Picking Up the Crumbs, Part 2

12/15/21 

The Scavenger Hunt definitely went better today than yesterday, as we stepped out of the car at Estero Llano Grande State Park and heard Red-crowned Parrots across the highway, soon to fly right over our heads!  Not “needed” but still fun was a squealing Harris’ Hawk with its parents close to FM 1015.  The parrots were a bonus, but the two “official” targets here were the Fulvous Whistling Ducks and the Cinnamon Teal.  The latter hadn’t seen reported for four days (and even then from the Llano Grande itself, not within the park), so we focused on the wetlands first, logging the usual Black-bellied Whistling Duck mob in Ibis pond, along with the Mottled Ducks.  On the first pass, only a Least Grebe, a Pintail, and more black-bellieds were in Avocet Pond, so we continued on the boardwalk, where the highlight there were three flyby Roseate Spoonbills (appropriate on the Spoonbill Trail)!  We then cut over to Curlew Pond where our mixed-up Gadwall/Pintail was hanging out, along with more Blackbellies and Least Grebes.  Three Long-billed Dowitchers flew over, peeping as they did, and as we crossed the boardwalk over Dowitcher Pond we flushed Shovelers and Blue-winged Teal.  A Ringed Kingfisher flew overhead as well, “cracking” as he went.

Ibis Pond 

Checking out Avocet Pond

Gadwall x Pintail mix

Black-bellied Whistling Duck tree 

It was decision time at that point as to whether we wanted to go up on the levee (I had heard avocets coming from there), but it started to spit, so we hightailed it back to the Visitor’s Center, quickly checking ducks as we went.  It let up by the time we got to Ibis Pond again, so we gave Avocet Pond one last look, and there were the Fulvous Whistling Ducks, actually diving!  That was a hoot!  The White Ibis showed up at the last minute before Chuck indulged in an ice cream (it actually looked more like a popsicle to me J) and we bantered again with Ranger John (and discussed the incredible Bat Falcon sighting at Santa Ana with Ranger Raul)! 

Ibis Pond with the Visitor's Center

Fulvous Whistling Ducks with a Black-bellied behind

Ladder-backed Woodpecker on the way out

After taking a quick peek to see if the gate to the Llano Grande was open (it wasn’t; Chuck offered to pick it J) we headed up for the real target, the Golden-crowned Warbler at Valley Nature Center!  (The tower of Turkey Vultures circling over the vicinity of Frontera Thicket was impressive…)  Chuck hadn’t been here since the new Visitor’s Center had been built; he was pretty impressed!  We didn’t linger on the bridge long enough for the turtles to rush us J but started down the Butterfly Trail, adding a ringing Clay-colored Thrush somewhere in the brush.  A House Wren and a couple of Carolina Wrens fussed at us (the latter gave a brief look), but before long I heard a soft ticking coming from the underbrush – it was the warbler!  A little soft pishing from Chuck got the thing pretty excited (which surprised me as I figured the thing had been pished to death) and gave Chuck a couple of brief glimpses before finally coming out and letting me get some documentation!  He was relatively cooperative, but not nearly as cooperative as that bird at Gladys Porter Zoo last winter!

Golden-crowned Warbler 

From there we headed straight to Quinta Mazatlan for the Crimson-collared Grosbeak.  They were getting ready for a big Festival of Lights, so we treaded carefully between the luminaries!  After checking in we headed to the amphitheater; another couple had seen the bird earlier that morning, so we were hopeful!  The feeders were actually quite active, with lots of Inca Doves, Green Jays, Cardinals, titmice, a Long-billed Thrasher, a couple of Orange-crowned Warblers, some Chachalacas, and of course the House Sparrows (a Curve-billed Thrasher called unseen, and Chuck got a glimpse of a Clay-colored Thrush).  Some pretty beat-up White-winged Doves came to the feeders as well, an Olive Sparrow lisped behind us, an Altamira Oriole whistled off-stage, and Buff-bellied Hummingbirds rattled here and there, but no grosbeak.  We walked out to Ebony Grove where the bird had been reported on previous days, but it was pretty quiet.  We sat for another half hour or so (Chuck decided that he’d rather wait this bird out than go to Bentsen and risk missing his flight by being delayed somehow on the way back), then walked the perimeter, then sat some more, where a brilliant Two-barred Flasher darted in and sat but took off before I could get a shot… L.  We gave that lady till the last minute, but she never showed, so we called it a day and headed to the airport, which was conveniently almost within walking distance!

Feeder area at Quinta Mazatlan's amphitheater 

Chachalaca

Green Jay

Inca Dove

Cardinal

Long-billed Thrasher

Orange-crowned Warbler with bling...

Chuck documenting the first Valley record of Snowy Owl...

It was a modest total of 50 species, but with some quality stuff to end his trip with!  Bird list:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

Gadwall x Pintail Hybrid

Mottled Duck

Northern Pintail

Plain Chachalaca

Least Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Inca Dove

White-winged Dove

Mourning Dove

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Sora

American Coot

American Avocet

Long-billed Dowitcher

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

White Ibis

Roseate Spoonbill

Turkey Vulture

Northern Harrier

Harris's Hawk

Ringed Kingfisher

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Red-crowned Parrot

Great Kiskadee

Green Jay

Black-crested Titmouse

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

House Wren

Marsh Wren

Carolina Wren

Curve-billed Thrasher

Long-billed Thrasher

Northern Mockingbird

Clay-colored Thrush

House Sparrow

Olive Sparrow

Altamira Oriole

Red-winged Blackbird

Great-tailed Grackle

Orange-crowned Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Golden-crowned Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Northern Cardinal