Dec. 31. Lisa Safell joined us as we ate breakfast, and we chatted with
Leo Miller, a Chicago birder we’ve crossed paths with and shared good first
of the year days many times in the Valley. We did grocery shopping (a
necessary chore), then headed for Edinburg Scenic Wetlands to meet up with
Lisa and look for the female Crimson-collared Grosbeak, a lifer for Lisa. We
hung around the entrance booth watching the favorite tree for a long time,
even though we were told a Cooper’s Hawk had come into “her” tree earlier
in the morning and she hadn’t been seen since. We decided to walk to the
wetlands. We got our gratifying look at Least Grebes (Fluff-Butts),
followed by good looks at Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night Herons, a
cooperative Bewick’s Wren feeding on insects on a cactus, and a good
assortment of “the usual suspects”. We headed back to the entrance area to
wait for the grosbeak. A noisy happy family group was moving through the
area. Our expectations lowered. Then, as the family left, the grosbeak
appeared in a nearby tree, flew into the tree we were watching and began to
feed, giving us several fine views. Lisa did a prairie-chicken dance and
we parted. Lisa headed for South Padre Island as we went to lunch to
fortify us for a not too strenuous afternoon of car birding.
Donna Reservoir was not real birdy—fewer species than usual, but we were
treated to a group of 10 Spotted Sandpipers flying around, and the little
pond to the east hosted a spoonbill, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and
Caspian Terns . A drive along the levee to the south was highlighted by a
couple of Mexican Ducks and a Peregrine Falcon zooming in on some doves (it
missed).
There was no question as to where to begin New Year’s Day: Llano Estero
Grande SP and the bird walk led by John Yoakum, assisted with other park
employees and a half dozen “old timers”. It was a very large group—perhaps
40. Lisa, Kathleen and I tended to be toward the rear, so missed 10-15 of
the species seen by the upfront birders.
Missing the Zone-tailed Hawk was the only disappointment in a perfect
weather day with like-minded people. Highlights included watching newbies
spy their first pauraque, seeing Lisa’s perfect photo of a White-tailed
Hawk, and catching sight of Cave Swallows zipping overhead. My species
total was 65.
After the walk through the Tropical Zone of the park and waiting
unsuccessfully for the Tropical Parula at a water drip, Lisa chose to head
for the National Butterfly Center as we picnicked, then went east to work
toward 100 species for the day.
The Hwy. 48 Shrimp Basin bridge/boat ramp, even though full of fishermen,
was as birdy as usual, with American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, and
Gull-billed Terns among the 11 new year birds. On South Padre Island we
added an Osprey at the Pearl Resort pond, but didn’t see a single coot
there—the first time ever for that.
Along the main drag, we spotted Rock Pigeons on the power lines as we
cruised toward the mudflats north of the convention center where we found
Semipalmated, Snowy, Piping and Black-bellied Plovers among the
Sanderlings and Dunlin before strolling along the convention center/Laguna
Madre Trail boardwalk and finding coots, American Wigeon, pintails,
Red-breasted Mergansers, an Eastern Phoebe and Yellow-rumped Warbler to
bring the day’s total to 94. It wasn’t the hoped for 100, but it was a
great day of birding in good company and very pleasant weather.
The next morning, Kathleen and I were stiff from walking, so decided on a
day of birding nearby sites mostly by car until time to meet Clare at the
Harlingen airport. We began by following up on a tip on the whereabouts of
a Burrowing Owl at the Progresso Sod Farms (now a housing development of
"ranchitos". We dipped on it, but were entertained by several shrikes and
a Vermilion Flycatcher before going back up 1015/International Blvd. to
watch the drip for the Tropical Parula. As we approached the picnic table,
I noted Robert Brundage and Denise Welch as they focused on the drip. We
waited for the parula until lunchtime. Robert asked if I knew of a good
place to eat nearby. The answer was Nana’s, of course. Our picnic lunch
went uneaten, as we joined them for a round of lonches.
Working our way east toward the airport, we checked out Tiocano Lake bed.
Dry! Gone was the habitat for King Rail and so many other species. Nearby
is La Feria Nature Center with two draws: a very large, roofed viewing
platform overlooking a lake with welcome shade on a 90 degree, clear day,
and restrooms. Our first of the trip Curve-billed Thrasher greeted us in
the parking lot, but we were quickly distracted by three sky-dancing
White-tailed Kites. Once on the platform, a lively Black Phoebe and a
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher vied for our attention.
We made it to the airport and were in place to greet Clare when her flight
came in 10 minutes early. Back at the Alamo Inn, we heated vegetarian
chili for a quick supper, had a relaxing evening and planned the next day: a
run for the Red-footed Booby and Red-throated Loon near Corpus Christi that
we hadn’t known about on the way down.
Edge Wade
Alamo TX
<1edgewade...>
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