Counting Birds
2024 Christmas Bird Count
San Marcos, Texas
Zone 1 Team
Photos courtesy Betsy Cross
Betsy Cross
Once again, Rebekah Rylander, PhD—Science Coordinator of the Rio Grande Joint Venture for the American Bird Conservancy and good friend and mentor to bird enthusiasts across Hays County—organized and led the San Marcos Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
Here’s what Rebekah had to say about the 2024 bird census finale:
The 2024 San Marcos Christmas Bird Count held on December 15 was a huge success! Even though the morning was a bit slow for most groups, we still had outstanding participation (over 70 people!), and even more impressive, we had the highest species count we have ever had over the 9 years we've surveyed the circle. Drumroll please!.....Our total count for 2024 - 138 species! WOW!
Our previous highest total was 131 in 2018.
There were so many highlights, but here are a few shoutouts!
Zone 1 (Jesse Huth): Louisiana Waterthrush, Green Heron, and Gray Catbird
Zone 4a (Shelia Hargis): White-tipped Dove and Peregrine Falcon
Zone 8 (Stephen Ramirez): Western Flycatcher
Other amazing finds included Anna's Hummingbird and Barn Swallows by Justin Bosler, and two other birders within the CBC circle on December 15, Amy Bishop and Doug Booher, located the Curve-billed Thrasher and a Yellow-headed Blackbird and were willing to share these observations with us. Incredible!
If you're interested in seeing the eBird Trip Report, you should be able to view it here. (Please note that the total on the Trip Report is a bit wonky and does not have some of the observations entered, while other species like Egyptian Goose don't count towards CBC totals. But for the most part, it is fairly up to speed!)
Every year I am blown away by the dedication and talent of the section leaders, as they are truly the wheels behind this operation. So thank you so much for giving your time and energy. And thank you to all of the participants for showing up, getting out there, and hopefully seeing some cool birds and making connections with others. That's what the Christmas Bird Count is all about!
—Rebekah J. Rylander, PhD
Hays County Master Naturalists and community birders took part in the event. Specifics about the zones and their leaders are found a little further down the page.
But first, take a walk with Jesse Huth’s Zone 1 Team to see a sample of the 89 species we documented in downtown San Marcos and across Zone 1.
Every bird counts!
Zone 1 Team members gathered at 7:15 a.m. on December 15, 2024 at Crook’s Park in San Marcos. It was a gray day, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of these energetic birders.
Need a closer look? Click on any photo to enlarge it.
Louisiana Waterthrush
Cardinal, male
Cardinal, female
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Green Kingfisher
Brown Creeper
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-shouldered Hawk
At Cape Road Pond, the team logged 15 Great Egrets, 6 Great Blue Herons, 1 Black-crowned Night Heron, and 2 Neotropic Cormorants, along with some smaller songbirds.
How many Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons can you count in this photo at Cape Road Pond?
Neotropic Cormorant
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Cooper’s Hawk
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Red-shouldered Hawk
A mixed flock of Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons was flushed from a field adjacent to the Fish Hatchery. Overall, 29 Great Egrets and 23 Great Blue Herons were reported at this site.
Osprey
Rock Pigeon Flock
American Pipit
Red-winged Blackbird Flock
Killdeer
American Pipit
Northern Mockingbird
Savannah Sparrow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Orange-crowned Warbler
Wood Ducks—Male and Female Pair
San Marcos Christmas Bird Count - Zones Covered
December 15, 2024
Zone 1: Leader – Jesse Huth This team covered much of downtown San Marcos, including river access, greenbelt parks, and the State Fish Hatchery.
Zone 2a: Leader – Amanda Haverland This team covered the old National Fish Hatchery, several small ponds with waterfowl, and did some car-birding.
Zone 2b: Leader – Saunders Drukker This team birded at Lower Purgatory Creek, Upper Purgatory Creek, and Prospect Park.
Zone 2c: Leader - Silas Ott This team covered Ringtail Ridge and cruised the backroads near Hugo Road and Bridlewood Estates for waterfowl and sparrows.
Zone 3: Leader – Anna Matthews This team birded at the Freeman Center, a large Texas State University owned property covering a multitude of habitats.
Zone 4a: Leader – Shelia Hargis This team’s section included locations with access to the Blanco River, birding on private lands, and some fun back roads.
Zone 4b: Leader – Sonia Duran and Grady Terry This team’s section included Five Mile Dam, birding access to a private ranch, and locations along Lime Kiln Road.
Zone 5: Leader – Kenneth Bader This team covered Blanco Shoals Park and many open fields perfect for scanning and flushing thousands of birds.
Zone 6: Leader – Romey Swanson The gem of this team’s section was Spring Lake Preserve and the Meadows Center, as well as a couple of other nearby parks.
Zone 7: Leader – Colton Robbins This team covered the most ponds, tanks, and depressions for waterfowl, with opportunities to pick out several species of raptor that hunt the open fields of the area.
Zone 8: Leader – Stephen Ramirez This team covered University Camp along the Blanco River, the pecan bottomlands off of Fulton Ranch Road, and the back roads of some great hill country habitat.