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Seasonal Reports

Spring 2001

Region 6

Summary

Loons - Vultures

Waterfowl

Raptors

Rails - Shorebirds

Gulls - Terns

Doves - Owls

Hummingbirds

Kingfishers - Flycatchers

Shrikes - Swallows

Chickadees - Waxwings

Warblers

Tanagers - Sparrows

Cardinals - Finches

The 31 Texas counties included in this report are: Bastrop, Bell, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Coleman, Comanche, Coryell, DeWitt, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gonzales, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Karnes, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Robertson, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson.

Reduced from over 1000 reports of 257 species from 1 March to 31 May 2001.

Weather reports:

Darrell Vollert, Washington County, on 28 March, "We had exactly 4 inches of rain yesterday and overnight. New Year's Creek is over the FM1155 bridge north of Chappell Hill. A few migrants were around this morning."

Darrell Vollert, Washington County, on 24 April, "Cloudy the first half of the morning. Cleared up early afternoon. Cool and breezy from the north all day. The north breeze brought the best birding for the season so far."

Tim Fennell, Williamson County, "Strong south winds in April were probably responsible for some nice records on area lakes and ponds."

Ellen Ratoosh, Brazos County, on 6 May, "a Spotted Sandpiper flying down the flood channel, which is a yard first, and not a species I ever expected to see here. We got close to four inches of rain over the weekend."

Tim Fennell, Williamson County, "Passerine migration seemed to run a little late. I usually see the peak of activity the first of May. This year, peak numbers and diversity were seen on 12 May."

Darrell Vollert, "In the evening yesterday (12 May) in Chappell Hill I saw a male Blackburnian Warbler and a male American Redstart fly into a Cedar Elm tree just ahead of a thunderstorm that brought .70 of rain to the area."

Darrell Vollert, "Friday, May 25th a half inch of rain during the early morning hours grounded a hand-full of migrants on Harrison Street in Brenham.

Tim Fennell, Williamson County, "The rains of winter continued into the spring, creating lush grasslands throughout the area, eastern Williamson County especially. The wet conditions were probably responsible for: later than usual Sprague's Pipits and Le Conte's Sparrows, high numbers of nesting Dickcissels and Grasshopper Sparrows and possible breeding records for Horned Larks, Tree Swallows and Bank Swallows."