Becoming a Birder in Lampasas Texas

Every since my brother, that is a long time birder, put the idea of listing all the bird species we see at the place in my mind, it has almost become an obsession to identify all the birds we see each week. My wife and I have started to carry bird identification books and binoculars around with us as we work and do chores at the place. A strange bird flying over or even a strange bird call has us scrambling to identify what species of bird. We have seen a lot of birds that we can not identify, at least not well enough to add to our species list. We also see a lot of birds that are not really supposed to be in our area but that is kind of normal for Lampasas County as it is the hub of several different regions and types of habitat for birds. This last month we have had different Towhees and other birds just mobbing the feeders. I really have a problem trying to identify all of the different sparrows and other tiny birds that flit around the brush piles and cedar breaks. Every time I see ducks dropping down on the tank I feel compelled to go jump them just to see what species they are and if we need to add them to the list. This last week Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese both flew over the place and alerted us with their calls. We are always seeing hawks, vultures, buzzards and even a few falcons such as the small Kestrel. Screech owls and Great Horned owls are common along with crows and ravens. Black Chinned and Ruby Throated humming birds fly in and out of the oak motts and we have even had rare hummingbirds come through on occasion.



I keep telling myself I am not a birder, not the type that I have always had the stereotype image of in my mind. After all I am an Outdoorsman, a Hunter, Trapper and Fisherman. Surely I am not turning into a Birder! Wild Ed

Here is our list to date: We now are up to 116 species and quite a few unkowns.

 
BIRD NAME


Blackbird Red Winged

Blue Bird Eastern

Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher

Bunting Painted

Cara Cara

Cardinal

Catbird

Cedar Waxwing

Chickadee, Carolina

Cowbird, Brewers

Cowbird, Brown Headed

Crane, Sandhill

Crow, American

Cuckoo Yellow Billed

Dove, Eurasian Collared

Dove, Inca

Dove, Mourning

Dove, Rock (Pigeon)

Dove, White winged

Duck, Gadwall

Duck, Mallard

Duck, Pintail

Duck, Shoveler

Duck, Widgeon

Egret Great White

Egret, Cattle

European Starling

Falcon Prairie

Falcon, Kestrel

Falcon, Merlin

Falcon, Peregrine

Finch, House

Finch, Purple

Flicker, Northern

Flycatcher, Ash Throated

Flycatcher, Impid (several sub-species)

Flycatcher, Olive Sided

Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed

Flycatcher, Vermilion

Gadwall

Geese, Blue

Geese, Snow

Grebe

Green Wing Teal

Grosbeak, Black Headed

Grosbeak, Blue

Harrier Northern

Hawk, Broad Winged

Hawk, Coopers

Hawk, Red Shouldered

Hawk, Red Tailed

Hawk, Sharp Shinned

Hawk, Swanson's

Heron Great Blue

Humming Bird - Black Chinned

Humming Bird - Blue Throated

Humming Bird - Ruby Throated

Humming Bird- Broad Tailed

Jay, Blue

Jay, Scrub

Killdeer

Kingbird, Western

Kingfisher, Belted

Kite, Mississippi

Loggerhead Shrike

Martin, Purple

Meadow Lark, Eastern

Meadow Lark, Western

Mocking Bird

Nighthawk, Common

Nightjar Common

Owl, Barn

Owl, Eastern Screech

Owl, Great Horned

Pelican White

Phoebe

Plover

Pyrrhuloxia

Quail, Bobwhite

Raven Common

Roadrunner

Robin

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Sparrow House

Sparrow, Chipping

Sparrow, Harris

Sparrow, Lark

Sparrow, Rufous Crowned

Sparrow, Savannah

Sparrow, Tree

Sparrow, Vesper

Sparrow, White Crowned

Summer Tanager

Swallow, Barn

Swallow, Northern Rough-Wing

Teal, Green Winged

Thrasher, Brown

Towhee Eastern

Towhee Spotted

Tufted Titmouse

Turkey, Rio Grande

Vulture, Black

Vulture, Turkey

Warbler Magnolia

Warbler, Yellow Rumped

Whippoorwill

Woodpecker, Golden Fronted

Woodpecker, Ladder-Backed

Woodpecker, Red Bellied

Woodpecker, Red headed

Wren, Bewicks

Wren, Canon

Wren, Carolina

Wren, House

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker