Every since my brother, that is a long time birder, put the idea of listing all the bird species we see at the place in my mind, it has almost become an obsession to identify all the birds we see each week. My wife and I have started to carry bird identification books and binoculars around with us as we work and do chores at the place. A strange bird flying over or even a strange bird call has us scrambling to identify what species of bird. We have seen a lot of birds that we can not identify, at least not well enough to add to our species list. We also see a lot of birds that are not really supposed to be in our area but that is kind of normal for Lampasas County as it is the hub of several different regions and types of habitat for birds. This last month we have had different Towhees and other birds just mobbing the feeders. I really have a problem trying to identify all of the different sparrows and other tiny birds that flit around the brush piles and cedar breaks. Every time I see ducks dropping down on the tank I feel compelled to go jump them just to see what species they are and if we need to add them to the list. This last week Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese both flew over the place and alerted us with their calls. We are always seeing hawks, vultures, buzzards and even a few falcons such as the small Kestrel. Screech owls and Great Horned owls are common along with crows and ravens. Black Chinned and Ruby Throated humming birds fly in and out of the oak motts and we have even had rare hummingbirds come through on occasion.
I keep telling myself I am not a birder, not the type that I have always had the stereotype image of in my mind. After all I am an Outdoorsman, a Hunter, Trapper and Fisherman. Surely I am not turning into a Birder! Wild Ed
Here is our list to date: We now are up to 116 species and quite a few unkowns.
BIRD NAME
Blackbird Red Winged
Blue Bird Eastern
Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
Bunting Painted
Cara Cara
Cardinal
Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Chickadee, Carolina
Cowbird, Brewers
Cowbird, Brown Headed
Crane, Sandhill
Crow, American
Cuckoo Yellow Billed
Dove, Eurasian Collared
Dove, Inca
Dove, Mourning
Dove, Rock (Pigeon)
Dove, White winged
Duck, Gadwall
Duck, Mallard
Duck, Pintail
Duck, Shoveler
Duck, Widgeon
Egret Great White
Egret, Cattle
European Starling
Falcon Prairie
Falcon, Kestrel
Falcon, Merlin
Falcon, Peregrine
Finch, House
Finch, Purple
Flicker, Northern
Flycatcher, Ash Throated
Flycatcher, Impid (several sub-species)
Flycatcher, Olive Sided
Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher, Vermilion
Gadwall
Geese, Blue
Geese, Snow
Grebe
Green Wing Teal
Grosbeak, Black Headed
Grosbeak, Blue
Harrier Northern
Hawk, Broad Winged
Hawk, Coopers
Hawk, Red Shouldered
Hawk, Red Tailed
Hawk, Sharp Shinned
Hawk, Swanson's
Heron Great Blue
Humming Bird - Black Chinned
Humming Bird - Blue Throated
Humming Bird - Ruby Throated
Humming Bird- Broad Tailed
Jay, Blue
Jay, Scrub
Killdeer
Kingbird, Western
Kingfisher, Belted
Kite, Mississippi
Loggerhead Shrike
Martin, Purple
Meadow Lark, Eastern
Meadow Lark, Western
Mocking Bird
Nighthawk, Common
Nightjar Common
Owl, Barn
Owl, Eastern Screech
Owl, Great Horned
Pelican White
Phoebe
Plover
Pyrrhuloxia
Quail, Bobwhite
Raven Common
Roadrunner
Robin
Ruby Crowned Kinglet
Sparrow House
Sparrow, Chipping
Sparrow, Harris
Sparrow, Lark
Sparrow, Rufous Crowned
Sparrow, Savannah
Sparrow, Tree
Sparrow, Vesper
Sparrow, White Crowned
Summer Tanager
Swallow, Barn
Swallow, Northern Rough-Wing
Teal, Green Winged
Thrasher, Brown
Towhee Eastern
Towhee Spotted
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey, Rio Grande
Vulture, Black
Vulture, Turkey
Warbler Magnolia
Warbler, Yellow Rumped
Whippoorwill
Woodpecker, Golden Fronted
Woodpecker, Ladder-Backed
Woodpecker, Red Bellied
Woodpecker, Red headed
Wren, Bewicks
Wren, Canon
Wren, Carolina
Wren, House
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker