Outstanding birding today at Sabine Woods and environs  4-28: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36 AT GMAIL.COM>
The warblering and other migrants at the woods were outstanding today with
large numbers of individuals and species of very tame birds sitting in front
of all comers.
I started down the road past McFadden and had a pair of courting northern
harriers at about the end of the road but not much on the beach. One shrimp
boat had a very large flock of birds following but it was too far out to
make out anything but birds.
The little marsh that was bulldozed just inside the McFadden gate had
wilson's phalaropes and stilt sandpipers. A great-tailed grackle repeatedly
tried to catch  a phalarope. Out the road a bit the mulberries had a few
warblers, pewees and orioles and there were several least bitterns and a
couple of american bitterns. Another american bittern was in a ditch up
toward Sabine Woods.
A couple of single bobolinks were along the road where the first willow tree
is on the north side of the road about half way between Sabine Woods and
Searim State Park (which had a fair work crew in working). Another flock of
14 was flying east beside the road and dropped in near Walter Umphrey's
place which is now locked.
Fish crows were at 3 places, 1 calling and flying bird at Texas Point, a
pair on Pleasure Island near the Yacht Club and 2 flying birds on the way
home at the southwest corner of Port Arthur where the road splits between
Winnie and Beaumont.
Sabine Pass had a few birds in the mulberries but not many and the salt
cedars on the road to the lighthouse had a few birds before reaching the
rather large chuck holes.
But the woods and birds there were the outstanding place to be. A male
sapsucker came down to the water at the drip. A 1st year western tanager was
at the southwest corner of the woods or just outside of it. Veeries and
waterthrushes used the boardwalks to forage for fallen inchworms.
Joseph C. Kennedy on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston  Josephkennedy36 AT gmail.com

Lubbock migrants and arrivals4-28: "brian_gibbons AT juno.com" <brian_gibbons@JUNO.COM>
This past weekend and today there were migrants around in the parks. I had 11
species of shorebirds, nothing unexpected.
Clay-colored, Chipping and White-crowned sparrows are everywhere singing away.
At Clapp park today I had A singing male N Parula (near shrubhenge) also in
that area were Green-tailed Towhee, House Wren, Orange-crowned Warbler,
Wilson's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, several Black-chinned Hummers and
overhead were several Misssissippi Kites. I had seen 10 kites there Sunday.
Saturday amongst the Black-crowned Night-Herons there were a couple
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at MLK park.
Sunday evening there was a calling Summer Tanager below Lake Six.
Good birding and see some of you in Apline, I am looking forward to some
Transpecos spring birding. Brian Gibbons  Lubbock, TX

Panhandle Birding, McBride Canyon, Lake Meredith, 26 & 27, April, 2008: Barrett Pierce <bpierce AT RIOPETRO.COM>
The north and northwest winds made for great birding at the McBride Canyon
area of Lake Meredith, Potter County on 26 & 27, April, 2008-this weekend.
The wooded areas on the south side of the river bottom were loaded with
birds.  In addition to many Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Orange-crowned Warblers and Wilson's Warblers; I found Tennessee Warblers,
Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler (rarely seen in the Panhandle),
Nashville Warbler, Bell's Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo and Rose-breasted
Grosbeak. Six species of warblers on Saturday is the most warblers I have
recorded in a single day in the Panhandle.
With the lake at 48' the shore birding was also good at the Blue West area
in Moore County, 27 April, 2008. Highlights were numbers of Marbled Godwit,
Willet, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated Plover and four American Golden Plover.
Six Forster's Terns were mixed in with 235 Franklin Gulls on the sandbars in
the mouth of Blue West. Blue West is on the north side of the river. In
contrast to McBride Canyon, I found no warblers, no vireos and only a single
gnatcatcher along the north side. Blue West can be accessed by parking at
the base of the boat ramp and walking to the right.
Barrett Pierce  Rio Petroleum, Inc  Amarillo, TX  806-356-8033 x 224

Frontera Audubon Thicket, 4/27/08 : Daniel Jones <antshrike1 AT AOL.COM>
Not lots of warblers but good diversity this morning at Frontera Audubon
thicket in Weslaco.  Best of the fourteen species I saw this morning were
Wayne's Cerulian Warbler along with a female MacGillivray's and an early
Mourning Warbler.  There was also a Philadelphia Vireo.
Location:     Frontera Audubon Center
Observation date:     4/27/08
Number of species:     61
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     10
Plain Chachalaca     15
Snowy Egret     1
Green Heron     2
Black-crowned Night-Heron     2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     2
Broad-winged Hawk     1
Laughing Gull     2
Rock Pigeon     4
White-winged Dove     10
Inca Dove     8
White-tipped Dove     10
Chimney Swift     10
Buff-bellied Hummingbird     4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     1
Acadian Flycatcher     1
Least Flycatcher     1
Great Crested Flycatcher     1
Brown-crested Flycatcher     5
Couch's Kingbird     2
White-eyed Vireo     4
Blue-headed Vireo     1
Warbling Vireo     3
Philadelphia Vireo     1
Green Jay     1
Bank Swallow     10
Cliff Swallow     10
Barn Swallow     20
Black-crested Titmouse     2
Carolina Wren     4
House Wren     1
Northern Mockingbird     4
Long-billed Thrasher     6
Curve-billed Thrasher     1
Golden-winged Warbler     3
Nashville Warbler     2
Northern Parula     1
Yellow Warbler     2
Chestnut-sided Warbler     1
Magnolia Warbler     2
Black-throated Green Warbler     3
Cerulean Warbler     1
Black-and-white Warbler     4
American Redstart     1
Ovenbird     1
Mourning Warbler     1
MacGillivray's Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     5
Yellow-breasted Chat     3
Olive Sparrow     3
Northern Cardinal     2
Indigo Bunting     2
Painted Bunting     7
Dickcissel     1
Red-winged Blackbird     1
Great-tailed Grackle     6
Baltimore Oriole     1
Lesser Goldfinch     3
House Sparrow     6
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/tx)
Dan Jones in Weslaco  http://antshrike.blogspot.com/

Kansas Notes



Chuck Otte           cotte AT oznet.ksu.edu
Past President, National Association of County Agricultural Agents
Geary County Extension Office, PO BOX 28          785-238-4161
Junction City, Kansas 66441-0028
FAX 785-238-7166
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/geary

Cheyenne Bottoms shorebirds  4-23 Helen Hands <helenh AT WP.STATE.KS.US>
I did a shorebird survey today between thunderstorms.  Numbers were down
from last week, but I think the biggest groups weren't visible from the
roads.  Most common species were dowitchers and semipalmated
sandpipers.  I also saw snowy plovers
semipalmated plovers+killdeer+black-necked stilts
avocets+greater yellowlegs+upland sandpiper
Hudsonian godwit+western sandpiper+least sandpiper
stilt sandpiper+Wilson's phalarope
Largest concentrations were in Pool 4A about 0.75 miles north of Hwy 156
and about 100 yards west of the blacktop that runs along the east side
of the wildlife area, Pool 4A and Pool 4B visible from the parking lot
roads off Hwy 156 and the KDOT rest area, and in the eastern part of
Pool 3B south of the road into the parking lot.  There still are some
shorebirds in the Inlet Canal, but not as many as in previous weeks. 
While looking at the Inlet Canal also look in Pool 2. Helen

Oklahoma Notes
Salt Plains birding 4-28 FRANK SANDFORD <sprugr51 AT COX.NET>
I birded with Steve Metz and Kim Wade yesterday.  They picked me up at my
house at 7 AM  and I got home at 8 PM.  Steve promised me 2 OK lifers, and
boy did he deliver.  He promised me eared grebe and snowy plover.  Not only
did I see those but also for OK lifers I added marbled godwit, glossy ibis
and burrowing owl!  5  OK lifers in one day!  The burrowing owls were in a
prairie dog town that was off in a pasture to the right of the road that
goes out to the now closed crysral digging area.  We had 3 there and driving
a side road near there we had one that flew up from a culvert and posed for
us on a fence post.  He got great pictures of it.  We also had 6 yellow
headed blackbirds.  A peregrine was harrassing avocets and other shorebirds
at Sand Creek bay ( I think it was there).  So anyway we had a great but
exhausting day.Frank in Sand Springs

Moorhen/Rose Lake 4-28: Jimmy Woodard <Jimmy.Woodard AT UNIVARUSA.COM>
On Sunday morning, Valerie Bradshaw located a Common
Moorhen at Rose Lake near the corner of NW 63rd and Sara Road.
other finds were:
                                    a field of about 40+ Dickcissels further south on Sara.
4 Upland Sandpipers along NW 63rd.
a Solitary Sandpiper at the small playa on Mustang Road near NW 63rd.
several House Wrens, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush,
Nashville Warbler, and continuing nesting Cooper's Hawks(a pair) and nesting
Yellow-crowned Night Herons(two active nests) at Yukon
City Park. Also several Clay-colored Sparrows mixed in with the Chipping Sparrows
here and several other places. FYI: lots of butterflies here, too.
we enjoyed watching the male Cooper's Hawk in hot
pursuit of a male Great-tailed Grackle thru the Yukon City Park.
The chase ended  unsuccessfully for the hawk.
jimmy woodard yukon, ok

Wichita Mtns 4/27/08 am   ml2x <ml2x AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
I was remiss yesterday to mention that our group contained
Kelvin Schoonover, the HB biologist, Dr. Husak and Diane
Landoll from Cameron University.  They always add to the
birding experience.  Yesterday as well, on our way back to
Hackberry Flat after lunch, we met Bill Carrell and
Nancy Pfannenstiel birding along the road.  We stopped to
intro ourselves and had the good fortune to learn that they
had seen an Olive-sided Flycatcher at the Sunset area in the
Wichita Mtns.  We gave them some tips as to where to find a
few birds they were looking for and completed our day with
Dr. Wood. 

This morning at o'dark'thirty Kurt, Mary and I headed out to
Sunset.  At the end of the upper road heading west from the
parking lot sat an Olive-sided Flycatcher.  What a great bird
on a cold, windy, rainy morning.  We had the Black-capped
Vireo on the Elk Mtn trail about 50 yards from the trailhead,
White-eyed Vireo, Summer Tanager and Swainson's Thrush
all in and around the parking area.  On the way out, we stopped
at Camp Doris and talked with David Arbour which is always a treat.
Mary and Lou Truex  ml2x AT sbcglobal.net   Lawton

Pathfinder Parkway on 4-27-2008.: Mark/Mary Peterson <m_mpeterson AT HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:34:13 -0500
Rebecca Renfro and I walked the Pathfinder Parkway in Bartlesville this
morning from the parking lot by the high school to the small bridge just east
of the Caney River and back. It was cool and cloudy, but the following birds
were found:
Swainson's Thrushes-10+
Blue-headed Vireo-1
Tennessee Warbler-1
Orange-crowned Warbler-1
Nashville Warbler-4
Northern Parula-4
Myrtle Warbler-3
Yellow-throated Warbler-1
Black and White Warbler-2
Prothonotary Warbler-3
Northern Waterthrush-1
Louisiana Waterthrush-1
Lincoln's Sparrow-3 singing
Mark PetersonBartlesville

Southern Oklahoma Tour  4-25 Mark/Mary Peterson <m_mpeterson AT HOTMAIL.COM>
I took a 3 day tour of southern Oklahoma earlier this week, camping at Beavers
Bend, where 2 chuck-wills-widows called all night and at Frederick Lake where a
barn owl family did the same the following night. A total of 168 species were
found. Highlights included:
1 Tricolored Heron at Hackberry flat on the 22nd
1 Glossy Ibis at Hackberry Flat on the 23rd
3 King Rails at Red Slough on the 22nd and 3 at Hackberry Flat in the 23rd
including one that flicked its tail as it clicked
1 Long-billed Curlew at Hackberry Flat in the 23rd
3 Hudsonian Godwits at Hackberry Flat in the 22nd
2-3 Barn Owls at Frederick Lake Campground 22nd-23rd
1 Canyon Wren on Elk Mountain in the Wichitas on the 23rd
4 Wood Thrushes at Little River on the 22nd
8-10 Black-capped Vireos on Elk Mountain in the Wichitas on the 23rd
4 Blue-winged Warblers at Nickel Preserve on the 21st
12-15 Prairie Warblers at Nickel Preserve on the 21st
4 Swainson's Warblers at Little River on the 22nd
1 Scarlet Tanager at Nickel Preserve on the 21st
4 Eastern Towhees at Nickel Preserve on the 21st
5 Cassin's Sparrows just west of Frederick Lake on the 23rd
2 Rufous-crowned Sparrows on Elk Mountain in the Wichitas on the 23rd
2 Bullock's Oriloes at Frederick Lake Campground on the 23rd.
Mark Peterson Bartlesville

Spring Migrants in South OKC 4-26: Patti Muzny <patti.muzny AT COX.NET>
This morning Brian Muzny found our FOS singing Bell's Vireos on overgrown,
undeveloped property near I-240 and South Western.  Also found were two Winter Wrens.
On April 22, Brian saw and heard a Swainson's Thrush in our yard.
At our home nearby, I saw a Lincoln's Sparrow and the front yard had a small
flock of Chipping sparrows.  Dandelion-yellow Goldfinches are decorating the
thistle feeder.  White-crowned Sparrows are constantly singing and we've
also had Harris's Sparrows.  Our Red-breasted Nuthatch has not been seen
this week.  At last our on-again, off-again Purple Martins have decided to
stay!  This is our first spring at this home, so it took these a little
longer to find their new home.
Chickadees and Bewick's Wrens are feeding babies and the Chickadees will
fledge soon.  (We still aren't completely settled in after our move, but one
of the first things that went up was birdhouses and feeders!)
Patti and Brian Muzny  SW OKC

More FOS on South Jenkins in Norman4-26: Richard Gunn <rgunn1 AT COX.NET>
Ther are lots of sparrows around the compost piles but the better birdingis
farther south along the road. Presently some of the fields are flooded and
there are a fe waders but the pastures and woodlands along the road have
alot of variety in habitat and thus in birds.
Also, you can follow Jenkins as Matthew spoke about  all the way down to the
river (about a mile on the gravel road--the land owner is very sympathetic
to birders) which is a good place for Least Terns later in the summer. More
importantly, right before the paved road ends, there is an open pasture on
the right hand side. You can cross that fence (there is a gate-- be sure you
close it as there are cattle in the pasture sometimes) and walk straight
west 200 yds. or so to a small permanent creek.that runs into the river.On
the far side of the creek there is a nice marsh that is slowly filling in
with trees.This is productive for flycatchers, sparrows, wrens, and warblers
and a few true marsh birds. If you turn upstream, there is a beaver pond
that hold lots of delights--an assortment of ducks and wading birds.The
river itself holds herons, peeps, and at least two eagles in the winter.You
can wade it in the summer or walk on the north bank all the way down to Noble.
Painted Buntings are pretty thin on the ground down there but they occur
every year--like last week. .I like Matthew I see them near T-bird and at
the Lexington Public Hunting  Area more often. Dick Gun

Floyd Murdoch (MD), Frank Clayton (NC), Bob Holbrook, and I surveyed birds 
today at Red Slough and found 91 species. Berlin Heck and Mark Peterson joined 
us briefly. The weather started out overcast and mild but then cleared up and 
reached the 90's. Highlight of the day was when Floyd spotted a male Scarlet 
Tanager in the willows at Bittern Lake which was a new species for Red Slough 
(# 295). Also, the Painted Buntings are back. Here is a complete list of all found: 

4-26With a couple of inches of wet snow and very strong nw winds, many many 
blackbirds have ome to our feeders including 1 Yellow-headed (2nd in yard in 13 
years), 2 Rusty Blackbirds feeding in crabapple tree, and perhaps 25 or more 
cowbirds. Sparrows include 2 Swamp, 5 Lincoln's, 2 Chipping, 10 
Darkeyed-Juncos, 25 White-throated and 10 Song. 
Good birding but undoubtedly a tough day for birds, especially farther south!
Dave Lambeth Grand Forks, North Dakota