Birding hike at SMRF Ranch

  When it comes to variety of species in bird walks one location sure to please is the property owned by the San Marcos River Foundation off Lime Kiln Road. Although the temperature was in the low-to-mid 40's and the ground was wet, the viewing was grand. We saw 38 different species compared to last year's 35. Other locations range in the 20-30 species depending on the availability of a water feature.
   Migration is in full force and we were able to view the very colorful Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Eastern Bluebird sitting facing the warming sun.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (C. Robbins)

   We were a large group of birders numbering 22 walking on a mostly level surface. Starting at dawn we were up when the birds start moving around. Stephen Ramirez leads the hikes each month to a different location around San Marcos. Colton Robbins assists and is a very good birder-by-ear.
  Past month's list are available on eBird or in previous posts to the blog. To join the group eMail Stephen@birdsiview.org      -- LJ

A chilly start to the morning

38 species

Northern Bobwhite  2
Double-crested Cormorant  3
Great Blue Heron  1
Black Vulture  14
Turkey Vulture  4
Killdeer  1
Mourning Dove  4
Black-chinned Hummingbird  3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Ash-throated Flycatcher  2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher  1
American Crow  3
Barn Swallow  3
Cliff Swallow  10
Carolina Chickadee  1
Black-crested Titmouse  5
Verdin  3
Canyon Wren  2
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  1
Bewick's Wren  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  3
Eastern Bluebird  2
Northern Mockingbird  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Lark Sparrow  2
White-crowned Sparrow  5
Vesper Sparrow  1
Savannah Sparrow  1
Lincoln's Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  3
Eastern Meadowlark  15
Brown-headed Cowbird  9
House Finch  4
Lesser Goldfinch  6