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These birds were photographed in an ephemeral pool of water created by recent rainfall. They are part of a flock of more than 25 birds but which cannot be counted because they remain hidden most of the time,.

I have seen these birds a number of times on the sides of the levee between the West Fork of the Trinity River and the trail. They have almost always flown off further down the levee and have been hard to photograph because they simply fly to another area where they again hide in the grass. I was able to get these photos only because these individuals were attracted to the water and far enough away not to be disturbed by presence.

I have also seen this species in mid September 2023 along the side of a County Highway in Northwest Wisconsin (Bayfield County). There, their behavior was similar. An individual birds, not part of any apparent flock, would walk onto the highway. When I approached, they would fly further down the road.

No idea how to tell the difference between Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) and Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum hirsutum) - I found this in KEW Science - Plants of the World Online - "Zanthoxylum hirsutum Buckley
This is a synonym of Zanthoxylum clava-herculis subsp. fruticosum (A.Gray) Reynel"

Day # 4 - ECRTMN Weekly "Let's Get Outside!" activity suggestion: Make at least one iNat observation every day.
Good or bad, this grass population is increasing in the open area between the yard fence and the stock tank.