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Winter birds are still hanging around

Although some birds have flown south to avoid the cold, there is still a lot of avian activity in our area. Among the winter birds you can look forward to are ruby-crowned kinglet, cedar waxwing, American goldfinch, spotted towhee, yellow-rumped warbler, American robin, and orange-crowned warbler.

I have seen a large number of robins so far and a fair number of cedar waxwings, and my first goldfinches showed up recently. But I am still waiting for kinglets, towhees and warblers.

The hummingbird most likely to over-winter in central Texas is the rufous species. And this has been a banner year for folks seeing winter hummers. Most recently, I had a call from Jo Ann Dennis, who resides in the River Oaks area of Wimberley, an area she describes as “out in the country.” Jo Ann said she has hummingbirds year around and the hummer currently at her place has a very short tail and is mostly gray. It comes in quickly to feed on her sugar-water and then leaves.

Jan Prasek, who lives in the Paradise Hills neighborhood in Wimberley, called to report great flocks of robins that pass over her abode, taking about 20 minutes to make the passage. “There must be thousands,” she noted. She has also played host to an over-wintering rufous hummingbird and leaves her sugar-water feeders up all winter.

I have been pleasantly surprised at all the reports of fancy flying feathers – there’s nothing like a nice bird to perk up a gloomy winter day.

Wimberley View

P.O. Box 49
Wimberley, TX 78676
Phone: 512-847-2202
Fax: 512-847-9054