I recently spent a few days in the Texas Hill country/Edwards Plateau west of San Antonio. This was my first trip to the area and this endangered warbler species endemic to that area was my primary target along with the amazing Black-capped V1reo.
I had a lot of fun finding these species on my own, which is how I always do my songbird 'hunts', even for lifers such as this one. The Texas Hill country is beautiful, and there are a nice mix of eastern and western species there, and there was the bonus of spring migrants passing thru as well.

Tags:   golden-cheeked warbler 4/11/2018 Texas hill country ashe juniper lifer

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Vermilion Flycatcher fledgling and Daddy.

Chalk Bluff Park. Uvalde, TX. 4/13/2018.

I set up first thing in the morning along the river next to some likely perches for kingfisher and my eyes were drawn to the ground nearby. I saw this fledgling. I maintained my position and soon observed the father repeatedly come to the ground nearby, sometimes to quickly feed his fledgling, and other times just apparently to hang out nearby. I saw Mom come only once and caught her feeding the fledgling. An unexpected bonus, and fun to observe while I waited, hoping for a kingfisher.

Tags:   flycatcher vermilion flycatcher vermilion flycatcher and fledgling vermilion flycatcher fledgling 4/13/2018 behavior

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While enjoying the nearby Vermi1ion F1ycatcher fledgling and parents along the bank of the river, this smallest of all N. American kingfishers showed up at one of two likely perch choices. This was the reason I was set up there in the first place. The evening before I had briefly turned my gaze in the other direction (towards this perch), and was startled by a very large kingfisher that landed on the other perch to my right. As I turned my head to it's rattling call, it seemed as startled as me, and was off, and I only saw a blur. From 20 feet away, it's size was unmistakenly beyond the Be1ted Kingfisher. This fella in the post above was my grand consolation prize the next morning. I will have to wait for my R1nged Kingfisher images some time in the future.


Chalk Bluff Park. Uvalde Texas. 4/13/2018.

Tags:   green kingfisher kingfisher chalk bluff park 4/13/2018 lifer

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Chalk Bluff Park. Uvalde, Texas. 4/12/2018.
This was another life bird for me. There were several at this location along with Orchard Orio1es, the later of which I am well acquainted with.

Tags:   hooded oriole Chalk Bluff Park Uvalde, Texas 4/12/2018 lifer

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Kerr WMA. Texas Hill Country.

Along with the Go1den-cheeked warb1er this was my other primary target for the trip. I heard them at Lost Maples up on top but it was so very windy that first day that I never even got a look at one. It was a bit of a climb too so I opted to go to Kerr the next morning, where access was a much simpler and shorter walk into prime scrub habitat. I heard them almost immediately, and just had to use a little patience to get one in the open. I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity than this fella gave me.

Tags:   black-capped vireo vireo Kerr WMA Texas hill country scrub habitat vireo in song lifer

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