My "Most Wanted" photo documentation list: Chihuahuan Raven, Northern Waterthrush, .... see my "Birds Most Wanted" page for more information.
Most Recent Photo-Documented Records
A Snowy Owl was observed in Rockwall County and finally brought to the attention of a knowledgeable person on February 11. Within two weeks, it was finally observed by what seems to be half the birders in the state.
A Common Redpoll (or redpolls?) was observed in two locations in Tarrant Co.
A very rare (for the winter season) Clay-colored Sparrow was observed in Tarrant Co., on January 8, and photographed by Cameron O. Carver. There is a second reported observation for the Lewisville Christmas Count (Sheryl Barker)on December 27, 2011.
Chestnut-collared Longspur was documented in Van Zandt Co., by Darlene Mooreon January 12, 2012.Coupled with sightings this winter in Dallas Co. in December,this season has been a surprise for sightings of this species this far east.
In general, this fall-winter season was a bit of a boon year for western-type species finding their way into eastern counties. This includes multiple sightings of Sage Thrasher, Mountain Bluebird, Chestnut-collared and McCown's longspur, Western Meadowlark, Green-tailed Towhee, Cassin's Sparrow, and at least one sighting each of Sage Sparrowand Brewer's Sparrow.
A rare Dallas County Burrowing Owl was discovered on the TRAC Christmas Bird Count. The bird was photographed by Darlene Moore on January 2, 2012.
A Sage Sparrow and Brewer's Sparrow were photographed in Wilbarger County on December 26, 2011, by Greg Cook. This is the first documented report of a Sage Sparrow in North-central Texas and only the second report of a Brewer's Sparrow.
An unusual Golden Eagle was photographed by Darlene Moore in Throckmorton Co., on November 27, 2011
A Western Grebe was photographed on November 26, 2011 at Joe Pool Lake dam by Ken Nanney.
A rare Reddish Egret was photographed by Ed Wetzel at Lake Lavon, Collin, Co, November 25, 2011.
Several Chestnut-collared Longspurs were observed and photographed by Ken Nanney at Joe Pool Lake dam on November 12, 2011.
A
Green-tailed Towhee was photographed on October 7, 2011 in Tarrant
Co., by Missy McAllister
A very unusual record of
Lark Bunting for
Dallas County was recently photographed. This September 10, 2011, record may be due to drought conditions
to the west. Photo by Annika Lindqvist.
A very uncommon
Bell's Vireo was
observed and photographed by Gus Stangeland near Garland, Texas (Dallas Co.) on
August 24, 2011
A first June record of
White-throated Sparrow was documented by Paula Keeth in downtown
Dallas, on June 15, 2011 (and remained through early July). This initial
record is the latest recorded date by almost
three weeks. An equally unusual
Harris's Sparrow
was photographed by Michael Matuson in mid-July of the same year.
A first June record of
Piping Plover,
was observed by Susan Thrower, Ed Wetzel, et. al., on June
25-26, 2010, at Village Creek Drying Beds, Tarrant Co.
A
Hooded Merganser with chicks was observed at White
Rock Lake by Chris Runk, May 15, 2010. There are very few nesting
records of this species for North-central Texas.
Greg Cook and Steve Glover reported several
hard-to-see area birds on a birding trip to Throckmorton, Baylor,
Wilbarger, and Wichita counties in 2010. Among the sightings were three Mountain
Plovers in Throckmorton County. Also seen were Prairie Falcon, Verdin,
Chihuahuan Raven, Black-throated Sparrow, and Pyrrhuloxia.
A Little Gull was observed by Chris Runk at the White
Rock Lake spillway area on December 9, 2010.
A
Harris's Hawk was observed and photographed on Nov. 23, 2009 in
Dallas County by Kaustubh Deshpande.
A Western Grebe and a Sprague's Pipit were seen by
Chris Runk around WR Lake on November 6, 2009.
Least
Grebes have again been documented for North-central Texas during
this summer season of 2009. Photo by Laura Bunton.
Two Anhingas mating
were photographed at the UT Southwest Medical Center by Daniel Lim - 2009.
A Swainson's Warbler was observed April
13, 2009, at the WR Lake Fish Hatchery by Chris Runk. Dallas County
observations of this bird are extremely rare.
A
Merlin feeding on a House Sparrow at White Rock Lake, December 6,
2009 by Jason Hogle.
Merlin and Sharp-shinned
Hawk skirmish at Village Creek on March 4, 2009. Photos by Ken Nanney.
A
first-winter Mew Gull
was seen at the White Rock lake spillway on December 22, 2008, by Bob Stone and Chris Runk.
A
Golden-crowned
Sparrow was observed and photographed in Tarrant County for several
days (October 2008). Photographs are by Bob Stone, Greg Cook and Peter Billingham.
A
Masked Duck in
Kaufman County, June 14, 2008, - Photo by Bob Stone. This unusual review species is the first
record for the area.
We
have also had several reports of
Least Grebe throughout the
summer (2008).
Published by the Smithsonian Institution
between the 1920s and the 1950s, the Bent life history series of
monographs provide an often colorful description of the birds of North
America. Arthur Cleveland Bent was the lead author for the series. The
Bent series is a great resource and often includes quotes from early
American ornithologists, including Audubon, Townsend, Wilson, Sutton and
many others.
