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Over the past 6 years, several of us who work at LSC-CyFair have been recording the different bird species that we see on the campus. Our list has now grown to 157 species. On Monday, I and a couple of colleagues were discussing the chances of our seeing new species in the future, given how much construction work and habitat destruction has been going on here this year. My view was that we would be lucky to add any birds to the current list, except perhaps for some unusual flyovers.
Today was a busy work day and so I didn't have time for birdwatching. However, as I was walking from my office to another campus building, I noticed two birds pop up on top of a small tree. Our first ever House Finches! I grabbed a quick photo and then emailed my colleagues to tell them our list has now grown to 158 species.
Male House Finch
P.S.
House Finches been common on the east and west coasts for years and have been gradually expanding their range inland. Just 5 or 6 years ago, they were rarely spotted in southeast Texas but now they are turning up in our area in significant numbers. It's certainly an unusual day at our home in Cypress if there aren't at least a few House Finches on the feeders.
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4 comments:
We are having bad weather across here in Scotland forcing the more unusual birds into gardens, same reason for the House Finches arriving with you?
Good birding
Dave
No. The Finches are just busy colonizing the entire country. They were native in the west. Then captive birds were released in the east. The two populations are now converging on the states in the middle!
Is that to the detriment of any other species?
Not as far as I know. So quite different from the disaster caused by those imports from the UK, European Starlings and House Sparrows.
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