Heidi Trudell and Cole Wild (new birder to Abilene) braved the very cold and very windy outskirts of Abilene in search of anything with feathers:

Best bird(s):

Wastewater Treatment Plant:

• Ross’s Goose: 1
• Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 (very late date; Cole was able to photograph it)
• Say’s Phoebe: 2 (very late date)
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 2 (very late date)
• Swamp Sparrow: 1 (to be expected but hard to find)

Lake Fort Phantom:

• Canvasback: 1
• Bald Eagle: 1 (adult, not the November Kirby bird)
• Bonaparte’s Gull: 3 (about as many also seen at Kirby)
• Forster’s Tern: 9 (a few also present at Kirby)

Complete List:

Kirby Lake (Panhandle Plains Site 005)

• Pied-billed Grebe: 2
• Eared Grebe: 8
• American White Pelican: 17
• Great Blue Heron: 2
• Snowy Egret: 3
• American Coot: 15
• Killdeer: 2
• Greater Yellowlegs: 1
• Least Sandpiper: 5
• Wilson’s Snipe: 1
• Bonaparte’s Gull: 4
• Ring-billed Gull: 60
• Forster’s Tern: 3
• Belted Kingfisher: 1

Lake Fort Phantom:

• Gadwall : 40
• Northern Shoveler: 25
• Canvasback: 1
• Pied-billed Grebe: 5
• Eared Grebe: 6
• Double-crested Cormorant: 7
• Bald Eagle: 1
• Northern Harrier: 1
• Red-tailed Hawk: 1
• American Coot: 200
• Sandhill Crane: 16
• Killdeer: 3
• Greater Yellowlegs: 4
• Least Sandpiper: 6
• Bonaparte’s Gull: 3
• Ring-billed Gull: 175
• Forster’s Tern: 9
• Black-crested Titmouse: 1
• Bewick’s Wren: 1
• American Pipit: 1
• Yellow-rumped Warbler: 1
• Song Sparrow: 2
• White-crowned Sparrow: 4
• Eastern Meadowlark: 4

Cedar Gap Farm (Panhandle Plains Site 006)

• Carolina Chickadee: 1
• Red-breasted Nuthatch: 1
• Yellow-rumped Warbler: 1
• Chipping Sparrow: 30
• Field Sparrow: 1
• White-throated Sparrow: 1
• White-crowned Sparrow: 1
• Dark-eyed Junco: 12
• Northern Cardinal: 5
• Pine Siskin: 3
• American Goldfinch: 2

Abilene Wastewater Treatment (Jones Co.)

• Ross’s Goose: 1
• Canada Goose: 10
• Gadwall: 35
• American Wigeon: 1
• Mallard: 6
• Blue-winged Teal: 6
• Northern Shoveler: 60
• Northern Pintail: 80
• Green-winged Teal: 25
• Ring-necked Duck: 3
• Lesser Scaup: 3
• Bufflehead: 4
• Ruddy Duck: 12
• Pied-billed Grebe: 2
• Eared Grebe: 4
• Northern Harrier: 3
• Red-tailed Hawk: 1
• American Kestrel: 1
• American Coot: 70
• Killdeer: 2
• Least Sandpiper: 7
• Pectoral Sandpiper: 1
• Long-billed Dowitcher: 20
• Ring-billed Gull: 20
• Mourning Dove: 1
• Say’s Phoebe: 2
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 2
• Loggerhead Shrike: 1
• Northern Mockingbird: 1
• European Starling: 10
• Common Yellowthroat: 1
• Vesper Sparrow: 1
• Song Sparrow: 4
• Swamp Sparrow: 1
• White-crowned Sparrow: 12
• Red-winged Blackbird: 50
• Western Meadowlark: 4
• Brown-headed Cowbird: 20
• House Finch: 1

Sightings by Heidi Trudell and Cole Wild