15 replies to this topic

[Texachusetts]

Taken May 12, 2012 at Balcones Canyonland NWR, Warbler vista trail. We saw at least 10! . What delightful birds! Please verify important lifer.

[meghann]

The first one: maybe.

The second one looks like a Magnolia Warbler to me.

[spookyjimjams]

I agree that second bird is a Magnolia Warbler, note the white eyebrow, and yellow and black chest. The GCW has no white eyebrow, and the chest is black and white. I also agree that the first could be a GCW.

[Liam]

I agree with Golden-cheeked and Magnolia Warblers.

[Texachusetts]

Wow, I so see that now. Pretty sure we saw both, they were in two different places on the trail and I saw a magnolia at Lake Georgetown about 30 miles NE, but off of the Edwards Plateau. Let's try these two pictures for the Golden - Cheeck: ,

[meghann]

Yup, those look good for Golden-Cheek.

Now I'm wishing I was into birding when we still lived at Fort Hood. I may have seen some of these and not even known it. Sigh.

[Texachusetts]

My husband works at Fort Hood and that is exactly what we are doing, not on base, but not far from here, FH is just east of the Edwards Plateau...I am fairly sure we saw the Black-Capped Vireo too, but in flight, no picture so I can't be sure, but we were at the vireo platform and heard them for sure.

[spookyjimjams]

Now I'm wishing I was into birding when we still lived at Fort Hood. I may have seen some of these and not even known it. Sigh.

Don't you hate that? If only I was born a birder like Liam.

[Liam]

Don't you hate that? If only I was born a birder like Liam.

I was born with binoculars around my neck, watching Magpies outside the hospital window.

[Texachusetts]

We re-looked at our pictures to discover we saw the golden cheecks and magnolias in the same area on the trail, maybe together, then later on the trail we saw two more golden cheecks. Definitely heard males singing at the tree tops. Both are lifers for me and I was frustrated seeing the magnolia today when I did not have the camera...my husband was photographing a "Mystery bird" will post. Now I realize I have a picture after all. Cool! I guess all birders should join the army! Seriously, Fort Hood and central Texas is what got us into birding! My husband confessed he was distracted watching a scissor-tail laying eggs outside the hanger!

[meghann]

I was going to ask if y'all had seen the scissor-tails yet. Great birds!

[spookyjimjams]

I guess all birders should join the army! Seriously, Fort Hood and central Texas is what got us into birding!

While in the Air Force, I was fascinated by the grackles that caused an incredible uproar in the evenings and mornings while I was in Basic Training. I had never heard birds sing so loudly or group together like that. For punishment, a few people spent 3 days on their hands and knees with a bucket of water and an toothbrush cleaning massive amounts of droppings off the sidewalks. That will teach you to hide and hoard food!

My other miltary experience that really got me interested in birding was my deployment to Pakistan where I met an Indian Bustard face to face on a trail. I was so amazed that I wrote a very descriptive letter home so that I could look it up later. My first real bird that I researched to ID.

I wish I had paid more attention while I was in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina, and of course all the deployments around the world that I hit. But alas, I wasn't really into birding yet.

[meghann]

I know my husband saw some cool birds in Iraq. I'll have to see if he still has the pictures, and maybe I'll post them for an ID.

[Platypus]

I was born with binoculars around my neck, watching Magpies outside the hospital window.

Your early cries were actually imitation bird calls, right?

[Texachusetts]

The scissor-tails are beautiful and awesome to watch, and I confess I find the grackles fascinating. They have a larger vocabulary than many humans I know. If we are in the car, we open the windows at dusk to hear them gathering, esp in the "grackle trees" at Walmart. Never park your car under those trees! Seriously, the birds in Texas have been wonderful and each region is different. We have not been to east Texas yet, but just about everywhere else.

[meghann]

When we were there, there were always a million grackles by the mall off W.S. Young, we'd park in the parking lot of Taco Bell, and the sound was amazing.