House Finch

House finches are apparently in their mating plumage. The bright reds are very attractive to females.



(See more photos and information about House Finches HERE.)
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Blue Jay

The Blue Jay is easily recognized by its bright blue color, and black necklace. Chances are, you'll hear it before you see it. Its "Cat! Cat! Cat!" call is one of the most common of all. The Blue Jay can also mimic the calls of Red-Shouldered Hawks, Red-Tailed Hawks, Ospreys, Crows, and even a neighborhood cat! (I didn't know that either.) Blue Jays eat nuts, berries, insects, and even carrion.

This Blue Jay appears to be building a nest in one of our trees. Jays around here are difficult to photograph, because they insist on keeping branches between them and the camera.

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Killdeer

The Killdeer is the actor of the bird world. If you come too close to its nest, it will act as if it is hurt in an effort to lure you away. It almost always works with predators. They are famous for acting like it has a broken wing, but this one used a broken leg act - its left leg. The Killdeer is found virtually everywhere in the United States, including the panhandle. It will at times leave this area in the winter, but is generally here year-round. This handsome bird forages for insects with a run-and-stop technique.




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Black Crowned Night Heron

These herons typically hunt at dusk as the sun disappears below the horizon. An attractive bird, they sport two white plumes trailing from its crown during breeding season. They feed with the stand-and-wait method, waiting to ambush prey in the shallows from shorelines. While many people think that the Black-Crowned Night Heron has a short thick neck, my photo below seems to discount that belief. In fact, they are able to stretch their necks out reminiscent of others in the heron family. The panhandle is in their breeding/summer range.

This heron displays its white plumes during breeding time.

Seemingly admiring himself, this Black-Crowned Night Heron assumes his hunting stance.

For some reason, this heron (bottom right) chases off a Snowy Egret.

Apparently rarely seen doing it, the Black-Crowned Night Heron can extend its neck, much like others in the heron family.

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Mississippi Kite

One of my favorite birds is the Mississippi Kite. They are in the same family as hawks, eagles, harriers, ospreys, etc. Mississippi Kites are raptors - predators - and feed mainly on larger insects like grasshoppers and dragonflies. They can also occasionally take larger prey such as bats, swifts, and swallows. The Mississippi Kite is likely the one raptor that will casually eat in flight. The first thing you may notice is their black "mask" against a light gray head and body.

The panhandle is part of the Mississippi Kite's breeding grounds. Many people have complained about them "attacking" them while walking down a sidewalk. They are not aggressive towards humans. When nesting, the Mississippi Kite can be very defensive and territorial, and will attempt to urge people, dogs, etc., to move away from their nest or the tree it's in. I have personally been "buzzed" repeatedly by them while working on rooftops. Should you ever encounter them in this way, don't be afraid. Simply move along if you get concerned. They have no malice towards you. They don't want to harm or eat you. They just want you to go away. If they had a problem with human activity, they wouldn't nest amongst us. When I have been buzzed by them, I have never had them close enough to even reach out and touch them - or them, me. Rooftops are much closer to their nests than you would be by walking down the sidewalk.

Kites generally winter over in South America and return to Texas in May. While thought of as a southern raptor, they have been seen as far north as New England.

American Robin

Everybody knows the American Robin. It's squeaky chirp and warbling song signals that spring is here.

Dining on adult insects and larvae, earthworms (night crawlers), other invertebrates and berries, the sight of the American Robin foraging in our yards and gardens is a form of "comfort food" for our psyches.

He appears to be listening for prey when he tilts his head as he forages, but in reality his keen eyes are looking for movement on the ground. His eyes are more on the sides of his head than other species, so he has to tilt his head to see the ground under him.

The panhandle is among the Robin's breeding and summer grounds, but it also winters throughout Texas to the south.

Eurasian Collared Dove

This dove's call is the typically soothing, "coo-COO-coo!" It is characterized by the pale gray overall color and distinct black collar around the back of its neck. They can breed up to six times a year in warmer climates. Eurasian Collared Doves dine on grain and seeds, and are common feeder visitors. See also this blog post.

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American Kestrel

This is something you don't see every day, and something that doesn't get photographed every day: Two American Kestrels mating.

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpeckers will likely visit bird feeders stocked with peanut butter and peanut hearts. They get along well around human activity, and visit feeders more often than their look-alikes, the Hairy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpeckers are smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker, and have a shorter bill. They eat insects, seeds and nuts, and will visit suet feeders. The Downy Woodpeckers in these photos appear to be starting their courtship ritual.

Female (Left) and Male (Right).

Male.

Female.

Spotted Towhee

The Spotted Towhee makes a lot of noise rustling around in dense underbrush, digging through leaves and twigs to find seeds, berries, and insects on the ground. They spend most of their time in thick underbrush, except for their mating ritual. Living in the Trans-Pecos Mountains during breeding season, they winter throughout Texas. At first glance the elusive Spotted Towhee can be mistaken for a Robin, but closer examination will reveal the obvious differences. Females are somewhat more drab and pale than the males. We saw this guy down in Palo Duro Canyon in the panhandle.

Male Spotted Towhee

Cedar Waxwing

This Cedar Waxwing was flitting around a picnic area of the Palo Duro Canyon State Park, East of Canyon, TX. They are not uncommon in the panhandle. The first thing you'll notice is its prominent black mask. They were named for their red wing tips, because they look like they were dipped in red candle wax.

This is a social bird, and when his crop is full and he can't eat any more, he'll pick fruit and pass it on down the line to others who will continue eating. Mulberries, Juniper, or Yaupon will attract them. Cedar Waxwings do not nest in Texas, but winter throughout the state. Waxwing flocks drift around like gypsies, so numbers can vary greatly in any given area.

Red-Winged Blackbird

If you have a cattail marsh, wet meadow, shoreline scrub, etc., you will most likely have these blackbirds in abundance. Their red shoulder patch is edged in yellow, with the yellow edge sometimes hidden from view. They nest in colonies, along shorelines or among cattails. Some of their favorite food sources are seeds and grains, insects, and invertebrates. Red-winged blackbirds also visit feeders.

Male Red-Winged Blackbird.

House Sparrow

This is the common House Sparrow. They are native to Europe and northern Africa. Introduced in Brooklyn in the 1850's to combat insect pests that were damaging grain and cereal crops, they had little effect. House Sparrows are primarily vegetarian and eat mostly seeds, fruit, and some insects. They visit feeders quite often.

House Sparrows were introduced in Galveston, TX in the 1860's. By 1905, they could be found statewide.

This is a male.

Northern Harrier

The Northern Harrier cruises low over fields using surprise attacks to capture its prey. They winter in Texas, but very rarely breed in the panhandle. On their menu are rats, snakes, small rabbits, and birds such as red-winged blackbirds. The Royal Air Force was so impressed with the Harrier's maneuverability that they named one of their aircraft after it - the Harrier "Jump Jet".

Red-Tailed Hawk

This is an immature/juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk. It was hunting jack rabbits on the south edge of town when he flew by us. He had just missed a jack. They ride thermals as they soar overhead looking for prey, sometimes soaring for miles before flapping their wings once. His call is an unmistakable descending scream that virtually everybody has heard. Red Tails usually eat rodents, but will take a rabbit or other small animal.