Seasonal comings & goings

I saw a male northern harrier on power lines just south of Lubbock yesterday. He'll be leaving for cooler climes soon. Although I've seen these and other harriers often enough, 99% of the time they're airborne, quartering over some swamp or savannah or field. It was almost a shock to see this one perched!

Our scissortails are back in numbers, in Abilene and across west Texas. Purple martins, barn swallows and cliff swallows are much in evidence again, as are the chimney swifts.

We had clay-colored and Lincoln's sparrows in our front yard among a mixed group of birds foraging under the bird feeder -- both of these were new to me, so a real pleasure to have a prolonged look at them. These fellows are also probably on their way northward.

There was a Bewick's wren inside our garage a few days back -- I've often been impressed with how bold and even intrusive these diminutive birds are when pursuing their insect and arachnid prey.

Recently in Abilene

We had a ladder-backed woodpecker in our neighbor's front yard a few days ago. That same afternoon a sharp-shinned hawk wheeled overhead - first I've seen around here for several months. Turkey vultures are back in the vicinity also on a daily basis. And I passed a red-tailed hawk on S. 1st St. this afternoon (nothing unusual in that).

What was unusual, in my experience, was a wild turkey that we startled just a couple of blocks from our house. It flew up into a mesquite tree - obviously a large bird, but it wasn't until it landed that I realized what it was. They are not infrequent outside town, but I've not come across one in this residential area before.

Had close views of a Carolina wren in a nearby alley as it searched for breakfast on the ground and low on the mesquite and hackberry tree trunks.

Lots of warblers calling these days, but I haven't had binoculars handy often enough to identify one in a while.

I've been seeing shovelers, canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks, mallards, cinnamon teal, and many American coots on local ponds and reservoirs.

San Antonio streets

In San Antonio, Texas this weekend for the international TCubed convention for math and science educators. Walking the streets and sitting on the river walk we've caught brief glimpses of a peregrine, some diminutive greenish warblers (probably kinglets) and a yell0w-crowned night heron.

Back in Mbale for July

Back in Mbale for most of July, and one of the best parts of returning to this familiar environs is the familiar avifauna. As I compose this, besides the thunder rolling and the pitter-patter of rain on many leaves, I can hear the robin-chats (white-browed, Cossypha heuglini) singing away in defiance of the wetness, reminding me why they're in the top tier of musicians on this continent.

I haven't yet made any lists of species seen, and may not on this short visit get the chance for much intentional birding (I will try!), but it's pleasant to be able to mention a few of those that have delighted my eyes in these few days since arriving.

*Long-crested eagle -- hunting from a perch on the perimeter fence at Entebbe airport
*Lizard buzzard -- on a power line close to our house in Mbale
*Red-eyed dove -- ubiquitous
*Pied crow -- the same, only more so
*Scarlet-chested sunbird -- male singing atop a tree
*Northern puffback, Klaas' cuckoo, and white-browed coucal -- voices only so far, but they'll come out to be seen at some point
*Yellow-throated greenbul in their usual noisy gregariousness
*Woodland kingfisher
*Pygmy kingfisher -- perched in our yard, a perfect little jewel
*Piapiac
*Ruppell's long-tailed starling
*Harrier hawk (gymnogene) -- gliding effortlessly among the remaining giant African mahogany trees in our neighborhood
*African hobby -- brief glimpse of one wheeling over the ARA in Kampala
*Black-headed heron
*Yellow-billed stork
*White-breasted cormorant
*Pink-backed pelican

Eastern kingbird

Not too many notable sightings lately, although I've seen the yelllow-billed cuckoo and common flicker again in the last few days.

I did come across a fairly uncommon bird in these parts, being the southwestern margin of its summer range, an eastern kingbird. Western kingbirds are abundant throughout the summer in Abilene, but I think I've seen the larger, darker eastern species only once before in this area, years ago. I was driving through Cal Young park around lunch time and noticed a large, darker-than-usual flycatcher perched near Cedar Creek. Suspecting something out of the ordinary, I stopped for a closer look and confirmed it as an eastern kingbird. Very nice.

Osprey

I neglected to report this earlier, but back in April I saw an osprey over our neighborhood in Abilene -- the only one I can remember ever seeing here.

Potpourri of recent sightings

Today in Abilene -- yellow-billed cuckoo, one in our back yard and another one across town; green heron in Kirby Park; purple martin in Cal Young Park; common flicker in Abilene cemetery

Couple of days ago at Clapp Park in Lubbock -- one avocet, a pair of wilson's warblers, several Mississippi kites

Last week in Malibu, California -- brown pelican, yellow-billed magpie, California towhee, hooded oriole, Anna's hummingbird, black phoebe (all new to me except the brown pelican and possibly the oriole, which I may have seen in SW Texas years ago)