Those of you who know me, know that BIRDS and FRIENDS are my two favorite things. 🙂 So, if you put good birds and good company together in a great PLACE, then, in my book…. it’s *magic*! Continue reading
birds
Texas ~ Day 2!
A VERY special and sincere note of thanks to our friends, Jane Tillman and Mark Lyons, for meeting up with us early Monday before we headed west.
Together we hit Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park in Austin to try for Chuck-wills-widow and got ’em! After birding the park for a few hours, we had success adding the following new species for the year.
And thanks to Jane for her enthusiasm and sharp strategizing for Mom’s Big Year and to Mark for all his support! Jane’s recommendations were ‘spot-on’ and produced many more birds throughout the adventure! Thank you, Jane!
We spent the afternoon at Pedernales Fall State Park. A lifer Golden-cheeked Warbler was a REAL treat for me! And we had a chance to watch a male Painted Bunting take a bath.. That’s a bird I was tickled to see for the first time earlier this year after drooling over it in a book when I was 5 years old. I’ve been dreaming about seeing it ever since then! New year birds at Pedernales included the following–although we did hear Bewick’s Wren loud and clear in the morning at Commons Ford too.
Stay tuned for a review of Day 3 tomorrow..
MORE birds AND friends!……My two favorite things! 🙂 ❤
Bathing Painted Bunting – Pedernales Falls SP
White-winged Dove – Pedernales Falls SP
A million miles…
Well, I can’t believe it was just over a week ago that I stood face-to-face with a Colima Warbler in Big Bend. With the long list of end-of-the-year kid activities (picnics, concerts, play-off games etc.) we’ve been running (but enjoying!) this week and it honestly feels like my big Texas adventure was a million miles ago. I’m finally getting a break in the action to start sharing it with you. I’ll recap the highlights over the course of the next week.
Uncle David from Austin was my fabulous travel companion and we wasted no time in getting our big adventure started! We went straight from the Austin airport to Hornsby Bend and some local ponds and picked up several species before packing the car to head west on Monday. It was fun to run into The Nature Conservancy’s Rich Kostecke and Vee Na at Hornsby Bend and add some new birds along the way. Other highlights included photographing a Least Grebe mom and chicks and catching a barn owl at dusk. 🙂
Least Grebe mom and chicks
David awaiting the Barn Owl
Here’s the list of new species we added to MBY (Mom’s Big Year) on day 1:
Text me…
Said my final goodbyes to the kids last night before bed.. Texas here I come!
I gave my youngest one final kiss on the forehead, turned out the light, and started walking out of his room. With his eyes half-closed as he began to enter dreamland he quietly uttered,
“Text me when you get to 300, okay mom?”
I can tell he REALLY gets it. 🙂 and boy do I feel loved!
The memo….
Isn’t it great when the birds are there exactly when and where you want them to be?! 🙂
To the Mountains..
Headed out at 5:30 this morn to hit the mountains of western Maryland for Golden-winged Warbler and Henslow’s Sparrow. Thanks to local bird club member, Kurt, for being up for the excursion and for doing the driving.
Just got Common Raven for the year!
Wish us luck! 🙂
The REAL question….
I leave Sunday for the BIGGEST of the Mom’s Big Year trips so far and still have oodles of items on the to-do list. I’m starting to accept the fact that they’re just not going to get done. I kept thinking I had another week and it dawned on me the other day that my plane leaves for Austin early THIS Sunday!
I texted one of my dearest and oldest friends yesterday and confided in her that with everything going on — I just didn’t feel quite ready for this big and exciting adventure.
Her response….
“But is Texas ready for YOU? ……..THAT is the question.”
Here’s to another 30+ years of friendship, Tamar! Thank you for always dishing out EXACTLY what I need to hear when I need it most!
XOXO, Nancy
Work, birds, chocolate, laundry
My day in 4 words. Work. Birds. Chocolate. Laundry.
In that order. 🙂
Didn’t think I’d get to squeeze in some birding to day with end-of the semester grades due soon and lots of loose ends to tie up at work….. but I did! And the little bit of birding I did do was quite productive. Chestnut-sided Warbler in the yard, Olive-sided Flycatcher nearby and Common Nighthawks streaming in over Centennial Lake this eve.
Peace, Love, Birds!
Life is never better for me than after a trip with LOTS of birds and dear friends!
I have SO much to say and so little time to say it….
But here’s a post I drafted on the plane ride home Monday followed by a busy week of soccer, baseball games, viola lessons, and finals for my class….. I’m FINALLY getting a chance to post it!
“The last 5 days went by in a flash.. and here I sit on the plane ride home….smiling, exhausted, fulfilled and exhilarated.
Mom’s Big Year is…
about to get BIGGER!
After several teary goodbyes to my youngest this morning….I showed up to class in my hiking boots, gave my students their last exam for the semester, plugged in their grades and went straight to the airport. I’m heading to ‘The Biggest Week in American Birding’ at Magee Marsh in Ohio and I’m SUPER excited! 😃
Looking forward to reconnecting with old friends, making some new ones, and adding some new species to the MBY list!
Will report back soon! 
Mom's Big Year 