Big Moves

American White Pelican

It's been a while since I last got out and birded, but this weekend I got a surprise chance to go to Dallas and do a little bit of birding.

In between my last post I picked up a whopping 2 birds on the year, a Tricolored Heron on my way driving back from the A&M-Auburn and Sandhill Cranes while driving to Disney World in Florida.

I decided to brave the freezing weather this weekend while up in Dallas and I headed off to White Rock Lake. A Red-breasted Merganser had been seen by the spillway, but unfortunately it was not there. There was a large raft of various waterbirds, but I could not tell find the duck in question.

Franklin's Gulls at the White Rock spillway

There was not much to note, but I did get Franklin's Gull for number 251 on the year! The gulls are still coming in, and I'm sure the Arctic blast that we got pushed plenty of them down further. I'm sure there was a Herring Gull out there, but unfortunately I'm terrible with gulls. I did get a scope that arrived once I got back from birding, so hopefully I'll get better with gulls and sandpipers.

I'm convinced that the Red-breasted Merganser was in this raft, but with my new scope I should have an easier time finding birds that far out!

More importantly, I'm going to Maine in a month! The flights are booked and I'm going to brave the cold to look for what should be an amazing list of birds. Canadian biologists reported that some bird foods will be scarce this winter, which is already leading to an irruption of winter finches. Maine is already getting lots of Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Grosbeak and Common Redpoll should be coming in towards where I am as well. I'll be staying in Portland so hopefully some of them make it down to southern Maine, but Snowy Owl and Snow Bunting winter in the area, and Bohemian Waxwing is a potential find as well. I should get amazing winter ducks and alcids like Harlequin Duck and Razorbill, too.

Thanksgiving will be a busy week as well, hopefully Hagerman recovers from the flooding, it would be really nice to get some sparrows for the year out there. Let's get to 300!