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.
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