We got to Miller Ranch in time to see the sun rise.

Cactus Wren nest in foreground with Donna Dittman, one of our guides, some other members of the group, and Nancy R and Nancy V in the background

Steven Cardiff, our other guide for the day, and Nancy V on the grounds near the ranch house

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

A good photo of walnut tree leaves, but a very poor photo of a male Western Tanager

Possible female partner of Western Tanager

Crissal Thrasher showing its rusty undertail coverts

Crissal Thrasher in the first morning light

Crissal Thrasher

Crissal Thrasher

Cave Swallows on the power lines around the barnyard at Miller Ranch

Cave Swallows and one Barn Swallow (facing right)

Barn Swallows

Western Kingbird

Adult male Gambel's Quail

Adult male Gambel's Quail

Adult male Gambel's Quail

Yellow wildflowers

Female Rufous Hummingbird

Juvenile Willow Flycatcher

Juvenile Willow Flycatcher

Western Wood-Pewee

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird?

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Female or immature male Painted Bunting

Female or immature male Painted Bunting

Female or immature male Painted Bunting

Raw wood siding on one of the outbuildings at the Miller Ranch

Siding and window in outbuilding

This Yellow Warbler was moving along low in the bushes near the house at Miller Ranch.

Yellow undertail coverts of Yellow Warbler

Western Wood-Pewee

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

After birding around the ranch house, we drove up a gravel road, parked near a gully and walked up a trail toward a distant ridge where we could see Turkey Vultures perched.

Stopping along the trail for a bird

Looking back to toward the Davis Mountains in the distance

The area had remnants of an old Army outpost.

This Canyon Wren hopped up on a rock along the trail to inspect us.

Canyon Wren along a trail at Miller Ranch, TX

Canyon Wren

Canyon Wren on trail at Miller Ranch

Millipede along the trail at Miller Ranch
May be Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Myriapods (Myriapoda) » Millipedes (Diplopoda) » Spirobolida » Trigoniulidae » Trigoniulus » Rusty millipede (Trigoniulus corallinus)

Rusty Giant millipede?

Another millipede 5-6" long

Mary and Patti found a friendly Canyon Wren at one of the Army outpost buildings and came to tell us about it.

Mary and Patti on the Miller Ranch trail

Bad, distant photo of another Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Adult male Blue Grosbeak

Willow Flycatcher
Wing bars both bright, undertail coverts bright white, wing extension short, tail not notched, breast light, cheek boundary light and contrasting

Immature Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Immature Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Interesting holly-like bush

Javelina on a hill above the trail

Interesting thorny bush

Turkey Vulture

Mary, Nancy V (behind her) and Patti (on the right) with the rest of our group on the trail

Another bad photo of a Western Tanager

Adult male Western Tanager in flight

The landscape at Miller Ranch

More landscape

Volcanic rock formation

Abandoned Army outpost on Miller Ranch

Steve coming up the trail to catch up after chasing a bird

Mary on the trail

Looking back toward the Davis Mountains in the distance

Rock Wren on the opposite side of a small canyon

Picturesque tree roots

Adult male Blue Grosbeak

As we walked down the ravine to the cars, Donna Dittman stopped and showed Mary the seeds of the Mexican Buckeye plant that was growing along the dry, rocky creek bed.

Mexican Buckeye

Several Scott's Orioles flew into the ocotillo on the ridge above us as we made our way down the rocky creek bed.

Adult male Scott's Oriole

Scott's Oriole

Scott's Oriole in flight

Adult female Bullock's Oriole

Northern Mockingbird in flight

Immature Northern Mockingbird

Say's Phoebe

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhuloxia

Dung beetle

Dung beetle

As we were approached the cars, some of the group ahead of us had spotted a Golden Eagle, but it had flown so far away by the time we arrived, we only got silhouette photos.

Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle

In a puddle of water near where the cars were parked (it had rained the night before), this male Varied Bunting was taking a bath.

As we drove back to the ranch house, we spotted a group of Chihuahuan Ravens in some trees at the side of the road.

Chihuahuan Ravens

Back in the yard of the ranch house, some Green June Beetles (also known as Fig-eater Beetles--Cotinus nitida) were all over figs that had fallen from a tree in the yard.

Fig tree leaves with Fig-eating Beetle

Fig-eating beetles eating figs

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

Female or immature male Painted Bunting

Female or immature male Painted Bunting

Female or immature male Painted Bunting

Vermilion Flycatcher on the wire over the barnyard where swallows had been roosting earlier in the day

Adult female Black-headed Grosbeak

Back view of Ladderback Woodpecker

Female or immature male Rufous Hummingbird with throat patch

Female or immature male Rufous Hummingbird

Townsend's Warbler

Rear view of Townsend's Warbler

Western Wood-Pewee

Western Wood-Pewee

On the way from the ranch house back to the highway, we saw a few more birds like this Greater Roadrunner.

Greater Roadrunner

Greater Roadrunner on a fence post on Miller Ranch, Jeff Davis County, TX

Western Kingbird on barbed wire fence on Miller Ranch entrance road

Pronghorn

Immature Lark Sparrow

Say's Phoebe

Back in Ft Davis, Nancy V and Nancy R unload their equipment from our CRV after lunch.

Patti and Steve get more stuff out of the car.

After the rain the previous evening, we drove through several big mud holes to get to the Miller Ranch and the CRV showed it.

In the afternoon, we took ourselves to the Ft Davis State Park north of town and visited a couple of viewing areas where seeds and suet had been put out for the birds, like this female Black-headed Grosbeak.

Male Lesser Goldfinch

Female Black-headed Grosbeak

Female Hepatic Tanager?

Female Hepatic Tanager?

Back of Acorn Woodpecker

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinches

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Adult male Blue Grosbeak

White-winged Doves

Adult female Black-headed Grosbeak

We went to a second set of feeders that had indoor and outdoor blinds and saw more species of birds, like this juvenile Black-throated Sparrow.

Juvenile Black-throated Sparrow

Adult male Lesser Goldfinch

Canyon Towhee

Adult male Lesser Goldfinch

Adult male Rufous Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird mid-preen

Bewick's Wren

Adult Black-throated Sparrow

Pale adult female Lesser Goldfinch

Rufous Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Outside from the "nature center" and across the street on a power pole, we spotted this Acorn Woodpecker, looking like it had just come from a bath.

We wrapped our birding at the state park and hurried back into town for the big evening dinner held at the Ft Davis Visitor Center pavilion: Nancy V, Patti M, Nancy R and Mary

It rained briefly, but the food line was under an awning and the picnic tables were under the covered pavilion, so the food line kept moving.

The crowd at the Ft Davis Hummingbird Celebration Saturday night dinner; the food was great--plenty of homemade tortillas, tamales, guacamole and taco ingredients

Kelly Bryan and other participants; Kelly gave a quiz and handed out prizes.