Boerne CBC - 1/2/2025

106 ...or maybe 111? for the entire count. Our team found 41 species total in 2 locations

This year we birded Capers Camp and a nearby ranch both in Waring TX. Last year, we were at the same 2 spots and one more ranch but only got only 33 species. A good trend to continue next year, no?

Any great photos? Not really. Overcast skies, distant birds, backside-only views and some that fly by too fast to get a shot. Thanks to our team's collective skills set, we made field ID's of most birds by photo clues and silhouettes even if no photo was obtained. Back at home, with a real-sized screen, software for brightening images and tools like iNaturalist, most of those id's were confirmed. Can you ID these silhouettes???

How birding - and life - has changed with technology. Think about this when you see those AWESOME images captured on film in the pre-pixel birding days!

Photos

Cedar Waxwings' distinctive flight pattern also lend a hint to their ID when viewing conditions (dark and in flight) are less than ideal.

This sharpie shot across the sky - twice in 2 nearby locations - but a camera capture gave us a better, longer look.

And finally, it was a 3-porcupine day. This one was pulling the entire branch nearer to him/her to munch the apparently yummy leaves.