By Pauline Tom.

Painted Buntings have returned to Mountain City! I saw my FOS (first of season) on April 15.  “My” Painted Bunting was the first seen in Hays County, according to reports submitted to eBird.org 

In all probability someone saw a Painted Bunting before me this year. But, sightings do not count for science and those who just want to know unless they go into eBird.org  

And, the personal records eBird keeps makes it worth the while. Checking my eBird, I found the earliest date I reported a Painted Bunting in previous years was on April 16 in 2007.  And, the earliest date for a group of 6 in my records was May 12, 2007.

The BirdsEye BirdLog app makes it possible to have a bird reporting in hand within seconds while out and about.

A Painted Bunting fulfilled my hopes by splashing in our new recirculating dripping fountain made with stacked limestone boulders. Priceless.

Masked Cedar Waxwings, close to three dozen, formed a tight ring-around-the-birdbath at two of our front yard birdbaths on Monday morning. 

How much longer will we see the stately Cedar Waxwings? Soon they will migrate to their summer nesting territory, which runs from the north half of the United States through the southern half of Canada. eBird shows no May 2013 sightings in our immediate area.  On May 10, 2013, a pair of birders reported a dozen Cedar Waxwings in Shady Hollow.

If you want to see a flock before they take this year’s long flight, listen for a high-pitched whistling flock. The whistling will draw your eyes to a treetop where they are eating berries.

The red spot that appears on the wing tip of older-than-two-years Cedar Waxwings is not the color of the feathers. Rather, it’s a red waxy secretion that’s thought to play a part in mate selection.

Nowadays, a single abrupt “whistle” that sounds like “pwitt” in Mountain City, is probably an Ash-throated Flycatcher. A pair selected a nestbox in our yard. She’s sitting on five white eggs with purple splotches.  Unlike the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that we can now see “fly-catching” straight up from a highwire along Kohler’s Crossing, the Ash-throated Flycatcher will abruptly dart out from a low bush and pick insects from leaves or stems.

The Ash-throated Flycatcher nesting will be recording in NestWatch.org accepts records (preferably about twice a week) of nestings for any and all avian species.

Nextdoor.com is a private social network for neighbors. The nextdoor.com/mountaincity already has 40 participating.  It’s an easy way to talk with neighbors online. It’s free. Folks use it to talk safety, share recommendations for repair work, and such.

For instance, Philip Taylor of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office shared these social ways we can track emergency events and other important information for public safety: 

haysinformed.com

facebook.com/haysinformed

twitter @haysinformed 

facebook.com/hayssheriff

twitter @hayssheriff 

facebook.com/HaysCountyOfficeOfEmergencyManagement

twitter @hays_oem

Now, what do tidbits do you have to share? Please send to ptom5678@gmail.com (subject: Tidbit) or 512.268.5678

Thanks!  Love, Pauline