Headed
out the door with the first bird being a Purple Martin gurgling overhead in the
dark! A distant Great-tailed Grackle (2)
was next, followed by the tittering of a Tropical Kingbird (3). Once at Bentsen, I think the White-winged
Dove (4) again claimed the prize to be the first songster there, along with the
awakening Couch’s Kingbirds (5), but there were plenty of Pauraques (6)
singing, and a lone Mockingbird (7) contributed to the pre-dawn chorus. A Curve-billed Thrasher (8) gave his rude
whistle, and walking into the park the Cardinals (9) were tuning up. At the resting bench I was thrilled to hear a
distant Chuck-will’s-widow (10), and a Dickcissel (11) gave his obnoxious
flight call. Thankfully the Screech Owls
(12) came through this time, but I was shocked to actually miss the Elf Owl this year!
(It was a calm, clear, full moonlit night, and I recall someone telling
me that small owls generally don’t vocalize under those conditions in order to
avoid drawing attention to themselves…)
I also dipped on the Whippoorwill, but I’m thinking my friends are right
– I’ve only gotten them on Big Days that I’ve done earlier in the month…
At
any rate, picked up Mourning Dove (13) in short order, and a distant Great
Horned Owl (14) was a good one to add. From
then on the diurnal birds were starting to wake up: Brown-crested Flycatcher (15), Olive Sparrow
(16, that actually started singing when I turned on my flashlight to jot down
the flycatcher J), Black-bellied Whistling Duck (17), Sora
(18), and White-tipped Dove (19) were all added before reaching the
resaca. As the sky lightened, the
Yellowthroats (20) started yelling, and even the Chachalacas (21) started their
chorusing a little early! I actually
heard a Green Heron (22) before seeing it, and other unseen songsters included
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (23), Gray Hawk (24), Kiskadee (25), and Brown-headed
Cowbird (26). A Snowy Egret (27) flew
back and forth seemingly trying to find a place to land while Green Jays (28)
called in the distance. Both a Great
Blue Heron (29) and Great Egret (30) stood sentry at the other end.
Once
dawn officially arrived I started back to the parking lot, adding Ladder-backed
Woodpecker (31), Red-winged Blackbird (32), Altamira Oriole (33), and a
burbling House Wren (34) to the list. At
the “fork” I heard a distant Tyrannulet (35, probably the one that hangs at the
entrance to the Acacia Loop), plus a Black-crested Titmouse (36), and now that
I was away from the Mockingbird cacophony I could pick out a Long-billed Thrasher
(37) singing! I had almost tuned out a
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (38) doing its cou…cou…cou
call, as at first I thought I was hearing the “you” part of the Whitewing’s
“Who cooks for you?” song, until I
realized it was repeating itself! The
other surprise was a singing Roadrunner (39, and I resisted the temptation to
mess with ‘im J)!
The Clay-colored Thrush (40) started singing his sad song, and even a
lingering Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (41) buzzed!
At the bridge lots of Cave Swallows (42) flew and chattered, and a
Buff-bellied Hummingbird (43) rattled by at the visitor’s center. On the way back to the parking lot a Bronzed
Cowbird (44) sat on the sidewalk, and just before I left a Harrier (45) glided
over the trees!
Headed
along Old Military Highway from there, and decided to try that back road
discovered during the Hook-billed Kite phenomenon, but added nothing new. Back on the main drag I stopped at my
traditional spot by the end of the Butterfly Center’s Walking Trail, and by
golly the Blue Grosbeak (46) was back!
(No bluebirds this year, though… L) Dipped on the meadowlark as well, I think, by
taking that back road, as I didn’t pick them up anywhere else… But I did add Killdeer (47) along the road,
and the Black Phoebe (48) came through at the bridge (along with lots more Cave
Swallows), despite all the construction going on! Now that the levee is off limits, I went
through the old, beat-up, original “Old Military Road”, which is beautiful
habitat wise, but added only House Sparrow (49) and Lesser Goldfinch (50 - and
had to drive around a fallen tree limb to boot). Getting back up on the levee near Chimney
Park added the Euro-trash Starlings (51) and Rock Pigeons (52), plus a Western
Kingbird (53) giving his chattering song.
The first of the Turkey Vultures (54) went aloft, and I almost drove by
what I thought was just another grackle at first, but that still, small voice
said, “Check it out!” and it turned out to be the only Groove-billed Ani (55)
of the day! Over near La Lomitas a
Caracara (56) sat on a pole, and just before the gate I spooked a Cooper’s Hawk
(57) and heard Verdins (58) chirping.
Groove-billed Ani
Puffed up Crested Caracara
On
to Anzalduas, where Black Vultures (59) joined the Turkeys, and in the Rio
Grande itself added Neotropic Cormorant (60), the feral Muscovies (61 – I know,
that’s pushing it…), a couple of Laughing Gulls (62), and a Coot (63). In the park proper I heard the high, ringing
calls of some Cedar Waxwings (64), and a Spotted Sandpiper (65) bobbed on the
boat ramp. A pair of Hooded Orioles (66)
chattered and eventually chased each other out of the tree, while a
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (67) jumped up from a wire as well. Over by the dam a couple of Cattle Egrets
(68) stalked breakfast in the grass, and Rough-winged Swallows (69) swooped
over the water. Picked up the requisite
Cliff Swallows (70) nesting under the dam itself, and on the swing back heard a
White-eyed Vireo (71) singing (dipped on the resident House Finches…). A short-tailed, dumpy Double-crested
Cormorant (72) flew over on the way out, and I settled on IDing a puzzling
juvenile hawk soaring overhead as a Broad-winged (73), based on the very white
underwings (almost with a thin black liner, as opposed to the somewhat darker
flight feathers of a juvenile Swainson’s) and uniform brown upperparts (as a
Swainie will often show a bit of a white rump band). As I was comparing all this on the Sibley app
a Mottled Duck (74) flew overhead, and rolling through Granjeño on my way to
the freeway picked up Collared Dove (75).
Since
Quinta Mazatlan was having a big (reeeely
big) event going on, I skipped that in favor of Edinburg Wetlands, which was
terrific! Right away added Inca Dove
(76) singing in the parking lot, while a pair of Anhingas (77) flew
overhead! The Purple Martin house was a
big hit with a lot of the families coming in for a kids’ event! Couldn’t kick up any migrants in the woods,
but I did literally kick up a
Pauraque (the “Giant Mockingbird”) that nonetheless sat on the side of the
trail long enough to get a photo! By
that time it was warming up, and I was momentarily distracted by a couple of cooperative
dragonflies… The north pond had a pair
of Black-necked Stilts (78), and something chased a Black-crowned Night Heron
(79) out of hiding. Walking down to the
canal overlook an unseen Green Kingfisher (80) was making a fuss, and on the
way out an overhead Cardinal was singing and vibrating his tail in plain
sight! The south pond was extremely
productive (and was sharing it with some couples having their Easter pictures
taken, probably), with Least Sandpipers (81) on the shoreline, and a Tricolored
Heron (82) near the vegetation. Lots of
Blue-winged Teal (83) were both in the water and lazing on shore, and Forster’s
Terns (84) batted around giving their grating calls. A nice surprise was a young Roseate Spoonbill
(85), and Gull-billed Terns (86) gave their more mellow calls. But the real prize was a lady Ringed
Kingfisher (87) that rowed in and landed on this tall platform, only to be
immediately chased away by the terns! On
the way back to the car an Orange-crowned Warbler (88) allowed himself to be
briefly seen, and a Lark Sparrow (89) sang in the open area.
Purple Martin
Pauraque
Female Blue Dasher
Female Red-tailed Pennant
Young Roseate Spoonbill
Least Sandpiper
Black-necked Stilt
Female Ringed Kingfisher
The
La Sal del Rey Route was next, which for Birdathon purposes covers Brushline
Road north of SR 186, and then back to Ken Baker and Rio Beef Roads. That was also incredibly productive, picking
up most of the “western” targets I hope to get up here! I had barely turned onto the road when Pyrrhuloxias
(90) started chattering, and as I’d stop, get out, and listen every mile added
Common Ground Dove (91), Bewick’s Wren (92), Bobwhite (93), a nyehing Orchard Oriole (94), a
skylarking Cassin’s Sparrow (95), and a Harris’ Hawk (96) on a pole, along with
lots more Caracaras! Bona fide
Swainson’s Hawks (97) were moving through in good numbers, and up near the
“jog” added a smacking Lincoln’s Sparrow (98) and the Black-throated Sparrow
(99) that always seems to hang at the ranch there! The honor of Bird #100 went to the Bullock’s
Oriole that was giving its slow chatter, and at another stop a Cactus Wren
(101) sang in the distance. The farm
pond at the end of the road was pretty sparse, but at least had a Pied-billed
Grebe (102) to add. A Common Gallinule
(103) cackled from the “swampy” side, and when I walked down the road a little
I flushed a pair of Mottled Ducks that got the Least Grebes (104) going! I almost ignored another “TV” until that
voice once again urged me to check it – this time it was a young White-tailed
Hawk (105)! Ken Baker had lots more
Swainies, an adult Whitetail, and gobs more Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, but
didn’t add anything new until almost to the end of Rio Beef Road, where a
Summer Tanager (106) pik-a-chooed and
shot across the road!
Greater Roadrunner
Caracara with a full crop
Harris' Hawk
Swainson's Hawk (above and below)
Next
stop was the “1015 Pond” to the east of Delta Lake, and this time the surprise
was a mob of Fulvous Whistling Ducks (107)!
A few Barn Swallows (108) also swooped around as I enjoyed my lunch… After that it was Valley Acres Reservoir, which
requires special permission to enter, but while last year it was outstanding,
this year the water level was very high, so there really wasn’t much out there;
I added a few White Ibis (109) flying across my view, and on the central island
I did pick out a couple of Fulvous
Whistling Ducks and a Spoonbill (in case I hadn’t gotten them elsewhere). Dipped on the White-tailed Kite that usually
hangs here, and no Least Bitterns called from the reeds… But I was still appreciative to Javier who
gave permission to come; under other conditions I’m sure it could be its old
productive self again!
Great Egret hunts amongst the pretty flowers
Another Great Egret poses on a dead tree
Frontera
was next, and I really had to scoot as they were closing at 4:00! But what Valley Acres lacked in species,
Frontera made up in spades! Right in the
parking lot added Chimney Swifts (110) flying over, and some activity in the
woods next to the lot revealed a Black-and-white Warbler (111) creeping around
on a tree, a Yellow-breasted Chat (112) talking to himself, and a curious
Swainson’s Thrush (113) that popped up to pishing! Once inside and checked in, I sat at the
water feature for a while, and was visited by several Nashville Warblers (114)
and a single Tennessee (115)! (I missed
a great photo op with the two of them together on the stick that could have
been captioned, “Nashville, TN”…) Once
inside, a Blue-headed Vireo (116) sang its sweet song, and a Carolina Wren
(117) belted it out from the woods. A
Least Flycatcher (118) gave its soft whit,
and near the cemetery I spooked a Chuck-will’s-widow that “chucked” at me
annoyedly! At the pond I was very
pleased to bag a stunning Yellow-crowned Night Heron (119), and near the little
“kingfisher resaca” a Warbling Vireo (120) scolded and actually did a little of
his song! Another view of the big pond
gave me a Solitary Sandpiper (121), and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (122)
chattered softly. Back at the water
feature a Gray Catbird (123) gave its own cat-call, and a Great Crested
Flycatcher (124) gave its very strong Wheep!
Nashville Warbler (showing the rarely-seen rusty cap above)
Tennessee Warbler (also below)
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Black-necked Stilt
On
to Estero Llano Grande, and I had just entered the Tropical Zone when another
birder pointed me in the direction of a pod of folks led by Host Huck and
Ranger John, who pointed out a lovely Cerulean Warbler (125), a true rarity for
Hidalgo County! As tempted as I was to
linger (especially with a new drip that they said was attractive to migrants),
I headed out to the deck, where the water level there was pretty high, as well as birdless (unlike last week when
we had all those shorebirds)! Still not
willing to abandon the slogan “Estero never disappoints” (and it certainly
didn’t with that Cerulean), I headed out on the boardwalk to make the loop, and
discovered that the shorebirds were all tucked together on a little island,
away from the wind, so added Long-billed Dowitcher (126), White-faced Ibis
(127, some actually getting their white faces), and Lesser Yellowlegs (128) to
the list! Back in the Tropical Zone the
only additional migrant I could glean was a curious Eastern Wood Pewee (129).
The
Progresso Sod Farms had zilch, zero, nada, so I continued on to the last stop
of the day: Santa Ana. Heading over the levee I heard a Greater
Yellowlegs (130) flying somewhere, along with the raspy chattering of a Bank
Swallow (131). Taking the Chachalaca
Trail, I ran into another couple who had birded the Valley for over 20 years;
he hadn’t seen any Cinnamon Teal, so I guess they had left (unlike the one last
year that hung around clear into May). I
did add a Marsh Wren (132) singing from the reeds, and on the way out a couple
of Sharp-shinned Hawks (133) flew overhead.
Dimorphic Gray Moth on Heppy
I
still had an hour to go before sunset, but I was shot, so I headed home at that
point, but the day wasn’t done: Green
Parakeets screeched over in the neighborhood for a grand total of 134
species!
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