Had a delightful day with two couples that
were longtime friends, from Louisiana and Rockport, Texas, respectively. All were easy-going and just wanted to enjoy
the birds we had, and despite the report that migration had been slow, they
were still willing to try the Island, so off we went (after starting the list
with the local Lesser Nighthawk batting around), taking two cars (we girls went
in my car and the guys went in Ed’s). On
the way we stopped at the new Aplomado Falcon viewing area along SR100, but the
only raptors to be had were a distant White-tailed Hawk and a not-so-distant
Osprey.
The gang scans for raptors (L-R: Ed, Janette, Eddie, and Sue Beth hidden behind Eddie...)
After a snack-and-potty stop at the Laguna
Vista Stripes (they reported that the breakfast tacos were very good J) we headed
straight to the Convention Centre, where our faithful Salineño hosts – Merle,
Lois, and Shamy the Dog – were there to greet visitors! As expected, things were slow as the
southeast winds were just blowing the migrants on over, but a Blackpoll Warbler
had been reported, so we were hopeful! A
15 minute watch at the water feature only produced a Catbird (which I missed),
a Baltimore Oriole, a Yellowthroat high up in the mesquite (!), and a Tennessee Warbler. We made our way back to the Flats Overlook,
but on the way Merle and another gentleman had found a Veery!
Veery
Hosts Merle, Lois, and Shamy
We had a little more to look at on the
Flats, however, with a lineup of Laughing Gulls on the posts with a Reddish
Egret leading the group, a few Black-bellied Plovers in breeding dress, and a
Tricolored Heron just peeking his head over the mangroves. A female Redhead was on a sand spit along
with a single Black Skimmer, and we did
hear the Sedge Wren, but he of course didn’t wanna be seen…
Lineup of Laughing Gulls, with a Black-bellied Plover below, a Reddish Egret on the end, and a female Redhead in the background
Close-up of the Reddish Egret - note the neon-pink bill as he's in full breeding colors!
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks guarding the trees...
Both Eddie and Sue Beth decided to stay at
the water feature while we tackled the boardwalk, and Merle came along as well;
the usual crowd of waders and shorebirds was in the east pond, with an added
bonus of a couple of Stilt Sandpipers and one Pectoral! Both flavors of yellowlegs were close for
comparison. One of the Marsh Wrens only
gave a quick glimpse, and out at the “marsh blind” Momma Gallinule had her
three baby chicks with her! But we also
caught sight of a brief dogfight between a grackle and the Green Heron, and
noticed that one of them flew in with nesting material, and proceeded to slink
into the reeds on the other side of the pond!
So we were wondering if perhaps the grackles had predated the original
nest (and there was a grackle nest
nearby, as we saw her tail sticking up…).
When the second Green Heron shot over to where his mate was, that scared
up one of the Least Bitterns! The other
boardwalk yielded a few Least Sandpipers and a stunning Little Blue Heron out
in the mud, the same pod of Pied-billed Grebes out at the end, and a bunch of
Mullet feeding on something on the surface!
(Both Eds were big fishermen as well, so he helped with that ID… J) For the third time in a row, the
Oystercatcher decided to choose that time to squeal like a kid and fly past the
pier! J
Common Gallinule babies
Ed and Janette were interested in actually
driving out onto the Flats to get some pictures, but Eddie and Sue Beth decided
to stay behind, so since Ed’s car was too low-slung for the job we piled in
“Heppy” and headed out, although the Flats were pretty dry for the most
part. Despite the fact that there were
already several cars out there, there were
a few larid flocks, so we had nice views of both Sandwich and Royal Terns,
Black Skimmers, and of course lots of Laughing Gulls and a single Ring-billed
(no Franklin’s, though). Shorebirds were
scarce, with just a few Sanderlings and a couple of Willets and Ruddy
Turnstones. We all bemoaned the fact
that revelers had carelessly tossed glass beer bottles into the water – getting
stuck in the mud out there doesn’t worry me because the ground there is pretty
solid, but running over something that could ruin my tires does! L
Strutting Laughing Gull
Sandwich Tern pair
After picking up Eddie and Sue Beth we
decided to give Sheepshead a try; it was pretty dead (except for some Collared
and White-winged Doves, along with a fat lizard), so we decided to head to lunch. There was a 35 minute wait at Pier 19 (we at
least picked up a beautiful pair of Red-breasted Mergansers there), so we
headed to Port Isabel where we pulled into this restaurant (Marcello’s) whose
parking lot wasn’t overflowing, and not only were we seated right away, but the
food was out of this world and the prices were very reasonable!
Laredo Striped Whiptail
After lunch we decided to head up towards
Laguna Atascosa and do some road-birding, but first we stopped at Port Isabel
Reservoir where pretty much the same players were there that were there last
Thursday: the three little plovers
(although I only got a brief look at the Snowy before he disappeared), and lots
of peeps. Something kept spooking them,
however, and they’d wheel around several times before landing again. A few Wilson’s Phalaropes finally came in
towards the end, and a Gull-billed Tern made a close pass.
From there we headed up Buena Vista Road where
the highlight was a Caracara and several Turkey Vultures feeding on a Nilgai
carcass in a field! We also added a few
Black Vultures to the list and a flyover Whimbrel, but at the Visitor Center
Eddie and Sue Beth enjoyed the Green Jays and Chachalacas coming in to the
water feature while Ed and Janette and I looked for the MacGillivray’s Warbler
that had been hanging around. As fate
would have it, yesterday was the last day it had been seen, but we got nice
views of cooperative Long-billed Thrashers and a lovely Altamira Oriole up on a
dead tree, and Ed got a look at a Brown-crested Flycatcher that a young couple
pointed out to him. We all got to see
the brilliant male Summer Tanager that flew in! J
Janette and Ed negotiate the shoulder along Buena Vista Road!
Well-fed Crested Caracara (also below)
A Cattle Egret strolls the trail to the gazebo area at Laguna Atascosa NWR
Shy Altamira Oriole
It was time to head back after that,
picking up a nice flyover Harris’ Hawk on the way to San Benito. With good conversation, the time flew coming
back (and that’ll happen with three girls in the car! J) Bird List:
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Mottled Duck
Redhead
Red-breasted Merganser
Plain Chachalaca
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Brown Pelican
Least Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover
Wilson's Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Wilson's Phalarope
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Least Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
White-tipped Dove
Lesser Nighthawk
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Green Jay
Horned Lark (probable – Janette caught the yellow)
Barn Swallow
Black-crested Titmouse
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Veery
Gray Catbird (seen by Ed)
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Lark Sparrow
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Altamira Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow
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