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Seasonal Reports

Winter 2003

Region 3

Summary

Grebes to Nightjars

Hummingbirds to Finches 

Hummingbirds to Finches 

A female Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) was present at a feeder in Lufkin from 12/9/02-2/15/03 (Angelina, DP, GP).  This bird was banded and conclusively identified (CE).  An immature male was a surprise at a feeder on Lake Timpson during the 1/4/03 Lake Murvaul CBC (Panola, JF, RP).

An adult male Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) present since 10/27/02 was seen again on 2/2/03 at the TX 147 bridge (San Augustine, JF, DW).  The Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii), at the Nacogdoches Sewage Ponds since 11/2/02 (Nacogdoches, JF, MHW, m.o.), remained through the Nacogdoches CBC on 12/21/02 (RS), but was not seen after that.

A Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) was a good find on the Lake O’ the Pines CBC on 12/14/02 (Marion, GL).  The first Purple Martins (Progne subis) of the spring were over Diboll on 2/11/03 (Angelina, RT).  Further north, one was reported in Rusk county on 2/27/03 (PH).

A photographed, female Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) on 2/17/03 was the first record for northeast Texas in more than 60 years (Van Zandt, MW).   

The high count for Sprague’s Pipits (Anthus spragueii) at the Nacogdoches Regional Airport was 6 on 12/2/02 (Nacogdoches, DW), but at least 3 remained all winter (JF).  Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) were in exceptional numbers in the early winter, with 3346 on the Nacogdoches CBC on 12/21/02 (Nacogdoches, m.o.) and 3000+ in a single flock in downtown Nacogdoches on 1/19/03 (Nacogdoches, JF).  However, by late January most large flocks had left our area.

A Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) was a nice find on the Nacogdoches CBC at Alazan W.M.A. on 12/21/02 (Nacogdoches, DW).  Another fabulous wintering warbler included a Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla) observed first on 1/15/03 and again on 2/3/03 (Gregg, GL).  There is only one other winter record for this species in East Texas. 

A beautiful, adult male Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) showed up at a home in northeast Nacogdoches from 1/4-1/19/03 (Nacogdoches, FM, RM, RH, SH, m.o.).  The bird was photographed on 1/11/03 (JF).  A rare, wintering Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) was at the TXU mine north of Henderson on 2/2/03 (Rusk, GL).  At least 9 Henslow’s Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) were located on the 1/4/03 Lake Murvaul CBC in several fields near Timpson (Shelby, JF, RP).  Harris’s Sparrows (Zonotrichia querula) were seen in a few locales this winter.  A single Harris’s Sparrow was seen at the Sabine Mining Company land on 12/21/02 (Harrison, ER) and another was visiting a feeder from 1/25-1/29/03 (Morris, DB).   A female Black-headed Grosbeak was visiting a feeder in Liberty off and on from 12/27/02-1/3/03 (Liberty, CS). 

Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) seemed to be conspicuous and (un)common this winter.  Several reports included 431 seen on the Caddo Lake count on 12/7/02 (Marion, observer(s)?),  200 in Rusk county from 12/26-12/27/02 (GL), and a flock of 45 at Ryan Lake on 1/30/03 (Angelina, GG).  Six Brewer’s Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus) were near Huntington on 2/7/03 (Angelina, NB).  Nacogdoches finally got it’s first county record of a Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), appropriately enough in the Wal-Mart parking lot, a female on 12/20/02 (Nacogdoches, JF).  Amazingly, a male Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) was at a feeder in Nacogdoches on 12/24/02 (Nacogdoches, DH).  This is only the second record for the East Texas area (the first being this past May in Nacogdoches) and could represent a continued expansion into our region.  A female Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) on 1/11/03 represents only one of a handful of wintering records for this species (Rusk, PH).

An immature male Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) was banded and photographed in Nacogdoches on 1/5/03 and netted again a few days later (Nacogdoches, CE, JF, m.o.).  This is the first confirmed record for the entire Pineywoods region and a fabulous find.

Purple Finches (Carpodacus purpureus) were scarce this year with a one-day bird in Melrose on 1/2/03 (Nacogdoches, RT) and one in Nacogdoches for several weeks in January (Nacogdoches, RH, SH).  The few Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) reports included 1-2 in Nacogdoches from 12/5/02-2/6/03 (Nacogdoches, CM) and 3 in Dangerfield on 2/3/03 (Morris, DB).