This Week at CyFair

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I was hoping that the colder weather would bring lots of winter birds onto the campus but this doesn't seem to have happened, at least so far. 

One reason why we don't have as many birds as we used to is habitat destruction, with more of the campus been devoured by parking lots each year. 

Another reason is that ducks and other water birds now largely shun our two retention ponds in favor of the much larger one in the new Precinct 3 park just across Barker Cypress Road. So if I want to see birds such as Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup (below), I now have to go over to the park.

The photos below show a selection of the birds I've seen on the campus this week. 

Black Vulture

American Robin

European Starling

Loggerhead Shrike

White-winged Dove

Unfortunately, I haven't yet managed to photograph the flock of Cedar Waxwings that moved in over the holidays. I hope to get some photos of these beautiful birds in the next few days. I also hope that the flock will keep increasing until it reaches the size (1000+ birds) that it reached last winter and the one before that.
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