December 2007

Dec 2 Bentsen Unbelievable beautiful day. In the 90s! Malachites! Red Rim! Rick Snider found my lifer MIMOSA SKIPPER! The sad part of the butterfly day is what I missed: Olive-Clouded Skipper at Bentsen. NABA: I saw THREE Isabella Heliconians and three TwoBarred Flashers, but missed the Falcate Skipper, the Curve-Winged Metalmark... Good thing it was Dragonfly Day today back at Bentsen, where once again I made the plunge into appreciating these beautiful insects. Today's list: Common Green Darner, Band-winged Dragonlet, Wandering Glider, Variegated Meadowhawk, Red Saddlebags, Black Setwing, Roseate Skimmer, Big or Familiar Bluet, Double-striped Bluet, Blue-Ringed Dancer, Dusky Dancer, Golden-Winged Dancer, Kiowa Dancer, Desert Firetail, Citrine Forktail, Rambur’s Forktail, Amelia’s Threadtail, Roseate Skimmer.

Dec 3 Bentsena Swallow sp. plus Plain Chachalaca 50, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Black Vulture 8, Turkey Vulture 2, Northern Harrier 5, Cooper's Hawk 6, Gray Hawk 4, White-tailed Hawk 1 (first year juvenile), Red-tailed Hawk 2 (one very dark, almost Harlan's), Crested Caracara 2, American Coot 12, Mourning Dove 9, Inca Dove 3, Common Ground-Dove 2, White-tipped Dove 15, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2, Belted Kingfisher 1, Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1, Eastern Phoebe 2, Great Kiskadee 8, Green Jay 40, Black-crested Titmouse 3, House Wren 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4, Northern Mockingbird 14, Long-billed Thrasher 4, Curve-billed Thrasher 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 4, Common Yellowthroat 2, Olive Sparrow 2, Chipping Sparrow 3, Lincoln's Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 12, Red-winged Blackbird 304. Anzalduas for lunch: Gadwall 36, American Wigeon 14, Mottled Duck 4, Blue-winged Teal 8, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 4, Neotropic Cormorant 2, Double-crested Cormorant 2, Great Egret 1, Snowy Egret 1, Cattle Egret 20, Cooper's Hawk 2, American Kestrel 2, Common Moorhen 2, American Coot 39, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Western Sandpiper 2, Least Sandpiper 4, Rock Pigeon 70, Mourning Dove 1, Inca Dove 5, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4, Eastern Phoebe 1, Vermilion Flycatcher 4, Great Kiskadee 5, Green Jay 8, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Orange-crowned Warbler 1, Chipping Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 1, Western Meadowlark 18

Dec 10 Bentsen Early morning bird walk with Mary & Rick: American White Pelican 40, Neotropic Cormorant 1, Turkey Vulture 3, White-tailed Kite 1, Northern Harrier 2, Cooper's Hawk 5, Harris's Hawk 6, Gray Hawk 3, Red-tailed Hawk 6, Crested Caracara 4, plus Rick & Mary's BROADWINGED PAIR. The afternoon was Gatehouse only-- 2 Blue Spiny Lizards, plus PAVON EMPEROR, Carolina Satyr, Cloudless/LargeOrange/Lyside Sulphurs,Laviana White-Skipper, Queen, Red Admiral, Snout, Tropical Leafwing, Two-Barred Flasher. Up front at HQ: TWO GUATEMALAN CRACKERS, 2 Malachites. Plain Chachalaca 50, Cooper's Hawk 1 (despite repeated efforts to chase Queen Hera away, she persisted in reducing our Inca Dove population this afternoon), Inca Dove 5, White-tipped Dove 2,Greater Roadrunner 1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2, Great Kiskadee 2, Green Jay 8, Black-crested Titmouse 2, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Olive Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 3, Altamira Oriole 2

Dec 11 Bentsen Gatehouse only, for four hours: Buckeye,Carolina Satyr, Cloudless/Large Orange/Lyside Sulphurs, Am Snout, Tropical Leafwing, Little Yellow, Queen, Ceraunus Blue, EMPRESS LEILIA, Gray Hairstreak, Laviana White-/Tropical and White Checkered-, WhitePatched Skippers, Painted Lady, plus Variegated Meadowhawk, Filigree, 3 Blue Spiny Lizards, 2 Fox Squirrels, and of course the regular feeder birds: Plain Chachalaca 50, Turkey Vulture 1, Northern Harrier 1, Cooper's Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 1, Mourning Dove 3, Inca Dove 3, White-tipped Dove 3, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2, Great Kiskadee 2, Green Jay 5, Black-crested Titmouse 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1, Long-billed Thrasher 1, Olive Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 5, Altamira Oriole 1

Dec 12 Bentsen Nature Tour An Armadillo, 12 Javelina, 9 Fox Squirrels plus the birds: Ring-necked Duck 4, Plain Chachalaca 80, Pied-billed Grebe 3, Anhinga 2, Great Egret 5, Cattle Egret 5, Turkey Vulture 2, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Cooper's Hawk 2, Gray Hawk 3, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Crested Caracara 3, Clapper Rail 1, Common Moorhen 2, American Coot 87, White-winged Dove 1, Mourning Dove 8, Inca Dove 2, Common Ground-Dove 3, White-tipped Dove 12, Ringed Kingfisher 2, Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 7, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1, Vermilion Flycatcher 1, Great Kiskadee 7, Green Jay 48, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7, Northern Mockingbird 5, Long-billed Thrasher 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 4, Northern Cardinal 15, Altamira Oriole 6. More importantly, at noon Tom found a COMMON MELWHITE, later David Dauphin found a CURVE-WINGED METALMARK, and at the end of the day Rick Snider found a POTRILLO SKIPPER!

Dec 16 Bentsen The dragonfly walk had few dragonflies (Powdered Dancer, BlueRinged Dancer, Familiar Bluet, Rambur’s Forktail, Black Setwing, Red Saddlebags, Wandering Glider, Roseate Skimmer, Variegated Meadowhawk), since it was kinda chilly (60's). It quickly became a blend of Night Hike (Eastern Screech Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl), Butterfly Walk (Little Yellow, Ceraunus Blue, Reakirt’s Blue, Phaon Crescent, Fatal Metalmark, Carolina Satyr, Gulf Fritillary, Monarch, Brown-Banded Skipper, Laviana White-Skipper, Julia’s Skipper, Whirlabout) and Bird Walk (Plain Chachalaca, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret , Cattle Egret, Killdeer 7, Blk Vulture, Gray Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, RedTailed Hawk, WhiteTailed Hawk, No Harrier, Caracara, Belted Kingfisher, LadderBacked Woodpecker, GoldenFronted Woodpecker, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker FOUR!, Inca Dove, Common Ground Dove, Mourning Dove, RubyThroated Hummingbird, Green Jay, Mockingbird, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 3, Great Kiskadee, House Wren, BlueGray Gnatcatcher, RubyCrowned Kinglet, OrangeCrowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Lincoln ’s Sparrow, Cardinal 2, RedWinged Blackbird, Altamira Oriole 3), and even Nature Walk (Texas Spiny Lizard, Armadillo, Javelina)!

Dec 17 Bentsen Canvasback 1, Redhead 2, Ring-necked Duck 2, Plain Chachalaca 50, Least Grebe 2, Pied-billed Grebe 5,American White Pelican 33, Anhinga 4, Snowy Egret 4, Turkey Vulture 2, Cooper's Hawk 2, Gray Hawk 1, Crested Caracara 1, American Coot 33, Lesser Yellowlegs 1, Inca Dove 3, White-tipped Dove 4, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Rufous Hummingbird 1, Allen's Hummingbird 1, Ringed Kingfisher 1, Belted Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Kiskadee 4, White-eyed Vireo 1, Green Jay 17, Cave Swallow 10, Black-crested Titmouse 5, House Wren 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 12, Northern Mockingbird 2, Long-billed Thrasher 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 10, Nashville Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 2, Black-and-white Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Olive Sparrow 2, Chipping Sparrow 1, Lincoln 's Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 11, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1, Red-winged Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackle 4, Altamira Oriole 6, American Goldfinch X.

Dec 19 Bentsen Nature Hike today with three from Quebec: 27 Javelina, a Tarantula, 2 Blue Spiny Lizards, and Fox Squirrels. Birds: Ring-necked Duck 4, Plain Chachalaca 58, Least Grebe 4, two of them swimming quite close to our shore, Pied-billed Grebe 5, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Great Egret 3, Black Vulture 6, Turkey Vulture 1, Northern Harrier 2, Cooper's Hawk 2, Harris's Hawk 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 4, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Crested Caracara 2, American Kestrel 1, Common Moorhen 4, American Coot 75, Killdeer 2, Lesser Yellowlegs 10, Whimbrel 2, Caspian Tern 2, White-winged Dove 1, Mourning Dove 8, Common Ground-Dove 7, White-tipped Dove 11, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Ringed Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2, Great Kiskadee 5, Loggerhead Shrike 1, Green Jay 34, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5, Northern Mockingbird 5, Long-billed Thrasher 6, Orange-crowned Warbler 5, Yellow-rumped Warbler 2, Common Yellowthroat 2, Olive Sparrow 2, Clay-colored Sparrow 1, great views, Savannah Sparrow 3, Lincoln's Sparrow 3, Northern Cardinal 18, Pyrrhuloxia 3, Red-winged Blackbird 100, Great-tailed Grackle X, Altamira Oriole 7 (well, two of these were actually SMUDGIE ORIOLES!). Very few butterflies were flying, but of the twenty or so around, one was a PAVON EMPEROR and another a BAND-CELLED SISTER, with a few SILVER=BANDED HAIRSTREAKS.

Dec 20 Bentsen Work was best told by the email sent to Tex-Butterfly: "Today Thurs Dec 20 was an exciting day at Bentsen. ANGLED LEAFWING, found by John Yochum at the middle bait station, started the action. Then FOUR Band-celled Sisters, Pavon Emperors, 1 m and 1 f, 2 Guatemalan Crackers, Great Purple Hairstreak, Mexican Bluewing, Two-barred Flasher, Potrillo Skipper, Red Rim, Orange-barred Sulphur, Cloudless Sulphurs and Large Orange Sulphurs 10-15 each, more than we have seen for weeks. Zebra Heliconian. Then as Dave Hanson and the Dauphins arrived to look for the Angled Leafwing, Dave shouted ERATO HELICONIAN. Those who stampeded to the Ladies Room Lantana area were rewarded with a look at the mint fresh butterfly circling around them for a few seconds before it took its leave. Eventually 2 Angled Leafwings appeared and they, along with the 2 Guatemalan Crackers and Band-celled Sisters, were photographed by many. Rick Snider Volunteer Host Bentsen Rio-Grande Valley State Park." At lunch, Mary and I found a Say's Phoebe on the wire outside of the Butterfly Park. Still working backwards, there were lots of warblers in the parking lot when I pulled in so I did a survey around the HQ, finding a dead RedTailed Hawk plus Great Egret 1, Northern Harrier 2, Harris's Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Inca Dove 5, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Rufous Hummingbird 1, Allen's Hummingbird 1, Least Flycatcher 1, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Kiskadee 2, Loggerhead Shrike 1, White-eyed Vireo 1, Green Jay 3, House Wren 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Northern Mockingbird 4, Long-billed Thrasher 1, Curve-billed Thrasher 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 10, Clay-colored Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 4, Pyrrhuloxia 3, Red-winged Blackbird 23, Western Meadowlark 3, Great-tailed Grackle 188, Altamira Oriole 2, American Goldfinch 2.... The day had started with a dead Pauraque at Conway/Military.

Dec 22 Falcon Dam area CBC (just our section): American Wigeon 2, Mexican Mallard 9, Northern Bobwhite 18, Black Vulture 17, Turkey Vulture 22, Harris's Hawk 9, White-tailed Hawk 2, Red-tailed Hawk 8, Crested Caracara 14, American Kestrel 5, Killdeer 2, Mourning Dove 2, Greater Roadrunner 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 11, Eastern Phoebe 1, Great Kiskadee 3, Loggerhead Shrike 5Green Jay 9, Verdin 6, Cactus Wren 65, Bewick's Wren 4, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher 4, Northern Mockingbird 183, Long-billed Thrasher 1, Curve-billed Thrasher 6, European Starling 3, American Pipit 3, Orange-crowned Warbler 16, Olive Sparrow 3, Vesper Sparrow 1, Black-throated Sparrow 13, Northern Cardinal 7, Pyrrhuloxia 7, Red-winged Blackbird 9, Western Meadowlark 24, Great-tailed Grackle 50, House Sparrow 4.

Dec 23 Bentsen Morning bird walk 8:15 to 11:15am: Ring-necked Duck 1, Plain Chachalaca 50, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Anhinga 1, White-tailed Kite 2, Cooper's Hawk 4, American Coot 20, Mourning Dove 2, White-tipped Dove 4, Eastern Screech-Owl 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Kiskadee 6, Green Jay 43, Black-crested Titmouse 5, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Northern Mockingbird 1, Long-billed Thrasher 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 10, Olive Sparrow 3, Lincoln's Sparrow 3, Northern Cardinal 14, Red-winged Blackbird 2, Altamira Oriole 4.

Afternoon birdwalk: 1:30 to 4pm RingNecked Duck 1, Plain Chachalaca 52, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 2, American White Pelican 5, Anhinga 1, Turkey Vulture 1, Cooper's Hawk 1, Harris's Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 2, Mourning Dove 1, Inca Dove 6, White-tipped Dove 4, Eastern Screech-Owl 1, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Rufous Hummingbird 1, Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 4, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Kiskadee 1, White-eyed Vireo 1, Green Jay 24,Cave Swallow 1, Black-crested Titmouse 2, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 11, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7, Northern Mockingbird 3, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 10, Tropical Parula 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4, Black-and-white Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Olive Sparrow 3, Northern Cardinal 14, Altamira Oriole 7

Dec 24 Bentsen Ring-necked Duck 2, Lesser Scaup 1, Plain Chachalaca 74, Northern Bobwhite 10, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 3, American White Pelican 7, Anhinga 1, Great Egret 1, Turkey Vulture 4, Northern Harrier 2, Cooper's Hawk 1, Harris's Hawk 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 4, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Crested Caracara 1, American Kestrel 1, Common Moorhen 2, American Coot 76, Killdeer 1, White-winged Dove 1, Mourning Dove 2, Inca Dove 9, Common Ground-Dove 3,White-tipped Dove 24, Eastern Screech-Owl 1, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2, Rufous Hummingbird 1, Allen's Hummingbird 1, Ringed Kingfisher 1, Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 9, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Kiskadee 15, White-eyed Vireo 1, Green Jay 48, Tree Swallow 1, Cave Swallow 6, Black-crested Titmouse 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 24, Northern Mockingbird 8, Long-billed Thrasher 3, Curve-billed Thrasher 1, American Pipit 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 13, Tropical Parula 1, Common Yellowthroat 4, Olive Sparrow 3, Lincoln's Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 13, Red-winged Blackbird 4, Great-tailed Grackle 18, Altamira Oriole 9

Dec 25 South Padre Island American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Common Loons, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, Harris's Hawk, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover , Semipalmated Plover, Piping Plover, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing and Ring-billed Gull, Forster's and Royal Terns, Eurasian Collared-Dove , Mourning Dove, Least Flycatcher, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red-winged Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackles .

Dec 28 Bentsen The butterflies were back at Bentsen with a nice windy day in the 70's. Forty species with no real surprises except for the fact of course that there were BUTTERFLIES in DECEMBER <grin>: Giant White, Southern Dogface, Cloudless Sulphur, Large Orange Sulphur, Lyside Sulphur, Tailed Orange, Little Yellow, Mimosa Yellow, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, SilverBanded Hairstreak, Dusky Blue Groundstreak, Ceraunus Blue, Reakirt’s Blue, Fatal Metalmark, RedBordered Metalmark, American Snout, Gulf Fritillary, VESTA CRESCENT, Phaon Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Red Admiral, White Peacock, Carolina Satyr, Monarch, Queen, Brown Longtail, Dorantes Longtail, TwoBarred Flasher, MAZAN’S SCALLOPWING, SickleWinged Skipper, WhitePatched Skipper, Funereal Duskywing, White, Tropical, Desert Checkered-Skippers, Laviana White-, Fawn-Spotted/Clouded/Fiery/Eufala Skippers. Birds were good too: FIVE White-Tailed Kites in a group, a MERLIN, a SAY's PHOEBE, all the Hummingbirds (Allen's, Rufous, BlackChinned, Buff-Bellied, and RubyThroated), two Pyhrulloxia, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO, WhiteEyed Vireos-- all seen without even going into the park itself! Best of all, Enroute home, at the end of Bentsen Road, was a BURROWING OWL

Dec 29 Christmas Bird Count, our area only in the newly-acquired Mercedes tract at Weslaco's Estero Llano State Park: Black-bellied, Whistling-Duck 42, Plain Chachalaca 1, American White Pelican 4, Neotropic Cormorant 7, Double-crested Cormorant 5, Anhinga 2, Great Egret 2, Snowy Egret 4, Cattle Egret 1, Osprey 1, White-tailed Kite 2, Harris's Hawk 1, Mourning Dove 148, Common Ground-Dove 6, White-tipped Dove 2, Belted Kingfisher 2, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 19, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Eastern Phoebe 2, Vermilion Flycatcher 4, Great Kiskadee 1, Tropical Kingbird 1, Couch's Kingbird 1, White-eyed Vireo 4, Black-crested Titmouse 1, Verdin 4, Bewick's Wren 1, House Wren 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 11, Northern Mockingbird 5, Curve-billed Thrasher 1, European Starling 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 26, Yellow-rumped Warbler X, Black-and-white Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Olive Sparrow 2, Cassin's Sparrow 1, Savannah Sparrow X,Lincoln's Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 4, Red-winged Blackbird 200, Great-tailed Grackle 10, House Sparrow 3

Dec 30 Bentsen Ring-necked Duck 1,Plain Chachalaca 58, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 2, White-tailed Kite 2, Cooper's Hawk 4, American Coot 20, Mourning Dove 2, White-tipped Dove 4, Eastern Screech-Owl 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 4, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Kiskadee 6, Green Jay 39, Black-crested Titmouse 5, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Northern Mockingbird 1, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 10, Olive Sparrow 2, Lincoln's Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 24, Altamira Oriole 4. Second bird walk of the day, later, Bird walk from HQ, left at Ebony Woods, right at Paixtle, to Kiskadee Blind, up Kiskadee trail to the Resaca, Ring-necked Duck 3, Lesser Scaup 1, Plain Chachalaca 86, Least Grebe 2, Pied-billed Grebe 10, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Great Blue Heron 1, Snowy Egret 1, Cattle Egret 20, Black Vulture 7, Turkey Vulture 1, Northern Harrier 1, , Cooper's Hawk 3,Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 3 Crested Caracara 1, Common Moorhen 1, American Coot 80, White-winged Dove 2, Mourning Dove 4, White-tipped Dove 8, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Black-chinned Hummingbird 2, Rufous Hummingbird 1, , Allen's Hummingbird 1Ringed Kingfisher 1Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 8, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 2,Eastern Phoebe 2, Vermilion Flycatcher 2, Great Kiskadee 6, White-eyed Vireo 2, Green Jay 39, Cave Swallow 3, House Wren 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Hermit Thrush 1, Northern Mockingbird 3, Long-billed Thrasher 3, Orange-crowned Warbler 8, Yellow-rumped Warbler 2, Black-and-white Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Western Tanager 1, Olive Sparrow 4, Savannah Sparrow 2, Lincoln's Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 15, Red-winged Blackbird 30, Great-tailed Grackle 12, Altamira Oriole 5, American Goldfinch 2

Javelina, Hisp Cotton Rat, E Fox Sq, 2 Smudgies in the Altamira total; Morning Bird Walk
Number of species: 49
Dec 31 Bentsen Ring-necked Duck 3, Lesser Scaup 1, Plain Chachalaca 15, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 10, Anhinga 1 ,Great Blue Heron 2, Great Egret 4, Turkey Vulture 2, Osprey 1 ,White-tailed Kite 2, Cooper's Hawk 3, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 3, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Coot 78, White-tipped Dove 8, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Black-chinned Hummingbird 1, Rufous Hummingbird 1, Ringed Kingfisher 3, Belted Kingfisher 1, Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 7, ,Eastern Phoebe 2, Great Kiskadee 4, White-eyed Vireo 8, Green Jay 37, Black-crested Titmouse 3, Verdin 1, House Wren 4, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 20, Northern Mockingbird 6, Long-billed Thrasher 10, European Starling 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 15, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4, Black-and-white Warbler 3, Common Yellowthroat 3, Olive Sparrow 4, Savannah Sparrow 2, Lincoln's Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 8, Great-tailed Grackle 8, Bronzed Cowbird 2, Altamira Oriole 7.

Butterflies were great. A Guatemalan Cracker at Bentsen started the excitement. For lunch, after the bird count, I went to NABA. Then I tried again at Bentsen, but we were interrrupted by a great report from NABA. Rick, May and I rushed over: RED-CRESCENT SCRUB HAIRSTREAK. BUTTERFLIES ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.