Had
a last-minute request from a trio of brothers for some guiding services, as
this was their first time to the Valley (originally from Wisconsin but now
spanning Idaho, New Mexico, and Missouri), so since I only had a half day to
spare we went to Estero Llano Grande State Park, which “never disappoints”! It sure lived up to its reputation this morning, as we ended four hours of
birding with an incredible 90 species!
The
dreaded wind never really materialized, and it was an absolutely gorgeous,
crisp, sunny morning as we started in the Tropical Zone with a bang, zeroing in
on a Clay-colored Thrush in the camp host area (now devoid of camp hosts)! A Tropical Kingbird teed up on a tree and tittered
amidst all the Couch’s Kingbirds sneezing away, and a very nice little cadre of
migrants had us distracted for a good while:
no less than three Blue-headed Vireos were song-battling, and others
busily feeding included Nashville and Tennessee Warblers, a single
Black-throated Green, and my personal favorite, a Red-eyed Vireo for the
year! A Ruby-crowned Kinglet chattered
and joined the fray as well. Ranger
Javier spotted us and told us about a Harris’ Hawk that was showing well, so
after we finished with the feeding flock we continued on and found the hawk,
just posing and stretching in perfect light!
(Kept watching for those Swallow-tailed Kites Estero was always
reporting… L) What
I thought was a House Sparrow flying up to the wire was actually a changing
Indigo Bunting!
The guys zero in on their life Clay-colored Thrush (below)!
Nashville Warbler (salvaged from a "shooting blind" photo...)
Harris' Hawk posing for the camera...
I
kept hearing a Brown-crested Flycatcher but we could never pin him down; we did have a Myiarchus in view but in lousy light, and since its tertial edgings
were so bright I really couldn’t rule out Great Crested (which we did hear “wheeping” back at Alligator
Lake). Although the feeders were no
longer being stocked, a couple of White-tipped Doves were still patrolling the
floor, and we could hear the Chachalacas sounding off in the distance (and saw
some as we returned to the main park).
The drip was pretty slow, so after greeting Rangers Raul and Hector, we
sat at the Indigo Blind for a while, where a Green Jay was stuffing his face at
the feeders until a couple of White-tipped Doves ran him off! Several Cedar Waxwings were in the trees
outside the blind, and heading back we got great looks at both Golden-fronted
and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers in the same dead tree. We heard a Buff-bellied Hummingbird rattling
at one of the flowering trees, but John was the only one to get a good look at
it… L We heard a couple of Green Parakeets screeching
over, and later had a single (silent!) Red-crowned Parrot fluttering and
circling overhead as if checking us out!
On the way out a Curve-billed Thrasher bounced along the road while a
Long-billed sang right above him in the tree; made me think of that funky
hybrid thrasher that we have there!
Cedar Waxwing
This Green Jay was minding his own business until shoved away by a White-tipped Dove (below)!
(Interesting effect caused by the slow shutter speed...)
After
checking in we checked out Ibis Pond, which was stuffed with shorebirds: mostly Long-billed Dowitchers, Stilt
Sandpipers, and Least Sandpipers, but the resident Black-necked Stilts were
also there, along with a single Pectoral and a couple of Lesser
Yellowlegs. We sat at the hummer feeder
for awhile hoping the hummer (or the reported Painted Bunting) would come in,
but they didn’t, so we continued on, enjoying the Purple Martins sharing their
apartment building with the House Sparrows!
On the boardwalk we had both a Lincoln’s and Clay-colored Sparrow
feeding in the mud, and at Dowitcher Pond we added a pair of Fulvous Whistling
Ducks in with the plentiful Black-bellied!
At Grebe Marsh someone (I think it was Tom) spotted a Solitary
Sandpiper, and a couple of young White Ibis sat and preened. An adult and subadult Yellow-crowned Night
Heron showed at Alligator Lake, followed by a rocking Northern Harrier, and
while we couldn’t find the “traditional” Pauraque, another couple staying with
us at the Inn, Ian and Julie, spotted the “backup” that’s often sitting at the
foot of the entrance to the big deck! So
we were all very pleased to see that guy!
A Yellow-breasted Chat was tentatively singing while all this was going
on, and a quick look on deck added a trio of Green Herons. Heading out we caught Ian and Julie zeroed in
on something in the tree, which turned out to be the Cardinal we had heard
singing previously (which are always exciting to our British visitors J)!
Long-billed Thrasher in full song
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Pauraque
Aphids on an airplant
Another
calling Brown-crested Flycatcher got us briefly back into the Camino del Aves
Trail, but he flew before we could get a good look. Returning to Dowitcher Pond, we went the long
way in order to get a better look at the Fulvous Whistling Ducks, and in the
process saw the Spotted Sandpiper well into getting his spots! A fracas between several Black-necked Stilts
was fun to watch (one was actually pulling on another’s tail), and up on the
levee we added a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a couple of Common Ground Doves,
some avocets, and a pair of caracaras making more caracaras, but never spotted
the White-tailed Kite pair that was hanging out there.
The guys enjoying the birds at Dowitcher Pond
Spotted Sandpiper
Fulvous Whistling Ducks
The more plentiful Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
The pond's namesake (Long-billed Dowitcher)
Black-necked Stilt fracas
We
finished the loop, getting more photo ops of the shorebirds, before chilling at
the hummer feeder again before it was time to go. An Inca Dove fluttered in, one of the guys
spotted a soaring Swainson’s Hawk, and while I only heard an Orchard Oriole,
the Hooded Oriole pair made an appearance!
Blue-winged Teal
With a Kiskadee
Curve-billed Thrasher
It
was time to head home (after grabbing an ice cream and razzing Ranger John about
not tying down a Swallow-tailed Kite for us J), very pleased
with such a fabulous morning! Bird list:
Black-bellied
Whistling-Duck
Fulvous
Whistling-Duck Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Mottled Duck
Plain Chachalaca
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
White-tipped Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Pauraque
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Sora
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Killdeer
Stilt Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Harris's Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
Red-crowned Parrot
Green Parakeet
Great Crested Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Green Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-crested Titmouse
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Clay-colored Thrush
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Lesser Goldfinch
Olive Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Yellow-breasted Chat
Orchard Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Green Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
House Sparrow
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