Alamo Inn BnB Gear and Tours: Birding with Cousin Bill

3/2/19

Bill (not really my cousin but it became a standing joke as we share the same last name J) and his buddy Dan really didn’t have any target birds per se, but I had managed to weasel out at least one target for Dan: the Aplomado Falcon! So the original plan was to hit all the “falcon spots”, but on the way he admitted that seeing a variety of habitats was preferable, so we did the standard Cameron County route which included Old Port Isabel Road (OPIR), South Padre Island, and (time permitting) Laguna Atascosa. I had warned the guys that our last trip to OPIR dipped on the falcons, but that someone visiting the area the same day (but after us) did have them, so you just never knew! The White-tailed Hawk pair was still there, one each claiming the tips of the two railroad crossing barriers and holding their wing out as though they were directing traffic! (They also looked pretty scruffy, so we concluded that they were just wet from the foggy conditions overnight…) We stopped past the canal to check the platform, and this time the falcon was home (although admittedly not the best look L)! Dan, a professional photographer, at least got a “proof shot” for his collection, but the day was young… Somewhere along in here I heard a couple of Snow Geese, but the cloud cover was too low to spot them.

White-tailed Hawk directing traffic...

Dan getting a "proof shot" of the Aplomado Falcon

Further along, the Eastern Meadowlarks were still whistling and the Cassin’s Sparrows were still skylarking, both allowing photo ops for Dan! In a heavier area of thornscrub we had a four-bird bush: the Cactus and Bewick’s Wrens that refused to show earlier were now sitting right on top, along with a Mockingbird and Savannah Sparrow! Up at the Chicken Coop Place the Palm Warbler didn’t show, but I was thrilled with the Grasshopper Sparrow that sat right on the fence for us! The wetlands just beyond had the same waterbirds we had a couple of days previously, and I heard a Sedge Wren in an area I had never had them before, but like the ones up at the “really dicey spot” (as opposed to the other somewhat dicey spots J), he was stubborn and didn’t want to play ball. The Osprey was still on the same post as earlier in the week (one of the guys commented that they had never seen one perch so low to the ground) and the curlews showed well. A couple of Horned Larks chased each other, and a Bobwhite called very close to the road but didn’t seem interested in coming out for a view. But as we crept along and got into the adventuresome part of the road, what should be sitting on a power line ahead of us but another Aplomado Falcon! Dan was jazzed – as we crawled and snapped (pictures), he got some marvelous in-flight shots as the bird found a bug and returned to his wire, munching down!

The guys stroll along the decent part of Old Port Isabel Road...

Cassin's Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow (showing central crown stripe below)

We spot a close Aplomado!

He then takes off to grab a snack in mid-air!

Continuing on, we refound Mom, Dad, and Junior White-tailed Hawk, only they were further back in the scrub. Suddenly Bill noticed a blob in a bush ahead of us right next to the road – yet another Aplomado, this time a juvenile! He allowed ridiculously close approach (you could even read his band numbers!) and terrific photo ops! He moved on to a post further down the road, allowing Dan to get more stunning flight shots! The caracaras and harriers were almost anticlimactic!

Dan shoots the White-tailed Hawk family

Yet another Aplomado perches right next to us!

He moves to a nearby post

"What're you lookin' at?!"

Everything was gravy after that, but the Chihuahuan Ravens on the way to South Padre was a nice addition. We went straight to the Birding Center where the Muscovy was still there but the Whistling Ducks had moved… Out on the boardwalk the usual suspects were out (and since it was overcast it was much easier to pick out the plovers and Willets in the mudflats), but I was pleased to finally hear a Clapper Rail after a seemingly long hiatus! Dan was in his element getting multiple photo ops (including a cooperative Yellow-rumped Warbler dancing on the mud), and one thing that showed up this time that didn’t last time was our pied-bald Reddish Egret! Unfortunately the Sora didn’t show this time (would have been a lifer for Bill), but the White Ibis, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Roseate Spoonbills, and the single Stilt Sandpiper were all still there, along with both flavors of yellowlegs. The Redhead appeared to be doing much better today and was quite spunky interacting with the whistlers! An Osprey had the blue water tower staked out, apparently displacing the Peregrine that usually hung out there.

Resident Osprey with lunch

Red-winged Blackbird

"Myrtle" Warbler

Fluffy Tricolored Heron

The guys check out the wetlands...

Another colorful Tricolored Heron

The Redhead seems to be doing much better!

Greater Yellowlegs

Blue-winged Teal (left) with Greater Yellowlegs (top) and Stilt Sandpiper (bottom)

Stilt Sandpiper

There was some huge event going on at the Convention Centre (I think Bill saw a sign that said something about a car and tattoo show…), and despite the overflow parking on the Flats, the place was stuffed with birds! The usual suspects provided more great photo ops (the resting skimmers had the guys fooled into thinking they really were dead J), and even some of the Brown Pelicans were coming into breeding colors! I was happy to add Ruddy Turnstone and Western Sandpiper for the year! J

Laughing Gulls

Black Skimmers (with a few "dead" ones)

Ring-billed Gull

Brown Pelican coming into breeding colors

We actually had enough time to hit Laguna Atascosa, where the female Blue Bunting had made a return appearance and the Tropical Parula was still showing. After checking in we went straight to the photo blind, where lots of Chachalacas were talking softly to each other and fanning their tails! A shy White-tipped Dove walked across the floor back in the undergrowth (I may have been the only one to see him), but a brilliant male Cardinal competed with the Red-winged Blackbirds at the seed feeder, along with the Green Jays.

Chachalacas monopolize the photo blind...

...while a Cardinal waits patiently for his turn!

After about 15 minutes we gave up on the bunting and hit the Kiskadee Trail, where I heard a Beardless Tyrannulet (rare for Cameron County) that we couldn’t find L, but on the path heading to the headquarters building the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak showed up! We made the loop, and while looking at something else one of the guys noticed an Ani right in front of us! He flew back towards the overlook calling, so we headed back looking for him to no avail. Then suddenly Bill declared, “He’s right here!” Dan and I noticed rustling in the grass about a foot in front of us, and before long he snuck out onto the sidewalk, paused long enough to give us the looking over, then snuck into the brush on the opposite side – just precious! A Wilson’s Warbler shooting through was anticlimactic!

Portion of the Kiskadee Trail that hid the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak (below)!

This cute Groove-billed Ani was playing hide-and-seek!

We made a quick loop around the gazebo trail where we had more Green Jays at the feeders, then I made a final visit to the restroom and again fell off the wagon (this time for a Diet Coke J)! When I came out the guys were stalking something in the parking lot and Dan had his camera pointed up into the trees – they had found the Tropical Parula! Woo hoo!

The guys enjoying some Green Jays (below) at the gazebo

Check out those eyebrows!

The guys find the Tropical Parula (below) in the parking lot!

We made a very quick stop at the Prairie Trail marsh where we added a peeping Swamp Sparrow (the look was so brief it hardly counted as a look), then headed home with 100 species for the day! Bird List:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Snow Goose
Muscovy Duck (Domestic type)
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Redhead
Ruddy Duck
Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-tipped Dove
Mourning Dove
Groove-billed Ani
Clapper Rail
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Long-billed Curlew
Ruddy Turnstone
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Green Heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Aplomado Falcon
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Eastern Phoebe
Great Kiskadee
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Green Jay
Chihuahuan Raven
Horned Lark
Barn Swallow
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Curve-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cassin's Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Tropical Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
House Sparrow

Alamo Inn BnB Gear and Tours

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Birding with Cousin Bill

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