Targets for a Hill Country Texan

2/24/16

            Ceil from the Hill Country already had a head start as she arrived and “hit the ground running” so to speak, visiting several hotspots on her own before our official “guiding day” and bagging several target birds, including Santa Ana’s jacana!  She was a fairly new birder, so seeing life birds was a priority, but getting a picture was even better!  So after comparing notes the night before our outing, we decided to stick with the original plan (which included Anzalduas, Santa Ana, and Frontera), as those places could still yield some missed targets.

            Since Anzalduas didn’t open until 8:00, we cruised down the levee in search of Ringed Kingfishers and saw some roosting Turkey Vultures instead, their red heads brilliant in the morning sun!  A growling Caspian Tern escorted us the rest of the way, after which we swung around and back to Anzalduas, where a pair of White-tailed Kites showed off along the entrance road!  We cruised slowly listening and looking for kingfishers and Northern Beardless Tyrannulets (she liked to call that one the bird whose name is longer than it is J), but to no avail; at least a calling Couch’s Kingbird kept the visit from being a complete bust!  The Burrowing Owl didn’t disappoint, and since Sally also needed Monk Parakeet, a visit to the nest in Hidalgo was a big hit, as the birds showed off beautifully (and she was pretty impressed with the nest, too J)!

 

 

Turkey Vulture along the levee

 

Monk Parakeet

 

The nest with attendant parakeets

 

            The Chachalaca Trail at Santa Ana was our last ditch try at the tyrannulet, but not a wheeK! was to be heard.  A quick scan down at Willow Lake yielded the regular ducks, coots, and grebes, but what sounded like a distant jackhammer at first turned out to be a distant Ringed Kingfisher, and another quick scan found him in a dead tree way in the distance (thank God I brought the scope)!  Ceil was thrilled, even though it was way too far away for a picture!

            She had scoured Estero the day before and never made it to Frontera, so that was our next stop.  I had lost track of how many times I had taken visiting birders there (or even going myself) in hopes of seeing the Crimson-collared Grosbeak and Blue Bunting and never finding either of them, so I was hoping maybe things would be different this time, especially with all the eyes looking (judging by the packed parking lot)!  After signing in and learning that the grosbeak hadn’t been seen since Sunday L we started poking around; the wintering Ovenbirds would get us going, and an oliveish-looking bird we spooked off an orange turned out to be a Clay-colored Thrush. 

Our first vigil was the “Big Log” water feature, as the Blue Bunting was said to frequent that spot.  After waiting patiently on the bench for about ten minutes, I couldn’t believe my ears:  off to the side was the high-pitched Wheeoo! of the Crimson-collared Grosbeak!!  She was doing some other vocalizations as well (including a short one-pitched whistle), and when we finally tracked her down, she sounded like we were right on top of her (got a fabulous recording), but we just could not spot her to save our lives!  We were on the “Dead End Trail” at that point, and turning the corner to see if we could find her again, we ran into fellow guide Michael Marsden who was also leading some clients, who announced they were looking at the Blue Bunting!!  After several fevered moments of trying to spot this dark bird with bright highlights in an understory of light and shadow, suddenly the bird hopped into view for the briefest of moments and then was gone!  But the good news was that Ceil got a fabulous view!  We then returned to the Dead End Trail to try and kick up Mrs. Grosbeak, and after a few minutes a gentleman showed us a superb picture he had just taken of the bunting at the trailside water drip (where we had all just been standing)!  So needless to say, we set up a vigil for about 15 minutes but the bunting had assuaged his thirst…

 

Crimson-collared Grosbeak Call

            Michael had told us about a Ringed Kingfisher they had at The Big Pond along with a Groove-billed Ani, so we continued on through the Sabal Palm Forest and over the Boardwalk (scaring a Belted Kingfisher and a Great Egret in so doing), then passed the little bogs on the way to the Big Pond, where we didn’t see much of anything (but a Green Kingfisher did go zipping down the nearby Resaca).  Since Black-headed Grosbeak also would have been a life bird for Ceil, we decided to do some feeder-watching and were duly entertained by Chachalacas, White-tipped and Inca Doves, Cardinals, titmice, and the Fox Squirrels sprawled over the feeders, but no grosbeak came in.  However, I did hear the Ringed Kingfisher call (and it sounded like it was sitting and not flying), so I asked Ceil if she wanted to try for a picture.

 

 

Plain Chachalacas

 

            Thus began the Mad Kingfisher Dash as we followed the rattle first to the Big Pond Blind, where we couldn’t see any birds but did see a big crowd on the platform across the way (and a Two-barred Flasher bopping around close by, which is a nice butterfly for the Valley).  Figuring the kingfisher was gone, we went back to the feeders, only to hear the thing again, so back we went, and this time at the blind we heard the ani!!  Since we couldn’t see it from our vantage point, we headed over to the platform, running into a guy with not one but two “big guns” who was hoping he’d get a better view of the ani from the blind!  That never happened (as we could tell from our vantage point), but the bird did pop up briefly enough for Ceil to get an identifiable look!  But the icing on the cake was Big Mama Kingfisher wheeling in and perching on the dead tree in great light, allowing Ceil to get a knockout shot!  That was definitely the highlight!

 

 

Two-barred Flasher

 

 

Ceil's Ringed Kingfisher, copyright 2016 by Ceil Worden

 

            It was getting close to quitting time, so we had to prioritize J:  since the Blue Bunting was the rarest (we didn’t think the Crimson-collared was gonna cooperate), we decided to set up vigil at the “Inner Drip” that it was frequenting, but it never showed (although the lady Painted Bunting that had been following it around made a brief appearance down the trail).  All in all, we couldn’t complain:  Ceil was thrilled with her kingfisher photo, and I was pleased as punch to get a recording of that grosbeak!  Bird List:

  Gadwall                              
  Mottled Duck                         
  Blue-winged Teal                     
  Northern Shoveler                    
  Plain Chachalaca                     
  Least Grebe                          
  Pied-billed Grebe                    
  Great Egret                          
  White Ibis                           
  Turkey Vulture                       
  Osprey                               
  White-tailed Kite                    
  Cooper's Hawk                        
  Harris's Hawk                         
  Sora                                 
  American Coot                        
  Killdeer                             
  Caspian Tern                         
  Rock Pigeon                          
  White-winged Dove                     
  Mourning Dove                        
  Inca Dove                            
  White-tipped Dove                    
  Groove-billed Ani                    
  Burrowing Owl                        
  Buff-bellied Hummingbird             
  Ringed Kingfisher                    
  Belted Kingfisher                    
  Green Kingfisher                     
  Golden-fronted Woodpecker            
  Ladder-backed Woodpecker             
  American Kestrel                     
  Monk Parakeet                        
  Black Phoebe                         
  Great Kiskadee                       
  Tropical Kingbird                    
  Couch's Kingbird                     
  Loggerhead Shrike                    
  White-eyed Vireo                      
  Green Jay                            
  Northern Rough-winged Swallow        
  Black-crested Titmouse               
  Verdin                               
  House Wren                           
  Carolina Wren                        
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher                
  Ruby-crowned Kinglet                 
  Hermit Thrush                        
  Clay-colored Thrush                  
  Long-billed Thrasher                 
  Northern Mockingbird                 
  European Starling                    
  American Pipit                       
  Ovenbird                             
  Black-and-white Warbler              
  Orange-crowned Warbler               
  Common Yellowthroat                  
  Yellow-rumped Warbler                
  Olive Sparrow                        
  Lark Sparrow                         
  Lincoln's Sparrow                    
  Crimson-collared Grosbeak            
  Northern Cardinal                    
  Blue Bunting                         
  Red-winged Blackbird                 
  Western Meadowlark                   
  Great-tailed Grackle                 
  Brown-headed Cowbird                 
  Altamira Oriole                       
  Lesser Goldfinch                     
  American Goldfinch                   
  House Sparrow                        

72 SPECIES

ABA #400!

2/18/16

            For their second day, Andrew and Bill opted to head up to Starr County, seeing as they also needed the “desert” species for their life list, so we headed west, going on a Wild Parakeet Chase in Rio Grande City when I heard the parakeets but couldn’t relocate them L.  A singing House Finch was a consolation prize… 

We headed on to Salineño where the “parking lot” was still full but we had the boat ramp to ourselves, which meant we were on our own finding the seedeater!  We looked and looked, picking up some of the same sparrows we had on Wednesday and also managing to bag a nice Ringed Kingfisher upriver.  Bill spotted an Olive Sparrow that gave great looks, and a few Bobwhite came out on the trail (which was also a lifer for them both, as they’ve become scarce in Wisconsin), but little did we know! 

 

We finally gave up on the seedeater and headed towards the feeders, and unlike Wednesday, there was only a handful of folks there today, but the bird action was just as exciting!  The Bobwhite family followed us up there in spades and practically came up to our feet to get at the corn that Bob put out!  The Peanut Butter Stump provided a perfect photo setup with Orange-crowned Warblers, Altamira Orioles, Green Jays, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers all coming in at point blank range for a snack!  Another Olive Sparrow came in for a bath, and amongst the horde of Red-winged Blackbirds was a funky individual that had his fully adult male plumage except for a sharply contrasting patch of buffy on the breast, and an additional whitish wing bar!  A female Pyrrhuloxia came to visit amongst the dozens of Cardinals, but unfortunately the Roadrunner never showed (which also would have been a life bird).  Thankfully, the Audubon’s finally appeared, making everyone a happy camper!

 

 

Approaching the famous feeders

 

 Orange-crowned Warbler (above and below)

 

 

The pale-faced lady Ladderback is still around...

  

 

A covey of Bobwhite come to visit!  (Male above, female below)

 

 

Green Jay

 

 

Funky Red-winged Blackbird; one scientist suggested xanthism, which is an overdose of yellow pigment.

  

 

Altamira Oriole examines the Peanut Butter mixture...

 

 

Female Cardinal does the same...

 

 

Undignified-looking Olive Sparrow taking a bath...

 

 

Inca Dove

 

Female Pyrrhuloxia

 

            From there it was time to tackle the famous Dump Road, and while we did hear a couple of Black-throated Sparrows, the little guys were uncharacteristically uncooperative.  A Cactus Wren showed nicely, however, and down the road a bit their life Curve-billed Thrasher popped up, and a Chihuahuan Raven soared overhead.  But a little further on I couldn’t believe my ears:  after eight years of birding the area and being assured that, yes, they really do occur here, I finally heard a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher!!  True to form, this guy came right out to pishing (their scold sounds like a pish J), and he was even getting his black cap already!  What a bird!

 

 

Peek-a-boo Black-tailed Gnatcatcher; even if he didn't have the characteristic black cap, the amount of black on the undertail gives him away!

 

             Next was Falcon County Park in hopes of bagging Vermilion Flycatcher, and we thankfully had a gorgeous male almost on the way out!  I heard a Verdin down a side road, and he finally came right up with a little coaxing!  We cruised around the state park, picking up a pair of Eastern Bluebirds on the fence going in, but it was getting a little breezy, and I wasn’t holding out much hope for targets until Bill spotted a Roadrunner in the shadow of a tree in the primitive camping area!  He started heading into the brush as we pulled up, so I cooed at him to see what he would do, and sure enough, he came back and practically jumped into the car!  (He jumped into the tree instead… J)  That’s the way to get a life bird!

 

            We “four-wheeled” around the overflow area, and in the upper lot a Cassin’s Sparrow did pop up briefly on my side of the car and then blasted behind us, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it to come back for the guys.  As usual, the lake was pretty birdless, but we did have all three “expected” gulls, although Herring is more unusual inland.  The White Pelicans were starting to grow their “breeding horns” on their bills, so that was fun to see!

            With what time we had left, I gave the guys the option to keep trying to kick up a Black-throated Sparrow, or to go back to Salineño for a river watch in hopes of a Gray Hawk, and they opted for the latter.  While Bill and I chilled (enjoying my FOS Purple Martin repeatedly dipping down to the river for a drink), Andrew decided to poke down the trail a bit, and before long he came tearing back breathless:  he thought he had the seedeater but wanted us to confirm it!  So we trudged down to the spot (which happened to be the same spot we had it Wednesday), but no bird was to be seen.  It was getting about the time where we had to head back, but just as we started up the trail I heard that suspicious vocalization (a combination of whistles and cheps) that had gotten my attention Wednesday, and sure enough, the bird once again popped up in front of us and gave great looks!  (However, I believe this may have been a different bird, as the one we had Wednesday showed a very prominent white primary patch, while this bird really didn’t show much of one…)  My camera battery held out just long enough to fire off a few shots before dying! J

 

 

White-collared Seedeater; superficially they can look kind of like a goldfinch, but that stubby bill gives it away!

 

             Heading home, we listened once again for parakeets going through both Roma and Rio Grande City, but not a squawk was heard, so at a stop light I was accessing my Bird’s Eye app to see where parakeets had been seen lately (as the guys were heading to Brownsville that evening), when Alec suddenly yelled, “There they are!!”  I looked up to see a flock of brilliant green bodies glowing in the afternoon sun, racing across US 83!  That was like asking “Siri” where to find Green Parakeets and having him answer, “Right in front of your nose!!” J 

            Usually a Starr County day list is pretty sparse, but we actually logged 71 species for the day!  Oh, and as an aside, the Oliver Sparrow was Andrew’s 400^th ABA bird!  J Bird List:
 

  Plain Chachalaca                     

  Northern Bobwhite                    

  Pied-billed Grebe                    

  Neotropic Cormorant                  

  Double-crested Cormorant             

  American White Pelican               

  Great Blue Heron                     

  Great Egret                          

  Black Vulture                        

  Turkey Vulture                        

  Osprey                               

  Cooper's Hawk                        

  Harris's Hawk                        

  American Coot                        

  Laughing Gull                        

  Ring-billed Gull                     

  Herring Gull                         

  Rock Pigeon                          

  Eurasian Collared-Dove                

  White-winged Dove                    

  Inca Dove                            

  White-tipped Dove                    

  Greater Roadrunner                   

  Ringed Kingfisher                    

  Golden-fronted Woodpecker            

  Ladder-backed Woodpecker             

  Crested Caracara                     

  American Kestrel                     

  Green Parakeet                       

  Eastern Phoebe                       

  Vermilion Flycatcher                 

  Great Kiskadee                        

  Loggerhead Shrike                    

  White-eyed Vireo                     

  Green Jay                            

  Chihuahuan Raven                     

  Purple Martin                        

  Black-crested Titmouse               

  Verdin                               

  Bewick's Wren                        

  Cactus Wren                          

  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher                

  Black-tailed Gnatcatcher             

  Ruby-crowned Kinglet                 

  Eastern Bluebird                     

  Curve-billed Thrasher                

  Long-billed Thrasher                 

  Northern Mockingbird                 

  European Starling                     

  Orange-crowned Warbler               

  Yellow-rumped Warbler                

  White-collared Seedeater             

  Olive Sparrow                        

  Cassin's Sparrow                     

  Chipping Sparrow                     

  Clay-colored Sparrow                 

  Vesper Sparrow                       

  Black-throated Sparrow               

  Savannah Sparrow                     

  Lincoln's Sparrow                    

  Northern Cardinal                    

  Pyrrhuloxia                          

  Red-winged Blackbird                 

  Western Meadowlark                   

  Great-tailed Grackle                 

  Brown-headed Cowbird                  

  Altamira Oriole                      

  Audubon's Oriole                     

  House Finch                          

  American Goldfinch                   

  House Sparrow                        

71 SPECIES