Common Birds: Austin, Tx

Passing by the beautifully lit up State Capitol building (above in Austin) last night I could see and hear 5 Common Nighthawks hawking insects around the very top of the dome. Today I returned to wander around the well manicured grounds with its assortment of stately trees to see what was about.

Migration is almost over here so the lack of warblers was not unexpected. On the other hand it gave me chance to see of the common resident birds up close. Sometimes we take are common backyard or suburban birds for granted. What is common in one part of the country may not be in another and it is always interesting to find out what the differences are.

Though Texas is a long way from the east coast, some of the species are the same such as Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Cardinal, House Finch, House Sparrow, Starling and Mockingbird. Those that differ include the ubiquitous White-winged Doves and Great-tailed Grackles. The doves are more numerous than the Mourning Doves back home and the grackles far outnumber Common Grackles.

Another common bird is the Western Kingbird (below). They are fairly common in open habitats with a couple of pairs patrolling the State grounds, often flying out from open perches near the tops of trees to catch insects.