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28 Aug Old Port Isabel Rd & SPI [Mary Beth Stowe ] 21 Aug Cannon Yellow-green Vireo--YES [Mary Beth Stowe ] 14 Aug Wallace Road VNC Trip [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Aug La Sal to Port Mansfield [Mary Beth Stowe ] 28 Jul Quinta Mazatlan/Old Hidalgo Pumphouse [Mary Beth Stowe ] 28 Jul La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Jul Estero Llano Grande Bird Walk [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Jul Davis Mountain & Big Bend Trip List [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Jul Davis Mnts and Big Bend (longish) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 6 Jul Monte Cristo & Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ] 28 Jun Progresso Farm Route & Santa Ana [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Jun Quinta Mazatlan & Old Hidalgo Pumphouse [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Jun Botteri's Back at La Sal (Hidalgo Co.) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 17 Jun Monte Cristo & Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Jun Larids @ Falcon SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 14 Jun VNC Field Trip to Boca Chica [Mary Beth Stowe ] 9 Jun Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ] 5 Jun Bentsen Lep & Ode Walk [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 May Laguna Atascosa NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 May Valley Nature Center Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ] 10 May Hudsonian Godwits @ Falcon SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 May Hidalgo County Big Day (long) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 2 May San Diego Audubon Texas Hill Country Trip [Mary Beth Stowe ] 23 Mar (no subject) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Mar Valley Nature Center Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Mar Port Isabel Boat Trip & Laguna Atascosa [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 Mar Falcon SP Roadside Hawk - Yes! [Mary Beth Stowe ] 23 Feb Quinta Mazatlan, then Longoria to La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 16 Feb Hugh Ramsey Park to Tiocano Lake (Cameron Co., longish) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 10 Feb Brownsville Dump to Ron Hill Park (long) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 10 Feb Brownsville to Harlingen Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ] 27 Jan Pictures from Cameron Co. [Mary Beth Stowe ] 25 Jan Cannon Road to Boca Chica (Cameron Co.) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 25 Jan Cannon Road to Boca Chica Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Jan Hidalgo Pumphouse to Anacua WMA (very late) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Jan Pictures from the Week [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 Jan Falcon SP to Anzalduas [Mary Beth Stowe ] 11 Jan Willacy County [Mary Beth Stowe ] 7 Jan Wheatear Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ] 1 Jan Bare-throated Tiger Heron Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ] 28 Dec CBC Pictures [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Dec Willacy County [Mary Beth Stowe ] 21 Dec Santa Ana CBC Hook-billed Kite [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 Dec Bentsen State Park [Mary Beth Stowe ] 2 Dec La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 1 Dec Estero Llano and Anzalduas [Mary Beth Stowe ] 27 Nov Thanksgiving Big Day - Hidalgo Co. [Mary Beth Stowe ] 23 Nov Anzalduas County Park [Mary Beth Stowe ] 19 Nov La Sal Tracts [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 Nov Santa Ana NWR (Apparently NO MADU) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 6 Nov Monte Cristo Tracts [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Nov Estero Llano Grande [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Oct Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands [Mary Beth Stowe ] 20 Oct Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Oct Estero Llano Grande SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 13 Oct Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 Oct La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 6 Oct Santa Ana NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 2 Oct Kentucky Warbler @ Frontera [Mary Beth Stowe ] 29 Sep Pics from Monte Cristo & Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Sep Monte Cristo & Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Sep La sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 21 Sep Cameron Co. (long) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Sep Lark Bunting @ Falcon SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 Sep Hook-billed Kite near Bentsen [Mary Beth Stowe ] 4 Sep Santa Ana NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 5 Sep Edinburg Wetland Images [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Sep Weslaco [Mary Beth Stowe ] 29 Aug Hot Afternoon @ Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ] 27 Aug Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ] 26 Aug Odd Pluvialis and Other Goodies near SPI [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Aug Estero Llano Grande Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Aug La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Aug La Sal del Rey Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 Aug Laguna Atascosa NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 16 Aug Fwd: Tanzania Sightings July, August 2009 [MM ] Subject: Old Port Isabel Rd & SPI From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:27:34 EDT Hi, all! Had a lovely morning birding up Old Port Isabel Road and then over to the island this morning; every time I go down SR 511 they've added another lane! :-) They've actually opened up the access to OPIR now, but I missed it and had to use the "Uie"... For the record, right now the road is dry and passable, but there are some BIIIIIG ruts along the northern half of the road; I'd still recommend high clearance! As per usual I stopped every half mile, and hadn't gone far when a ruckus turned out to be two young Aplomado Falcons harassing an adult! That was a show! Cactus and Bewick's Wrens were near the skeet club, and the pond beyond that had both flavors of whistling duck, as well as a Mottled Duck family with tiny babies! (Someone mentioned lately that they were surprised at how late some thing are still breeding...) A little further up the road I stopped for a field full of Long-billed Curlews when I noticed two more Aplomado Falcons on the power structure closer to the road who posed for pictures (one was definitely banded, but I couldn't tell about the other one...)! Thanks to Pat Heirs, Joyce Davidson, and the crew who came with us the last time I was out here, I discovered that the REASON the "dicey spot" IS the "dicey spot" is because the whole area is one big wetland, and I had just been too focused on staying on the road before to see it! This time the area had tons of White Ibis along with some egrets and a single Wood Stork, who obligingly spread his wings to prove he wasn't a Jabiru! :-) A young Roseate Spoonbill flew by just before I headed on. Near the north end both Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows sang, and logged a Belted Kingfisher at the canal. Headed over to the island after that, where I first drove onto the bayside access and enjoyed Royal and Black Terns among the Laughing Gulls, a single Reddish Egret, and the usual contingent of shorebirds (although lacking in little plovers). The Convention Center did have a few migrants, best of which was a Prairie Warbler, although a Great Crested Flycatcher with what looked like a Common Green Darner was entertaining! The boardwalk was again open, so I headed out and added the obligatory Clapper Rail along with a waterthrush that I couldn't get an ID on. Scared up a couple of Least Bitterns, and a pair of oystercatchers out in the wetland was a nice addition! Swinging around the loop added Semipalmated Plover and both species of yellowlegs (always nice when they're side by side)! Paid my four bucks at the Birding Center and took a look at their butterfly garden, which looked promising; it was a little overcast this morning and threatening to rain, so just had a few things, the best of which was an Ailanthius Webworm Moth. Circling up from the parking lot (guess I was going the wrong way :-/) I ran into Tim Bradshaw and Patricia (the "official photographer"), who said he had been seeing a Louisiana Waterthrush, so that probably was what I had as well. We wandered back to the Convention Center where several Least Flycatchers had us guessing until they said something, plus an Eastern Wood Pewee and Eastern Kingbird (Eric spotted a Western which I missed). Another waterthrush showed up at the water feature, but the [lousy] photos proved this one to be a Northern. Headed home after that with 85 species for the day. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Two bird lists follow: Location: Old Port Isabel Rd (Cameron Co.) Observation date: 8/28/10 Number of species: 51 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 20 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 8 Mottled Duck 4 Northern Bobwhite 3 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Least Bittern 1 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 3 Tricolored Heron 1 White Ibis 50 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Wood Stork 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Harris's Hawk 3 White-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 5 Aplomado Falcon 5 Black-bellied Plover 4 Killdeer 3 Black-necked Stilt 2 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 12 Least Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 3 Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 Mourning Dove 5 White-tipped Dove 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 Loggerhead Shrike 6 White-eyed Vireo 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Purple Martin 1 Bank Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 8 Cactus Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Botteri's Sparrow 2 Lark Sparrow 4 Blue Grosbeak 1 Dickcissel 3 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Eastern Meadowlark 6 Great-tailed Grackle 2 Location: South Padre Is.--WBC/Conv. Center/Laguna Madre Trail (LTC 035) Observation date: 8/28/10 Number of species: 46 Mallard (Domestic type) 1 Brown Pelican 15 Least Bittern 2 Great Blue Heron 2 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 3 Tricolored Heron 4 Reddish Egret 1 Green Heron 1 Osprey 1 Clapper Rail 3 Common Moorhen 3 Black-bellied Plover 4 Semipalmated Plover 3 Killdeer 1 American Oystercatcher 2 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Willet 10 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Long-billed Curlew 2 Ruddy Turnstone 3 Sanderling 9 Least Sandpiper 20 Short-billed Dowitcher 15 Laughing Gull 100 Least Tern 15 Black Tern 6 Forster's Tern 1 Royal Tern 30 Sandwich Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 7 Inca Dove 3 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Least Flycatcher 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Eastern Kingbird 1 Barn Swallow 6 Northern Mockingbird 2 Yellow Warbler 3 Prairie Warbler 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Northern Waterthrush 1 Dickcissel 4 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Great-tailed Grackle 15 Orchard Oriole 1 Baltimore Oriole 1 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Cannon Yellow-green Vireo--YES From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:16:01 EDT Hi, all! Much to my delight, Dan Jones' Yellow-green Vireo was still around this morning along the first mile of Cannon Road north of US 281 (in the wooded area, of course)! There were actually two birds song battling, so while I wasn't able to spot either one, they both gave wonderful recording ops! I hadn't done this loop in awhile; it was quite birdy, with Groove-billed Anis being new for my list there, and as Dan reported, the ton of Tropical Kingbirds as per usual! A Least Flycatcher was calling in the woods just before Adams Garden Reservoir; the reservoir itself was rather barren except for the odd Black-bellied Whistling Duck and tons of dragonflies (a Wandering Glider actually sat down for a picture!); the northwest corner had the most action with four Snowy Egrets, four (!) Solitary Sandpipers, and several Leasts. Also had single Baird's Sandpiper and a Willet flying by here, plus a whistling White-tailed Kite. A couple of Olive-sided Flycatchers called near the house where the road dumps out on FM 3067. Heading south on Weaver Road, the sod farms were empty (except for grackles), although I had flyover Upland Sandpipers at several stops. Going back into the woods yielded a couple of Alder Flycatchers calling, plus a couple of singing Yellowthroats that sounded rather strange, leading me to wonder if they might be the Brownsville race. Heading up Rangerville Road I took a quick peek at Cameron Reservoir but saw nothing of note. It actually rained pretty good for a couple of minutes, but the best bird flew in and perched on the water tower: a Peregrine Falcon! Hiked a little in the Ebony Unit, getting only exercise, and the little pond there before Jimenez Drive was rather barren as well (except for a Green Heron). Went down Jimenez to finish the loop and was nonplussed that my last bird of the day was a flock of Starlings... :-P Pics (mostly odes but one of the falcon) are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Number of species: 57 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 4 Northern Bobwhite 5 Snowy Egret 4 Cattle Egret 30 Green Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 2 White-tailed Kite 1 Harris's Hawk 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 American Coot 1 Killdeer 12 Black-necked Stilt 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Solitary Sandpiper 4 Willet 1 Upland Sandpiper 5 Least Sandpiper 25 Baird's Sandpiper 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 100 Mourning Dove 75 Common Ground-Dove 20 White-tipped Dove 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 Groove-billed Ani 4 Common Nighthawk 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3 Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 Alder Flycatcher 2 Least Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 6 Great Kiskadee 10 Tropical Kingbird 15 Couch's Kingbird 8 White-eyed Vireo 7 Yellow-green Vireo 2 Green Jay 1 Horned Lark 9 Purple Martin 15 Black-crested Titmouse 5 Carolina Wren 8 Northern Mockingbird 6 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 30 Common Yellowthroat 9 Olive Sparrow 12 Northern Cardinal 3 Blue Grosbeak 2 Painted Bunting 3 Dickcissel 5 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Orchard Oriole 2 Lesser Goldfinch 5 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Wallace Road VNC Trip From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:54:09 EDT Hi, all! Was joined by Pat Heirs, Norma Friedrich, and Madeleine Sandefer (hope I got everyone's name right...) this morning for the VNC field trip up Wallace Road; we met at my apartment and had Purple Martins, Kiskadees, and even a Common Nighthawk fly overhead (I had a Pauraque tuning up before dawn)! Heading up Wallace we stopped where the pavement ended, and Pat found us at least four Upland Sandpipers in the field! (The flight calls were easy to hear...) We also had a pair of White-tailed Kites troubling all the grackles! A couple of stops north of there we had a flyover Painted Bunting, and in the roadside vegetation a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers came in close, followed by a migrant Yellow Warbler. Another field was claimed by at least six Swainson's Hawks (mostly juvies, but we also had an intermediate morph adult)! A Bobwhite actually came out on the road, trying to make like one of the many doves! I started the BBS protocol, but we saw enough activity down the dirt road that connects with North Bryan (when it's dry) that we decided to check it out, and found a tree just full of Tawny Emperors! We also had our only Bewick's Wrens along that stretch, as well as a family group of Anis and a female Blue Grosbeak. I decided to see how far I could get (after Dolly it wasn't very far in the past), and we managed to add a Cassin's Sparrow hanging out with the Lark Sparrows! Before long we hit the south end of the wetland that's blocking the road on the north end, but were treated to Black-necked Stilts, Long-billed Curlews, a single Black-bellied Plover still in breeding plumage, a Lesser Yellowlegs, and a flock of Wilson's Phalaropes that went whizzing by! There was also a handlful of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks hanging out there, and a very pale Fulvous made a brief appearance as it followed a Moorhen into the grass, never to be seen again... An Anhinga also claimed one of the dead trees, and a young White-tailed Hawk entertained us by trying to act like a Reddish Egret... We backtracked a little and found a good dirt road that connected with Wallace where we spotted a pair of Western Kingbirds, then headed north and over to the north end of Bryan which was surprisingly un-exciting, so we were glad we saw what we did on the other side! But as we made the turn onto North Bryan a whole family of Caracaras was chowing down on something, shortly to be joined by one of the most brilliant Turkey Vultures we ever saw! Going back down Wallace we picked up a few things here and there, and tried vainly to spot the singing Dickcissels (they were flying overhead the whole morning). The wetlands were pretty productive with several waders including many Green Herons (the night herons from last week had migrated to the pond across the street that you can't see into...). Madeleine spotted the White Pelican that was still hanging around, and the Neotrops grunted loudly as usual. Baby Tropical Kingbirds were chasing their parents, along with a Bronzed Cowbird! We never could find the Least Grebe that trumpeted, nor the Solitary Sandpiper that tweeted. It was pretty hot by that time, so we made a quick stop at the actual Monte Cristo Tract parking area, where Norma MAY have gotten a glimpse of the Green Kingfisher, but it was inconclusive. We called it quits after that and kissed goodbye with 71 species for the day! Pics are posted here (including a couple of cool leps shot at the Ranch earlier in the week): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 71 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La Sal to Port Mansfield From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 17:17:30 EDT Hi, all! Took visiting birders Barb and Diane from Indiana out today; Barb had contacted me and said she really really REALLY wanted to see a Painted Bunting, so I figured that the La Sal route would be the best bet. We met at the Jack in the Box on Monte Cristo (picking up a twittering Tropical Kingbird for the day) and headed north and over on SR 186 to the refuge area. Going slowly along the road we picked up the regulars quite quickly, including Green Jays and Pyrrhuloxias feeding on the road, and even the occasional "nyep"ping Orchard Oriole. Right away a Groove-billed Ani called outside Barb's side, and she and Diane got a knockout look! A Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew from a tree and actually landed on the wire--that was a first! But the best time was had on the "new" trail to the lake off Brushline: I hadn't been down that trail since they improved it (it's a terrific, wide flat trail now, although even then we almost walked through one of those complicated spider webs...), and had an even bigger surprise when we arrived at the lake to find a brand new overlook! We had heard several Painted Buntings and as is per usual, we had a hard time spotting them or pishing them in, but on the way in Diane spotted a beautiful male feeding on the trail in front of us! That almost usurped the huge Nilgai that bounded in front of us! We added quite a few things at the lake that we didn't see elsewhere, including several Wilson's Phalaropes, a pair of Western Kingbirds, a Brown-crested Flycatcher, and a calling Summer Tanager. After that Barb admitted that Botteri's Sparrow would be a life bird, so we headed up to "the corner" where we heard a distant one but couldn't spot it (my first Upland Sandpiper of the season called overhead, however). At that point I decided that maybe Sacahuistale Flats would be a better option for that bird, so we hitailed it back to the highway via GI Road where we picked up a young White-tailed Hawk for the day. Once into the flats area I pulled over where the habitat opened up, and voila, a Botteri's decided to sit up and sing for us right next to the road! We even got scope views! We decided to head on in to Port Mansfield to pad the list with some water birds, and on the way I was bemoaning the Suicide Roadrunner I creamed on the way to Big Bend, when doggone if another one didn't dart right out in front of me!! (He started heading towards the shoulder then turned around and ran right under the car...) That was heartbreaking... But at Fred Stone we did indeed pad the list well, the best additions being a couple of large shorebirds that flew right at us and then banked, which at first I thought was a pair of Marbled Godwits, but the lead bird turned out to be a slightly smaller Whimbrel! In with the Laughing Gulls were several Gull-billed Terns batting around, but also a strange-looking Sandwich Tern that may have been a youngster, based on some of the things I've read, seeing as it had a single yellow blob in the middle of its lower mandible and nowhere else! A young Caracara watched us the whole time we were there. I put everything away figuring that was the end of the birding as we were headed home, but no such luck: going back by way of FM 490, at one of the four-way stops Diane spotted a Common Nighthawk sitting on a horizontal fence post! As we got out to look and take pictures, we noticed at least five sitting around on posts and wires and wondered if it could have been a family group. Further on we passed a wetland on the left that had a nice crowd of Roseate Spoonbills along with a mob of Neotropic Cormorants that took off and circled over in a makeshift "V" formation overhead! Headed on in after that, scaring Barb half to death when I swerved the car to avoid yet another Roadrunner... We started wondering if it had something to do with the stuffed roadrunner on my dash...) Nevertheless the girls were very happy! :-) Pics are posted here (along with a couple of bugs at the Ranch): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues) Bird List: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Botteri's Sparrow Aimophila botterii Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius 75 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan/Old Hidalgo Pumphouse From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:52:11 EDT Hi, all! Wasn't planning on birding today, but suddenly realized I needed data for July for Old Hidalgo Pumphouse, so went to Quinta Mazatlan first as I usually do those two together (and catch the lep show at OHP later... ;-)) Shoulda gone to OHP first as I wasn't there long before the Big Storm hit and had to run for my life ;-), but before I did, was blessed with a wonderful view of a juvenile Ringed Kingfisher at the overlook! (Left the camera in the car...) Dipped on the Black Phoebe, though... :-( A pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks seemed to revel in the downpour in the parking lot! The channel was flooding up over the deck, but due to the weather I didn't venture behind the Wall to see what it looked like back there. It was amazing to see the levees doing their job while driving down there and back, though: the water in the floodway was almost up to the bridges! Quinta was very productive; it was so dreary when I got there that a Pauraque was still "tuning up"! Both Green Parakeets and at least one Red-crowned Parrot were yelling in the parking lot, and after making the rounds was greeted by a mom Chachalaca and her baby in the parking lot again! A kingbird was harassing a Yellow-crowned Night Heron on the way out. Came home early and was greeted at the door with a giant millipede trying to escape the deluge! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/wed) Two bird lists follow: Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 7/28/10 Number of species: 30 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Plain Chachalaca 7 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 White-winged Dove 30 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 1 Green Parakeet 5 Red-crowned Parrot 1 Common Pauraque 1 Chimney Swift 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Great Kiskadee 3 Couch's Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 3 Purple Martin 1 Carolina Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 3 Olive Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 2 Dickcissel 2 Great-tailed Grackle 6 Orchard Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 20 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 7/28/10 Number of species: 17 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 4 Rock Pigeon 20 White-winged Dove 15 Mourning Dove 1 Inca Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 4 Purple Martin 2 Cliff Swallow 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Northern Mockingbird 7 Olive Sparrow 1 Great-tailed Grackle 2 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La Sal del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:32:17 EDT Hi, all! Headed up to La Sal today (not to follow up on Dan but because I needed data for late July... ;-)) and had a great selection of birds; highlights include the Botteri's Sparrows in the "usual spot" north of Brushline (along with a singing Black-throated Sparrow), but I also had a bird singing SOUTH of Brushline about 3/10th of a mile east of that intersection! A Cassin's Sparrow was also there, singing kind of a "backwards" song... At the end of the unmarked road, it looked as though there might have been a colony (or at least a roost) of Great Egrets to the east, which in reality IS that little wetland that housed the gallinules last month. Had a young Summer Tanager here as well. Swinging around and up the road on the east side of the wetland, like Dan, I thought I might have heard the Purple Gallinule, but it was one short note and it didn't vocalize again, so I let that one go (lots of water in that little wetland, but hard to see in). A Vermilion Flycatcher was a surprise this time of year along GI Road, and there were TONS of Lark Sparrows about! Going down Rio Beef, a couple of young hawks squealed at one of the stops, and they shortly burst out of the vegetation to reveal themselves as Cooper's! The marsh was pretty overgrown as well, but there was a Yellowthroat singing; did I hear someone say that all breeding Yellowthroats in the Valley are probably of the Brownsville race? Also had an Ani here, so seeing as I had one right at the start of the route, it was kinda fun to have "ani bookends"! The walk to the lake from SR 187 added Least Sandpiper to the list and a ton of bizarre-looking grasshoppers (oh, dear--is that the next area of obsession??), plus a Bordered Patch that almost had me thinking it was a Rosita Patch, as it only had orange on the hindwing! I also had a second singing Black-throated Sparrow in here. I cheated and stuck in the Swainson's Hawk as it was sailing along 187 shortly after I wrapped the survey up... Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues) Bird list: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 7/27/10 Notes: A Botteri's doing a "partial song" was in the "usual spot" north of Brushline, and two birds popped up close to the road. Another bird was singing in a "new" location, 3/10 m. east of the intersection of Brushline and the unnamed northbound road that normally hosts the Botteri's. This bird was south of Brushline, in the distance. Number of species: 62 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 8 Mottled Duck 4 Northern Bobwhite 12 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Great Egret 10 Cattle Egret 30 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 5 Cooper's Hawk 2 Harris's Hawk 1 Swainson's Hawk 1 White-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 5 Common Moorhen 1 Killdeer 2 Least Sandpiper 9 Laughing Gull 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 Mourning Dove 100 Inca Dove 3 Common Ground-Dove 15 White-tipped Dove 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 8 Greater Roadrunner 5 Groove-billed Ani 2 Common Nighthawk 10 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 20 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 12 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 6 Great Kiskadee 13 Couch's Kingbird 4 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 15 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 5 Black-crested Titmouse 8 Verdin 12 Cactus Wren 4 Bewick's Wren 15 Northern Mockingbird 30 Long-billed Thrasher 8 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 3 Common Yellowthroat 1 Olive Sparrow 20 Cassin's Sparrow 5 Botteri's Sparrow 3 Lark Sparrow 100 Black-throated Sparrow 2 Summer Tanager 2 Northern Cardinal 15 Pyrrhuloxia 9 Blue Grosbeak 6 Painted Bunting 15 Dickcissel 3 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Eastern Meadowlark 5 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Bronzed Cowbird 30 Brown-headed Cowbird 10 Bullock's Oriole 3 House Sparrow 12 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Estero Llano Grande Bird Walk From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:57:10 EDT Hi, all! Was joined by Don Cole this morning, and we had a great time poking along the boardwalk then up onto the levee to gawk at the flooding, then over to Alligator Pond and back. The White-tailed Kite family put on a show right away, and as we made our way around the boardwalk we had both species of Whistling Ducks. In the grasslands a Dickcissel made its raspberry call overhead, and up on the levee we had Tropical Kingbirds, Least and Gull-billed Terns, a few herons, and a Solitary Sandpiper. I miraculously spotted one of the Pauraques on the way to Alligator Lake, where things were pretty quiet. Lep-wise, White Peacocks were all over the place, and had a cooperative Giant Swallowtail in the parking lot. After Don and I parted company, I made a loop around the Tropical Zone, picking up Ladder-backed Woodpecker and Curve-billed Thrasher for the day. Since I somehow hit a button on my camera during the butterfly walk there yesterday that turned all my pictures into black-and-white :-P, I returned to the canal where we found Band-winged Dragonlet in order to try and recapture an image! Had 47 species for the morning. Pics are posted here (including the first three from yesterday before everything went monochrome...): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 12 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 5 Neotropic Cormorant 4 Great Blue Heron 2 Snowy Egret 2 Little Blue Heron 2 Cattle Egret 3 Green Heron 4 White-tailed Kite 3 Common Moorhen 1 American Coot 1 Killdeer 7 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 8 Laughing Gull 1 Least Tern 2 Gull-billed Tern 1 White-winged Dove 15 Mourning Dove 12 Inca Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 10 White-tipped Dove 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Common Pauraque 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 6 Tropical Kingbird 4 Couch's Kingbird 4 White-eyed Vireo 2 Purple Martin 5 Black-crested Titmouse 4 Bewick's Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 15 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 30 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 5 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Bronzed Cowbird 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Davis Mountain & Big Bend Trip List From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:29:42 EDT Here's the bird list to go along with the trip report (HO = Heard Only): Mallard (Mexican Duck) Anas platyrhynchos Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Montezuma Quail (HO) Cyrtonyx montezumae Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Egret Ardea alba Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Least Tern Sternula antillarum Rock Pigeon Columba livia Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Inca Dove Columbina inca Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Great Horned Owl (HO) Bubo virginianus Elf Owl (HO) Micrathene whitneyi Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica White-throated Swift (HO) Aeronautes saxatalis Buff-bellied Hummingbird (HO) Amazilia yucatanensis Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Flicker (HO) Colaptes auratus Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Phainopepla (HO) Phainopepla nitens Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Rock Wren (HO) Salpinctes obsoletus Canyon Wren (HO) Catherpes mexicanus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher (HO) Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura Bushtit (HO) Psaltriparus minimus Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica Mexican Jay Aphelocoma ultramarina Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus Common Raven Corvus corax European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo (HO) Vireo griseus Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii Gray Vireo Vireo vicinior Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria COLIMA WARBLER (lifer) Vermivora crissalis Common Yellowthroat (HO) Geothlypis trichas Hepatic Tanager (HO) Piranga flava Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus Canyon Towhee Pipilo fuscus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark (HO) Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum 108 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Davis Mnts and Big Bend (longish) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:23:32 EDT Hi, all! Decided to take a trip out to west Texas, following Jerry Cooper's itinerary in his ABA Birdfinder guide. It's a great book, where he lays out specific itineraries to bag target birds within a year (if you care to do it that way). For this trip he lists Colima Warbler, Montezuma Quail, Gray Vireo, and Lucifer Hummingbird as the main targets. 11 JUL: I cheated and stopped at Falcon SP for an exercise walk (it was still open at that point), so that really padded the whole trip list with Valley specialties and waders. The highlight for me was a very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo! A Roadrunner that had caught a huge rat and that was being bombed by a Mockingbird provided comic relief... _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/mcallen_alpine_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/mcallen_alpine) 12 JUL: "Day 1" of the official itinerary has you driving from Odessa (assuming you flew in there) down SR 17 to Fort Davis, birding Limpia Creek on the way. I think he really meant to have you start birding at Wild Rose Pass, because the prescribed "20 miles north of Fort Davis" actually took me well away from the creek, but put me in great grassland with Cassin's Sparrows, Painted Buntings, and a "cheeerrrrr"-ing Montezuma Quail! Dipped on the Common Black Hawks that frequent the cottonwoods; they were probably hiding... Then you're supposed to bird the Scenic Loop, which includes David Mnts SP, but I spent way too much time at the park, probably, sitting at the feeders waiting for the quail (that never showed) and poking along the roads, but was rewarded with some great scenery and photo ops, especially what was probably a brother/sister Blue Grosbeak pair at the creek crossing! Comic relief for the day was provided by a "baby" Lesser Goldfinch chasing her daddy in circles around the thistle feeder! Stopped as often as I could along the scenic loop (picnic areas are the best bet), and had some nice things in the higher elevations, such as Hepatic Tanager, Scrub Jay, and White-breasted Nuthatch. There's a new two-mile trail through the Nature Conservancy property, accessed at the Lawrence Wood Picnic Area, but I didn't have time to hike the whole thing. _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/davis_mnts_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/davis_mnts) 13 JUL: "Day 2" had you leaving Davis SP (assuming you stayed overnight--I stayed in Alpine) and birding your way to Big Bend. Again, I spent an inordinate amount of time waiting for the pesky little quail ;-) along with several other people, and while he never showed, at least he tantalized us with "cheers" from the hillside! I took off about 9:00 and road-birded SR 118 down to Study Butte, stopping every ten miles or so to listen, and picked up some nice things at the picnic areas especially, such as Bell's Vireo and Vermilion Flycatcher, along with desert stuff like Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Got a map at Panther Junction where a mom Curve-billed Thrasher was upset with me, then road-birded Green Gulch, which reminded me a lot of the road going up into Madera Canyon in Arizona. Highlights along that road included Scott's Orioles, Black-chinned and Rufous-crowned Sparrows, and Mexican Jays. Checked into Chisos Lodge; I was in the cottages, so I assumed that the trail straight up the hill from the road's end was the Laguna Meadow Trail, so I did about ten minutes' worth just to check it out, and got a Gray Vireo out of it! Found out later that was actually the fearsome Pinnacles Trail... A quick stroll around the paved and flat Window View Trail (more my speed) had some outlandish grasshoppers, tons of these red-rimmed black bugs mating, and a few leps. _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/dm_bb_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/dm_bb) 14 JUL: I had long since given up any hope of seeing a Colima Warbler because I figured I'd never be able to make that death march, but since "the itinerary" called for it, I decided to try it... Based on the wonderful feedback from my Texbirds friends, I decided to go up by way of Laguna Meadow, and that was a great choice! I started pre-dawn (getting an Elf Owl in the parking lot), and took the trail going downhill from the cottages that joined up with main trail shortly. By hiking in 20-minute increments and stopping for five, it turned out to be a great hike (if *I* can do it, ANYBODY can do it--in fact, I was rather gratified to see the number of overweight backpackers making the trek)! At one of the switchbacks where I rested, I pished after the five minutes was up, and guess what came zooming in!! And WELL below Laguna Meadow! This scruffy little Colima Warbler was probably a dispersing juvenile, but what a surprise! After another set of switchbacks I came to a grove of pines (again, below the meadow), and a male was singing!! He gave GREAT views! Since I still had time (my turnaround strategy was half my water or 11:30, whichever occurred first) I plodded on up the hill and broke into a little open area where you felt like you were on top of the world! I assumed this was "Laguna Meadow", but according to the topo map I had, the REAL "Laguna Meadow" was apparently a wooded area further on with grassy undergrowth. I made it as far as the toilet there before I had to turn back. Unfortunately dipped on the Lucifer up here, but got Broad-tailed instead. Butterflies were more active going down, of course, with Chisos Skipperling being the highlight. Was doing fine until I got to that portion at the end where I had to go back uphill, and I thought I was either die or throw up... :-P Did neither, and recovered enough to celebrate with a steak dinner at the restaurant and a decadent brownie ice cream sundae :-), then enjoyed a couple of young Mockers performing this dance-like standoff in the parking lot (needed a video to fully appreciate it...)! _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/colima_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/colima) 15 JUL: "Day 4" was supposed to be either a "clean-up" day to get any missed targets, or you could go to Rio Grande Village if you had accomplished that. Well, I still needed Lucifer Hummingbird, so decided to hike the Window Trail as recommended, but when I saw that it, too, was going to be an uphill climb in the heat of the day on the way back, I decided to make a loop from the campground up to the lodge and back down the paved road, and while I didn't bag the Lucifer (although I DID hear something that sounded like one and got a brief glimpse of a hummer buzzing away, but I wasn't sure), had great looks at Varied Bunting, a Scaled Quail family, and a Gray Vireo right next to the road! Before I started the hike, the restroom there was just FILLED with moths, and I had a hard time pulling myself away from trying to shoot them all! In retrospect I'm thinking I should have gone ahead to RGV just to pad the list, but oh well. Headed north towards Marathon after that, and made it to Del Rio that night. _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/bb_dr_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/bb_dr) 16 JUL: Cheated again by stopping at Lake Casa Blanca in Laredo for an exercise walk and added a few more waders, but it was pretty quiet bird-wise. The only picture I took was of a cooperative (and appropriately-named) Laredo Striped Whiptail! (He's the last picture in the last gallery...) I'll post the bird list in a separate e-mail. Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 16:50:03 EDT Hi, all! Birded down Wallace Road and the Monte Cristo Tract this gorgeous morning and had a nice selection of birds. Highlights include two Swainson's Hawks (one at each end), a lovely Painted Bunting that came in to pishing, Dickcissels all over the place, and I could have sworn I heard an Upland Sandpiper flying over, but I didn't get a good "listen" and figured it might be a little early for them. Early on waders were flying overhead, the highlight there being four Roseate Spoonbills! The wetland had the usual Neotropic Cormorants and Tropical Kingbird pair, along with a couple of trumpeting Least Grebes and an oversummering White Pelican! Black-necked Stilts liked the flooded fields, and picked up an Ani towards the north end of the road. At Edinburg Wetlands had a single Lesser Yellowlegs in the south pond (one Texbirder asked me about plumages the last time I reported one, so I included a few measly pictures) along with several stilts, Killdeer, and egrets, including a Great in high breeding color! There was also a domestic duck hanging there that reminded me of a Philippine Duck with that strong facial pattern! Three Least Terns were flying around calling as well. The north side had a Green Kingfisher shooting through, but about the only things in the lake were more cormorants and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. The canal had a couple of Green Herons, and a young Orchard Oriole called and then zipped overhead. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 7/6/10 Number of species: 41 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Mottled Duck 4 Northern Bobwhite 12 Least Grebe 3 American White Pelican 1 Neotropic Cormorant 20 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 9 Little Blue Heron 2 Green Heron 3 Roseate Spoonbill 4 Swainson's Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 2 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 10 Rock Pigeon 40 White-winged Dove 8 Mourning Dove 12 Common Ground-Dove 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Groove-billed Ani 1 Common Nighthawk 6 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Great Kiskadee 7 Tropical Kingbird 2 Couch's Kingbird 4 Horned Lark 7 Northern Mockingbird 5 European Starling 1 Olive Sparrow 9 Lark Sparrow 10 Northern Cardinal 3 Blue Grosbeak 2 Painted Bunting 3 Dickcissel 12 Red-winged Blackbird 75 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Bronzed Cowbird 6 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 House Sparrow 12 Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC 061) Observation date: 7/6/10 Number of species: 32 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 10 Mallard (Domestic type) 3 Mottled Duck 1 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Neotropic Cormorant 100 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 10 Green Heron 2 Killdeer 7 Black-necked Stilt 9 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Least Tern 3 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 6 Mourning Dove 8 Inca Dove 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 7 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 6 Western Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 2 Purple Martin 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Northern Mockingbird 9 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 European Starling 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Great-tailed Grackle 12 Orchard Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 12 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Progresso Farm Route & Santa Ana From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:50:32 EDT Hi, all! The original plan was to hike Santa Ana, but the heat forecast scared me, so decided to do the "Progresso Farm Route" instead. This normally includes the road to the east of the Progresso Sod Farms, then I take the levee west, over FM 88, and continue on to FM 493, where I go north and come back on the northern levee. Only when I got up there I discovered they were doing major work on it! Had some nice things before I got to that part, including both species of nighthawk vocalizing, Black-necked Stilt babies, and a handful of Lesser Yellowlegs. A Caracara was nice, too! So after making it over to 88, I decided to go to Santa Ana after all, where I did a shortened hike, concentrating mostly on Pintail Lakes before it got too terribly unbearable, then the Willow Lake area. My first Hooded Orioles for Santa Ana were in the parking lot, and a very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo posed for pictures! Several things were active in Pintail Lakes (I headed all the way down to the easternmost lake before coming back), including families of both grebe species (the Least Grebes were chasing each other and being quite vocal) and several Least Bitterns flying around! A few Yellow-crowned Night Herons were in the furthest pond (the one that's usually nothing more than a swamp, but it was quite full today), along with a Ringed Kingfisher, which was nice! Picked up a Green Kingfisher on the way back, along with a family of Anis. The normal woodland birds graced the Willow Lakes area, including Clay-colored Thrush, Beardless Tyrannulet, and a couple of young Brown-crested Flycatchers that were vocalizing almost more like Bright-rumped Atillas--that sure had me going for a minute! The resident Red-shouldered Hawk came through at the 11th hour, and a fledgling Blue Grosbeak popped up near the end of the hike along with Mom! Pics are posted here (the cuckoo is the only bird; the rest are odes...): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Ebird was horrifically slow, so here's the bird list from Bird Base: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis White Ibis Eudocimus albus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus 59 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan & Old Hidalgo Pumphouse From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:22:41 EDT Hi, all! Made the rounds at Quinta Mazatlan early this morning, where Green Parakeets seemed to be all over (and definitely nesting inside the park)! Also heard a Red-crowned Parrot, but he seemed to be "off-campus". Several birds had families, including Curve-billed Thrashers, Starlings, and Chachalacas. In fact, a Screech Owl peeking out of one hole was spooked by a young Starling flying at him; after briefly glaring at the young whipper-snapper he popped back into his hole completely! Was warming up considerably by the time I got to Old Hidalgo Pumphouse, but there were some nice birds, best of which was a House Finch in the parking lot! A little later as I walked the dirt track in between the levee and the resaca, a whole group popped up, but the light was lousy, so I couldn't tell if I had females or young males on my hand (would be a hoot if they had actually been breeding there)! That little stretch was very productive, with family (?) groups of Groove-billed Anis and Lesser Goldfinches as well, along with a brilliant Altamira Oriole that DID have a baggy nest back there! Also raising babies was a pair of Western Kingbirds in the garden area; their not-quite grown youngster posed for pictures! Picked up the requisite Black Phoebe at the overlook, and a gang of Cave Swallows on the wire was actually a first for my list there! A Black-necked Stilt flying overhead was also new. Ran into Mike Rickard and Viola while I was poking around looking for leps, and she warned me about a large group of junior high kids coming in for a field trip, so after making a lep-hunting loop around the parking lot and down by the amphitheater I called it quits. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/thu) Two bird lists follow: Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 6/24/10 Number of species: 28 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 4 Plain Chachalaca 12 White-winged Dove 30 Mourning Dove 1 Inca Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 3 Green Parakeet 12 Red-crowned Parrot 2 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Chimney Swift 3 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 1 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 4 European Starling 12 Olive Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 3 Great-tailed Grackle 12 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 20 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 6/24/10 Notes: The light was terrible, but a couple of the House Finches looked like they could have been juveniles, in which case we may have had a family group! One bird was initially in the parking lot, and the group was along the dirt track between the levee and the resaca. Number of species: 30 Black-necked Stilt 1 Rock Pigeon 7 White-winged Dove 15 Mourning Dove 5 Inca Dove 5 Common Ground-Dove 3 Groove-billed Ani 5 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Black Phoebe 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 1 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 3 Western Kingbird 3 Cave Swallow 12 Carolina Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 12 European Starling 2 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Great-tailed Grackle 8 Bronzed Cowbird 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Altamira Oriole 1 House Finch 5 Lesser Goldfinch 5 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Botteri's Back at La Sal (Hidalgo Co.) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:31:17 EDT Hi, all! Made the rounds along the La Sal Del Rey route, and had a wonderful morning, the highlight being the returning Botteri's Sparrow in what is probably about as far northeast as you can get in the county! I haven't had a chance to process my recordings yet, but this time I had my handy dandy little pocket recorder with me (thanks again, Javier! :-)), and I think I was able to document the song (a Mockingbird and Bullock's Oriole were trying to drown it out, however... :-P). I also photographed an Aimophila sparrow deep in the bush near where the bird was singing, but it was so "in there" that I'm not sure what it is (there was also a Cassin's skylarking close by). Comments are welcome. To get to where this bird is, go north on Brushline Road from SR 186 and follow it as far as you can. Brushline makes a hard right after several miles, and about a half mile after this turn is an unmarked dirt road going north; turn left here, and the bird was about 3/10s of a mile up the road, in the field to the west. The other thrill was finding not one, not two, but THREE Purple Gallinules in the little wetland just east of there! If you keep going on Brushline, it eventually makes a hard left, and before long there will be a rather largish open wetland on the right, and a small, rather overgrown one on the left, and it was this left-hand wetland that had the gallinules (along with some trumpeting Least Grebes and a single Moorhen). Looks like a grand place for a Masked Duck to hide as well! Black-necked Stilts and Killdeer were the only other waterbirds I could find across the street (visibility is hindered somewhat by the vegetation). The third avian highlight was a male Summer Tanager that was singing along Rio Beef Road on the way back to the highway; he came right in to pishing (flew within feet of me a couple of times) but was uncooperative for photos (got one lousy one for documentation), still singing periodically. A few Dickcissels still buzzed overhead, and I thought I might have had a pair of Orchard Orioles, but they were in terrible light and I really couldn't tell (the chatter sounded faster than I would have expected from a Bullock's). Could find no raptors aside from vultures and loads of caracaras. And speaking of loads, if anyone had to see a Bordered Patch or they were gonna die, I'd send 'em on this route--there were gazillions of 'em! I came across a splat of scat in the middle of Rio Beef where several had been feeding and got "splatted" themselves, but it didn't keep their brethren from joining the party! Other arthropods included a spectacular yellow-spotted orb spider of some kind, and a "jailbird" beetle that I was so focused upon with the camera that I didn't notice until later that he was being consumed by this incredible green spider! Boy, he blended right in; no wonder that poor beetle got nabbed! Pics are posted here (any ideas on the ID of the spiders and beetle are welcome): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues) Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 6/22/10 Notes: Botteri's was singing in his usual spot, in a field north of eastbound Brushline and west of an unmarked northbound road. Number of species: 58 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Northern Bobwhite 12 Least Grebe 3 Cattle Egret 2 Black Vulture 3 Turkey Vulture 9 Harris's Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 12 Purple Gallinule 3 Common Moorhen 1 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 2 Laughing Gull 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 Mourning Dove 100 Inca Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 10 White-tipped Dove 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 Greater Roadrunner 7 Groove-billed Ani 1 Common Nighthawk 8 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 20 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 12 Brown-crested Flycatcher 12 Great Kiskadee 6 Couch's Kingbird 4 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 8 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 4 Horned Lark 2 Purple Martin 1 Black-crested Titmouse 7 Verdin 7 Cactus Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 20 Northern Mockingbird 30 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 4 Olive Sparrow 20 Cassin's Sparrow 2 Botteri's Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 6 Summer Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 20 Pyrrhuloxia 7 Blue Grosbeak 3 Painted Bunting 12 Dickcissel 3 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Great-tailed Grackle 6 Bronzed Cowbird 25 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 Hooded Oriole 1 Bullock's Oriole 4 House Sparrow 15 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:25:32 EDT Hi, all! Surveyed Wallace Road this morning, which was socked in with fog for the most part; grackles and redwings dominated the landscape, but also had several Dickcissels singing away along with several Common Nighthawks early on, a couple of Horned Larks, and many Bobwhite. Thornscrub species were rather sparse with only a few Olive Sparrows, one titmouse, one Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a couple of White-tipped Doves, and two Long-billed Thrashers. Had a trumpeting Least Grebe at the wetland, along with a handful of Neotropic Cormorants and Anhingas, but waders and other waterbirds were few; songbird-wise, at least the Tropical Kingbird came through! The only raptors were a pair of Caracaras, and in the more open thornscrub near the north end had Blue Grosbeak and Painted Bunting. The only swallow was a flyover Bank making his rapid-fire calls through the fog. The highlight at Edinburg Wetlands was actually a lep: a brilliant Two-barred Flasher along the "Jungle Trail"! There wasn't much birdlife in the south pond (except for an adorable baby Killdeer and a couple of stilts, along with the ever-present cormorants and whistling ducks, plus a single Yellow-crowned Night Heron). Had a pair each of Couch's Kingbirds and Brown-crested Flycatchers along the south side of that pond, and three Gull-billed Terns were patrolling the area. On the north side the Buff-bellied Hummers ruled as per usual, but again the north pond was rather sparse on species with only a few egrets, yet the usual tons of cormorants. A Green Kingfisher eventually showed up at the southeast corner, so that was nice seeing as it had been awhile since I had seen that one! A Tropical Kingbird was over by the dragonfly pond as well, and a Mourning Dove surprised me by landing RIGHT next to me on the canal bridge! Shockingly, both Starling and Purple Martin were new for my Edinburg Wetlands list... Pics (mostly invertebrates, but with the dove and a cormorant) are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/thu) Two bird lists follow: Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 6/17/10 Number of species: 36 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Mottled Duck 2 Northern Bobwhite 8 Least Grebe 1 Neotropic Cormorant 7 Anhinga 3 Great Egret 2 Green Heron 1 Crested Caracara 2 Rock Pigeon 40 White-winged Dove 1 Mourning Dove 20 Common Ground-Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Common Nighthawk 6 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3 Great Kiskadee 2 Tropical Kingbird 2 Horned Lark 2 Bank Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Northern Mockingbird 12 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Olive Sparrow 5 Lark Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 5 Blue Grosbeak 2 Painted Bunting 1 Dickcissel 9 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Bronzed Cowbird 9 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 House Sparrow 10 Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC 061) Observation date: 6/17/10 Number of species: 28 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 10 Neotropic Cormorant 50 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 4 Green Heron 3 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Killdeer 3 Black-necked Stilt 2 Gull-billed Tern 3 Rock Pigeon 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 10 Mourning Dove 12 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 6 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 5 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 2 Purple Martin 1 Northern Mockingbird 10 European Starling 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Great-tailed Grackle 12 House Sparrow 10 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Larids @ Falcon SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:04:00 EDT Hi, all! Birded Starr County today, the highlight being several larid species that got flagged by eBird! Laughing Gulls are certainly not unexpected, but by the picnic area off shore a bit by an "island" of twigs was a multi-species flock consisting of about 20 Laughers (all in basic plumage), ten Forster's Terns, and at least 18 Black Skimmers! Also flagged (which kind of surprised me) was a Caspian Tern, plus a lone Least Tern feeding and calling in the same general area. Other than that, had the regulars: had a pair of calling Lesser Nighthawks coming in the entrance road, my first White-tailed Kite for the park, a stunning Painted Bunting popped up just past the entrance kiosk, and two pairs (or a family group?) of Roadrunners was hanging by the butterfly garden, seemingly annoyed that I was keeping them from their butterfly breakfast! On the way out a raptor had me stumped until Sibley came through with a picture-perfect rendition of an intermediate morph juvie Swainson's! Made 15-minute stops at Salineno and Roma, picking up Muscovy Duck at the former, but no sign of Huck's Brown Jays. :-( Had a nice selection of swallows at both places. Pics are posted here (and comments/corrections on the invertebrates are welcome): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tues) Three bird lists follow: Location: Falcon SP (Starr Co.)(LTC 084) Observation date: 6/15/10 Notes: There was a small "island" of bare branches several yards off shore from the picnic area, where a multi-species flock was lounging consisting of about 20 Laughing Gulls (all NB), at least 18 Black Skimmers, ten Forster's Terns, and a single Caspian. The Least Tern was feeding and calling nearby. Number of species: 50 Northern Bobwhite 10 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 2 Green Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 12 White-tailed Kite 1 Swainson's Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 1 Killdeer 3 Laughing Gull 20 Least Tern 1 Caspian Tern 1 Forster's Tern 10 Black Skimmer 18 White-winged Dove 9 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Greater Roadrunner 4 Lesser Nighthawk 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 7 Ash-throated Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 4 Great Kiskadee 4 Couch's Kingbird 2 Western Kingbird 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 5 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 2 Purple Martin 1 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Verdin 3 Cactus Wren 4 Bewick's Wren 3 Northern Mockingbird 20 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 Olive Sparrow 9 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 2 Black-throated Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 6 Pyrrhuloxia 7 Painted Bunting 4 Red-winged Blackbird 7 Great-tailed Grackle 50 Bronzed Cowbird 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Bullock's Oriole 3 Location: Saline�o (LTC 080) Observation date: 6/15/10 Number of species: 26 Muscovy Duck 1 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Gull-billed Tern 2 White-winged Dove 2 Mourning Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Couch's Kingbird 2 Green Jay 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5 Purple Martin 1 Bank Swallow 5 Barn Swallow 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Bewick's Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Great-tailed Grackle 8 Bronzed Cowbird 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Bullock's Oriole 2 Location: Roma Bluffs WBC (LTC 077) Observation date: 6/15/10 Number of species: 15 Green Heron 1 Killdeer 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 10 Mourning Dove 1 Inca Dove 1 Chimney Swift 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 1 Couch's Kingbird 2 Cliff Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 7 Northern Mockingbird 2 Great-tailed Grackle 6 House Sparrow 5 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: VNC Field Trip to Boca Chica From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:56:44 EDT Hi, all! Ranger John Yochum, Pat Heirs, Norma Friedrich, and myself had a blast exploring the Boca Chica Tract--at least that was the plan, but we ended up covering a whole lot more territory! After meeting at the Stripes at 511 and 77, we all migrated over to Palo Alto where we decided to spend some time looking for a Cassin’s Sparrow, which we found skylarking, and then found another individual closer and in better light by the shelter. We also found what John ID’d as a Mexican Racer, but it wasn’t illustrated in either book, so I never would have guessed that (the closest match was Rough Green Snake, but it wasn’t all that green; it was more of a “Lyside Sulphur” green). One of the park volunteers was checking out the trails and kicked up a couple of Bobwhite for us! From there we decided to take a quick peek down Old Port Isabel Road to see if we could find an Aplomado Falcon, but dipped on that; instead we were treated to a young White-tailed Hawk sailing the blue, shortly being joined by Mom/Dad! At the pond (where there wasn’t much) we turned around and headed down Boca Chica, where we finally got Norma’s life Botteri’s Sparrow! (We had one singing on OPI, but we couldn’t find it; this one was right by the road…) Pat took us down the road where Kyle had his Gray-crowned Yellowthroat last winter, but I honestly didn’t hold out much hope… The wind was pretty fierce by then, anyway, so we pretty much stayed in the car and crawled down the road listening until we found something. Once we got to the flats we did find some interesting birds, including Black Terns, both morphs of Reddish Egret, a Wilson’s Plover with chicks, an oh-so-cute Snowy Plover, and a breeding-plumaged White-rumped Sandpiper (I called Western at first, but after seeing all those birds at Laguna Atascosa last month the Lord said, “Are you sure???” :-))! We got to laughing about the "Willet on the Wire" (sounds like a song)! The tide was really high at the beach, so we only stuck around long enough to get Royal Tern and Brown Pelican, then headed back, picking up a Harris’ Hawk going out, along with a small flock of Roseate Spoonbills! We went into Brownsville to have lunch, then Pat took us to the neighborhood where the Yellow-green Vireo had been breeding the last several years, but all I heard were Lesser Goldfinches and House Sparrows. We then went to the UTB campus where they knew of breeding Red-crowned Parrots at the footbridge, and sure enough, there was one sticking his head out! While we were watching a pair of Green Parakeets came screeching in, so that was great! We actually added quite a few species to the list in Brownsville, including Tropical Kingbird, but dipped on the House Finch… I added a couple of birds to my day list by dropping the dough off at VNC, but I think John's gonna compare notes and add anything I missed... Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriam eaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 6-14-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 6-12-10 to 6-14-10 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Willet Tringa semipalmata Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Least Tern Sternula antillarum Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Black Tern Chlidonias niger Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Green Parakeet Aratinga holochlora Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Botteri's Sparrow Aimophila botterii Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 68 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX www.miriameaglemon.com Subject: Anzalduas & NABA From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 15:19:39 EDT Hi, all! Made the rounds at Anzalduas this morning (minus the back portion) where aside from the expected breeders, things were rather quiet. Highlights include a Hooded Oriole (first for my list there), the Beardless Tyrannulet, singing Clay-colored Thrushes, the Black Phoebe near the dam, and a pair of feral/escaped Yellow-headed Parrots I flushed along the back road next to the levee, along with a Common Nighthawk (also a first for me there). Road-birded Old Military Highway for about six miles (the road was too muddy to attempt after that point), stopping for awhile at NABA, where despite the wind quite a few butterflies were flying, the most interesting being a Mexican Bluewing. A Couch's Kingbird was harassing a Swainson's Hawk above the parking lot, and a Cooper's Hawk shot across the road west of Bentsen Palm Drive. Dickcissels were all over the place, and had one Blue Grosbeak singing. Firsts for my list along this route included Green Heron (at the canal along the levee), Common Nighthawk, and Loggerhead Shrike. Only took a couple of Cave Swallow pics today, but the gallery includes some Horned Lizards, a Painted Bunting, and a Caracara I found near Puerto Rico on Tuesday. _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/wed) Two bird lists follow: Location: Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068) Observation date: 6/9/10 Notes: The parrots were undoubtedly escapees/feral; distinctive vocalizations confirmed as well. Number of species: 36 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 4 Plain Chachalaca 1 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 2 Rock Pigeon 4 White-winged Dove 5 Mourning Dove 6 Inca Dove 2 Yellow-headed Parrot 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Common Nighthawk 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1 Black Phoebe 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 4 Couch's Kingbird 6 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 12 Cave Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Clay-colored Thrush 2 Northern Mockingbird 15 European Starling 3 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 3 Lark Sparrow 3 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Bronzed Cowbird 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Hooded Oriole 1 Altamira Oriole 1 House Sparrow 6 Location: NABA International Butterfly Park Observation date: 6/9/10 Notes: Includes Old Military Highway Number of species: 33 Plain Chachalaca 2 Northern Bobwhite 4 Green Heron 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Swainson's Hawk 1 Killdeer 1 White-winged Dove 12 Mourning Dove 9 White-tipped Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Common Nighthawk 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 5 Couch's Kingbird 5 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Cliff Swallow 3 Cave Swallow 30 Northern Mockingbird 12 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 8 Lark Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Blue Grosbeak 1 Dickcissel 9 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Bronzed Cowbird 7 Altamira Oriole 1 House Sparrow 10 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Bentsen Lep & Ode Walk From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 17:02:33 EDT Hi, all! Joined Ranger Javier for the "maiden voyage" of a combined butter- and dragonfly walk today, along with Mike Rickard, Ginny Musgrave, Ranger Carol, and later one of the volunteers (whose name I didn't catch) and her granddaughter. It got to be wicked out there heat-wise, but the odes were reasonably cooperative; in the front garden we had Blue Dasher, Black Setwing, Roseate Skimmer, Carmine Skimmer (I think the Abbott book calls them Orange-bellied Skimmers--it's not even listed in the Dragons thru Bins book), and a clubtail-type dragon that my best guess on is Five-striped Leaftail. Had a Blue-ringed Dancer in the central garden, a Blue-faced Dancer at the new nature center, and at the boatramp a whole slough of stuff (no pun intended), including the Mexican Scarlettail in an unflattering position... Interesting leps included a Vine Sphinx that came tearing into the breezeway before landing under a bush, a White-tipped Black Moth hiding underneath the palm fronds, and several Black Swallowtails, including one that had just emerged in one of their special enclosures; the volunteer's granddaughter had the privilege of coaxing it onto her hand and letting it loose! The avian highlight was a Swainson's Hawk soaring overhead which suddenly stooped and caught a swallow! Carol was the only one to see a fish grab a dragonfly for lunch at the resaca! Again, any comments and corrections are welcome! Pics are posted here (along with a couple of earlier pics still in the camera from Edinburg Wetlands and Wallace Road...): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Laguna Atascosa NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 19:56:29 EDT Hi, all! Despite the wind, had a pretty productive day at the refuge; found Rex's mob of White-rumped Sandpipers on the back side of the Bayside Trail, plus what may have been the same three Wilson's Plovers in the road! :-) It was also fun to see breeding-plumaged Dunlins and Wilson's Phalaropes. A Common Nighthawk was flying low and "beenting"; actually saw it open its mouth wide to do so! Flushed a Lesser Nighthawk on the road to Alligator Lake, but that was the most exciting thing on that walk (besides said Alligator). Lots of White Ibis and several spoonbills were about, as well as a couple of White-faced Ibis. One of the white-pinioned dark morph Reddish Egrets was dancing away along the shores of Laguna Madre. Despite the wind and intermittent cloudiness there were quite a few leps around, mainly tons of Texan Crescents and Sickle-winged Skippers back at the headquarters, as well as a single Groove-billed Ani. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: Location: Laguna Atascosa NWR (LTC 024) Observation date: 5/24/10 Number of species: 71 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 20 Mottled Duck 3 Blue-winged Teal 3 Plain Chachalaca 2 Northern Bobwhite 10 Great Blue Heron 3 Great Egret 3 Snowy Egret 2 Little Blue Heron 10 Tricolored Heron 4 Reddish Egret 3 Green Heron 3 White Ibis 40 White-faced Ibis 2 Roseate Spoonbill 9 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 9 Osprey 4 White-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 8 Black-bellied Plover 4 Wilson's Plover 8 Killdeer 6 Black-necked Stilt 20 Willet (Eastern) 20 Long-billed Curlew 2 Ruddy Turnstone 1 White-rumped Sandpiper 30 Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Dunlin 4 Wilson's Phalarope 2 Laughing Gull 30 Least Tern 2 Gull-billed Tern 20 Caspian Tern 3 Black Tern 1 Forster's Tern 4 Royal Tern 5 Mourning Dove 50 Common Ground-Dove 8 White-tipped Dove 5 Greater Roadrunner 3 Groove-billed Ani 1 Lesser Nighthawk 1 Common Nighthawk 7 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 20 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Brown-crested Flycatcher 7 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 10 Green Jay 4 Horned Lark 5 Cave Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 2 Verdin 3 Bewick's Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 30 Long-billed Thrasher 15 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Olive Sparrow 20 Lark Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 20 Blue Grosbeak 1 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Eastern Meadowlark 20 Great-tailed Grackle 50 Bronzed Cowbird 20 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Valley Nature Center Pics From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 17:33:25 EDT Hi, all! I just put up a collection of shots taken around the Center this weeks; highlights include our rapidly-growing Yellow-crowned Night Heron chicks, other fledgling songbirds, and some cool moths at the blacklighting station during the first of our three Dragonfly Days events! (A couple of the moths I can't figure out...) The pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Enjoy! Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Hudsonian Godwits @ Falcon SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 19:11:00 EDT Hi, all! That was definitely the highlight this morning: four Hudsonian Godwits wheeling their way east (I think) along the shores of Falcon Reservoir, seen from the picnic area directly south of the Rec Building (there's a fork in the road down there; to the left are a bunch of cabins, and to the right is the picnic area). Unfortunately they're probably long gone by now... Anyway, since the Wind Advisory was mainly for Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, I changed plans and headed to Starr this morning, very glad I did! Besides the godwits, other highlights included my first Olive-sided Flycatcher for the park, and a pair of whinnying Lesser Nighthawks at the butterfly garden! Bullock's Orioles were all over the place and reasonably cooperative (my experience has been that they're very skittish and hard to photograph), as well as very vocal and visible Bobwhites. Also new for the park for me were Painted Buntings and a calling Great Crested Flycatcher, which made for a Myiarchus sweep! A Least Flycatcher and Yellow Warbler were the only other migrants (they were in the primitive camping area). Also had a Least Tern by the water (which eBird flagged, which surprised me). The butterfly garden was very active; I thought for sure I had my life Definite Patch, but it turned out to be a very dark Theona Checkerspot... :-( A 15 minute sit at Salineno (where the river was VERY high--the knoll I usually park on was almost completely under water) didn't yield any of the upriver specialties, but did add Gray Hawk, Altamira Oriole, Bank Swallow, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo to the day list. Roma had some amorous Elada Checkerspots and several damsels; again, corrections on my IDs are welcome! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Two bird lists follow: Location: Falcon SP (Starr Co.)(LTC 084) Observation date: 5/10/10 Number of species: 49 Northern Bobwhite 12 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 12 Green Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 15 Crested Caracara 4 Killdeer 6 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Hudsonian Godwit 4 Laughing Gull 1 Least Tern 1 White-winged Dove 15 Mourning Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 4 Greater Roadrunner 4 Groove-billed Ani 1 Lesser Nighthawk 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6 Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 Least Flycatcher 1 Ash-throated Flycatcher 4 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 6 Great Kiskadee 8 Couch's Kingbird 7 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 9 White-eyed Vireo 3 Green Jay 1 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Verdin 3 Cactus Wren 4 Bewick's Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 12 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 Yellow Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 12 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 1 Black-throated Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 4 Pyrrhuloxia 9 Painted Bunting 3 Red-winged Blackbird 9 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Bronzed Cowbird 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Bullock's Oriole 7 Location: Saline�o (LTC 080) Observation date: 5/10/10 Number of species: 23 Plain Chachalaca 4 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Gray Hawk 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 4 Inca Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 1 Western Kingbird 1 Bank Swallow 2 Bewick's Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 5 Great-tailed Grackle 4 Bronzed Cowbird 1 Bullock's Oriole 1 Altamira Oriole 1 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Hidalgo County Big Day (long) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 21:09:14 EDT Hi, all! This is about a week late, but this is the first chance I've had to put this together! On Monday, 30 APR, I did a Big Day around Hidalgo County, starting at Bentsen SP pre-dawn, then hitting Old Military Highway, Anzalduas CP, Quinta Mazatlan, Santa Ana NWR, the Progresso Sod Farms, Frontera Thicket, Estero Llano Grande SP, Edinburg Wetlands, La Sal del Rey. and Wallace Road, for a total of 127 species! The first bird actually turned out to be a Mockingbird (1) singing outside my apartment at 3:30! While loading the car Purple Martins (2) were gurgling overhead, displacing the usually-first Great-tailed Grackles (3) heard at whatever intersection I happen to hear them at! At the Bentsen Palm Drive exit also happened to add House Sparrow (4). At Bentsen pre-dawn, the Pauraques (5) were ubiquitous of course, but I was also thrilled to hear not only a couple of Chuck-will’s-widows (6), but also a brief song from a Whippoorwill (7)! The Screech Owl (8) sang quite close, and at the “ten-minute bench” my FOS Brown-crested Flycatcher (9) started its dawn song, followed closely by Couch’s Kingbird (10), and both White-winged (11) and Mourning Doves (12). Heading towards the resaca the Great Horned Owl (13) was also quite close, and other day-birds like Cardinal (14) and Altamira Oriole (15) started tuning up. Miracle of miracles, I heard a bark, stopped, and then heard the chuckle of the Elf Owl (16); I happened to stop outside his nest hole and actually saw the little bugger leave his tree in the twilight of dawn! Once settled at the resaca other day birds joined the chorus such as Clay-colored Thrush (17) and Olive Sparrow (18). A Snowy Egret (19) flew by, and the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (20) came through giving me an owl sweep! The reeds across the way were full of Red-winged Blackbirds (21), and before long a Yellowthroat (22) piped up. As it got lighter the Golden-fronted Woodpecker (23) joined in along with White-tipped Dove (24), and a Least Bittern (25) cackled across the way. My FOS Yellow-billed Cuckoo (26) sang, and soon the old standbys like Kiskadee (27), Green Jay (28), and Ladder-backed Woodpecker (29) joined in. Did a scan right at sunrise (7:00) and added an Anhinga (30) across the way. Heading back to the parking lot added Brown-headed Cowbird (31), a silent (!) Chachalaca (32, but not for long…), a flock of Cattle Egrets (33) overhead, Black-crested Titmouse (34), Gray Hawk (35), a distant Beardless Tyrannulet (36), Bronzed Cowbird (37), a flyover Great Egret (38), Great Crested Flycatcher (39), a flyover Dickcissel (40), and a Cave Swallow (41) at the bridge. Heading down Military Highway added Killdeer (42) and Eastern Meadowlark (43) out the window, and a brief stop at the terminus of NABA’s Walking Trail added Long-billed Thrasher (44), Common Ground Dove (45), and Eastern Wood Pewee (46). Continuing on added a Lark Sparrow (47) in a bush. A pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (48) flew overhead as I entered Anzalduas, and managed to add the Coots (49) in the river that had mysteriously disappeared from the resaca at Bentsen! The only migrant I could find in the trees was a Yellow Warbler (50), but the mosquitoes were wretched! Added Cliff (51) and Rough-winged Swallows (52) overhead, and slowly cruising the road added Inca Dove (53), a pair of Tropical Kingbirds (54), my FOS Groove-billed Ani (55) that flopped into a tree, and the resident Starlings (56, that interestingly I don’t recall seeing elsewhere). Dipped on the Black Phoebe, but picked up a Pied-billed Grebe family (57) on the way out, and a flock of Rock Pigeons (58) approaching the highway. Stopped by Quinta Mazatlan to bag the requisite Green Parakeets (59) but also added some quality birds on my rounds there: a young male Bullock’s Oriole (60) was alternately chattering and singing, and Chimney Swifts (61) chattered overhead. I was surprised to find a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (62) still hanging around, but the Blue-headed Vireos (63) were singing. Nashville Warblers (64) proved to be the most common migrant of day, but this group also had a couple of Tennessee Warblers (65). The Carolina Wren (66) finally sang, and picked up the Buff-bellied Hummingbird (67). On the way out a small flock of Mississippi Kites (68) flew overhead, and picked up their Curve-billed Thrasher (69) in the parking lot. Next stop was Santa Ana, where Barn Swallows (70) swooped overhead. On the trail, a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks (71) circled overhead and called, and at Willow Lakes added Moorhen (72), Mottled Duck (73), Gadwall (74), Blue-winged Teal (75), some cute Least Grebes (76), a Swainson’s Hawk (77) in the distance, and a group of White-faced Ibis (78) showing their white faces! On the way out picked up a pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (79). Unfortunately the Progresso Sod Farms had no shorebirds to speak of, but managed to bag Horned Lark (80) right away. By some miracle I actually spotted a Common Nighthawk (81) snoozing on a branch (but then heard one later to confirm it), and beyond the reservoir in a wet spot were Black-necked Stilts (82). An Alder Flycatcher (83) gave its pit note from the ditch, and several Lesser Yellowlegs (84) made their presence known. Up on the levee added a singing White-eyed Vireo (85—was wondering when that was gonna show up) and a gorgeous Indigo Bunting (86). Was going to sit at Frontera’s water feature for a few minutes, but Cindy happened to have the grounds open for some folks from Washington, so she shooed me in to find the Green Kingfisher, which I did (87—to the chagrin of the guys from Washington who had knocked themselves out trying to find one and never did), but also added Black-and-white Warbler (88), Least Flycatcher (89), Lesser Goldfinch (90), and an Archilochus Hummingbird that called but was never seen, which I ultimately called Ruby-throated (91) as one showed off nicely at Estero Llano Grande SP. Headed over to said park, picking up Collared Dove (92) on the way, and stopping at the actual llano first, adding oodles of Stilt Sandpipers (93) and Long-billed Dowitchers (94), as well as a singing Marsh Wren (95). Ran into a carload of Californians who told me later that if I had gone farther I would have added Roseate Spoonbill… :-( In the park along the boardwalk scared up a Lincoln’s Sparrow (96) who wisely hid in the bush in the heat, and was surprised to hear the Sora (97) still hanging around! Resting at the gazebo a Gull-billed Tern (98) flew by, and over by Dowitcher Pond had the Least Tern pair (99). The hundredth bird wound up being a flyover Green Heron on the way out, and added a stunning Black-throated Green Warbler (101) near the entrance. Fought sleep all the way up to Edinburg Wetlands but added Laughing Gulls (102) heading to the south pond, where I also added Spotted Sandpiper (103), the requisite Neotropic Cormorants (104), and a Great Blue Heron (105). In the north pond I was disappointed to sip on any additional herons, but did add a brilliant Ruddy Duck (106) and his wife, plus a pair of Shovelers (107). Marisa told me about a waterthrush she had seen that morning, but couldn’t pish that one out (he was smart…) Heading up to La Sal, finally the Turkey Vultures (108) started flying! (It was nearing 90 and I was wondering where they were…) Heard a Painted Bunting (109) along Brushline (had a knockout view later along Wallace Road), and a Roadrunner (110) crossed ahead of me. At one stop had a gorgeous Pyrrhuloxia (111) and a curious Bewick’s Wren (112), along with a distant Bobwhite (113) doing its covey call (would hear the full-blown song later on Wallace). Another stop added Verdin (114) and a young Caracara (115), and along GI Road I looked up to find the Bank Swallows (116) I was hearing overhead, only to catch sight of a huge kettle of Broad-winged Hawks (117)! A couple of Western Kingbirds (118) played the wires along with the ubiquitous Scissortails and Couch’s Kingbirds while a couple of Summer Tanagers (119) called in the background. Finally picked up Loggerhead Shrike (120) for the day, and an Eastern Kingbird (121) showed up as well. The rain I missed recently (was out of town) made some great ponds, and the one along GI was hopping with whistling ducks and dowitchers, and also added Avocets (122), plus a pair of Cinnamon Teal (123). Another pond in the middle of the field had three Franklin’s Gulls (124—amazing how those big eye crescents make their eyes bug out). Heading south on Brushline from 186 added a young Harris’ Hawk (125) and finally a stunning White-tailed Hawk (126)! Headed over to Wallace Road from there, where the only new bird was a female Blue Grosbeak (127), but enjoyed more Cattle Egrets and Least Grebes at the wetland. Headed home at 8:02, the official sunset time (Bippy’s thermometer recorded 91 as the high that day…)! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX www.miriameaglemon.com Subject: San Diego Audubon Texas Hill Country Trip From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 2 May 2010 21:06:24 EDT Hi, all! Sorry about any cross-posting that may occur; I'm finally getting out a "somewhat" trip report of a two-week excursion to the Hill Country wherein I guided two separate groups from San Diego Audubon. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones! More details are written up in the PBase account: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/hill_co_2010_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/hill_co_2010) Both groups got good looks at the Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo (including yours truly--I had only seen a fleeting glimpse up till now), and several lifers beyond that! Seasoned "leppers" may laugh at the fact that I got my life Spicebush Swallowtail at Lost Maples, but that was my personal highlight, along with the Polyphemus Moth at the gas station! Had several cool moths coming into the cabin lights as well, most of which I haven't had time to sort out yet... Bird List (which includes my scouting days as well as the two tours): Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Green Heron Butorides virescens White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Chuck-will's-widow Caprimulgus carolinensis Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus Common Raven Corvus corax European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii Black-capped Vireo Vireo atricapilla Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla Northern Parula Parula americana Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus Canyon Towhee Pipilo fuscus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus Bullock's Oriole Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum 146 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: (no subject) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:00:54 EDT Hi, all! Started pre-dawn yesterday at Bentsen, where the Pauraques were going nuts! Actually saw several land in front of me in the gloom and make noises at me! Picked up the requisite Screech and Great Horned Owls, but no Elf or Ferruginous (although I thought I may have heard one in the distance coming out); ran into the Gambills and they had heard just a little soft sample of the Elf; in the meantime I was recording a Clay-colored Thrush giving a pretty good imitation of an Elf Owl (had the rhythm but not the timbre)! It was already getting light by the time I got to Kingfisher Overlook and had the recorder going in case a Least Bittern decided to sound off, but instead was treated to a concert by a Cardinal hidden right there in the reeds that changed his song every so often! Headed back out, picking up the usual suspects, then headed over to Anzalduas, where I ran into Joyce Davidson and her crew. Hiked out into the field looking for Sprague’s Pipits (kicked up three, one of which finally sat down for a look), but the real treat was a Golden Plover that was surely American, but had a bold enough wingstripe and white enough wing linings to make me wonder! Leapfrogging with Joyce later we had Cave and Rough-winged Swallows, and she showed me the Great Horned Owl nest with its full-grown, fluffy baby! I went on to the back part where I had either a very strange-sounding Tyrannulet or a Nutmeg Mannakin (undoubtedly the former)! A female Vermilion Flycatcher showed up in the usual spot (dipped on the Black Phoebe this time), but Joyce had reported that the Hooded Merganser was still hanging around, and sure enough, there he was, sitting on a rock! The crew showed up about that time and the one gal for whom this would have been a life bird hurried over and got great looks! Another gal came over, and unfortunately the bird chose that moment to slip off the rock and behind one of the islands! We enjoyed the other ducks and herons that were about until the merganser finally showed up again and sat on his rock; we all went over to where Joyce was closer to the dam and got stunning views! I headed on after that to Santa Ana, where the place was a zoo, but thankfully the Chachalaca Trail wasn’t too crowded! Picked up a few new things, like a Least Grebe nosing around a Fulvous Whistling Duck who was feeding pretty vigorously! From there I went to the Progresso Sod Farms where I found Joyce again, and we did indeed find all the Golden Plovers that were reported. I was almost to the levee when Joyce called me back: they had found three Pectoral Sandpipers that I had overlooked! We couldn’t find any Baird’s, though… A pair of White-tailed Kites was up on the levee, and from there I headed to Estero where I looped around Ibis Pond, picking up a close Marsh Wren in the reeds. Several Lincoln's and a single Swamp Sparrow popped up along the boardwalk. A lady from Plano named Katherine who was also looking for the King Rail joined me, and we miraculously found it out in the open north of the Pavilion (like they said), but I missed my opportunity for a decent shot as I was trying to call Huck to let him know it was out in the open! Headed back into the Tropical Zone where I dipped on the becard but had a nice chat with Katherine instead. From there headed over to Edinburg Wetlands, where I knew I’d pick up the Neotrops, but also had a few new shorebirds in the south pond, such as both yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, and several Long-billed Dowitchers. Green-winged Teal posed nicely on the bank, and in the north pond was a young Roseate Spoonbill, a nice “last bird” of the day! (Couldn’t believe I dipped on the night herons…) Ended up with 90 species for the day, which isn’t bad for having to quit at 4:00! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius King Rail Rallus elegans Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 90 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX www.miriameaglemon.com Subject: Valley Nature Center Pics From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:30:09 EDT Hi, all! Just posted a few pictures taken at Valley Nature Center during the course of this past week, including an Indigo Snake that Raul Jr. found, our returning Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and a skipper with a funky wing. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Port Isabel Boat Trip & Laguna Atascosa From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:48:49 EDT Hi, all! Had a delightful ride on Scarlet's boat (my first time, actually) along with Katherine Miller and some other Resaca volunteers and visitors (my apologies for forgetting names--I was doing well to remember Rozie the Dolphin Dog...), going in search of the Purple Sandpiper. Unfortunately we dipped on that (would have been a life bird for me), but we did get great looks at the male Mangrove Warbler, and a nice consolation prize: an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull! A Common Loon was another Valley first for me, and we had a nice selection of the usual suspects including two pairs of Oystercatchers, tons of nest-building Great Blue Herons and Reddish Egrets (mostly white morphs), calling Clapper Rails, and even a Roseate Spoonbill! A cute little Snowy Plover showed off as well. On the way back two pods of Bottle-nosed Dolphins played around the boat, causing a lot of excitement! :-) After that I headed to Laguna Atascosa (after enjoying a burger in Rolloff Park, where I had my only Red-breasted Mergansers of the day), where several people were looking for the Blue Bunting but apparently with no luck. I strolled around the center area and gardens, and came upon a group of Green Jays, grackles, and a pair of Long-billed Thrashers making a terrible fuss, and decided that they must have been mobbing a snake, as everyone's attention was directed down at the ground, not up in a tree! I didn't have time to thoroughly explore the Bayside Trail, but had a nice drive with some lingering ducks and a White-tailed Hawk overhead. Ran into a group from Massachusetts Audubon that was thrilled with a Roadrunner and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the entrance road! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: American Wigeon Anas americana Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Redhead Aythya americana Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Common Loon Gavia immer American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula White Ibis Eudocimus albus Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris American Coot Fulica americana American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Dunlin Calidris alpina Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow (Mangrove) Warbler Dendroica petechia Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 85 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Falcon SP Roadside Hawk - Yes! From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 21:02:44 EST Hi, all! Decided to bird Starr County today, and got to Falcon SP well before dawn in the hopes of hearing some Poorwill--got tons of Pauraque instead! The usual suspects tuned up shortly, and after "dawn" I worked my way backwards out of the park, winding up at the boat ramp and taking a walk around the little loop, picking up Little and Great Blue Herons, both egrets, Laughing Gulls, and Spotted Sandpipers. The overflow lot had oodles of sparrows, but couldn't pick out anything but Chippies and Savannahs. A brilliant Vermilion Flycatcher showed off as well. I was wondering if it was a holiday or something, because the parking lot was packed already, and it was boat after boat after boat after boat coming off that ramp, and human after human after human heading for the "outhouse", and there right on top of his telephone pole was the young Roadside Hawk! He didn't seem bothered by me or anyone else as he swooped down to the ground, evidently in search of something that he apparently missed, then went to sit in a thick-trunked somewhat bare tree right behind the restroom, still apparently eyeing something underneath! Headed to the feeders by Wendy and Ellen's RVs, where a very cooperative Cassin's Sparrow came in briefly, along with lots of Redwings! The blind had a pair of Bobwhite, and the usual Pyrrhuloxias owned the park! ;-) From there I poked around Falcon County Park where a Roadrunner did his lonely song with a backup of Black-throated Sparrows singing! From there headed down to the boat ramp at Chapeno where a small flock of Lark Buntings flew across the road, one male coming into color already, to be shortly followed by a small flock of Lark Sparrows! One of the property owners was mowing his lawn, so I didn't stay long, but in trying to find the connector road between Chapeno and Salineno (which I never found), I stumbled upon another Cassin's Sparrow trying to tune up by a little cemetery, along with a flock of Clay-colored Sparrows! Chachalacas were chorusing on the Mexican side on the way back to the main road. Salieneno was hopping for sure: the river had lots of Gadwall and American Wigeon, and a Ringed Kingfisher finally came by, hovering for a minute and then heading down river to hover again. At the RV, Sandra from New Mexico was holding the fort down for Cheryl, and a gentleman from New York (whose name I didn't catch--may have been Larry) had set up a peanut butter station disguised as a flowering branch in order to do some photography, so several of us got to profit from his ingenuity as Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, both Altamira and Audubon's Orioles, Long-billed Thrashers, Green Jays, and Kiskadees all came in to dine and be photographed (along with the ubiquitous Redwings)! The Hooded Orioles were hanging at the far hummer feeder, and other moochers included Ladder-backed Woodpecker, titmice, several dove species, and Cardinals. I was only gonna spend about 15 minutes there but wound up staying a lot longer... ;-) The leucistic Kiskadee also showed up, but didn't come to the feeders. Made a burger run to Roma before retreating back to Fronton where I lunched and watched the river (and chatted with the nice Border Patrol guy ;-)), picking up Rough-winged Swallow and taping a pair of Cactus Wrens. Back at Roma a few White Pelicans at the overlook were new for the day, and suspected I was hearing a Black Phoebe, but since I'm not quite confident enough to tell it from Eastern (unless it's singing) I let that one go. Explored some of the back roads of Starr County after that, picking up Chihuahuan Raven for the day and a couple of "junk birds", ending the day with 86 species. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus Audubon's Oriole Icterus graduacauda 86 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan, then Longoria to La Sal del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:58:18 EST Hi, all! Well, dipped on the grosbeak yesterday, but doing three circuits around Quinta Mazatlan sure helped to pad the list for the day, as I wound up with a whopping 102 species! I was wishing I had my recorder (I had lost it somewhere), because the Chachalacas were starting to chorus something fierce! Had the usual suspects there, including a large flock of White-winged Doves back by the greenhouse, the resident Carolina Wren singing away, and Orange-crowned Warblers out the yin yang going for the oranges! Probably the best bird of the day also allowed such a brief glimpse (and shot) that I wasn’ t sure of its identity until I could process the photos: what I thought was a very bright Orangecrown turned out to be a very dull Nashville! Other highlights at Quinta include a snoozing Screech Owl and a couple of Long-billed Thrashers casing each other. Bernardo (one of the groundskeepers) pointed out a Yellow-throated and Black-and-white Warbler while we were talking, and he was very encouraging regarding the grosbeak, but I feared that it fell prey to the young Cooper’s Hawk hanging around… Maybe the trio of birders coming in as I was leaving had better luck… From there decided to pick up where I had left off at the Longoria Unit of Las Palomas, only the trail I usually take was closed due to a hunt. So I went across the street and hiked that little trail out into the field, scaring up a Roadrunner and what might have been a roosting Great Horned Owl, but I didn’t get a good look. Next stop was the Santa Monica Wetlands loop which I did backwards since I was coming from the south, and while the levee was still pretty chewed up, it was passable! Highlights along this route included a pair of lingering Snow Geese over by the hunt club where we had the big flocks during the TOS Meeting, a few Sandhill Cranes (same spot), and a pair of Avocets (same spot—it was a good spot!) White-tailed Hawks were plentiful along this route as well. Sacahuistale Flats and Port Mansfield was next, where I added several coastal birds in spite of the wicked, frigid wind (and there were plenty of fisher-people out there to boot)! The white morph Reddish Egret was still there, dancing to beat the band, along with lots of Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, Brown Pelicans, and Willets filling up the private dock to the south. Out in the wetland had a good selection of waders besides the Reddish: a Snowy, a Tricolored, two Little Blues chasing each other, a few White Ibis, and tons of Great Blues scrunched up. Dowitchers were feeding along with a Greater Yellowlegs as well. The nature trail across from the marina had a flock of Savannah Sparrows, but the highlight there was a single Cassin’s being shy! Two young Whitetail bucks stared me down; one had just a little nubbin for an antler, and the other was missing one entirely! Took a short walk at the La Sal Viejas trailhead, not kicking up much but a pair of fussing Bewick’s Wrens, then headed down to Delta Lake Park, stopping at “Dan’s Wetland” first where a pair of Peregrines surveyed things from a distant dead tree, and the Vermilion Flycatcher came through, as well as a Least Grebe and the only Ruddy Duck of the day. At the park the highlight was a beautiful male Audubon’s Warbler that came in close amongst all the Myrtles! White Pelicans were way out there in the lake, as well as several Double-crested Cormorants, and the little walk to the edge of the marsh added Red-shouldered Hawk and Osprey. Going up Rio Beef Road a stop at that little marsh added Sora, and what road-birding I could get in before the sun set didn’t add much, but could still hear geese and cranes in the distance! Pics are posted here (along with a couple from Valley Nature Center taken during the week): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Snow Goose Chen caerulescens American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Sora Porzana carolina American Coot Fulica americana American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Nashville Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata "Audubon's" Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 102 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX www.miriameaglemon.com Subject: Hugh Ramsey Park to Tiocano Lake (Cameron Co., longish) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:25:05 EST Hi, all! Had a great time out in the field yesterday; despite the weather, the birding was pretty good! Started at Hugh Ramsey, and that indeed was pretty quiet and cold; no kingfishers, but picked up some unique things such as Bewick ’s Wren. Scared a Harris’ Hawk up on the return loop. Harlingen Lake had the expected Coots and Black-bellied Whistlers, along with some Mottled Ducks that were unique for the day. Found a more direct route to Laguna Atascosa, interestingly picking up a young White-tailed Hawk on the way, and that wound up being the only one! Had a mixed flock of Snow and White-fronted Geese going in on General Brant, and the photo blind had its Green Jay contingent, shortly being joined by the grackles and redwings (surprisingly no Chachalacas this time). A nice Long-billed Thrasher posed on the way out, and nearly stepped on a White-tipped Dove! Took a stroll around Kiskadee Trail in search of the buntings, but couldn’t kick them or the other reported rarities up (probably too windy); best birds here were a couple of Cedar Waxwings high in the trees and a Catbird at the little overlook that came out to pishing. I didn’t even bother getting out of the car on the drives; logged Roadrunner and Olive Sparrow on the way to Osprey Overlook, but the funniest thing was following a Coyote down the road! The wetland by the bridge was birdless, but there was a huge wild boar bopping around in there! Along the main drive the best find was a large group of Eared Grebes in Pelican Lake—I think that was the first time I’d ever seen them here! Laguna Madre had lots of birds, but most of them were way out there: Pintail, interestingly just one pod of Redheads (that I could ID, anyway), tons of shorebirds including Willets, Marbled Godwits, Long-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin, and a few Western Sandpipers (there were probably lots more than a few, but that’s all I could ID…). The usual larids were around, along with the Ospreys, but fun additions included Bufflehead and Red-breasted Mergansers. There was also a small flock of Snow Geese along here next to the White Pelicans, which I think was also a first for me! There were tons of Great Blues and several White Ibis, but dipped on Reddish Egrets and spoonbills this time. Coming up the back side were more ducks and shorebirds (a la conditions after Dolly), so got to add Green-winged Teal, Shoveler, American Wigeon, Stilt Sandpipers, a single Wilson’s Phalarope spinning, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and a flock of feeding Gull-billed Terns to the list along here. Once again dipped on the Aplomado, but got a nice White-tailed Kite on the way out. From there headed up to Adolph Thomae County Park, where the guy let me in for free! :-) Actually, the best bird was in the neighborhood just before hitting the park: a big tom Turkey! I headed down to the boat ramp first and checked out the flock on the “beach”, consisting of Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, Caspian Terns, and Laughing Gulls mostly. A covey of Bobwhite where in the parking lot, and they have a nice little trail back at the entrance where I kicked up another White-tipped Dove and Long-billed Thrasher. On the way out a cooperative Harris’ Hawk posed for pictures. Next stop on the LTC map was Mont Meta Cemetery, where I just crawled along listening for feeding flocks, and hit the jackpot at one tree: in addition to the ubiquitous Orangecrowns and Myrtles, had a couple of Black-and-white Warblers, a nice Black-throated Green, some titmice, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet all upset at me! On the way back to Rio Hondo was a great little wetland just past Lozano (I believe it was) where I added Snowy Egret, Ruddy and Ring-necked Duck, and Neotropic Cormorant to the list. Picked up dinner at the Stripes in Rio Hondo and picnicked at City Hall where a pair of White-winged Doves was on the wires, but that was the extent of the birdlife there. I stopped at the little cemetery in Rio Hondo but didn’t linger as there were some mourners there. So unfortunately dipped on all three kingfishers yesterday. :-( Last stop of the day was Tiocano Lake, which I hit as the sun was rapidly setting; the first time I visited this area two years ago it was dry (either that, or I just never found the place), but this time it was hopping with stuff; I concentrated on the area to the east of the road for obvious reasons :-) and added Black-necked Stilt and Avocet to the list, besides enjoying many more ducks hiding in the marsh. Headed home after that with 96 species for the day, not bad for such a cold and blustery day! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Redhead Aythya americana Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Dunlin Calidris alpina Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 96 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX www.miriameaglemon.com Subject: Brownsville Dump to Ron Hill Park (long) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:09:14 EST Hi, all! Gary Davidson joined me on Monday's Marathon, where we started at the Brownsville Dump. It was a beautiful day, and we got great looks at several White-tailed Hawks, Caracaras, Chihuahuan Ravens, and both species of vulture, as well as the hordes of gulls (nothing unusual that we could pick out). We also had the only Cattle Egrets and Black-necked Stilt of the day here. The boat ramp along Highway 48 was closed, so we wheeled around and checked out the viewing area on the west side, adding both flavors of pelicans and cormorants, plus our only Lesser Scaups and Caspian Tern of the day. Heading on up to South Padre we sprung the four bucks for Isla Blanca Park and added an immature Gannet at the jetty, along with the only Sanderlings of the day. Laughing Gulls were getting territorial at that point, too! We found the beach accesses either closed or flooded, so we braved the mob at the Convention Center (an arts and crafts show was going on, we found out later) and enjoyed the boardwalk, which happened to be open from that end this day. Dipped on the Clapper Rail, but other photo ops abounded with closeup American Wigeons and Pied-billed Grebes, a performing Tricolored Heron, a snoozing Reddish Egret, and a handful of shorebirds. Several Redheads and Red-breasted Mergansers were out in Laguna Madre, and the larid mob had the usual suspects, but only one Gull-billed Tern and no Sandwich that we could pick out. Taking a closer look from the back of the center added Black-bellied Plover, Marbled Godwit, and Dunlin. The Sheepshead Lot was quiet, and a stroll around the Causeway Loop added Osprey to the list (I was getting worried about that one, too)! Swung by Port Isabel Reservoir where the best birds of the day (for me) were hanging out: a pair of Eared Grebes! We also added Ruddy Duck and Shoveler to the day list there. Rollover Park was entertaining with a mob of Brown Pelicans begging tidbits from a fisherman cleaning his catch! We decided against trying Old Port Isabel Road based on reports from last Friday's VNC field trip, so we headed straight for Palo Alto Battlefield after that, adding quite a few dry-habitat things like Verdin and Bewick's Wren. Los Ebanos was closed due to what looked like a wedding, but we picked up our only Inca Doves in the parking lot! From there the LTC map (going backwards) takes you to Harlingen, where we first stopped at Lon C. Hill Park, a place I used to frequent for their butterfly garden. The bushes looked to be still recovering from the freeze, but we picked up a very cooperative Yellow-throated Warbler there! After that we went searching for the portion of the Harlingen WBC I could never find, and suddenly there it was, right on Taft! We picked up four new birds on their excellent loop trail (Lincoln's Sparrow, White-eyed Vireo, and House Wren, plus a Tropical Kingbird in the parking lot), and checked out the grasslands, where a possible Ammodramus sparrow popped up and then dove again. From there we poked around CB Woods Park, picking up an Eastern Phoebe, and then called it a day, adding Black-bellied Whistling Duck at Gary's RV Park! That made 85 species for the day. Bird List: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis American Wigeon Anas americana Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Redhead Aythya americana Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Northern Gannet Morus bassanus Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba Dunlin Calidris alpina Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Inca Dove Columbina inca Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 85 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Brownsville to Harlingen Take Two From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:10:34 EST Forgot to add the link to the pics... _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) The first few are from Frontera and valley Nature Center; the rest are from the Marathon... Enjoy! Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Pictures from Cameron Co. From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:15:48 EST Hi, all! Here are the pictures from Monday's excursion, including the dike-loving Sprague's Pipit, the Krider's Hawk, and some cooperative Lesser Scaups. There's also a mystery skipper for the leppers on te list--it may just be a worn Clouded, but the pattern and glassy forewing spots really threw me. _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Cannon Road to Boca Chica (Cameron Co.) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:54:59 EST Hi, all! This week's Marathon Monday was gobs of fun, starting up Cannon Road (which is really dicey in spots), circling around Adams Reservoir, heading back down Weaver, and then up Rangerville Road to the little pond and then over to the Ebony Unit of the Las Palomas WMA for the first leg. Highlights along this portion included several Roseate Spoonbills, a beautiful Krider's Hawk, a Sprague's Pipit running along in front of me along the reservoir dike, and a wintering Yellow Warbler near the intersection with FM 3067. The bird of the day for me, however, was a LeConte's Sparrow along the westernmost trail at the WMA, close to where the south end of the trail dumps out on Pecan Drive (and I literally paid in blood--the mosquitoes were HORRIBLE!!!). After that headed over to Resaca de la Palma where the skeeters were just as bad, then headed into Brownsville to check out Resaca Drive and Dean Porter Park, which were the only places I had White Ibis, Moorhen, and Lesser Scaup for the day (plus three very wild-looking Northern Mallards), as well as both Couch's and Tropical Kingbirds. The Fisheries Station had a pretty female Black-throated Green Warbler along with the only Least Grebes of the day, and the small patch of flowers had several species of butterflies vying for nectar, including an Olive-clouded Skipper. Headed down Boca Chica Boulevard after that, picking up some nice raptors and coastal stuff, but dipped on the Aplomado and the reported rare gulls and boobies at road's end. I'll post pics as soon as I have time to process them! Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-25-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-25-10 to 1-25-10 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax White Ibis Eudocimus albus Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis [Krider's Hawk] Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Sanderling Calidris alba Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Le Conte's Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 101 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Cannon Road to Boca Chica Take Two From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:06:48 EST Hi, all! Apparently the first message didn't go through, so I'm trying it again... Hi, all! This week's Marathon Monday was gobs of fun, starting up Cannon Road (which is really dicey in spots), circling around Adams Reservoir, heading back down Weaver, and then up Rangerville Road to the little pond and then over to the Ebony Unit of the Las Palomas WMA for the first leg. Highlights along this portion included several Roseate Spoonbills, a beautiful Krider's Hawk, a Sprague's Pipit running along in front of me along the reservoir dike, and a wintering Yellow Warbler near the intersection with FM 3067. The bird of the day for me, however, was a LeConte's Sparrow along the westernmost trail at the WMA, close to where the south end of the trail dumps out on Pecan Drive (and I literally paid in blood--the mosquitoes were HORRIBLE!!!). After that headed over to Resaca de la Palma where the skeeters were just as bad, then headed into Brownsville to check out Resaca Drive and Dean Porter Park, which were the only places I had White Ibis, Moorhen, and Lesser Scaup for the day (plus three very wild-looking Northern Mallards), as well as both Couch's and Tropical Kingbirds. The Fisheries Station had a pretty female Black-throated Green Warbler along with the only Least Grebes of the day, and the small patch of flowers had several species of butterflies vying for nectar, including an Olive-clouded Skipper. Headed down Boca Chica Boulevard after that, picking up some nice raptors and coastal stuff, but dipped on the Aplomado and the reported rare gulls and boobies at road's end. I'll post pics as soon as I have time to process them! Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-25-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-25-10 to 1-25-10 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax White Ibis Eudocimus albus Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis [Krider's Hawk] Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Sanderling Calidris alba Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Le Conte's Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 101 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Hidalgo Pumphouse to Anacua WMA (very late) From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:22:00 EST Hi, all! I am VERY remiss in getting out a trip report from last Monday (the 18th) as I've started a new job and time is tight (it would help if I got home earlier, but with only one day to bird you make the most of it ;-)), so here it is. I basically followed the LTC map backwards from Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (where a male House Finch bounced overhead) and wound up at the Anacua WMA, chagrined to discover that one can no longer access the levee due to the Border Wall! (It's been awhile since I've been there...) A Merlin was the highlight at the McAllen Sewer Ponds, and several White-tailed Hawks showed off along Wallace Road. A Black-and-white Warbler was at Santa Ana, along with a flock of Cedar Waxwings, which are always fun as I don't see them often here! Two Cinnamon Teals at Estero Llano Grande were nice along with several swallows and the usual suspects, but dipped on the becard. I'll try to do better on tomorrow's adventure, as I barely remember LAST week! :-( Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-24-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-18-10 to 1-18-10 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 94 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Pictures from the Week From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:58:10 EST Hi, all! I've just posted some miscellaneous pictures from my lunch hour forays this past week; most were taken at Estero Llano Grande. _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Enjoy! Love, MB Subject: Falcon SP to Anzalduas From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:48:19 EST Hi, all! Made a sweep today from Falcon State Park all the way to Anzalduas Park; it was pretty miserable weather-wise, but the rain quit enough times to get a few walks in. Ellen, one of the park hosts, had a great setup by her RV (birders are welcome), even attracting Orange-crowned Warblers to a peanut-butter feeder! The lake was pretty socked in, so didn't get many water birds aside from Coots, a couple of Great Blues, and several cormorants of both flavors, but had the usual suspects in the landbird department (although dipped on Black-throated Sparrow). Best bird was on the way out: a Green-tailed Towhee that came in to pishing! Skipped Salieno et al as I didn't want to attempt any dirt roads in this stuff, but did stop at Roma Bluffs and added a bunch of water birds, including some White Pelicans. A Buff-bellied Hummer was in the garden. I wanted to try and find this "Chachalaca Trail" at Fort Ringgold, but the woods there where they say the trail is supposed to be is tremendous; had at least six Clay-colored Thrushes (all very visible, acting more like American Robins), a flock of Cedar Waxwings, an Audubon's Oriole, and a mostly-Bullock's Oriole (I say "mostly" because he looked like he had a bit more black on the head than I would expect)! A Beardless Tyrannulet was at the Yturria Tract, and picked up Ringed Kingfisher and Altamira Oriole at NABA. Checked out the Mission Hike & Bike Trail for the first time and had both Yellow-throated Warbler and Tropical Kingbird. Actually got Black Phoebe OUTSIDE Anzalduas this time (at the entrance levee), but it was almost closing time (and still raining) so couldn't bird as thoroughly as I would have liked. But still ended up with 70 species, which isn't bad when most of the birding was from the car! A couple of feeder birds are here (wasn't a great day for photography): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-12-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-12-10 to 1-12-10 American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Inca Dove Columbina inca Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii Audubon's Oriole Icterus graduacauda 70 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Willacy County From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:25:45 EST Hi, all! Made one last scouting trip to Willacy before the TOS Meeting, and for those of you signed up for that trip, I have a request: if you have walkie talkies, PLEASE BRING THEM! It's mainly road birding (partly on a VERY busy road, I might add), and we'll need to be able to communicate! That said, found a couple of nice little wet spots on some obscure paved roads in case we have to abandon Santa Monica Wetlands due to rain, and had three Gull-billed Terns as the highlight. A Merlin just inside the county line on FM 88 was very nice, and a couple of irrigation canals had Swamp Sparrow and Green Kingfisher again (a different canal than the one along Sacahuistale Flats), as well as Green and Great Blue Heron, and while getting lost on a dirt road I actually kicked up a Sprague's Pipit! Fred Stone got a few new birds in after the cold front, including Herring Gull (had a very pale youngster with an all-black bill; thought I had a Lesser Black-backed at first but I think the mantle was too pale--see the pic below). The highlight here was a female Greater Scaup that flew in, bobbed around briefly, then took off again, her long white wingstripe very obvious! The white morph Reddish Egret is still there, but farther out; hopefully he'll hang around for a few more days! Meager pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List (still haven't quite hit 100...) Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-11-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-11-10 to 1-11-10 Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Greater Scaup Aythya marila Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Green Heron Butorides virescens White Ibis Eudocimus albus Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis American Coot Fulica americana American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 72 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Wheatear Pics From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 08:19:05 EST Hi, all! John Yochum and I made a whiz-bang trip up to Beeville yesterday for the Wheatear, and as was said previously, we think John the owner has the bird trained! It came right in for killer views! After that we swung by Choke Canyon and had distant views of the Jacana. On the way back we cut over to 77 via "Hawk Alley" and saw a gorgeous adult Ferruginous Hawk! Pics of the Wheatear (along with some pics from the Bentsen CBC, including a Greater Yellowlegs with a deformed bill) can be seen here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-7-10 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-6-10 to 1-7-10 Gadwall Anas strepera Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea White Ibis Eudocimus albus Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis American Coot Fulica americana Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 64 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Bare-throated Tiger Heron Pics From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 17:06:17 EST Hi, all! It was a VERY Happy New Year for those of us up on the levee at Bentsen today, being treated to a great show by the Bare-throated Tiger Heron as he caught lunch! I'm sure there will be lots of pictures posted out there today (the light was perfect), but here's my offering: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Not nearly as exciting, but here are some pics of the more cooperative birds from yesterday's outing to Willacy County: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: CBC Pictures From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:47:24 EST Hi, all! Participated in the Brownsville CBC on Saturday and part of the La Sal Viejas CBC yesterday; Saturday was pretty miserable weather-wise but had great company with Sharon and Lyle Sands as we surveyed the UTB campus, nearby golf course, and other neighborhood areas; the highlight was a pair of House Finches (considered accidental in the Valley, believe it or not) and a nice Krider's Hawk. On Sunday I personally didn't find anything noteoworthy, but highlights for me included a White Pelican Ballet of about 500 birds, a group of ten Sandhill Cranes "parachuting" down to a field with legs dangling, and at lunch a visit by Bill Clark with a stunning female White-tailed Hawk he had captured and banded! The "double-take" of the day was a decapitated House Sparrow that some shrike had skewered onto a barbed wire fence! :-P Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List for Brownsville: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-28-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-26-09 to 12-26-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Green Parakeet Aratinga holochlora Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 72 SPECIES Bird List for La Sal Vieja (my section): Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-28-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-27-09 to 12-28-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Ross's Goose Chen rossii Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 57 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Willacy County From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:26:37 EST Hi, all! After joining the crowd at the Tiger Heron Vigil this morning (very good for catching up with friends you don't see too often! ;-)) I headed up to Willacy County to scout a bit for the TOS meeting. It was way too windy to bird much, so I was mainly trying to figure out a route that wouldn't get folks stuck in the mud, but had some nice birds despite the wind. Found a decent dirt road southwest of the entrance to La Sal Viejas where I had a Say's Phoebe and a big flock of Sandhill Cranes (the area looks great for sparrows). From Raymondville headed out to Port Mansfield where I had a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the way in along Sacauistale Flats, and in addition to a few coastal things, a Lark Bunting popped up at the end of the road at Fred Stone Park, and a white morph Reddish Egret fed in the wetlands beyond that. Heading down FM 1420 had a nice Peregrine Falcon next to me, and I thought for sure I had a Ferruginous Hawk at the turnoff to the wildlife refuge, but the pictures didn't rule out a pale young Redtail. Made the "Santa Monica Wetlands Loop" without kicking up anything of note, but in general there were a lot of nice raptors out today. Pics are posted here (and don't laugh at the Starling--he's quite pretty!): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List (one short of half of what we'll need for the TOS trip ;-)): Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-22-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-22-09 to 12-22-09 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis American Coot Fulica americana American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Dunlin Calidris alpina Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 49 SPECIES Subject: Santa Ana CBC Hook-billed Kite From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST Hi, all! Someone else will probably post all the details of the count, but the highlight of my southern territory within the refuge (which was basically the Willow Lakes Loop) was a female Hook-billed Kite, of which horrendous but identifiable pictures are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) (It was pea soup that morning, so besides looking through a haze of fog, I think there might have been fog on my lens, too... :-( ) Clay from Maine met me later at the lakes but unfortunately missed that treasure (but he did add Green Kingfisher and Pintail to our count area, which I missed), but we enjoyed a couple of male Shovelers making chests at each other and showing off their wing colors! John Yochum joined me for the northern portion north of US 281 on some pretty dicey roads, but we had some good birds (the sun had come out by then), including Grasshopper and Cassin's Sparrow, Peregrine Falcon, and one young White-tailed Hawk. Had several Redtails (including a very pale bird), but guess the reported Ferrugie is long gone. I was hoping for Sprague's Pipit on the levee like last year, but not this time... :-( Here's my personal list for the day: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-21-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-19-09 to 12-21-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Gadwall Anas strepera Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 77 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Bentsen State Park From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2009 14:58:09 EST Hi, all! Made the rounds at Bentsen this morning, running into the Gambills on the way in who reported Ferruginous Pygmy and a couple of Barn Owls in addition to the usual night stuff! Had a Least Bittern at Kingfisher Overlook (which was flagged by eBird, but I have a funny feeling that as more people become familiar with the "cackle", there will be more winter records), but missed the Eared Grebe that was seen yesterday and later this morning by Carol and her bird walk group! Best birds for me included a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the wire walking in, a Groove-billed Ani at the Hawk Tower, and added two birds to my Bentsen park list: some White-fronted Geese flying over unseen, and a Cooper's Hawk giving its "sapsucker call" at Kiskadee Blind. No sign of the becard or CC Grosbeak, but as always it was fun to watch the moochers at the feeders! :-) Mosquitoes were out in force, too... :-( Bird List: Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC 069) Observation date: 12/8/09 Number of species: 59 Greater White-fronted Goose 3 Gadwall 20 Blue-winged Teal 2 Northern Shoveler 3 Ring-necked Duck 1 Plain Chachalaca 12 Least Grebe 1 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Northern Harrier 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Gray Hawk 1 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 20 Long-billed Curlew 1 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 8 Groove-billed Ani 1 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 15 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 9 Eastern Phoebe 5 Great Kiskadee 20 Couch's Kingbird 2 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 30 Horned Lark 3 Cave Swallow 4 Black-crested Titmouse 4 Verdin 1 House Wren 20 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 Hermit Thrush 2 Northern Mockingbird 12 Long-billed Thrasher 9 American Pipit 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 6 Common Yellowthroat 6 Olive Sparrow 8 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 5 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Altamira Oriole 6 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La Sal del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 17:21:05 EST Hi, all! Met Ev and Rose from England again up at La Sal first thing, where we hiked the trail to the lake. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning after all the storms yesterday, and it took us forever to get to the lake because the place was Sparrow City! We had scope views of the common stuff like Lark, Savannah, and Lincoln's, but also more interesting sparrows such as Grasshopper, Vesper, Chipping, Clay-colored, Cassin's, and even Black-throated popped up! In between sparrows we had flocks of Sandhill Cranes, Snow and White-fronted Geese, Ring-billed Gulls, and a single Long-billed Curlew fly overhead. They were pleased to see their first Pyrrhuloxia (which quickly became a "junk bird") and Cactus Wren! The lake itself was pretty birdless (except for some Starlings doing a pretty good Eastern Meadowlark), but we did get great looks at a White-tailed Deer waving her flag and a Coyote meandering across the creek! Along the route we enjoyed several raptors, including a curious White-tailed Kite, an adult and immature White-tailed Hawk, several Redtails and Harris', and oodles of Caracaras, including one pair that gave magnificent looks in a mesquite! We had a great flock of activity along the north end of Brushline (where it actually runs east and west), with more Vesper Sparrows, a Verdin, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and my personal highlight: a small flock of Lark Buntings that landed on the wires, giving their funny little whistle! Nothing much except a Great Blue Heron and some Mottled Ducks were in the "Mis Suenos Ranch" farm pond, but Ev and Rose got another knockout view of a full adult male Vermilion Flycatcher, and we did manage to add Brewer's Blackbird at the Rio Beef Feedyard. We stopped briefly at the marsh along Rio Beef Road, where a Virginia Rail grunted when I slammed the car door! Unfortunately he didn't show himself... Kissed Ev and Rose goodbye after a delightful morning out, with 64 species for the morning. Pics (along with a couple of skippers from a quick run to Old Hidalgo Pumphouse on Saturday) are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-2-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-2-09 to 12-2-09 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Virginia Rail Rallus limicola Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 64 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Estero Llano and Anzalduas From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 20:42:12 EST Hi, all! Took visiting birders Evelyn and Rose Ebsworth from England out today, and despite the lousy weather (they joked that they consistently bring rain to even the most drought-stricken areas the world over) we were actually able to walk around the park some and see some nice birds! Even though most everything was new, their real target bird was the Vermilion Flycatcher, and we saw plenty of them throughout the day! We did go back into the Tropical Zone but dipped on the becard and any Pauraques that might have been back there. John Yochum joined us on the Alligator Lake portion of the excursion (couldn't find the Pauraque back there, either), but highlights from the park include an Altamira Oriole that greeted us as we came in, a brief look at the Cinnamon Teal, a Green Kingfisher that Evelyn happened to spot while looking at an Anhinga :-), a Cooper's Hawk in the headquarters garden just waiting to pounce on something, both Buff-bellied and Black-chinned Hummers coming in to the feeders, a hovering White-tailed Kite, and a fluffed-up Chachalaca hiding very well in a tree! Of course the Valley specialties were exciting for them as well! The biggest challenge was walking with about five inches of mud caked on to the bottom of our shoes! :-D After dining on the deck we decided to swing through Anzalduas County Park (I had to come up with places that had paved roads from which to bird), and even though it was still dripping on and off, we had some nice things, including the Western Meadowlark flock, an in-your-face look at a perched Osprey, a (finally) cooperative Green Jay, and the biggest surprise in that habitat: an immature White-tailed Hawk sitting on the Mexican side! We did the Pipit March and kicked up several birds (cleaning our shoes off in the process), one actually sitting long enough for us all to get looks! In the middle of all that a Ringed Kingfisher hovered nicely over the river, and a Caracara made a pass. After almost getting stuck in the back portion (I spotted a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher flying overhead that the Ebsworths unfortunately missed), we made a quick stop at Hidalgo Pumphouse for the Black Phoebe since we couldn't kick up the pair at Anzalduas. Dropped Ev and Rose off in Weslaco with 87 species for the day, which isn't bad for such lousy weather! No pics today as I left my camera home... Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-1-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-1-09 to 12-1-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 87 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Thanksgiving Big Day - Hidalgo Co. From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:44:30 EST Hi, all! Had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day out in the field yesterday: the weather was perfect fall birding weather, and while many of my regular Big Day spots were closed for the holiday, the timing worked out perfectly with the earlier sunset time. I've posted the bird list in order of sequence below, but here are the highlights: My apartment pre-dawn: a single Snow Goose flying overhead! Bentsen State Park (starting an hour before dawn): "Singing" Screech and Great Horned Owls (the latter in a "hoot battle" with one bird at Kingfisher Overlook and the other at the island camp), cackling Least Bitterns, the only Anhinga of the day, Sora, a calling Clay-colored Thrush, a group of Ring-necked Ducks in the resaca, a singing (!) Olive Sparrow, a distant Ringed Kingfisher, and a Chipping Sparrow on the walk out, in addition to the regular goodies we take for granted in the Valley... ;-) Santa Ana: Beardless Tyrannulet in the parking lot, Green Kingfisher at the canal, a Pied-billed Grebe bullying a Least at Willow Lakes, and a Mary Gustafson sighting ;-), besides all the pretty ducks! Estero Llano SP: The road to the llano was mud, so I skipped that part... Bryan (and Huck later) put forth a noble effort to find a bunch of us the becard, but to no avail :-(, but a flyover Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was nice, in addition to a pale American Robin. Other highlights included the continuing Vermilion Flycatcher(s), a Peregrine giving a Redtail fits, a Tropical Kingbird by Dowitcher Pond, and a nice selection of shorebirds and waders (including White-faced Ibis) at Ibis Pond. Kyle showed me where the American Bittern had been hanging out, but we didn't see him, either. La Sal del Rey area: Delta Lake was open (and free), so I made a swing-through, picking up a hybrid Butterbutt, and a Caspian Tern over the lake. A big flock of Sandhill Cranes was along Brushline Road (south of 186). A hike out to the lake from Brushline added Laughing Gull and Cactus Wren. Other highlights included Vesper Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Brewer's Blackbird (yes, really!) For my lep friends, had a moth stuck in a spider web that I thought at first was a washed out Digrammia of some kind, but I'm not sure (his pic is in the link below). Wallace Road: White Pelicans were synchro-feeding in the wetland and Neotropic Cormorants were making their noises, but added Greater Yellowlegs and Avocet here. Was blessed with a terrific sunset heading down the road! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 11-27-09 Description: Thanksgiving Big Day Location: Texas Trip Date: 11-26-09 Species Seen: 121 Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis American Coot Fulica americana Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos American Wigeon Anas americana Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Sora Porzana carolina Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria House Sparrow Passer domesticus Inca Dove Columbina inca Rock Pigeon Columba livia American Kestrel Falco sparverius White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Gadwall Anas strepera Northern Pintail Anas acuta Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Great Egret Ardea alba Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Snowy Egret Egretta thula Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii American Robin Turdus migratorius Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus American Pipit Anthus rubescens Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Anzalduas County Park From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:34:20 EST Hi, all! Birded Anzalduas Park this morning, one of my goals being to hike out into the big field and get a recording of the Sprague's Pipit flight call (which I think was procured, but haven't edited the sound files yet...)! Down by the river where the road swings left had a Beardless Tyrannulet in with a feeding flock (along with Black-throated Green and Yellow-throated Warblers) which turned into a mobbing flock when one of the Gray Hawks showed up! Both Green and Belted Kingfishers were calling, and further down the river a Ringed was hovering and making the rounds. Picked up the Black Phoebe pair near the dam, and a House Finch that I initially heard on the way towards the levee access road, but the bird itself was more in the middle of the park, near the maintenance area. On the way to get the finch a birding couple pulled up and asked about the Zone-tailed Hawk, which I had not seen, but no sooner were they out of sight when the thing flew overhead! :-( I ran into them again in the back area where we found nothing out of the ordinary aside from the usual pelicans, cormorants, ducks, and herons. On the way out I stopped at the marsh overlook on the levee where the silly Zonetail suddenly showed up! Seeing an SUV coming towards me on the levee and thinking it was the same couple, I waved like an idiot and pointed over the field, only when we got back on it, it morphed into a TV... :-( Turned out it wasn't the visiting couple but the Gambills, so I felt a little silly crying wolf, but fortunately the one lousy shot I was able to get of the initial bird proved I wasn't losing my mind... ;-) Also had an accipiter that I'm calling a Coop until proven otherwise: it was caught in a thermal in the back area and was certainly big enough for a Coop and had rather straight wings and a roundish tail (although it looked to me like it might have been going through molt), but it "felt" chunkier than most Coops I've seen. Some mediocre pics of that bird are included as well. Pics are posted here (you can scroll down through the butterflies to get to the birds...) _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Location: Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068) Observation date: 11/23/09 Number of species: 61 Gadwall 20 American Wigeon 2 Mottled Duck 12 Blue-winged Teal 30 Ring-necked Duck 4 Pied-billed Grebe 2 American White Pelican 9 Neotropic Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 10 Great Blue Heron 3 Great Egret 2 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 4 Osprey 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 2 Zone-tailed Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Kestrel 2 American Coot 20 Killdeer 2 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Least Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 50 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1 Black Phoebe 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 7 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 10 Black-crested Titmouse 4 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 9 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 7 Sprague's Pipit 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Yellow-throated Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 3 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Western Meadowlark 12 Great-tailed Grackle 5 House Finch 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La Sal Tracts From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:07:27 EST Hi, all! Got out to the La Sal Tracts before dawn this morning, where I had a Great Horned Owl sitting on a telephone pole, and as it got lighter, you could hear the crane cacophony coming from the lake (I assume)! A small flock of White-fronted Geese flew over, and later along GI Road had an even smaller flock of Snow Geese. It was Raptor City with calling White-tailed Hawks, several Redtails (no Krider's), Harris', Caracaras, White-tailed Kite, and a single Red-shouldered Hawk along Rio Beef, among others. A Cooper's Hawk kept riling up the meadowlark flocks, and at the feedlot was a mob of cowbirds and grackles, with at least a couple of Brewer's Blackbirds tucked away. The farm pond near the end of Brushline had a couple of avocets, a yellowlegs, a Neotropic Cormorant, and lots of Least Sandpipers. A singing thrasher almost had me convinced he was a Brown, as I kept hearing repeated phrases, but the culprit finally popped up, proving once again that I'm no good at telling these guys apart by song! (It was a Curve-billed...) Had an Ash-throated Flycatcher along Rio Beef, but the marsh was rather quiet. For a variety of reasons I bailed on hiking to the lake... Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 11/19/09 Number of species: 65 Greater White-fronted Goose 30 Snow Goose 12 Northern Bobwhite 4 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Black Vulture 8 Turkey Vulture 20 White-tailed Kite 1 Northern Harrier 2 Cooper's Hawk 2 Harris's Hawk 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 White-tailed Hawk 4 Red-tailed Hawk 6 Crested Caracara 7 American Kestrel 4 American Coot 1 Sandhill Crane 100 Killdeer 8 American Avocet 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 2 Least Sandpiper 30 Eurasian Collared-Dove 6 Mourning Dove 200 Common Ground-Dove 6 Great Horned Owl 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 8 Eastern Phoebe 15 Ash-throated Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 15 Couch's Kingbird 3 Loggerhead Shrike 5 Green Jay 15 Horned Lark 3 Tree Swallow 2 Black-crested Titmouse 7 Verdin 1 Cactus Wren 1 Bewick's Wren 5 House Wren 30 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Hermit Thrush 2 Northern Mockingbird 30 Long-billed Thrasher 8 Curve-billed Thrasher 6 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 9 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 7 Lark Sparrow 20 Savannah Sparrow 3 Lincoln's Sparrow 6 Northern Cardinal 4 Pyrrhuloxia 4 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Eastern Meadowlark 8 Western Meadowlark 50 Brewer's Blackbird 3 Great-tailed Grackle 40 Brown-headed Cowbird 1000 House Sparrow 12 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Santa Ana NWR (Apparently NO MADU) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:54:47 EST Hi, all! Once again, I'm terribly behind: made the trek out to Cattail Lakes on Thursday the 11th along with a handful of other folks. I still stopped at my first bench along Willow Lakes Trail for five, and was surprised to hear a Dickcissel razz overhead; guess they're not done yet! The new trail (which branches off from Willow Lakes Trail) was fun, as I had never taken it before (the last time I was out to Cattail Lakes was when the auto tour was still open), so I got to see a different part of the refuge. Chatted with a lady from Port Lavaca part of the way out (didn't get her name), and another couple from DC (didn't get their names, either...) had just spotted their first Beardless Tyrannulet, so they were very happy! Eventually arrived at the lakes where the gal from PL and another gentleman (Chris from Georgia--DID manage to get HIS name!) were already hunting for the duck(s) in the lake where he had seen them on Sunday. Had lots of Gadwall, Shovelers, teal of both varieties (I only heard the Green-winged), along with grebes and coots and a Wilson's Snipe we flushed. We DID find four Ruddies, but their cousins were either in hiding or had gone elsewhere. Dipped on the Hook-billed Kites as well, but we had nice views of a Harrier making a rather clumsy landing in the reeds, and a Merlin chasing yet another Cooper's Hawk! A flock of White-faced Ibis flew over, and at one point we heard distant White-fronted Geese ("Specklebellies" to the lady from PL :-)), which we finally spotted WAAAY up high going into the sun! We happened to be discussing Vermilion Flycatchers when suddenly a young male appeared and gave us great looks! A non-avian treat was a huge Indigo Snake crossing the trail! After enjoying a Sora that Chris found, I headed on about 9:30 towards the main tour road, and while peeking into the lake managed to add a pair of Redheads and American Wigeon to the trip list, and got an energetic Eastern Phoebe singing his little heart out on "tape"! Leps were starting to come out about then: had a pretty Mestra sunning at a rest stop, and several Sickle-winged Skippers chowing down on some scat. A little spreadwing damsel landed and gave great looks; my best guess is Rainpool, but it might be a Chalky. Took the Bobcat Trail across to the eastern side of the tour loop; this was yet another new trail (actually a gravel road), but was rather quiet as things were warming up. I eventually made it back to familiar territory at the Willow/Pintail Lake Trail, and back in the woods was treated to a Mimosa Skipper and a Southern Broken Dash posing. The lakes had the expected waterbirds (no herons, interestingly--the ibis were the only waders I ad all morning), but my first Hermit Thrush for the refuge "thooked" from the understory! I couldn't believe I also dipped on Chachalaca... :-P Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) Bird List: Location: Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059) Observation date: 11/11/09 Number of species: 66 Greater White-fronted Goose 40 Gadwall 50 American Wigeon 2 Mottled Duck 3 Blue-winged Teal 30 Northern Shoveler 50 Northern Pintail 5 Green-winged Teal 2 Redhead 2 Ruddy Duck 4 Least Grebe 20 Pied-billed Grebe 7 White-faced Ibis 12 Turkey Vulture 1 Northern Harrier 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 Gray Hawk 2 Merlin 1 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 3 American Coot 100 Killdeer 3 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Long-billed Curlew 3 Least Sandpiper 2 Wilson's Snipe 1 Mourning Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 3 Belted Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 8 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1 Eastern Phoebe 15 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 20 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 7 Green Jay 9 Cave Swallow 2 Black-crested Titmouse 6 Verdin 1 Cactus Wren 1 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 20 Marsh Wren 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 Hermit Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 6 Long-billed Thrasher 8 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 1 American Pipit 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5 Common Yellowthroat 12 Olive Sparrow 15 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 7 Indigo Bunting 1 Dickcissel 1 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Altamira Oriole 3 House Sparrow 15 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Monte Cristo Tracts From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:26:34 EST Hi, all! Made a quick run up Wallace Road this morning and it was Raptor City! A huge flock of Western Meadowlarks went tearing by, followed by a Cooper's Hawk being chased by a Merlin; that was pretty funny! A singing Least Flycatcher and a chirping Yellow Warbler were nice additions. After doing Wallace I snuck a peek at Sapo Lake where there was a mixed flock of Gadwall, Pintail, and Lesser Scaup, and afterwards did a little exploring and found a road that accessed Edinburg Lake, where there was a Ringed Kingfisher, four Canvasbacks, and a Laughing Gull! This looks like a promising place! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 11-6-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 11-6-09 to 11-6-09 Gadwall Anas strepera Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Canvasback Aythya valisineria Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica American Pipit Anthus rubescens House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 71 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Estero Llano Grande From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:17:50 EST Hi, all! Had a beautiful morning at Estero Llano; the road along the south side of the llano was open this time, so did the road and the levee, picking up the usual whistling ducks, avocets, stilts, and a few ducks (could have sworn I heard a Wood Duck but couldn't find it). Up on the levee several Great Blue Herons stood sentry in the fields, but the highlight had to be the Peregrine sitting up on one of the big pressure pipes! Coming back out the White Pelicans had moved into the llano, along with a pretty Roseate Spoonbill (a young bird was in the canal seen from the levee, and didn't look too hot...). Got to the park proper about 8:30 and the butterflies were nuts already! Ran into a couple looking for Guava Skipper (and found out later that Huck was able to deliver :-)) and at least two other couples looking for Yellow Angled Sulphurs, but the highlight for me was three different Tropical Buckeyes and a Silver-banded Hairstreak over by Fran's RV. Walking the big loop trail, a young male Vermilion Flycatcher was very cooperative over by the "gazebo", and a Dickcissel flew over, doing it's funny snort, and had I known it was really that rare now I would have tried to "shoot" it, as it gave a great look! The Savannah and Lincoln's Sparrows were back in the grasslands in force, and was able to pish up a couple of pretty Clay-colored as well. Green and Belted Kingfishers were hanging out at Alligator Lake, and the Screech Owl was hanging out his box (perhaps a different individual than the goofy-looking one I saw previously). Back along the Camino de Aves I decided to continue on the maintenance road next to the orchard and check out Kiskadee Pond, since I had never seen it, and had a family of Harris' Hawks posing! Passing Ibis Pond on the way back had what looked like a Twelve-spotted Skimmer according to the book, but also according to the book, they aren't supposed to be here! A Solitary Sandpiper wheeled in just as I was finishing up. Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) Observation date: 11/3/09 Notes: Guess there are still a few Dickcissels coming through here! (Two calling flyovers, one seen...) Number of species: 79 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 30 Gadwall 5 Mottled Duck 6 Blue-winged Teal 12 Northern Shoveler 20 Green-winged Teal 20 Ruddy Duck 15 Least Grebe 15 Pied-billed Grebe 5 American White Pelican 50 Neotropic Cormorant 7 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Anhinga 2 Great Blue Heron 12 Great Egret 3 Snowy Egret 4 Little Blue Heron 4 Tricolored Heron 1 Cattle Egret 1 Roseate Spoonbill 2 White-tailed Kite 2 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 2 Harris's Hawk 5 American Kestrel 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 12 American Coot 100 Killdeer 12 Black-necked Stilt 20 American Avocet 20 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 Long-billed Curlew 1 Least Sandpiper 20 Stilt Sandpiper 12 Long-billed Dowitcher 30 Mourning Dove 6 Common Ground-Dove 4 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 2 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Eastern Phoebe 2 Vermilion Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 7 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 7 Loggerhead Shrike 2 White-eyed Vireo 4 Horned Lark 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 20 Barn Swallow 30 Carolina Wren 2 House Wren 12 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Northern Mockingbird 15 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 American Pipit 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 Common Yellowthroat 4 Wilson's Warbler 1 Clay-colored Sparrow 2 Savannah Sparrow 12 Lincoln's Sparrow 15 Pyrrhuloxia 2 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 1000 Eastern Meadowlark 9 Great-tailed Grackle 50 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 30 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:19:08 EDT Hi, all! Well, the big rain storm we were supposed to have didn't materialize (at least along Wallace Road), but for the first time doing this route, the southmost pond you cross was absolutely bone dry! Thankfully there was some water in the next little wetland which had a nice variety of shorebirds, but also a good number of TVs and caracaras hanging around! Had my FOS American Pipit in the fields along with the Horned Larks and Lark Sparrows, and my FOS Green-winged Teal (still in eclipse plumage) were hanging with the Bluewings in the aforementioned wetland. The little pull-in at the trailhead (south of the wetland) had a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks and a fussing Long-billed Thrasher. I rarely see many butterflies along this road, but today they were nuts with Queens everywhere; this one bush also had a White-striped Longtail and Gray Hairstreak along with many little skippers! Over at Edinburg Wetlands I did the south pond first, which had a young Spoonbill and both Green and Belted Kingfishers, along with the requisite Neotropic Cormorants and shorebirds. A pair of Ospreys was circling and trying to fish; every attempt I saw was unsuccessful... :-( Also had a single male Ruddy Duck in the middle of the lake--I don't think I've ever seen one hold his tail up so high! My first Blue Grosbeak for the park was back in the mesquite as well. The group from the Butterfly Festival was delighting in all the activity in the gardens (I scared an Orange-barred Sulphur their way... :-)), but bird-wise had the usual hummers, along with a possible Rufous, but I didn't get a good look at it. A pair of Wilson's Warblers and gnatcatchers were upset with me along the "Jungle Trail", and the north lake had a small group of White Pelicans along with lots of Black-bellied Whistlers (a single Fulvous sounded off near the spillway), Shovelers, and teal. The water level was somewhat low, so several Stilt Sandpipers were over by the spillway as well. A reptilian highlight was a family of Soft-shelled Turtles on the bank of the canal, and also kicked up the female Summer Tanager back here, who looks as though she's missing her right eye! :-( Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 10/22/09 Number of species: 55 Mottled Duck 9 Blue-winged Teal 8 Green-winged Teal 5 Northern Bobwhite 1 Neotropic Cormorant 30 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Great Blue Heron 5 Great Egret 8 Snowy Egret 2 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 30 White-tailed Kite 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 Crested Caracara 5 American Kestrel 4 American Coot 2 Killdeer 10 Black-necked Stilt 5 American Avocet 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Least Sandpiper 20 Stilt Sandpiper 2 Long-billed Dowitcher 12 Mourning Dove 30 Common Ground-Dove 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 7 Couch's Kingbird 7 Green Jay 3 Horned Lark 7 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3 Barn Swallow 100 Verdin 1 House Wren 15 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 3 American Pipit 1 Common Yellowthroat 5 Lark Sparrow 2 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 20 Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC 061) Observation date: 10/22/09 Number of species: 49 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 80 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 1 Blue-winged Teal 60 Northern Shoveler 20 Green-winged Teal 6 Ruddy Duck 1 Least Grebe 5 Pied-billed Grebe 1 American White Pelican 5 Neotropic Cormorant 40 Double-crested Cormorant 8 Great Blue Heron 7 Snowy Egret 2 Tricolored Heron 3 Cattle Egret 1 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 3 Common Moorhen 4 American Coot 50 Killdeer 3 Black-necked Stilt 30 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 50 Stilt Sandpiper 15 Long-billed Dowitcher 30 Laughing Gull 1 Rock Pigeon 20 Inca Dove 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 5 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 3 Belted Kingfisher 2 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Great Kiskadee 7 Couch's Kingbird 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 2 House Wren 12 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Northern Mockingbird 6 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 3 Common Yellowthroat 1 Wilson's Warbler 2 Summer Tanager 1 Blue Grosbeak 1 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Anzalduas & NABA From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:47:19 EDT Hi, all! Before heading to Anzalduas I poked down Old Military Highway, with highlights including an Osprey, Tropical Kingbird, Red-crowned Parrot, and a pair of Ringed Kingfishers near Bentsen. Once at Anzalduas I took Dan's advice and headed over to the dam overlook first to see if per chance the Bald Eagle was still hanging around (it wasn't--I rather suspected it was a one-day wonder), but saw that the DC Cormorants have arrived in force! Also had my FOS American Wigeons, and at least 100 Barn Swallows swarming around. Don't know if Dan's sapsucker was in the back section, but MY FOS one bounced in and attached himself to a tree, only to be promptly bullied off by a Golden-fronted Woodpecker! Also had a nice female Vermilion Flycatcher near the grassy area. Making the rounds in the main part of the park, a very nice Ringed Kingfisher posed at the River, and Rough-winged Swallows had replaced the Caves from last month. Spooked a young Yellow-crowned Night Heron closer to the dam, and almost dipped on the Black Phoebe (DID dip on the tyrannulet :-( along with Dan's other goodies from yesterday). On the way out was treated to a tornado of at least 100 Turkey Vultures lifting off! (Yes, I looked for a Zone-tailed... ;-)) On the way back to NABA I added a pair of Harris's Hawks along the paved levee, and sadly a dead Swainson's Hawk actually up on top of one of the telephone poles--not quite sure how that happened unless someone shot him and he just stayed lodged up there somehow. It had started to cloud over by the time I got to NABA, but the butterflies were still active, the highlights for me being a Malachite, a Nysa Roadside Skipper, and a Melonworm Moth! (Also got to meet Jeff Glassberg, which was pretty neat! :-)) New birds there for the day included three quiet (!) Chachalacas at the feeding station and a whistling Altamira Oriole, plus a single Broad-winged Hawk in the parking lot. Heading west again on OMH the lines were lined with Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and the fields filled with Cattle Egrets! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Two bird lists follow: Location: Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068) Observation date: 10/20/09 Number of species: 47 American Wigeon 2 Mottled Duck 2 Blue-winged Teal 10 Neotropic Cormorant 6 Double-crested Cormorant 30 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 3 Snowy Egret 1 Cattle Egret 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 100 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 American Kestrel 3 Common Moorhen 1 American Coot 1 Killdeer 8 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Least Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 1 Mourning Dove 4 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Black Phoebe 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 7 Couch's Kingbird 6 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 2 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 5 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 50 Barn Swallow 100 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 7 Long-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 9 Common Yellowthroat 1 Olive Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Great-tailed Grackle 80 Bronzed Cowbird 3 Location: NABA International Butterfly Park Observation date: 10/20/09 Notes: Survey includes a 3-mile stretch along Old Military Highway Number of species: 46 Plain Chachalaca 3 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 1 Cattle Egret 100 Turkey Vulture 20 Osprey 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Broad-winged Hawk 1 American Kestrel 3 Common Moorhen 1 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 1 Mourning Dove 12 Red-crowned Parrot 1 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 4 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 10 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 9 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 12 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 4 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 30 Barn Swallow 100 Black-crested Titmouse 1 House Wren 12 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Northern Mockingbird 10 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 3 Common Yellowthroat 3 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 2 Indigo Bunting 1 Dickcissel 1 Red-winged Blackbird 200 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Brown-headed Cowbird 7 Altamira Oriole 1 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Estero Llano Grande SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:30:59 EDT Hi, all! Despite the threat of horrible heat, had a lovely time at the park this morning; since I woke up super early I went on over and sat in the dark near the Green Jay Trail listening for night birds (picked up Screech Owl and Pauraque) then over to the VC walk in hopes that the King Rail might sound off (which it didn't, but ironically my only BB Whistling Ducks of the day were heard pre-dawn!). A pair of Red-crowned Parrots woke up on the way back to the car. Wound up coming right back because the road to the llano and the levee was closed :-(, but it worked out for the best as I probably would have missed a great warbler flock along the entrance walk otherwise! Ranger Brian (whom I didn't know was Ranger Brian till later ;-)) came up and we were able to sort out Magnolia, Wilson's, and Redstart! Unfortunately the male Hooded Warbler popped up after he left... Ran into Huck after that and we checked out Ibis Pond for awhile; mostly dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers, with a token Least and Spotted, plus Blue-winged Teal. On the boardwalk added Tricolored Heron and Snowy Egret with the sun to my back. Made my way to the gazebo and still couldn't kick up a rail, but did get a Marsh Wren and Lark Sparrow while sitting, plus a Harris' Hawk sitting where the Magpie Jay often used to sit! A big surprise was a flock of Collared Doves flying over! Since I couldn't drive to the llano I went ahead and climbed up to the levee, picking up some Avocets, Stilts, a spoonbill, and about 60 White Pelicans! Another spoonbill flew over on the way to Dowitcher Pond, as well as a Little Blue Heron. This was where all the coots and grebes were hanging out, as well as additional wintering ducks. The Moorhens had claimed Grebe Pond, and Alligator Lake was rather quiet; I might have flushed a Barn Owl going in, but just didn't get a good look. Heard and Anhinga and Belted Kingfisher there. I didn't do the whole of Camino de Aves for fear of the heat, but at least picked up the requisite Ground and Mourning Doves back there, and by that time the pelicans had lifted off and were performing their ballet high in the sky! From this point on it was really a lep show, as the Milkweed Vine along the trail to CDA was crazy with blooms and butters, best of which was an Ornythion Swallowtail! Ran into Ranger John back near the VC where we had more Ornythions and his Yellow Angled Sulphur from yesterday, and eventually were joined by Huck and Brian, adding Osprey, Greater Yellowlegs, and Red-shouldered Hawk to the bird list, plus a ton of leps that I'll post on the lep listserv! :-) Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird List: Location: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) Observation date: 10/15/09 Number of species: 78 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Gadwall 4 Mottled Duck 5 Blue-winged Teal 30 Northern Shoveler 12 Plain Chachalaca 3 Least Grebe 30 Pied-billed Grebe 3 American White Pelican 60 Neotropic Cormorant 8 Anhinga 1 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 3 Little Blue Heron 1 Tricolored Heron 2 Roseate Spoonbill 2 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 American Kestrel 1 Common Moorhen 12 American Coot 70 Killdeer 9 Black-necked Stilt 3 American Avocet 6 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Least Sandpiper 8 Stilt Sandpiper 12 Long-billed Dowitcher 20 Eurasian Collared-Dove 8 White-winged Dove 100 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 3 Red-crowned Parrot 2 Eastern Screech-Owl 3 Common Pauraque 3 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 9 Couch's Kingbird 4 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8 Bank Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 6 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 2 House Wren 5 Marsh Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 9 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Nashville Warbler 1 Magnolia Warbler 1 American Redstart 2 Common Yellowthroat 3 Hooded Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 200 Great-tailed Grackle 50 Bronzed Cowbird 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 House Sparrow 12 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:25:05 EDT Hi, all! Made the rounds at Quinta Mazatlan this morning; highlights include my FOS Ruby-crowned Kinglet, two pairs of American Redstarts (unless the same pair followed me all around the complex), and a nice Magnolia Warbler. My first Ringed Kingfisher for the park rattled off in the distance, and a pair of Red-crowned Parrots posed nicely for John Brush and the folks he was showing around! Over at Hidalgo Pumphouse the main show centered around the leps, with my first "NABA" Hermit Skipper and what I'm thinking is a Titan Sphinx based on what photos I could get. Bird-wise I had my first Black-and-white Warbler for the park over by the deck, and while not new, it was nice to see a couple of Anhingas, a Moorhen, a Great Blue Heron, and hear a Green later. Guess the trail behind the Wall isn't open yet... Pics for the day (all leps this time) are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 10/13/09 Number of species: 37 Plain Chachalaca 20 Killdeer 2 White-winged Dove 12 Inca Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 1 Green Parakeet 3 Red-crowned Parrot 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Great Kiskadee 2 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 2 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 7 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 5 Magnolia Warbler 1 American Redstart 4 Wilson's Warbler 2 Olive Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 4 Blue Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 4 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Great-tailed Grackle 40 Bronzed Cowbird 80 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 20 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 10/13/09 Number of species: 30 Anhinga 2 Great Blue Heron 1 Green Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Common Moorhen 1 Rock Pigeon 9 Mourning Dove 10 Inca Dove 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Black Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 1 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 15 House Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 6 European Starling 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Dickcissel 1 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Great-tailed Grackle 4 Altamira Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La Sal del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 17:39:13 EDT Hi, all! Tim Brush and Javier DeLeon joined me this morning for my route, although we ended up doing it in rather an unorthodox way! :-) We first hiked the trail to the lake from SR 186 in hopes of kicking up some Black-throated Sparrows, but the breeze (which later turned into a pretty stiff wind) kept most of the stuff down (we glimpsed what could have been a Cassin's, but we'll never know...). It was fun seeing gangs of gulls streaming overhead from the lake, as well as Long-billed Curlews! (We were having a little debate as to whether they were Laughing or Franklin's, but they turned out to be the former...) Songbirds were sparse (lots of things were "seep"ing but refused to show themselves), but had a good raptor turnout, including several Caracaras, a Harrier, and a Red-tailed Hawk back at the trailhead. Tim had to get back home, but he stuck with us long enough to bird a bit of Brushline (and for me to show him where I had been having Botteri's Sparrows--my dates on those BTW were 16 JUL 08 and 21 AUG 09). The best shows were the airborne birds, with several Broadies, a Sharpie right overhead, Black and Turkey Vultures, and a "tornado" of about 30 White Pelicans! Shrikes were still quite plentiful along the wires, as well as Scissortails. Tim pointed out a squealing Harris' Hawk as well. After dropping Tim off at his car, Javier and I went straight to Rio Beef (he wanted to "beef up" his Willacy County list... :-P) and stopped at the little marsh where we picked up Least Grebe, Sora, Yellowthroat, and Marsh Wren. Zigzagging up GI Road we had a glimpse of a Krider's Hawk zipping across the road, and on the way out Javier spotted him on a telephone pole (wasn't quick enough with the camera, unfortunately... :-( ). Continuing down GI Road we had lots more Scissortails and Lark Sparrows, plus some Cattle Egrets at the beefyard along with a cloud of Redwings. A lone male Baltimore Oriole was hiding in a roadside bush; I guess they're supposed to be getting pretty scarce by now. We returned up Brushline to check out the farm pond near road's end, which still had the spoonbills from last time, but also more Cattle Egrets, a pod of Least Sandpipers, and a couple of Greater Yellowlegs. Javier spotted some Blue-winged Teal hiding. On the way out a Chuck-will's-widow darted out in front of the car, giving that "all brown falcon" impression! Just for kicks and grins we decided to check out the pond on south Brushline, although it's not part of my "route" (so it didn't get put in the eBird account). It was pretty active, with a Swainson's Hawk, Avocets, dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Snowy Egret, Shovelers, and White-faced Ibis being new for the day list. Pics are posted here (with some mystery moths from the ranch if any of the leppers out there want a challenge...): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 10/8/09 Number of species: 61 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Mottled Duck 2 Blue-winged Teal 5 Northern Bobwhite 1 Least Grebe 2 American White Pelican 30 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Cattle Egret 11 Roseate Spoonbill 2 Black Vulture 8 Turkey Vulture 30 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Harris's Hawk 2 Broad-winged Hawk 40 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk (Krider's) 1 Crested Caracara 8 American Kestrel 9 Sora 1 American Coot 1 Killdeer 3 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Long-billed Curlew 30 Least Sandpiper 14 Laughing Gull 500 Rock Pigeon 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 6 Common Ground-Dove 7 Chuck-will's-widow 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 5 Couch's Kingbird 10 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 20 Loggerhead Shrike 12 Green Jay 4 Barn Swallow 40 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Verdin 2 Cactus Wren 4 House Wren 7 Marsh Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Olive Sparrow 3 Lark Sparrow 20 Northern Cardinal 2 Pyrrhuloxia 3 Dickcissel 1 Red-winged Blackbird 200 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Baltimore Oriole 1 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Santa Ana NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 18:00:39 EDT Hi, all! Made the rounds around the refuge this morning, deciding to go "backwards" on the recommendation of a couple of friends, and that worked out well (getting through the Pintail Lakes area before it got sweltering...)! Nothing earth-shattering; had a kingfisher sweep and flushed a nice adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron at the southeast lake, and Anhingas were out the yin yang! Had a very cooperative Great Crested Flycatcher near the River; other migrants included Nashville, Yellow, and Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chat, and my first Summer Tanager for the refuge. Also had my first Myrtle Warbler of the season along the River. Interesting non-birds included a rather orangeish Lyside Sulphur, a very striking Cellar Melipotes, an American Rubyspot, and a female bluet (or other damsel) for those who care to take a crack at it... Several things seeped and chucked that never came out and therefore have inspired me to study the warbler calls a little better... :-P Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059) Observation date: 10/6/09 Number of species: 70 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 40 Mottled Duck 5 Blue-winged Teal 30 Northern Shoveler 6 Northern Pintail 3 Plain Chachalaca 6 Least Grebe 12 Pied-billed Grebe 6 Neotropic Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Anhinga 10 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 2 Little Blue Heron 2 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 American Kestrel 1 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 12 American Coot 30 Killdeer 10 Black-necked Stilt 1 White-winged Dove 50 Mourning Dove 4 Inca Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 9 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6 Least Flycatcher 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 3 Great Kiskadee 12 Couch's Kingbird 15 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 8 Green Jay 10 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 12 Bank Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 100 Black-crested Titmouse 6 Carolina Wren 7 House Wren 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 6 European Starling 20 Nashville Warbler 4 Yellow Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 4 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Summer Tanager 1 Olive Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 6 Indigo Bunting 4 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 200 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Altamira Oriole 2 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Kentucky Warbler @ Frontera From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 16:13:30 EDT Hi, all! I put that in the subject line as eBird flagged it; I was able to get a mediocre but identifiable photo which is in the "Friday's Pics" gallery (below). My sense of direction gets all turned around in there, but it was along the trail that runs alongside the cemetery but "this" side of where another trail heads left off to the feeding station area. It was a great migrant morning there, with other highlights including a female Summer Tanager, a brightly peeping Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (who finally showed himself), and several other warblers including a brilliant male Hooded and a female Redstart. A Yellow-throated Warbler was working the palms, and an Ovenbird bopped along the trail and flew just before Gloria got to see it! :-( After chatting with her I continued on, flushing a Chuck-will's-widow! My first Anhinga for the preserve was croaking from the pond, as well as a clucking Green Heron. Heard a Clay-colored Thrush give its querulous call early on, and Red-crowned Parrots flew over a couple of times. The local Gray Hawk was pitifully whining, while a pair of Redshoulders yelled more emphatically. One Archilochus hummingbird looked sufficiently long-billed and club-winged to make me feel comfortable calling it a Blackchin (along with a paleish crown and wings that were pretty even with the tail tip). Afterwards got to meet Cindy, the new director! A quick visit to Valley Nature Center added Eastern Wood Pewee to the migrant list; they also had an Ovenbird hanging around the drip. Titmice were also very cooperative at that particular feeder, but too quick for my camera for the most part... :-P Raul was having fun showing all the school kids around! :-) Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Two bird lists follow: Location: Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058) Observation date: 10/2/09 Notes: Photo of Kentucky Warbler available if needed. Number of species: 54 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 15 Plain Chachalaca 15 Anhinga 1 Green Heron 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Gray Hawk 1 Killdeer 1 Least Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 15 White-winged Dove 20 Inca Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 6 Red-crowned Parrot 3 Chuck-will's-widow 1 Chimney Swift 9 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 12 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 10 Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 Least Flycatcher 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 8 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 6 Green Jay 2 Barn Swallow 5 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 8 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 Yellow Warbler 4 Yellow-throated Warbler 1 American Redstart 1 Ovenbird 1 Kentucky Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Hooded Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 3 Summer Tanager 2 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Blue Grosbeak 2 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 10 Great-tailed Grackle 4 Lesser Goldfinch 5 Location: Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057) Observation date: 10/2/09 Number of species: 26 Plain Chachalaca 10 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 20 Inca Dove 6 White-tipped Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 9 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 6 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 3 Green Jay 1 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 10 Long-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 1 Yellow Warbler 1 Ovenbird 1 Wilson's Warbler 3 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 50 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Pics from Monte Cristo & Edinburg From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:25:25 EDT Hi, all! PBase is back up, so here are the pictures from last Thursday (even though the gallery says Monday...). Highlights included Wood Storks and "Gramps" Cormorant at Edinburg! _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/gallery/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/gallery/new_pics_mon) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:23:54 EDT Hi, all! Managed to avoid the rain this morning and had a delightful time birding Wallace Road (the Monte Cristo Tract) and Edinburg Wetlands! Dickcissels were still moving through in good numbers, and at the tract kiosk the Yellow Warblers were out the yin yang along with a Wilson's. Had a good variety of raptors including Swainson's, Red-shouldered, White-tailed (both hawk and kite), Kestrel, Harris', Caracaras, and a couple of smallish raptors that got away before I could ID them. The water level at the wetland was lower than I've ever seen it, but it still had a good variety of things, highlights including two Wood Storks and a Pectoral Sandpiper. The number of Barn Swallows was incredible, but there were a few other species represented as well. Out in the fields had a flyover Black-bellied Plover and a couple of Horned Larks, as well as good numbers of Lark Sparrows. Other interesting dickies included a couple of Anis, a Warbling Vireo, a Great Crested Flycatcher giving its emphatic "Wheek!" and a group of Blue Grosbeaks towards the north end of the road. Edinburg's south pond was hopping with stuff: besides the hordes of Neotropic Cormorants and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, highlights included another pair of Wood Storks (including one juvenile), a Solitary Sandpiper, several Stilt Sandpipers, a White-faced Ibis, another goofy-looking young Green Heron, and more migrants including a Chat, Eastern Kingbird, and gobs of Yellow Warblers. If anyone had to see a Buff-bellied Hummer or they were gonna die, I'd send them to the butterfly garden: they were all over the place along with tons of Ruby-throated Hummers (at least those I could positively ID)! A family of Kiskadees hung out at the Dragonfly Pond along with a Northern Waterthrush, and another family (or maybe just a pre-migration group) of Couch's Kingbirds gathered along the walkway as well. The north pond had a calling Ringed Kingfisher and several Black-crowned Night Herons in addition to the usual stuff (swallows were all over here as well). Along the canal I flushed an Osprey (had presumably the same individual soaring around on the way in), and had a cooperative White-eyed Vireo, several Baltimore Orioles, and "Gramps" Cormorant, with so much white on his neck he looked like a Great Cormorant! :-) No leps, of course, but then again days like today are why I never gave up birding! :-) PBase is down, so no pics posted today; if you can't stand it and simply must see them, let me know and I'll e-mail them to you! (Otherwise I'll get them up as soon as PBase is up and running...) Two bird lists follow: Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 9/24/09 Number of species: 67 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Mottled Duck 12 Blue-winged Teal 8 Northern Bobwhite 2 Least Grebe 12 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Neotropic Cormorant 15 Great Blue Heron 6 Great Egret 15 Snowy Egret 20 Wood Stork 2 Turkey Vulture 1 White-tailed Kite 4 Harris's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Swainson's Hawk 2 White-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 4 American Kestrel 1 Common Moorhen 1 American Coot 7 Black-bellied Plover 1 Killdeer 4 Black-necked Stilt 10 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Western Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 7 Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Long-billed Dowitcher 2 White-winged Dove 2 Mourning Dove 15 Common Ground-Dove 6 White-tipped Dove 1 Groove-billed Ani 2 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Least Flycatcher 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 9 Couch's Kingbird 5 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Warbling Vireo 1 Green Jay 4 Horned Lark 2 Bank Swallow 1 Cliff Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 100 Verdin 1 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 4 Yellow Warbler 10 Common Yellowthroat 5 Wilson's Warbler 2 Olive Sparrow 6 Lark Sparrow 20 Northern Cardinal 4 Blue Grosbeak 4 Dickcissel 15 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Great-tailed Grackle 200 Baltimore Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 6 Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC 061) Observation date: 9/24/09 Number of species: 61 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 100 (at least) Mottled Duck 2 Blue-winged Teal 30 Northern Shoveler 7 Least Grebe 6 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Neotropic Cormorant 100 (at least) Anhinga 2 Great Blue Heron 7 Great Egret 20 Snowy Egret 30 Little Blue Heron 3 Tricolored Heron 3 Green Heron 2 Black-crowned Night-Heron 8 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 White-faced Ibis 1 Wood Stork 2 Osprey 1 Harris's Hawk 1 Common Moorhen 3 American Coot 12 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 15 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Least Sandpiper 5 Stilt Sandpiper 12 Long-billed Dowitcher 6 Laughing Gull 12 Caspian Tern 2 Rock Pigeon 3 White-winged Dove 5 Mourning Dove 4 Inca Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 10 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 12 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Least Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 6 Couch's Kingbird 10 Eastern Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 2 Bank Swallow 1 Cliff Swallow 4 Cave Swallow 10 Barn Swallow 50 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 8 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 Yellow Warbler 12 Northern Waterthrush 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Great-tailed Grackle 7 Baltimore Oriole 5 Lesser Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La sal del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:05:46 EDT Hi, all! Was treated to an absolutely gorgeous sunrise on the way to the La Sal Tracts this morning, and wound up with 60 species for the route. Shrikes and Cactus Wrens were in higher numbers than I've ever had them (probably all the young 'uns) but migrants seemed scant; just had a single Yellow and Wilson's Warbler, and a couple of Baltimore Orioles. The highlight was a tinkling Black-throated Sparrow on the hiking trail heading north from SR 186, along with a young Cassin's Sparrow trying to learn its song! :-) Saw absolutely nothing at the lake, but I didn't go walking down to the water's edge, either--it was WAAAY out there (and it was sweltering to boot)! There were only two wet spots along the route: one was the farm pond near the end of Brushline on the east side that usually has SOME water in it, and today it had several egrets as well as three spoonbills and several shorebirds! The marsh near the south end of Rio Beef Road had water this time, along with Least Grebes and Soras. Retreating from north Brushline, I spooked a Barn Owl while stopped to check out a raptor (TV), and a hovering/soaring buteo near the west end of GI Road turned out to be a Krider's Redtail. Pics (what there are) are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 9/22/09 Number of species: 59 Blue-winged Teal 3 Wild Turkey 1 Northern Bobwhite 12 Least Grebe 2 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 1 Cattle Egret 15 Roseate Spoonbill 3 Turkey Vulture 15 Harris's Hawk 2 White-tailed Hawk 3 Red-tailed Hawk (Krider's) 1 Crested Caracara 5 American Kestrel 1 Sora 2 American Coot 1 Killdeer 4 Black-necked Stilt 1 American Avocet 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Western Sandpiper 12 Least Sandpiper 5 Stilt Sandpiper 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Mourning Dove 100 Inca Dove 4 Common Ground-Dove 15 Greater Roadrunner 1 Barn Owl 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 12 Great Kiskadee 12 Couch's Kingbird 15 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 15 Loggerhead Shrike 15 White-eyed Vireo 7 Green Jay 10 Bank Swallow 3 Cave Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 80 Verdin 10 Cactus Wren 10 Bewick's Wren 10 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Northern Mockingbird 30 Long-billed Thrasher 6 Curve-billed Thrasher 10 Yellow Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 3 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 20 Black-throated Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 12 Pyrrhuloxia 8 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Baltimore Oriole 3 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Cameron Co. (long) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:31:58 EDT Hi, all! Did kind of a "Big Day" in Cameron County on Friday, meeting Katherine at Resaca de las Palmas predawn first thing. The first puzzle was a prairie dog-like bark that I've always associated with Elf Owls, but every time we heard it we also heard Screech Owls trilling in the immediate vicinity, so we're wondering if those were actually young Screeches (and I couldn't find any sound samples on Xeno-Canto). Pauraques were the only other night birds we picked up, and Katherine pretty much hit on the highlights in her post! On the way out I did pick up a Summer Tanager "peek-ka-choo"ing in the parking area. A quick stop at the Fisheries added a few freshwater marsh species, but unique for the day were a Pied-billed Grebe and a pair of Mississippi Kites flying over. We had gotten Red-shouldered Hawk at Resaca, but a couple were yelling at each other at the Fisheries as well! Headed down Boca Chica Boulevard after that, highlights including a Green Heron having a Bad Hair Day on the telephone wires, a young Gray Hawk, a calling Alder Flycatcher, and a Snowy Plover in the flats. On the beach picked up Sanderling and Piping Plover for the day. Swung by the dump and was heading into the "wetlands" when a sheriff's deputy very nicely told me that no one was supposed to go back there (which was news to me as I had birded that area several times over the last year and a half), so I got in line and for the first time actually went IN the dump! Finally was able to get some decent Chihuahuan Raven shots (complete with white neck), but that was definitely a "been there done that" experience... Headed up to SPI after that, where the trees at the Convention Center were just dripping with Wilson's Warblers! Several Yellows were also around, as well as a young Mourning (had a pretty strong eyering), a Black-and-white, a Chat, and several flycatchers; had a definite Least, but some others I wasn't sure about, including a Myiarchus I thought was a Great Crested at first, but the bill didn't show a pale base: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557435_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557435) Another highlight was a Bell's Vireo that allowed a brief view, and also what was probably a Warbling Vireo, but some aspects looked more like a Philly to me, including darker lores and wingtips, yellowish (although not much) on the throat and under the "wingpits". Any thoughts? _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557607_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557607) ...and then hit "next" for the rest. An immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron out on the boardwalk was very cooperative, but other than that it was the usual fare. A few female Pintail were back. Made a quick stop at Sheephead and had what looked like what might have been a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; what do you think? _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557647_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557647) ...then hit "next" for the rest. Headed over to the Port Isabel Reservoir where several peeps fed close to the berm; the bill structure looked more Western to me (plus I found out later that Semipals aren't really supposed to get their "winter digs" until next month), but they were definitely TALKING like Semipals, with that warbly little twitter that is supposed to be diagnostic; here's the first of that series, and then you can "next" through them: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557691_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557691) Shovelers were back here in numbers as well. The last stop of the day was Laguna Atascosa, where highlights included a female American Redstart showing off at the headquarters, along with a male Blue Metalmark! Had a few new odes along the Bayside Loop that I hope I ID'd right, plus another cooperative flock of Yellow Warblers. A delightful little moth was in the ladies' room, but I couldn't find a match for it... All the pics are posted here (along with some shots from Texan Guest Ranch at the beginning): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 9-19-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 9-18-09 to 9-19-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Green Heron Butorides virescens Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Gray Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Piping Plover Charadrius melodus Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Sanderling Calidris alba Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Least Tern Sternula antillarum Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Bank Swallow Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius 130 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Lark Bunting @ Falcon SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:32:58 EDT Hi, all! Had a female Lark Bunting in the westernmost picnic area at Falcon State Park this morning: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117322374_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117322374) ...then click "next" for the next shot. Apparently she's a tad early, as John's excellent checklist has them showing up about a month from now! Other highlights include a cooperative Roadrunner along the entrance road, a family of Cactus Wrens, and a flock of 70 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in a "V" over the lake. A smaller flock of cormorants "V"-ing overhead looked rather short-tailed to me, so I logged them as arriving Double-cresteds. As requested I checked out the butterfly garden as well, and while lots of stuff was in bloom, leps were sparse: had one Vesta Crescent, one Lyside Sulphur, one Pipevine Swallowtail, one Monarch, and a gazillion Ceraunus Blues! :-) Headed over to Chapeno which was pretty quiet bird-wise but had several odes (those who know them better than I do can tell me if I guessed right...). Salieno was a little more active with both Ringed and Green Kingfisher (had a Belted at Falcon for a kingfisher sweep), an Ani, a couple of Gray Hawks calling, and an osprey sailing upriver. A Red-shouldered Hawk flew across the road in town. No other specialties, however... All the pics (plus a few from the Texan Guest Ranch) are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Falcon SP (Starr Co.)(LTC 084) Observation date: 9/15/09 Notes: The Lark Bunting was a female and gave its diagnostic mellow whistle. Number of species: 52 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 70 Northern Bobwhite 13 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 4 Double-crested Cormorant 40 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 9 Cattle Egret 7 Turkey Vulture 5 Osprey 1 Harris's Hawk 3 Crested Caracara 4 Killdeer 8 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Least Sandpiper 1 Laughing Gull 2 White-winged Dove 8 Mourning Dove 4 Common Ground-Dove 1 Greater Roadrunner 2 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 7 Ash-throated Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 7 Couch's Kingbird 4 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 2 Barn Swallow 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Verdin 4 Cactus Wren 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Northern Mockingbird 12 Curve-billed Thrasher 6 Yellow Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 15 Black-throated Sparrow 6 Lark Bunting 1 Northern Cardinal 9 Pyrrhuloxia 4 Dickcissel 6 Red-winged Blackbird 12 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Orchard Oriole 1 Bullock's Oriole 2 Baltimore Oriole 7 House Sparrow 3 Location: River Roads Driving Route Observation date: 9/15/09 Number of species: 39 Plain Chachalaca 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 3 Turkey Vulture 15 Osprey 3 Harris's Hawk 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 2 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 4 Common Ground-Dove 1 Greater Roadrunner 1 Groove-billed Ani 1 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 5 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Cave Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Verdin 3 Cactus Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Olive Sparrow 1 Black-throated Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Great-tailed Grackle 3 Hooded Oriole 1 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Hook-billed Kite near Bentsen From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 16:02:32 EDT Hi, all! After spending about four hours at Bentsen State Park, I decided to explore some of the surrounding roads, and about 0.8 m west on Old Military Highway (west from Bentsen Palm Drive, that is) a female Hook-billed Kite flew across the road! That was definitely the best bird of the day! Had a nice selection of birds in the park, although nothing out of the ordinary. I was afraid I was gonna actually dip on White-tipped Dove until a pair "sang" near the Kiskadee Trail! Other highlights included a pair of Green Kingfishers at Kingfisher Overlook, many Baltimore Orioles (missed a cracking shot of a male because I had forgotten to turn the stupid camera on :-P), several Anis, a flock of about a dozen Eastern Kingbirds going overhead, and my FOS Black-throated Green Warbler. Several warblers were moving through, actually, but none others except a Yellow stopped to let me get a look. El Morrio Banco was dry (evidently they're cleaning out some invasive vegetation), so there weren't many water birds this trip except for what flew over. Back at the VC, it was kinda fun to pick out Dickcissels from the hordes of House Sparrows taking a dip in the little dragonfly pond! On the way out I had a white skipper that was so beat up that I had no clue what it was... Pics are posted here (the first few are from Texan Guest Ranch): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC 069) Observation date: 9/8/09 Notes: The Hook-billed Kite was seen just north of the park along westbound Old Military Highway. Number of species: 54 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 8 Plain Chachalaca 8 Neotropic Cormorant 11 Anhinga 1 Snowy Egret 3 White-faced Ibis 3 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 1 Hook-billed Kite 1 Gray Hawk 3 Killdeer 4 Upland Sandpiper 1 White-winged Dove 50 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 4 Common Ground-Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 2 Greater Roadrunner 2 Groove-billed Ani 8 Common Nighthawk 1 Common Pauraque 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 15 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 12 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 3 Great Kiskadee 20 Couch's Kingbird 5 Eastern Kingbird 12 White-eyed Vireo 3 Green Jay 15 Bank Swallow 1 Cliff Swallow 2 Cave Swallow 10 Barn Swallow 20 Verdin 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 12 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 6 Yellow Warbler 2 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 6 Northern Cardinal 6 Dickcissel 20 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Great-tailed Grackle 12 Orchard Oriole 8 Altamira Oriole 2 Baltimore Oriole 15 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 30 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Santa Ana NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 16:51:03 EDT Hi, all! Made the rounds at the refuge this morning, adding a lot of migrants to my personal Santa Ana list, starting with a singing Olive-sided Flycatcher on the Willow Trail. Hit the nightjar jackpot by flushing two separate Chucks, a Pauraque, and a Whippoorwill, only the second I've ever seen in my life! (Thankfully this one landed again after I flushed it, but not long enough for a picture, unfortunately: it was noticeably smaller than the Chucks, about nighthawk size, and much grayer, with those obvious scapular bars...) This latter bird was along the Pintail Lake Trail just before it starts paralleling the Rio Grande. Willow Lakes had nothing out of the ordinary, but along the swampy area heading towards the old headquarters area on Willow Trail, had two Northern Waterthrushes, also new for my list. Was surprised to see another canopy tower AND walk up, so just to check it out I dragged myself up there and met fellow birder/photographer/artist Dora holed up in a corner waiting for birds to land in this berry-laden tree right next to us! Orioles had been coming through (picked up both Baltimore and Orchard there), but the only visitors while I was there was a family of Chachalacas. Tripped over to the other tower and down (warning: don't attempt those stairs if you're the least bit acrophobic...) and continued on to the River, picking up a couple of Beardless Tyrannulets, Ringed Kingfisher, and Clay-colored Thrush in addition to the aforementioned Whip. Didn't see the Masked Duck at Pintail Lakes (although I glimpsed a couple of humans trying for it), but did pick up Green Kingfisher, several female-type Painted Buntings, and a Mourning Warbler along a little swampy area along the south side of one of the lakes. Chats were going through in good numbers (learned their deep "chuck" call note), and saw (and heard) a handful of Alder Flycatchers, their "pit" having a much different timbre than the "whit" of the Least Flycatchers I had been hearing a lot of. An Eastern Kingbird was along this stretch as well, along with three Anhingas soaring around like long-necked raptors! The main lake had a family of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, a pair of Mottleds, several swallows, and a Sora making its upward call, but that was about it. Had a small feeding flock along "Ani Row" (the section of Pintail Lakes Trail that continues north after the cutoff goes west) consisting of mostly Yellow Warblers but also a Wilson's. A Tropical Kingbird gave its rising twitter in the open area here, and a Gray Hawk called in distance. On my way back to the VC the Red-shouldered Hawk got in his two cents at the last minute. No pictures worth posting except a nice female Yellow Warbler; anyone wanting to see it that badly can e-mail me and I'll send it to them! :-) Oh, and for Tim: the Lesser Goldfinches were NOT singing! ;-) Bird List: Location: Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059) Observation date: 9/4/09 Number of species: 77 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 12 Mottled Duck 3 Blue-winged Teal 40 Plain Chachalaca 8 Least Grebe 15 Pied-billed Grebe 7 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Anhinga 3 Great Egret 2 Little Blue Heron 2 Green Heron 1 White Ibis 5 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 1 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 6 American Coot 30 Killdeer 5 Black-necked Stilt 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 4 Upland Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 2 White-winged Dove 100 Mourning Dove 12 Inca Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 7 Groove-billed Ani 4 Common Pauraque 1 Chuck-will's-widow 2 Whip-poor-will 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 12 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 2 Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 3 Alder Flycatcher 3 Least Flycatcher 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 5 Great Kiskadee 15 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 12 Eastern Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 8 Green Jay 6 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3 Bank Swallow 2 Cave Swallow 20 Barn Swallow 7 Black-crested Titmouse 7 Carolina Wren 15 Bewick's Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 Long-billed Thrasher 7 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Yellow Warbler 9 Northern Waterthrush 2 Mourning Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 8 Olive Sparrow 20 Northern Cardinal 5 Painted Bunting 3 Dickcissel 3 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Orchard Oriole 4 Altamira Oriole 4 Baltimore Oriole 8 Lesser Goldfinch 5 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Edinburg Wetland Images From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 17:59:49 EDT Hi, all! Sorry about the cross-posting, but while meandering around Edinburg Scenic Wetlands today I had an ode that just wouldn't stay still, and when it DID finally land it was belly to me! My best guess is either Tawny Pennant or female Black Setwing; the overall look of the bug in flight was that having a darker thorax and a thin, paler abdomen. The shot I got is in the gallery below. Nothing out of the ordinary; just had some very cooperative Buff-bellied Hummers and Black-bellied Whistling Duck families, in addition to some common leps and odes. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Weslaco From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 17:11:01 EDT Hi, all! Birded Frontera Audubon and Valley Nature Center this morning; highlights at Frontera include a beautiful male Canada Warbler (the bird in the gallery was taken at Texan Guest Ranch), Clay-colored Thrush, and a Bell's Vireo in the citrus grove. There was quite the gathering of Snowy Egrets in the back pond, and a cackling Least Bittern was the first one for me for the preserve. A Belted Kingfisher announced his return, and had both Green Parakeets and Red-crowned Parrots fly over. Anis were in the parking area, as well as a flyover Upland Sandpiper, and had a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers showing off near the resaca. Other migrants included a couple of Eastern Kingbirds, a flyover Dickcissel (new for my list), and a dull bunting that I just couldn't get any color out of (the lighting was terrible), but given that it looked plain-breasted and that Indigos aren't supposed to be showing up just yet, I'm assuming Painted at this point. At Valley Nature Center, had a White-eyed Vireo in heavy molt that looked like one of those exotic pygmy tyrants! :-) Picked up a curious Yellow-breasted Chat, and after reviewing empid calls, I finally had something I felt comfortable calling an Alder (a Least was around as well). What I thought was a distant gnatcatcher at first turned out to be a full-grown "baby" Brown-headed Cowbird still being fed by a Lesser Goldfinch! Had Mourning Warblers at both spots, and hummingbirds were out the yin yang at both places as well! What few pics I have are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Two bird lists follow: Location: Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058) Observation date: 9/3/09 Number of species: 59 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 10 Plain Chachalaca 8 Least Grebe 1 Least Bittern 1 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 12 Green Heron 1 Common Moorhen 1 Killdeer 1 Upland Sandpiper 1 White-winged Dove 100 Mourning Dove 1 Inca Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 8 Green Parakeet 3 Red-crowned Parrot 2 Groove-billed Ani 3 Common Nighthawk 1 Chimney Swift 10 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 10 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 4 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 3 Great Kiskadee 6 Couch's Kingbird 1 Eastern Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 3 Bell's Vireo 1 Green Jay 1 Purple Martin 1 Cliff Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 4 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 10 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 Long-billed Thrasher 6 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Mourning Warbler 2 Canada Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 3 Painted Bunting 1 Dickcissel 1 Great-tailed Grackle 3 Orchard Oriole 2 Hooded Oriole 1 Altamira Oriole 2 Baltimore Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 7 Location: Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057) Observation date: 9/3/09 Number of species: 26 Plain Chachalaca 15 Killdeer 1 White-winged Dove 30 Inca Dove 10 White-tipped Dove 7 Chimney Swift 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 8 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Alder Flycatcher 1 Least Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 4 White-eyed Vireo 3 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 4 Northern Mockingbird 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 9 Mourning Warbler 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Orchard Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 12 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Hot Afternoon @ Edinburg From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:53:57 EDT Hi, all! Had my first Baltimore Oriole of the season at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands this afternoon, plus sparring Buff-bellied and Ruby-throated Hummers (of the ones I could get a good look at), all with their mouths wide open (they were smarter than I was...)! Had some nice odes, too; my "mystery ode" is probably just another female Roseate Skimmer, but the markings on the thorax didn't look very strong. Pics for the afternoon are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) (The Yellow-breasted Chat was shot in my "yard"...) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Anzalduas & NABA From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:31:30 EDT Hi, all! Birded along Old Military Highway this morning before birding Anzalduas; highlights along this road include an empid that I think is a Least due to the strong eyering and dark bill, but the tertial edges aren't very bold; would appreciate opinions (the first few empids in the gallery were taken at Texan Guest Ranch; I think it's a Least, too). Heard several Upland Sandpipers along the course of the road. At Anzalduas had the requisite Beardless Tyrannulet and Black Phoebe, plus both stilts and avocets in the River which were new for my list there. Also new were three Roseate Spoonbills flying over! The swallows were making it easy by lining the wires; most were cutie-pie Caves but also had a few Barn, Bank, and Roughwings thrown in (there were probably more Cliffs than the one I noticed). To those who know better than me: do we get many dark-throated Caves in the Valley? The reason I ask is because some of these Petrochelidon swallows I see don't seem so cut and dried! In the back area picked up more deep woodland things like Olive Sparrows, Anis, and a couple of White-eyed Vireos, but the highlight was a Yellow-breasted Chat! The river didn't have much except a couple of Spotted Sandpipers. Spooked the Gray Hawk coming out, and both flavors of vultures were starting to gather and kettle on the way out. Went back to the NABA Garden and watched the feeders for five, adding Orchard and Altamira Orioles to the list and enjoying Ruby-throated Hummers battle for feeder rights, as well as a really beat-up Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Flushed a covey of Bobwhite near the levee fence, and a young Blue Grosbeak was along the Walking Trail, as well as a nice Yellow Warbler. Nothing out of the ordinary in the lep department, but had a Common Mellana along the Walking Trail and pretty Bordered Patches here and there, as well as a cooperative Gulf Fritilary at the Visitor's Center. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Two bird lists follow: Location: NABA International Butterfly Park Observation date: 8/27/09 Notes: This includes a 3.2 mile stretch of Old Military Highway. Number of species: 40 Plain Chachalaca 1 Northern Bobwhite 12 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Killdeer 3 Upland Sandpiper 5 White-winged Dove 4 Mourning Dove 15 Inca Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 9 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6 Alder Flycatcher 1 Least Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 10 Couch's Kingbird 8 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 3 Bank Swallow 4 Cliff Swallow 5 Cave Swallow 4 Barn Swallow 10 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Northern Mockingbird 6 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Yellow Warbler 3 Olive Sparrow 7 Northern Cardinal 4 Blue Grosbeak 2 Dickcissel 3 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Bronzed Cowbird 20 Orchard Oriole 2 Altamira Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 15 Location: Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068) Observation date: 8/27/09 Number of species: 55 Plain Chachalaca 2 Least Grebe 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 2 Roseate Spoonbill 3 Black Vulture 9 Turkey Vulture 30 Gray Hawk 1 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 5 American Avocet 2 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Upland Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 2 Laughing Gull 2 Rock Pigeon 20 White-winged Dove 6 Mourning Dove 4 Inca Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 1 Groove-billed Ani 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 2 Black Phoebe 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 10 Couch's Kingbird 12 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 6 Bank Swallow 4 Cliff Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 100 Barn Swallow 12 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Verdin 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 15 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 5 Yellow Warbler 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Dickcissel 1 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Bronzed Cowbird 3 Orchard Oriole 1 Bullock's Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Odd Pluvialis and Other Goodies near SPI From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:49:38 EDT Hi, all! Had a nice morning along Old Port Isabel Road (still in good shape) and South Padre Island yesterday, and also checked out the Port Isabel "reservoir" (hardly any water, but great for shorebirds--thanks, Rex!). While there I had an odd-looking Pluvialis plover still in alternate plumage; the bulk and white undertail coverts sure reminded me of Black-bellied, but the cap and the rest of the head pattern looked way too dark to me for BB. The pics aren't the greatest, but feedback would be appreciated (click on the link below and then just scroll forward for the rest): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541182_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541182) While at South Padre (I was VERY happy to see that the full boardwalk loop is now open) I had a peep with a much bigger Sanderling that I first wrote off as a Western due to the longer, droopy bill, but as I look at the pictures and read the literature, I'm wondering now if it's actually a female Semipal; the "jizz" just didn't look right for Western to me, plus it appeared to have a stronger face pattern. Again, here's the first shot, and you can just scroll forward (there are a few individual Sanderlings in the stream, too): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541164_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541164) Just before those peep shots is a bird that took me totally by surprise: I kept hearing an unfamiliar call note, and just shot the little LBJ that popped up and fled, not really knowing what it was until I started processing the pictures, and it looks to be a juvenile Seaside Sparrow (until told otherwise)! That was a nice addition! Other highlights of the morning include several Botteri's Sparrows still singing along Old Port Isabel Road, tons of Piping Plovers out on the beach behind the Convention Center, and a point blank Wilson's Plover along the boardwalk! The full gallery is posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Three bird lists follow: Location: Old Port Isabel Rd (Cameron Co.) Observation date: 8/25/09 Number of species: 30 (The little pond near the south end was totally dry.) Northern Bobwhite 4 Harris's Hawk 2 White-tailed Hawk 4 Crested Caracara 1 Black-bellied Plover 7 Killdeer 3 Black-necked Stilt 1 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Long-billed Curlew 10 Laughing Gull 4 Forster's Tern 1 Rock Pigeon 3 Mourning Dove 3 Common Ground-Dove 2 Common Nighthawk 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 2 Tropical Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Barn Swallow 12 Verdin 1 Cactus Wren 8 Bewick's Wren 5 Northern Mockingbird 5 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 Olive Sparrow 4 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Botteri's Sparrow 7 Eastern Meadowlark 6 Location: South Padre I.- WBC/Conv Ctr./Laguna Madre Trail (LTC 035) Observation date: 8/25/09 Number of species: 53 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Mallard (Domestic type) 1 Mottled Duck 8 Brown Pelican 12 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 6 Great Egret 6 Snowy Egret 12 Little Blue Heron 4 Tricolored Heron 15 Reddish Egret 3 Cattle Egret 1 Green Heron 4 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 3 White Ibis 12 Roseate Spoonbill 12 Osprey 1 Common Moorhen 12 Snowy Plover 1 Wilson's Plover 2 Semipalmated Plover 12 Piping Plover 15 Killdeer 6 Black-necked Stilt 8 Spotted Sandpiper 5 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Willet 15 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Marbled Godwit 2 Ruddy Turnstone 12 Sanderling 20 Semipalmated Sandpiper 4 Western Sandpiper 20 Least Sandpiper 15 Short-billed Dowitcher 12 Laughing Gull 50 Least Tern 7 Gull-billed Tern 1 Black Tern 30 Royal Tern 12 Sandwich Tern 3 Common Nighthawk 5 Eastern Kingbird 3 Barn Swallow 6 Northern Mockingbird 4 Yellow Warbler 5 Seaside Sparrow 1 Dickcissel 2 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Orchard Oriole 2 Location: Port Isabel Reservoir Observation date: 8/25/09 Number of species: 15 Reddish Egret 1 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Black-bellied Plover 15 Possible American Golden Plover 1 Snowy Plover 4 Semipalmated Plover 1 Piping Plover 1 Black-necked Stilt 15 Long-billed Curlew 1 Sanderling 10 Semipalmated Sandpiper 2 Western Sandpiper 20 Wilson's Phalarope 1 Laughing Gull 50 Black Skimmer 2 Mourning Dove 2 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Estero Llano Grande Pics From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:24:32 EDT Nothing earth-shattering, but a young White-faced Ibis provided some good photo ops, along with some common leps (Ranger John and I couldn't relocated the Falcate Metalmark). _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: La Sal del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:14:59 EDT Hi, all! Got there pre-dawn yesterday, although I’m still out to lunch regarding nighthawk flight levels: from what I could tell, all the nighthawks I was seeing were Common (and that’s what was calling), but they were all low-flying! (I did have a single nighthawk later that I felt comfortable calling Lesser...) The big shock throughout the entire drive was the lack of blackbirds; I didn’t see any until I was driving back to Brushline along SR 108, and even then it was just a handful of grackles! But probably the biggest surprise were three (unless the same bird followed me for a mile and a half) Beardless Tyrannulets! That certainly was a first way up there! Other than that it was pretty much the usual; had some nice raptors including a very cooperative young White-tailed Hawk, a couple of Redtails, and a couple of Harris’, along with the usual Caracaras. I was pleasantly surprised to pick up the Botteri’s Sparrow at that one corner where I had them once before (he was doing a partial song), and I was very gratified when an Alder Flycatcher made his ID easy by singing a little "fee-BE-oh!" for me! In the yard of the house at the end of the first little dead end was a covey of Bobwhite, which was neat because you rarely actually SEE them along this stretch! The western wetland along “Ranch Road” was completely dry, and the little farm pond along the eastern side was almost so, but had a few representative herons, a Stilt, and a few peeps; pulling out the scope I could definitely make out Least, and the slightly bigger, whiter ones looked dinky-billed enough (along with that little warbly call note) that I felt comfortable calling them Semipals. The sun was just right, however, for shooting some curious Olive Sparrows, titmice, and gnatcatchers! Another first for the route was Purple Martin—in spades! Upland Sandpipers called periodically overhead, as did a couple of Long-billed Curlews, and I was shocked that I hadn't had them on that route before now! There was no water whatsoever along GI Road (and no blackbirds, either; the only icterids around were Orchard Orioles and a couple of meadowlarks), and the marsh along Rio Beef Road was dry as well (it was from this point north a mile and a half that I had the tyrannulets), but there was just enough water on the western side to pick up a Spotted Sandpiper. On the way out I decided to finally check out the south stretch of Brushline Road, and found that pond everyone’s raving about—wow! That’s where I hit the jackpot, with Stilts, Avocets, Stilt Sandpipers, Wilson’s Phalaropes, Long-billed Dowitchers, more peeps (mostly Least and Western this time but an analysis of the photos did turn up one Semipal), Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, a handful of Least Grebes, and a single Pectoral Sand! In a little puddle across the street were both ibis and both yellowlegs for good comparison, and somewhere unseen a Fulvous Whistling Duck was wheezing. I’m sorry I didn’ t check this out earlier, as it would have made a great part of the La Sal del Rey Easy Birder Route! I have having problems with eBird yesterday, so here's the BirdBase list: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 8-21-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 8-21-09 to 8-21-09 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Purple Martin Progne subis Bank Swallow Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Botteri's Sparrow Aimophila botterii Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Dickcissel Spiza americana Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius 79 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX www.miriameaglemon.com Subject: La Sal del Rey Take Two From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:15:55 EDT Forgot to include the link to the pics: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Laguna Atascosa NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:41:46 EDT Hi, all! Went to Laguna Atascosa this morning; highlights include a couple of singing Botteri's Sparrows about a half mile past The Sign on General Brant Road, hordes of Purple Martins and Cave Swallows, and three Ospreys that got flagged by eBird! ;-) Other raptors included point-blank looks at a Harris's Hawk and a nice immature White-tailed, as well as White-tailed Kites. A family of Groove-billed Anis was along Buena Vista Road. Had the usual suspects along Laguna Madre (the seasonal wetlands were dry); the highlight for me along here was a calling Clapper Rail in the vegetation off-shore. Had a couple of Wilson's Plovers as well as other shorebirds and herons. Jip started acting up so I had to cut the drive short; back at the Visitor's Center the yungun's were putting on a cute show at the feeders! A BIG thunderstorm brewed along the Bayside Trail, and by the time I got back to the VC it was thundering real good--woo hoo! Even drove through some rain on the way home! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LTC 024) Observation date: 8/18/09 Number of species: 67 Plain Chachalaca 20 Northern Bobwhite 1 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 15 Snowy Egret 6 Little Blue Heron 1 Tricolored Heron 3 Reddish Egret 2 White Ibis 5 Turkey Vulture 6 Osprey 3 White-tailed Kite 3 Harris's Hawk 1 White-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 3 Clapper Rail 1 Black-bellied Plover 4 Wilson's Plover 3 Semipalmated Plover 1 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 5 American Avocet 5 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Willet 15 Long-billed Curlew 8 Ruddy Turnstone 1 Western Sandpiper 4 Least Sandpiper 10 Laughing Gull 30 Gull-billed Tern 7 Caspian Tern 4 Royal Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 1 Mourning Dove 50 Common Ground-Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 7 Greater Roadrunner 5 Groove-billed Ani 4 Common Nighthawk 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 4 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 1 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 12 Green Jay 10 Purple Martin 40 Cave Swallow 20 Barn Swallow 12 Verdin 7 Cactus Wren 4 Carolina Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 6 Northern Mockingbird 20 Long-billed Thrasher 12 Curve-billed Thrasher 4 Olive Sparrow 20 Botteri's Sparrow 2 Lark Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 6 Eastern Meadowlark 6 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Altamira Oriole 1 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) Subject: Fwd: Tanzania Sightings July, August 2009 From: MM <oscarboy AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:52:26 -0700 For the record, these are the significant sightings during a week long safari in Northern Tanzania in July/August of 2009 Trip Date: 7-29-09 to 8-5-09 Species Seen: 100 Date: 8-16-09 Description: Tarangire, Ngorongoro Forest, Lake Manyara, Manyara District, etc. Location: Tanzania (United Republic of) Ostrich Cattle Egret Gray Heron Woolly-necked Stork Hamerkop Saddle-billed Stork Marabou Stork F Spur-winged Goose F Knob-billed Duck African Fish-Eagle F Lappet-faced Vulture Gabar Goshawk Shikra F Ovampo Sparrowhawk F African Hawk-Eagle Long-crested Eagle Martial Eagle F Pygmy Falcon Helmeted Guineafowl F Hildebrandt's Francolin F Red-necked Spurfowl Yellow-necked Spurfowl F Water Thick-knee F Double-banded Courser F Collared Pratincole Common Sandpiper F Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse F Black-faced Sandgrouse F African Green-Pigeon Tambourine Dove F African Orange-bellied Parrot F Yellow-collared Lovebird Yellow-collared Lovebird F Schalow's Turaco F Purple-crested Turaco F Bare-faced Go-away-bird Klaas' Cuckoo F Yellowbill Verreaux's Eagle-Owl F Freckled Nightjar African Palm-Swift F Striped Kingfisher F Southern Ground-Hornbill F Von der Decken's Hornbill F White-eared Barbet F Spot-flanked Barbet F D'Arnaud's Barbet F Brown-backed Honeybird F Pallid Honeyguide F White-tailed Lark F Fawn-colored Lark F Red-capped Lark F Athi Short-toed Lark F Yellow-bellied Greenbul F Rueppell's Robin-Chat F Collared Palm-Thrush White-browed Scrub-Robin F Schalow's Wheatear F Capped Wheatear Common Cliff-Chat F African Bare-eyed Thrush Buff-bellied Warbler F Banded Parisoma F Trilling Cisticola F Hunter's Cisticola F Stout Cisticola Stout Cisticola F Pectoral-patch Cisticola F Black-headed Apalis F Southern Black-Flycatcher Tawny-flanked Prinia F Silverbird F Arrow-marked Babbler F Northern Pied-Babbler Scarlet-chested Sunbird F Taita Fiscal F Long-tailed Fiscal F Mbulu White-eye F Magpie Shrike F Rosy-patched Bushshrike Brubru F African Golden-Oriole F Ashy Starling F Hildebrandt's Starling . F Fischer's Starling F Swahili Sparrow F Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver F Gray-headed Social-Weaver F Rufous-tailed Weaver F Black-necked Weaver F Vitelline Masked-Weaver F Chestnut Weaver F Red-headed Quelea F Black-winged Bishop F Black Bishop Yellow-bellied Waxbill F Blue-capped Cordonbleu F Cut-throat F Black-and-white Mannikin F Brimstone Canary Thick-billed Seedeater