Texas Panhandle Bird Nerd

Adventures of a new birder from amarillo

Since I started birdwatching (the cool kids call it "birding") in 2019, I've been trying to discern which sparrow is which, to figure out where to see a variety of birds in the Texas Panhandle, and to learn to compose beautiful pictures of the amazing wildlife I have encountered. This website is a record of that journey.

Thanks for visiting!

Vicki Wilmarth

Birding and Wildlife Stories

Vicki Wilmarth

Sep 15

Swainson's Hawk Migration Begins

A cool fall morning in northeast Potter County marked the early stages of very long journey for the dozens of Swainson's Hawks that I spo...

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Vicki Wilmarth

Jul 13

Cooper's Hawks Nesting in our Yard in Amarillo

Since April, we have happily followed the adventures of a pair of nesting Cooper's Hawks in our suburban front yard in Amarillo.

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Vicki Wilmarth

Jun 6

Birding a Different Part of Texas

At the beginning of June, birding in the Texas Panhandle slows down and can seem a little, well, monochromatic. The migratory birds are m...

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Vicki Wilmarth

May 20

Mystery Birds

Quick! If you are a birder, what kind of hawk is this? This picture is from my front yard in Amarillo, taken on May 9, 2020. You can see ...

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Vicki Wilmarth

Apr 20

The Reopening of Palo Duro Canyon State Park

For two weeks in April, the animals had the 26,000 acres of Palo Duro Canyon State Park to themselves and they quickly staged a takeover.

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Vicki Wilmarth

Feb 17

The Eagles of Amarillo

As many as a dozen Bald Eagles call Amarillo home during the winter months, but they can go unnoticed unless you know where to look for them

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Vicki Wilmarth

Jan 21

Bosque del Apache Should Be on Every Birder's Bucket List

Rohn and I spent the weekend in New Mexico at the birding dream location, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

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Vicki Wilmarth

Dec 22, 2019

Buffalo Lake's Boisterous Northern Shrike

A beautiful, buff-colored bird has sparked birdwatcher's interest in Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge this winter. The juvenile Nort...

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Vicki Wilmarth

Dec 15, 2019

Christmas Bird Count 2019--Amarillo

For 120 years, birders have been trudging out into fields, lakesides, mountains and beaches as citizen scientists to record the types and...

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Vicki Wilmarth

Dec 13, 2019

Yellow-Headed Blackbirds By the 100's

While huge flocks of blackbirds are not uncommon, particularly in agricultural settings, I was startled in early October 2019 by more tha...

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