We started out pre-dawn this morning,
picking up one of the summer-resident Lesser Nighthawks batting around the
apartments while I waited for my charges.
We were the first ones at Estero Llano Grande State Park (we had an
amusing discussion on the way regarding the “proper” pronunciation of “llano” J) and we headed
straight into the Tropical Zone. The
normal players were tuning up (especially the Chachalacas), but we were focused
on getting the target White-tipped Dove.
On the way I thought I’d try one more time to see if the McCall’s
Screech Owl was sitting on his stump, and this time he certainly was! Everyone had great scope looks at this little
guy!
"McCall's" Screech Owl
We then snuck over to the feeder area,
where after a couple of minutes a big fat White-tipped Dove pranced out into
the open! Everyone appreciated his
lavender neck, then we went to sit at the drip for about 15 minutes. That actually turned up empty, so we headed
back behind Ben Basham’s place, where a slow chattering led us to the property
line with the camp and also revealed a young male Bullock’s Oriole! After he flew, someone thought they had a
female oriole out in the open, but it turned out to be a female Summer
Tanager!
From there we headed to the Visitor’s
Center, getting a brief glimpse of the Beardless Tyrannulet as it fled a tree
after calling very nicely, then padded the list at the deck, picking up more
White-tipped Doves at the feeders, plus several Stilt Sandpipers and
Long-billed Dowitchers, along with a male Wilson’s Phalarope. We noticed some volunteers setting up some
things and asked if some kidlets were on their way (yes – 90 eight and
nine-year-olds!!!), so we chose that moment to head straight to Alligator Lake
and the Pauraque! A brief stop at
Dowitcher Pond added some beautiful Avocets, plus a flyby Ringed Kingfisher
that was not calling for once!
Enjoying birds from the deck
White-tipped Dove
With White-winged Dove on right
On the way three other guys followed at a distance (they admitted they were hoping we’d find the bird for them J), stopping to add a young Yellow-crowned Night Heron to the list at Grebe Marsh, and a pair of Green Herons at Alligator Lake. Approaching the Pauraque spot, I could see right away that he wasn’t where he was “supposed” to be, so I recruited the three guys to start looking as well! Before long the “Pauraque Whisperer” himself, Huck Hutchins, arrived with a couple who had yet to see it for the year, so after checking the back side of the “island” without success, we went to a spot at the foot of the ramp to the overlook, and there he was, being harassed by the Crazy Ants! (We even saw him get up and run, trying to shake them off, before returning to his spot!) Everyone took their time enjoying this cryptic bird before we retreated to the overlook, where a Belted Kingfisher came sailing in with what looked like a crab. I had just gotten the scope on her before she took off, but what should come in from the opposite direction but the Ringed Kingfisher! She sailed out of sight, so after checking off the Osprey on the power pole (Huck teased me for still calling then “telephone poles” when there really isn’t any such thing anymore), we headed back to the next gap in the vegetation, and there was the Ringed perched in a tree, giving great (albeit in the sun) looks! Huck found a Tricolored Heron hidden in the vegetation which we all enjoyed as well. On the way out an adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron had joined the youngster at Grebe Marsh, and he was certainly a hit!
Huck looks for the elusive Pauraque...
...and finds him in a totally different spot!
Happy birders enjoying the sight!
Huck supervises Bill's digiscoping session while Evan evidently spots something right behind me!
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Gang enjoying the heron
A text had come over the LRGV RBA about Hudsonian
Godwits and a Sprague’s Pipit at Weaver Road Sod Farms, so the gang was game
for that! Heading east, we made a quick
stop at the “Rangerville Resaca” and had several pretty Wilson’s Phalaropes
amongst the stilts and other sandpipers.
Dickcissels sang in the fields on the way to Weaver Road, and once on
the road itself, one of Linda A’s “most wanted” birds landed on the road in
front of us – a stunning Horned Lark! As
we got to where the birds were hanging out, we found American Golden Plovers and
Long-billed Dowitchers easily enough, plus a few Pectoral Sandpipers further
out, but Linda was still gushing over all the Horned Larks! J Another birder (who turned out to be my
friend Tammie) was out looking, but couldn’t find any godwits, and before long
a third car pulled up with fellow Birder Patroller Norma and her long-suffering
hubby David! As it turned out, Linda M.
had contacted Norma for a bird walk around Hugh Ramsey over the weekend, as she
had met her at the Tucson Birding Festival, where Linda and Bill are from, and
where Norma et al had promoted our own LRGV Birding Festival! Small world! J
Pretty female Wilson's Phalaropes at the "Rangerville Resaca"
Looking for "grasspipers' at the Weaver Road Sod Farms
Due to all the socializing I was having a
hard time getting everyone on their life Buff-breasted Sandpipers J, but they all
eventually had good looks, but still no sign of the godwits and/or pipit. Despite the wind and heat the gang was up for
one more stop before heading home after the morning shift, so we shot north to
Tiocano Lake, where we took our lives in our hands and hiked down the road,
getting stupendous views of several Roseate Spoonbills and a couple of pairs of
Gull-billed Terns! A Pied-billed Grebe
sang, but the King Rails were absolutely silent.
Snoozing Roseate Spoonbill
Non-snoozing spoonbill...
We headed back to the Inn after that for
siesta, planning on meeting at 4:30 for some road-birding to take us to sunset. Siesta was interrupted, however, when my
friend Pat called announcing that she had a Chuck-will’s-widow in her
yard! I called Linda M., and before long
we three girls were taking a short hike down to Pat’s (the guys took a rain
check), where she guided us to the back porch, and we got a wonderful view of a
bird I normally only see when I flush it!
Linda A. also used the opportunity to show us a picture of a bird she
photographed at Weaver Road that turned out to be a Grasshopper Sparrow!
Terrible shot of Pat's Chuck-will's-widow through her screen...
After a nice chat with Pat (and spotting a
female Painted Bunting coming in to her drip) we headed back, then once again
hit the road at 5:00 for some road-birding.
The gang wanted to come back early, so we headed for Wallace Road, where
not too far into the ag fields we had several Dickcissels singing, and got good
looks at one sitting up! (Several were
singing closer, but with the wind they were remaining hidden…) A White-tailed Kite drifted over at one
point, and in the nice thornscrub habitat a Painted Bunting sang and eventually
came out and gave great views! Nearby
some Indigo Buntings sat on the fence, but they were more shy; more cooperative
was a pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that posed for multiple pictures! Invisible but calling in the distance were
Bobwhites and a single Groove-billed Ani.
Looking for Painted Buntings along Wallace Road
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
We soon reached the wetlands, which
thankfully truly were wet (sometimes the area can be bone dry)! Both grebes were calling, but about all we
saw were gallinules and coots. At one
point I heard a Fulvous Whistling Duck, but only Blackbellies showed themselves
(there was a lot of vegetation blocking the views). In the big wetland were groups of Cattle
Egrets and Neotropic Cormorants roosting while some White Ibis sailed in, and
an Anhinga posed on the way out (albeit right in the sun)! Someone spotted a nice Harris’ Hawk sitting
on the opposite side as well.
Wallace Road wetlands
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Mottled Duck
Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Neotropic Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Harris's Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
American Golden-Plover
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Stilt Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Laughing Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
White-tipped Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Pauraque
Chuck-will's-widow
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Clay-colored Thrush
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Olive Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Dickcissel
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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