Darrell Vollert, 2 October, "The bird of the morning though was a Louisiana Waterthrush. I heard the waterthrush calling as we were taking down the last net (north of the dam). I obtained good looks at the waterthrush. It was found in the same location as the Louisiana Waterthrush I saw in mid-September. Same bird??? Hmmm! There is good habitat for waterthrushes on the north side of the estate. Two heavily wooded creeks on the north side of the property."

MacGillivray's Warbler: (1) 20 September (Chris Merkord), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [very rare].

Hooded Warbler: (1 male) 24 August (Susan Schaezler, Don Schaezler, Bill Holliday, David Pueppke, Georgina Schwartz, Dan Peak, Mike Quinn), Schaezler property, Guadalupe County [very rare fall migrant; photographed].

David Pueppke, 8-24-02 Comal County Group outing, "I don't have the complete list from Schaezler's, but there's no question that the best bird of the day was the male Hooded warbler that Susan saw and photographed. Luckily, the bird came back, so most of the rest of the group also saw it. There is only 1 other sighting from the checklist area - Bob Norris' 9-16-00 bird from the River Trails below Canyon Dam. I think this bird was also a male. Occasionally this species is seen in San Antonio, but I don't have dates. The only other area record I know of is a male that I saw at Cibolo Nature Trails in Boerne on 9-24-00. Maybe Bob's bird was moving west."

Hooded Warbler: (1 immature) 5 October (two ladies from Houston, fide Darrell Vollert, RBAS field trip), Butler Bayou, Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [very rare fall migrant].
Hooded Warbler: (1) 10 September (Jesse Fagan), Nacogdoches ponds, Nacogdoches County [occasional in East Texas].
Hooded Warbler: (1 adult) 11 October (Darrell Vollert), Harrison/Walnut Hill St., Brenham, Washington County [rare in fall].
Hooded Warbler: (1 adult male) 9 and 11-14 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare in fall].

Wilson's Warbler: (1) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Hill's Prairie, Bastrop County [very late migrant].

Canada Warbler: (1) 13 August (David Henderson), Gonzales area, Gonzales County [early migrant].
Canada Warbler: (1 juvenile) 8 September (David Wolf), Cassells-Boykin Park, Angelina County [occasional].
Canada Warbler: (1) 21 September (Pineywoods Audubon field trip), Etoile Park, Lake Sam Rayburn, Nacogdoches County [occasional].

TANAGERS THROUGH SPARROWS

Summer Tanager: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), Oak Wood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County [late departure].
Summer Tanager: (1 female or immature male, in large flock of migrants) 13 October (Mike Manson), College Hills subdivions, College Station, Brazos County [late departure].

Scarlet Tanager: (1 female) 13 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate near Chappell Hill, Washington County [very rare fall migrant].

Darrell Vollert, "Scarlet Tanager (1)- a female observed eating berries on gum bumelia trees on the north side of Clarann. This bird flew into the copse of trees from the south. She was foraging in the upper canopy of the trees. She was olive colored with light black wings. This is only my second fall record for Scarlet Tanager in Washington County and my fourth record overall for the species in the county. The weather conditions on this date were identical to the conditions on the date of my other fall record for Scarlet Tanager. It was overcast with a stiff breeze from the north. This is a new species for the Clarann Estate. Bird number 175 for the property list."

Scarlet Tanager: (1 female or immature male) 14 October (Mike Manson), College Hills subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [rare fall migrant; only fall records prior to this year were on 1 October 1986 and 21 October 1998].

Western Tanager: ~25 August (Mike Mathews), his farm, Fayette County [casual; first county record?].

Mike Mathews, "Last weekend I spotted a bird in the pines of Fayette County north of La Grange. Initially it was high in the trees and appeared to be a Prothonotary Warbler, yellow head and belly with dark wings. Shortly afterwards it landed within 20 feet for about 30 seconds. Along with the yellow head and belly it also had large yellow wing bars and an red/orange stripe across the front of its head above the eyes. The only bird I could find in my bird book that matched was a winter or possibly an immature Western Tanager male."
... The bird was bigger than a warbler. The original post was misleading since my initial treetop ID was based on color not on size. Once the bird had landed the size, wing bars and that strange red/orange stripe caught my attention. The bill also seemed thicker than a warbler."
Brush Freeman, "This sounds like a Western Tanager to me. They are in migration now and a few always seem to find their way into the eastern half of the state especially along the coast. This is a good find for Fayette County."

Western Tanager: (1 female) 3 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [casual; only the second record for the Central Brazos Valley].

Darrell Vollert, "Shortly after 8:30 AM a bird slightly smaller than a cardinal appeared on the west side of the Clarann Estate along Old Chappell Hill Road. The bird flew in from the west with a flock of about two dozen Chipping Sparrows, about a dozen Yellow-rumped Sparrows, and a couple Pine Warblers. The bird landed at the very top of a large hackberry tree along the road. Seeing the bird with the naked eye I thought it might me a Myiarchus flycatcher. The bird was too large to be an empidonax flycatcher or a pewee. Once I got my binoculars on the bird I realized it was a female tanager. She had two white wing-bars and the wings were blackish. Her bill was the shape of a tanager's. The bill was yellowish in coloration with the lower mandible being yellowish-orange. Her rump was yellow. Her tail was blackish and forked. The head was olive colored. The back was grayish in coloration. The undersides were olive with some light coloring. Her legs were dark. She did not call during the 90 seconds I observed her in the hackberry tree. She checked the hackberries, but I am not sure if she ate any of the berries. When she flew out of the tree she flew north into the adjacent Masonic Cemetery. I am very sure this bird was a pale adult female Western Tanager. The Western Tanager brings the Clarann Estate bird list to 177 species since weekly surveys were initiated on July 1, 2000."

Olive Sparrow: (3) 30 November (Derek Muschalek, Willie Sekula), 4 miles east of Ecleto, Karnes County [occasional].
Olive Sparrow: (1) 30 November (Derek Muschalek, Willie Sekula), Old Davy Community, DeWitt County [occasional].

Green-tailed Towhee: (1) 30 November (Derek Muschalek, Willie Sekula), Helmers Road, DeWitt County [occasional].

Spotted Towhee: (1 male) 29 November (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [rare; not listed on the new 2002 WMA checklist].

Peter Barnes, "It is my first Spotted Towhee for the WMA. A birding group told me that they had seen one there once before but I was uncertain about the reliability of the sighting as I had seen only Easterns there previously."

Spotted Towhee: (15+) 30 November (Tim Fennell), Sweetwater Trail, Lake Georgetown, Williamson County [unusually large number].

Eastern Towhee: (1) 22 November ((Rich Kostecke), Rivers Bend Park, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [rare on Bell County checklist].
Eastern Towhee: (3) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [rare].

Chipping Sparrows arrived early - 19 September - with good numbers already by the second and third week of October.
Chipping Sparrow: (5) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Cottlesworth Road off Park Road 1C, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [early arrival; rare].
Chipping Sparrow: (1) 16 October (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [FOS, occasional].
Chipping Sparrow: (9) 19 October; (6+) 25 October (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [early arrival; occasional].
Chipping Sparrow: (2) 20-21 October; (1) 23 October; (2) 25 October; (2) 26 October; (4) 30 October (Darrell Vollert), Chappell Hill, Washington County [early arrival].
Chipping Sparrow: (1) 20 October; (3) 31 October (Shirley Wilkerson), Kurten, Brazos County.
Chipping Sparrow: (3) 20 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [FOS, rare this early].

Clay-colored Sparrow: (1) 20 September (Randy Pinkston), Belton Lake, Bell County [FOS].
Clay-colored Sparrow: (1) 21 September (Cliff Shackelford), private weedy field adjacent to Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [rare].
Clay-colored Sparrow: (3) 9 October (Brush Freeman), near Old Antioch Road at PR 1C, Bastrop State Park, Bastrop County [uncommon].
Clay-colored Sparrow: (2) 4 November (Ellen Ratoosh), Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [occasional].

Field Sparrow: (1) 22 October (Nancy Bird), Lufkin, Angelina County [early arrival; occasional].
Field Sparrow: (150+) 30 November (Tim Fennell), Sweetwater Trail, Lake Georgetown, Williamson County [unusually large count].

Lark Sparrow: (80+) 25 September (Cathy Liles), 60+ near the pecan trees and cotton fields of CR227 and FM50, and also near the small A&M pecan orchard, 20+ on the other side of FM50 before Buffalo Ranch, Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [uncommon; good count].

Henslow's Sparrow: (1) 1 November (Rick Schaefer), north Jasper County [somewhat early date for this rarely detected species].

Le Conte's Sparrow: (1) 20 October; (1) 3 November; (2) 9 November; (2) 16 November; (2) 24 November; (1) 30 November (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [FOS, occasional].
Le Conte's Sparrow: (1) 27 October (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [his FOS, rare in October].

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow: (1) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [very rare migrant].

Fox Sparrow: (1) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), marsh below Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [FOS, rare].
Fox Sparrow: (~18) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [good count].

Brush Freeman, "I did a very long walk covering nearly all the river trails plus the Pine Ridge Trail etc. The upland trails were dead as a hammer but the riparian trails were swarming with birds. Fox Sparrow song was all over the place and I enjoyed hearing that a lot."

Song Sparrow: (50+) 11 November (Rich Kostecke), Union Grove WMA, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [unusually large number].
Song Sparrow: (31) 15 November (Rich Kostecke), Dana Peak Park, north side of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [good count].
Song Sparrow: (31 in area, including 29 at park) 17 November (Rich Kostecke, Brandon Best), Dana Peak Park, north side of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County.

McCown's Longspur: (~30) 23 November (Randy Pinkston), Williamson County [FOS, rare].

Chestnut-collared Longspur: (1) 2 November (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), marsh below Granger Lake dam, Williamson County [FOS, rare; odd location].

Byron Stone, "The most remarkable finds of the day, however, were in the marsh below Granger Dam. … As we walked the marsh back to the dam, we flushed several Le Conte's Sparrows, and then in the wet grass just below the spillway, we flushed a small, light bird with prominent white outer tail feathers contrasting with black central retrices. The bird had an odd, squeaky chatter of a call note. We were able to flush this bird several times and observe it and listen to it as it flushed, and confirmed our FOS Chestnut-collared Longspur. What an odd place to find it, in grass and standing water below the dam. ... seen well at close range and heard calling."

Chestnut-collared Longspur: (~20) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Hill's Prairie, Bastrop County [rare].

Longspur species: (200+) 27 November (Tim Fennell), CR 352 "megafield", Granger area, Williamson County [rare].
Longspur species: (~60) 28 November (Brush Freeman), Earhardt Road, Bastrop County.

GROSBEAKS THROUGH ORIOLES

Pyrrhuloxia: (1) 27 October (Tim Fennell), CR 230 in Lawler, near Florence in northwestern Williamson County [rare]
Pyrrhuloxia: (1 male) 2 November (Brush Freeman), Tahitian Village south of Bastrop, Bastrop County [occasional to rare].
Pyrrhuloxia: (2) 19 November (Brush Freeman), High Grove area, Bastrop County [rare].
Pyrrhuloxia: (1) 25 November (Brush Freeman), southeastern Caldwell County [uncommon].
Pyrrhuloxia: (4-5) 25 November (Brush Freeman), near Soda Springs in Luling area, Bastrop County [uncommon].
Pyrrhuloxia: (1) 1 December (Brush Freeman), McKinney Roughs, Bastrop County [occasional].

Rose-breasted Grosbeak: (1) 31 August (Bill Eddie), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [very rare in fall; no previous August records on Austin area checklist, Central Brazos Valley checklist or Oaks & Prairies checklist].

Byron Stone, "a single Rose-breasted Grosbeak seen, regrettably, by only one party member. ... The observer was Bill Eddie, a botanist from Scotland who is a fairly good birder. I don't know if he is aware of the I.D. difficulties posed by Rose-breasted and Black-headed Grosbeaks in the fall, and since he was the only one to see the bird, I didn't turn an inquiry about his observation into an inquisition. I hadn't seen either of these grosbeaks in central Texas this year, and consequently I made quite an effort to relocate the bird but was unable to do so. He said it had "a little rose color on its breast." Other than that, I have no details. Tim has Bill's email address and Bill might be willing to send you a description."

Bill Eddie, "I don't have a feather by feather description of the bird, but it had a pinkish crimson centre to the breast and mottled black head. It was in heavy moult. I am moderately familiar with both species. It is about thirty years since I last saw Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in Canada. I am probably more familiar with Black-headed Grosbeaks in California where I spent some time last year. A friend of mine had a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at his bird-feeder last year in Austin. I assumed that this species is fairly frequent in Texas."

Rose-breasted Grosbeak: (1) 6 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, Chappell Hill, Washington County [rare fall migrant].
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: (1 at ponds) 10 October (Jesse Fagan); (1 east of town) 16 October (Sharon Wilkerson), Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County [occasional].
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: (1 female) 14 October (Rich Kostecke), Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [occasional on Bell Co. checklist].
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: (1) 20 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge at Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [occasional].

Black-headed Grosbeak: (1 female) 3 September (Will Casey, fide Austin RBA), his feeder, Bastrop, Bastrop County [rare; no prior early September records in Oaks & Prairies region; photographed].

Indigo Bunting: (1 female) 3 November (Byron Stone). McKinney Falls State Park, Travis County [late departure].
Indigo Bunting: (1 adult female in basic plumage) 3 November (Randy Pinkston), River's Bend Park, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Bell County [rare in November].

Painted Bunting: (1) 21 September (Tim Fennell, Byron Stone), San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [late departure].
Painted Bunting: (1 adult male) 22 September (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA [late departure for male].

Peter Barnes, NETFO Newsletter, "Adult male Painted Buntings usually depart in August before females and juveniles, so a bird at Richland Creek WMA on Sept 22 was unusual (PB)."

Painted Bunting: (1 female) 17 November (Byron Stone, Erik Huebner), near San Gabriel WMA, Granger Lake, Williamson County [very late departure].

Byron Stone, "The wind was blowing so fiercely it was hard to hear or see much, but we did find a surprisingly late female Painted Bunting in a scrubby area near San Gabriel WMA."

Dickcissel: (~10) 5 October (Ellen Ratoosh, Darrell Vollert, RBAS field trip), Brazos River bottoms, Burleson County [late migrant; rare].
Dickcissel: (1 heard only) 28 September (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell); (1 heard) 6 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Granger Lake, Williamson County [uncommon in early September, rare from mid September to mid October].
Dickcissel: (1) 22 September; (32 flying south in flocks) 6 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate, near Chappell Hill, Washington County [uncommon to mid September, rare to mid October].
Dickcissel: (no.?) 13 October (Frank Bumgardner, John Muldrow, David Shackelford), WMARSS, Waco, McLennan County
Dickcissel: (1) 16 September; (2 fly-bys) 24 September; (2 fly-bys, with storm front) 13 October (Ellen Ratoosh), Bee Creek floodplain, Emerald Forest subdivision, College Station, Brazos County [uncommon].
Dickcissel: (4) 13 October (David Wolf); (1) 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [late departure; occasional].
Dickcissel: (1) 20 October; (1 heard overhead) 3 November (Peter Barnes), Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [late departure].

Yellow-headed Blackbird: (~14) 19 September (Brush Freeman), working rattlebeans along shoreline of Shipp Lake, Bastrop County [rare].
Yellow-headed Blackbird: (1 male) 13 October (Byron Stone, Tim Fennell), Meadow Lake, Round Rock, Williamson County [occasional].

Orchard Oriole: (1) 8 September (David Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [late; very few September records for East Texas Pineywoods].
Orchard Oriole: (1) 15 September (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf, Robert Truss), Marion Ferry, Lake Sam Rayburn, Angelina County [late; very few September records for East Texas Pineywoods].

David Wolf, "Orchard Orioles are one of our first summer residents to disappear and are normally gone by the end of August, so 2 late migrants in Central Heights on September 8 (DW) and one at Marion Ferry on September 15 (DW, JF, RT) were noteworthy."

Orchard Oriole: (1 female or immature) 13 October (Darrell Vollert), Clarann Estate near Chappell Hill, Washington County [late migrant; rare in October].

Bullock's Oriole: (2, including 1 male with Baltimores) 19 September (Brush Freeman), Park Road 1C, Buescher State Park, Bastrop County [very rare].

Baltimore Oriole: (20) 7 September (David Wolf, Mimi Hoppe Wolf), Central Heights, Nacogdoches County [high count].

David Wolf, Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "Baltimore Orioles were the most frequent non-breeding migrant throughout this period, with the first one at the TX 147 bridge on August 25 (JF). Highest count was on September 7, when 20 were in Central Heights (DW, MHW) and 8 at Alazan Bayou WMA (JF, RS)."

Baltimore Oriole: (4) 13 October (David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [late departure, exceeds latest date shown on Pineywoods checklist].

David Wolf, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "Baltimore Oriole sightings dropped off after mid-September, and 4 drab birds at the base of the TX 147 bridge on the Oct 13 cold front were late (DW)."

FINCHES

Purple Finch: (no.?) 8-9 November (Ann & Kent Richardson), 103E, Angelina County [somewhat early; occasional].

Pine Siskin: (1) 31 October to 3 November (James Phelps), Shenandoah Subdivision at a backyard feeder, College Station, Brazos County [earliest arrival on record for Central Brazos Valley, previous record being 3 Nov 1980].

Other FOS records for Central Oaks & Prairies: 2 Oct 1996 (Waco), 30 Oct 2000 (Utley), 2 Nov 1991 (Waller Co.), 3 Nov 1980 (Bryan), 5 Nov 1999 (Bastrop Co.), 6 Nov 1977 (Brazos Co.), 6 Nov xxxx (Lee Co.), 11 Nov 2001 (Gibbons Creek), 11 Nov 1973 (Moore Farms), 16 Nov 1998 (College Station), 17 Nov 1987 (Waller Co.), ...

Lesser Goldfinch: (2) 24 August (Susan Schaezler, Don Schaezler, Bill Holliday, David Pueppke, Gary Waggerman, Georgina Schwartz, Dan Peak, Mike Quinn), Schaezler property, Guadalupe County [occasional].

Lesser Goldfinch: (8) 27 October (Tim Fennell), CR 229 near Florence in northwestern Williamson County [rare].

American Goldfinch: (1) 25 August (Peter Barnes), north unit of Richland Creek WMA, Freestone County [very early arrival].

American Goldfinch: (1) 25 September (Georgette Guernsey), Lufkin, Angelina County [rare; very early arrival].

David Wolf, in Pineywoods Scissor-Tales, "An out-of-season American Goldfinch visited Georgette Guernsey's feeders in Crown Colony on Sept 25, while the first few southbound migrants were heard over the TX 147 bridge on Oct 27 (JF, DW), an early date."

American Goldfinch: ("a few") 27 October (Jesse Fagan, David Wolf), TX 147 bridge over Lake Sam Rayburn, San Augustine County [early arrival, occasional].
Darrell Vollert, 27 November, "Cedar Waxwings and American Goldfinches arrived a little earlier this season and they are common now too."

Contributors:

Kitty & Jim Anding, Keith Arnold, Karen Arquette, Shawn Ashbaugh, Lynn Barber, Peter Barnes, Patty Beasley, Billie Bernard, Nancy Bird, Laura Bottone, Fred & Mary Brandt, Lawrence Buford, Alan Byboth, Brandon Best, Lorie Black, Tom Boykin, Karen Brady, Lawrence Buford, Frank Bumgardner, Jeanette Bumgardner, Meg Byerly, Ron Cabel, Dan Calloway, Dougal Cameron, Oscar Carmona, Eric Carpenter, Will Casey, David Cimprich, Lee Clausen, Sheridan Coffey, Gail Cole, Jim Coleman, Fred Collins, Margaret Cook, Kelly Cotten, Mike Creese, Dede Crusinberry, D. D. Curie, Louis Debetaz, Claudia de la Cruz, Sandy Dillard, Fred & Judy Donaldson, Bill Eddie, Marcia Effinger, John Eriksson, Jesse Fagan, Tim Fennell, Rob Fergus, Bert Frenz, Brush Freeman, Lizzie Furuta, Tony Gallucci, Mark Gray, Steven Gross, Georgette Guernsey, Gladys Guthrie, Connie Hagne, Martin Hagne, Jeffrey Hanson, Shelia Hargis, Larry Harris-Haller, Tonna Harris-Haller, Chris Harrison , Tyson Hart, David Henderson, Mary Hesalroad, Tim Hissam, Bill Holliday, Erik Huebner, Ingrid Huskey, Bernice & Ed Jackson, Charles Kent, Kiel Kenwood, Tim Kiphart, Rich Kostecke, Virginia Landeck, Cathy Liles, Eric Lisenbe, Mark Lockwood, Guy Luneau, Joan Luneau, Scott Luneau, Art Mackinnon, Mike Manson, Mike Mathews, Heather Mathewson, Kathy McCormick, Chris Merkord, Elizabeth & Richard Moon, Carroll Moore, Kent & Debbie Moore, John Muldrow, Derek Muschalek, Jay Packer, Dan Peak, David Phalen, James Phelps, Jason Pike, Randy Pinkston, Truman Powell, Sumita Prasad, John Prouty, David Pueppke, Jimmie Putnam, Mike Quinn, Jenny Rasmussen, Ellen Ratoosh, Eddie Ray, Ann & Kent Richardson, David Ringer, Roxie Rochat, Alan Rockett, Sue Ruotsala, George Russell, Kenneth Russell, Rick Schaefer, Don Schaezler, Susan Schaezler, Susan Schulze, Georgina Schwartz, Willie Sekula , Chuck Sexton, Cliff Shackelford, David Shackelford, Glenn Shroeter, Sandra Skrei, Dan Smith, Aletha Snowden, Doyle Spitzer, Byron Stone, Marj Swies, Robert Truss, Darrell Vollert, Peg Wallace, Jerry Walls, Bill & Nada Wareham, David Weaver, Stan Welso, E.G. White-Swift, Dan Wilkerson, Shirley Wilkerson, Mary Dabney Wilson, Stu Wilson, Jack Windsor, David Wolf, Mimi Hoppe Wolf, and Joe Yelderman.

For additions, corrections and new sightings, contact bert@bafrenz.com

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Copyright © 2003 Bert Frenz. All rights reserved.
Revised: April 20, 2004.