Updated: Friday January 02, 2009

Midland CBC 2009 images from Texas:

The highlights included Neotropic Cormorants, lots of waterfowl, and a Peregrine Falcon.

The "lowlights" were a substantial lack of sparrows.

Erik Breden
Andrews, Texas
erik.breden@otterside.com

• Neotropic Cormorants #18 - two apparent adults and one first year bird at Wadley Barron Park
  • note the small size (compared to the American Wigeons)
  • note the small bill of the middle bird
  • note the sharply angled bare skin at the rear of the bill of the middle bird
  • note the white feather outline of the bare skin at the rear of the bill of the middle bird
  • note the dark (not orange) lores of the middle bird (compare with Double-crested Cormorant)
  
  
  
• Neotropic Cormorant #18 - close up of the first year bird above at Wadley Barron Park
  • note the small size (compared to the American Wigeon)
  • note the small bill
  • note the sharply angled bare skin at the rear of the bill
  • note the white feather outline of the bare skin at the rear of the bill
  • note the dark (not orange) lores of the middle bird (compare with Double-crested Cormorant)
  
  
  
• Neotropic Cormorant #18 - "closer" close up of the first year bird above at Wadley Barron Park
  • note the small bill
  • note the sharply angled bare skin at the rear of the bill
  • note the white feather outline of the bare skin at the rear of the bill
  • note the dark (not orange) lores of the middle bird (compare with Double-crested Cormorant)
  
  
  
• Emu #1 - captive bird at a private residence (someone has too much money!)
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon #14 - adult bird perched high on a water tower
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon #17 - adult bird perched high on a water tower
  
  
• Bufflehead #3 - female swimming in the lake at Wadley Barron Park
  
  
• Canada Geese #16 - a "big" one and a "small" one at the lake at Wadley Barron Park: how many species? Cackling and Canada?
  
  
• Sharp-shinned Hawk #10 - foraging from a tree in a residential neighborhood
  
  
• Lesser Scaup #1 - adult male swimming in the lake at Wadley Barron Park
  
  
• Lesser Scaup #5 - first year male swimming in the lake at Wadley Barron Park
  
  
• Lincoln's Sparrow #5 - in the reeds at the I-20 Ponds
  
  
• Curve-billed Thrasher #13 - in the woods at the I-20 Ponds
  
  
• American Wigeon #10 - drake swimming in the lake at Wadley Barron Park
  
  
• American Wigeon #11 - female swimming in the lake at Wadley Barron Park
  
  
• American Wigeon #13 - female on the bank of the lake at Wadley Barron Park
  
  
• American Wigeon #14 - drake on the bank of the lake at Wadley Barron Park