Clean Up Day

10/21/19 

This morning the million dollar question was, “What do you still need?” J  Olive Sparrow and Clay-colored Thrush were big on the list, so we all (including Katinka again) headed west to Quinta Mazatlan while Sue and Warren gave me the skinny on how their tram tour with Huck at Estero went on Sunday (in short, it was fabulous, and they did get the Pauraque and Screech Owl, so I was pleased)!

Well, it wasn’t until I turned into the drive at Quinta that I remembered that they were closed on Mondays L, so trying to think fast as to where we could possibly get those two (at places they hadn’t already visited over the weekend; my first choice would have been the Butterfly Center, but they had already gone there Saturday with no luck), I thought maybe cruising the levee on the way to Bentsen might be useful.  In the meantime Warren remembered a few other targets he thought of on the fly (Bronzed Cowbird, Groove-billed Ani, and Cave Swallow) and a better look at a Ringed Kingfisher! 

We climbed up on the levee at the La Lomita Mission access, picking up a Caracara on a pole, and turned around at the red levee gate before getting out to just look and listen for a minute.  Katinka spotted a Harris’ Hawk right away, but it was pretty quiet, so we continued on, picking up two more Caracaras sitting on a giant hay bail.  Down closer to a property with a wooden fence I heard some Olive Sparrows teeping, so we piled out, and with a little bit of coaxing they came right out in the open!  Beautiful looks!  Continuing on a Bobwhite gave its covey call, a White-tailed Kite flew overhead, and a young Gray Hawk posed across the way (we also had an adult earlier).  

Olive Sparrow

Fuzzy adult Gray Hawk

Young Gray Hawk

Much to my delight the section of the levee between Chimney Park and Military Highway was actually open, and that’s where all the birds were!  Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were staging by the dozens, and a dry pik revealed a Rose-breasted Grosbeak!  We also had an Ash-throated Flycatcher in the same tree while an Altamira Oriole whistled away happily.  But amongst all the kingbirds and mockingbirds was a pair of Clay-colored Thrushes!  They were tough to get our “guidees” on as they kept moving down the levee chasing the other birds (and we kept chasing them), but the birds finally settled down long enough to give Warren and Sue scope views!  While trying to pin down the thrushes a Ringed Kingfisher did call from the river, but he just wasn’t visible at that distance.   As we packed up we mused that we probably gave the two Border Patrol guys parked just down the way their entertainment for the morning! J

Altamira Oriole

The gang enjoying the Clay-colored Thrush (below)!

A few of the many Scissor-tailed Flycatchers

Continuing on we had a White-faced Ibis and a Roseate Spoonbill fly over the levee on the way to the paved portion, where we quickly pulled up to the bridge over the canal in hopes of Cave Swallows.  Unfortunately they were done gone,  but we did have another pair of happy Altamiras!  A state trooper pulled up behind me, but he just wanted to make sure we were okay; I think his eyes glazed over when I explained we were looking for Cave Swallows!

Yet another Altamira Oriole

From there we headed on in to Bentsen to at least check out the canal; while checking in the ranger mentioned that she had had anis the week before back where the park host area is, so we headed over there first.  I figured the anis were pretty much gone, but Katinka found a Nashville Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the thornscrub, and Warren spotted some Chachalacas up in the trees.  A couple of Hooded Orioles were near the buildings, and as we made our way to the road next to the canal the only swallows we could pull up were Roughwings.  A small party of Inca Doves fed behind the buildings, and closer to the road Katinka spotted a Black-and-white and Tennessee Warbler, while I stumbled upon a female Indigo Bunting that was preening (and of course took off the minute I got the scope L)!  Two Black Phoebes were having a dogfight at the bridge, but alas, no Cave Swallows or Ringed Kingfishers (and also found out that you don’t have to pay if you stayed “this side” of the old Gatehouse - now the Nature Center)!

Looking for anis in the "back lot"

Our last attempt was at Anzalduas (keeping in mind that we needed to focus on spots that didn’t involve a lot of walking).  Going in we witnessed a little spat between a Kestrel and a Cooper’s Hawk, and got all faux excited about the House Finch pair on the wire (a flaggable bird for Hidalgo County, but expected here, and of course a junk bird to my guidees J)!   The spillway had a flock of Blue-winged Teal, and I pointed out the Sprague’s Pipit Field for future reference.  They had the south road closed off for some reason (the one paralleling the levee), so we stuck to the river, picking up three Ospreys, a Neotropic Cormorant, and a Great Blue Heron, but no kingfisher… L  Another Black Phoebe was at the boat ramp (we got Eastern coming in), and as we made our way toward the dam a lovely Vermilion Flycatcher perched on top of a tree!  More Rough-winged Swallows were swooping over the grass over by the dam, but no Caves (the Cliffs were long gone of course).  Poor Warren missed both the Laughing Gulls that flew over (he made a crack about not being able to count anything on the opposite – i.e. Mexican – shore)!  On the way out we were checking the grackle flocks feeding on the ground for the hoped-for cowbird, but in the process spotted four Green Jays in with them!  Then a male Golden-fronted Woodpecker came up close and perched in a mesquite, giving great looks!

The "rare" House Finch

Checking out the Rio Grande

 

Vermilion Flycatcher

Green Jays

Before long it was time to head back, but we didn’t do too badly with 67 species for the morning! (And as a bookend, I ran into Warren later who reported that Huck had found an ani at Estero today!!  L  Another excuse to come back…)  Bird list:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Blue-winged Teal
Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Laughing Gull
Neotropic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk
Gray Hawk
Ringed Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Black Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Green Jay
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Clay-colored Thrush
House Sparrow
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Olive Sparrow
Hooded Oriole
Altamira Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Extra Eyes!

10/18/19 

This was Warren and Sue’s first trip to Texas (coming from my home state of Michigan J), so all of the Valley specialties would be new, but he had a special love for kingfishers and the White-tailed Hawk!  So since we only had a half day, I figured that Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and relatively close-by Laguna Seca Road would be a good pair!  Katinka came with us, and her young eyes proved invaluable!

We actually arrived at the Wetlands a little before dawn, but amazingly the gate to the gardens was open, so we pulled into the parking lot, logging a flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks right away!  Heading in to the dusky butterfly gardens, almost immediately a crack overhead alerted us to a flyover Ringed Kingfisher!  The “chepping” Wilson’s Warbler was almost anticlimactic (he wouldn’t show, anyway L), and a cooperative flock of Orange-crowned Warblers moved through the trees.  A Chachalaca that hopped up on an empty tray feeder was a hit, and a Long-billed Thrasher did his duit call, thankfully popping up so that Sue and Warren could get a look!  Green Jays were bouncing through the trees as well, making funny noises as they went, but wouldn’t let us get much of a look…  Olive Sparrows lisped unseen, and an Indigo Bunting pinked from deep in the stuff.  

Katinka readies her new camera while Sue and Warren watch!

We slowly wandered the trails hoping to flush a Pauraque (no such luck), but the early morning light was beautiful, especially along the “Jungle Trail”!  We and eventually made our way to the north pond where all the action was:  a Curve-billed Thrasher gave his rude whistle, and thankfully Warren and Sue were able to spot it!  A Neotropic Cormorant feeding frenzy was in progress (with a couple of Double-crested for good comparison), while we logged Anhinga, several egrets and herons (a young Black-crowned Nightie was a good ID challenge), and a young Common Gallinule.  A pretty Tricolored Heron was a hit, and a single Pied-billed Grebe was down by the spillway.  A Spotted Sandpiper kept acting like he wanted to land at out feet before veering off, and three Belted Kingfishers had a little dogfight.  

Early morning on the Jungle Trail (above and below ©2019 Katinka Domen, Beaks & Peaks)

Checking out the North Pond

Eventually a little Green Kingfisher did fly out over the water and back to shore, but unfortunately Warren missed him, so we headed down towards the canal to see if we could kick him up.  We did manage to spook an adult night heron, but nothing else, so we were headed towards the overlook when Katinka (who was actually retrieving my scope for me J) announced she had the Green Kingfisher!  It was a female, and we all got great looks through the scope!  Heading back, one of the many obstinate Buff-bellied Hummingbirds finally deigned to give us a look; Warren was surprised at how large and dark they were!  We did catch sight of a female Ruby-throated on the way out for comparison.  We heard both Couch’s Kingbird and Kiskadee, but never got on either…

Female Green Kingfisher

Warren enjoying the kingfisher (©2019 Katinka Domen, Beaks & Peaks)

Happy with a very productive start to the morning (a kingfisher trifecta is always nice J), we headed up to Laguna Seca Road, going in by way of Miller Road so that the sun would be at a better angle.  The dominant birds along this stretch were dozens of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and while we were stopped to check out a line of tamarisk trees, Katinka and Sue counted at least 30 Scissortails sitting out in the field!  Other wire birds included Lark Sparrows and Kestrels, plus several Loggerhead Shrikes and one meadowlark next to the field.  Pyrrhuloxias were out the yin yang, and Sue was joking about the fact that the bird always seem to fly just when she found the bush it was in! L  A covey of Bobwhite gathered at the side of the road ahead of us, and one by one flew across while their “leader” gave his covey call!  Somewhere during a stop a Broad-winged Hawk was circling with a Turkey Vulture, and we had a Cooper’s bat by at one point.  Several Harriers put in an appearance as well.  On one leg we found ourselves playing Chicken with a huge “Overloaded Truck” (thankfully the lead vehicle made room for us to turn around and take shelter in the driveway we just passed), and there were tons of trucks coming and going further down; it made for quite the dusty road!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Loggerhead Shrike

Lark Sparrow (©2019 Katinka Domen, Beaks & Peaks)

Our main target here was the White-tailed Hawk, but there were plenty of other goodies; Warren and Sue had visited Southeast Arizona several times (Sue had a sister out there), therefore many of the “back road specialties” were almost yawns to them (except for the Pyrrs J)!  But they had missed Cassin’s Sparrow, so when suspicious titters emanated from the brushy fenceline, we’d try to pull them out, and after several obscured views we finally got one to sit out in the open!  Caracaras were the primary raptor, and several obligingly sat on the power poles as they’re wont to do, and even a pair of Harris’ Hawks did the same, but no Whitetails… L  A Brown-headed Cowbird was keeping a pair of Turkey Vultures company, which led to a discussion about the Kirtland’s Warbler, which is recovering from cowbird predation quite nicely!  A highlight was a Greater Roadrunner perched on a post; it was a life bird for Katinka, as she said they only have the Lesser Roadrunner in her garden!  (I wanna go… J)  She also spotted a kettle, but by the time I could get on it the only thing I could pick out were a couple of Black Vultures.  A pair of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers showed nicely next to the car, and finally a Golden-fronted latched onto a pole on Warren’s side so he could get a look!  The non-avian highlight along the route was a sunning (and stunning) Giant Swallowtail!

Greater Roadrunner

Giant Swallowtail

Crested Caracara

In flight (©2019 Katinka Domen, Beaks & Peaks)

Cassin's Sparrow (©2019 Katinka Domen, Beaks & Peaks)

Laguna Seca Road

We eventually made our way to the south end, where the semi-reliable “Fuertes’” Red-tailed Hawk showed way overhead, but still no Whitetail… L  We had to head home about that time, so we blasted east on FM 490, already planning a trip to La Sal del Rey for Monday, when I heard this soft little voice from the back seat say, “Stop! Stop!”  (I told Katinka that she was gonna hafta learn to yell… J)  I pulled a Uie and crept back to where she had spotted a big, beautiful White-tailed Hawk sitting on a distant wire!  It was too dangerous to get the scope out, but everyone got cracking looks at this beauty!  Katika saved the day again! J

Distant White-tailed Hawk

We wrapped up the outing with a respectable 66 species for the morning!  Bird list:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Inca Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Common Gallinule
Spotted Sandpiper
Anhinga
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Great Kiskadee
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Green Jay
Verdin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Bewick's Wren
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
Lesser Goldfinch
Cassin's Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Brown-headed Cowbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Indigo Bunting

A Frontal Surprise

10/14/19 

Got a knock on my door from our night manager John late Sunday afternoon announcing that the arrival that just checked in wanted guiding the next day, so after a few quick e-mails and a target list, Sandra and I were ready to hit Brushline Road the next morning!  Originally from Brazil and now living in the Hudson Valley with her Irish husband, she had birded many places around the world, but never Texas, so she drove down, hitting the Island and Estero Llano Grande before coming to Alamo, so she had already gotten most of the Valley specialties under her belt.  By this point her “wish list” primarily consisted of back country/western birds, hence the choice of destination this day!

It was a little foggy heading up, but it quickly burned off, and as we slowly cruised up South Brushline (the section south of SR 186) the main players seemed to be Mockingbirds (which would cause a little consternation as the morning wore on J), but a Catbird mewed unseen, and finally a nice pair of Curve-billed Thrashers posed on a dead mesquite!  Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were starting to gather, and amongst them was a lovely female Vermilion Flycatcher!  Lark Sparrows were in good numbers, and looking carefully added a single Clay-colored!  Pyrrhuloxia was high on the list, and Sandra finally spotted a pair next to the road!  By a miracle a Verdin actually came out and perched briefly right on top of a bush at eye level, and my FOS Orange-crowned Warbler popped up as well!  A distant hawk on a pole proved to be her life White-tailed Hawk, and at the “spooky swamp” a young Harris’ Hawk squealed and looked as though he was getting ready to pounce on something!  We heard Horned Larks in the barren fields, and miraculously a single Cassin’s Sparrow jumped up on a stalk!  A couple of handsome Caracaras stood sentry in an open field, and at one stop a pair of Dickcissels flew over, giving their brat call; Sandra could just make out their little pale bodies, but that was good enough to tick!  We were enjoying a pair of Harriers just before we got to 186 when a beautiful dark morph Red-tailed Hawk circled over!  Then, almost at the intersection, Sandra’s life Roadrunner popped into view!  They were almost upstaged by the flock of Pyrrhuloxias feeding on the road next to the berm!

Curve-billed Thrashers (also below)

Lark Sparrow

Female Vermilion Flycatcher (also below)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (also below)

Loggerhead Shrike

Distant Cassin's Sparrow

  

I decided to cut over to Rio Beef Road and then head directly west on Ken Baker so we’d have the sun to our backs, and am I glad we did:  we stopped to coax a Bewick’s Wren into view when suddenly there was another Roadrunner right next to us (unfortunately behind a lot of branches, making it hard for Sandra to get a shot L)!  We flushed another raptor, and as we got out to look at something else, I heard a Cooper’s Hawk “kekking”, so we figured that’s what it was.  Somewhere in here we had a fussing Long-billed Thrasher sitting out in the open, but at another stop we got out to check some kettling raptors, and in with two Turkey Vultures was this larger, flat-winged brown behemoth with white patchy feathers on his underwing coverts – a young Bald Eagle!!  I couldn’t believe it, as they’re very rare in the Valley (but not unheard of), and this was my first for the area!  (Sandra concurred on the ID, however, as they get Baldies where they are…)  We got distracted by my FOS Sandhill Cranes coming in overhead, but we never could get on the other kettling raptors as they were way up and out by now!

Long-billed Thrasher

  

Sandra on Rio Beef Road

Newly arrived Sandhill Cranes (also below)

We headed down Ken Baker, which was actually pretty quiet (no blackbirds at all), but we did come across another Roadrunner pair by one of the gates!  More Pyrrs were in the brush, and a little further down were some little bodies by the side of the road, and we soon had a covey of Bobwhite literally leaping across the road one by one!  Another target in the bag!  A Cassin’s Sparrow (probably a youngster) was trying out a very half-hearted song, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk batted over at one point.  By the time we got to north Brushline things were quieting down a bit, although Common Ground Doves shot across the road periodically, and a nice Harris’ Hawk sat on a pole.  On the way to the ranch pond we came across a couple of exotic undulates (I thought they were female Blackbuck, but one was obviously a male…), and the pond itself was quite productive:  we picked up both Black-necked Stilts and Avocets, plus a couple of Greater Yellowlegs, a Least Sandpiper, a mob of Killdeer, both Blue-winged Teal and Mottled Ducks, and a few herons, including a Green that Sandra spotted.  A Belted Kingfisher was posing over a Pied-billed Grebe, but the big highlight was another target bird that I wasn’t sure we’d see at all:  about 13 Long-billed Curlews in the field!  That was a real treat! J  But what put the icing on Sandra’s cake was getting out of the car and seeing several Bobwhite right there next to her!  That was hoot!

Roadrunner

Harris' Hawk

Sandra shooting the curlews

We picked up the pace on the way back, hearing Least Flycatchers in stereo, and stopping for a very cooperative and vocal White-tailed Hawk (until I got the video rolling of course L) and made a decision to stop at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands for a shot at the Ringed Kingfisher.  Just past the entrance we sat and rested so Sandra could eat her sandwich, and enjoyed the Chachalacas eating their own lunch at the feeders, plus a Nashville Warbler right overhead!  A White-eyed Vireo serenaded us on the way to the Visitor’s Center, and just before we entered Sandra spotted the “doily” web of a Silver Argiope Orb Weaver! After the gal in the shop told us that the kingfishers were usually seen only in the morning, I wasn’t holding out much hope, especially since they’re so iffy to begin with, but I set up the scope at the deck, and started scanning from right to left as per usual, and guess what – the first thing I laid eyes on was a big fat female Ringed Kingfisher!  (That warranted a shorted version of the Hallelujah Chorus… J)  I jokingly said we could go now (as that was Sandra’s only target there J), but we lingered long enough to enjoy both cormorants species, several species of herons (including four Black-crowned Nighties powering across the lake), a few Anhingas, and even an Osprey!  A Green Kingfisher came shooting at us (it had been sitting near the Ringed), and an Altamira Oriole called from somewhere unseen.  A Buff-bellied Hummingbird buzzed around the Turks Caps enticingly as Sandra tried to get a photo, and a Clay-colored Thrush gave its “ringing” call somewhere in the wooded area, but we never could find it.

White-tailed Hawk (with some down on its nose)

Silver Argiope (commonly called "Doily Spider")

Female Ringed Kingfisher hiding in the shade

It was getting pretty warm by then, but not willing to call it quits quite yet, I suggested we make a run down to Santa Ana to at least try for the Beardless Tyrannulet, which was big on her want list (although she was planning on doing the “big loop” there the next morning), so down we went!  It was really hot by the time we got there, but we dragged ourselves around the Chachalaca Loop; I thought I heard the thing a couple of times, but it never called again.  At the big blind another target, a Sora, called in response to my clapping (that was good enough for the time being, she said), but as we continued on and ran into a feeding flock, I couldn’t believe it:  another target that I really had no hope of seeing was right in front of us – a Yellow-breasted Chat!!  Thankfully Sandra got wonderful looks – in a way that was even better than the tyrannulet!  We also had nice looks at several Texas Spotted Whiptails, a Giant Swallowtail, and the tree snails that the Hook-billed Kites are so fond of.  On the way back to the car we heard a Gray Hawk whistling in the distance.

We called it quits after that with a respectable 84 species for the day!  Bird list:

Blue-winged Teal

Mottled Duck
Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Inca Dove
Common Ground Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Sora
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Killdeer
Long-billed Curlew
Least Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Anhinga
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Gray Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Least Flycatcher
Vermilion Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Green Jay
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
Horned Lark
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Bewick's Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Clay-colored Thrush
House Sparrow
Lesser Goldfinch
Cassin's Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Yellow-breasted Chat
Altamira Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Dickcissel