Wow, this morning was to a birder new to Texas, birding at it's best! A friend, Huck Hutchens led a bird walk at Estero Llano Grande State Park and we had such a great time birding with him. What a great guy Huck is! This morning on the walk (and some time on both sides of the walk) I managed to get 23-24 (see below for description of why not 24) lifers! Lifers are as follows (all at Estero Llano Grande State Park):
Golden-fronted Woodpecker -- many, many
Red-crowned Parrot -- local specialty, a wild bird, flock of 5 I saw
Great Kiskadee -- many. A local specialty bird. Beautiful bird!
Common Ground Dove -- 5-10, a very nice bird
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck -- local specialty bird, 1 with Fulvouses
Black-necked Stilt -- a pair, such a terrifically beautiful bird!
Long-billed Dowitcher -- several
Least Grebe -- a local specialty bird, very similar but obviously different from Pied-billed
Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal hybrid -- to me a bird that I can say I've "seen" because I have, but since it's a hybrid it's not an ABA countable bird so I can't count it on my Junior Big Year list
Virginia Rail -- heard but not seen
Purple Martin -- what a nice bird. MANY!!
Curved-billed Thrasher -- local specialty bird. Several.
Long-billed Thrasher -- ?? -()*
Common Paraque -- beautiful goatsucker bird. I really enjoyed seeing them...
White-eyed Vireo -- heard but not seen
Cave Swallow -- a real local specialty bird, many, so nice to see!
Bewick's Wren -- ?? -()*
Olive Sparrow -- heard but not seen
Cinnamon Teal -- 2 drakes. Beautiful ducks!
Sora -- heard but not seen
Buff-bellied Hummingbird -- several at feeders. Soooo beautiful!
Couch's Kingbird -- 2 perched in a tree together.
Black-crested Titmouse -- ?? -()*
Ladder-backed Woodpecker -- nice woody.
In addition to the awesome lifers, also saw 5-10 Common Yellowthroats for a year bird.
Also, 1st time seen this year but heard before this year, an Eastern Screech-Owl looked great through a scope.
A terrific morning and this afternoon we got to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park for Altamira Orioles, a Black-vented Oriole, and much else!
Until later,
KestrelSwan
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Great Texas day
Little Gull lying down with it's other gull and tern friends
My first life bird today was White-tipped Dove, in the parking lot of last night's motel in Rockport tx!
Then antsy to get a rarity bird, we headed for Goose Island State Park in hopes of finding the Yellow-faced Grassquit. After about 1 hour of searching with many other birders present, one of the birders said "there it is". It flew, and although just only about a 2 seecond look, I thankfully did get the female YF Grassquit!
After the grassquit stop, we checked the nearby "Big Tree" where we saw Whooping Cranes yesterday, but no luck.
Then we headed to Port Aransas for the 2 Little Gulls seen there. After about 20 minutes, and when we thought we had been skunked, a different birder there excitedly waved us over from our car. Scope viewing, photographing, etc...yup, the 2 small gulls there were indeed the Juvi. Littles!
Then we did a big drive with only a few stops, however we got another Ferruginous Hawk along the way to our destination: Weslaco Texas. Once in the Weslaco area, we headed to nearby Estero Llano Grande State Park for a breif stop. There I added 3 lifers: Fulvous Whistling-Duck (3 birds sleeping), Plain Chalacala (flock of 3-4 birds), and Inca Dove (2 birds near the chalacalas).
Other lifers for the day were:
Bronzed Cowbird at Grassquit location
Green Jay at a Rest Area on Rte. 77
5 year birds were:
Northern Gannet over the water near our last night's hotel
Lincoln's Sparrow, 2 birds at grassquit locaiton
Ruddy Turnstone on beach at Mustang Island State Park
Common Goldeneye near Corpus Christi
Field Sparrow near Corpus Christi
What a birding paradise TX is! Wow!
Until later,
KestrelSwan
Thursday, March 3, 2011
First day of Texas -- many, many lifers!
3 Whooping Cranes
13 lifers today in addition to a few other 'year birds' that I've seen before but not this year, so they're still really important to add to the Big Year list. Lifers were with short descriptions:
Crested Caracara -- many, a common bird, seen primarily in the Three Rivers region and Aransas Nat. Wildlife Refuge
FERRUGINOUS HAWK -- got lucky with 1 bird perched along I-37 north of the Three Rivers region
Harris's Hawk -- a pair of adults in the Three Rivers region. What beautiful birds!
Chihuan Raven (not sure if I got that spelled right!) -- pair between Three Rivers and Corpus Christi
Reddish Egret -- single bird near Corpus Chrisit. Have always wanted the Reddish Egret!
Sandwhich Tern -- several, primarilly Aransas Nat. Wildlife Refuge
WHOOPING CRANE -- What an honor to see this Critically Endangered Species with only about 400 remaining in the wild! And not just 1, 6 Whooping Cranes: 3 at 'The Big Tree' and 3 at Aransas Nat. Wildlife Refuge
Snowy Plover -- 1 bird, out in the middle of nowhere-()*
WHITE-TAILED HAWK -- got really lucky with this bird, it was a juvenile near the entrance to Aransas Refuge
Canada Warbler -- Aransas Nat. Refuge Visitor Center area
AMERICAN AVOCET -- 3 birds, Aransas Refuge
Least Sandpiper -- Aransas Refuge
SANDHILL CRANE -- several large flocks, sooooo beautiful, Aransas Refuge
Highlights among the lifers are (with descriptions):
Crested Caracaras, always wanted to get this unusual raptor, what a treat to see so many!
Ferruginous Hawk, I understand that it's rather rare to the region, and a magnificently beautiful hawk.
Pair of Harris's Hawks, we were stopped at a Gas Station to take care of the car and before getting back on I-37 we decided to travel through the backroads of Texas for a few miles for raptors and other birds. Kabang! A beautiful pair of Harris's Hawks and my 2nd caracara!
SIX Whooping Cranes, at one point a flock of 3 flew right by us (my papa and me). A true "wow" moment!
White-taield Hawk, was driving along northwest of Corpus Christi and I spotted a buteo flying. I got papa to pull over and after examining it..yup, showing it's tail area and other features, I knew it was a juvenile White-tail!
American Avocet, not anything rare..but! A bird that has managed to alude me up until today! I have searched IN VAIN for this bird in so many places from Illisnois (last year), to Florida, to California, many of whch places avocets are common. However, no luck. Even the novis birder of my mama got one in California! When I saw that avocets were common in Texas I was like "another place where I'll try and they'll alude me!" sarcastically because of my 'bad luck' with them in the past. Not so, luckily! I finally got 3 at Aransas Nat. Refuge today. Woo! Finally avocets!
Sandhill Cranes, several large flocks. Beautiful!
In addition to the lifers I saw 3 year birds new for the J. Big Year. These were:
Harlan's Hawk, along I-37 near Three Rivers, previously seen in Duluth, MN in 2010.
Barn Swallow, Aransas Refuge, previously seen many places in 2008-2010.
Lesser Yellowlegs, Aransas Refuge, previously seen in Virginia in 2010.
Also, although not a year/life bird, on the way out of Aransas Refuge, a Great Horned Owl gave incredible looks!
Since I was getting so many birds I decided to do a "South Texas Big Day" and got 77 species in all.
Wow, what an incredible day!
Tomorrow I'll go out to look for a Yellow-throated Grassquit, a Hammond's Flycatcher, and whatever else flys my way!
Until later,
KestrelSwan
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Great-tailed Grackle added in Texas at night!
I am here in my hotel room in San Antonio Texas. While stopped at a gas station I heard some birds calling near by so I went to check them out. I found them and observed a flock of 8-10 dark passerine birds. Wasn't sure what they were as I'm not familiar with Texas birds -()* I called a friend of mine who is an experienced birder from the Weslaco area of Texas. He said they were probably Great-tailed Grackles from what I had described. Then I checked my CD of Texas bird songs and sure enough they were Great-tailed Grackles, year bird #205 and also a life bird for me!
Until later,
KestrelSwan
Until later,
KestrelSwan
Kestrel Hovering Welcoming me to Dulles!
Now I'm in Wash. Dulles International Airport waiting for my next flight to San Antonio Texas, my final destination.
While landing from my 1st flight from Shenandoah Valley, Va in Dulles, an adult female American Kestrel was hovering right along the runway we were on! That was super! Also nearby was a Red-tailed Hawk hunting.
I arrive in San Antonio tonight after nightfall, sleep at a 3-star hotel, and in the morning head for the Goose Creek State Park/Aransas Nat. Wildlife Refuge area in hopes of finding Whooping Cranes, a Yellow-throated Grassquit reported in the area, and the non-bird Alligator.
That's it for now.
Until later,
KestrelSwan
While landing from my 1st flight from Shenandoah Valley, Va in Dulles, an adult female American Kestrel was hovering right along the runway we were on! That was super! Also nearby was a Red-tailed Hawk hunting.
I arrive in San Antonio tonight after nightfall, sleep at a 3-star hotel, and in the morning head for the Goose Creek State Park/Aransas Nat. Wildlife Refuge area in hopes of finding Whooping Cranes, a Yellow-throated Grassquit reported in the area, and the non-bird Alligator.
That's it for now.
Until later,
KestrelSwan
Off to Texas with a Horned Lark pair wishing me luck!
A quick note before I leave for Texas in 50 minutes:
A quick walk this morning produced 3 notable species: Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, and most of exciting of all a pair of Horned Larks. While walking along I heard the classic peep of the Horned Lark and searched for the bird. Sure enough, there it was, and not just 1, 2 were enjoying the fence-line along the road I live on! Nice treat before I head off to the southern bird area (where I surly won't see Horned Larks!)! -()*
Alright, that's all for now, I better get my act together now, gotta go fly soon!
Until Texas, -()*
KestrelSwan
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Getting ready to go
Yesterday and today have brought "getting ready for Texas birds", a lot of time has been focused on getting the locations of the rarities in that area and the directions so not so much time for birding.
Non the less, I've still managed to get a few birds and 3 or 4 Red-shouldered Hawks were the highlight today. Other sightings included: 10 E. Meadowlarks, many Red-tailed Hawks, 4 A. Kestrels, Carolina Wrens, and others.
Tomorrow we head off to Texas! I have many, many target birds which include the area specialties that are only easily found in that area like Green Jay, Whooping Crane, and Great Kiskadee. Other targets are the rarity birds that I have been notified of by the state's birding listserv. These birds include a Black-vented Oriole at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, a White-throated Thrush at Estero Llano Grande State Park, a Crimson-collared Grosbeak in the town of Pharr, and a Yellow-faced Grassquit at Goose Island State Park. So exciting!
I may not be updating the blog lots on the travels but I will as much as I can.
KestrelSwan
Non the less, I've still managed to get a few birds and 3 or 4 Red-shouldered Hawks were the highlight today. Other sightings included: 10 E. Meadowlarks, many Red-tailed Hawks, 4 A. Kestrels, Carolina Wrens, and others.
Tomorrow we head off to Texas! I have many, many target birds which include the area specialties that are only easily found in that area like Green Jay, Whooping Crane, and Great Kiskadee. Other targets are the rarity birds that I have been notified of by the state's birding listserv. These birds include a Black-vented Oriole at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, a White-throated Thrush at Estero Llano Grande State Park, a Crimson-collared Grosbeak in the town of Pharr, and a Yellow-faced Grassquit at Goose Island State Park. So exciting!
I may not be updating the blog lots on the travels but I will as much as I can.
KestrelSwan
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