Friday, March 30
San Angelo to Concan. Drove through some rain. Got to Neal's about 2 p.m. and unloaded car before it started raining again. Right after supper at Neal's Cafe a huge storm came up: wind, heavy rain, hail from marble - to golf ball - size, thunder and lightning. 2 1/2 inches of rain. Another thunderstorm at 11 p.m.
Several trees and limbs down. Saw Nona Nun Nelly from IN at cafe. Missed seeing Jeff Scherer from Voorheesville, NY.


Saturday, March 31
Clear skies. Sunny all day. Pleasant temp in 70s. Up between 7:30 and 8. Showered and went to breakfast at cafe. Set up feeders and drip at Cabin 5. Hummers were there in less than a minute: Blackchins and Rubies. Lesser Goldfinches not far behind. Pair of Golden-fronted Woodpeckers ate at seeds, sugarwater, and termites on stump by stone wall around our patio. Interesting to watch. It seemed that they explored every possibility.

Checked on Cattle Guard feeding station. Got Philip to put seeds and corn into two small metal garbage cans and cans into wooden holders. Got drip going. Went back later and put out sunflower seeds and cracked corn. Will finish that station tomorrow. Got drip and new Rocky Mountain Ground Birdbath going at Cabin 61. Need to get Lany to put in new faucet so we can run a drip hose to bath, and wire between trees to hang feeders on. Went down to Pecan Grove. Lots of water standing in lowest area. It will bear watching the next few days to see what shows up. Nona was down there, and on our way out we met John from CT.

Saw Anthony and LeAnn Sharp at Neal's Store. They were watching a Long-billed Thrasher near front of store. They told us they were here to put up our third bluebird box between the Pecan Grove and Mary Anna and Rodger's house. And they took the box off the wooden fencepost and placed it on an iron pole. Hooray for the Sharps! They joined us at supper. With their help we have 47 species on our list for our first full day here. The list covers all the area that is covered in my book, Birder's Guide to Concan.

Palm Sunday, April 1
48°-78°. Sunny.
Up before 8. Breakfast in Cabin. Cattle Guard to put out feeders and seed. Philip found Ron Sprouse at store and he came to CGFA then went to Cabin 5 with us to see if we could together figure out how to get me on the internet. Got through but wouldn't connect. Ron went to lunch with us at the Cafe. I had fried chicken and Harold had roast beef. A little after 1:00 we headed to Uvalde: Dollar Store, TSC, Wal-Mart Garden Center and grocery, HEB, gas at Shell station on hwy out of town. Home after 5:00. Found note in door from John & Flo Wise who had been here at 2:35. Sorry we missed them. I think they're camping at Gamer SP. Put up groceries then went to Cabin 61 to see if Larry had put up wire. He had. We'll finish that feeding area tomorrow. Drove to Pecan Grove to find new bluebird house. Red-shouldered Hawk flew through (while we were watching the drip) and in direction of last year's nest. Cattle Guard Feeding Area at 6:20. Birds very active. Best birds: Yellow-throated Warbler & Spotted Towhee. Back to cabin for HEB's tuna, apple, ice cream. Back to CGFA to put feeders in garbage can. This is going to work better than last year's plan of taking them to the store for the night. A very Large Day!

Monday, April 2
66°-78° Misty morning. Sunny afternoon. Up little after 8:00. B'fast in cabin. Four birders from Ontario outside cabin. Got good look at Summer Tanager. CGFA to put feeders back out. Cabin 61. Ron came by & helped with bird bath & hanging feeders and to our cabin to try again to get me on the internet. Back to CGFA. Back to Cabin 5. John Rosford & Audrey Harvey from (Austin/Georgia). He tried to help with internet. Came to same dead end. They are both photographers. Know Greg Lasley and Clair & Susan. Gave them copy of Concan Guide. Ate lunch at Cabin. Went back to Cabin 61. Mike & Kathy from St. Louis were there. They helped set up drip hose so we don't have to fill water jug any more! Back to PGT to hook up drip for bathing rock. Back to cabin. Harriet & Ann arrived. Then we went back to PGT to hang thistle feeder. Saw Yellow-throated Warbler at water. Wonder if it's the same one on the cover of my book? Back to cabin around 5:00. John & Audrey came back to set up cameras to try for Hooded Oriole. Drove to Leakey for dinner at Vinny's. Chicken picatta. Fantastic!


Tuesday, April 3
66°-80° something. Misty morning. Sunny afternoon. Not so humid as yesterday. Highlights of day: Two women birders from Hondo found Great Kiskadee on River Trail. We found Cave Swallows nesting at end of Cabin 27 as usual. Joy from Manitoba saw Golden-cheeked Warbler (female) at Cabin 61 water drip along with Yellow-throated Warbler. Harold tended to our laundry while I filled out the bird list for the poster in the store. Later in afternoon we met a couple from the UK at Cabin 61 where we had a great show with Yellow-throated Warbler coming to EAT sunflower seeds (I've never seen a warbler eating seeds!), go to drip for drink and bath, then to tree to preen, and back again on the whole round. Also saw White-eyed Vireo and Olive Sparrow at drip. A very dingy White-throated Sparrow was feeding at 61. We keep seeing the Red-shouldered Hawk flying around the outer perimeters of the Pecan Grove and heading in the direction of last year's nest. Mike & Kathy (from St. Louis) tried to drive all the way around Pecan Grove and found about 6 inches of water on trail at far side. That's where the hawk's nest was, so it will be a while before we can check on the nest. Our new drip and Rocky Mountain bird bath at 61 are doing great. Tomorrow we're going to try to install a mister at the CGFA. This was a VERY LARGE DAY! So far, we have 96 species on the list for the area.
P.S. Still no luck with connecting with the Internet at my cabin. I even called AOL and only got a machine to talk to, and "it" didn't understand my problem.

Wednesday, April 4
Cloudy all day. Heard a little thunder around noon.66°-72°. Started rounds around 8. Rearranged Cabin 61 feeders: lowered tray feeder and reversed that and thistle feeder. Hung sugar-water feeder (that the orioles favor) on wire so it is easily seen now from chairs. Harriet and Ann came by while we were working there. Left at 8:30 and headed to Cattle Guard Area where I heard sound I didn't recognize. It was a Brown Thrasher. Mike and Kathy came by and helped again. Kathy and I hammered a nail into each side of the new redwood feeder so the birds would have a better place to perch, and I put a Honey Bun in the suet holder at end of feeder. Took us another 30 minutes there, then went to Pecan Grove. Everything was OK there, so we stayed in car. Lots of American Goldfinches in feeding area; a hummer taking a shower under the drip; Ashthroated Flycatcher in pecan tree above feeders; Great Blue Heron took off from somewhere beyond trees in direction of pig pen. Nona Nunnelly stopped by to talk, and we saw the Brit couple as we were leaving. They were looking for bluebirds to photograph. (I saw them later in the afternoon, and they did see a pair of Eastern Bluebirds taking nest materials into nestbox #1. He said he got some photos from the car.)

Back at cabin at 10:00 to eat breakfast. (We decided that from now on we need to take b'fast with us, or eat before we leave, when we make our rounds because we get stopped so often it's hard to get back to the cabin to eat.)Back to Cabin 61 around 11:00 in hopes of seeing Golden-cheeked Warbler. No luck on that score. Enjoyed watching Lesser Goldfinches hanging upside down on the end of the drip hose, drinking droplets. Also, enjoyed a pair of Hooded Orioles who made frequent trips to hummer feeder. Ron Sprouse came by and left me an external hard drive to try to use for my journal. Also left printed instructions on getting online with Mac OSX. Went back to cabin and saw Harriet and Ann who had been down by the river where they found a Red-shouldered Hawk nest. After we ate lunch at the cabin, went down to river and found them, and they showed us the hawk nest. Also watched a Black-chinned Hummer working on her nest in the cypress above the picnic table, a Golden-fronted Woodpecker going in and out of a nest hole in a dead limb, a pair of Vermilion flycatchers (couldn't find where they were building), and saw our first Yellowrumped Warbler for the trip. Brit couple came by to tell me about bluebirds. (The shirts I had ordered from Cabelo's before we left home finally arrived today. They had been sent to Tarpley instead of Concan!)

(I'm meeting Dianne's husband John at store at 5. He's going to help us with the feeders, etc.) Our species list is now at 107.

Thursday, April 5
54° Cloudy all morning. Sunny all afternoon.Slept in today because John was taking care of feeders for us. Had breakfast around 10:00: Boiled (frozen) eggs, bacon, toast, coffee. Our fridge has been freezing everything in it ever since we got here. Just as we were about to get in the car to go to 61, we saw Oscar, and he said he would take our fridge out and bring another one, which he got out of Cabin 35. It is a monster, but at least it works. Oscar also installed the grab bar (that we had brought with us) outside my shower. Got to Cabin 61 at 11:15. Four birders from Livingston, TX, and Phyllis from Comanche were there. CGFA at 12:00. Livingston birders + two from British Columbia + couple from UK. Rufous-crowned Sparrow showed up at water drip. Drove down to Pecan Grove. A woman and her daughter from Goshen, IN, were cooking on their camp stove and eating lunch there. They had met Alan Murphy at one of the state parks before they got here. He told them about our being here. The chile they were cooking smelled so good we decided to go to Mike & Cheryl's for chile/Frito pie, which we brought back to the cabin to eat. After lunch I went to the store to work on the list. While I was there the two couples who had e-mailed me from England checked in. Went to Cabin 61 6:05. Not much action. CGFA: Hooded Oriole came to both water drips for a drink. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was in a juniper. Birded with Brian and Shelagh from UK and Phyllis and Tom Sherick from Comanche. Supper at cabin: ham, Bush's Baked beans, potato salad and sherbet. Went to store to check e-mail. Harriet and Ann came in to tell me they had gone to Utopia to look for the Barred Owl and saw it! It was a Lifer for both of them. Our list is now at 117.

Good Friday, April 6
Mostly overcast. High in 60s. Cold front expected tonight.
Up at 7:30. Made rounds of feeding stations. Saw the two couples from England when we were checking bluebird box in front of Mary Anna's. They had just seen Verdin, Canyon Towhee, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Came back to cabin for breakfast. Left for Sabinal little after 10 to pick up a prescription at Brown's Pharmacy. Left Sabinal on US 90 West and turned right onto FR 2690. Ponds had water but no birds. Saw Redwings, Meadowlarks, and Scissortails, and one outstanding Bullock's Oriole. On CR 329 (Sabinal Feedlot Road) saw White-crowned Sparrows, lots of Brewer's Blackbirds, the usual Loggerhead Shrikes, and about 10 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at pond, which had a little water but no shorebirds. FR 30 produced nothing new. No Grasshopper Sparrows. One good look at a Red-tailed Hawk. Back to Neal's in time for lunch. I guess they were open because it's Good Friday and quite a few more people were here. We had chicken strips, salad, fries, and cobbler. Quite good. Went to P.O. to pick up mail and back to cabin where Phyllis & Tom and their son (Dan) and daughter-in-law (Nancee) from Houston were watching the birds at our feeders. I replaced the small hummer feeder with a large one, refilled the oriole feeder, and put grape jelly in oriole's jar. Not 5 minutes later the male Hooded found it. Phyllis's son got a really good picture of it with his digital camera. They were heading for Cabin 61, so l gave Phyl a sack of seeds and some peanuts to put out over there.

We drove all the way down the road past the Cattle Guard feeders and saw almost nothing. Phyllis had earlier seen a Pyrrhuloxia there, but we had no luck. Went to the Pecan Grove where there was little activity and decided to try to get to last year's Red-shouldered Hawk nest the short way. Found it, but it looks as if it is not active this year. The road was fine to the nest tree and then along the road at the back of the PG there was lots of mud, so we turned around and came back. As we were driving out of the PGT we met John from CT coming in. He said he found a GCW near the Roosa's house earlier. Hooray!

When we went to the store around 3:30 we were surprised to see Harriet and Ann already back from their day with Tom Hince and group whom they had met at the Lost Maples Cafe in Utopia for breakfast. They saw GCWs at Lost Maples and were going to Kerr WMA to look for BCV but found it along 337 between
Vanderpool and Leakey. Tom had scouted the road yesterday and found them singing at a pull-out. The group got killer looks at the singing birds, both male and female. They went back to Utopia Park where they saw the Barred Owl again.

We got back to our cabin about 4:45 and decided to relax until supper. I went over to the cafe a little before 6 to talk to Tom's group. They were from Ontario and Western Newfoundland. A really nice group of people. I talked to the 4 Brits who had had a fantastic day with Bob Rasa whom they ran into at the Pecan Grove after we saw them this morning. He had taken them all around the area, including Cooks Slough. They were very impressed with Bob's knowledge and willingness to guide them.
We sat with Marilyn and Andy Buhler from B.C. and had a delightful time. We had hamburgers tonight, which was a nice change from catfish. Really good burgers on outstanding buns!

We added quite a few species today, so our list now stands at 123. John was taking care of feeders for us tonight (and in the morning), so we came back to the cabin after supper and relaxed. It's right at 600 now, and we're waiting for the cold front. The forecast is for snow in Dallas this weekend and sleet here. It's supposed to be in the 30s here tonight and 40s tomorrow. Brrrrrr!!!! It's a good thing we brought layers to wear!

Saturday, April 7
40°& falling. Hovered around 34° 35° all afternoon. Rain. Drizzle. Sleet. Thunder this afternoon w/heavy rain.Yes! The cold front did indeed arrive during the night. Late this morning I heard that it was snowing in Fredericksburg and sleeting 8 miles up 83. We slept late and went to b'fast around 9:3 0. Saw a female Orchard Oriole at the hummer feeder on the observation deck. The Hooded Orioles at our cabin came for jelly and sugarwater all day. Hummers swarmed all day, even during heavy rain. Talked to son Van this a.m. and they'd had sleet and freezing rain in San Angelo during the night, and it had been snowing all day. Talked to son Mike (in Waco) later, and he said it had been snowing all day in Waco! That must have been a record for Waco.

The Wacoan magazine arrived in the mail today. Good article by Megan Willome about birding in Concan. Left two copies at the store and gave copies to Mary Tom and Carol and Johnny Graves.
We drove over to Roosa's house and looked and listened (from the car) for GCW. We plan to go back and concentrate on that area after the weather clears up. At supper tonight I talked to the 4 Brits who added Vesper Sparrow, Homed Lark, and Indigo Bunting to our list. The bunting was at the headquarter feeders
at Lost Maples. Also talked to Tom Hince and group. They'd been birding all day from the van and added 12 species to our list. The most outstanding was a group of Marbled Godwits on a distant pond on 2730. They also saw Yellow-headed Blackbirds at the Sabinal Feedlot. The Brits had been there earlier and did not see them. Our list is now 140 species!

Easter Sunday, April 8
Rain overnight. Cold. Cloudy all day. 34°-45°
Woke up too late to go to Sunrise Service. They moved it inside to the church instead of under the Big Tree. Made rounds checking Cabin 61 and CGFA. John had already put feeders out, and someone had put grape jelly on small paper plates in the bushes at 61. Hope it works. Ran into Bob Rasa at CGFA. Stopped by store to catch up on list. Talked to several Brits and also a local named Freddy. Found out he has bird feeders in his yard. Bought coffee and sweet rolls and took them to cabin, then went to cafe to catch up on list there. Then I went back to the store to check my e-mail. I answered the phone once and it was Carol
Fegarido calling from San Antonio. They had decided to come in a day earlier than planned. Someone was in the cabin they had reserved, so Mary Anna is putting them in CC2. One e-mail from Bob Rasa added 12 species to our list. Our lunch reservations were for 11:30. Went a few minutes early to catch up on list again, and Liz and Bruce Barrett walked in, so we got to eat with them. Saw Susan Lynch with a group. She will join us for supper one night this week. Hope to relax a little this afternoon. Drove River Road. Lots of birds at 7 Bluff Cabins feeders. Added Bronzed Cowbird. Tried pishing along road. No luck. Three women from TN arrived: Carol Fegarido, Roberta, and Betty. Went to CC2 to meet them. Led them to Cabin 61, where we met three from Ohio who are staying at 61. Mary told us she saw a Great Homed Owl outside the cabin at 5 a.m. this morning and a Golden-cheeked Warbler in the junipers over the drip. Sat at CGFA a while. Nothing new. Went by store and told Diane we'd like for her husband John to take care of feeders, evenings and mornings until otherwise notified. Came to cabin and had sandwiches for supper. 156 species so far.

Monday, April 9
42° Cloudy
I woke up at 7:30, got up and put the coffee on and feeders out. Went to store around 9 to call Kim at Brown's Pharmacy in Sabinal for 3 prescriptions that are out. A woman who lives on River Road was there getting sunflower seeds to put on the rocks at 61. She SAID she and friend had seen the GCW there this morning (on a rock). Sat at Cabin 61 with Phyllis a while and found out she knows Patti Dimling. Phyl used to live in Findlay, Ohio, and helped found the nature club there. (Later when I talked to Phyllis she said she thought the women were seeing Lesser Goldfinch instead of GCW.) She also told me she found the partially albino hummer's nest near the Curve/45 MPH sign on 127 this side of the bridge at eye level. We'll go look for it. Didn't find it, but drove over to Mary Anna's to look for GCW and parked right beside oak tree where we saw a hummer fly into a nest. I put two small yellow ribbons on bush beneath it. Showed the nest to Rodger as he was leaving the house, and he told us Betty was cooking lunch and invited us to join them. (Great lunch! Soft tacos, rice, beans, chips, lettuce/tomatoes. Betty is a good cook!)

Went back to 61 at 2:25 and sat with Chan Chandler from NC and couple from Montanna. Very nice people. CGFA at 3:40 and put out jelly jars at both places for orioles. Saw the TN threesome in the store. Carol and Betty had both heard
GCW, and Betty saw it near CC2. Carol hiked up the hill near their cabin and is sure she heard both GCW and BCV. She will go back again tomorrow.

John (Diane's husband) came to the cabin at 4:30, and I went with him to 61 and CGFA to show him exactly what I wanted done at both places. He said he was a little hesitant to put out seeds when people were sitting there. I told him to go ahead and put seed out whether people were there or not and to tell them the birds would return after he leaves. Also to go ahead and take things down when it's convenient for him whether people are there or not.

Cafe is open tonight. Hooray! Two groups are due in tonight.

Rodger saved us some barbecue for supper. They had cooked it for their Poker group tonight. It was great! Met the two groups. Mark (?) leads Eagle Eye Tours. They're staying 4 nights. The other, group of 4, are from Canada, staying 2 nights. Mark saw American Golden-Plovers at pond on Sabinal Feedlot road. Checked e-mail at store.

Tuesday, April 10
50°- 80°. Misty, cloudy all morning. Sun broke through at noon. Had planned to go to Sabinal and Uvalde today, but prescriptions were not ready, and Lona could not give Harold an appointment for a hair cut until tomorrow at 10; so we'll go tomorrow. Went to check CGFA and saw Phyllis and the two young men from Sweden who checked in last hight. Sat with Phyllis at Cabin 61 and she saw BCV in trees behind drip at 11:20. We saw the movement but couldn't get our bins on it. Not much going on at Pecan Grove. Leaves still not out fully. Bluebirds on wire near box #1. Got Frito pie at Mike and Cheryl's. Saw Frank Roberts, supt. at Gamer SP. Phot'd Great Blue Heron on Pond. Went over to Cabin 35 to see if we could see Albino hummer's nest and found another hummer nest instead. This one is at eye level not ten feet from the back
porch rail. I tied a yellow ribbon on the rail. Took lots of photos. Hope at least one is good. Sat in front of Cabin 5 and photo'd Hooded Oriole and Summer Tanager that came to feeders. Late this afternoon VENT arrived with Kevin and Barry Zimmer leading. Talked to them and group from California who had just arrived. Had baked talapia, lima beans, and twice baked potatoes for supper. Super! Mark's group had just come from Cabin 61 where they saw GCW at the drip. The couple from Ottawa who are in Cabin 61 and? de Labio also saw it. Drove to Pecan Grove after supper and photo's Jackrabbit where we always see it. Saw bluebirds near boxes 1 and 2. At 2, the male was sitting on the house then went in and the female came and sat on box. No new birds added to list today. One group saw GCW at Laity Lodge overlook on 83 on their way to Kerr WMA.

Wednesday, April 11
52°-80°-something. Sunny all day.
Up at 6:53. Showered and washed hair. Went to check on feeders before eating b'fast in cabin. Called Kim Brown little after 9 to see if scipts were ready. Said she'd have them ready by the time we got to Sabinal. Birded RR3O and CR329 on our way into town. Yellow-headed Blackbirds at feedlot. Dropped Harold off
at Lona's for haircut and I went to pharmacy to get scripts. She had all but Relafen. Will mail that to me tomorrow. Picked up Harold at 10:20 and headed for Uvalde, driving down 2730 as far as the ponds on our way. Nothing at ponds. Dropped film off at HEB, then went to TSC and picked up 50-lb sack of blackoil
sunflower seeds, then went to bank and Rexall. Had our annual grilled cheese sandwich and rootbeer float. Alan Carmichael was very busy, so we didn't get to visit with him. Picked up film at HEB. Got some good shots of Summer Tanager, Hooded Oriole, and BC Hummer nest (behind Cabin 35). Filled up gas tank on way out of town, then headed for Concan via FR 2690. Stopped to photo Antelope Horn (flowers). Wildflowers on that road best we've seen so far. A few Bluebonnets. Not many birds, except lots of Scissortails. Wrong time of day. Back at Cabin 5 by 1:00, then checked on CGFA and Pecan Grove. Not much going on at either place. Sat at Cabin 61 30 or 40 minutes. Thought I heard BCV in junipers over drip, but it didn't show up. Back to cabin to relax a bit. Photo'd CA group and Mark's Eagle Eye group before supper. CA group saw Green Kingfisher pair right where I told them to look, at inlet past Broken Bridge. The birds were courtship dancing and mating. The group was thrilled with the sighting. Supper tonight was super! I had salad, grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans cooked with bacon (delicious!). Saw couple from CA who are good friends of Sylvia and Jim Gallagher, and they know Clair and Susan. They were here three years ago. She has recently had cancer surgery and is on oxygen at all times. What a brave lady to keep on birding! After supper, Harold and I sat at Cabin 61 for a while and were royally entertained by a Yellow-throated Warbler who came to the drip and bathed several times. What a treat! Still waiting to see GCW and BCV. Think we heard BCV close by, but he didn't show up. Checked e-mail at store. E-mailed Janda and Gordon to bring 10 copies of the Wacoan when they come next week. Added Blue Grosbeak in Pecan Grove (someone else saw it) and Western Scrub-Jay that someone else saw. 161 species so far.

Thurs., Apr. 12
Sunny all day. 48° to mid-70s. Nice day.
Breakfast at Neal's Cafe this morning. Got there after the big groups. Went to check on feeding stations. (It is soooo nice to have help, getting the feeders in every night and back up early each morning. We don't have to get to them quite so early. That takes a tremendous amount of stress off of us.) The Hooded
Orioles are really enjoying the grape jelly we put out at Cabin 61. This is the first year we've put it there. Don't know why we didn't think of it before. Still not much going on at the Pecan Grove yet, but the pecan tree leaves are opening more and more each day. Can't wait until it's shady down there all day. Heard from High Island and Bandera today that warblers and buntings are coming in in droves. Maybe they'll get here tomorrow. Stay tuned. Had a relaxing afternoon. Alice Rhodes, Louis Muldrow's sister from Tyler arrived this afternoon. We were on our way to Leakey to meet a friend for supper at Vinny's when she came over. Tom and Phyllis Sherick took her over to Cabin 61 along with a bag of seeds and peanuts to put out. After we got back from Leakey, we went directly to 61 to clean one of the sugar-water feeders and refill it. It was really bugging me that it was so dirty and we had not taken the time to clean it. It's good for another few
days now. The people in 61 had just seen Black-&-white Warblers at the drip but no GCW or BCV yet. They'll be here all weekend, so I'm betting they'll see them before they leave.

Barry Zimmer, one of the VENT leaders, told me that they saw an Eastern Screech-Owl at The Woods at Neal's last night. Hope we can find it. They added one or two other birds to our list, too. Tomorrow I must get the lists at the store and the cafe brought up to date.

Friday the 13th of April
Rained overnight. Cloudy A.M 65° sunny afternoon. 80+°
Slept late (8:30). Breakfast in cabin. Made rounds to check on feeders. Tyler Audubon group at 61 had seen Painted Bunting several times at the seeds. (They were still seeing it when I took extra seeds and peanuts to them at 3:30. They put out orange halves for the orioles. We'll see if the birds buy.) While Harold was putting out feed at the CGFA this morning, the Black-throated Sparrow came to the rocks and came within a few feet of Harold. Yellow-breasted Chat also showed up very close to Harold. As we were driving into thePecan Grove Trail, Alice Rhodes and her husband were coming out. They had seen the Blue Grosbeak, Eastern Bluebirds, Ladder-backed WPs, among others. Hopefully, things will pick up down there with the sunshine. We saw a Clay-colored Sparrow there.

Went to Neal's Store a little before noon to work on the bird posters (lists) for the store and the cafe. We think we now have them coordinated. (169 species, so far). It took us an hour and a half, but we finally got it right (we think!).

Came back to cabin, and Harold swept out the cabin and cleaned the bathrooms. Surely looks better. It's amazing how much mud and dirt two people can track in in just a few days.

Someone has been scattering mixed seeds at the feeders, so I made a sign to post at the store (on the checkout counter & the counter where people check in for cabins) informing birders that we use ONLY blackoil sunflower and nyjer seeds at the feeders, and cracked corn ONLY at the CGFA (for the Black-throated Sparrow). Hopefully, the signs will help keep people from using the seeds that they bring. I know they're just trying to help, but the cheap, mixed seeds are known to attract undesirable birds.

Philip and Oscar brought 10 new chairs to each of the feeding areas, so I think we now have enough to accomodate larger groups. And Philip took care of getting the signs corrected at the Buchanan Trail.

Took a couple of large zip-lock bags of sunflower seeds and a small bag of peanuts for the people staying in Cabin 61 (from the Tyler Audubon Society) to replenish seeds on the rocks. Phyllis was there with another friend from Ohio (Dorothea Barker) who knows Patti Dimling. Small world!

At 4:05, we're waiting for Van and Kathy to arrive. There's a large group of 75 people having a meeting in Cabin 35, so the driveway to Cabin 6 is totally blocked. V & K will have to unload their stuff from in front of our cabin. They got here at 4:45, and Philip went to 35 and asked the people not to block the driveway, so V & K were able to unload in front of their cabin. Supper at cafe at 6:3 0, then took a drive up the hill and to the Pecan Grove. A storm was coming. Huge thunderheads in the west. Strong wind gusts while we were in Pecan Grove. Hurried home to beat the storm. Harold stayed at cabin while V, K, and I went to the store for them to get some supplies and for me to check e-mail. Started raining while we were there. Joe Allred from Dallas came in the store to ask about NQ. He said he was reading my book, I'd Rather Be Birding, and when he saw my other books on the shelves, he bought one of each, all of which I signed for him. By the time we got back to the cabin, Melinda came out of the cafe to tell us it was hailing at Frio Country, golfball-size hail. We walked over to the observation deck behind the cafe with V&K to watch the spectacular light show in the west. Great flashes of lightning within a huge thunderhead. A few minutes after we went back to our cabins, it started raining and hailing here--small- to large-marble-size hail. Since I had to unplug my computer because of the lightning, I got to bed early, a little after 9. Great night for sleeping, listening to the rain on our tin roof.

Saturday, April 14
48°68°. Sunny. Very windy all day.
I woke up around 7 and showered, then woke Harold up. We made our rounds at feeders. The Tyler group, around 20 birders were at Cabin 61. They had put out an Oriole feeder and suet feeder. Harold checked everything, then we drove over to CGFA. Three women (from Houston and Colorado) who have been here
before were intently looking at something ahead of my parking spot, so we stayed in the car until they lowered their bins and grabbed their bird books. The bird turned out to be a Bell's Vireo. Talked to them for a while, then gave them a trail map and told them where to go for Green Kingfisher. Stopped at store to add Lazuli Bunting to list. Someone had seen it at CGFA at some point during the day yesterday. Saw Philip at store. He had just gotten back from Uvalde with two more sets of pictures for me. Great shots of Antelope's Horn wildflowers, verbena, and mealy blue sage. Met V&K at cafe for b'fast at 10. Took them to CGFA at 12:05 and they got to see Lazuli Bunting and Black-throated Sparrow among other birds. Phyllis and Tom were there, and along came a 13-year-old boy from Geneva Switzerland. He was a really keen birder. (His father came along later, and we suggested that they go to Mike and Cheryl's for chile/Frito pie to get a real taste of Texas.) Drove down to Concan P.O. to show V&K Vermilion Flycatcher. The birds were very cooperative and posed at every angle on the fence in the sun. Also saw Barn Swallows darting here and there. Went to Cabin 61 around 1:00 where we saw Hermit Thrush, Spotted Towhee, and Hooded Oriole among others. Met two sisters from Salt Lake City, who said they had read my WildBird column about Neal's that I wrote back in the 9190s. They'd been wanting to come here ever since. Stopped by store to update list, and V&K bought some souvenirs, and we met a couple from Santa Barbara, CA, who were on a long birding trek. They had been reading I'd Rather Be Birding on their trip. They bought my Concan Guide, and I showed them places on the trail map to be sure to visit. (Saw them later at Cabin 61, where we were hoping for Painted Bunting but didn't see. Others saw it there and CGFA today.) Harold and I made rounds of feeders Took V&K for a ride down River Road to see Concan Golf Course and Country Club, then visited with them on the wonderful back porch of Cabin 6. Meeting them at cafe for supper at 7. Checked e-mail at store. Several from people with plans to come here during the next three weeks. The women from Houston & Colorado came in and told me they saw SEVERAL BCVs in The Woods at Neal's today. Same places TN women heard them last weekend. We'll check there tomorrow! Total of 172 species as of today.

Sunday, April 15
31° at MaryAnna's this morning. 38° at our cabin at 7 a.m.
Sunny. Calm wind. 68°
Got up around 7 and showered and shampooed. Had breakfast in cabin, then made rounds. Several birders were at Cabin 61 All had questions for me. New people from MI, MN, ILL, & UK. More birders at CGFA. More questions. So good that all these new people were here today. V&K were just relaxing at their cabin, so we went to the area around Cabin 66, where some had seen BCV yesterday. No luck. Drove all the way down to Pecan Grove. Couple from MI there, but we didn't stop. Met Van & Kathy at 11:30 for early lunch. Van and I had the fried chicken. Harold and Kathy, the roast beef. As usual, fantastic! Visited with them a while, thenV&K left at 1:30. We surely hated for them to leave. They loved being in Cabin 6 with the screened-in back porch where you can hear the river.

After they left, we made the rounds again, replenishing seeds and visiting with birders. Didn't do much else the rest of the afternoon. Relaxed in the cabin, and I checked e-mail early for a change. Our species count is now 183, with birders from 26 states and several foreign countries. Weather was perfect today!

Monday, April 16, 2007
Mostly cloudy. Windy. Cool. 48°-66° Slept til 8:15. Showered and had breakfast in the cabin. Started to make our rounds about 9:30. P.O. to pick up mail and got 10 copies of the April issue of the Wacoan magazine in which there is a nice article about Neal's and Concan. Vermilion Flycatcher on fence at end of P.O. Neal's Store to add new birds to list and meant to stay only long enough to do that; but birders kept coming in and coming in and asking questions, which was great. So we were there for about an hour and a half instead of just a few minutes. Lots of individuals and couples here this morning. We finally made it to Cabin 61 at 12:15 and sat for 45 minutes all by ourselves, which is really unusual. Highlights of that 45 minutes: Orange-crowned Warbler eating grape jelly; Summer Tanager female; Northern Cardinals mate-feeding; Yellow-breasted Chat darted into center stage for a brief appearance; Nashville Warbler in bushes behind feeders; a Rufous-crowned Sparrow at the seeds; and of course. Hooded Orioles at the oriole feeder and the grape jelly. Someone told me they had been up the trail near 61 earlier and had killer views of Golden-cheeked Warbler at eye-level.

This was such a cool day, we decided Chile/Frito pie was in order, so we went to Mike & Cheryl's deli at the Shamrock station and got it "to go" to take to our cabin. While we were eating, a Bronzed Cowbird showed up outside our window; Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummers swarmed around the sugar water; Hooded Oriole at the jelly; Summer Tanager male came for a drink at the water dish very close to our window.

At 3:05 we went to the Cattle Guard and sat for an hour and 45 minutes. Great show: A pair of Black-throated Sparrows came repeatedly to eat; Long-billed Thrasher at peanut butter log; a Common Ground-Dove; Canyon towhee; Lincoln's, Rufous-crowned, Clay-colored, Field, and Chipping Sparrows among some of the usuals. While there, talked to a man from San Francisco, a couple from W. VA, and Gordon and Janda Hill from Waco.

Finally made it to the Pecan Grove water drip at 4:50 where we were treated to watching a male Vermilion Flycatcher dipping into the bird bath in very much the same fashion as vireos bathe-barely getting wet. First time we've seen a Vermilion at the water drip.

Drove down Frio River Trail (at Neal's) and ran into group of 8 birders from the Lake Charles, LA, area. They were heading for the end of the trail to look for Green Kingfishers, which is where we were going. When we got there the CA couple were there and had seen the pair of kingfishers flying OUT of the inlet, and they had not returned while they'd been sitting there for about an hour. The CA woman had seen a Blackbumian Warbler on the trail earlier (as had a man from Canada), and we heard Yellow-throated Warbler and Golden-fronted Woodpecker. We didn't see the kingfishers. Maybe tomorrow we'll get lucky again. It's supposed to rain again tonight.

Met Gordon and Janda at Neal's Cafe for supper at 6:30. The two men from MN reported seeing a Townsend's Warbler at Lost Maples today. They said it was singing on a Goldencheek's territory. Dashed over to store to check e-mail and back to cabin just in time for 24, our favorite TV show. It's the only TV I allow myself all week, except for an occasional newsbreak such as the horrible massacre that occurred today at VA Tech. Unthinkable! 185 species as of today.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Misty and cool early. Sunny and 80° afternoon. When Harold stepped outside our cabin a little after 9 this morning, some young men from Seattle were looking at a Black-throated Gray Warbler in the trees overhead. Harold called me out, and I got to see it, too. This is a rare bird for here, but there was no doubt about its i.d. A great bird with which to start the day! We made our rounds, first to Cabin 61 where we saw Clair and Susan de Beauvoir's Ford Explorer, but there was no sign of them. We thought they might be resting, so we didn't disturb them. They arrived last night. Drove by the CGFA, and Harold put out more sunflower seeds, then we went to the Pecan Grove. While we were there, Clair and Susan came driving in. We sat and talked to them a while, and in a few minutes a Yellow-throated Warbler landed on top of their vehicle, then flew down and perched on the sideview mirror and admired itself. I thought it very appropriate and very welcoming to the de Beauvoirs, because Clair took the cover shot of "The Mad Warbler" at the water drip here two years ago and very graciously permitted me to use it on the cover of my revised Concan guide. (You may also see the photo on Neal's web site if you click on Birding.) We took them to see the hummer's nest behind Cabin 35 and saw a tiny bill and wobbly head above the rim of the nest for the first time. Hooray! We have babies! Also took Clair and Susan down the Frio River Trail to show them where the Green Kingfishers may be seen. A large group of workers were having lunch at the picnic table, so we didn't stop. The de Beauvoirs will go back there later to photo the birds. By this time we're getting hungry and go back to the cabin for lunch after which I took my camera to photo the hummer and nest (behind 35). Stayed about 30 minutes, and the female left the nest twice in that time. The first time, she came back in 3 or 4 minutes and fed one baby. (I hope I got some decent shots!) Once I saw her lean her head forward (from her sitting position on the nest), flicked out her tongue and apparently, caught some small insects on the branch a few inches from the nest. At one point she was blinking her eyes as if very sleepy. I left the nest at 2:18, and when I got to the front of the building, there were Clair and Susan with their cameras. We talked a while, then saw a bird moving in the trees above us. I first saw only its head and almost had a heart attack. I thought surely it was a Black-capped Vireo, but it turned out to be a Yellow-rumped Warbler. I guess I was just hoping a little too hard. It's really hard to mistake a YRW for a BCV!!!!

Harold and I drove by the mulberry tree that's next to the bath house in the RV area. The tree is loaded with ripe berries. Several Cedar Waxwings were gorging themselves on the succulent fruit. We'll have to watch that tree closely in the next few days. That's where we sometimes see the Gray Catbird and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Someone reported to us that they saw a large flock of Nashville Warblers in the Cattle Guard area this morning. We sat at Cabin 61 with Gordon and Janda Hill from Waco for a while and saw an Orange-crowned Warbler at the grape jelly jar and a couple of Red Admiral Butterflies on a bush near the chairs. We drove down the road toward Becky and Chase's house, hooping to find the Sycamore-leaf Snowbell in bloom. We found the plants, but there was no sign of buds or blossoms. Maybe we just missed them this year. We drove around through The Woods at Neal's hoping for a sighting of the BCV with no luck, then to the Pecan Grove where we saw that Clair had fixed the faucet so that it now drips instead of spraying in all directions. He replaced the old double faucet attachment with a new one. Hooray for Clair! We're meeting them at Neal's Cafe for supper at 6:30. We're hoping for baked talapia! (We had salad, baked talapia, lima beans, twice-baked potatoes. Delicious!) Checked e-mail at store and came home for an early bedtime.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
52°-80°. Sunny all day.Slept till 7:40. Felt like I could have slept a couple more hours. When we walked out the door at 9:30, a couple from the UK and Belgium were waiting to talk to us. They are leading a small group. Got to Cabin 61 at 9:40. Orange-crowned Warbler still dipping into the grape jelly. Three people there talking to Clair and Susan: couple from Katy, TX, who had heard about us at So. Llano SP and drove down for the day. Also met Ken Behren who is on the WildBird Texas Birding Classic team. He is here scouting for their Big Day, which begins this Saturday. Told him to talk to Bob Rasa about some of the birds I knew they could get in Uvalde. Also told him where to find certain birds here in Concan. Made it to the Pecan Grove just in time to see a male Blue Grosbeak at the water drip. Our first of the season. (Everyone but us had already seen it!) A female Black-chinned Hummer was taking a shower (literally) under the water drip on the bathing rock. Looked as if it was really enjoying it! We drove around to the back side of the Pecan Grove and did a little "pishing" to see what would come out. A Yellow-throated Warbler almost got in the car with us and finally landed on our radio antenna.

At bluebird box #1 we saw Eastern Bluebirds, Vermilion Flycatchers, and heard Bell's Vireo. Harold put more dried mealworms in the bluebird feeder and on top of the box. Came to cabin for lunch and left when Rosie and crew came to clean up our cabin for us. Went to the end of Neal's Frio River Trail to watch for the Green Kingfisher and almost immediately saw the female. She landed on a branch up in the inlet. Also saw a Black Phoebe do a fly-by. Headed back toward cabin at 1:45 and drove by the washateria to see if any washing machines were idol. No one was washing clothes, so we went to the cabin and got our dirty clothes. It took all afternoon to do four loads of clothes because only one dryer was working. Talked to several birders while waiting for the clothes. Also got the list caught up. Got two rolls of pictures back today, with some good shots of the Cabin 35 hummer on the nest, with the female feeding the babies. In one you can see one tiny featherless head and two tiny beaks above the nest rim. Great supper tonight with salad, roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, green peas & carrots, rolls & honey.

Thursday, April 19, 2007
56°- 78-80°. Partly cidy to sunny. Wow! What a day! Today we seemed to have an influx of male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. We saw them at every feeding station. And waht a show we had in the Pecan Grove and at Cabin 61. Read on! We began our rounds around 9 a.m. and found John Bomar photo'ing at Cabin 61. While we were there a male Rubythroat came to the water drip several times. Each time he sort ofwater-ski-ed in, then dipped in the water for a bath. I'd never seen them water-ski like that before. At the Cattle Guard area, the highlights were: a Long-billed Thrasher at the p'nut butter log; Nashville Warbler eating something off the Huisache blossoms; and a Yellow-breasted Chat that landed on the wire beyond the feeders. Oh, yes, and we saw an Olive Sparrow near the feeders. Usually see it only at Cabin 61 feeders. In the Pecan Grove we found our friends Carolyn and Charlie Brown from Lampasas. Heard a Yellow-throated Vireo singing; a Crested Caracara flew by and landed in a tree beyond the water drip (same place as a day or so ago); male Vermilion Flycatcher on one of his favorite perches-our Birding Trail sign. On the way out we saw Eastern Bluebirds on the wire near bluebird box #1; and two male Blue Grosbeaks chasing each other in what appeared to be a territorial battle near bluebird box #3. Oh, how I wished for a camera with a long lens to capture the image of one of the male grosbeaks perching on the end of a log with blue mealy sage in the foreground. It is engraved in my memory-photo or no photo!

About 12:30 we decided to drive over to Sabinal to have a BLT lunch at Brown's Pharmacy (which was delish, as usual) and to the feed store to get cracked corn for the Cattle Guard Feeding Area and the grocery store for a few supplies. We'd been completely out of corn for a day or two, and the Black-throated Sparrows were getting hungry! On our way out of town we saw a Couch's Kingbird on a telephone wire. Looked and listened for Dickcissels on the way with no luck.

Went over to Cabin 61 a little before 3:15, and were we glad we did! One of the best shows we've EVER had at that location. In two hours we saw 24 species. Some of the highlights: male Rubythroats flashing their red gorgets; male Blackchins flashing amethyst gorgets; Yellow-breasted Chat sneaking into the middle of the feeding area then out again; several surprise visits to the water by a male Golden-cheeked Warbler (fantastic looks!); with others at the bath including Nashville & Yellow-throated Warblers, White-eyed Vireo, Lincoln's & Rufous-crowned Sparrows, male Painted Bunting; Orange-crowned Warbler & Hooded Oriole at the grape jelly; several appearances of Spotted Towhee, Hermit Thrush, and Long-billed Thrasher. It was almost too much. Everyone who was there couldn't decide in which direction to look first! One birder remarked that that was the best show he'd ever had in all his years ofbirding! It was terrific!


Friday, April 20, 2007
58° - 80°. Cloudy a.m. Sunny p.m. 193 species When I went outside to put feeders up, met couple from B.C. and saw Ken Behren and friend (WB Big Day team) looking for American Goldfinch. I told them to try the Pecan Grove. They rushed off. Breakfast in cabin.

Started rounds and went to CGFA first for a change. Found very enthusiastic family from Nova Scotia and Ottawa. Saw 21 species in little more than 30 minutes. Pecan Grove at 10:55. Most of the usuals. (This year the place to see warblers seems to be at Cabin 61. Last year it was the Pecan Grove.) Bluebird on box #1. Went into entry hole. Checked e-mail at store. Cabin 61 at 11:55. Common Ground-Dove at drip. Orange-crowned Warbler still going for grape jelly. As we were leaving, Harold and I saw a Cooper's Hawk flying way up over Cabin 43. Lunch at cabin. Worked on speech for NQ, then went to hummer's nest at 3:55. Female was gone and the two babes were sound asleep with heads showing above rim. They now have tiny feathers, and their beaks have grown since day before yesterday. It's amazing how fast they grow! Mama came to check on nest at 4:10 and perched on branch 2 feet below nest for about 2 seconds, then she was gone again. I left at 4:15, and she was still gone. Went to RV bath house mulberry tree at 5:00 and saw Cedar Waxwings, Cardinal, BC Titmouse, and heard White-eyed Vireo and Bewick's Wren. We keep hoping for a Gray Catbird and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Drove through Pecan Grove at 5:15. Things pretty quiet there. The pecan leaves are still NOT fully out, so it is still not shady down there. I thibnk the cold spells stunted the growth of the leaves, because last year by this time, they were fully out.

Today, Phyllis Sherick added Dickcissel and Lark Bunting she saw on 2730 yesterday. How did we miss them? We were there probably an hour after she was there. On e-mail. Bob Rasa added Northern Bobwhite and Peregrine Falcon seen at Cooks Slough. We are now up to 193 species. Clair's COD package from Socorro, NM, finally arrived today after being mailed April 9. Lots of birders at Cabin 61 around 5:00, so we didn't go down there. I hope they had as good a show as we had yesterday.

Saturday, April 21, 2007
58°. Mostly cloudy. Up a little before 7:30. (Starting next Tuesday we'll have to get up at 6 in order to be ready for Birding by Chair by 8! Better enjoy sleeping in while we can.) Decided to "do our rounds" before brakfast, so we headed for the Pecan Grove, where we saw the Edwardses from Waco and Carolyn's sister from Houston. All the usual stuff was there, with a Crested Caracara and Common Ravens doing their usual fly-by.. Then along came a group of four birders from Houston. They followed us over to the P.O., where we saw an Ash-throated Flycatcher and female Vermilion on the fence, and a Blue Grosbeak. When we arrived at the CGFA at 9:45, everyone there was motioning for us to hurry in, because the Black-capped Vireo was at the faucet water drip and had been there 4 times already. Harold got to see it, but it took me so long to get out of the car that it was gone by the time I got to the chairs. It's good to know that it's back on that hillside. I hope a lot of other folks get to see it (and me, too!). Finally got to the cafe for breakfast about 11:00. The Bonds from Salt Lake City came in and visited a while. They went to Lost Maples yesterday and saw the BCV and GCW, but they had to hike beyond the Pond to see them. They were happy. Clair and Susan came in to visit a few minutes while we were eating. They had been to Cabin 35 photo'ing the hummer feeding babies.

Went to Cabin 61 where we saw the two sisters from Utah. They told us goodbye, and later we saw them at the store. They had decided to stay two more nights. When they first got here, they were planning to stay three nights. They've extended their stay three times and had to move to a different cabin each time. They are really having fun. Just goes to show, that any birder coming to Concan should plan on at least 5 days here-longer if possible. Today our total is 194 species. Will we make it to 200? I fully expect to with Nature Quest coming up.

About 3:00 we decided to see if anything was happening at the mulberry tree. Absolutely nothing! Drove to River Oaks Resort on River Road to check out their mulberry tree. Nothing there either. Drove through the Pecan Grove, and nothing was going on there, so we went to the CGFA. Arrived there at 3:50. Quite a few birders were there. At 4:15, someone said, "The vireo is at the water drip on a stick next to the faucet." Everyone turned binoculars in that direction, and lo and behold, a Black-capped Vireo showed off, dipping into the water, then out again, disappearing into the bushes and back again to the water. Everyone got killer looks. Harold left and walked back to the cabin, and soon after he left, a Cooper's Hawk came and landed on a fallen dead tree not 10 feet from the front row of birders. It realized immediately that it had an audience and took off before it folded its wings and before anyone could even focus bins on it, but all agreed that it was a Cooper's.

Clair and Susan de Beauvoir (photographer of the Yellow-throated Warbler) came over at 5:15. Clair was all dressed up in his camo. He looked very much likeSasquatch. I hope I got a good picture of him when Harold opened the door. We drove to Leakey to eat supper at Vinny's: chicken picatta, of course. It was Clair and Susan's 25th wedding anniversary. While we were eating, John and Gloria Tveten and the Yaklins came in. When we got back to our cabin, the de Beauvoirs came in and showed us photos from their trip from Los Angeles to TX this month. Some great shots. Susan had some of the Golden-cheeked Warbler at the Cabin 61 drip from a couple of days ago. This was a very large day, indeed!


Sunday, April 22, 2007
60° - 70°. Misty/rainy all day until about 5 p.m. A magical afternoon Woke up at 7 a.m. and put the feeders out. Discovered that it was a very dreary, misty morning, so I went back to bed and slept until 9. Breakfast in the cabin and Neal's Cafe for lunch. While we were eating, Greg Lasley (from Austin) and Dave Welling (from LA) came in and sat with us. Both are professional photographers. They came to the area to shoot some pictures and got rained out. Very relaxing day until we went over to the store just to see if anything was going on and to get a cup ofcapuccino. The Utah sisters, Amy and Nini, came in and told us they had had a great experience at the Concan Post Office in the rain. When they told us the species they had seen there, we decided to give it a try. We pulled into the parking lot at the west end of the P.O. at 3:50, and the magic started immediately. The intermittent rain had stopped, and the birds popped out. Within 30 minutes we had seen 20 species. We ended up spending an hour there and seeing 26 species. It seemed to be a mixed flock of migrating birds-almost like a fall-out. I hardly know where to begin, so I'll try to hit the highlights: A male Vermilion Flycatcher was like a shining beacon on a dark and dreary day. A male Yellow Warbler was a ray of sunshine. Painted (male and female) and Indigo Buntings. Blue Grosbeaks (one was wrestling a small butterfly). A Couch's Kingbird flew up from the fence and back again numerous times. A pair of Ash-throated Flycatchers did what they do. Bell's Vireo in plain view. House Wren on the fence. Barn Swallows making forays over the field of wet grass. A male Bullock's Oriole flew into the deep foliage of an oak tree. A pair of Summer Tanagers on the fence and off again. Chimney Swifts and Purple Martins insect-hunting high above. White-crowned, Chipping, Lincoln's, Lark, and Clay-colored Sparrows were on the pavement and on the fence. And on and on infinitum. (Actually, it was only an hour, but oh, what an hour!) It was one of those magical moments you have in birding once in a while. We drove through the Pecan Grove and found a group from Maryland watching the American Goldfinches. We told them about the P.O. birds, and they took off. On our way out of the grove, we saw an American Kestrel on the high wire near Mary Anna and Rodger's house. Saw Greg and Dave again, and they told us about hearing Golden-cheeked Warbler near Cabin 66 where they are staying tonight. Drove by the Cattle Guard to see about the feeders, and everything was quiet. Our wonderful helper, John, had been there (and the Pecan Grove) early this morning with the weed-eater and cleaned up both areas. Drove over to Cabin 61 to see if we could find Clair and Susan and went in and visited with them a while and made plans to meet at the Cafe at 6:30. They've decided to stay until Tuesday morning. Several birders from the Seattle area were there. Had a great dinner: chicken breast w/Swiss cheese and mushrooms, baked potato, and green beans. We now have 197 species on the list! Another VERY LARGE DAY! Tomorrow we start preparing Cabin 35 for Nature Quest.

June reads from her book I'd Rather Be Birding at Nature Quest