Tex-Az – Day Eleven

Gray Hawk, which has it’s strong-hold in the Lower Rio Grande valley – this one is ringed

The general theme of ‘tough going’ continues in the Lower Rio Grande valley – requiring time and effort to find new birds. We started off at Santa Ana NWR – one of those excellent reserves which is now situated beyond the fence. Things were made more difficult here because the driving loop is closed for maintenance, meaning you have to walk the trails – including to get to the raptor-watching tower. Following up on a tip from some Portsmouth birders we sought out the turf fields at South Donna. It took us two attempts to find the site and when we did we dipped on the Buff-breasted Sandpiper which had been there earlier. We spent lunchtime at The Audubon Thicket reserve and the afternoon at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. We ended the day at a site on the flight-line for the parrot roost. Luckily we’d seen the two target species, Red-crowned Amazon and Green Parakeet, earlier in the day. The bonus bird was a Grey Hawk, which when I looked at the photos turned out to be colour-ringed. By the end of the day we’d managed to add another nine trip ticks.

Broad-winged Hawk were the main species at the raptor tower but we did see Mississippi Kite as well
Verdin – seen on the walking trails at Santa Ana NWR
Long-billed Thrasher at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
Pectoral Sandpiper – but alas no Buff-breasted at South Donna turf fields

Tex-Az – Day Ten

The ‘new’ reserve of Bahia Grande

A tale of two sparrows. Today we left South Padre Island, our home for the previous three days, and headed south-west towards the Rio Grande. Our first unscheduled stop was at the recently created South Texas Ecotourism Centre – a huge restoration project of the Bahia Grande. Lots of good stuff including a slightly odd looking Spotted Sandpiper in winter plumage and a Common Yellowthroat. But perhaps the best wildlife action was the ‘rattler’ which Nicola came across in the car park! We then headed for Palo Alto where in 1846 a battle between the US and Mexico redefined the border between the two countries. In the leaflet describing the events it says ‘The US fought for the Rio Grande because of “manifest destiny” – the idea that the US had the right to expand its borders and spread democracy across North America. Northern Mexico was in the way…. Palo Alto serves as a reminder of the ongoing, complicated relationship between the two countries.’ Ring any bells? Anyway I digress. This unique landscape is also home to two range-restricted sparrows. Botteri’s, which only has a toe-hold in the Lower Rio Grande valley and south-east Arizona, and Cassin’s with a slightly bigger range, reaching into New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma. They look rather similar. We saw them both well, within ten minutes walk of the visitors centre. We spent the afternoon at Estro Llano State Park – looking for and finding Grove-billed Ani. We also came across five Wilson’s Phalarope in a melee of shorebirds. As we were leaving the reserve a superb male Blackburnian Warbler appeared in the trees above us. The major upset of the day, which I only discovered when I came to download my photos, was that the camera had been on the wrong setting all day and I had no recognisable images 😦 – fortunately Jane did, so these are all courtesy of her.

Wildlife high-light at South Texas Ecotourism Centre was this rattlesnake – found by Nicola
A rare sparrow indeed (and a US tick for me) – Botteri’s with a long bill and unmarked throat and breast
Cassin’s Sparrow – showing distinct black throat lines and clean white edges to tertials and coverts
A superb male Blackburnian Warbler outside Estro Llano SP
Spotted Sandpiper in winter plumage – doing a Common Sandpiper impersonation

Tex-Az – Day Nine

Red Knot prevents it being a ‘dot day’. Surprisingly this was also one of the very last ticks we got on our original GABRaT trip – we’ve never found them easy

Today it was a case of ‘rinse and repeat’, visiting the Convention Centre and the Sheepshead St lots in rotation, from dawn till dusk. After lunch we did venture down to a ‘park’ at the southern tip of the island but, despite being an ebirder hot-spot, it also turned out to be an RV park. We had to pay$12 for the privilege to park and we saw no birds of note! The weather has been hot with clear skies and a gentle south-easterly breeze – fabulous for the Easter weekend holiday makers but dire for bird migration. Every species has been hard won. We did find two trip ticks at the Convention Centre – Red Knot and Chipping Sparrow – which saved it being an early ‘dot day’ but otherwise it was tough going. This was really our last chance to catch up with small bird migration across the Gulf – we should see some raptor movement as we move further up the valley but otherwise we’re now mostly looking for scarce breeding species and southern over-shoots. Still we have managed to rack-up 23 warbler species and amassed a trip list of over 200 in just a week – so all is good. We move forward with optimism.

This Ovenbird showed briefly but well around the drip at the Convention Centre
Kiskadee, again at the Convention Centre. I don’t remember seeing them on South Padre before

Perhaps the most interesting bird we found was what I take to be a non-breeding – 2CY – Least Tern amongst the flock of 30 or so migrating birds on the mudflats next to the Convention Centre (inset)

Tex-Az – Day Eight

Best of the warblers at Sheepshead Street was MacGillivary’s – a tricky bird to pin down

We spent the entire day, seven ’til seven, birding two locations on South Padre Island, just three miles apart – the Convention Centre and the lots on Sheepshead Street. Although the effects of the rain from the previous day had worn off and there were clearly few birds about, nevertheless, we were still entertained for twelve hours birding, with just a lunch break in the middle. We opened the account with a Veery at the Convention Centre drinking pool – well actually I missed it and only managed a ‘grip back’ late in the day – our third thrush species of the trip. Clapper Rail and Sora from the board-walk and several ‘bush birds’ around the Centre. It was then off to ‘the lots’, a series of connected undeveloped building lots which have been saved for nature amongst the urban sprawl. MacGillivary’s Warbler and Inca Dove were early additions along with a good spread of other migrants. We then shuttled between these sites until our final ‘sun-downer’ visit to the Centre for a fine display of nighthawks – difficult to be sure but we think both Common and Lesser were on show. A great day of leisurely birding with some nice birds and equally nice birders.

Early morning feed by this Clapper Rail – we had several more sightings through the day
This Western Tanager was a nice turn-up at the Convention Centre
We’ve only connected with Ruby-throated Hummingbird so far – plenty more to come I’m sure
Chestnut-sided Warbler took some finding as it flitted through the canopy
Lesser Nighthawk put on quite a display at dusk
Veery – the start of a great days birding on South Padre Island – photo courtesy of Jane

Tex-Az – Day Seven

Green Jay at Atascosa signalled our arrival in the Lower Rio Grande valley

Today we arrived in the Lower Rio Grande valley via the excellent reserve of Laguna Atascosa. We started seeing new species on the approach track to the reserve, including Lark Sparrow, Golden-fronted Woodpecker and Roadrunner. The trails around the centre provided our first encounter with some of the LRG specialities – Olive Sparrow, Kiskadee, White-tipped Dove and Green Jay. Atacosa is also home to the highly endangered Ocelot which, although we didn’t see, we did find some foot prints of. We arrived at South Padre Island by lunch-time and then headed to the Convention Centre. The bushes around the main buildings and the board-walk out to the coast have long been a birding hot spot and we weren’t to be disappointed. It was immediately apparent that there’d been a minor ‘fall’ during the recent rain and we quickly started seeing warblers, vireos, orioles, flycatchers and tanagers – several of them new for the trip. We left to get to our AirBnB, had a brief session of R&R, and then returned for a final session before dusk. A week after the start of this adventure it really feels like we’re getting somewhere.

Greater Roadrunner – the cartoon inspiring species of open grassland… and roads, which is where we saw this one
Olive Sparrow – another ‘hall-mark’ species of the LRG
It was a minor warbler fest at the Convention Centre – South Padre Island. This is Cape May
There was plenty of action from the boardwalk – this Osprey returning to it’s favoured feeding post
Ocelot footprints – the nearest we came to this endangered species – photo courtesy of Jane

Tex-Az – Day Six

A strong contender for Couch’s Kingbird – we just didn’t hear it call

Twitching can be bad for your health – as today amply demonstrated. One of the hoped for trade-offs for missing out on the possibility of grabbing American Flamingo at Port Aransas was that it put us within easy range of the Corpus Christi Cattle Tyrant, which has been hanging around since before Christmas. We arrived at the stake-out – the carpark by Aka Sushi bar in the CBD – at just after dawn. Our particular focus was on the dumpster for the kitchen scraps, where the bird has been seen most frequently. Nothing in the first couple of hours so we headed to the near-by hot spot of Hans & Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge. Hardly any small birds but we did get to see a strong contender for Couch’s Kingbird and a reasonable selection of waders, both pelicans, Osprey and Caspian Terns. We then headed back to the dumpster for a second session. Thanks to a rare TomTom navigation mistake we took a detour through a local industrial estate, where we found a small colony of Monk Parakeet. Another two hours of fruitless searching for the Cattle Tyrant and we finally gave in – it was proving to be bad for our mental health by this time! A couple of hours drive south to Raymondville, our overnight stop, and location for a late afternoon session at Delta Lake. This produced yet more waders, Bullock’s Oriole and some nice lizards.

Jane at the Cattle Tyrant stake-out – the dumpster behind the sushi bar in down town Corpus Christi!

Tex-Az – Day Five

Magnificent Frigatebird drifting high over Lafitte’s Cove – contender for ‘bird of the day’

Today was a transition day with around 250 miles travelled – moving away from the Galveston coast inland to Corpus Christi. We called in on several sites to break up the journey. First was Lafitte’s Cove – a lovely ‘pocket park’ in a very well-heeled suburb – which we’d first visited with Bob & Sue. A reasonable selection of warblers, vireos and contender for ‘bird of the day’ – a fly-over Magnificent Frigatebird. We dropped in at Dos Vacas Muertas again, adding Bullock’s Oriole and Northern Parula to the trip list. Our final stop was another site found on our first Texas tour, this time the Neotropical Bird Sanctuary at Quintana. Another very birdy ‘lot’ surrounded by oil refineries. We drove the 160 miles to our motel in Port Aransas only to be told that our booking had been cancelled! It being Easter weekend we had to travel another forty miles away from the coastal resort to secure lodgings for the night! A move which has cost us a ‘banker’ US tick – American Flamingo. I’m not not a happy (Easter) bunny.

Green Heron – seen during our early morning stake-out for Yellow-headed Caracara – which never showed!
Yellow-throated Vireo seen at Quintana

Tex-Az Day Four

Wilson’s Plover – always nice to see

Old friends, familiar places. Today we began the long journey south around the Gulf of Mexico (America) – heading for the Rio Grande. Our first stop was Bolivar Flats where, on previous visits, we’d seen some pretty good birds. Today was no exception with a good selection of waders, gulls and terns. Wilson’s, Piping and Snowy Plover never fail to impress, as did the large group of roosting Black Tern. Once across the ferry to Galveston we called in at Corp Wood but that really was a struggle – very few birds indeed. Time spent around Magic Carpet Golf and the go-cart track failed to produced the hoped for Yellow-headed Caracara. An early check-in, quick siesta, and we were off again to explore a new site, Dos Vacas Muertas – which was excellent. A group of two dozen Indigo Bunting held a single, scarcer, Blue Grosbeak and there was a reasonable selection of warblers, flycatchers, vireos and orioles. On the beach heading for our hotel a dark backed gull turned out to be Lesser Black-backed Gull. A steadier day re-visiting old haunts but also exploring some new sites. We’re definitely getting into the swing of things.

Snowy Plover – with a small group of Piping Plover
Hooded Warbler – one of very few birds seen at Corp Wood
Yellow-crowned Night Heron at the marina Galveston
Pectoral Sandpiper shot through the chain-link fence at Moody Gardens

Tex-Az – Day Three

Amur Stonechat at Anahuac NWR (Jocelyn Nungaray NWR) – a first for the Lower 48 States – incredible

Last chance saloon. On December 19th 2024 two birders doing the Christmas Count on Anahuac NWR (now Jocelyn Nungaray NWR) found a bird they couldn’t identify. After much investigation they concluded it was a stonechat. A Swedish expert finally nailing it as Amur. The first record in the lower 48 States. It took weeks for the Friends of Anahuac to negotiate access to this section of the reserve, mostly used for hunting. Jake spotted the news a few weeks ago and we began planning our itinerary around it. Trips to see the bird, running three times a week, were announced a few days before and were taken up quicker than a Taylor Swift concert. Just before we departed from Cromer I managed to get us booked on the last trip ever – but would the bird hang around? We arrived at the meeting point for a 10.00 start to be told that the 8.00 o’clock group had seen the bird but distantly. After an over-zealous safety briefing we walked the 1000 yds to the spot. The three volunteer observers on site said they’d last seen the bird fly off over the trees 15 minutes previous. We stood around enthusiastically scanning the fields for awhile. No sign. Energy levels began to dwindle and, as at all twitches, people began to chat. In the end far more chat that looking. We were due to leave the site, to be clear of the property, by 12.00 when ‘she’ obligingly flew in, and did what any self-respecting stonechat should do – sat atop the vegetation spotting prey. What a relief. An incredible bird and the first new addition to our USA list!

The rest of our day was spent doing the Shoveler Loop including the hot-spots of the Willows and Wood Lot trails. We amassed a good list of waders and wildfowl and a good variety of warblers – better than at High Island.

Prothonotary Warbler – in The Willows – one of about ten seen in the afternoon
Stilt Sandpiper around the Shoveler Loop
Our day started at Tuna Road – a well known stake-out for Sea-side Sparrow

Tex-Az Day Two

Yellow-billed Cuckoo – several in the woods around High Island

Today we started birding in earnest – well High Island actually! We were up early (unsurprisingly as we adjust to the new time zone), breakfasted at MacDonalds, before heading past Anahuac NWR to High Island. The weather was certainly not classic ‘fall’ conditions but the gentle northerly and cloudy skies did produce a few grounded migrants in the various wooded reserves around the township. After lunch we made for the coast to check out our AirBnB and bird Rollover Pass. A good selection of shorebirds, terns and gulls, with two species of pelican and Black Skimmer thrown in for good measure. A final evening season back at Boy Scout Wood added a couple more birds, making our total 98 for the trip so far. Not too shabby.

Roseate Spoonbill in the rookery
Always good value – Upland Sandpiper with Hudsonian Whimbrel – just a stones throw from our AirBnB
Wood Thrush – one of at least half a dozen – in Boy Scout Wood
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker