The Birder Patrol Raids a Harlingen Yard

9/23/17 

After gathering at the La Feria Whataburger (a popular place for some of the crew to have breakfast J), four cars full of eager birders made their way over to Donna McCown’s place in Harlingen, known for her big back yard and multiple feeders and water features!  We had just pulled in when several orioles attacked her jelly feeder in the front yard (I only got a look at a Hooded…)!  We shortly migrated to her big back yard, where a Long-billed Curlew sailed in and landed in her neighbor’s yard, and a Dickcissel flew over, which was a yard bird for Donna!  A small flock of four Red-crowned Parrots flew over, and from the comfort of her back porch we enjoyed Green Jays, Lesser Goldfinches, and hummingbirds while the ladies talked feeder construction! J

We're not even out of the cars before birds start showing up!

White-winged Dove

Eastern Cottontail (token mammal)

The gang dutifully admiring the back yard...

...and the porch feeders! 

Sue keeps track of the sightings via her eBird app while our hostess Donna looks on (with Pat and Alan in the background). 

Green Jay grabs a prize!

Lesser Goldfinch at the drip

Donna told us about a road with some cottonwoods and dead palm trees that often had parrots and Gray Hawks, so we headed over there next; we at least heard the hawk, but the palms looked like they had been taken over by woodpeckers.  From there we headed on up to Sugarhouse Pond, which was way down from the last time I was there!  Was still good shorebird habitat, though, with several Avocets, peeps, and even some Wilson’s Phalaropes (couldn’t find the Red-necked, though)!  Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers were nice surprises as well.

There's Gray Hawks in them thar trees!

Overlooking Sugarhouse Pond

Pat, Baceliza, Betty (in back), and Stephanie

Pat and Norma scan for goodies

...and the goodies are way out there!

Avocets plough through the water

From there we decided to see if Valley Acres Reservoir was open; they welcome birders if you ask permission first, so we called, the gate was open, and we headed on in!  This is a huge reservoir with lots of birds:  first to greet us was a ballet of White Pelicans!  In the canal heading up to the dike was a young Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and on the island across the way were also tons of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, and Neotropic Cormorants.  Some beautiful Roseate Spoonbills were sprinkled here and there, and we caught sight of a couple of Wood Storks sailing in, but the best bird was a cute little Snowy Plover on the sand!  While most of the crew threw in the towel about that time, four of us decided to pile in Alan and Baceliza’s vehicle and take the drive all around the lake!  That was great fun:  we got a little closer to some of the shorebirds, including one that looked suspiciously like a Baird’s Sandpiper.  A Cooper’s Hawk exploded from the trees at one point, and three White-tailed Kites sailed overhead!  Coming around to the back side of that island revealed many more Wood Storks, and along the return leg we flushed several Black-crowned Night Herons.  We managed to get closer to our Snowy Plover coming back, but we didn’t linger as it was hot and getting late.  It was about a three-to-four mile loop on a good road (although grassy in spots; might be dicey when wet).

Canal at Valley Acres

The Island, loaded with pelicans and ducks!

Roseate Spoonbills

White Pelicans

Wood Storks and whistling ducks

Cute little Snowy Plover, with only a few breeding areas known in Hidalgo County!

We all went our separate ways after that, logging 60 species for the morning.  Bird List:

  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck         

  Mottled Duck                         
  Blue-winged Teal                     
  Wood Stork                           
  Neotropic Cormorant                  
  American White Pelican               
  Great Blue Heron                      
  Great Egret                          
  Snowy Egret                          
  Cattle Egret                         
  Black-crowned Night-Heron            
  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron           
  Roseate Spoonbill                    
  Turkey Vulture                       
  White-tailed Kite                    
  Cooper's Hawk                        
  Gray Hawk                            
  Swainson's Hawk                      
  Black-necked Stilt                   
  American Avocet                      
  Black-bellied Plover                 
  Snowy Plover                         
  Semipalmated Plover                  
  Killdeer                             
  Spotted Sandpiper                     
  Long-billed Curlew                   
  Stilt Sandpiper                      
  Baird's Sandpiper                    
  Least Sandpiper                      
  Semipalmated Sandpiper               
  Western Sandpiper                     
  Long-billed Dowitcher                
  Wilson's Phalarope                   
  Laughing Gull                        
  White-winged Dove                    
  Mourning Dove                        
  Chimney Swift                        
  Ruby-throated Hummingbird            
  Buff-bellied Hummingbird             
  Golden-fronted Woodpecker            
  Ladder-backed Woodpecker             
  Red-crowned Parrot                   
  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher            
  Loggerhead Shrike                    
  Green Jay                            
  Horned Lark                          
  Barn Swallow                         
  Curve-billed Thrasher                
  Northern Mockingbird                 
  European Starling                    
  Yellow Warbler                       
  Northern Cardinal                    
  Dickcissel                           
  Red-winged Blackbird                 
  Great-tailed Grackle                 
  Bronzed Cowbird                       
  Hooded Oriole                        
  Baltimore Oriole                     
  Lesser Goldfinch                     
  House Sparrow                        

60 SPECIES

Last Stop on a Long Journey

9/21/17 

Bill and Sue were wrapping up a month-long trip exploring areas in the American West, and decided to top off their visit in the LRGV!  One of the surprises, they admitted, was that the area was so lush – they expected it to be a desert!  Well, true – you don’t have to go too far west before you are in the desert, and maybe even Tamaulipan thornscrub is considered a “desert” habitat (we certainly get “desert” associated birds such as Verdin and Pyrrhuloxia), but we also have that Rio Grande riparian woodland habitat, to say nothing of “old growth” neighborhoods!

Our first stop was Estero Llano Grande SP, and the “Tropical Zone” certainly qualifies as a “woodland”, even if many of the trees are non-native!  It was rather quiet when we arrived, but strolling the loop we managed to spot the pheasant-like Chachalacas, the noisy Kiskadees, and even the Beardless Tyrannulet allowed a fleeting glimpse as it shot overhead!  At the water feature a Wilson’s Warbler came in to investigate, and while an Olive Sparrow sang, it never showed.  Swinging around the back we got great looks at a Black-crested Titmouse family, the grown youngsters still fluttering their wings at Mummy and Daddy, and a bird we’re currently calling just a very strongly-marked Curve-billed Thrasher – I’ve seen individuals with prominent spotting before, but this guy almost looked like he might have had Long-billed Thrasher blood in him, his spots (some which appeared almost streak-like) were so dark!  A more normal-looking bird sat and called overhead.

Great Kiskadee 

Curve-billed Thrasher with unusually heavy spots - probably a freshly molted adult according to my ornithologist friends

What they normally look like...

Arriving at the deck we were met by Ranger John who had just put out the hummingbird feeders, announcing that an Altamira Oriole almost sat on him!  Well, we waited around for about 15 minutes, and no oriole L, but the hummingbirds were really putting on a show:  the resident Buff-bellies made regular appearances, while the (presumed) Rubythroats chased each other and guarded the feeders aggressively.  Bill found his life Least Grebe in Ibis Pond, but alas, no White-faced Ibis that would have been a life bird!  There were plenty of Blue-winged Teal and Black-necked Stilts about, however.

Probable female or juvie Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Black-chinned is virtually identical, but Ruby-throated is more likely this time of year)

Notice the kiss of buff on the flanks that many young/female Archilochus hummers show

Buff-bellied Hummingbird, our resident specialty

  

Heading straight to Alligator Lake, we made a brief stop at Dowitcher Pond where a whole pod of Least Grebes was hanging out.  After crossing the little footbridge I had just warned Bill that the Green Kingfisher sometimes likes to hang in the canal, when he suddenly spotted one that had just come up from a dive!  At Grebe Marsh a couple of Belted Kingfishers rattled while a Lesser Yellowlegs fed across the way, and a White-tipped Dove posed for scope views.  Alligator Lake had a couple of Yellow-crowned Night Herons, but I was sweating a little when the Pauraque wasn’t in his usual spot by the barrier!  I wanted to quickly check out the other spot at the foot of the overlook, but we all ended up going and thankfully, there was the “backup” Pauraque almost right next to the trail!  What a great look!  After picking up an Anhinga at the overlook, we walked back by way of the Screech Owl hole, and there he was, glaring at us and looking cute at the same time!  Sue also spotted a hiding Long-billed Thrasher, so that was nice to compare him to that spotty Curve-billed!

Bill enters his latest sighting on his app!

Bill's life Green Kingfisher!

Sue and Bill admiring Grebe Marsh

Pauraque

"McCall's" Screech Owl

From there we headed straight back, chilling on the Spoonbill Trail boardwalk for a bit when a Wood Stork sailed high overhead!  After enjoying some friendly Least Sandpipers, we then sat at the feeders again for a little bit, but the best bird soared overhead:  Bill’s life Swainson’s Hawk!  With the time we had left I had initially thought of going to Frontera, but with the heat, we’d only be there about 15 minutes before we’d have to head back, so since Sue had wondered aloud if there was a way to see into Mexico without having to hike to the river, I mentioned Anzalduas Park, so we headed over there to check it out!  I showed them the famous “Sprague’s Pipit Field” (an incentive to come back in the winter J), then we checked out the river, which was pretty empty (although they were impressed with the pretty park across the way in Mexico).  I heard a Black Phoebe (which they didn’t need, so we didn’t track it down), but at a potty spot we were able to bag another life bird for Bill (albeit a female):  a perky Vermilion Flycatcher! 

Chilling out on the Spoonbill Trail

Friendly Least Sandpiper and his three buddies below

  

It was time to head back for siesta after that, and for the afternoon shift (and after pondering those target birds Bill mentioned) I decided to take them up to Edinburg Scenic Wetlands first, as a Ringed Kingfisher had recently been reported there.  We headed in and were immediately greeted by Marisa Oliva (the director) and a couple of her helpers who were working on their new water feature!  They chatted while Monica took our money J, then we headed to the North Pond.  By that time I had realized I had forgotten my scope, so I left them at the overlook enjoying Neotropic Cormorants and egrets while I headed back to the car.  When I got back they both greeted me with big grins and said, “That’s what happens when you turn your back!”  A big ol’ Ringed Kingfisher had popped up on the opposite side, showed off, then took off!  Thankfully the thing called a little later so I could log it myself, but we also had a pair of Belted Kingfishers making a racket.  I had heard a “ringing” Clay-colored Thrush on my way back from the car, so we took the Jungle Trail in hopes of finding it, and I did indeed get a glimpse, but what did pop up for a few minutes shortly thereafter was a female Summer Tanager!

Entrance kiosk to Edinburg Scenic Wetlands

Director Marisa Oliva chats with Sue and Bill

Female Summer Tanager

From there we headed up and over to Wallace Road.  That proved to be a good choice (always preferable to road-bird in the heat of the day anyway), as we had a great raptor show in the form of a flyover White-tailed Kite, several Swainson’s Hawks, and a young White-tailed thrown in for comparison!  Several Lark Sparrows posed on wires, and down at the wetlands Bill spotted a gorgeous Harris’ Hawk!  Most of the wetland area was dry, but there was enough water to have a few shorebirds – just not the White-faced Ibis or Fulvous Whistling Ducks we were hoping for! L

Swainson's Hawk (ready to book below)

State of one of the west side wetlands (note the storm in the distance)

He was also interested in bagging a Roadrunner, so I gave them the choice of continuing road-birding in good Roadrunner habitat until sunset, for make a run for the parrots in McAllen.  They chose the parrots, but unfortunately we dipped on them. L Another reason to come back!  All told, we didn’t do bad, logging 90 species for the day!

Selfie back at the Inn...

Bird List:

  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck         

  Mottled Duck                         
  Blue-winged Teal                     
  Northern Shoveler                    
  Plain Chachalaca                     
  Least Grebe                          
  Wood Stork                           
  Neotropic Cormorant                  
  Anhinga                              
  Great Blue Heron                     
  Great Egret                          
  Snowy Egret                          
  Little Blue Heron                    
  Tricolored Heron                     
  Green Heron                          
  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron           
  Turkey Vulture                       
  White-tailed Kite                    
  Cooper's Hawk                        
  Harris's Hawk                        
  White-tailed Hawk                    
  Swainson's Hawk                       
  Sora                                 
  Common Gallinule                     
  American Coot                        
  Black-necked Stilt                   
  American Avocet                      
  Killdeer                             
  Spotted Sandpiper                    
  Greater Yellowlegs                   
  Lesser Yellowlegs                    
  Stilt Sandpiper                      
  Least Sandpiper                      
  Rock Pigeon                          
  Eurasian Collared-Dove               
  White-winged Dove                    
  Mourning Dove                        
  Inca Dove                            
  Common Ground-Dove                   
  White-tipped Dove                     
  Eastern Screech-Owl                  
  Common Pauraque                      
  Chimney Swift                        
  Ruby-throated Hummingbird            
  Buff-bellied Hummingbird              
  Ringed Kingfisher                    
  Belted Kingfisher                    
  Green Kingfisher                     
  Golden-fronted Woodpecker            
  Ladder-backed Woodpecker             
  Crested Caracara                     
  American Kestrel                     
  Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet        
  Black Phoebe                         
  Vermilion Flycatcher                 
  Great Crested Flycatcher             
  Great Kiskadee                       
  Tropical Kingbird                    
  Couch's Kingbird                     
  Eastern Kingbird                     
  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher            
  Loggerhead Shrike                    
  White-eyed Vireo                      
  Green Jay                            
  Purple Martin                        
  Barn Swallow                         
  Cliff Swallow                        
  Black-crested Titmouse               
  Verdin                                
  Carolina Wren                        
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher                
  Clay-colored Thrush                  
  Curve-billed Thrasher                
  Long-billed Thrasher                 
  Northern Mockingbird                 
  European Starling                    
  Yellow Warbler                       
  Wilson's Warbler                     
  Olive Sparrow                        
  Lark Sparrow                         
  Summer Tanager                       
  Northern Cardinal                    
  Dickcissel                           
  Red-winged Blackbird                 
  Great-tailed Grackle                 
  Hooded Oriole                        
  Altamira Oriole                      
  Baltimore Oriole                     
  Lesser Goldfinch                     
  House Sparrow                        

90 SPECIES