Another day, another four species for the 2025 list including one life bird.  A Bahama Mockingbird was reported at Fort Zachary Taylor on Wednesday.  This is another one of those USA rarities that has found its way to the Keys from the Caribbean.  After failing to find the bird on Thursday and Friday, I was able to get great looks at it this morning after the rain cleared.  This is lifer #549.

Black and White Warblers are everywhere right now.  Catching them when they have briefly paused their constant branch-hopping is a matter of luck.

Also new for 2025 is this Ovenbird.   This bird builds a dome-shaped nest on the ground that reminds one of an old brick oven.  Thus, the name.

I got the Louisiana Waterthrush in Texas.   And, today I got a Northern Waterthrush in South Florida.  Go Figure.

It has been 90% birding and 10% painting the past few days.  This feels like about the right play to work ratio.

We have picked up 9 more species for 2025 since our return to Key West including Wilson's Plover...

... The well-named Black-throated Blue Warbler...

... Cape May Warbler...

... American Redstart...

... And, Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

The YTD total has edged up to 356.  

There may have been 5 other travelers in the TSA screening area at the San Antonio airport this morning.  So, with that chore quickly out of the way, there was plenty of time to clean up the hundreds of photos from the trip.

Here are a few more species from our trek across Texas.  Upland Sandpipers were working the sod farms near Robstown / Corpus Christi.  These sandpipers prefer grasslands over beaches.  So, the vast sod fields provide them with excellent migratory habitat.

This Bell's Vireo almost landed on my head at Big Bend National Park.

Also at Big Bend, this Black-crested Titmouse provided some trailside entertainment.

A pair of Canyon Wrens were working a nest cavity in a cliff at Big Bend.  

And finally, this Mexican Jay was in the right spot at the right time, providing a look that I was happy with.

This morning, we left Alpine, TX before dawn heading to Davis Mountains State Park in search of Cassin's Kingbird and Montezuma Quail.  We counted 18 Easter bunnies (aka Jackrabbits) feeding on the roadside grasses in the pre-dawn darkness.

After arriving at the park, we quickly heard the Cassin's Kingbird singing away as dawn arrived.  I took one picture of the kingbird at a very slow shutter speed for documentation only.  The bird was too high in the tree and there was not enough light to allow for a good picture.  Normally, this is no big deal but, this blunder affected what happened next.

After failing to see the quails at the feeding station adjacent to where we saw the kingbird, we quickly made our way to the park's other bird blind hoping for better luck.  As we parked the car, we could see that this blind was already stuffed with birdwatchers.  As I approached the blind hoping to weasel my way into a decent spot, I saw the Montezuma Quails headed for the feeding area behind the blind.

Now, you don't just park your car and walk up to a blind and immediately find Montezuma Quail.  You just don't.  But we did.  So, in the excitement and the commotion of trying to get into a position where I could shoot through one of the holes in the blind, and the other folks going bananas in a very hush, hush way,  I completely forgot to adjust the shutter speed on my camera.  On top of that, we left the scene giddy over the fact that we had actually seen the quails and gotten really good pictures without actually checking them closely.   As my son would say, "What a newb."

So, here is the best I've got of this amazing quail.   I will be back for more with a camera set to a faster shutter speed. 

I realized my mistake when I was photographing the Yellow-headed Blackbirds we found in Junction, TX.  I couldn't figure out why my shots were out of focus.  Then came the 'a-ha moment' followed by the 'oh-crap' moment' as I realized my quail photos were not going to be what I was expecting.

We also added a Cinnamon Teal in Junction, TX to  make our final Texas trip results:

196 total species

73 new species for 2025 / 347 YTD

4 lifer birds  / 548 All-time

The male Cinnamon Teal was too far away for good photos but, here is a look at this colorful duck from a previous trip to Arizona.

Now it's back to Key West to chase the warblers that are now showing up at Fort Zachary Taylor.  The Least Terns and the Gray Kingbirds have arrived in Key West. The spring migration is officially on.

Tomorrow, we wrap up our 10 day tour across Texas with a return visit to Davis Mountains State Park.  Today, our effort yielded three additional species for the 2025 count, bringing the YTD total to 343 and trip total for new 2025 species to 69.  

Our best new good friend Carolyn at the oasis will be happy to know that we started off with distant looks at a pair of Rock Wrens.  Then after some cat and mouse pursuit, they ended up working their way from 50 yards away to 10 feet away while I sat by the edge of the road.  Even I can't miss from that distance!

I call this picture "Rock Wren on a Wren Rock."

We also added a Says Phoebe.

An Acorn Woodpecker was the third 'get' of the day.  But it wasn't interested in sitting for a portrait today.

Other birds who did accommodate a photo or two included this Scott's Oriole...

... And this Ash-throated Flycatcher.

Yesterday, while at Balmorhea Lake, I rolled down the window to take a photo of an American Kestrel.

That was nice but, we dropped him like a sack of potatoes when we heard a Chihuahuan Meadowlark singing from the bushes below.  The wind was howling.  So, getting any shot at all from about 75 yards was quite a feat.  Last night that wind dropped about 1/8" of dirt on our car.  I set the windshield wipers and fluid to work to clean the windshield only to realize how many bug guts were pasted on our windshield under the dirt.

Tomorrow, we'll see if we can nudge the trip total for 2025 birds to 70 or better.  Then we'll leave the land of playing deer and antelope (which we have seen aplenty) to return to Key West to do laundry, more painting, and playing with the man cubs.  Then it's off to Arizona for 10 days in early May.  Hopefully, the spring migration will be heating up in Key West next week as well.

As I have said before, there are no days off when you are retired.

Christmas in April?   I've heard of December.  I've heard of July.  But, April?   Well, when you're in the Christmas Mountains of Texas, it's pretty much Christmas every day.

We started just after dawn at the Christmas Mountains Oasis.  Carolyn Ohl-Johnson and her family have done an amazing job over many years in creating a bird sanctuary from the desert so folks like me can get Christmas presents in April.

Our top target was the Crissal Thrasher.  We have been looking for this bird on trips to Texas and Arizona for the past four years.  Today, we finally got it at the oasis.   

The Crissal's sharply curved bill is one of the features that distinguishes it from other thrashers such as the very similar and more easily photographed Curve-billed Thrasher.

Not a lifer but, I got my best pics of the Lucifer Hummingbird.

And, another present was my best photos of Scaled Quail.

In addition to the Crissal Thrasher, we picked up two more life birds today.  The Gray Flycatcher; also at the oasis...

... and a Zone-tailed Hawk a bit further north.

Yesterday, we hiked about 9.5 miles in Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park in search of a Colima Warbler.  We didn't find the warbler but we did manage some stiff legs from the hike that featured a 1,900 foot elevation gain with a corresponding decent.  It's been awhile since we have done that.  And, although the legs are temporarily a little worse for the wear, it felt great to get back on the trails again.

Meanwhile, back in Key West...  Chip is keeping the man cubs busy by making them take inventory of their toys.

And, in his spare time, Henry waits with his prized worm for the day Papa returns to take him to Publix to get some Hot Wheels.  Just 3 more days, Henry!

Birding today in Big Bend NP was not particularly good.  Maybe the 97 degree temps had the birds laying low. 

 We added 3 species to the 2025 list including this Wilson's Warbler...

... And this unexpected female Mountain Bluebird.

And, finally a Mexican Jay.

I suspect if Trumpy finds out about this bird he'll want to rename it to 'American Jay.'

The Audubon's sub-species of the Yellow-rumped Warbler tends to be much more colorful than its eastern counterparts referred to as the Myrtle sub-species.

This Roadrunner certainly looks out of place on grass.

We saw several mammals today including coyote, jackrabbits, desert cottontails, mule deer and the diminutive Carmen Mountain Whitetail deer.  We also saw about a dozen javelina including this one that vogued for pictures.

If you ever want to see what life is like west of the Pecos, you'll probably have to cross this bridge.

I think we encountered more Black-tailed Jackrabbits than people today.  Which was okay with us.  (Note for my good buddy Judson... not a bird.)

We couldn't find Pecos Bill but we did find Judge Roy Bean's place in Langtry, TX.  The story of Roy Bean and the British actress Lillie Langtry is one of the classic tales of the west.  

Meanwhile, we added 8 more species to the 2025 count today including Scaled Quail.

Although not new for 2025, I finally got a look at a male Lark Bunting, albeit a scraggly one.

Tomorrow, we make our first ever visit to Big Bend National Park and the Chisos Mountains.

We spent most of the day at Lost Maples Natural Area north of Uvalde, TX with two primary targets... the endangered Black-capped Vireo and the very rare Golden-cheeked Warbler.  The Texas hill country is about the only place one will find these two species in the U.S.

The morning began with overcast skies and a very slight hint of drizzle with a wind that made 64 degrees feel more like 54 at best.   We found the Golden-cheeked Warblers first.

And, finally the Black-capped Vireos after a 3 mile stroll.

The ended in 100 degree weather near Kickapoo Caverns State Park where we picked up a Canyon Towhee and Blue Grosbeak to tally 13 new species for 2025 on the day.  Hutton's Vireo and Yellow-throated Vireo were also highlights today. The YTD count now stands at 318.