The birds will soon return to Wimberley
This is a quiet time for new bird arrivals, but in just a few weeks, things will pick up considerably.
By February, a trickle of avian arrivals will start. Some of the very first birds to arrive in the Wimberley area will be red-winged blackbirds, eastern phoebes and various tree swallows. A few people will even see their first hummingbird in that month.
I can count on a blackchinned hummer to show up like clockwork on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, but some folks have hummingbirds in February. Matter of fact, some very lucky people have hummers yearround. I envy them.
One species I especially look forward to are the wood warblers – a most colorful and active avian species.
In Texas, we are blessed with several warblers – including orange-crowned, black and white, Wilson’s, Kentucky, Swainson’s, Nashville, pine, and – my favorite – the yellow-rumped warbler, also called butter-butt.
A prized species in our area is the golden-cheeked warbler, a rare bird that will hopefully increase in numbers with improved habitat protection.
Some female warblers have a greenish cast, but the males usually show off with blazing yellows and shiny golds. Both are most welcome around my place – a beautiful warbler is hard to beat.