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The most amazing bird display I ever saw was 2 years ago, I was shredding a field that was overgrown with "mare's tails" weeds, as I would shred a terrace a cloud of small insects that were feeding on the still green weeds would cover the tractor (the AC system has a good filtration system). It did not go unnoticed by the surrounding birds. 30-40 Mud Martins would dart in and out of the cloud of insects. Never saw so many Mud Martins

Sand Martin

and they are so quick as they caught the small insects mid-air. It was late in the afternoon, I think they primarily feed in the evening, but it was an amazing sight. Lasted until I stopped shredding at dark.

Note: Sand Martins and Purple Martins are not the same bird. But both are great insect control around a home or garden. Both are present here in the part of Texas we live in.

Purple Martin

Our town is small, we have Roadrunners (El Paisano) who live in our neighborhood, they pay us very little mind. In a recent cold spell during the Christmas Holiday we had a very large pair of them in our front yard. We also have coyotes, fox and raccoons who venture into town. The local railroad went through our town in about 1907, about 20 years ago the tracks were removed. The liquidation company sold the rail right of way to locals, after that they deeded the portion going through the town to the city. Now there is a patch of semi-wooded area through town. It hides the wildlife.

I don't encourage wild game intentionally in our yard in town or at the farm. Raccoons are a big pest issue, same with wild hogs. I see them both in daylight and the more often evidence of their presence from the night before. Hogs are awful to root up the yard for grubs. Between the Hogs and the raccoons it takes special effort for me to get any of the pecans in our orchard at the farm. The raccoons get a lot of the pears on our pear trees unless I pick them early.

We are remodeling the home at the farm and will be moving back their when that is done. Hopefully this year.