Growing up in suburban Chicago robins were all over the place during the summer. Moved to San Antonio, none at all.

Although when we started hunting between Kerrville and Rocksprings about 12 years ago I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of them wintering there each year.

I've never seen any in the Corpus area. Until last weekend. A lone robin in Flour Bluff.

Great pics of the burrow owl. We see those in cow pastures regularly.

Those things are showing up everywhere these days it seems. Wait long enough and won't have to go to Lubbock to see a number of them.

I have seen hundreds of Robins in Flower Mound today.

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Been seeing a healthy population of Robins all over the Brazos Valley lately. I've been too tied up with work to film/photograph any.. was wondering if any of you guys have?

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I have never seen robins like I have seen this year (in the Woodlands). I heard something about it being related to drought out west.

Is that a monitoring well stickup box he is standing on in that last picture?

I had about 20 in my front yard when I headed out for an errand. Saw a lot more heading into FM. When I got back home I had one. I chased him for a bit but didn't get anything that was good.

Cornell Bird app is hit and miss for me. Can't believe I haven't checked in on this thread like the snek thread.

I know it's a personal thing, but some of you amateur pro picture guys are way too harsh on your skills, just like my daughter was when she was big into nature photography. What you consider poor quality beats the best photo I've taken in my entire life.

Keep up the great work.

We have some green parrots on the southside near Riverside golf course I want to get a picture of one day, but they are usually on the wing and too far away.

txags92 said:

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Is that a monitoring well stickup box he is standing on in that last picture?

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That is an awful tall top cap if so, not sure about the blue paint.

Tony Franklins Other Shoe said:

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txags92 said:

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Is that a monitoring well stickup box he is standing on in that last picture?

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That is an awful tall top cap if so, not sure about the blue paint.

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I was thinking it was a weathered unpainted steel gray, not blue paint. The rust near the bottom would match up with a hinge, since those hinge areas always rust on that style of box. But who knows...that's why I asked.

Good call on the hinge plate, you may be right.

I know more about those things than particular bird species, but I'm trying.

Tony Franklins Other Shoe said:

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Good call on the hinge plate, you may be right.

I know more about those things than particular bird species, but I'm trying.

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My first thought when I saw the pictures was that it was at former Reese AFB, since that place is covered in burrowing owls and monitoring wells. Then I went back and read that it was west of BCS.

txags92 said:

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Is that a monitoring well stickup box he is standing on in that last picture?

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I'm not sure what that is offhand. It was just part of an open metal pipe structure that looks like it is in place to protect something on the ground.

labmansid said:

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txags92 said:

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Is that a monitoring well stickup box he is standing on in that last picture?

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I'm not sure what that is offhand. It was just part of an open metal pipe structure that looks like it is in place to protect something on the ground.

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That's about right. Monitoring wells are set at sites with groundwater contamination. The "stick up" is just a metal housing with a concrete base, the well is inside and locked in basically to protect it. More commonly they are flush mount on the surface with a small manhole to access. Depends on what kind of site you were near when you popped the photo.

The hinge 92 is referring to is on the backside to allow the top hinged lid to bend back and give access to the well inside.


Or it could just be a steel post that protects something.

From my living room window. Tree on left.
Hawk enjoying diner

For anyone interested in learning more about hummingbirds, Travis Audubon had this presentation last Thursday evening.

https://travisaudubon.org/?event=virtual-speaker-series-all-about-hummingbirds-with-susan-heath&event_date=2021-03-18&mc_cid=798be351ba&mc_eid=7e0fa03fd9