Twistflower Ranch--June 10, 2010

On Thursday, Charles and Ross returned to Twistflower Ranch to check out a new location for banding. They went expecting a high temperature of 105 degrees but they were not expecting the strong 30 mile per hour winds. It was impossible to band at some of the locations on the ranch due to wind. A total of 166 birds were banded with 20 recaptures. They ended the spring banding season with a total of 1250 birds banded representing 54 species of birds on the ranch in one year's time of eight banding sessions by our group. The species and numbers can be found by clicking on June Summary.

Twin Buttes Reservoir--June 8, 2010

Charles and Ross went out early on Tuesday morning in search of swallows. They found a colony of Cave Swallows near Twin Buttes. They banded thirty-three birds of which most were young but they also banded some adult swallows.
They were also on the lookout for raptors such as Red-tailed Hawks but they were unsuccessful in locating individuals that were hunting and hungry.

Twistflower Ranch-- May 29, 2010

The Inland Outbackers left San Angelo in the very early morning hours on Saturday to travel to Twistflower Ranch for another banding expedition. We had banded there almost exactly one year ago and wanted to compare species and bird numbers for this year. We set nets in many of the same areas as last year and quickly got to the business of banding birds. Taking part in this effort was Ross, Sue, Jimmy, Charles and Nancy. Banding was steady during the morning hours but slowed in the early afternoon on the hot and windy day. As the day warmed, we started getting more birds around the water sources and numbers increased late in the day. We banded 149 birds of twenty-three species and had 10 recaptures. We banded four Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, a Western Kingbird, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, a Curved-billed Thrasher and a Cactus Wren along with the numerous orioles, buntings, sparrows and grosbeaks that we have come to expect at the ranch. The pace of banding was almost perfect all day. We enjoyed having great birds and the opportunity to visit with Mike and Donna, owners of the ranch. The complete list of species with numbers may be viewed by clicking on the May Summary.

Hummer Ranch May 20, 2010

The Hummer House was the scene of our latest banding effort this month. We gathered there on Saturday to demonstrate bird banding for a tour bus group from the Dallas area. Throughout the day, other guests from different areas of Texas and Kansas came to watch the activity. Nets had been set in the normal areas at the spring and around the headquarters. In addition, a new net lane had been cut through the oak and mesquite near the South Concho River. Banding started on a steady pace and remained steady throughout the morning. When the tour group arrived, all members of the team were busy demonstrating, banding, and answering questions from the large group that was present. The birds seemed to cooperate as we banded 24 species of birds in a short period. Only 66 total birds were banded and 32 birds were recaptured but this was adequate to give our guests a wide sampling of the wonderful and colorful birdlife present at the ranch. The visitors were delighted to see Hummingbirds and Painted Buntings being banded. We also banded a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, two Bushtits, and an Eastern Wood-Pewee which were the first of the season for these species at the ranch. We also had a four Vireo day as we banded a Bell's Vireo, White-eyed Vireos, Red-eyed Vireos, and Yellow-throated Vireos during our demonstration. It was a great day of banding and we enjoyed all guests during the day and their interest in our work. As always, we appreciate the hospitality of Dan and Cathy and their efforts in promoting bird conservation throughout Texas. Members of the team that participated in this effort were Ross and Debra, Delbert, Sue, Harold and Connie, Charles and Nancy. A complete listing of birds handled are included in our May banding summary.

Hummer Ranch May 11, 2010

Charles has continued his efforts to check migrant birds at the ranch. He was at the ranch on May 11 and banded eighteen birds of 12 species in about three hours. A complete listing of these birds is also included in the May summary.

Twistflower Ranch May 7-8, 2010

This past weekend, the Inland-Outbackers traveled to Twistflower Ranch in Crockett County. This the anniversary of our first banding at that location. Last year, we were overwhelmed by the number of Orioles there, as well as other migrating species. This year was true to that formula. Ross, Debra, and Charles, went over on Friday afternoon to determine the areas of the ranch that were best suited for our efforts and to set nets. We had birds immediately after setting nets and we banded until dark. Efforts to call Elf Owls to our nets were not successful even though we had several that answered our calls.

Harold, Connie, Sue, Jimmy and Nancy joined the group on Saturday Morning. Saturday was windy and cold the entire day. We were concerned that weather conditions would lower our bird counts but that was not the case. The morning started slowly but soon developed into a full scale rush of birds. We banded large numbers of Cedar Waxwings, Painted Buntings, Bullocks Orioles, and Orchard Orioles along with greater than expected number of Blue Grosbeaks. We also banded MacGillivray's Warblers, Lazuli Buntings and Clay-colored Sparrows. The bird of the trip was a full adult male Western Tanager. Two hundred, fifty-nine birds of twenty five species were banded along with four returns of birds banded during this time frame last year. The total list of birds banded may be viewed in the May Summary at the right hand side of the screen.

HEB Camp for Ballinger and Bronte Students

May 3-5, 2010

Some of the Inland Outbackers banding group were privileged to provide bird banding demonstrations at the HEB Foundation Camp for fourth and fifth grade students from Ballinger and Bronte. Charles, Harold, Debra and Nancy arrived at the camp on Monday in cool, cloudy and windy weather about noon. The sun came out about mid-afternoon as the nets were being set. About 30 nets were deployed in the Echo Valley area. On Monday afternoon and evening, fifteen species of birds were banded. On Tuesday morning, demonstrations started for the student groups. Banding continued throughout the day and through Wednesday morning. A total of 23 species were banded which included the Golden-cheeked Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A Black-crested Titmouse which had been banded in 2008 was recaptured. For a complete listing of species and numbers, please check out the May Summary at the right hand side of the screen. The students were delightful and a pleasure to be with as we participated in their outdoor study groups. We appreciated the opportunity to work with them. Both schools are to be commended for such fine students.

April 30-May 2, 2010  Davis Mountains

Since 2000, Ross Dawkins, Delbert Tarter and Sue Oliver have made a trip to the Lawrence E. Woods roadside park in the Davis Mountains at the first of May. Some years, they have been joined by other banders, however, this year scheduling conflicts required the group to split to different locations. For the first time in all the years that they have been going, they experienced snow! Ross, Delbert and Sue met on Friday afternoon and put up approximately 35 nets in a very dry park. They woke up to light mist which turned to rain and then snow. They had rain/sleet/snow for the next four hours until noon. They sat in Delbert's van watching in bewilderment as the snow collected on the nets. The nets were on the ground with the weight of ice and snow. The wind became stronger and it stayed windy for the rest of the time. The snow melted by late afternoon. There weren't many birds around but they managed to catch much of what was there. This was a unique experience for the trio as they banded seventeen species including Flammulated Owl, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Cassin's Kingbird, Gray Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Western Tanager, Summer Tanager, Bewick's Wren, Western Scrub Jay, Chipping Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Canyon Towhee.

April 29-30, 2010 Hummer Ranch

The Inland Outbackers conducted a banding demonstration at the Hummer House on Thursday and Friday for the Dallas/Ft. Worth Fox News Channel. We had intended to set up early Thursday afternoon but high winds kept us from setting up until late afternoon. Our efforts were almost immediately rewarded by the first of the season Lazuli and Painted Buntings at the ranch. We continued our efforts until dark and returned very early on Friday Morning to set a Russell Trap for hummingbirds. On the second net run to the spring, we had more than twenty migrating birds in our nets including the first of the season MacGillivray's Warbler. The nets around the Hummer House soon caught an adult male Vermillion Flycatcher and a Yellow-throated Vireo. We were pleased to demonstrate banding for numerous visitors to the ranch in addition to the Fox News reporter. We were especially glad to have several residents of the Robert Lee Care Center who were visiting on Saturday. We closed our nets in mid-afternoon and reopened them later that day for another round of banding. We banded 120 birds and 47 recaptures. We handled 23 species of birds during this banding time. We banded five first of the season birds for the ranch. We truly had a wonderful time. We had great birds. We met a lot of very nice people, and enjoyed the legendary hospitality of Dan and Cathy. Banders participating included Harold and Connie, Debra, Charles and Nancy.

April 24, 2010

On Saturday, the banding team returned to the Hummer Ranch and conducted a banding demonstration for members of Dr. Ross Dawkins' Hummingbird Class and numerous guests at the ranch. Nets were placed at the spring and at various locations around the headquarters. Banding was steady during the entire demonstration. Eighty-nine birds of thirteen species were banded and twenty-six birds were recaptured. Notable species banded included the first of the season Blue Grosbeaks and five Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. We appreciated the interest of the numerous guests at the ranch and enjoyed demonstrating the banding process. The warm hospitality of Dan and Cathy is always appreciated. Members of the team present for this banding were Ross and Debra, Sue, Delbert, Charles and Nancy. A complete listing of the birds banded is included in the April summary.

April 20-21, 2010

On Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, Charles and Nancy went to the Hummer Ranch to check for spring migrants moving across the ranch . Nets were placed at the spring and west toward the South Concho River. Banding was slow and few migrating birds were noted. Thirteen birds of seven species were banded. The first Nashville warblers of the season were the main migrating birds banded. However, the first Painted Buntings to arrive at the ranch were noted although none were banded. The weather was nice and we enjoyed the company of several guests at the ranch which included a visitor from Arkansas.

Backyard Banding in San Angelo

The week of April 11-17 was cool and rainy all week. What does a bird bander do when there are floods in Mason County and when it is rainy and wet at the Hummer Ranch? Well, you stay and home, mend nets and try to catch birds in your backyard between showers. If the showers break for more than a few minutes, you may decide to take your bal-chatri with a couple of lure animals and scour the countryside around town for a hungry hawk that might be fooled by your trap. While Ross and Deb were catching White-winged Doves, Great-tailed Grackles, Blue Jays, and Cedar Waxwings in their yard, Charles and Nancy were catching House Finches, Vesper Sparrows, Inca Doves, Great-tailed Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, White-winged Doves and a Brewer's Blackbird in their yard. On Wednesday, Charles went to the country looking for hawks and was able to trap a Swainson's Hawk. The Swainson's Hawk and the Brewers Blackbird were new species for the year. On Thursday, it rained so hard that a bander couldn't even band in the backyard. However, more that 85 birds of nine species were banded in a couple of very small areas during the rain. The House Finches were the bird of the week with 53 banded during that time using a small potter's trap. Yard banding is great but we are looking forward to getting back in the field to do some serious banding soon.

April 8-10, 2010

The Inland Outbackers banding group banded several days this week at the Hummer House. Charles and Nancy spent Thursday morning checking the area near the river and spring for the start of the spring migration. Very little migratory movement was noted on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, Ross and Debra, Sue, Charles, and Nancy set up nets in several locations across the ranch. We enjoyed several visitors that afternoon including author Suzanne Bloom from New York. The volume of birds was steady and more migratory movement was noted. On Saturday morning, Delbert Tarter brought his Bird Identification class to observe the birds being banded. During the time that nets were deployed, we banded 327 birds and recaptured 62 previously banded birds. Twenty-seven species of birds were handled. Notable birds banded during this time were a Wood Duck, Vesper Sparrows, Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Field Sparrows, Lark Sparrows, Black-chinned Hummingbirds and our first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season. The Wood Duck was the second of that species ever banded at the ranch. It was a great time at the Hummer House as we enjoyed the hospitality of Dan and Cathy with lots of old and new friends around the banding table. A complete listing of the species and total numbers can be viewed in the April Monthly Summary.>

March 26, 2010

On Friday, Harold, Connie, Sue, Charles, and Nancy traveled to the Hummer House to band the first hummers of the season. The first hummingbird was observed at the ranch on March 19th but they are now beginning to arrive in sufficient numbers. Nets were deployed at the spring and hummer traps were placed near feeders at the house. We were pleased to catch five female Black-chinned Hummingbirds that had been banded in previous years. We banded seven male Black-chinned Hummingbirds and one female. Hermit Thrushes, Ceder Waxwings and Field Sparrows were netted at the spring. We were hoping to catch any migrants that might be arriving but it seems that migration hasn't started this year. The two yard nets yielded Amercian Goldfinches, House Finches, Chipping Sparrows and Pine Siskins. A total of 133 birds of eight species were banded on this windy day. We recaptured 17 previously banded birds of seven species. One guest from Colorado was on hand for the banding demonstration. We are extremely grateful to Dan and Cathy for their hospitality and the invitation to band at the Hummer Ranch.
You are encouraged to check out the web site for the Hummer Ranch at http://www.hummerhouse.com/ and call for an appointment to visit.

Spring Break

It is a tradition that Ross and Debra Dawkins join Brent Ortego for a week of bird banding during spring break. The following is Deb’s report of the adventures of the week-long banding event.

Ross and Debra Dawkins left San Angelo to meet up with Brent Ortego at Claire and John Barnharts’Q5 ranch. The Barnharts’ hosted a photography club that day and also area bird banders. We finished preparing net lanes, hoisted the nets and began catching birds. The photographer’s had a great time taking pictures of “birds in the hand.” Ross and I were able to use the bal-chatri to catch a female American Kestral. We brought her back to the banding table and she quite graciously endured our ooohs and aaahhs!!! She also photographed nicely. Our hosts invited the banders’ to stay in their bed and breakfast …a lovely preserved home built by the original owners of the ranch. The home is graciously rustic yet modernized with luscious appointments in the bath and kitchen. This bed and breakfast was a very welcome change from our usual rustic “digs.” Banders present at the Q5 were Brent Ortego, Ross and Debra Dawkins, Rose Balfour and Cliff Hendrick, Dennis Haessly, and Bron Rorex.
Total species recorded: 17, total number banded: 95

The next stop on our weeklong tour was Mad Island at The Nature Conservatory. Brent, Ross, and Debra were joined by Bron Rorex, Debbie Valdez, Tad Finnell, and Susan Heath. We were also joined by heavy rain, slippery muddy roads, and huge (not kidding) mosquitos. Mad Island is located on the InterCoastal Canal and is home to Herons, Cormorants, Pelicans, Gulls, Roseate Spoonbills, Sandpipers, Willets, and many more shorebirds. While watching birds we spotted an immature Golden Eagle and a mature Golden Eagle. We were able to band some beautiful migrant birds and several of us “got lifers” as a first sighted or held bird may be called. The last day and morning we were at Mad Island the weather cleared and we were able to “round up some sparrows.” This technique requires willing folks to wade out into thigh high marsh grasses, and to remain on their feet as they “herd” sparrows into soft mist nets! Our job is to keep the birds heading toward the nets while we remain in an upright position…sounds easy doesn’t it…well when the thigh high grass equals more than half a person’s height it can be VERY challenging. But we did it!!! We were able to mist net and then band Seaside Sparrows, a Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow and several Marsh Wrens.
Total Species Recorded:33 Total number banded: 265

Brent Debra and Ross headed for Selkirk Island and were hosted by Billy Jack Smith! Selkirk is beautiful and very birdy. On the last morning we spotted a Bald Eagle’s nest. A mature Bald Eagle was sitting on the branch next to the nest. Selkirk has Woods, Coastal Prairie, and Riparian habitats which made for an eclectic mist netting area. One evening a Barred Owl came and sat on a branch right over our banding area and stayed for quite a while. It allowed us to take all the pictures we wanted. The next evening as Ross and I made the last net run we spotted a Bobcat running our nets and cafeteria style choosing entrees… but we were able to save the birds, chase the bobcat away, and collapsed the nets.
Total species recorded: 37 Total number banded 233

So the grand total for the week of banding is total species recorded: 73 Total number banded: 730

March 18, 2010

Nancy and Charles traveled to the Pfluger Ranch in Mason County to band for the first time at that location. The original intent was to band winter sparrows that were present at the ranch when we first visited the ranch. When we arrived at the ranch, we soon discovered that most of the winter sparrows were no longer at the locations that we visited. The creek that crosses the property was not accessible due to recent rains and water was everywhere so we decided to band in the mesquite pasture. We placed a dozen nets in selected areas and banded fifteen birds of nine species. The male Vermilion Flycatcher was our first of the season and our favorite of the day. The list of species is included in the March Summary above. It was a beautiful day and we truly enjoyed our day. We look forward future banding at this site. We appreciate the hospitality of the landowner.

March 13, 2010

On Saturday, the Inland Outbackers banded at the Hummer Ranch in Christoval. The group wanted to band winter birds still present and check for early migrants arriving at the ranch. No attempts were made to band hummingbirds but the first Black-Hummingbirds of the year had arrived at the ranch. Nets were set in the back yard and on the east side of the ranch. It was a beautiful day for banding. Large numbers of American Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, and Chipping Sparrows were present in large numbers near the headquarters. Cedar Waxwings and Mountain Bluebirds were present in good numbers on the east side of the ranch. Two hundred, ninety-one birds of thirteen species were banded in the short time that we had nets deployed. Forty-five birds were recaptured. Ross and Debra, Delbert, Sue, Connie and Harold along with Charles and Nancy took part in this banding time. Guests from Arlington and Midland observed. It was an excellent effort and the hospitality of Dan and Cathy was appreciated.

March 6, 2010

On Saturday,  the Inland Outbackers traveled to Twistflower Ranch in Crockett County where they demonstrated bird banding for a group of Master Naturalists from Austin who were guests of the McCloskeys at the ranch. Efforts to band hawks on the way to the ranch were unsuccessful and the cloudy, cool day did not look promising. Nets were placed near several water sources around the west side of the ranch. Birds began hitting the nets almost immediately and banding continued at a steady to heavy rate until mid afternoon. Cedar Waxwings and Mountain Bluebirds were present in large numbers and the weather did not slow their activity around the water sources. Sage Thrashers were also present in much larger numbers than anticipated. Two hundred and thirty birds of thirteen species were banded. This included a Greater Roadrunner that was trapped on a Bal-chatri. Even though the day was less than perfect weather wise, we enjoyed spending the day with the Master Naturalist group and other visitors to the ranch. Ross, Debra, Sue, Connie, Harold, Nancy and Charles made the trip to the ranch and were rewarded by an excellent day of banding. We appreciate the opportunity to band birds at Twistflower Ranch. The summary of the birds banded can be seen by clicking March Summary above.

March 3, 2010

On Wednesday morning, Harold, Connie, Charles and Nancy made a trip to Mason County to check out a new banding location. On the way, the bal-chatri was set and a Red-shouldered Hawk was caught very quickly. After meeting with the land owner and seeing the possibilities for banding, we took a different route home. In McCulloch County, we were very pleased when an American Kestrel came to the bal-chatri two times and then was caught on the third time that it investigated the trap. Both catches of the day were beautiful birds.

February 27, 2010 Hummer Ranch

On Saturday, Charles went to the Hummer Ranch to band at the water troughs on the east side of the ranch. He banded for a few hours and deployed only four nets. A Cooper's Hawk was caught in the net as it flew down to find its prey. Mountain Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, White-crowned Sparrows and Mockingbirds were banded on this morning.

February 13, 2010     Hummer Ranch

On Saturday, the Inland-Outbackers gathered at the Hummer House in Christoval. It was the first time in several weeks that all members of the group were together. The weather was great and it was really enjoyable to see and work with entire team. Since significant rainfall over these past weeks has stopped bird movement around the spring and the outlying water wells, nets were only set at the house. Bird movement was slow but seventy-five birds of six species were netted along with thirty four recaptures. We appreciate Dan and Cathy for their warm hospitality. Species and numbers can be viewed in the February Summary.

February 5-6, 2010   SAP Nature Preserve

On Friday and Saturday, Charles, Nancy and Mark Conway banded at the SAP Nature Preserve in Palmhurst located in South Texas. This small private preserve is being returned and restored to a natural condition to serve as habitat for native birds and other south Texas Wildlife. By using South Texas plants that provide proper cover and native food sources, a variety of birds have been attracted to the preserve. This preserve is a great example of what can be accomplished by dedicated, knowledgeable landowners who have genuine concern for bird conservation. Fourteen nets were deployed in the preserve for about three hours on Friday afternoon and an additional four hours on Saturday morning. Thirty birds of fourteen species were banded during this time. Three Curve-billed Thrashers, two Lesser Goldfinches, a Blue-headed Vireo, a Buff-bellied Hummingbird, and three species of doves were included in this total. Several unusual winter warblers were seen but not netted.

February 6, 2010     Hummer Ranch

On Saturday, Ross and Delbert enjoyed a cool, pretty day of banding at the Hummer Ranch. The number of birds was much decreased from January. They banded 61 birds of eleven species and forms. There were 29 recaptures. Spotted Towhees and White-winged Doves were banded in addition to the usual species of winter birds that are banded frequently at this location.

Check out the February Summary above.

January 2010 Banding at Longoria Wildlife Management Area in South Texas

Some of the Inland Outbackers have continued to band throughout January at the Longoria Unit of the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area. All of Longoria was once farmland that has been reclaimed for wildlife management. Much of the unit is now south Texas thicket similar to much of south Texas before cultivation. It is an exciting but also challenging place to band birds. Countless birds of many species reside in the thicket and its surroundings but they have many choices for water, food and protective cover. For this reason. banding at Longoria usually results in a wide range of species but few birds of any particular species. During our efforts, we tried to sample as many locations and habitats as possible. High winds and wet weather limited our number of days in the field and our ability to band in the more exposed areas of the unit. We banded 163 birds representing 28 species during our efforts. We are looking forward to our next opportunity to band at this unique and enjoyable site. We appreciate so much the hospitality and assistance of the WMA staff while we were there. The results of the bandings may be viewed by clicking on the January Summary link above.

January 30--Hummer Ranch

In 26 degree weather, Ross banded with an effort of 25 net-hours at the Hummer Ranch. Eventually, it warmed to 40 degrees. He was successful in banding 178 birds by himself. That definitely earns him a special award for "most persistent bander" this month. Species banded included American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Chipping Sparrow, Audubon's Warbler, Myrtle Warbler, Black-crested Titmouse, Spotted Towhee, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Slate-colored Junco. There were 35 birds recaptured from previous bandings.

January 13--- Enochs Ranch

Ross and Deb met Rex at the Enochs ranch near Eldorado on Wednesday morning in light rain, wind and cold. Four nets were put up but not all were productive in catching birds. A Northern Shrike and an American Kestrel were hunting near the nets. Western Bluebirds were flying around but were never caught in the nets. Western Meadowlark, Eastern White-crowned Sparrow, Black-crested Titmouse and House Finch were the four species banded.

January 11--- Hummer Ranch

Ross and Debra returned to the Hummer Ranch on Monday, January 11th to band. They put up two and one-half nets and banded for over 7 hours. They netted 214 birds to be banded and 30 recaptures of eight sprecies. Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch were most common and numerous birds to be banded.

 January 6---   Hummer Ranch

On Wednesday, Ross went to the Hummer Ranch and set 2 nets in the backyard for 6 hours. It was windy and cold and banding had to be done in the van because of the inclement weather. He was quite busy banding 252 birds of 9 species by himself. He banded a large number of Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch. Other commonly caught species included Chipping Sparrow, Audubon’s Warblers and Myrtle Warblers. Ross had 9 recaptures representing 4 species.

January 5-6--Longoria Wildlife Management Area

On January 5th, Charles and Nancy traveled to Longoria Wildlife Management Area to set nets in preparation for a banding effort the next day. They returned on Wednesday with Harold and Connie, along with friends, Sid and Shirley Rucker. The nets were placed at several locations that were effective during our last banding effort at Longoria. We realized that winter birds would not necessarily be moving in the same patterns as spring and summer birds and that was soon proven to be true. Some nets were set near a wetland area causing us to quickly have more Red-winged Blackbirds than we could manage easily, so we collapsed most of those nets and concentrated on the nets in other areas. We banded 102 birds of thirteen species during the effort. Numbers of Savannah Sparrows, Orange-crowned Warblers and Great Kiskadees were also netted. The most unusual birds of the day were a female Bullock's Oriole that is rare during the winter and an adult male Blue-headed Vireo. We appreciate the cooperation of the WMA staff and look forward to further banding in that setting.

December 21-22, 2009   Hummer Ranch

On Mnday afternoon and Tuesday morning, Ross and Charles ventured out to the Hummer Ranch to check for winter birds in the pastures east of the Hummer House. Nets were placed at the two water sources on that section of the ranch and along two fence lines where sparrows were thought to be present. Large numbers of birds were not present in that habitat and banding was slow. However, twenty-three birds of twelve species were banded. One Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow was recaptured. It was first banded in January of 2008 as an adult bird. This bird has probably traveled to northern Canada two times and returned to winter very near the place that it was first netted in 2008. Due to the fact that we do not often band in this habitat during this season, several species of unusual birds were netted during this effort. The first Lark Bunting ever netted at the Hummer Ranch was banded. This makes a total of 136 species of birds banded at the ranch. An adult male American Kestrel, two Savannah Sparrows, one Eastern Bluebird, two Vesper sparrows, and several Mountain Bluebirds were also banded on these days.

Ratouille's 2009 Hall of Fame
Ratouille, the gerbil is a valued asset for the Inland Outbackers. He started out his life as a member of the Dawkins family and later became part of the Floyd household. He has traveled extensively throughout the state as a member of the team. He has visited the Rio Grande Valley, East Texas, Far West Texas, and many points inbetween. He is a rat with an attitude that has been key in the banding of ten large predators including a Greater Roadrunner, a Great Horned Owl, a Harris Hawk, and seven Red-tailed Hawks. He has been involved in many more near catches. He has stared death in the face on a regular basis and comes through without a scratch. Even though he is getting on in years for a gerbil, he still gets excited whenever the bal-chatri is around and looks forward to many more successful hunts. We felt that he deserved his own Hall of Fame. The slideshow below features Ratouille and his ten catches over the past year.

November 20-21, 2009
The Inland Outbackers banded at the Hummer Ranch on Friday and Saturday as a part of a fieldtrip by Dr. Terry Maxwell and students of his Natural History of the Concho Valley class at Angelo State University. Nets were set in several habitats on Friday afternoon in preparation for the field trip on Saturday. Banding at the Hummer Ranch had been a little slow between the busiest part of fall migration and the arrival of large numbers of winter birds. Banding started slowly on Friday afternoon with only a few species netted and a limited number of birds banded. Saturday had a chilly start but proved to be a different story as we banded winter birds and some permanent residents in good numbers. Ninety-three birds were banded and 39 birds were recaptured. Thirteen species were banded and two other species were recaptured. Interesting birds banded included American Kestrel, Red-shafted Flicker, Western Scrub-Jay and Eurasian Collared-Dove. Winter birds arriving at the ranch included, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch. Hermit Thrush, Myrtle and Audubon's Warblers, and White Crowned Sparrows. It was a great day for our group and we enjoyed meeting the ASU students. Members of the group participating were Ross, Debra, Delbert, Sue, Harold, David, Charles and Nancy. As always we appreciate the hospitality of Dan and Cathy at the Hummer House.

November 14, 2009
Saturday was a wonderful day at Twistflower Ranch. We were excited by the number and variety of winter birds present at the ranch when we drove in early that morning. Large numbers of Mountain Bluebirds, Lark Buntings and several Sage Thrashers were present. We set up nets at the solar pond and quickly had many birds in our nets. The first bird out of the net was a Red-shafted Flicker, It is the first Northern Flicker banded on our license in quite some time. Although Northern Flickers are often seen in the winter, getting one in a net is a different thing. We banded large numbers of Mockingbirds, House Finches and White-crowned sparrows from start to finish. Because of the numbers of Mountain Bluebirds present, we anticipated netting large numbers of these birds. However, only four bluebirds were netted. Twelve species were represented in the 124 birds banded. On the way to setup nets, we saw the large female Red-tailed Hawk that has been present every time that we have visited the ranch. We have dropped a bal-chatri every time that we have seen her and she has not been interested. However, this time, she was on the bal-chatri in a flash. It was an unexpected catch. We had a great time and felt that our results were good for the time of year and conditions. However, we continue to see so many great birds that we don't manage to net. Twistflower is such a big place and none of us have come up with a banding strategy that lets us be as successful as we would like. Members of the Inland Outbackers group participating in the trip were Ross, Harold, Connie, Charles and Nancy. Thanks to the McCloskeys for the opportunity to band at Twistflower Ranch.

November 5, 2009
Dan and Cathy hosted the Inland Outbackers for dinner and the viewing of the Songbird Banding segment on AGLifestyles television on Thursday evening. We thank them for the opportunity to see the show in its first run and the wonderful dinner. Attending were Delbert and Margaret, Sue, Ross and Debra, Harold and Connie, David and Debbie, Charles and Nancy and other ranch guests. We thank Dan and Cathy for the many opportunities they provide for the Inland Outbackers Banding Group.

October 31, 2009
On early Saturday morning , Ross and Charles set up nets to check bird movement at the spring and other locations of the Hummer Ranch. There was not very much movement on this day. All birds netted were permanent residents. Limited numbers of winter birds were observed but not netted. Species captured included Western Meadowlark, Northern Cardinal, Black-crested Titmouse and Carolina Wren.

October 2-3, 2009
Ross and Debra went to the spring at the Hummer Ranch on Friday afternoon to check to see if the warblers were still there as they were earlier in the week. They enjoyed getting to watch Monarch Butterflies that were there by the hundreds. They caught nine species but banded only eight birds and had one recapture. Deb piled into the creek to keep a Sharp-shinned Hawk from escaping from a net which had been set across the creek. Nets were left in place for Saturday and more nets were set at the house. They caught two hummingbirds that are still hanging out at the feeders. A total of 17 species were caught and handled in the two day period which included Wilson's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, White-eyed Vireo as well as other more common species. A total of 109 birds were banded. Individual species total can be found by clicking the October Banding Summary.



September 29-30, 2009

Throughout the late summer and fall the Inland-Outbackers have made an effort each week to monitor the species and numbers of migrating birds at the spring near the Hummer House. Each week we have set up nets and banded for a short time in the late afternoon and then returned to band in the morning of the next day. During these times we have kept our banding hours and number of nets deployed constant so that we could have a fair comparison of birds banded and species present. The number of birds each week has not been great but we have managed to get a good perspective of several species of birds as they made their way though the Concho Valley along the south Concho River drainage. This past week a flock of warblers with several species represented was present at the spring while Charles was banding. He banded 47 warblers of four species. Virtually all of the warblers were netted in four net runs. It was feast or famine. Either one or two nets were full of warblers or all the nets were empty depending on where and when the flock was flying. The most interesting bird of the day was a young Chestnut-sided Warbler. Last spring, we banded the first record of this bird in the Concho Valley since before 1980. It was a real surprise to band a second member of this species in the fall migration. The species and totals may be viewing the September Banding Summary.

September 25-26, 2009
The Inland Outbackers traveled to Crockett County to band at the Twistflower Ranch. We hoped to net some of the western migrants that frequent that part of West Texas in the fall and perhaps net some of the permanent residents that we have failed to band in previous visits to the ranch. Our prospects looked good when we caught and banded a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk on the way to the ranch. The ranch was alive with birds when we arrived. We set nets in locations that we had used last spring expecting to be busy. However, banding was very slow from the start and it became evident that migrant birds were not present in large numbers. The second morning looked more promising to start but quickly followed the pattern of the first day. The afternoon was very hot and bird movement almost stopped. All of the birds banded were permanent residents of the ranch. Interesting birds banded included another Red-tailed Hawk, a Western Scrub-Jay and Cactus Wrens. A total of ten species were banded. We saw lots of unusual birds but were unable to find net placements with enough bird concentration to band large numbers. We had a great time and want to thank the landowner for the privilege of banding on the ranch. Taking part in the effort were Ross and Debra, Connie and Harold, Sue, Nancy and Charles.

September 18, 2009
The Inland Outbackers had an unusual day at the Hummer Ranch on September 18th. Nets were set on Thursday afternoon at the spring so that we could continue to check on the migration of various species early on Friday morning. We had planned to move banding to the Hummer House and yard for the afternoon. We arrived early in anticipation of lots of activity at the spring on Friday morning. It was a cool, cloudy, and wonderful autumn day. Since several of the group were present to help, nets were deployed at the house and a Russell Trap was put up for hummingbirds after the first net run to the spring. Only one bird had been netted at the spring by lunch time. After lunch, we were rewarded for our patience with a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk. This was the hawk that we had watched the past couple of weeks while we were working at the spring. When the hawk was near, other birds were scarce. A total of 5 birds were banded from the spring with 2 recaptures for the entire day there. We believe that many of the migrants have moved through even though there were still quite a few waterthrushes observed. At the end of the day, the group had handled 15 species and banded 139 birds. For a day with a slow start, it turned out to be a great day for the group. Those participating were Ross and Debra, Harold and Connie, Sue, David and Debbie, and Charles and Nancy.

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September 8, 2009
On Tuesday, Connie, Charles and Nancy set nets and banded early morning at the spring of the Hummer Ranch to continue tracking the fall migration. Thirteen species were banded in the 3 hour session which included, Yellow Warbler, Wilson Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Mourning Warbler and Northern Waterthrush. Other species such as Lesser Goldfinch, Carolina Wren, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, White-eyed Vireo, Chipping Sparrow and Painted Bunting, that we regularly band at the spring, were netted also. We were very excited to get to band a Belted Kingfisher. This was ninth to be banded at the Hummer Ranch since 1995. Cathy and her guests arrived in time to see this beautiful bird. Fall migration continues.

August 31-September 1, 2009

On Monday, Connie, Nancy and Charles returned to the Hummer Ranch to band migrants at the spring. Only seven net were deployed at selected areas and the banding was very slow on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, Nancy and Charles returned to the spring and bird movement was heavier in the early morning hours. Twenty-six birds were banded and eight birds were recaptured representing fifteen species. Almost all the birds banded were migrants. Species banded included Least Flycatchers, Wilson’s Warblers, Yellow Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, Louisana Waterthrush, Summer Tanagers, Yellow-throated Vireos and other migrants.

August 24-25, 2009
On Monday and Tuesday, the Inland-Outbackers traveled to the Hummer Ranch to participate in a banding day with Fred Bassett of Alabama and Kelly Bryant of Fort Davis, Texas. Fred is a nationally known hummingbird expert who bands across the nation. Kelly is also known nationally for his work with hummingbirds of the Davis Mountains region.
Our group set nets at the spring and around the yard of the Hummer House. Fred and Kelly use individual traps and band only hummingbirds. Our group banded both passerine birds and the hummingbirds that ventured into our nets.
Fred and Kelly banded 118 Black-chinned Hummingbirds, 41 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, 2 Rufous Hummingbirds and one full grown male Calliope Hummingbird. The Inland-Outbackers banded 232 birds and recaptured 53 birds representing 20 species. Our most unusual birds of the day included a Western Wood-Pewee, two Louisiana Waterthrushes and a male Western Tanager. David and Debbie, Sue, Ross and Debra, Delbert, Harold and Connie, Charles and Nancy all participated in this banding.


August 16-17, 2009On Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, Harold, Connie, Sue, Charles and Nancy banded at the Hummer Ranch. Nets were deployed at the spring and in the yard near the house. One hundred fifty-two birds were banded and twenty-two were recaptured of 20 species. We banded Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds and Black-chinned Hummingbirds as well as many species of passerines. Very few hummingbirds were recaptures from past bandings which indicated that the birds are in full migration. A special recapture was the Cooper's Hawk that we had banded last August.

August 6-10, 2009        Hummer House Ranch
On August 6th, Connie, Harold, Sue, Nancy and Charles returned to the Hummer Ranch at Christoval intending to band young Painted Buntings and hummingbirds. Nets were in place at the spring and around the Hummer House on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. A total of 249 birds were banded and 76 were recaptured. A total of 15 species were handled including one migrant Traill’s Flycatcher. Late on Thursday afternoon, an adult male Broad-billed Hummingbird was seen near a feeder at the observation room. Additional traps and net configurations were soon in place as we attempted to net this bird. This bird was very wary and seldom came near a trap or net. We continued our efforts at various times over the next few days using all possible means at hand but our best efforts were not rewarded. Seventy-one other hummingbirds and two Summer Tanagers were caught as we tried to catch the bird.

The Broad-billed Hummingbird is very rare for this area. This bird brings to nine the total number of hummingbird species confirmed at the Hummer Ranch. The Hummer Ranch never fails to surprise us with its array of birds. While efforts were being made to net this bird, Sid and Shirley Rucker arrived for a visit at the Hummer Ranch. Both are nationally noted photographers who were the photographers for the book, Hummingbirds of Texas. Sid took several wonderful photographs of this bird and has generously allowed us to use some of these for our website. We want to thank Sid and Shirley for this privilege and we want to thank Dan and Cathy once again for their generous hospitality and their continued efforts in promoting bird conservation in the Concho Valley. Leo, the Broadbilled Hummingbird was seen for 12 days.

August 5-Enochs Ranch
Connie, Nancy and Charles traveled to the Enochs Ranch near Eldorado on August 5th to check for early migrants passing through the Concho Valley. This area had received about five inches of rain in the past few days and the birds were not concentrated around water sources as normal. We banded 23 birds of four species in a few hours but no early migrants were found on that day.

July 30- Hummer House Ranch
The last of July and early August in West Texas is a time of feast or famine for bird banding. Migration for most species of birds is not in full swing but some species of West Texas birds have started the process. Migrants that pass through our area at this time are few in number but those that do pass through are interesting. Fewer species are typically banded at this time of the year and those that are banded often do not represent a typical summer population for a species. For example, adult Painted Buntings are usually the first to leave an area but large numbers of hatch year birds stay around a bit longer. It is a good time to band numbers of some young birds to compare with the birds that return next spring. On Thursday, July 30th , Connie, Harold, Nancy and Charles banded at the Hummer House. It had rained across the area earlier in the morning but the rain seemed to be breaking. We set a few nets near the Hummer House and expected lots of birds. In a short time, we had more than we expected, but with a clap of thunder the bottom dropped out of the clouds. We continued our efforts for some time but the rain continued on and off for the next few hours making things very difficult. We banded 78 birds of six species. The most interesting bird of the morning was a Black-chinned/Ruby-throated Hummingbird. hybrid. This bird is only the second hybrid hummingbird recorded at the ranch.

July 27-28, 2009
Ross and Debra banded birds as they traveled to the Hummingbird Conference. They banded fifteen Broad-tailed Hummingbirds and one Steller's Jay in the Carson National Forest at the Columbine Campground. They recaptured five Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that Brent Ortego had banded the previous day. In Red River, New Mexico, the owners of the Alpine Lodge granted them permission to band on their property. They banded one American Robin, two Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, one Cordilleran Flycatcher, three Mountain White-crowned Sparrows, one Pine Siskin, two Song Sparrows and one Willow Flycatcher. Thanks are extended to the owners of the Alpine Inn and the State of New Mexico for granting permission to band birds.


Hummingbird Conference
Ross and Debra attended the 8th biennial meeting of the Hummingbird Research Group in Peaceful Valley, Colorado that was held from Thursday, July 30th to Sunday, August 2nd. Attendance was open to all licensed bird banders and their guests from across the Americas. They participated in group bandings and demonstrations. About 1500 hummingbirds were banded during the conference.

The photos in the slideshow were taken by Debra and Ross while they were at the Hummingbird Conference.

July 21, 2009The Inland-Outbackers returned to the Hummer Ranch on Tuesday, July 21st for the purpose of banding additional numbers of young Painted Buntings and Black-chinned Hummingbirds. With the numbers banded on the previous weekend, we felt that an additional evening of banding would produce similar results. We placed the basic number of nets in the yard of the hummer house and deployed two passive hummingbird traps and a Russell trap. We were not disappointed. In a very few hours, we banded 178 birds and recaptured 106 birds of twelve species. Eighty-one of these were Black-chinned Hummingbirds and forty-seven were painted buntings. With recaptures, the team has processed 904 birds in our last two trips to the Hummer ranch. Team members participating were Ross, David and Debbie, Connie, Nancy and Charles. Some of our guests helped when things became hectic. We want to thank them for their effort and once again thank Dan and Cathy for their hospitality. It was a great result and a good effort.

On the Friday afternoon of July 17th, the Inland-Outbackers banding team returned to the Hummer Ranch near Christoval. A large number of hatch year birds of several species were present there. The team wanted to band a substantial number of these birds before the beginning of migration. Banding young birds near their nesting site gives the team valuable data regarding life span, and the number of birds returning to nest at the site. Once nets were set on Friday afternoon, team members banded without letup until near twilight and then banded from first light until noon on Saturday morning. The group banded 450 birds and handled 182 recaptured birds during that time. Seventeen species were represented. Large numbers of Painted Buntings, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Lark Sparrows, and House Finches were included in these totals. The most unusual bird banded in this effort was a Louisiana Waterthrush. This was a great effort by all members of the team. Team members participating were Ross, Debra, Delbert, Harold, Connie, Sue, Charles, and Nancy. We were delighted that Paul Dawkins joined us. We want to thank Dan and Cathy for their hospitality and the opportunity to band at the Hummer House.

On Thursday, July 16th, Ross and Charles traveled to the Enoch Ranch near Eldorado for the first time to sample some of the bird life present in that habitat. This location is of much interest to the banding team as it is located near the divide that separates the South Concho and the Llano River drainages. During migration, this location should offer evidence as to the movement of birds along these drainages. They set only a few nets near the headquarters and shortly had some nice birds for their efforts. They banded only a few hours and netted thirty birds and ten species. Several male Painted Buntings, Bullocks Orioles, Lark Sparrows, Bell's Vireos, and a beautiful male Vermilion Flycatcher were included in this number. We appreciate the hospitality of the landowner and look forward to a larger effort at this location in the near future.

July Bandings at the Hummer Ranch

Summer time has arrived in the Concho Valley. Since we had not banded at the Hummer Ranch after the Big Day, it seemed a good time to survey numbers and species of summer residents at the ranch. Ross and Charles went to the Hummer House on the afternoon of July 2nd. With the recent rains and the summer heat, there was not a lot of bird movement but enough to make things interesting. Nancy and Deb joined the guys later in the afternoon. The bird banders entertained out of town ranch guests from Houston, Waxahachie, and Weatherford. We were surprised to band 109 birds and have 57 recaptures in a few hours banding effort. A surprising nineteen species were included in our totals.

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We returned to the Hummer Ranch on the morning of July 4th to demonstrate banding for a large number of guests that were visiting the ranch. We continued surveying activities for summer bird population. We banded 180 birds and had 136 recaptures representing 12 species. We banded larger that normal numbers of adult male Painted Buntings and banded one male with no red in its color pattern.This bird had not been observed at the ranch before. Ross and Deb, Delbert, Sue , Harold and Connie, Charles and Nancy participated in this banding.

Allen Ranch
The Inland-Outbackers were recently invited to band hummingbirds on a ranch near Junction, TX. The Allen Ranch has been owned by the same family for more than a century. Hummingbirds have been fed on this ranch since the early 1940's but bird banding had never been conducted on the ranch. We arrived at the ranch around five p.m. on Sunday afternoon, June 28th and deployed two cage traps , a Russell trap and five mist nets. We believed that we had enough help to band lots of hummingbirds. With three members of the team banding at all times, we didn't slow down until later that night when we closed out nets and traps to enjoy a cookout hosted by the ranch owner and friends. The next morning, June 29th, we arrived by 6 a.m. and banded fast and furious until about mid morning. We banded 368 Black-chinned Hummingbirds and eight songbirds that wandered into our nets. None of these birds had been banded previously during migration. It was a great banding experience for all of us. We certainly appreciate the gracious hospitality of the land owner and her willingness to let us band on her property. Ross and Deb, Connie and Harold along with Charles and Nancy participated in this banding.

Independence Creek
On June 20, following the Big Day at the Hummer Ranch, Brent , Ross, Deb, Charles, and Nancy left San Angelo at four a.m. on Saturday morning and headed to Independence Creek on the southern Pecos River. It was a beautiful morning when we left but the rain started west of Ozona and was a full blown thunderstorm by the time we reached our destination. We watched the rain until after noon when it let up enough to set nets. We banded the next two days in various habitats. Two hundred ninety three birds of 26 species were banding during this trip. Notable birds banded on the trip were, Black-capped Vireo, Green Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Brown-crested Flycatcher, and Olive Sparrow. The Olive Sparrow was the first of that species to be banded at that location. Our numbers for the trip were slightly lower than previous years but the rain was a factor. In addition, a flood last fall on Independence Creek and the lower Pecos destroyed trees, brush and a bridge in areas that had been used for nets in earlier years. These factors held down our banding numbers. It was a great trip in great country. We appreciate the opportunity to band in such a unique environment and thank the landowner for allowing us to be there.

Big Day at the Hummer House Ranch
The Big Day of bird banding at the Hummer Ranch is a long-standing tradition. On June 19th, banders from across the nation including Dr. Brent Ortego of Victoria and Bob Sargent of Alabama gathered at the Hummer Ranch to band some of the thousands of Black-chinned Hummingbirds that give the ranch its name. The Inland Outbackers group welcomed several members of the Texas Banding group to San Angelo including, Brent Ortego, Don and Ann Connell, Cliff Hendrick, Rose Balfour, Christian Walker and Marie Walker. Brent, Ross and Charles set nets on Thursday afternoon and banded 165 hummingbirds in two hours at a nearby ranch.
The Big Day began at five with banders putting up equipment at the Hummer Ranch. It was cool and cloudy. The hummingbirds were active and things started with a rush. Showers started later in the morning and stopped most of the song bird movement. Just when it seemed that the showers were over, a new round would begin. Song bird count remained well below the numbers of past years. When the nets were closed at five p.m., the Texas group had handled 801 birds for the day. Four hundred, thirty seven Black-chinned Hummingbirds were banded and one hundred, seventy nine were recaptured by the Inland group. Bob Sargent's group banded 275 Black-chinned Hummingbirds and recaptured 67 previously banded hummers. Eighty-five songbirds were banded and one hundred were recaptured that had been banded previously. One bird of interest was a Pine Siskin that has remained at the ranch well past the normal migration period. Even with the rain, it was a great day of banding for our group. Members of the Inland Outbackers group participating were Ross and Debra Dawkins, Harold and Connie Armstrong, Sue Oliver, David and Debbie Tarver and Charles and Nancy Floyd.
Due to rain and all banders/photographers being very busy, the birds didn't get their pictures taken on this day.

Hummer House
On Sunday, June 14th, the Inland-Outbackers group received a request to assist a National Geographic Magazine photographer in making photographs of Painted Buntings for a forthcoming article in the magazine. Since the Hummer House has the greatest concentration of Painted Buntings in the nation, it was not a great challenge to net more buntings than he needed. While there, we caught several other species for his camera but we were reluctant to engage in a large banding effort so near the annual Big Day of banding at the Hummer House. Ross, Deb, Charles and Nancy assisted the photographer on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. One hundred and two birds of ten species were banded.

Chalk Bluff
While attending a family reunion at Chalk Bluff June 8-12, Ross and Debra took advantage of a banding opportunities. Chalk Bluff is on the Nueces River northwest of Uvalde, Texas. The cabin next to them was being renovated and had a leaky faucet in the dirt yard. Even though the river was less than 100 meters away, many birds came to the faucet for a drink. A single six meter mist net caught 28 birds for banding in spite of people being everywhere and a temperature of 100 degrees. Some people almost walked into the nets and questioned if it was mesquito netting.

Twistflower Ranch
With summer fast approaching and bird migration nearing an end for the spring, Charles and Ross made a "boys day out" banding trip to the Twistflower Ranch near Iraan, Texas on Friday, May, 29th. This site is interesting to the banding team because very few banding records have ever been recorded in that part of our state. Many of the birds are the same as Concho Valley birds but there is always the possibility of banding birds more commonly found in the Trans Pecos region. It had rained at the ranch on Thursday night and they were unable to band in the area that they had intended. Nets were set up in a more accessible area and they banded 130 birds of 21 species in a few hours. They were again amazed by the number of orioles and other songbirds that live on the ranch. Orchard Orioles, Bullock’s Orioles, Canyon Towhees, and Pyrrhuloxia were banded in unexpected numbers. Yellow-billed Cuckoos and a Cassin’s Sparrow were also banded in a good day of banding. We sincerely appreciate the landowner for allowing the us the privilege of banding on the ranch.

Burditt Ranch
On Thursday morning, Ross, Debra, Charles and Nancy headed out for the Burditt Ranch near Leakey, Texas in the beautiful hill country. We were invited to be the program for the Texas Historical Commission’s Hill Country Trail meeting hosted by Sudie and Bob Burditt. It was a beautiful setting for banding birds near the Frio River. The Black-chinned Hummingbirds were swarming the numerous feeders as we banded on the deck. We banded 88 hummingbirds and recaptured 45 that had been previously banded. A total of 141 birds of 14 species were banded on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. The Inland Outbackers want to express thanks to the Burditts for their hospitality and the opportunity to band birds at their ranch.

Hummer House Television Show

The Inland Outbackers have been very busy with banding activities this week. We participated in a television production at the Hummer Ranch on Wednesday, May 20. The program will show on AG Lifestyles later in the summer. We will post the date as soon as details are available. A total of 26 species were banded on Tuesday and Wednesday while crews were filming. Dan Brown will be featured on a segment about Hummingbirds. Bird banding will be featured on another segment on RFDTV.

Dan Brown's Hummer Ranch
Ross and Charles banded at Dan Brown’s Hummer Ranch on Tuesday. Several interesting migrants had been sighted during the previous week at the ranch so they hoped to band some unusual birds. Those migrants must have moved on but they were greatly surprised to net and band a female Chestnut-sided Warbler. This species is a northeastern United States species and was at least 250 miles west of its normal migration route. This species has never been banded in the Concho Valley. However, birds have wings and they can go where they want to go. It was a nice experience for our banding team and a great record for the Hummer Ranch. A total of 24 species and 112 birds were handled during the day.

Twistflower Ranch

Charles and Nancy went to the Twistflower Ranch in Crockett County to check the feasibility of banding there. Charles deployed 6 nets along the road which had a puddle from recent rains. He put 3 nets near a solar seep in another location. The first set of nets yielded 30 birds on the first run and the nets were closed so that the second set of nets could be tended. Thirty nine birds were netted during the next couple of hours at the seep location. We banded a total of 69 birds of 26 species in just a few hours. We were grateful to have the help of one of the owners during a very busy time. We promised to return on Tuesday with a more organized banding station with a shaded canopy.
On Tuesday, we welcomed a cloudy and breezy morning. Nets were set at a new location but only a few birds were caught there so the banding station was moved back to the solar seep area where 75 birds were captured during the afternoon. Large numbers of Orchard Orioles and Bullock’s Orioles were banded.
On Wednesday, we returned to the first location near the road where nets had been deployed. Nancy tended those nets while Charles drove back and forth to the seep location gathering birds. By noon, the temperature had risen to over 100 degrees and the wind was blowing so hard that most of the bird movement had stopped. We decided that it was time to take up all nets and return to San Angelo. The total number of birds banded was 160 of 29 species.
We are very grateful to the owners of Twistflower Ranch for allowing us to band on their property. We look forward to being there again.

Hummer Ranch
The Inland Outbackers banded at Dan Brown's Hummer Ranch on May 1 and 2. This was the scheduled banding for the culmination of Dr. Dawkins' Hummingbird class offered through ASU Continuing Education. A large number of guests visiting the ranch were on hand for the banding demonstration as well as class members. A total of 23 Black-chinned Hummingbirds were banded and 11 were recaptured. One Ruby-throated Hummingbird was banded. There were 27 species of birds handled during the 24 hour period which included 139 banded and 83 recaptured. A Western Tanager was caught and banded. There had only been three others of that species banded at this location. The weather on Friday afternoon was perfect for bird banding. Saturday morning was cloudy and damp and rain was welcomed at noon. The Inland Outbacker group wishes to thank Dan and Cathy for their hospitality and the opportunity to band birds at their ranch.

Madera Canyon in Davis Mountains
The Inland Outbackers made the annual trip to Madera Canyon in the Davis Mountains for banding at the Lawrence E. Woods Park April 23-26, 2009. The Floyds and Armstrongs arrived on Thursday and enjoyed a cool afternoon and a very cold night. On Friday, about thirty nets were deployed in areas where birds had been captured in past years. The area was found to be very dry and had been burned by a wildfire recently. The stream nearby had no water and the members of the group that hiked the trail to the Chico Tank found very little water. Delbert Tarter, Sue Oliver, and the Dawkins arrived on Friday. Lois Balin of El Paso joined the group to participate in banding. There were sixteen species banded with a total of 58 birds. Eleven birds were recaptured that had been banded in past years. Even though the number and species count was lower than the previous year, the trip was considered successful in view of the dry conditions. Delbert reported that there were lots of birds in the Fort Davis State Park. Sue reported a Clark's Grebe at the Balmorhea State Park on the way to Madera Canyon.
Species banded include: Chipping Sparrow, Audubon's Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lark Sparrow, Western Bluebird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-crested Titmouse, Gray Flycatcher, Bewick's Wren, Scott's Oriole, Hepatic Tanager, Cassin's Kingbird, Elf Owl, Western Screech Owl

Dan Brown's Hummer Ranch -April 21-22, 2009
The Armstrongs and Floyds set up nets at the Hummer Ranch on Tuesday in preparation for a banding demonstration on Wednesday morning for the Texas Travel Industry group tour that was hosted by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. Sue Oliver joined the group for banding on Tuesday afternoon which extended into night time because of a influx of birds just at dusk. A total of forty-six birds of 20 species were banded and 21 recaptured that had been previously banded. A Russell trap was used to catch Hummingbirds just during the hour and a half demonstration.
Species caught and banded: Black-chinned Hummingbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Nashville Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Clay-colored Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Chipping Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Lincoln Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Northern Cardinal, Summer Tanager, White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Painted Bunting, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher,
White-eyed Vireo, Black-crested Titmouse, Belted Kingfisher

On April 18, Ross and Debra Dawkins, Sue Oliver, and David Tarver banded at Dan Brown's Hummer Ranch.There were several guests who observed the banding process. In the afternoon, Dan hosted a meeting of several local ranchers who also watched the banding. Five nets were used for most of the morning. Two additional nets were added in late morning. A Russell trap was set up for the day to catch hummingbirds. Fifteen species banded during this day include Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black-crested Titmouse, Bewick's Wren, Brewer's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, House Finch, Lazuli Bunting, Lincoln Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Pine Siskin and Red-winged Blackbird. A total of 292 birds were banded and 49 recaptured.

The following species were also seen during the day: Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Dicksissel, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-shouldered hawk, Swainson's hawk, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker

A Myrtle Warbler, Ceder Waxwing and an American Goldfinch were caught and banded in the Dawkins yard during the weekend.

Longoria Wildlife Management Area
The Inland-Outbackers Banding Group traveled to South Texas this past week to conduct a banding survey of the Longoria Unit of the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area which is north of La Feria, Texas. The Longoria Unit consists of multiple habitats with much of the area being native South Texas thicket. The Floyds and the Armstrongs arrived in recreational vehicles at the unit on Thursday, April 9th and had 33 mist nets deployed by mid-afternoon. Seven additional nets were deployed before nightfall after the Dawkins arrived.

The total number of birds banded from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning was 137 representing 30 species. Sixteen of the species banded were permanent residents of the area. Nine species were winter residents. It is probable that both wintering birds and newly arrived migrants are represented in totals for some of these species. Four species were non-resident migrants and one species was a summer resident. Many of the warbler species banded seemed to be members of a mixed flock that moved around the unit and were observed by several members of our team.

There were several visitors who came to watch the bird banding process. As always, we were glad to show what we do when we band a bird. It was a great weekend with lots of work and fun shared by the group. One member of the group literally walked the soles off of the shoes they were wearing! It was an experience to remember.

We want to thank those who made this opportunity possible. Thanks also to the Longoria staff who assisted in so many ways. We look forward to banding at Longoria Unit again.



On April 6th, the Floyds and Armstrongs gave a bird banding demonstration at the Hummer Ranch for guests from England. A total of 82 birds were banded and 11 recaptured. The following species were banded: Black-chinned Hummingbird, Lincoln Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Myrtle Warbler, Audubon's Warbler, Northern Cardinal, and Hermit Thrush.