Common Name

Number

Rare

Irreg

Location

American White Pelican

1

Yes

No

Flag Pond

20

Yes

No

Nails Creek State Park

Neotropic Cormorant

1

Yes

No

Nails Creek State Park

Solitary bird perched on snag in marshy area of lake near pelicans. Slim profile, long tail.

Great Blue Heron

several

No

No

Somerville WMA

Great Egret

common

No

No

Flag Pond

Snowy Egret

abundant

No

No

Flag Pond

Little Blue Heron

several

No

No

Flag Pond

Several, including white-plumaged immatures.

Tricolored Heron

6

Yes

No

Nails Creek State Park

Cattle Egret

1000

No

No

Somerville WMA

Abundant flocks in cattle fields between Lyons and the WMA.

White Ibis

3

No

Yes

Somerville WMA

Photographed in wet area beside road (1697 or 125, Lee County). All 3 birds were in first fall plumage.

White-faced Ibis

common

No

No

Flag Pond

Roseate Spoonbill

4

No

No

Flag Pond

Wood Stork

1

No

No

Flag Pond

Blue-winged Teal

large flock

No

No

Flag Pond

Ring-necked Duck

1

No

Yes

Nails Creek State Park

Misshaped bird with unusually large head compared to body size. Large angular head with distinct golden eye, dark bill with light tip characteristic of Ring-necked. Pale sides, dark mantle. Floating in open bay. No prior August records.

Black Vulture

uncommon

No

No

Somerville WMA

Turkey Vulture

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Mississippi Kite

30

Yes

No

Flag Pond

Red-shouldered Hawk

several

No

No

Somerville WMA

Broad-winged Hawk

1

Yes

No

Flag Pond

Soaring buteo with black tips on primaries contrasting with adjacent white under wing linings and banded B&W tail. Fewer wing beats, shorter wings and rounder tail than Red-shouldered. No evidence of red.

Red-tailed Hawk

several

No

No

Flag Pond and Somerville WMA

American Coot

2

No

No

Nails Creek State Park

Black-necked Stilt

4

No

Yes

Flag Pond

Observed extensively through spotting scopes. Mixed with ibis and egrets. Although very distant, the diminutive head of this long billed black and white wader was obvious. No prior fall records.

Solitary Sandpiper

2

Yes

No

Somerville WMA

Bold white eyering, yellowish green legs, streaked, not spotted. Bert Frenz and Mark Shavers.

Forster's Tern

3

Yes

No

Nails Creek State Park

Winter plumage.

White-winged Dove

1

No

Yes

Somerville WMA

Mark Shavers identified one flying overhead while we parked on Hwy 1697.

Mourning Dove

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

3

No

No

Somerville WMA

Great views of several cuckoos, many with wings and tails spread because of the light rain.

Chimney Swift

1

No

No

Somerville WMA

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

4

No

No

Somerville WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker

1

No

No

Somerville WMA

Downy Woodpecker

1

No

No

Somerville WMA

Pileated Woodpecker

1

No

No

Somerville WMA

Acadian Flycatcher

2

No

Yes

Somerville WMA

Bert Frenz, Joan Dziezyc and Mark Shavers watched two Empidonax periodically over a half-hour period. One showed characteristics of an adult Acadian: obvious eyering, yellow belly, yellow lower mandible, obvious wing bars. Second bird was juvenile with eyering but lacking yellow. Birds flew between wooded area and clump of thick shrubs bordering road where we parked. There was no vocalization. There are no prior fall records for Acadian although this species is known to nest in the Brazos Valley. In fact, there are only a handful of Empidonax records at all in the fall months. This sighting is probably Acadian. Least Flycatcher seems quite unlikely, as does Alder and Willow. Yellow-bellied seems possible, but unlikely also.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

several

No

No

Somerville WMA

A few, mostly juveniles and molting adults.

Tree Swallow

several

No

No

Somerville WMA

Cliff Swallow

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Many immature birds.

Barn Swallow

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

American Crow

uncommon

No

No

Somerville WMA

Several, but less than usual.

Carolina Chickadee

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Tufted Titmouse

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Carolina Wren

a few

No

No

Somerville WMA

Northern Mockingbird

several

No

No

Somerville WMA

Loggerhead Shrike

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

White-eyed Vireo

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Yellow Warbler

2

No

No

Nails Creek State Park

Adult male and female.

Northern Cardinal

common

No

No

Somerville WMA

Indigo Bunting

1

Yes

No

Somerville WMA

This bird had us going for quite some time as it was tricky to identify. Observed mostly on dirt road in WMA and in high grasses beside road. Dark cone shaped bill and body shape indicated bunting. Characteristics are consistent with immature Indigo Bunting: bluish tinge in wings and mantle when in flight but not evident at rest, overall color is brownish gray (like Catbird) with crown darker than head and mantle lighter than wings, lighter chin, long notched tail, long legs, almost no streaking but a hint of streaking in sides and flanks, surprisingly dull yellow undertail coverts. Bird was observed in exactly same area where Indigo Buntings were found in our May field trip. Indigo Bunting is rare in August, becoming uncommon in September.