Pictured here are two species of migratory shorebirds that stopped in Fort Worth on their way north. The larger, brown birds are Long-billed Dowitchers and the smaller birds are Wilson’s Phalaropes.

In the second image, you can see that these two species can feed side by side in the same habitat yet not compete with each other for the same food. By virture of their longer beaks, the Dowitchers can feed deep in the mud whilst the Phalaropes eat from shallower parts of the mudflat.

I included this last image because I like the juxtaposition of the Dowitcher and its reflection. Moments like these are one of the reasons I enjoy photographing wildlife.

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This member of the Fringillidae family is busy harvesting seeds from a wild sunflower. Members of this family have short stout beaks adapted for cracking the seeds they eat.

The American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis, is a small robin-sized bird that migrates through West Texas during the winter. The feathers of the male of this species change from the yellow green on the head, breast and belly to a bright egg yolk yellow.

The top of their head during the spring breeding season is capped by a black triangle while the feathers at the base of the tail are snow white. Quite a transformation for this bird.

What you see in the photos is a male bird in winter plumage. These photos were taken in early February, 2016.

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In this image, you see five Wilson’s Phalaropes. Four of them are females. Normally in the bird world, the male plumage is much more flashy than the females. In Wilson’s Phalaropes, the females wear the fancy feathers and the males are more bland. Notice the female in the upper left of the image who is splashing, the top of her head is gray. Also, compare the 4 females and see that each has a jet black band of feathers that begin at the back of the eye and run down the sides of the neck. The ladies also have various amounts of cinnamon color on the sides and fronts of their necks. These wading birds are standing in water that is about hip deep.

In the middle of the group, is the male. He lacks the black neck stripe and the cinnamon on the neck. Much less flashy than the girls.

In this image, you can see a female coming in for a landing. Notice the base of her tail and most of her tail feathers are white. This is another useful field mark. Also, you can see part of her long legs and her webbed feet. Can you see the white stripe down the back of her neck? This is also a useful field character.

I like watching these birds in flight, they are fast and they make sharp turns as a flock which is like an aerial ballet. Can you identify these as Wilson’s Phalarope? How many males do you see?

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In an earlier post, “Cedar Waxwings In A Migrating Flock“, I showed some pictures of Cedar Waxwings I took several years ago in Fort Worth. On a sunny but very windy April evening in 2017, I had the opportunity to photograph a small flock of Cedar Waxwings in a neighbor’s elm tree as these little guys were passing through West Texas on their way north. You can see the cinnamon, brown, and egg yolk yellow colors typical of this species. Also, notice the yellow band on the underside of the tail tip. These birds are beautifully colored. The wind was blowing hard enough that I didn’t photograph any birds from this encounter with their top knots extended.

In the second image, you can see the red wax band near the tip of the wing that gives these birds their common name. Scientifically, these birds are known as Bombycilla cedrorum in the family Bombycillidae. The latin in their scientific name translates to silky tail of the cedars.

In the third image, one bird is perched, and the other is attempting to fly into a gust of wind that is forcing the little fella to veer off his intended course. I watched several attempts by members of this flock to head into the wind only to be blown back to the tree or forced to veer and fly with the wind to another tree nearby. I was able to get these pictures because the wind was keeping the birds perched in the trees.

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On 3-2-2017, I experienced a real treat. I was able to approach a large collection of Sandhill Cranes that were roosting in the bottom of a drying playa not too far from where I live.

Sandhill Cranes, Antigone canadensis belong to the Gruidae or crane family. They are found in Texas during the winter and migrate to breeding grounds all over Canada and parts of Alaska. They also occur in China, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Federation. They prefer wetland habitats in these areas where they consume grains and various insects and other invertebrates.

In the second picture, you can see a Canadian Goose in the foreground which should give you an idea how large these birds are. They prefer to roost in standing water at night for protection against predators. This playa is one of the few in my area that still have water. It has been a drier fall and winter than last year and most of the playas have dried out.

In the third picture, shows a small flock of Sandhills in flight. They fly with their necks straight which distinguishes them from Great Blue Herons who fly with their long necks bent into a U shape. Sandhills are slate gray birds for the most part but there are individuals whose underparts can be tinged with a rusty color. If you are lucky enough to see them up close, they have a featherless, red forehead. This character, their size, and the way they hold their neck in flight will distinguish these birds from all others.

In the last photo, you can see several flocks in flight in the vicinity of Wind Turbine generators. Cranes and other migratory birds have no problems navigating around these devices.

Sandhill Cranes fly very high during migration. Their calls can be heard as they fly over. Until I took these pictures, that was about as close as I was able to get to these beautiful birds. The large flocks flying over with their faintly audible krrruuuuk krrrruuuk was a sure sign that winter is coming to an end.

I learned during my photo session with this large collection of sandhills that they make a lot of sound as they “visit” on their layover. It’s a sound I will remember for the rest of my life.

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