+2: Passing after multiple attempts

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     My first trip to Granger Lake area was with a Travis Audubon group in Jan 2014. We saw good birds, but dipped on Mountain Plovers, which are winter visitors to TX. My highlight during that trip was good looks at Burrowing Owls, and I was getting into a fever which I initially mistook as tiredness due to lack of enough sleep. My next visit was for Striped Sparrow in Jan 2015. The sparrow was rejected by TBRC though, and so I'm not counting it. I tried for Mountain Plovers during that trip and dipped. Spotting them requires carefully scanning mega fields on County Roads.
Mountain Plovers
     In Feb that year, I made an attempt for Longspurs and the plovers and dipped on both. In Nov 2017 I made another attempt and dipped. On my fifth (or sixth in case I'm missing another Travis Audubon trip) attempt this Sat, I got them just before sundown! I noted three birds fly a short distance and drop down. The fields had Meadowlarks, but the flight was like a plover's. Killdeers have a contrasting wing bar. I knew they cannot be anything else but Mountain Plovers. I scanned the fields to find a movement, and I could see three distant Plovers. I finally added Mountain Plovers for 918.

Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S40868668


LeConte's Sparrow
     LeConte's Sparrows, like most Ammodramus Sparrows, are hard to see, and is a winter visitor to TX. After it was sighted well at Commons Ford Park, I went one evening in Oct this year and dipped on it. Realizing that morning would be better for them, I went there again the very next Sunday at sunrise. I still dipped on it, but the cool fall morning was good to be outdoors. A couple of other birders sighted the sparrow that morning, but I started getting hungry and gave up. I came back in the evening only to miss it again. Today, on my fourth attempt I got LeConte's Sparrow for 919.


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