EXPLORING NATURE: SIGHTINGS

Things are pretty uneventful around my place; a lot of fat robins are monopolizing my backyard birdbath and various finches are pecking away at my hanging suet blocks.

While I am seeing a limited variety of avian species, other folks are reporting some unusual visitors.

A Grace’s warbler was recently identified at a private residence near Bastrop and a Ross’s goose was seen at Hornsby Bend, the sewage treatment facility in Travis County.

Speaking of Hornsby Bend, that slightly stinky place has been a most rewarding locale for birders over the years. Just a few of the birds recently reported include a common goldeneye, a gadwall, rusty blackbirds and hundreds of northern shovelers.

Some 352 species have been identified at this facility and it is probably the most dependable birding hot spot in this area. You never know what will show up — from orange-crowned warblers to whooping cranes.

There is no entrance fee and you can bird from your car or walk around the various holding ponds. And the Colorado River is just a short distance away if you want to walk along a river bank. All in all, it’s a great place to look for birds.