County Listing Guide to Hockley County - Revision history

Dell.Little at 22:32, 8 March 2019

2019-03-08T22:32:36Z

Dell.Little at 20:54, 7 March 2019

2019-03-07T20:54:43Z

Dell.Little at 22:58, 26 February 2019

2019-02-26T22:58:17Z

Dell.Little: /* Locations */

2019-02-26T20:51:55Z

‎Locations

Dell.Little: /* Overview */

2019-02-26T20:45:54Z

‎Overview

Dell.Little at 16:31, 26 February 2019

2019-02-26T16:31:11Z

Dell.Little: Created page with "Overview Hockley is one of the easier counties to bird because there is a lot of accessible water and parks to find migrating passerines. Smyer playa is 20 minutes from Lubboc..."

2019-02-26T16:26:46Z

Created page with "Overview Hockley is one of the easier counties to bird because there is a lot of accessible water and parks to find migrating passerines. Smyer playa is 20 minutes from Lubboc..."

New page

Overview
Hockley is one of the easier counties to bird because there is a lot of accessible water and parks to find migrating passerines. Smyer playa is 20 minutes from Lubbock and is worth visiting for shorebirds that are less common in Lubbock, even if one is not county listing. Levelland holds most of the remaining hotspots, though there are also locations around Pep and Sundown that will add diversity and increase your ability to maximize species in one day. The route described is a half-day route, which could be expanded to include Pep and Sundown if desired. Due to personal lack of experience, the Sundown and Pep locations are not discussed here. If your goal is to maximize passerines at Smyer playa, or just checking for rare shorebirds, the route can be reversed. The Anton location is more on the way for travel to/from Lamb county, so if time permits, it can be birded on trips up Hwy 84.

Route (from Lubbock): Take Hwy 114 west to Levelland. Drive through most of town and turn south on West Ave. Make a right on McKinley and enter LEVELLAND CITY PARK. Bird the park, then return to West Ave and continue south until you reach 13th St. Bird the WEST X 13TH PLAYA and then continue east on 13th St. Turn north into LOBO LAKE PARK as soon as you pass it and bird the lake. Continue east on 13th St, which will turn into Magnolia St and eventually reach BRASHEARS LAKE PARK when it intersects with Sherman. Bird that location and then continue north on Sherman until Cactus or Hickory. Turn east on either street and continue to Alamo. Alamo Rd between Hwy 114 and Bison Rd is technically a hotspot, as this stretch may contain good birds. Continue south on Alamo Rd until you reach Bison Rd. Bison Rd is not marked, but is the left where Alamo changes from gravel to dirt. Turn left on Bison Rd and go down the hill to BISON RD PLAYA. Either return to Alamo Rd and head north to Hwy 114, or continue east on Bison Rd to FM3261. Taking FM3261 north should also return you to Hwy 114. Take Hwy 114 east until you reach Hwy 168 north. Turn north and then make the first left onto Ellis Rd. Bird SMYER PLAYA and then return to Hwy 114 and continue east. If time permits, turn south on Hwy 168 and stop at ELK RD x SH168 PLAYA. Return to Hwy 114, which will take you back to Lubbock. Reese Center in Lubbock county (North a few miles on Research Blvd) has a few playas that may hold good swallows and waterbirds.
Locations
LEVELLAND CITY PARK
This is one of the better spots in Hockley for migrants. When entering the park, most of the action will be centered around the grassy playa on the northern part of the park. When water levels are high, you may find shorebirds and other waders. Usually walking and birding around the playa will produce passerines like flycatchers in the tall trees around it. The scrub along the north part of the playa may hold warblers and sparrows.

Access: This small city park can be freely walked. Enter the park via McKinley St or Ave S Cost: free
Parking: Several parking lots are present within the park.
WEST X 13TH PLAYA
This playa on the SE corner of the intersection is also bordered by tall trees which makes it good for migrant passerines. When wet, the playa is typically more marshy, which means that waterfowl are not the major target here, but icterids and sparrows are more likely. It is harder to bird this location early in the morning because all the birds will be backlit.

Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
LOBO LAKE PARK
This is an in-town playa that tends to be hit or miss. Along with the domestic geese, and a variety of common waterfowl, it can hold good birds like Tundra Swan, Bonaparte’s Gull and Red-breasted Merganser, so it is worth checking when you are in the area. The conifers may hold Pine Siskins.

Access: This small park can be walked. Cost: free
Parking: Parking lot accessible from 13th St.
BRASHEARS LAKE PARK
This in-town playa is larger than LOBO LAKE and tends to hold more geese. The access is from the west, so birding in early morning may be challenging due to backlit birds. This location has held Brown Pelican and this is one of the easiest locations to get all 5 regularly occurring goose species for Hockley county. There are sometimes cattails along the north side of the lake, which will hold icterids. The water is typically a mix of deep and shallow water, so wading birds, dabbling ducks and diving ducks are all possible here.

Access: Technically you could walk down to the water, but it is easiest to bird from your vehicle. Cost: free
Parking: Roadside

BISON RD PLAYA
This is another great shorebird spot in Hockley county that is close to Lubbock. On the road down to the playa is a prairie dog town, so Burrowing Owls may be present. The playa holds deep water closer to the road, and the mudflats are usually further back (depending on the water levels). During high water, the road may quickly become impassible. At optimal water levels, this playa can hold a lot of great shorebirds, including Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, White-rumped Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit and others. In the winter, longspurs and larks are also possible, though they tend to be further out than at Smyer Playa. Sparrows and hawks round out the expected species here.

Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
SMYER PLAYA
This is one of the top shorebird spots in the South Plains, and its proximity to Lubbock means a trip here and to the nearby Bison Rd Playa are often worthwhile during shorebird season to find regional rarities. In very high water, Ellis Rd will flood, though the field NE of Hwy 168 x Ellis Rd will also hold water. At lower water levels, the playa south of the road will become a mudflat, while north of the road usually holds water. As you turn on to Ellis Rd, keep your eyes open for Scaled Quail, Burrowing Owls and sparrows in the grasses. When you come down to the playa, approach carefully to avoid flushing close shorebirds. Black-crowned Night-herons have roosted in the salt cedars beyond the playa. Those salt cedars will also hold migrants, so check them carefully (from the road!) for warblers, woodpeckers and other migrants, especially in the fall. In the winter and early spring, most regularly occurring ducks and geese will frequent the playa, and longspurs may come in for the water. A scope is helpful for seeing the far end of the playa, which is where most of the ducks will sit. Check carefully through the shorebirds, because rarer shorebirds like Red-necked Phalarope, Marbled Godwit and White-rumped Sandpiper may show up.

Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
ELK RD x SH168 PLAYA
This playa tends to hold dabbling ducks and shorebirds, depending on the water level. If time permits, it is worth checking, but can also be omitted as needed.

Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside

ANTON (FM2130 & OHIO ST PONDS)/ROUNDUP PLAYA
If returning from Lamb county, turn east onto FM597/1st St in Anton from Hwy 84. Continue on FM597 until you reach FM2130 and turn south. Turn west to access the Ohio St Ponds (aka Roundup Playa). If coming from Lubbock, turn north onto FM2130 from Hwy 84. Continue north to Ohio St. Typically the Ohio St Pond (Roundup Playa) holds more water, and during high water will flood Ohio St. These ponds, especially Roundup Playa, are a good location for Dickcissel breeding in the county, and may also hold shorebirds, waterbirds, herons and game birds.

Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:32, 8 March 2019
Line 46:		Line 46:
	If returning from Lamb county, turn east onto FM597/1st St in Anton from Hwy 84. Continue on FM597 until you reach FM2130 and turn south. Turn west to access the Ohio St Ponds (aka Roundup Playa). If coming from Lubbock, turn north onto FM2130 from Hwy 84. Continue north to Ohio St. Typically the Ohio St Pond (Roundup Playa) holds more water, and during high water will flood Ohio St. These ponds, especially Roundup Playa, are a good location for Dickcissel breeding in the county, and may also hold shorebirds, waterbirds, herons and game birds.		If returning from Lamb county, turn east onto FM597/1st St in Anton from Hwy 84. Continue on FM597 until you reach FM2130 and turn south. Turn west to access the Ohio St Ponds (aka Roundup Playa). If coming from Lubbock, turn north onto FM2130 from Hwy 84. Continue north to Ohio St. Typically the Ohio St Pond (Roundup Playa) holds more water, and during high water will flood Ohio St. These ponds, especially Roundup Playa, are a good location for Dickcissel breeding in the county, and may also hold shorebirds, waterbirds, herons and game birds.
	<br/>''Access: Road only''<br/> ''Cost: free''<br/> ''Parking: Roadside''		<br/>''Access: Road only''<br/> ''Cost: free''<br/> ''Parking: Roadside''
		+	[[Category:County Listing Guide]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 Published with permission from Peter Keyel, revised 01/26/19
 <br/>Return to '''[[County Listing Guide in the Southern High Plains]]'''
+<br/>Dell's '''[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MoABvQRBmoDdI3vockRGo4lIDC2ItOQo&usp=sharing| map of Hockley County]''' including eBird Hotspots, locations and routing taken from Peter Keyel's '''[[County Listing Guide in the Southern High Plains]]'''
 == Overview ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:58, 26 February 2019
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Published with permission from Peter Keyel, revised 01/26/19		Published with permission from Peter Keyel, revised 01/26/19
		+	<br/>Return to '''[[County Listing Guide in the Southern High Plains]]'''

	== Overview ==		== Overview ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 Hockley is one of the easier counties to bird because there is a lot of accessible water and parks to find migrating passerines. Smyer playa is 20 minutes from Lubbock and is worth visiting for shorebirds that are less common in Lubbock, even if one is not county listing. Levelland holds most of the remaining hotspots, though there are also locations around Pep and Sundown that will add diversity and increase your ability to maximize species in one day. The route described is a half-day route, which could be expanded to include Pep and Sundown if desired. Due to personal lack of experience, the Sundown and Pep locations are not discussed here. If your goal is to maximize passerines at Smyer playa, or just checking for rare shorebirds, the route can be reversed. The Anton location is more on the way for travel to/from Lamb county, so if time permits, it can be birded on trips up Hwy 84.
-Route (from Lubbock): Take Hwy 114 west to Levelland. Drive through most of town and turn south on West Ave. Make a right on McKinley and enter LEVELLAND CITY PARK. Bird the park, then return to West Ave and continue south until you reach 13th St. Bird the WEST X 13TH PLAYA and then continue east on 13th St. Turn north into LOBO LAKE PARK as soon as you pass it and bird the lake. Continue east on 13th St, which will turn into Magnolia St and eventually reach BRASHEARS LAKE PARK when it intersects with Sherman. Bird that location and then continue north on Sherman until Cactus or Hickory. Turn east on either street and continue to Alamo. Alamo Rd between Hwy 114 and Bison Rd is technically a hotspot, as this stretch may contain good birds. Continue south on Alamo Rd until you reach Bison Rd. Bison Rd is not marked, but is the left where Alamo changes from gravel to dirt. Turn left on Bison Rd and go down the hill to BISON RD PLAYA. Either return to Alamo Rd and head north to Hwy 114, or continue east on Bison Rd to FM3261. Taking FM3261 north should also return you to Hwy 114. Take Hwy 114 east until you reach Hwy 168 north. Turn north and then make the first left onto Ellis Rd. Bird SMYER PLAYA and then return to Hwy 114 and continue east. If time permits, turn south on Hwy 168 and stop at ELK RD x SH168 PLAYA. Return to Hwy 114, which will take you back to Lubbock. Reese Center in Lubbock county (North a few miles on Research Blvd) has a few playas that may hold good swallows and waterbirds.
+'''Route (from Lubbock):'''<br/> Take Hwy 114 west to Levelland. Drive through most of town and turn south on West Ave. Make a right on McKinley and enter LEVELLAND CITY PARK. Bird the park, then return to West Ave and continue south until you reach 13th St. Bird the WEST X 13TH PLAYA and then continue east on 13th St. Turn north into LOBO LAKE PARK as soon as you pass it and bird the lake. Continue east on 13th St, which will turn into Magnolia St and eventually reach BRASHEARS LAKE PARK when it intersects with Sherman. Bird that location and then continue north on Sherman until Cactus or Hickory. Turn east on either street and continue to Alamo. Alamo Rd between Hwy 114 and Bison Rd is technically a hotspot, as this stretch may contain good birds. Continue south on Alamo Rd until you reach Bison Rd. Bison Rd is not marked, but is the left where Alamo changes from gravel to dirt. Turn left on Bison Rd and go down the hill to BISON RD PLAYA. Either return to Alamo Rd and head north to Hwy 114, or continue east on Bison Rd to FM3261. Taking FM3261 north should also return you to Hwy 114. Take Hwy 114 east until you reach Hwy 168 north. Turn north and then make the first left onto Ellis Rd. Bird SMYER PLAYA and then return to Hwy 114 and continue east. If time permits, turn south on Hwy 168 and stop at ELK RD x SH168 PLAYA. Return to Hwy 114, which will take you back to Lubbock. Reese Center in Lubbock county (North a few miles on Research Blvd) has a few playas that may hold good swallows and waterbirds.
 == Locations ==

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 == Locations ==
-LEVELLAND CITY PARK
+==== LEVELLAND CITY PARK ====
 This is one of the better spots in Hockley for migrants. When entering the park, most of the action will be centered around the grassy playa on the northern part of the park. When water levels are high, you may find shorebirds and other waders. Usually walking and birding around the playa will produce passerines like flycatchers in the tall trees around it. The scrub along the north part of the playa may hold warblers and sparrows.
+<br/>''Access: This small city park can be freely walked. Enter the park via McKinley St or Ave S''
-Access: This small city park can be freely walked. Enter the park via McKinley St or Ave S Cost: free
+<br/>''Cost: free''
-Parking: Several parking lots are present within the park.
+<br/>''Parking: Several parking lots are present within the park.''
 WEST X 13TH PLAYA
 This playa on the SE corner of the intersection is also bordered by tall trees which makes it good for migrant passerines. When wet, the playa is typically more marshy, which means that waterfowl are not the major target here, but icterids and sparrows are more likely. It is harder to bird this location early in the morning because all the birds will be backlit.
+<br/>''Access: Road only''<br/>''Cost: free''<br/>''Parking: Roadside''
 Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
-LOBO LAKE PARK
+==== LOBO LAKE PARK ====
 This is an in-town playa that tends to be hit or miss. Along with the domestic geese, and a variety of common waterfowl, it can hold good birds like Tundra Swan, Bonaparte’s Gull and Red-breasted Merganser, so it is worth checking when you are in the area. The conifers may hold Pine Siskins.
+<br/>''Access: This small park can be walked.''<br/>''Cost: free''
-Access: This small park can be walked. Cost: free
+<br/>''Parking: Parking lot accessible from 13th St.''
 Parking: Parking lot accessible from 13th St.
-BRASHEARS LAKE PARK
+==== BRASHEARS LAKE PARK ====
 This in-town playa is larger than LOBO LAKE and tends to hold more geese. The access is from the west, so birding in early morning may be challenging due to backlit birds. This location has held Brown Pelican and this is one of the easiest locations to get all 5 regularly occurring goose species for Hockley county. There are sometimes cattails along the north side of the lake, which will hold icterids. The water is typically a mix of deep and shallow water, so wading birds, dabbling ducks and diving ducks are all possible here.
+<br/>''Access: Technically you could walk down to the water, but it is easiest to bird from your vehicle.'' <br/>''Cost: free''
-Access: Technically you could walk down to the water, but it is easiest to bird from your vehicle. Cost: free
+<br/>''Parking: Roadside''
 Parking: Roadside
+==== BISON RD PLAYA ====
 BISON RD PLAYA
 This is another great shorebird spot in Hockley county that is close to Lubbock. On the road down to the playa is a prairie dog town, so Burrowing Owls may be present. The playa holds deep water closer to the road, and the mudflats are usually further back (depending on the water levels). During high water, the road may quickly become impassible. At optimal water levels, this playa can hold a lot of great shorebirds, including Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, White-rumped Sandpiper, Hudsonian Godwit and others. In the winter, longspurs and larks are also possible, though they tend to be further out than at Smyer Playa. Sparrows and hawks round out the expected species here.
+<br/>''Access: Road only''<br/> ''Cost: free''<br/> ''Parking: Roadside''
 Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
-SMYER PLAYA
+==== SMYER PLAYA ====
 This is one of the top shorebird spots in the South Plains, and its proximity to Lubbock means a trip here and to the nearby Bison Rd Playa are often worthwhile during shorebird season to find regional rarities. In very high water, Ellis Rd will flood, though the field NE of Hwy 168 x Ellis Rd will also hold water. At lower water levels, the playa south of the road will become a mudflat, while north of the road usually holds water. As you turn on to Ellis Rd, keep your eyes open for Scaled Quail, Burrowing Owls and sparrows in the grasses. When you come down to the playa, approach carefully to avoid flushing close shorebirds. Black-crowned Night-herons have roosted in the salt cedars beyond the playa. Those salt cedars will also hold migrants, so check them carefully (from the road!) for warblers, woodpeckers and other migrants, especially in the fall. In the winter and early spring, most regularly occurring ducks and geese will frequent the playa, and longspurs may come in for the water. A scope is helpful for seeing the far end of the playa, which is where most of the ducks will sit. Check carefully through the shorebirds, because rarer shorebirds like Red-necked Phalarope, Marbled Godwit and White-rumped Sandpiper may show up.
+<br/>''Access: Road only''<br/> ''Cost: free''<br/> ''Parking: Roadside	''
-Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
-ELK RD x SH168 PLAYA
+==== ELK RD x SH168 PLAYA ====
 This playa tends to hold dabbling ducks and shorebirds, depending on the water level. If time permits, it is worth checking, but can also be omitted as needed.
-Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside
+==== ANTON (FM2130 & OHIO ST PONDS)/ROUNDUP PLAYA ====
-−
 ANTON (FM2130 & OHIO ST PONDS)/ROUNDUP PLAYA
 If returning from Lamb county, turn east onto FM597/1st St in Anton from Hwy 84. Continue on FM597 until you reach FM2130 and turn south. Turn west to access the Ohio St Ponds (aka Roundup Playa). If coming from Lubbock, turn north onto FM2130 from Hwy 84. Continue north to Ohio St. Typically the Ohio St Pond (Roundup Playa) holds more water, and during high water will flood Ohio St. These ponds, especially Roundup Playa, are a good location for Dickcissel breeding in the county, and may also hold shorebirds, waterbirds, herons and game birds.
+<br/>''Access: Road only''<br/> ''Cost: free''<br/> ''Parking: Roadside''
 Access: Road only Cost: free Parking: Roadside