Great Horned Owl Family

Upland Sandpipers

Dickcissels Everywhere

     Prolific along Britton Lane, common as pig tracks, as they used to say. Loud, constant, everywhere, their song skeedles chis chis chis played all around me.

Update: More pictures.

Poppy Mallow

     In her book, Wildflowers of Texas, Geyata Ajilbsgi writes that Native Americans cook the root of the poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), as a source for food. In addition, the root, when burned to create smoke, could be inhaled to relieve symptoms of a head cold.

Goslings on the Lake

   In the early evening, parents of two goslings enjoy calm waters while searching for food.

Bunny and Bluebonnets

Robin Nesting

   Spotting a bundle of grass and cotton in a young Burr oak, I approached quietly to it. A sturdily built nest sat on a crook of one of the upper branches. And what a delight! A Robin lay tucked into the nest.

The nest.

Mom Robin.

* * *

Update: May 1st.

Black-necked Stilts

Four stilts, flying from pond to pond, mating. Here I show one of them.

Snowy Plover

     What a surprise and what a delight to spot four Snowy Plovers. One of them sat on the sand, one of them dashed about searching for a bite to eat and to chase a Least Sandpiper away, and the others stood in the wind.

Meadowlark, Eastern

     Also searching for food tossed by Dick in front of the blind. Other birds we saw were cowbirds, a Northern Harrier, a Red-winged blackbird, and a Mourning dove, in addition to hearing two Bobwhite quail.

Horned Lark

      A Horned Lark searched the grass for some of the corn that Dick tosses in front of the blind.

Yellow-crowned Night Herons

     What a delight to discover four Yellow-crowned Night herons at the airport. Stalking prey amid the grasses and flowers, they walked stealthily in the pond. I remained still in the truck, my long lens emerged from my window. Three herons lifted up into the air and flew away. Nearby, I heard the sound of a Red-tailed hawk. One heron, though, remained in the pond, tracking down a crawfish. He managed to capture it just as Jim walked around the corner, grasping a leash on which Mitty was tethered. The heron swallowed his supper, and then moved briskly across the pond, away from Jim and Mitty. When I left, he had crouched down into the grass, contentedly, I suppose.

Lesser Prairie Chicken Magic Again

On the Internet Bird Collection, view a video of the Lesser Prairie Chicken and more photographs.

Nopadol Paothong's website offers his book, Save the Last Dance, for purchase. The book shows beautiful photography of the grouse species in North America.

      Nop drove us to Dick Wilberforce's lek in Hemphill County. The day was cloudy with 30-knot winds. Our anticipation grew when in the dark we could hear the roosters begin their display: Wulluh wulluh wulluh, they began, clak clak clak, then the fluttering of their wings. 

      We could hear them but not see them. I told myself to stop straining my eyes to see them, that dawn would come soon. Only twenty yards away, I could see a small figure on the grass moving about, dashing, dancing, "lekking." I held my breath.

      

      In 2014, I visited the same lek. Back then, the sun rose and gave the chickens some warm lighting. Click this link to view that post.

A rooster ready to display.

Standing on a log, searching the prairie, waiting for a female.

Inflating his sack during the display.

Two males establishing dominance.

Part of the display showing dominance.

A male looking up over the grasslands.

Update: One more image.

Clouds over Granite, Oklahoma

White Bluebonnet Patch

Bluebonnet Pods

Stilts in Step

The Green of Ibises in Flight

Scissortails and Others

     Spotted: My first Scissortail of the season, Pie-billed Grebe, Greater Yellowlegs, Ibises, Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, Barn Swallows, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, [Sandpiper that looks like a Semipalmated], Black-necked Stilts, Avocets, Canada Goose, Killdeer, Mockingbirds, Great Blue Herons, Northern Shovelers, Bobwhite, Blue-winged Teals, Green-winged Teals, American Black Ducks, Wigeons, Coots, Buffleheads, White-crowned Sparrows, House Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows.

Alanreed

     Little town in the Texas Panhandle. See more about Allenreed at the Texas State Historical Association http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hna15.

    Interestingly, the town was once known as Springtown or Spring Tank, thanks to a nearby spring; Prairie Dog Town, as it sat near a colony; and amusingly but regrettably, Gouge Eye, after a bar fight. Thankfully, it is now known after two men who worked toward developing the area.

     The small store offers postcards and stamps, and the services of a post office. I bought an amusing card, wrote a message on it for MyMrMallory, bought a stamp, too, then handed the card to the nice lady there, who mailed it for me.