Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Bird Trip > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Tuesday, May 19 at 09:20 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Eastern Screech Owl,©David Sibley

19 May Quinta Mazatlan, Anzalduas, & River Roads [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 May Masked Ducks @ Laguna Atascosa [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 May Masked Ducks Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 May Bentsen SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 May Masked Ducks & Hudsonian Godwits @ Laguna Atascosa [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 May Birds Lists from Yesterday [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 May Quinta & Hidalgo Bird Lists [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 May Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 May GTBC Highlights (for our RGV team...) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 30 Apr Day 9 - Aransas NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 28 Apr Galveston Island [Mary Beth Stowe ] 28 Apr Bird List from Attwater & Galveston Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ] 26 Apr Poss Glossy Ibis & Brown-crested Flycatcher @ Attwater PC NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 25 Apr Palmetto SP & Attwater PC NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Apr White-tipped Dove @ Government Canyon SP (Hill Country Part 4) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Apr Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 2 [Mike Tanis ] 24 Apr FW: Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 1 [Barbara Passmore ] 24 Apr Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 1 [Mike Tanis ] 23 Apr Hill Country Part 3 - Lost Maples & Hill Country SPs [Mary Beth Stowe ] 23 Apr Hill Country Part 2: Garner State Park [Mary Beth Stowe ] 23 Apr Hill Country Part 1: McAllen to Uvalde [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 Apr Hidalgo County Big Day (longish) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 16 Apr South Padre Island--the full story [Mary Beth Stowe ] 14 Apr Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 Apr Bentsen Bird Walk [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Apr Estero Llano Grande [Mary Beth Stowe ] 31 Mar Progresso & Hidalgo [Mary Beth Stowe ] 29 Mar Cameron County (longish) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 21 Mar Weslaco Birds [Mary Beth Stowe ] 20 Mar Spotted Towhee @ ESW [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 Mar Estero Llano Grande [Mary Beth Stowe ] 14 Mar Quinta Mazatlan & Wallace Road [Mary Beth Stowe ] 11 Mar Santa Ana & Estero Llano [Mary Beth Stowe ] 9 Mar Hidalgo County [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 Mar NE Mexico Trip List, 9-13 March 2008 (last year) [Chuck Sexton ] 7 Mar RFI: Records of Golden-cheeked Warbler in Mexico in Migration [Chuck Sexton ] 6 Mar Flicker along Rio Beef Road, Willacy Co. [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Mar Estero Llano Grande SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 26 Feb NABA Birds [Mary Beth Stowe ] 24 Feb Blue Buntings YES @ Laguna Atascosa [Mary Beth Stowe ] 20 Feb Fox Sparrow Still @ VNC [Mary Beth Stowe ] 19 Feb Frontera Audubon [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 Feb Falcon SP & Salieno [Mary Beth Stowe ] 14 Feb Quinta Mazatlan Practice [Mary Beth Stowe ] 13 Feb Testing the New Camera @ Edinburg Wetlands, TX (longish) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 12 Feb Quinta Mazatlan's Parula [Mary Beth Stowe ] 11 Feb Santa Ana NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 10 Feb Valley Nature Center [Mary Beth Stowe ] 7 Feb Zone-tailed Hawk, Pine Siskin, @ Anzalduas [Mary Beth Stowe ] 5 Feb Estero Llano Grande [Mary Beth Stowe ] 4 Feb Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Feb Sparrow-Hunting [Mary Beth Stowe ] 29 Jan Estero Llano Grande [Mary Beth Stowe ] 27 Jan Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ] 25 Jan Boca Chica [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Jan TOS Bay City Pics On Line [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Jan McAllen Area [Mary Beth Stowe ] 21 Jan La sal Del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 20 Jan Santa Ana NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 18 Jan Choke Canyon - No Pine Flycatcher [Mary Beth Stowe ] 17 Jan Quintana & Bryan Beach [Mary Beth Stowe ] 16 Jan Matagorda Rarity Hunt [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Jan Hidalgo Co Big Day (long), Monday, 12 JAN 09 [Mary Beth Stowe ] 15 Jan San Bernard NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ] 14 Jan Lake Texana State Park [Mary Beth Stowe ] 9 Jan Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands [Mary Beth Stowe ] 8 Jan Hook-billed Kite @ Bentsen [Mary Beth Stowe ] 6 Jan Crimson-collared Grosbeak & Blue Bunting (FINALLY!!) [Mary Beth Stowe ] 3 Jan Bentsen CBC [Mary Beth Stowe ] 31 Dec Falcon SP & Salieno [Mary Beth Stowe ] 30 Dec Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ] 29 Dec La sal Del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ] 27 Dec Weslaco CBC [Mary Beth Stowe ] 25 Dec Laguna Atascosa [Mary Beth Stowe ] 25 Dec Bentsen SP [Mary Beth Stowe ] 22 Dec Sacahuistale & Masked Duck [Mary Beth Stowe ] Subject: Quinta Mazatlan, Anzalduas, & River Roads From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 19:20:51 EDT Hi, all! Took Pamela and Cindy around for one last day in the Valley; they met me at Quinta Mazatlan and missed the Red-crowned Parrots by three minutes! :-( The parakeets put on a great show, however, especially a pair investigating a hole near the Screech Owl tree (with which the girls were delighted--the Screech Owl, that is...). A few migrants were still around: we managed to find a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wilson's and Magnolia Warblers, a Swainson's Thrush, and the girls each found a Mourning Warbler, both of which I missed! :-P The Chachalacas showed off as promised. We decided to stop at Anzalduas to try for the Beardless Tyrannulet, and we finally found one as we were heading out of the park! A Clay-colored Robin also posed and then started bouncing along the lawn like an American! We glimpsed the Gray Hawk being harassed by one of the kingbirds in the back section. We then blasted over to Salieno where we picked up both kingfishers and a Bullock's Oriole, but no Audubon's. A screaming Red-shouldered Hawk was a highlight for the girls, but the only other raptor we picked up along the river (besides TVs) was a Swainson's Hawk. We spent a little time at Larry's new "hawk tower" at Chapeno, where the only duck was a Mottled and the only oriole was a Hooded. We also had a young Orchard Oriole. What meager pics I got are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Full bird list below: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 5-19-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 5-19-09 to 5-19-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus 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 Green Parakeet Aratinga holochlora Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica 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 Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis Bank Swallow Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota 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 Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius 70 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221823248x1201398651/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=May Excfooter51609NO62) Subject: Masked Ducks @ Laguna Atascosa From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 20:58:34 EDT Hi, all! Yes, they're still there, in the center of Alligator Pond and generally being pretty cooperative! I took Pamela and Cindy, two sisters visiting the area, out there and we also had a handful of migrants, including Chestnut-sided and Magnolia Warblers (I didn't see the latter), Red-eyed Vireo, and Eastern Kingbird and Wood Pewee. Another treat at Alligator Pond was a flyover Mississippi Kite! We started the day along the south end of Old Port Isabel Road where both Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows showed up, and working our way to the big pond on the left we had a good selection of waders and shorebirds, including breeding-plumaged Stilt Sandpipers and Wilson's Phalaropes. A flock of White-rumped Sandpipers flew about and gave us identifiable looks! Heading back out we found a distant Aplomado Falcon, so the girls were happy! Back at Laguna Atascosa, we skipped the Bayside Drive, but on the way out (along General Brandt Road) we stopped at a wetland that had a lingering pair of Lesser Scaups and Redhead! Complete bird list below: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 5-18-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 5-18-09 to 5-18-09 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Redhead Aythya americana Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps 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 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis Harris' Hawk Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Dunlin Calidris alpina Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Bank Swallow Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Verdin Auriparus flaviceps Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Chihuahuan Raven European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Botteri's Sparrow Aimophila botterii Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 92 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322941x1201367178/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =Mayfooter51809NO115) Subject: Masked Ducks Take Two From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 18 May 2009 20:59:41 EDT I forgot the link to the pics: _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/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322941x1201367178/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =Mayfooter51809NO115) Subject: Bentsen SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 18:54:43 EDT Hi, all! Made a quick scouting trip to Bentsen this morning; highlights included a couple of low-flying Lesser Nighthawks, the singing Gray Hawk, a pair of Ringed Kingfishers at the boat ramp, my first Roseate Spoonbills for the park flying overhead, several Beardless Tyrannulets, and Mrs. Clay-colored gathering mud for the nest at Kiskadee Blind! Yellow-billed Cuckoos appear to be back in force, and several anis were at the hawk tower, along with grebes, ibis, a White-tailed Kite, and a Caracara. Back at the office Jose showed me an injured Purple Gallinule he found at the gate that I wound up taking to the rehabber. A female Painted Bunting also knocked herself out at a window, but she recovered nicely. Not many pics, but what I got are here: _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: 5/12/09 Notes: The Purple Gallinule was found injured at the park gate. Number of species: 58 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 9 Mottled Duck 4 Blue-winged Teal 4 Plain Chachalaca 15 Northern Bobwhite 1 Least Grebe 8 Pied-billed Grebe 10 Little Blue Heron 3 Green Heron 1 White Ibis 15 White-faced Ibis 2 Roseate Spoonbill 6 White-tailed Kite 1 Gray Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 1 Purple Gallinule 1 Common Moorhen 3 American Coot 20 Black-necked Stilt 1 White-winged Dove 20 Mourning Dove 5 White-tipped Dove 20 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6 Greater Roadrunner 1 Groove-billed Ani 6 Lesser Nighthawk 2 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 15 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 4 Brown-crested Flycatcher 7 Great Kiskadee 10 Couch's Kingbird 12 Western Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 8 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Bank Swallow 15 Cliff Swallow 4 Barn Swallow 12 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Verdin 1 Marsh Wren 1 Clay-colored Thrush 5 Northern Mockingbird 15 Long-billed Thrasher 5 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Olive Sparrow 20 Northern Cardinal 15 Blue Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 1 Painted Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 6 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Bronzed Cowbird 20 Hooded Oriole 1 Altamira Oriole 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322936x1201367173/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =Mayfooter51209NO115) Subject: Masked Ducks & Hudsonian Godwits @ Laguna Atascosa From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 18:10:54 EDT Hi, all! Sorry for the late report but was out all day yesterday and this morning... Went on a scouting trip in Cameron County yesterday that included Old Port Isabel Road, South Padre, and Laguna Atascosa. Cassin's Sparrows were out the wazoo on OPIR, and a beautiful Aplomado Falcon perched not too far past the railroad tracks near the south end of the road (heading north). Unfortunately there was too little light (even with the flash) to get a clear shot. Also had a Botteri's Sparrow singing about 4.5 miles up the road, which is still in great shape. Highlights at South Padre include the continuing Purple Gallinule, calling Clapper Rails, and a great show by a Roseate Spoonbill and a Reddish Egret. Had a good larid and shorebird collection as well, including at least ten Common Terns (eBird flagged me at a dozen...). Migrants were scarce: had a Yellow Warbler, Northern Parula, and a young Orchard Oriole. There was nothing except grackles at Sheepshead. The two female-type Masked Ducks continue at Alligator Pond at Laguna Atascosa, although the lilies (or whatever they are) are growing up fast, so it won't be long until they'll have lots of places to hide! Before hiking over there, a flock of at least 20 Hudsonian Godwits flew overhead and then caught a thermal! A pair of Wilson's Plovers were along the shoreline of the laguna right across from the Alligator Pond observation deck, but the alligators were in the laguna! The little wetland along the road to that area had several Stilt Sandpipers along with the usual. The Bayside Loop was pretty quiet; there's still some water at the first pullout after the road forks, which had several White Pelicans, coots, and egrets. Coming back around, however, that large part of Pelican Lake that was flooded by Dolly and provided such great shorebird and duck habitat is now dry as a bone. The link to the pics is here; I'll post the bird lists in a separate message: _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/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322936x1201367173/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =Mayfooter51209NO115) Subject: Birds Lists from Yesterday From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 18:12:32 EDT Location: Old Port Isabel Rd (Cameron Co.) Observation date: 5/11/09 Number of species: 43 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 15 Mottled Duck 12 Blue-winged Teal 1 Northern Shoveler 2 Northern Bobwhite 8 White-faced Ibis 4 Roseate Spoonbill 6 White-tailed Kite 1 Harris's Hawk 2 White-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 2 Aplomado Falcon 1 American Coot 30 Black-bellied Plover 1 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 1 Willet 8 Whimbrel 1 Long-billed Curlew 2 Wilson's Phalarope 4 Laughing Gull 15 Gull-billed Tern 7 Mourning Dove 5 Common Nighthawk 9 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 White-eyed Vireo 3 Chihuahuan Raven 2 Bank Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 12 Cactus Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 9 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Olive Sparrow 5 Cassin's Sparrow 20 Botteri's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 15 Eastern Meadowlark 20 Great-tailed Grackle 9 Bronzed Cowbird 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Location: South Padre I.- WBC/Conv Ctr./Laguna Madre Trail (LTC 035) Observation date: 5/11/09 Number of species: 53 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Mottled Duck 3 Blue-winged Teal 1 Brown Pelican 8 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 6 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 2 Tricolored Heron 5 Reddish Egret 2 Green Heron 1 White Ibis 15 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Osprey 1 Clapper Rail 2 Purple Gallinule 1 Common Moorhen 5 Semipalmated Plover 1 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Willet 7 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Ruddy Turnstone 7 Sanderling 3 Dunlin 30 Short-billed Dowitcher 30 Laughing Gull 20 Herring Gull 1 Least Tern 2 Caspian Tern 2 Common Tern 10 Royal Tern 30 Sandwich Tern 12 Black Skimmer 15 Inca Dove 2 Willow Flycatcher 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 Bank Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 6 Marsh Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Northern Parula 1 Yellow Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Great-tailed Grackle 15 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Orchard Oriole 1 House Sparrow 3 Location: Laguna Atascosa NWR (LTC 024) Observation date: 5/11/09 Number of species: 71 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 4 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 2 Blue-winged Teal 5 Northern Shoveler 3 Masked Duck 2 Ruddy Duck 1 Plain Chachalaca 3 Northern Bobwhite 3 Least Grebe 4 Pied-billed Grebe 2 American White Pelican 15 Brown Pelican 2 cormorant sp. 5 Great Blue Heron 12 Great Egret 12 Snowy Egret 2 Tricolored Heron 2 White Ibis 8 White-faced Ibis 3 Roseate Spoonbill 20 Turkey Vulture 8 White-tailed Kite 1 Harris's Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 2 Common Moorhen 4 American Coot 100 Black-bellied Plover 1 Wilson's Plover 2 Black-necked Stilt 3 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Willet 3 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 Long-billed Curlew 5 Hudsonian Godwit 20 Dunlin 5 Stilt Sandpiper 12 Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 20 Wilson's Phalarope 6 Laughing Gull 20 Gull-billed Tern 3 Caspian Tern 5 Royal Tern 10 Mourning Dove 12 Common Ground-Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 10 Greater Roadrunner 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Great Kiskadee 3 White-eyed Vireo 5 Green Jay 3 Bank Swallow 5 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Verdin 2 Bewick's Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 20 Long-billed Thrasher 15 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Tennessee Warbler 1 Yellow Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 7 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 15 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Eastern Meadowlark 12 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Bronzed Cowbird 20 Brown-headed Cowbird 4 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322936x1201367173/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =Mayfooter51209NO115) Subject: Quinta & Hidalgo Bird Lists From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 21:06:08 EDT Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 5/8/09 Number of species: 41 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 3 Plain Chachalaca 12 Rock Pigeon 2 White-winged Dove 20 Mourning Dove 1 Inca Dove 5 Common Ground-Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 4 Green Parakeet 8 Red-crowned Parrot 2 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Chuck-will's-widow 1 Chimney Swift 3 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 8 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 9 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 5 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 1 Green Jay 1 Purple Martin 1 Cliff Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 1 Carolina Wren 2 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 7 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 European Starling 5 Northern Parula 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 4 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Great-tailed Grackle 7 Bronzed Cowbird 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Bullock's/Baltimore Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 30 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 5/8/09 Number of species: 21 White-tailed Kite 1 Forster's Tern 1 Rock Pigeon 6 White-winged Dove 5 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Black Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 1 Western Kingbird 1 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 European Starling 3 Northern Cardinal 1 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Bronzed Cowbird 4 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322931x1201367171/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =May5509AvgfooterNO115) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 8 May 2009 21:04:46 EDT Hi, all! The parrots and parakeets were very active at Quinta this morning, with several pairs investigating nestholes. I ran into John and Tim Brush later, and Tim had noticed that one of the Red-crowned Parrots had a broken chain on its leg (oops), and sure enough, the one I photo'd happened to be the one with the chain! Miriam behind the desk pointed me to the Screech Owl hole, and warbler-wise just had a Northern Parula and the continuing Wilson's. Tim and John had a Mourning Warbler at the water feature just north of the "Sulphurbelly Tree", and waiting a few minutes at the Amphitheater Feeders yielded Green Jay and a Clay-colored Thrush raiding the PB log. At Hidalgo Pumphouse added two new birds for my list there: White-tailed Kite and Forster's Tern! Got a glimpse of the Black Phoebe, and despite the wind several leps were flying, including some very worn and beat-up Southern Broken Dashes and several Cyna Blues. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Just to be safe I'll put the bird lists in a separate post. Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221322931x1201367171/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd =May5509AvgfooterNO115) Subject: GTBC Highlights (for our RGV team...) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 21:42:01 EDT Hi, all! Huck Hutchins and I joined Clay Taylor in the Great Texas Birding Classic yesterday (Saturday) and had a ball running from Bentsen several hours pre-dawn to Falcon and then all the way back to SPI, with several stops in between! I'll leave the gory details to the team captain (if he wants ;-)), but personally I had several highlights: My state Elf Owl (finally) at Bentsen Trilling Lesser Nighthawks along the road to Fronton A gorgeous flyby adult Muscovy at Chapeno Clay-colored Sparrow and Vermilion Flycatcher at Falcon County Park A late Kestrel bombing a Caracara near Falcon Dam A very cooperative Texas Spiny Lizard in the Quinta Mazatlan parking lot Being shown the Yellow-crowned Night Heron nests at Valley Nature Center that were probably there all along but I never noticed... Several Buff-breasted Sandpipers (another state bird, and the first I've seen since getting my one life bird in San Diego a bazillion years ago) at the Progresso Sod Farms Not one, but TWO in-your-face Screech Owls at Estero Llano A Least Bittern and Sora in plain view, also at Estero Llano Grande Aplomado Falcon along Old Port Isabel Road (and the fact that it was actually SMOOTH for the first time in my memory!!!) The continuing Purple Gallinule at the Convention Center Getting to see old friends and make new ones during the course of the day! Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Thanks again to Clay for inviting me and to both he and Huck for helping to make it a great day of fun and fellowship! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************The Average US Credit Score is 692. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222376998x1201454298/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=M ay5309AvgfooterNO62) Subject: Day 9 - Aransas NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:06:19 EDT Hi, all! Stopped at Aransas NWR on the way home yesterday, hoping to see a few more migrants, but I guess the weather and time of month (?) didn't cooperate. Was glad to pick up Swainson's Warbler for the year (easy to at least hear there in the spring), and there were still oodles of Indigo Buntings around, but the only other songbirds of note I had were Northern Parula and Waterthrush. Probably the most interesting sighting was a pair of Great Kiskadees by Jones Lake (or Non-Lake as the case may be, as the whole of the tour route was dry as a bone)! Along the Rail Trail had a Sora right out in the open, and several Least Bitterns gave their contact call, but wouldn't show themselves. The wind felt like gale force, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a big fat Palamedes Swallowtail fighting tenaciously for a thistle along the tour route! Little did I know that several of these beauties would float by at various points in the refuge; one meager patch of thistles by the visitor's center had no less than three different swallowtail species vying for a spot! In back, however, was a large flower patch that had mostly Checkered Whites with a few of what I'm assuming were Orange Sulphurs, as they wouldn't settle down for a look. Also had some odes that the best guess was Thornbush Dasher and Seaside Dragonlet, plus a weird little bug on the Dagger Point Trail that I'm presuming is a Robber Fly of some kind. I thought a small snake along the tour route might have been a young Cottonmouth, as it spread its head and hissed at me as I passed, but checking the book, the best match appears to be Florida Water Snake. Mammal-wise, the place was lousy with White-tailed Deer, kicked up a few Peccaries, and nearly had another road-killed Armadillo (the vultures were making short work of a previous one...). Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/aransas_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/aransas) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-29-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-29-09 to 4-29-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Brown Pelican Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Cattle Egret Green Heron Butorides virescens LEAST BITTERN Ixobrychus exilis Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus LONG-BILLED CURLEW Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris GREAT KISKADEE Pitangus sulphuratus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Northern Parula Parula americana SWAINSON’S WARBLER Limnothlypis swainsonii NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH Seiurus noveboracensis Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 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 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 48 SPECIES For the trip: 179 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Big savings on Dell XPS Laptops and Desktops!(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1219491521x1201306563/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.double click.net%2Fclk%3B214102108%3B35952091%3Bs) Subject: Galveston Island From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:38:20 EDT Hi, all! The main purpose of the last two days was to enjoy visiting with my sister-in-law Audrey and her friend Diane, so birding bookended that activity! Yesterday morning I discovered to my chagrin that the state park was only open on weekends (good thing I got in early Sunday to check it out), so I pulled out the handy dandy Texas Wildlife Trail Map, primarily wanting to check out the famous Lefitte's Cove for migrants. On the way to finding it I stumbled upon a beautiful wetland with Roseate Spoonbills, along with the requisite Laughing Gulls and egrets and ibis. I also found Nottingham Ranch Road, so decided to check that out first, adding a Whimbrel to the trip list and hearing plenty of Upland Sandpipers. The nature trail at Lefitte's Cove was absolutely beautiful; the neighborhood was gorgeous (how wonderful to be able to LIVE there and bird the area every day!), and had a nice marsh complete with Green, Tricolored, and Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Marsh Wrens, Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, and Neotropic Cormorants in their breeding finery. I don't know what the woodlands looked like before Ike, but even with some of the trees stripped bare, there was still good thick woodland that, while not dripping with migrants as I had hoped, still had a female Blue Grosbeak and a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Checking out their dirt nature trail I scared up a Solitary Sandpiper in the mud. Worked backwards to 8-mile and Sportsmen's Roads, where one spot had several dancing Reddish Egrets, Forster's and Gull-billed Terns, Dunlin, a Short-billed Dowitcher, and a couple of Semipalmated Plovers that came wheeling in just before I left! Further down Clapper Rails sounded off, and I was getting ready to give up hope for the target Seaside Sparrow when I finally had one singing at the very end of Sportsmen's Road! Stopped at Moody Gardens to check out their butterfly garden, but only scared up a White-winged Dove. A walk on the beach with Audrey and Diane later added Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderlings to the trip list. After some jokes about Alfred Hitchcock and the gulls, we pigged out at Landry's, Ben and Jerry's, and a seafood joint that I've forgotten the name of... After breakfast this morning and kissing goodbye, I wanted to check out Lefitte's Cove once again as we had had a tremendous thunder boomer last night. I ran into four other birders who had the same idea :-) but although I saw more than yesterday, it wasn't a fallout. A local lady (who's moving to the Valley shortly) pointed out a Summer Tanager to me, and another gentleman reported a Black-and-white and some Cape May Warblers. We definitely had a Downy Woodpecker call, but I could have sworn I also heard the harsher laugh of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, but since they're not supposed to be in Galveston County I let that one go, as I couldn't get a visual. The Blue Jays were vocal, so it was nice to get that for the trip! The skeeters finally drove the ladies back to their cars, but I continued on and found the Black-and-white, but got Hooded Warbler and American Redstart instead of the Cape Mays. In addition had two more Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a pair of Baltimore Orioles, and several Indigo Buntings. Headed south after that, now at Port Lavaca with plans to hit Aransas tomorrow! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/galveston_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/galveston) Bird list for the last two days: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-28-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-27-09 to 4-28-09 Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors 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 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Green Heron Butorides virescens Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea White Ibis Eudocimus albus ROSEATE SPOONBILL Platalea ajaja Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus SEMIPALMATED PLOVER Charadrius semipalmatus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER Limnodromus griseus WHIMBREL Numenius phaeopus Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda SOLITARY SANDPIPER Tringa solitaria Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres SANDERLING Calidris alba Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla DUNLIN Calidris alpina Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Least Tern Sternula antillarum GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon nilotica 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 Nighthawk Chordeiles minor Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus BLUE JAY Cyanocitta cristata American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia AMERICAN REDSTART Setophaga ruticilla Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas HOODED WARBLER Wilsonia citrine Summer Tanager SEASIDE SPARROW Ammodramus maritimus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK Pheucticus ludovicianus Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater BALTIMORE ORIOLE Icterus galbula 75 SPECIES So far: 174 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221621499x1201450105/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Apr ilExcScore428NO62) Subject: Bird List from Attwater & Galveston Take Two From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:18:51 EDT I got an error message saying this post was over 500 lines long (!!!), but it obviously isn't, so I'm trying again... Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-26-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-26-09 to 4-26-09 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata 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 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 White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura OSPREY Pandion haliaetus WHITE-TAILED KITE Elanus leucurus NORTHERN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway CLAPPER RAIL Rallus longirostris Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus UPLAND SANDPIPER Bartramia longicauda Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca WILLET Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla LAUGHING GULL Leucophaeus atricilla LEAST TERN Sternula antillarum CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri ROYAL TERN Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura COMMON NIGHTHAWK Chordeiles minor Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus EASTERN KINGBIRD Tyrannus tyrannus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis BANK SWALLOW Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus SEDGE WREN Cistothorus platensis MARSH WREN Cistothorus palustris Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus BLACKPOLL WARBLER Dendroica striata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis GRASSHOPPER SPARROW Ammodramus savannarum Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalus quiscula Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater ORCHARD ORIOLE Icterus spurius 83 SPECIES So far: 158 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221621499x1201450105/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Apr ilExcScore428NO62) Subject: Poss Glossy Ibis & Brown-crested Flycatcher @ Attwater PC NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:25:55 EDT Hi, all! I'm literally prying my eyes open, so I'll hit the highlights: returned to Attwater this morning and picked up several new birds singing such as Sedge Wren and Grasshopper Sparrow. An ibis in with a flock of White-faced looked to have a rather bluish face, so I'm hoping those who know better than I can provide some input after looking at the pictures (see below). The flycatcher was along the Pipit Trail, along the fenceline, past where the main trail veers to the left (I went straight to check out the flowers for leps, and that's where the bird was, by the little pond). At first I thought it was an Ash-throated (which would be more expected according to their checklist, although that would be a vagrant, too), but the rufous in the tail went clear to the end. Unfortunately, except for a soft "pup", it didn't vocalize. In the lep department I had an unmarked brown skipper with pale fringes that I'm assuming is a Swarthy until told otherwise... I was pleasantly surprised to see Galveston State Park open, although many of the trails were flooded. I ran into a local birding couple who explained that the tall trees had been pretty much killed by in influx of salt water, and the proliferation of grasses and flowers was the aftermath of a controlled burn to get rid of the trash that had blown in. Even on a sunny day those trees along the road where the Clapper Rail Trail is were great for migrants, as I had a pair each of Blackpoll Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, and Orchard Orioles! I'm curious to see what tomorrow's storm will cause to stick around! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/attwater_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/attwater) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-26-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-26-09 to 4-26-09 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata 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 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 White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura OSPREY Pandion haliaetus WHITE-TAILED KITE Elanus leucurus NORTHERN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway CLAPPER RAIL Rallus longirostris Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus UPLAND SANDPIPER Bartramia longicauda Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca WILLET Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla LAUGHING GULL Leucophaeus atricilla LEAST TERN Sternula antillarum CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri ROYAL TERN Thalasseus maximus Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura COMMON NIGHTHAWK Chordeiles minor Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus EASTERN KINGBIRD Tyrannus tyrannus Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Brown-crested Flycatcher NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW Stelgidopteryx serripennis Purple Martin Progne subis BANK SWALLOW Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus SEDGE WREN Cistothorus platensis MARSH WREN Cistothorus palustris Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus BLACKPOLL WARBLER Dendroica striata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis GRASSHOPPER SPARROW Ammodramus savannarum Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalus quiscula Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater ORCHARD ORIOLE Icterus spurius 83 SPECIES So far: 158 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1220814855x1201410739/aol?red ir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=A prilfooter426NO62) Subject: Palmetto SP & Attwater PC NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:47:02 EDT Hi, all! It was pitch black when I left the motel this morning, but it was fun to hear the constant buzzes of Dickcissels going overhead! Got to Palmetto SP just before dawn, where the Cardinals were going berserk, almost drowning out the Carolina Wrens and White-eyed Vireos! A nice surprise was a hooting Barred Owl, but alas the Crow beat him out as bird #100 for the trip... A huge roost of Cattle Egrets was lifting off the San Marcos River, and Indigo Buntings were tuning up in the open field. One of the roads was particularly lush and had the usual southern woodland songsters. After checking out the roads I went back to the headquarters building and hiked the trail there to the oxbow lake. Scared up a Green Heron, a couple of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, a Spotted Towhee, and the first Yellowthroat of the trip along here, and on the way back was nearly attacked by what looked like a good Tufted Titmouse this time, with the black forehead! Scared up a Catbird along the creek trail in the tent campground, and enjoyed the nesting Cliff Swallows at the bridge. At least one Cave Swallow was also in the bunch. The next set of trails was back along that lush road. Parking in the picnic area I did the entire "Hiking Trail", picking up a Downy Woodpecker just before the trailhead. It looks like they're in the process of improving the trail; it led down to the river, where they may be getting ready to build a bridge, as there's the beginnings of a good trail on the other side! Sitting for five added another Barred Owl, and this one I actually got to see, albeit briefly in flight! Several odes were about, and I made best guesses on two of them (except for this brown damsel that I have no clue on). Part of the trail went through mesquite woodland, where there were Painted Buntings. Hiked a little of the River Trail, where I came upon this iridescent tiger beetle with white spots. There were more Weekend Warriors along this stretch than there were birds; got on the wrong side of the fence coming back, where there were some nice checkered skippers in the flowers, but had to crawl under the fence back at the group picnic area! A Great Crested Flycatcher sat out in the open fro my troubles... A quick run through the Palmetto Trail was very pretty, but didn't produce anything new. Headed east towards Sealy after that and arrived at the Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR around 2:00. It had been dreary and breezy all day, again threatening to rain, with patches of sunshine here and there, so listening along the entrance and tour roads was sometimes tough. But as in years past, there was a Dickcissel (or two or three or four) every five feet! One of them morphed into a Savannah Sparrow, and near the Pipit Trail was thrilled to hear (and finally see) a Cassin's Sparrow skylarking! What I thought was a Harrier at first turned out to be a Swainson's Hawk with a particularly bright white band on the rump; there were several floating around and hunting, including at least one immature bird. Heading around to the wetlands, the Green Herons were out the wazoo, and picked up a number of water birds to pad the trip list. A Sora skittled along the bank and into the marsh, but the highlight was a Purple Gallinule that flew a good ways before finally plopping down into the reeds! A pair of Pied-billed Grebes was right by the road (I never noticed a difference in bill size in the sexes before, but apparently there is one), and several Fulvous Whitsling Ducks were further out. At one point I was yanking out an apple when I swore I heard a Least Grebe trumpet, and sure enough, there he was out among the lily pads! A group of Turkey vultures had a single young Caracara in with them, and picked up the requisite White-tailed Hawk on the south leg. Another stop produced both Lincoln's and Swamp Sparrow, plus a snake that struck me as a Banded Water Snake (I forgot to bring my reptile book in, so I'm just guessing...) Headed in to Sealy and was all settled in when the rain storm hit! Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/palmetto_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/palmetto) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-25-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-25-09 to 4-25-09 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna bicolor BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna autumnalis MOTTLED DUCK Anas fulvigula BLUE-WINGED TEAL Anas discors NORTHERN BOBWHITE Colinus virginianus LEAST GREBE Tachybaptus dominicus PIED-BILLED GREBE Podilymbus podiceps GREAT EGRET Ardea alba LITTLE BLUE HERON Egretta caerulea Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis GREEN HERON Butorides virescens WHITE IBIS Eudocimus albus WHITE-FACED IBIS Plegadis chihi Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus SWAINSON’S HAWK Buteo swainsoni White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway SORA Porzana carolina PURPLE GALLINULE Porphyrio martinica COMMON MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus AMERICAN COOT Fulica americana BLACK-NECKED STILT Himantopus mexicanus KILLDEER Charadrius vociferus GREATER YELLOWLEGS Tringa melanoleuca LESSER YELLOWLEGS Tringa flavipes LEAST SANDPIPER Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Inca Dove Columbina inca BARRED OWL Strix varia Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus DOWNY WOODPECKER Picoides pubescens Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus GRAY CATBIRD Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis TUFTED TITMOUSE Baeolophus bicolor Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus AMERICAN CROW Corvus brachyrhynchos House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Northern Parula Parula americana COMMON YELLOWTHROAT Geothlypis trichas Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus CASSIN’S SPARROW Aimophila cassinii SAVANNAH SPARROW Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii SWAMP SPARROW Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 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 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 72 SPECIES So far: 129 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Check all of your email inboxes from anywhere on the web. Try the new Email Toolbar now! (http://toolbar.aol.com/mail/download.html?ncid=txtlnkusdown00000027) Subject: White-tipped Dove @ Government Canyon SP (Hill Country Part 4) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:01:35 EDT Hi, all! That was definitely the highlight today: from the C Parking Lot, take the Multiuse Trail and veer right at your first opportunity; the bird was singing not five minutes in, on the right, probably 30 feet or so into the woods. This was one of those times I wish I had a recording device, as the bird naturally never showed itself, but that Coke-bottle "who-HOOOO!" is unmistakable! I consulted the TOS Handbook, and while it confirmed that the WTDO occasionally wanders this far north, they didn't mention any records for Bexar County, so I hope this bird sticks around for the locals to chase and confirm! It was threatening to rain all day, and I did get spit on a little, but in all was able to hike a little at all the trailheads. Other highlights include both Pine Siskins and Dickcissels flying overhead (one of the latter actually gave a little bit of his song in addition to the obnoxious buzz), and a singing Yellow-breasted Chat and Spotted Towhee along the Recharge Trail. Even had a couple of Golden-cheeked Warblers giving a buzzy song, but they weren't nearly as numerous here as at other places. Surprisingly leps were pretty active, with several Reakirt's Blues, Sleepy Oranges, and a Northern Cloudywing. Had a real weird-looking female Dun Skipper that had a white crescent on her hindwing! After finishing that up got a taste of San Antonio traffic with several accidents along the 1604 loop, then headed over to Lockhart State Park. This place actually has a golf course!! Looking at their little checklist, I noticed they evidently had both titmice, and sure enough, near the campground I heard something different, and I initially thought the gray-crested birds I had were Tufted, but then noticed they didn't have the black forehead! Upon closer inspection they had the light forehead (actually buffy on one bird) of the Black-crested but the crest was definitely NOT black, yet not quite as light gray as the rest of the upperparts. So I'm assuming I had a couple of hybrids. I was also chagrined to see they had both Golden-fronted and Red-bellied Woodpeckers on their list, but after hearing nothing but Golden-fronteds for over a year in the Valley, the bird I heard calling DID sound different: a little lower and more robust, with a slight upward inflection to the "laugh". Up the hill is a rec hall (which was dead abandoned while I was up there) that nonetheless had a pretty view of part of the golf course. Along the road I was attacked by a pair of Carolina Chickadees and a Northern Parula! Also flushed a Red-shouldered Hawk with lunch. They have a couple of trails through the woods and I had time to check out one of them, that went by a stream with several sliders who saw me long before I saw them! Very few birds along this trail except for a curious House Wren, but did have a pair of mating damsels that the best match seems to be Kiowa, and another odd damsel with brownish wings that I'm calling a female American Rubyspot until told otherwise... Headed in to Lockhart for the night after that, not quite making 100 for the trip! Pics for the day are here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/govt_canyon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/govt_canyon) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-24-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-24-09 to 4-24-09 CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca WHITE-TIPPED DOVE Leptotila verreauxi Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Archilochus Hummingbird Archilochus sp. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER Melanerpes carolinus Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Purple Martin Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica CLIFF SWALLOW Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis TUFTED x Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor x atricristatus Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Common Raven Corvus corax House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla Northern Parula Parula americana Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Summer Tanager Piranga rubra SPOTTED TOWHEE Pipilo maculatus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Dickcissel Spiza americana Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 47 SPECIES So far: 99 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************The Average US Credit Score is 692. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps!(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221421330x1201417418/aol?redi r=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Ap rilAvgfooter424NO62) Subject: Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 2 From: Mike Tanis <mtanis AT PORTICOSYS.COM> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:41:02 -0700 Part 2 MEXICO -- NAYARIT & JALISCO Based in Nuevo Vallarta 21-28 March 2009 El Guamuchil village I made two trips to El Guamuchil. For both trips, I received quizzical looks from taxi drivers when asking about fares to my destination. They all knew where it was, but had no idea why anyone would be interested in going there before sunrise. Both drivers had to call into their dispatcher to find out what the fare should be. I negotiated the taxi on the first morning to 150 pesos, about $11. I arrived at the "plazito" in El Guamuchil at about 6:30am, when it was still dark. After organizing my stuff and applying repellent to my socks for chiggers, it was light enough to begin walking. I decided to go to the communications tower, since I thought it would be easiest to ask about directions for that, since my Spanish is rudimentary. A friendly man in a pickup truck (delivering fresh tortillas) stopped and gave me a ride part way through town, and he helped by finding out which way to the antenna road. I continued walking as the day lightened up and I began hearing birds high up in the tall trees along the road, which really is just the streambed once you walk out of town proper (upstream direction). I found the "tree in the middle of the road" described in previous reports and took the path to the right. The tree is surrounded by a small corral holding a couple of horses. From here the slopes to the sides are steeper and the trees are very tall. About 500m further so you will come to a place were the streambed splits into two equally-sized paths, both blocked by cattle gates. (Leave gates as you found them--open if open, closed if closed. I met no people at all on my first trip up this road, so there was no one to ask permission.) The path on the right leads to the communication tower area. After another 500m or so of gentle uphill alongside the streambed (dry in March), the path turns sharply to the right and climbs out of the canyon to the plateau above, which is both more open and provides far better birding since you are walking on a ridge. Here you can walk about 700m along the undulating road to a little plateau situated just below the communications antenna itself. Birding was excellent along the upper part of the road early in the morning. Highlights for me were awesome views of Varied Bunting, Blue Bunting, and Red-breasted Chat. Elegant Trogons were heard constantly and seen fairly easily. Citreoline Trogons went unheard and unseen until I played just a few notes of the call from my iPod. Immediately four trogons came right in. The second trip by taxi cost me 200 pesos (about $14); the driver wouldn't budge on the price. I reached El Guamuchil a little earlier (about 6:15am) this time. Since I knew the way, I was able to walk to the ridge from the center of town using my flashlight and the early light of dawn in about 30 minutes of uphill walking. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (in town) and Mottled Owl (in the forest) were heard as I walked; I whistled at the Pygmy-owl and got a look at it flying by the streetlight! I returned to Nuevo Vallarta by bus from the Bucerias-Sayulita highway bus stop. On my first trip, a bus arrived as I was walking out of the El Guamuchil road; on the second trip I had to wait ten minutes, but I saw two Rufous-bellied Chachalacas fly across the road, so the wait paid off in a new bird! Any bus going to Puerto Vallarta costs 10 pesos to Nuevo Vallarta; it will drop you along the main highway, where you can catch a bus to the Mayan resorts (7 pesos). I was in a hurry the second trip to meet the shuttle to Los Veranos, so I hopped out of the bus in Bucerias and took a taxi directly to the resort (110 pesos, about $8). Rufous-bellied Chachalaca Magnificent Frigatebird Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Gray Hawk Rock Pigeon White-winged Dove Inca Dove Common Ground-Dove Orange-fronted Parakeet Lilac-crowned Parrot Squirrel Cuckoo Groove-billed Ani Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Mottled Owl Lesser Nighthawk Broad-billed Hummingbird Mexican Woodnymph Cinnamon Hummingbird Plain-capped Starthroat Citreoline Trogon Elegant Trogon Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Gray-crowned Woodpecker Pale-billed Woodpecker Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Greenish Elaenia Greater Pewee Pacific-slope Flycatcher Dusky-capped Flycatcher Nutting's Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Boat-billed Flycatcher Social Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Thick-billed Kingbird Rose-throated Becard Masked Tityra Bell's Vireo Plumbeous Vireo Golden Vireo Warbling Vireo Black-throated Magpie-Jay Gray-breasted Martin Northern Rough-winged Swallow Sinaloa Wren Happy Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Rufous-backed Robin Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Tropical Parula Yellow Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Northern Waterthrush MacGillivray's Warbler Wilson's Warbler Red-breasted Chat Western Tanager Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow Stripe-headed Sparrow Grayish Saltator Blue Bunting Lazuli Bunting Varied Bunting Great-tailed Grackle Streak-backed Oriole Yellow-winged (mexican) Cacique Godman's [Scrub] Euphonia House Sparrow Las Palmas This was the first stop on Alex's tour to San Sebastian. We walked the first kilometer of a side road just off the main highway just past Las Palmas, which was very productive. We birded there for about an hour from 8 to 9am. West Mexican Chachalaca Cattle Egret (from road) White-faced Ibis (from road) Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Rock Pigeon Red-billed Pigeon White-winged Dove White-tipped Dove Orange-fronted Parakeet Mexican Parrotlet Lilac-crowned Parrot Broad-billed Hummingbird Cinnamon Hummingbird Plain-capped Starthroat Elegant Trogon Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Greater Pewee Nutting's Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Boat-billed Flycatcher Social Flycatcher Rose-throated Becard Masked Tityra Black-throated Magpie-Jay Gray-breasted Martin Northern Rough-winged Swallow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Rufous-backed Robin Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Wilson's Warbler Grayish Saltator Indigo Bunting Great-tailed Grackle Streak-backed Oriole Yellow-winged (Mexican) Cacique San Sebastian Also on Alex's tour, we made several stops in the arid mountains near San Sebastian. The first was a short stop along an agave field between La Estancia and San Sebastian. Our next stop was an orchard and coffee plantation just outside the main town of San Sebastian. We walked the property for about 45 minutes. Because the trees were planted so tightly together, birding here was challenging. However, we were able to see Blue Mockingbird and Golden Vireo here. From about 10:45 until noon, we drove out of town up toward the peak of La Bufa, making a few birding stops along the way, eventually stopping for a very late breakfast where there was a nice lookout over the town. Here there was an intersection where the main road descended the other side of the mountain and another continued up toward the peak of La Bufa. The dirt road was somewhat rough in places, but I think that a passenger car might make it with care to that point. Highlights along the road were Mountain Trogon and great views of Red-headed Tanager. Back in town we enjoyed a walk to the church and around the town's plaza, and had a pleasant lunch at a restaurant on the edge of the plaza. Turkey Vulture Rock Pigeon Berylline Hummingbird Mountain Trogon Acorn Woodpecker Cordilleran Flycatcher Vermilion Flycatcher Plumbeous Vireo Golden Vireo Spotted Wren White-throated Thrush Blue Mockingbird Townsend's Warbler Grace's Warbler Slate-throated Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Red-headed Tanager Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow Stripe-headed Sparrow Rufous-capped Brush Finch (seen by others) Audubon's Oriole House Sparrow End Part 2 Mike Tanis Audubon PA mtanis AT porticosys DOT com Subject: FW: Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 1 From: Barbara Passmore <bkpass AT BELLSOUTH.NET> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:13:16 -0400 -----Original Message----- From: Mike Tanis [mailto:mtanis AT PORTICOSYS.COM] Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 4:40 PM To: BIRDTRIP AT LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 1 MEXICO -- NAYARIT & JALISCO Based in Nuevo Vallarta 21-28 March 2009 This one week trip with my wife was my first to any part of Mexico. A friend was able to utilize some accumulated timeshare points to give us a genuine deal on air/hotel to Puerto Vallarta. We stayed at the Mayan Sea Garden in Nuevo Vallarta, and had a great time away from the cold weather. Puerto Vallarta is certainly very americanized, with an economy built on tourism. But it still is culturally distinct from the US, even if it is not drastically different. It seems that almost everyone you encounter speaks passable English. We were also impressed by the friendliness of the people we met, even those who had no tourist service or item to sell. Regarding safety, we took normal precautions with our belongings and valuables, but felt very safe wherever we went, whether in Puerto Vallarta city or while walking alone in the dark outside El Guamuchil village. Lodging and meals The Mayan Sea Garden was excellent: clean, well-run, with helpful staff, an adequate and clean pool, and a nice clean beach with typically fine Pacific gray/brown sand. There were no bogus charges on our bill after our stay. Meal prices at the one restaurant were reasonable considering the resort setting ($10-$25 per plate). An OXXO convenience store just a few steps away provided snacks and drinks for the day. Paradise Village mall (reached via free tourist bus) had cheaper American-style fast food (Subway, Domino's, McDonald's) as another choice. To find other options you could take a bus or taxi to the non-resort part of Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias, or Puerto Vallarta city. We averaged under $50 per day for food for two of us, generally eating one or two excellent meals a day at the resort or at a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. We managed to resist all of the many offers to participate in timeshare sales meetings while in Mexico. Transportation A bus stop was located just outside the resort with connections to everywhere, usually with a short wait time (20 minutes was our longest wait). Our decision not to rent a car turned out to be a good one. There were plenty of taxis available when we needed a timely arrival somewhere, and when time wasn't so important, the buses were frequent, cheap, and relatively easy to decipher. Leave extra time for your route the first time you take a bus somewhere, but it is not difficult to go anywhere by bus. However, competition between bus drivers for customers in Puerto Vallarta certainly makes the trip a bit more exciting than it has to be. Birding Because our trip was intended to be a vacation for both of us, and not a dedicated birding trip, my birding was limited to the trips below. I managed to see or hear 130 species, with about 30 new birds for me. - three late afternoon walks to the area just outside our resort (4 hours total) - two early morning excursions to the El Guamuchil antenna road (5 hours total) - one van excursion with a group of 7 to Las Palmas/San Sebastian with Alex Rodriguez (ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ RODRIGUEZ [birdinginmexico AT gmail.com]) Blake Maybank's website was very helpful in introducing me to El Guamuchil as a good birding site with convenient access for those staying north of Puerto Vallarta. I found it to be wonderfully productive and so convenient that I could reach it by taxi from Nuevo Vallarta in 30 minutes and return by bus in about an hour. http://maybank.tripod.com/Mexico/Jalisco-Nayarit-01-2006.htm Alex Martinez's birding excursion was well-organized and on time. Our group of seven had varying levels of birding interest, and included two spouses of birders. The tour was described and sold as a birding tour with attention to the cultural highlights of San Sebastian, so the non- birders knew what to expect; the 7am meeting time probably weeded out the shoppers. Alex is very professional and did a great job of balancing the birding, driving, and sightseeing. He brought a telescope for the group, and found some great birds for us at several stops. The cultural activities included a visit to a coffee/fruit plantation (for birding, as well), a short walking tour to the San Sebastian church and plaza, and concluded with lunch in a restaurant on the plaza. The cost of this particular tour was US$85, and included the transportation, guiding, light breakfast, and a group lunch at the restaurant in San Sebastian. If we hadn't already planned so many activities for our short time in Puerto Vallarta, I would have joined other tours that Alex offered. http://www.birdinginmexico.com/ Nuevo Vallarta area There is a fenced-off area containing a tidal lagoon in front of the Mayan resort complex. I birded along Boulevard de Nayarit surrounding this area and also along the Paseo de las Palmas north to just past the Vallarta Adventures offices. A surprising number of interesting species were seen in the late afternoons I birded here. In the list below I am including species I saw from the resort property, the beach, along the roadside in and around Nuevo Vallarta, and a couple of species seen on Banderas Bay during a whale-watching trip. On that trip we eventually found 2 humpback whales, a mother and baby; they were perhaps the last two remaining whales in the bay for the season! http://vallarta-info.com probably has the most useful maps of the whole Puerto Vallarta area; the best map of Nuevo Vallarta itself is here: http://vallarta-info.com/nuevo.html Fulvous Whistling-Duck Brown Booby Blue-footed Booby Brown Pelican Neotropic Cormorant Magnificent Frigatebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Roseate Spoonbill Wood Stork Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Collared Plover (past the Mayan Palace on the beach near the mouth of the Rio Ameca) Black-necked Stilt Spotted Sandpiper (lagoon) Willet (beach) Long-billed Curlew (beach) Laughing Gull Heermann's Gull Herring Gull Ring-billed Gull Royal Tern Common Tern Rock Pigeon White-winged Dove Mourning Dove Inca Dove Ruddy Ground-Dove Green Kingfisher (Opequimar inlet) Orange-fronted Parakeet Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Greenish Elaenia Pacific-slope Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Tropical Kingbird Cassin's Kingbird Thick-billed Kingbird Rose-throated Becard Masked Tityra Gray-breasted Martin Mangrove Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Sinaloa Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Rufous-backed Robin Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Tropical Parula Yellow Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart MacGillivray's Warbler Summer Tanager Cinnamon-rumped [White-collared] Seedeater Great-tailed Grackle Orchard Oriole Streak-backed Oriole Yellow-winged (Mexican) Cacique House Finch House Sparrow Los Veranos We did the Canopy Tour (zip-line) at Los Veranos on our last day in Mexico, which was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. To try to put it into "thrill" perspective, it is not as scary is a big theme-park roller coaster. It's more of a relaxing adventure, although you are indeed hanging over a lot of empty space at times. It is a bit pricey, $69 with prepaid discount. Don't forget to factor in tipping at the end (driver for the free shuttle, guys who run the zip-lines, the locker guy, the guys at the animal cages, the bartender and waitresses, and so on). I didn't have binoculars with me that afternoon, but probably the best birding on site would be down at the river (near the restaurant area) early in the morning watching the trees on both sides of the gorge. It would be fun to bird from one of their tree towers before tours start for the day, but it probably would not be worth the trouble to arrange that. Without bins, I was still able to get a lifer here. [Maybe two, depending on the species status of Mexican Hermit.] We took the free shuttle Los Veranos offered from Nuevo Vallarta. The ride in the open-air vehicle was quite scenic. Highlights: Yellow Grosbeak, Western Long-tailed (Mexican) Hermit. Muscovy Duck (domestic?) Black Vulture Turkey Vulture White-winged Dove Orange-fronted Parakeet Western Long-tailed (Mexican) Hermit Great Kiskadee Masked Tityra Gray-breasted Martin Mangrove Swallow Yellow Grosbeak Great-tailed Grackle Yellow-winged (Mexican) Cacique House Sparrow END PART 1 Mike Tanis Audubon PA mtanis AT porticosys DOT com Subject: Mexico: Puerto Vallarta area March 2009 Part 1 From: Mike Tanis <mtanis AT PORTICOSYS.COM> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:39:33 -0700 MEXICO -- NAYARIT & JALISCO Based in Nuevo Vallarta 21-28 March 2009 This one week trip with my wife was my first to any part of Mexico. A friend was able to utilize some accumulated timeshare points to give us a genuine deal on air/hotel to Puerto Vallarta. We stayed at the Mayan Sea Garden in Nuevo Vallarta, and had a great time away from the cold weather. Puerto Vallarta is certainly very americanized, with an economy built on tourism. But it still is culturally distinct from the US, even if it is not drastically different. It seems that almost everyone you encounter speaks passable English. We were also impressed by the friendliness of the people we met, even those who had no tourist service or item to sell. Regarding safety, we took normal precautions with our belongings and valuables, but felt very safe wherever we went, whether in Puerto Vallarta city or while walking alone in the dark outside El Guamuchil village. Lodging and meals The Mayan Sea Garden was excellent: clean, well-run, with helpful staff, an adequate and clean pool, and a nice clean beach with typically fine Pacific gray/brown sand. There were no bogus charges on our bill after our stay. Meal prices at the one restaurant were reasonable considering the resort setting ($10-$25 per plate). An OXXO convenience store just a few steps away provided snacks and drinks for the day. Paradise Village mall (reached via free tourist bus) had cheaper American-style fast food (Subway, Domino's, McDonald's) as another choice. To find other options you could take a bus or taxi to the non-resort part of Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias, or Puerto Vallarta city. We averaged under $50 per day for food for two of us, generally eating one or two excellent meals a day at the resort or at a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. We managed to resist all of the many offers to participate in timeshare sales meetings while in Mexico. Transportation A bus stop was located just outside the resort with connections to everywhere, usually with a short wait time (20 minutes was our longest wait). Our decision not to rent a car turned out to be a good one. There were plenty of taxis available when we needed a timely arrival somewhere, and when time wasn't so important, the buses were frequent, cheap, and relatively easy to decipher. Leave extra time for your route the first time you take a bus somewhere, but it is not difficult to go anywhere by bus. However, competition between bus drivers for customers in Puerto Vallarta certainly makes the trip a bit more exciting than it has to be. Birding Because our trip was intended to be a vacation for both of us, and not a dedicated birding trip, my birding was limited to the trips below. I managed to see or hear 130 species, with about 30 new birds for me. - three late afternoon walks to the area just outside our resort (4 hours total) - two early morning excursions to the El Guamuchil antenna road (5 hours total) - one van excursion with a group of 7 to Las Palmas/San Sebastian with Alex Rodriguez (ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ RODRIGUEZ [birdinginmexico AT gmail.com]) Blake Maybank's website was very helpful in introducing me to El Guamuchil as a good birding site with convenient access for those staying north of Puerto Vallarta. I found it to be wonderfully productive and so convenient that I could reach it by taxi from Nuevo Vallarta in 30 minutes and return by bus in about an hour. http://maybank.tripod.com/Mexico/Jalisco-Nayarit-01-2006.htm Alex Martinez's birding excursion was well-organized and on time. Our group of seven had varying levels of birding interest, and included two spouses of birders. The tour was described and sold as a birding tour with attention to the cultural highlights of San Sebastian, so the non- birders knew what to expect; the 7am meeting time probably weeded out the shoppers. Alex is very professional and did a great job of balancing the birding, driving, and sightseeing. He brought a telescope for the group, and found some great birds for us at several stops. The cultural activities included a visit to a coffee/fruit plantation (for birding, as well), a short walking tour to the San Sebastian church and plaza, and concluded with lunch in a restaurant on the plaza. The cost of this particular tour was US$85, and included the transportation, guiding, light breakfast, and a group lunch at the restaurant in San Sebastian. If we hadn't already planned so many activities for our short time in Puerto Vallarta, I would have joined other tours that Alex offered. http://www.birdinginmexico.com/ Nuevo Vallarta area There is a fenced-off area containing a tidal lagoon in front of the Mayan resort complex. I birded along Boulevard de Nayarit surrounding this area and also along the Paseo de las Palmas north to just past the Vallarta Adventures offices. A surprising number of interesting species were seen in the late afternoons I birded here. In the list below I am including species I saw from the resort property, the beach, along the roadside in and around Nuevo Vallarta, and a couple of species seen on Banderas Bay during a whale-watching trip. On that trip we eventually found 2 humpback whales, a mother and baby; they were perhaps the last two remaining whales in the bay for the season! http://vallarta-info.com probably has the most useful maps of the whole Puerto Vallarta area; the best map of Nuevo Vallarta itself is here: http://vallarta-info.com/nuevo.html Fulvous Whistling-Duck Brown Booby Blue-footed Booby Brown Pelican Neotropic Cormorant Magnificent Frigatebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Roseate Spoonbill Wood Stork Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Collared Plover (past the Mayan Palace on the beach near the mouth of the Rio Ameca) Black-necked Stilt Spotted Sandpiper (lagoon) Willet (beach) Long-billed Curlew (beach) Laughing Gull Heermann's Gull Herring Gull Ring-billed Gull Royal Tern Common Tern Rock Pigeon White-winged Dove Mourning Dove Inca Dove Ruddy Ground-Dove Green Kingfisher (Opequimar inlet) Orange-fronted Parakeet Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Greenish Elaenia Pacific-slope Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Tropical Kingbird Cassin's Kingbird Thick-billed Kingbird Rose-throated Becard Masked Tityra Gray-breasted Martin Mangrove Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Sinaloa Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Rufous-backed Robin Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Tropical Parula Yellow Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart MacGillivray's Warbler Summer Tanager Cinnamon-rumped [White-collared] Seedeater Great-tailed Grackle Orchard Oriole Streak-backed Oriole Yellow-winged (Mexican) Cacique House Finch House Sparrow Los Veranos We did the Canopy Tour (zip-line) at Los Veranos on our last day in Mexico, which was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. To try to put it into "thrill" perspective, it is not as scary is a big theme-park roller coaster. It's more of a relaxing adventure, although you are indeed hanging over a lot of empty space at times. It is a bit pricey, $69 with prepaid discount. Don't forget to factor in tipping at the end (driver for the free shuttle, guys who run the zip-lines, the locker guy, the guys at the animal cages, the bartender and waitresses, and so on). I didn't have binoculars with me that afternoon, but probably the best birding on site would be down at the river (near the restaurant area) early in the morning watching the trees on both sides of the gorge. It would be fun to bird from one of their tree towers before tours start for the day, but it probably would not be worth the trouble to arrange that. Without bins, I was still able to get a lifer here. [Maybe two, depending on the species status of Mexican Hermit.] We took the free shuttle Los Veranos offered from Nuevo Vallarta. The ride in the open-air vehicle was quite scenic. Highlights: Yellow Grosbeak, Western Long-tailed (Mexican) Hermit. Muscovy Duck (domestic?) Black Vulture Turkey Vulture White-winged Dove Orange-fronted Parakeet Western Long-tailed (Mexican) Hermit Great Kiskadee Masked Tityra Gray-breasted Martin Mangrove Swallow Yellow Grosbeak Great-tailed Grackle Yellow-winged (Mexican) Cacique House Sparrow END PART 1 Mike Tanis Audubon PA mtanis AT porticosys DOT com Subject: Hill Country Part 3 - Lost Maples & Hill Country SPs From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:58:38 EDT Hi, all! My original plan was to explore Hill Country State Park, as I had never been there, but when the girls told me about the feeding stations at Lost Maples and what they saw there, I changed my mind! It had been at least a decade since I had been there last, and actually got my ABA Tropical Parula there (that was long before digital cameras and the TBRC had to wait for the film to be developed on that one), so it was fun revisiting the place. The girls had primarily done the West Trail, but I blew it and drove all the way to the end where the East Trail was and decided to go ahead and hike that. My original intention was to do the whole loop, but only got as far as the first "steep" spot, and when they say it's steep, they're not kidding! But it was a lovely hike through the woods and over several creek and river crossings; Golden-cheeked Warblers were everywhere, along with the usual White-eyed Vireos, gnatcatchers, titmice, chickadees, and Summer Tanagers. Canyon Wrens again sang from the rock face, and at least three Louisiana Waterthrushes were along the creek beds. At one resting spot managed to get a Hermit Thrush to "thook" at me, and a single (!) Bushtit chittered and came in to see what the fuss was all about! The girls reported that the Red-eyed Vireos had arrived the very day they birded the area, and they (the vireos) were definitely all over, along with yet another Hutton's Vireo! A Yellow-throated sang on the way back, but alas, no Black-capped sang for me... :-( A pair of Variegated Fritillaries were going nuts along the trail, and kept flushing a Roadside Skipper that I'm calling Celia's until proven otherwise (never could see the ventral). Unfortunately, constantly switching lenses caused my first, "Dummy, you got dust on the contacts!" message from my camera, so I stuck with the long lens for the rest of the day... Wound my way to the other trailhead, and ran into the San Diego Audubon bunch enjoying the feeding stations and preparing to feed themselves! :-) I had barely sat down at the picnic table when probably the best bird of the day, a dapper male Dickcissel, joined the Chippes and House Finches! That was a life bird for some, so that was fun to hear the cheers and whoops! Other moochers included both Indigo and Painted Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks (one young male looked like a Varied Bunting wannabe), Black-chinned Hummers, both Chippies and Clay-colored Sparrows, plus Rufous- and White-crowned. Several Scrub Jays sailed in as well, and I noticed they sounded very different than the Scrubbies in San Diego! Pine Siskins also called from the trees but never came in to the feeders. The group told me a Ruby-throated Hummer was hanging around, but he happened to be at the headquarters feeders when I checked out! I was sorely tempted to head up to Kerr WMA just to get the BC Vireo for the trip, but looking at the map, it looked like one of those "you can't get there from here" situations, so decided to head down to Hill Country SP after all. After finally finding the place (the AAA map made it look like it was off FM 470, but it's actually off SR 173 south of Bandera) I did a little road birding and added gobbling Turkeys and a lovely Scissor-tailed Flycatcher to the list, but I soon discovered they were gearing up for a big equestrian event! There was only one day use parking area, so I crawled down there and hiked a little of the Wilderness Trail, where yet another Hutton's Vireo sang, as well as Nashville Warbler, more Goldencheeks, and plenty of Whiteyes, but no Blackcaps. :-( Had another pretty Dun Skipper, at least. Had to head back to Kerrville soon after that, but the dirt road going out the west end dumped out on FM 462, and would make a terrific birding road if I had had the time! On the way up had a road-killed deer that was being devoured by Black Vultures and caracaras! Pics for the day: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/lost_maples_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/lost_maples) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-23-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-23-09 to 4-23-09 WILD TURKEY Meleagris gallopavo Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Inca Dove Columbina inca Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii HERMIT THRUSH Catharus guttatus Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea BUSHTIT Psaltriparus minimus Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus WESTERN SCRUB JAY Aphelocoma californica Common Raven Corvus corax House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus 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 Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH Seiurus motacilla Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis BLUE GROSBEAK Passerina caerulea INDIGO BUNTING Passerina cyanea PAINTED BUNTING Passerina ciris DICKCISSEL Spiza americana Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus 53 SPECIES So far: 93 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Big savings on Dell XPS Laptops and Desktops! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1219799634x1201361008/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubl eclick.net%2Fclk%3B214133440%3B36002254%3Bj) Subject: Hill Country Part 2: Garner State Park From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:04:48 EDT Hi, all! I wanted to hit Garner pre-dawn to check for night birds, so I got there around 6:20, with several "day birds" tuning up already including Ash-throated and Vermilion Flycatchers and Field Sparrows! Did get a Chuck-will's-widow singing, but no owls. :-( It was magical experiencing the dawn chorus, however, stopping periodically along the roads until it was time to meet the girls at the Pavilion. I had heard that the Old Entrance Road was a good birding road, so I suggested we hike that. Great Crested Flycatchers were calling, but too far away to even hope to see. We took the paved walkway along the river and tried unsuccessfully to draw out a curious Yellow-breasted Chat, then worked our way up the road. An Eastern Wood Pewee serenaded us as we gawked dutifully at the scenic overlook, then started plodding up the trail. Even though it's paved, the first part of the trail is quite steep, and we almost turned around, but thankfully it leveled off shortly. The first highlight actually wasn't a bird at all, but another gorgeous Red Satyr, right in the sun! A little later we had an old friend from San Diego yet that is kind of a local specialty here: a Hutton's Vireo! A Scott's Oriole also sang from somewhere over the hill. Several Golden-cheeked Warblers sang, and we just happened to have two males aggressively song-battling when these two [human] guys came up the trail (one was Canadian but the other guy sounded British) who hadn't seen any yet, so we were happy to show them their life bird! We hiked all the way to the old gate and just turned around rather than go down Wild Horse Creek Trail and back on the road. By the residence we had a female Cardinal with whitish eyebrows! Back at the Pavilion we fixed some lunch and actually had quite a bit of action: both Yellow-throated and another Hutton's Vireo came to say hello (Sue actually saw them mating--two Yellow-throateds, that is), and a Nashville Warbler sang his jingly little song. After that we headed down to the Frio River to try for Green Kingfisher (I had had a pair of Ringed there earlier); dipped on that one, but got a Spotted Sandpiper and great looks at a Yellow-throated Warbler. A Canyon Wren sang his distinctive song from the rock faces, and a Black-crested Titmouse entertained us by taking a bath and preening at point-blank range! Another old San Diego friend, the Common Raven, croaked in the distance. We then headed over to the old Bicycle Trail where I had the fighting Field Sparrows the day before, as the girls really wanted that, but they (the sparrows) weren't cooperative this time (except for a feeding flock that Jan and Sue went chasing after and almost got themselves lost--Sue got the Field but Jan didn't...). It proved to be another great trail for leps, however, as not only did we have several Silvered Checkerspots again, but yet another lifer: a Juniper Hairstreak! Also had a pretty male Dun Skipper with his golden head, and a female Vesta Crescent. We headed back to Neil's Lodges after that and down to the Pecan Grove, where there were more feeders. In addition to the same birds we had the day before, both Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches came in, along with a White-crowned Sparrow and Summer Tanager! Chickadees came to the drip, and a titmouse with the rattiest-looking tail we had ever seen whanged on a sunflower seed! An empid of some kind peeped, but Sue was the only one ene rgetic enough to go chase it down (it eluded her, anyway...). Kissed the girls goodbye so I could get up to Kerrville at a decent hour, only they found a Bullock's Oriole on the way out--alas, I couldn't find it for my list! Pics for the day: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/garner_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/garner) Bird List (birds in CAPS are new for the trip): Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-22-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-22-09 to 4-22-09 BLACK VULTURE Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus SPOTTED SANDPIPER Actitis macularius Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared Dove Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW Caprimulgus carolinensis Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris EASTERN WOOD PEWEE Contopus virens Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus crinitus PURPLE MARTIN Progne subis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET Regulus calendula CANYON WREN Catherpes mexicanus Carolina Wren Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii HOUSE WREN Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Eastern Bluebird Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Common Raven Corvus corax European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons HUTTON’S VIREO Vireo huttoni 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 Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW Zonotrichia leucophrys Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum 61 SPECIES So Far: 83 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Big savings on Dell XPS Laptops and Desktops! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1219799634x1201361008/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubl eclick.net%2Fclk%3B214133440%3B36002254%3Bj) Subject: Hill Country Part 1: McAllen to Uvalde From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:14:52 EDT Hi, all! I got WAY behind in the journal, so I hope I remember the details! Left McAllen, TX on Tuesday the 21st to head into the Hill Country to meet San Diego birding buddies Jan Nordenberg, Sue Smith, Ann Hannon, and Marcie (she was the only one I didn't know and unfortunately didn't catch her last name... :-( ). The plan was to bird Garner State Park together on Wednesday, but it didn't take me long to get to Uvalde and check in, picking up nice birds on the way such as several Chihuahuan Ravens, a White-tailed Hawk, Caracara (lots), and a Krider's Redtail. After getting the key I headed up to Garner to check the place out. White-eyed Vireos were all over, and had Field Sparrows singing on the way in. The feeders at the little visitor's center had both Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummers coming in for a drink, plus lots of Chipping Sparrows going after the seeds. Barn Swallows were building a nest under the eaves. Heading up the hill added the first Golden-cheeked Warbler of the trip buzzing outside the car window, then swung down through the cabin area and stopped briefly at the Frio River, where both Yellow-throated Warblers and Northern Parulas were singing. Other road birds included Eastern Bluebird and Vermilion Flycatcher. After checking out all the roads I went back to where I saw a trailhead in an old camping area that looked like it was no longer in use (it was a big field now with just a paved loop). It didn't say No Parking, so I applied the It's Easier To Get Forgiveness Than Permission Rule and backed Jip into one of the old slots nearest the trail. Just heading in ten minutes was a lovely walk through the woods, the highlight being a couple of Field Sparrows having a tiff. A Red-shouldered Hawk yelled in the distance, and several Summer Tanagers "pik-a-chewed". By that time the butterflies were out, and after editing the pics I discovered I had my first lifer: a Silvery Checkerspot! Also had a Bordered Patch and several Pipevine Swallowtails. Had time to hike a little of the Wild Horse Creek Trail over by Shady Meadows, and this looked great for Goldencheeks with all the Ash Junipers, but didn't hear any probably due to the time of day. The butterflies were more active, with several Viola's Wood Satyrs, and another lifer I was thrilled to find: the Red Satyr! A very friendly Chipping Sparrow posed for pictures on the way out, and back at the visitor's center a female Hooded Oriole had discovered the hummer feeder, much to the chagrin of the hummers! Jan called about that time, so I met the girls at Neal's Lodges where after a happy reunion we headed down to one of the feeding stations (where the Rufous-capped Warbler had shown up) and enjoyed the moochers: a brilliant male Hooded Oriole was raiding the jelly when we arrived, and Rufous-crowned and Clay-colored Sparrows were new for my trip list. An Olive Sparrow made a very brief appearance, but unfortunately not everyone got on that one. We were entertained by a female House Finch that seemed hypnotized by the drip (the girls couldn't believe House Finches are actually accidental in the Valley)! Lots of "Black-backed" Goldfinches came in to the faucet, as well as the usual dove contingent of White-winged, Inca, and Common Ground. Just before we left a Bell's Vireo decided to sing next to us! We had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant overlooking the river, where the star of the show was the Ringed Kingfisher that flew in! Comedy relief was supplied by Sue when she accidentally dropped her fried pickle in her glass of wine... After that we kissed goodbye and I headed back to Uvalde with plans to meet at Garner the next morning. Pics for the day: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/uvalde_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/uvalde) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-21-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-21-09 to 4-21-09 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway 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 Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus 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 Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Northern Parula Parula americana Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus 64 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Big savings on Dell XPS Laptops and Desktops! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1219799634x1201361008/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubl eclick.net%2Fclk%3B214133440%3B36002254%3Bj) Subject: Hidalgo County Big Day (longish) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:35:36 EDT Hi, all! Had a great time Friday doing a springtime Big Day, following pretty much the same pattern I did in January with a couple of additions due to the extra daylight hours. My first bird happened to be the cacophony of Great-tailed Grackles (1) at the corner of Bentsen Palm Drive and Business 83 well before dawn! Arrived at Bentsen an hour before sunrise where the place was crawling with cops and Border Patrol (and I was very happy to see them, frankly)! The Pauraques (2) were tuning up, but unfortunately that's all that was calling; I made a loop around Acacia to listen for Elf Owl and ran into another visiting birder named Leo, who joined me as we made our way down the Kiskadee Trail and back over towards the Green Jay Blind. A Black-bellied Whistling Duck (3) flew overhead in the darkness, and by then both White-winged (4) and White-tipped Doves (5) were waking up. Leo did happen to hear an Eastern Screech Owl (6), which thankfully called again for me! Red-winged Blackbirds (7) were calling from the reeds, and soon Couch's Kingbirds (8), a Long-billed Thrasher (9), Mourning Doves (10), Cardinals (11), and Kiskadees (12) joined the dawn chorus. As we sat at Kingfisher Overlook awaiting sunrise, we could pick out a Clay-colored Thrush (13) in the mix. Some Chachalacas (14) growled from the vicinity of the blind, and a Pied-billed Grebe (15) hooted from the resaca. A Gray Hawk (16) whistled back around where the nest was, and soon other marsh birds piped up including Coot (17), Yellowthroat (18), and a cackling Least Bittern (19). A Golden-fronted Woodpecker (20) made his presence known as Leo headed for the Hawk Tower, while I scanned the marsh when it became light enough to see and added roosting Cattle Egrets (21) and an Anhinga (22). On the way out the Black-crested Titmice (23) and Beardless Tyrannulet (24) were singing up a storm, and Brown-crested Flycatcher (25), Green Jay (26), and Mockingbird (27) quickly were added. Barely caught an Osprey (28) flying past, and then spotted about three Mississippi Kites (29) circling over the trees! Ran into Jose with the van, and he had seen the same group taking off. Continuing down the entrance road added Ladder-backed Woodpecker (30), Olive Sparrow (31), a burbling House Wren (32), Altamira Oriole (33--at least I'm assuming it was that and not a Smudgy...), and a powerful-sounding Great Crested Flycatcher (34), possibly the same one I heard the previous Saturday. An unidentified waterthrush "pinked" and flew at the "wet spot" along the entrance road, and at the levee several swallows were wheeling around, mostly Caves (35) but also some Banks (36) giving their rapid-fire calls. Another raptor proved to be a White-tailed Kite (37), and a Bronzed Cowbird (38) sang from the headquarters area. Heading to the parking lot added a flyover Killdeer (39) and an Inca Dove (40) on the sidewalk. On the way to Anzalduas several Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (41) lined the wires, and the House Finch-like song of a Blue Grosbeak (42) wafted into the car along Military Highway, along with Eastern Meadowlarks (43). A Bewick's Wren (44) sang along the levee road, and heard the requisite House Sparrows (45) near human habitation. At Anzalduas the guy at the entrance booth told me about their Gray Hawk nest (didn't have the heart to tell him I already had it for the day ;-)), and down at the river added Laughing Gulls (46) and several Turkey Vultures (48) lounging around. Starlings (49) were chattering, and a lone Gadwall (49) was in the river, along with a Moorhen (50) along the bank (no flames about him being on the Mexican side, please... ;-)). Chimney Swifts (51) chittered overhead, and a few Rock Pigeons (52) powered over as well. Driving slowly through the park yielded the singing Black Phoebe (53), and in the back area (the road over the levee is actually PAVED now) had a flock of Lark Sparrows (54) with a single Chippie (55) in with them! Swallows were all over, so easily added Cliff (56), Rough-winged (57), and Barn (58) to the list. At the overlook a lone cormorant turned out to be a Double-crested (59, complete with double crests), and a Spotted Sandpiper (60) bobbed along the rocks. Closer scrutiny added a hiding Neotropic Cormorant (61), several Mottled Ducks (62), and a pair of American Wigeon (63) I almost overlooked! A Great Egret (64) was standing stoically in the river, and a Lincoln's Sparrow (65) buzzed from the grass. On the way out I did look at the Gray Hawk nest tree just in case the guy asked... ;-) Next stop was Quinta Mazatlan, and got a double whammy upon stepping out of the car: the Green Parakeets (66) were screeching over as last time, but so was a Red-crowned Parrot (67)! That was a first! (He later allowed good looks from his palm tree...) A Curve-billed Thrasher (68) feeding at one of the stations was a target bird, and going around the back side ran into a little feeding flock that included Nashville (69), Black-throated Green (70), and John Brush's Blue-winged Warbler (71)! A funny whistle turned out to be a Baltimore Oriole (72) perched atop a dead tree near the little amphitheater, and John's Chuck-will's-widow (73) had moved over to this area as well! Even with the dreary weather, a male Ruby-throated Hummer (74) turned his head so that I was able to get a flash of red, and the resident Buff-bellied Hummers (75) chattered as well. Another target bird, the Tropical Kingbirds (76), twittered over by the golf course, and a Yellow-breasted Chat (77) made an appearance in the little butterfly garden! Blasted up Ware Road and over to Wallace Road, where a Red-tailed Hawk (78) played Telephone Pole Tag with me for a mile or so! Practically ran over a Horned Lark (79), and at one stop Bobwhite (80) were calling in the distance. Savannah Sparrows (81) were in the fields along with lots more Lark Sparrows, and a White-eyed Vireo (82) sang at the NWR tract. A Caracara (83) came through near the tract trailhead, and flushed a Common Ground Dove (84) along the road. A presumed Western Kingbird would have been #85, but the fact that, when he flew off, he was making nice with a Scissortail raised an eyebrow, and indeed the pictures showed a short-tailed Scissortail whose pink flush looked more yellow to me at first glance. :-( Arriving at the wetlands the real #85 was a gurgling Marsh Wren, and in the water added Least Grebe (86) and Ruddy Duck (87). It was really rather quiet except for another White-tailed Kite perched on a dead tree (until I got my camera out); the normal Anhingas were around, but only picked up a few Blue-winged Teal (88) and a single Great Blue Heron (89) flying past. A Brown-headed Cowbird (90) whistled from somewhere, and was pleased to hear the staccato song of a Sedge Wren (91)! At the next wetland some Black Vultures (92) flopped around, and thankfully while I was out of the car the Green Kingfisher (93) decided to zip by! Also along here picked up a single Snowy Egret (94), Tricolored Heron (95), and a couple of Black-necked Stilts (96). Towards the north end of the road, I was shocked to hear Turkeys (97) gobbling, and also the obnoxious buzz of a Dickcissel (98)! Headed over and down to Edinburg Wetlands after that, where I checked the south pond first. Several Long-billed Dowitchers (99) were added to the list, as well as a Green Heron (100) I almost missed along the bank! Least Sandpipers (101) were in the mix as well, along with a few more Neotrops and a pair of Forster's Terns (102) that were unique for the day. In the north pond was a Black-crowned Night Heron (103) and several Shovelers (104), along with the usual contingent of teal, coots, and grebes. I accused Javier of locking up the Spotted Towhee ;-) but did manage to spot another male Archilochus hummer who turned his head enough to show a PURPLE throat this time, nailing him as a Black-chinned (105)! A bright chirp got me into the butterfly gardens again from the other side of the resaca, and was able to track down the Yellow Warbler (106) making it, while also adding the Least Tern (107) flying overhead. Javier was upset on my behalf that I dipped on the Gull-billed Tern and Black Skimmer that had been there earlier! From there headed down to Santa Ana, where a young Broad-winged Hawk (108) was sailing over the levee. At Willow Lake had several White-faced Ibis (109) feeding, and a Red-shouldered Hawk (110) made off with a snake! There were more dowitchers here, along with several Lesser Yellowlegs (111), and over by the blind a couple of White Ibis (112) fed with another truly glossy White-faced! A Sora (113) whinnied in response to the camera clicking, and finally added Carolina Wren (114) singing in the distance. Another migrant flock was heading through, but the only birds I could get on were another knockout Blue-winged Warbler and a cooperative Eastern Wood Pewee (115). Headed over to the Progresso Sod Farms after that, stopping along 281 for a pair of White-tailed Hawks (116). There was nothing at all along this route or the levee (except more Horned Larks), but picked up a Swainson's Hawk (117) where the levee dumped onto 88. Headed north to Frontera Audubon Thicket, and this was where the real party was: migrants were coming in to the water feature like nobody's business! Before I even got there, though, several Tennessee Warblers (118) were in the parking lot, and Purple Martins (119) gurgled overhead. A few other birders were also staked out at the feature when I got there, and shortly both Tennessee and Nashville Warblers came in, along with both male and female Northern Parulas (120), and a lovely male Chestnut-sided Warbler (121)! I decided to take a walk around the loop, but it was rather quiet except for another chat in the marshy area and several more Nashville Warblers near the butterfly gardens. When I came back to the water feature Huck Hutchins had a few people camped out at a drip I didn't even know was there, and they had had both Indigo and Painted Buntings while I was gone! :-( But as Huck was trying to get me on another Chestnut-sided Warbler, I was distracted by an odd metallic chink coming from the water feature, and when my eyes finally caught the movement in the shadows, it was the female Blue Bunting (122)! She eclipsed the warbler, to be sure, and she thankfully gave a brief life look for another visiting birder! I found myself glued there for a good long time after that, just enjoying the birds and fellowship, and adding a skulky Catbird (123), a calling Lesser Goldfinch (124), and another big surprise: a couple of Pine Siskins (125) that had evidently been hanging around! It was 4:50 by that time and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get into Estero Llano Grande, but Huck assured me I could, so I zipped over there (sorry I missed you, John! :-( ) and right away saw that Javier was at least half vindicated as a pair of Gull-billed Terns (126) were batting around, as well as a pair of Least Terns! The light was terrific, and even though they weren't new for the day, enjoyed point blank looks at Long-billed Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers, BN Stilts, and even a Savannah Sparrow! But hidden in the pack of shorebirds were several Wilson's Phalaropes (127), including a couple of brilliant ladies! Also almost overlooked a Stilt Sandpiper (128) in with the dowitchers! Made the loop around the grasslands and didn't kick up anything except Lincoln's Sparrows, but an adult and immature Little Blue Heron (129) flew by in the distance, and walking back along Dowitcher Pond managed to flush a couple of Fulvous Whistling Ducks (130) from the reeds! Still had plenty of daylight, so blasted up to the La Sal del Rey area, stopping every mile along the dirt roads to hopefully tack on some "western" and mesquite grassland stuff. Dipped on the hoped-for Painted Bunting and Cassin's Sparrow, but a Roadrunner (131) obliged nicely, and at another stop a Pyrrhuloxia (132) gave its distinctive chatter. Several Harris' Hawks (133) showed up, and finally picked out a Loggerhead Shrike (134) out of all the other wire birds! I might have had Collared Doves as well, but they took off before I could get a look at them, as did a couple of accipiters. Got more nice looks at Broad-winged, White-tailed, and Swainson's Hawks, and just as the sun was going down a Common Nighthawk (135) was officially the last bird of the day! Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Check all of your email inboxes from anywhere on the web. Try the new Email Toolbar now! (http://toolbar.aol.com/mail/download.html?ncid=txtlnkusdown00000027) Subject: South Padre Island--the full story From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:35:26 EDT Hi, all! I've finally had a minute to write up yesterday's (15 APR) wonderful morning with San Diego birding buddies Alice Debolt, Tony Merceica, and Dennis and Jill Raffelson (Alice's hubby Chuck joined us later)! We were to meet at the Convention Center at eight, and of course I got there early and was treated immediately to a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the garden! Another birder excitedly pointed out a Painted Bunting on the sidewalk before he ran to get his camera, but by the time he got back (and I emerged from the ladies' room) the bird was replaced by a bunch of Lincoln's Sparrows at the little water feature. I headed out onto the boardwalk where I ran into Tony, and we enjoyed "Texas Flamingoes" (spoonbills), Avocets, Skimmers, and very cooperative Clapper Rails! (I was afraid they had vamoosed with all the construction going on...) The Golden Plover was seen that morning, but not by me; there were several other shorebirds about, including Dunlin and Marbled Godwit. Both flavors of Reddish Egrets were at the overlook, and both Sedge and Marsh Wrens sang from the grasses/reeds. Found Alice and the Raffelsons back in the gardens, and between gab sessions we enjoyed and shot cooperative Black-throated Green, Yellow, Tennessee, and Nashville Warblers, as well as a Warbling Vireo. The female Summer Tanager was pretty skulky, however. (Both Tony and Dennis have monster cameras, so there was a lot of good-natured bantering going on between the Nikon and Canon users... ;-)) Later it dawned on me that I totally forgot to check the mudflats... :-( From there we went to a private lot belonging to a friend of Tony's, where the real show took place: first to greet us was a male Blackpoll Warbler, but shortly after that a gorgeous male Cerulean Warbler dropped in and gave a great show! Not to be outdone, a male Black-and-white came in at point blank range (Tony assured us he'd land on a certain tree and start working it, and he did)!. In addition we had more Tennessees, a couple of Parulas, a Catbird, and Alice thought she had a Kentucky Warbler but he never showed for the rest of us. From there we went to Sheepshead where they have quite the setup since the last time I was there with several drips, a couple of little ponds, and some oranges set out! Chuck, Alice's non-birding hubby, joined us here, but managed to spot the only Worm-eating Warbler of the morning at the pond! A waterthrush also came in at the far pond that looked like a Northern back there, but when it came to the near pond it started looking suspiciously like a Louisiana! I think that's what we're leaning towards (and my lousy picture sure isn't definitive, I don't think...). Also coming in to the area was a Chestnut-sided Warbler; more Tennessees, Nashvilles, and Parulas; Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, and even a Green Heron! Afterwards we all went to lunch at Yummy's (across the street from "Jaws"), a delightful little deli and coffee shop, that served a burger to die for! (I caved and got a coconut espresso afterwards... ;-)) Pics are posted here (and I included the icky WE Warbler and waterthrush just because I know there are some on the list who will want to see those pics...): _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 4-15-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 4-15-09 to 4-15-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Osprey Pandion haliaetus Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Dunlin Calidris alpina Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Herring Gull Larus argentatus Least Tern Sternula antillarum Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Inca Dove Columbina inca Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica House Wren Troglodytes aedon Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla Northern Parula Parula americana Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius 65 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Great deals on Dell’s most popular laptops – Starting at $479 (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1220029082x1201385915/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B213969145%3B35701480%3Bh) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:23:35 EDT Hi, all! Bookended a trip to the chiropractor's with a visit to Quinta Mazatlan early and Hidalgo Pumphouse afterwards! I missed John Brush's Blue-winged Warbler, but DID manage to flush his Chuck-will's-widow towards the northwest corner of the loop trail (where the "Hummingbird Restaurant" is)! His Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were also still hanging around, and enjoyed the regulars going after the suet feeders, but only had Black-and-white and Wilson's in the warbler department. A group of four Green Parakeets went screaming over early on, and a pair kept circling over throughout the time I was there. A pretty Ruby-throated Hummer showed up at the "sparrow feeders" where a banded Carolina Wren attacked another suet feeder. I thought I heard a sapsucker at one point, but it didn't call again, and shortly afterwards I spooked a Cooper's Hawk with breakfast off its perch, so that could have been what I heard. The tittering Tropical Kingbirds were still around, as well as a vocal Clay-colored Thrush. After the doctor's I happened to wheel in the OHP parking lot the same time Mike Rickard did, so I followed him around looking for leps while trying to keep a bird list; a Green Heron spooking from the "Swimming Hole" was nice, but dipped on the Black Phoebe this time. I parted company with him briefly in order to check out the resaca, where a Clay-colored Thrush was calling querulously, and a double-take at a Couch's Kingbird proved it to be a Western! A real Couch's was very brave and caught a wasp for lunch, and swallows of several varieties flew overhead, along with a few Chimney Swifts. We had a few nice leps, including Nysa Roadside Skipper and Theona Checkerspot. 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: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 4/14/09 Number of species: 37 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Plain Chachalaca 6 Cattle Egret 4 Cooper's Hawk 1 White-winged Dove 12 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 6 Green Parakeet 4 Chuck-will's-widow 1 Chimney Swift 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 4 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 5 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 3 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 1 Clay-colored Thrush 2 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 4 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 2 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 3 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 5 Great-tailed Grackle 7 Bronzed Cowbird 1 House Sparrow 20 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 4/14/09 Number of species: 24 Green Heron 1 Rock Pigeon 4 White-winged Dove 1 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 Chimney Swift 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 1 Couch's Kingbird 1 Western Kingbird 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5 Bank Swallow 4 Barn Swallow 2 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Great-tailed Grackle 5 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Access 350+ FREE radio stations anytime from anywhere on the web. Get the Radio Toolbar! (http://toolbar.aol.com/aolradio/download.html?ncid=emlcntusdown00000002) Subject: Bentsen Bird Walk From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:23:09 EDT Hi, all! A power outage prevented me from getting this out earlier, but joined Jose Uribe in leading the bird walk yesterday morning; I actually got there about 7:18 and walked down to the "10-minute Bench" where I had a singing Clay-colored Thrush and a pair of flyover Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, which we didn't see later. I ran into Jose as he was pulling the van out and we cruised around the park, actually seeing a CC Thrush on a tree by the pavilion, making his querulous little call! The biggest surprise was a mini downpour when no rain was even forecast! It let up by the time we reached the VC and joined the rest of the crowd that had shown up; the highlight was a Louisiana Waterthrush that was hanging around the dragonfly pond, along with a Yellowthroat. Jose pointed out an Inca Dove nest to us, and a male Ruby-throated Hummer also made an appearance, while the Buffbellies were vocal but less cooperative. We all piled in and headed to the Gatehouse where we enjoyed the icterids chowing down, including a Darth Vaderish Bronzed Cowbird. More Rubythroats buzzed around the olive tree, and someone spotted a snoozing nighthawk in a tree! We pulled out the books and settled on Common, based on the fact that the wingtips projected a bit beyond the tail. Heading over to Kingfisher Overlook, Jose found said Ringed Kingfisher across the resaca, beating the snot out of a big fish before devouring it and then flying past us! A mob of roosting Turkey Vultures soon started to lift off, and before long we were treated to flight after flight of raptors (I think the overcast skies kept them rather low), mostly Broadies and TVs but with a few Swainson's Hawks sprinkled in. We enjoyed the Kiskadees and Altamira Orioles working on their nests, then made our way over to Acacia loop where Jose showed us the Gray Hawk nest, complete with Gray Hawk! One of the participants spotted a Brown-crested Flycatcher, and in short order we were treated to two sparring Clay-colored Thrushes, and a surprisingly cooperative Beardless Tyrannulet! Eagle Pond was quiet, but Kiskadee Blind produced two gorgeous Indigo Buntings and a photogenic Green Jay, as well as White-tipped Doves an a Javelina. (After editing the pics, it looked as though one of the buntings was more turquoise than the other!) On the way back to the vans a Smudgy Oriole gave us a show! I had to take off after that, but the rest of the gang went on to the Hawk Tower; I'll let Jose report on that part! :-) On the walk out heard a Great Crested Flycatcher and Common Ground Dove to add to my own list. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) (and the moth and the dragon are best guesses...) Bird List: Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC 069) Observation date: 4/11/09 Number of species: 47 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 3 Plain Chachalaca 5 Anhinga 2 Turkey Vulture 40 Broad-winged Hawk 30 Gray Hawk 2 Swainson's Hawk 6 American Coot 40 Gull-billed Tern 1 White-winged Dove 7 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 3 Common Ground-Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 15 Common Nighthawk 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 4 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 6 Couch's Kingbird 12 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 2 Green Jay 10 Cave Swallow 6 Black-crested Titmouse 2 House Wren 6 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Clay-colored Thrush 6 Northern Mockingbird 6 Long-billed Thrasher 7 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 5 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 5 Indigo Bunting 2 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Great-tailed Grackle 30 Bronzed Cowbird 4 Altamira Oriole 2 Altamira x Audubon's Oriole (hybrid) 1 House Sparrow 20 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Estero Llano Grande From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 21:32:31 EDT Hi, all! Had a lovely day at Estero Llano with good company and great birds, including (finally) the very cooperative Rose-throated Becard! The magpie jay also stole the show from a basking Mexican Bluewing! No sign of the Masked Duck or LeConte's Sparrow, however (the wind really kicked up later), but three Cinnamon Teal were out in the open, along with many whistling ducks of both flavors. After Huck took us around The Forbidden Zone, Joyce Davidson and her friend plus Cheryl from Salieno (now at Santa Ana) and I went around the boardwalk in search of the Masked Duck, but just had the usual. (A young Roseate Spoonbill feeding in Ibis Pond was nice, however...) After we split up I had a flyover Ringed Kingfisher near Dowitcher Pond and a calling Least Bittern in the reeds. On the way back to the cars we ran into each other again and had a couple of Nashville Warblers where the Green Kingfisher usually hangs out by the ditch pipe (and we did indeed have one there during the butterfly walk). As the day wore on I switched from birding to lepping when the Rickards showed up along with Tom Pendelton and Fran Bartle, plus a couple of guys from New York, where the star of the show was a Mexican Silverspot in the parking lot! (Although the Cyna Blue was a life bug for Fran... ;-)) Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Bird List: Location: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) Observation date: 4/3/09 Notes: A "Myrtle" Warbler and White-tailed Kite were also observed by the rest of the group. Number of species: 84 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 20 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 30 Blue-winged Teal 20 Cinnamon Teal 3 Northern Shoveler 10 Lesser Scaup 1 Plain Chachalaca 3 Least Grebe 20 Pied-billed Grebe 4 American White Pelican 4 Double-crested Cormorant 100 Anhinga 1 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 3 Tricolored Heron 2 Cattle Egret 5 Green Heron 5 White-faced Ibis 5 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Osprey 1 Broad-winged Hawk 4 Crested Caracara 1 Sora 4 Common Moorhen 7 American Coot 100 Killdeer 4 Black-necked Stilt 8 American Avocet 2 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 Long-billed Dowitcher 50 Gull-billed Tern 2 Rock Pigeon 2 White-winged Dove 8 Mourning Dove 10 Inca Dove 6 Common Ground-Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 10 Red-crowned Parrot 8 Chimney Swift 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 7 Couch's Kingbird 8 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 7 Rose-throated Becard 1 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Black-throated Magpie-Jay 1 Green Jay 2 Purple Martin 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8 Cliff Swallow 3 Barn Swallow 3 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Carolina Wren 2 House Wren 3 Marsh Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 10 Long-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Nashville Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 3 Lincoln's Sparrow 8 Northern Cardinal 3 Pyrrhuloxia 1 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Altamira Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 20 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Progresso & Hidalgo From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:07:09 EDT Hi, all! Since I had to be out of the apartment this morning I decided to finally check out the Progresso Sod Farms, a new spot for me. It was pretty much as Rex described yesterday: what birds that were out there were WAY out there at the north end! But could positively ID a dozen or so American Golden Plovers, and an Upland Sandpiper also flew over. I continued road-birding past the little reservoir and up to the levee, where something evidently spooked the plovers as they all zipped overhead along with some Least Sandpipers. Some Red-crowned Parrots calling in the distance were nice for the list. Decided to continue west along the levee, where after it crossed SR 88 I was on familiar territory from the Weslaco CBC! This was a terrific road to bird as it had many little wetlands and ponds, and today didn't disappoint, as some of the highlights included four Roseate Spoonbills in with a large flock of White-faced Ibis (had some Whites, too), several kinds of ducks, an Anhinga, and at least three Krider's-type Hawks along with a couple of immature White-taileds. Another Upland Sandpiper also flew over, as well as my FOS Cliff Swallows. There was quite a substantial freshwater marsh at one point where I got a Sora to respond to hand-clapping. When I got to FM 493 I decided to be adventurous and continue on, and enjoyed more combinations of agricultural and wetland habitats, along with some thorn scrub and even some grassland thrown in. A Harris' Hawk flew by with a gob of nesting material, and a scruffy-looking Caracara pumped past as well. The unpleasant surprise at Alamo Road was a locked tank-stopping yellow gate, so Jip got to take a nose-dive off the levee onto the farm road in order to access the paved road! Headed to Hidalgo Pumphouse after that, where it was actually drizzling when I got there! :-( I sat in the car for 15 enjoying a pair of Couch's Kingbirds and a Black-crested Titmouse, which was my first for the park. The sun finally came out and I headed down to the channel where I added Green Heron and Cattle Egret, also firsts. The Black Phoebe peeped from somewhere, and added both Buff-bellied and an Archilochus hummingbird after Mike Rickard had joined me. Lep highlights included an ovipositing Cyna Blue and a Forrester Moth Mike pointed out. Headed home with 68 species for the day. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird list: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 3-31-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 3-31-09 to 3-31-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Green Heron Butorides virescens White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 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 American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Purple Martin Progne subis Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota House Wren Troglodytes aedon Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus 68 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Cameron County (longish) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:39:03 EDT Hi, all! Sorry about the late report, but I had a lot of photos to sort through... Did a dawn-to-dusk run of Cameron County on Friday the 27th, starting at Sabal Palm Grove. The Audubon's Oriole pair was right there in the parking lot, singing away! Also added my first Altamira for the park while I was taking advantage of the porta potty... A loop of the Forest Trail added a couple of Solitary Sandpipers in the drying resaca along the boardwalk, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk sat on a dead limb. Heard an unfamiliar parrot calling in the distance, and at the photo blind ran into a Canadian gentleman who had seen a Red-lored Parrot in the parking lot, so that could have been what I heard, but I'm not sure. He pointed out a Green Kingfisher to me across the way, as well as a Green Heron, and later a big Ringed same sailing in. Also had my first Lesser Scaup for the park, as well as a Ring-necked Duck. Back at the VC Jimmy Paz filled the feeders and pointed out the "Cooper's Hawk" that was terrorizing everyone (and indeed it was big), but then it started making Sharpie noises! The photos I got of the bird showed that it was indeed a Sharpie (the skinny legs gave it away) and taught me once again to be careful calling an Accipiter by size alone! Sure had ME fooled! The Chachalacas were getting territorial and therefore provided comedy relief... Headed down Boca Chica Boulevard after that; no Aplomados, but lots of meadowlarks, and at one watery stop added Northern Waterthrush and Swamp Sparrow! Had a good selection of raptors, including Black Vulture, harrier, and Red-tailed Hawk which were unique for the day. Also picked up Chihuahuan Raven (saving a trip to the dump), and the expected beach-loving shorebirds at road's end. South Padre was next, and I'm kicking myself for not checking out the jetty, as Dennis Raffelson and Alice DeBolt were enjoying a Black-legged Kittiwake at the time (I found out later)! But there was plenty of action at the Convention Center; sadly no rails due to the construction, but there was a great display (in wonderful light) of White Ibis in high breeding plumage, along with Tricolored Herons, Willets, and Black-necked Stilts! The only ducks out in the laguna were several Red-breasted Mergansers. On the way back had several of these white tiger-like moths feeding on the flowers, which turned out to be Ornate Moths (best match, anyway). The butterfly garden was in good shape, with an Obscure Skipper feeding, and lots of Great Southern Whites batting around. In back of the Convention Center the tide was high, so no shorebirds, but picked up several Skimmers, and the posts were lined with larids watching a fight between two Reddish Egrets (I swear I thought one of them was going to drown the other)! Headed up to Laguna Atascosa after that, where the heat was pretty oppressive (I think the Roadrunner I shot on the way in would agree with that assessment...) and at the visitor's center the leps were rather quiet except for a nice Giant Swallowtail that put on a show. Picked up a Catbird, a Black-and-white Warbler, and Northern Parula along Kiskadee Trail, but the Blue Buntings were smarter than I was and were apparently hiding deep in the shade... After a visit at the feeders I headed down to Alligator Pond for the first time in my life, and was very impressed with the setup! Met a guy named Glen who already had the Masked Duck staked out and in the scope, and what a view! She was near the back side of the pond but still way out in the open, and I have to say that I am very impressed with this Canon EOS Rebel: I could barely see the bird through the viewfinder but several of the shots miraculously came out halfway decent! The Alligator apparently made a lunge at someone and put every bird in the pond on alert status! We walked back to our cars together and then kept leapfrogging on the Bayside Trail; even though he was from Texas and now living on the east coast, he'd never been to the Valley before, so everything was new! I tried to point out his life White-tailed Hawk when I had stopped at one point, but the thing flew behind some trees before he could get on it... :-( We all converged at another stop (Glen, another family I ran into at Sabal Palm, and local birder John whom I keep mistaking for Father Tom... :-}) where there was a Pectoral Sandpiper amongst the other shorebirds and ducks. At one point was a male Shoveler with a BLUE head who was absolutely stunning! The Ospreys had their attendant gulls and turnstones, and on the back side of the loop in the Dolly-flooded fields were many more shorebirds, including several Stilt Sandpipers and my FOS Wilson's Plovers. Most of the peeps I could make out were Westerns (one coming into breeding plumage), but there were also some Leasts and Dunlins tossed in; I couldn't call any of them Semipals with a clear conscience... A beautiful but distant group of spoonbills added to the color, and the icing was a beautiful perched White-tailed Hawk (one of the pics included a Pipevine Swallowtail; almost looked as though he was bombing the hawk, but I doubt that...) Flushed a Merlin on the way out, and was very surprised that I dipped on Caracara... Headed home with 115 species for the day! 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: 3-27-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 3-27-09 to 3-27-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis 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 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Masked Duck Nomonyx dominica 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 Neotropic Cormorant 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 Green Heron Butorides virescens 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 Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus American Avocet Recurvirostra americana Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Tringa semipalmata Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Dunlin Calidris alpina Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Northern Parula Parula americana Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus 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 Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis Audubon's Oriole Icterus graduacauda 115 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Weslaco Birds From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:46:18 EDT Hi, all! Made a quick trip to Frontera this morning, where sadly yesterday's big show had moved on... :-( Nothing out of the ordinary, but highlights included a very cooperative Green Kingfisher (thanks to a visiting birder who found him on the boardwalk and pointed him out to me), flyover Green Parakeets and Red-crowned Parrots, a singing (!) Ovenbird and Wilson's Warbler, a calling Clay-colored Thrush, and my FOS Chimney Swift. My first Marsh Wren for the park was also gurgling from the reeds along the boardwalk. After the program at Valley Nature Center I took a quick swing around there as well, where the Chachalacas were chorusing up a storm, and had another Wilson's Warbler at one of the benches. A handful of pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Two bird lists follow: Location: Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058) Observation date: 3/21/09 Number of species: 41 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 70 Plain Chachalaca 20 Snowy Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 5 Killdeer 1 White-winged Dove 1 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 15 Green Parakeet 7 Red-crowned Parrot 2 Chimney Swift 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 5 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 4 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 1 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 2 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Ovenbird 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 15 Great-tailed Grackle 8 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Location: Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057) Observation date: 3/21/09 Number of species: 14 Plain Chachalaca 20 White-winged Dove 2 Inca Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 4 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Carolina Wren 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 40 Great-tailed Grackle 4 House Sparrow 50 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Spotted Towhee @ ESW From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:30:29 EDT Hi, all! Just a quick note to report that the Spotted Towhee is still at Edinburg Wetlands, as it "rrrrr"ed at me from the Kiskadee Pond. The Pyrrhuloxias were very cooperative today; the Wilson's and Yellow Warblers weren't... A few pics are posted here: _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/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Estero Llano Grande From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:41:50 EDT Hi, all! After a fabulous potluck and program on Valley reptiles by Jennifer Owen-White, decided to take an exercise walk around the park, but got shanghaied by Ranger John and we (along with Huck and a few others) ended up in The Forbidden Zone! The target birds never showed (I've been back there three times and have yet to see any of them, at least well), but we had some other nice things, including a snoozing Pauraque and Eastern Screech Owl, a cooperative Blue-headed Vireo, and even a displaying Green Anole (appropriate after the reptile talk)! Took my walk after that and enjoyed both flavors of Whistling Ducks, a flushed Sedge Wren, and an iridescent White-faced Ibis. Chatting with Huck back on the deck he told me about the anis I missed at the feeders :-( only to have them pop up on the way out! 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: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 3-18-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 3-17-09 to 3-18-09 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Snowy Egret Egretta thula White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes 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 Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 57 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan & Wallace Road From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:27:50 EDT Hi, all! The main event this morning was leading a bird walk at Quinta Mazatlan with John Brush, but the only two people to show up happened to be relatives of a friend from church! :-) So we took them around (they had never been birding before), and despite the weather we had good looks at several Valley specialties, including a skulky Olive Sparrow that John spotted! New for my QM list was a pretty male sapsucker showing off, which made for a woodpecker sweep all told! Jan said we made a great team as I'd hear them, then John would find them! :-) A twittering Tropical Kingbird in the parking lot was a treat, and Curve-billed Thrashers seemed to be all over. Towards the end we were enjoying a snazzy Kiskadee when an accipiter whizzed in and broke up the party; it looked pretty small, so I tentatively called it a Sharpie. I actually arrived long before the bird walk (around sunrise) and had a singing Clay-colored Thrush coming up the entrance drive. We wrapped that up pretty quickly, so since John had no other plans I suggested showing him Wallace Road (the Monte Cristo tract), so up we went! We had a nice selection of sparrows along the ag fields, but we didn't stop to listen (although I heard a Bobwhite at one point). Winter Texan Joyce had pointed out the "real" Sapo Lake a few months ago, so we decided to see if we could access it, and we could! The road we turned right onto to access the lake was about four miles north of Monte Cristo Road, and then you take a small dirt road past a fenced off area. The lake was pretty large and surrounded by rushes, and we had a flock of about 80 Lesser Scaup in there, as well as a couple of grebes, coots, and moorhen, plus a whinnying Sora. John flushed a Snipe, but I missed that one... We continued on to the "old" Sapo Lake and enjoyed lots of ducks, Anhingas, ibis of both flavors, both yellowlegs, and some dowitchers and Least Sands. Several Barn Swallows swooped over the water surface, and John picked out a Cave Swallow among them. On the way out we added Roughwing as well. Raptors included a Redtail, Harrier, a couple of Harris' Hawks, and several Caracaras, including two that were having an aerial spat; John had never heard them rattle before! Two bird lists follow: Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 3/14/09 Number of species: 29 Plain Chachalaca 25 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Rock Pigeon 7 White-winged Dove 2 Mourning Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 4 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 5 Tropical Kingbird 2 Green Jay 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 4 European Starling 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 5 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Great-tailed Grackle 6 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 American Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 40 Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 3/14/09 Number of species: 59 Blue-winged Teal 10 Northern Shoveler 20 Green-winged Teal 1 Lesser Scaup 80 Ruddy Duck 15 Northern Bobwhite 1 Least Grebe 5 Pied-billed Grebe 4 American White Pelican 2 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Anhinga 10 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 1 Tricolored Heron 2 Cattle Egret 10 White Ibis 10 White-faced Ibis 15 Turkey Vulture 7 Northern Harrier 1 Harris's Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 6 American Kestrel 5 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 100 Killdeer 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Least Sandpiper 3 Long-billed Dowitcher 8 Wilson's Snipe 1 Mourning Dove 20 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Couch's Kingbird 1 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Cave Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 8 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 10 Common Yellowthroat 8 Lark Sparrow 8 Savannah Sparrow 10 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 200 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Great-tailed Grackle 40 American Goldfinch 1 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find employment help in your area. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005) Subject: Santa Ana & Estero Llano From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:53:37 EDT Hi, all! Took Rubin and Paulette out to Santa Ana and Estero Llano yesterday, hoping to find them a Green Kingfisher but dipped miserably. We did have some nice things, though: at Santa Ana we hiked the west branch of the Willows Lake Trail and then cut across to the Chachalaca Trail and back to headquarters. I heard a Buff-bellied Hummingbird chatter in the parking lot, but as is often the case, the bird didn't hang around. Along this stretch we finally got a White-eyed Vireo to come out, and a Clay-colored Thrush did its querulous call and then zipped across a clearing. Tree Swallows gurgled overhead, and an odd honk alerted us to a flock of White Ibis flying overhead! In the lep department we had a couple of Mexican Bluewings and Zebra Heliconians, plus a couple of Emerald Moths (I thought we had the same bug that flew but the pics showed otherwise) that even with the LRGV Moth Guide I couldn't pin them down for sure. The wind was ferocious, so not much was out on the lakes, but we did have a pair of Least Grebes that were courting; by their behavior I almost expected them to hike up and start dancing across the water a la Westerns! A pair of White-faced Ibis flew in and landed in a hidden area. Over at Estero Llano we were pretty sheltered along the entrance walk, so had nice looks at a Giant Swallowtail and a dragonfly that I think was a Blue Dasher (best match, anyway). Out on the boardwalk the wind was ferocious, but we had great looks at the normal grebes and coots, plus a Lesser Yellowlegs and the reported Fulvous Whistling Ducks. Both Savannah and Lincoln's Sparrows were trying to stay out of the wind, so they only gave brief looks. While enjoying the Least and Spotted Sands, we noticed an American Pipit strutting among them! Even a Great-tailed Grackle put on a show for us! On the way to Alligator Lake a nice Little Blue Heron posed in Grebe Marsh, and after the turn I was reminded of Rex's account of shorebirds "escorting" an alligator at Laguna Atascosa as we watched a pair of very alert Pied-billed Grebes "escort" the alligator southbound! At least I thought that was "the" alligator until we spotted Big Mama resting on the bank opposite the deck!! We looked for the Pauraques on the way in, and miraculously I spotted one close to the trail (and it helped that it was probably the same one Huck pointed out a week or so ago...)! Other fun birds included an Anhinga doing its "snakebird" thing, and a Green Heron hunkered on the opposite shore. A feisty Snowy Egret challenged a Tricolored Heron, and a female Lesser Goldfinch made a brief appearance on the way out. It was a great morning with great company! Pics for the morning are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 3-10-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 3-10-09 to 3-10-09 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Egret Ardea alba Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Green Heron Butorides virescens White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor American Pipit Anthus rubescens Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi 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 Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 59 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find employment help in your area. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005) Subject: Hidalgo County From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 21:33:53 EDT Hi, all! Had a great day taking visiting birders Rubin and Paulette Stenseng around the county, starting at Bentsen pre-dawn, where we enjoyed several Pauraques tuning up and even caught a couple in the spotlight! Unfortunately I think the wind kept us from hearing much else in the way of night birds (although the Elf Owl was heard by someone else along the Acacia Loop). As it got lighter we added Cardinals and Long-billed Thrashers to the list, and Gray Hawks kept singing in the distance. Over at Kingfisher Overlook a Ringed Kingfisher gave a great look, and a mob of Anhingas sat across the way. A Clay-colored Thrush gave its querulous call back near the Kiskadee Trail. We spent some time at the blind, enjoying White-tipepd Doves and Green Jays, and at Eagle Pond Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Orange-crowned Warblers came in to the drip, but no buntings. On the way out we got great looks at Couch's Kingbird, Altamira Oriole, and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers on the feeders. The real treat was by the gatehouse where Carol and Jose were leading a bird walk, and they had another Clay-colored Thrush staked out! Headed over to Anzalduas after that where we immediately heard the Beardless Tyrannulet and finally tracked him down, where he gave great looks. In the back section we had a Vermilion Flycatcher and a nice selection of ducks at the overlook, plus good comparative views of the cormorants and pretty White Pelicans. On the way out we found a Black Phoebe in the big pavilion, and a Blue-headed Vireo in a nearby tree. A couple of flocks of Western Meadowlarks gave photo ops as well. We then made our way up to Wallace Road where we had a nice raptor selection, including a subadult White-tailed Hawk and several Caracaras vying for feeding rights with the vultures (the squabble was over a smushed turtle). A pretty White-tailed Kite posed, and what was probably a Cooper's Hawk batted overhead. Songbirds along here included American Goldfinch, Lark and Lincoln's Sparrows, Horned Larks, and a single Loggerhead Shrike. The marshy area held a Swamp Sparrow and Northern Waterthrush, and good numbers of the usual waterbirds (although low on waders this time). A Belted Kingfisher went whizzing by, but unfortunately no Green this time, although we had a tittering Tropical Kingbird. Perhaps the best sighting wasn't even a bird, but a Diamondback Water Snake that Rubin spotted! He also spotted a big Rio Grande Leopard Frog that posed for pics! A nice Harris' Hawk flew across 490 on the way to the freeway. Our last stop was Edinburg Wetlands, where some cooperative Inca Doves were new for the day, as well as a single Black-crowned Night Heron in the north pond (I'm wondering where they all went!) An uncooperative Wilson's Warbler called from the "jungle trail", and a pair of Curve-billed Thrashers were gathering nesting material! Incredibly we ran across another snake (a Coachwhip this time), but he didn't stick around for pics. No luck with the resident rarities, though, although some butterflies posed for us, in addition to an amberwing of some kind. Part 2 to follow! Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 3-9-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 3-9-09 to 3-9-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 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 Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius American Coot Fulica americana Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Rock Pigeon Columba livia Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula 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 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 79 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find employment help in your area. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005) Subject: NE Mexico Trip List, 9-13 March 2008 (last year) From: Chuck Sexton <gcwarbler AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 10:49:03 -0700 Since I've requested Golden-cheeked Warbler sightings in Mexico and have begun to dig through the archives of this and other lists, it seems only appropriate that I post my own stuff. The year on this list is correct; I undertook this trip precisely one year ago: Northeast Mexico, March 9-13, 2008 Chuck Sexton, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist Balcones Canyonlands NWR Austin, Texas ITINERARY: -- Sunday, March 9: Reynosa to El Cielo Biosphere Reserve. Late morning stop on Rio Corona off Hwy 101. Drove up into El Cielo, past Alta Cima ~ 2km; camped in cloud forest. -- Monday, March 10: El Cielo Biosphere Reserve. hiked from campsite, up road nearly to San Jose and back. Descend to Gomez Farias. Stayed that night at Motel Diamante in Mante. -- Tuesday, March 11: Mante, through El Naranjo and up through mountains; periodic stops in cloud forest, humid oak, dry oak, and arid pasturelands. Campsite near Colonia Magdeleno Cedillo (off Hwy 80 E of Cd. de Maiz). -- Wednesday, March 12: Birded woodlands around Colonia Magdaleno Cedillo in a.m. Long drive via Hwy 80 and 57, through Cd. de Maiz and Matehuala, thence back into mountains at Galeana and La Laguna. Failed to find a camping area there; drove E down mountains and stayed at Hacienda Real de Linares. -- Thursday, March 13: Drove Hwy 2, from Hwy 85 (above Montemorelos) over first mountain range to Rayones and returned. Departed N on 85, via Cadereyta and Quota highways to Nuevo Laredo in evening. WEATHER CONDITIONS: Mostly excellent, with sunny to occasionally partly cloudy skies; mild temperatures. Gusty SE winds en route south on Sunday and gusty SW winds en route home Thursday afternoon, but mostly not too windy for birding anywhere. HABITAT CONDITIONS: Variable; Tamaulipan thorn scrub mostly very dry although most huisache and mesquite were leafing out; cypress/willow woodlands along lowland rivers fully leafed out. Cloud forest dry, but many trees in bloom including virtually all emergent oaks. Above the cloud forest (e.g. above El Naranjo), hundreds of sq. mi. of humid and dry oak woodlands were in bloom. Some green areas and/or blooming shrubs in arid thorn brush in W side of mountains, but most of desert areas very dry. The "usual" periodic small to medium sized fires were burning along roadsides or in pastures. One wildfire of a few hundred acres outside of Monterrey had jumped the autopista and was racing on gusty SW winds; very dangerous. ROAD CONDITIONS: Relatively pleasant driving (for Mexico) in most areas. Many smaller towns (Mante, El Naranjo, Cd. de Maiz, Linares, etc.) were terribly congested. -- El Cielo: Road from Gomez Farias to Alta Cima is passable with reasonable care and high clearance. Above Alta Cima towards San Jose, the road is much steeper, rockier, and irregular; need *very* high clearance and powerful 4x4 drive. (My 4x4 Ford Ranger was only capable of making it up the road about 2 km; too little power and in danger of bottoming out.) -- Notwithstanding the info in Howell's birdfinding guide and others, Hwy 80 up into mountains from El Naranjo to Cd. de Maiz is just busy enough with few pull-offs to make birding stops few and far between. (Many areas of former open land now fenced off and private.) -- I was told that the road beyond Galeana, from 18 de Marzo up to Cerro Potosi is dangerous due to some recent "incidents", so I did not ascend that mountain nor try to camp in that area. -- The "Rayones Highway", which is numbered Hwy 2 on some maps, connects Hwy 85 (just above Montemorelos), up over the mountains to the village of Rayones, thence S to Galeana and points south. This is a paved state highway which was in very good condition during my drive. HOWEVER, based on its setting, through steep rugged rocky mountains, it is likely to be littered with rocks and rock slides after many rainstorms and may be frequently impassable. It is exceptionally steep, windy, and dangerous with precipitous drop-offs and no guardrails. That said, it has stunning vistas and innumerable small (and a few large) pull-offs which allow roadside birding. Traffic on the day I drove it (Thursday morning) was almost non-existent (one vehicle every 10 to 20 minutes). ANNOTATED BIRD LIST: This was a fast-moving trip to briefly check out many areas and roads. With the exception of my hike in the cloud forest on Monday, birding opportunities were limited to a few minutes at various stops and a few hours at my campsites. This version has the complete bird list. Common urban and widespread lowland species will be listed but not annotated. Species sequence is AOU 7th ed. + 48th Supplement. Thicket Tinamou -- Heard a few in lowlands and low cloud forest. waterfowl sp. -- Few seen on ponds in Tam., etc., not identified. Plain Chachalaca -- Fairly common. Singing Quail -- Heard in cloud forest; two seen. heron sp. -- Unid. lg heron on RC. Black Vulture -- Relatively few. Turkey Vulture -- Common, but not abundant. Sharp-shinned Hawk -- At least one seen in cloud forest, Alta Cima Cooper's Hawk -- Poss. one seen in cloud forest, above Alta Cima. [Harris' Hawk -- In S. Texas on 3/8.] Red-tailed Hawk -- Probably only 3 to 4 seen in Mexico. Collared Forest-Falcon -- One seen at close range, cloud forest, Hwy 80 at Maguey de Oriente turnoff. Crested Caracara -- Few American Kestrel -- Few Rock Pigeon Red-billed Pigeon -- One at RC, few elsewhere, but common in/around El Naranjo. White-winged Dove Mourning Dove Inca Dove Common Ground-Dove -- Few here and there White-tipped Dove -- Few at RC and El Cielo. parakeet sp. -- One flock heard at El Cielo Red-crowned Parrot -- None seen, one or a few heard Squirrel Cuckoo -- Brief good looks at one. Greater Roadrunner -- Two [Groove-billed Ani -- missed!] Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl -- One heard above Alta Cima Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl -- A few heard above Alta Cima [no nightjars or swifts] Wedge-tailed Sabrewing -- Few in El Cielo Canivet's Emerald? -- Poss. one seen at El Cielo Broad-billed Hummingbird -- Few, but widespread: El Cielo, Cd. de Maiz, Rayones. White-eared Hummingbird -- One, El Cielo Azure-crowned Hummingbird -- Two or three in dry oaks at Col. Magdeleno Cedillo Buff-bellied Hummingbird -- One+ at El Cielo Magnificent Hummingbird -- At least 1 female at El Cielo Broad-tailed Hummingbird -- One prob. fem/imm. at El Cielo Mountain Trogon -- Fairly common in El Cielo, El Naranjo Elegant Trogon -- Fairly common, El Cielo, El Naranjo, CMC, Rayones Hwy Blue-crowned Motmot -- One in cloud forest above Alta Cima Ringed Kingfisher -- RC Green Kingfisher -- RC Acorn Woodpecker -- Dry oaks above El Naranjo; C on Rayones Hwy Golden-fronted Woodp. -- Gulf lowlands Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- One Ladder-backed Woodpecker -- Fairly common in drier areas. [Golden-olive Woodpecler? -- Poss. heard in El Cielo] Northern Flicker -- One heard in pinyon on W side Olivaceous Woodcreeper -- Few in cloud forest above Alta Cima Ivory-billed Woodcreeper -- Heard a few in cloud forest above Alta Cima N. Beardless Tyrannulet -- Few in lowlands, low cloud forest Greater Pewee -- Fairly common in mts. Wood-Pewee sp. -- One Empidonax sp. -- Just a few; none id. to species. Black Phoebe -- One on Rio Pilon nr Rayones Eastern Phoebe -- A few in Gulf lowlands, also Valle del Ovni Say's Phoebe -- A few in drier habitats Dusky-capped Flycatcher -- Common in mountains and oaks Great Kiskadee -- Heard in lowlands Social Flycatcher -- Heard a few flocks in lowlands Couch's Kingbird -- Heard ? in lowlands White-eyed Vireo -- Fairly common in lowlands Black-capped Vireo -- One migrant ASY adult male in arid thorn brush about 8 km NW of Ciudad de Maiz on Hwy 80 in e. San Luis Potosi (coordinates: 22d 22.456m N, 99d 40.636m W; elevation 1440m). The bird was non-responsive to playback of BCVI song, shrads, mewing calls. Blue-headed Vireo -- Fairly common in oaks in mountains. If Cassin's Vireos were among them, they are hard to distinguish in woodland canopy. Hutton's Vireo -- A few in oak-pine on Rayones Hwy. Rufous-browed Peppershrike -- Few heard in cloud forest Green Jay -- Fairly common; seen as far s.w. as dry oak woods on Hwy 80, at 1195m, W of La Barbarita. Brown Jay -- Few heard in lowlands [Mexican Jay -- missed.] Tamaulipas Crow -- Only one seen, in a village somewhere in lowlands; didn't mark in journal (traffic). Around Cd. Mante or Antiguo Morelos? Chihuahuan Raven -- Common in Gulf lowlands Common Raven -- Common in mts. N. Rough-winged Swallow -- Few at RC Bridled Titmouse -- Few in dry oaks in highlands and on Rayones Hwy. Black-crested Titmouse -- Fairly common in oaks, etc. Both titmice occur in mixed foraging flocks in the dry oaks nr Colonia Magdaleno Cedillo (1322m) and occurred fairly close in elevation on the Rayones Highway (BCTI at 860m+, BRTI at 1210m). Bushtit -- One flock in pinyon SW of Galeana. Spotted Wren -- One or two in dry oaks in highlands on Hwy 80 at 1140m. Cactus Wren -- Few heard on arid W side of mts. Canyon Wren -- Few in mts, cloud forest, etc. Spot-breasted Wren -- Fairly common in oaks and cloud forest in mountains, as low as 660m on Rayones Hwy. Carolina Wren -- Fairly common in lowlands and foothills. Bewick's Wren -- Widespread House Wren -- Few hear and there in most habitats; migrants not distinguished from resident races. Golden-crowned Kinglet -- One or a few probably heard in mixed flocks, none seen. Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- Probably the most abundant and widespread bird seen all trip. Numbers at every stop. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- Small numbers (but not common) in mixed flocks. ?Eastern Bluebird -- Seem to remember seeing a bluebird somewhere; failed to mark it down. Brown-backed Solitaire -- Common in mountains, cloud forest, humid oaks, dry oaks (?). Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush -- One seen well in understory of cloud forest above Alta Cima Hermit Thrush -- Widespread, fairly common; always coming to owl tapes Clay-colored Thrush -- Few in cloud forest Northern Mockingbird Thrasher sp. -- Long-billed and/or Curve-billed heard in a few places, none seen. Blue Mockingbird -- Several heard in cloud forest above Alta Cima. [European Starling -- missed.] ?Olive Warbler -- Probable songs heard in high pine-oak near Valle del Ovni Orange-crowned Warbler -- Fairly common, widespread Crescent-chested Warbler -- Fairly common, higher cloud forest and humid oaks. Tropical Parula -- Common at RC and in cloud forest Yellow-rumped Warbler -- Few (not common), widespread, one Audubon's, most Myrtle. Dendroica virens-group warblers: Black-throated Gray Warbler -- Just one in dry oak woods at Col. Mag. Cedillo (1320m). [Golden-cheeked Warbler -- Not found.] Black-throated Green Warbler -- Fairly common and widespread in most woodlands in mixed flocks; common on Rio Corona. [See end notes.] Townsend's Warbler -- Three in dry oaks at Col. Mag. Cedillo. [Hermit Warbler -- missed.] Yellow-throated Warbler -- One in cloud forest above Alta Cima. Black-and-white Warbler -- Fairly common, widespread in woodlands; responsive. Common Yellowthroat -- Heard in cattails on roadside near Cd. Mante. Wilson's Warbler -- Moderately small numbers, widespread in woodlands. Painted Redstart -- Few in oaks and cloud forest. Golden-crowned Warbler -- Common from low foothills to cloud forest, humid oaks. Rufous-capped Warbler -- Fairly common, widespread from Gulf lowlands, through mountains and into arid brush on dry side. Hepatic Tanager -- Fairly common in oaks and cloud forest Summer Tanager -- RC and a few elsewhere Flame-colored Tanager -- Fairly common in cloud forest White-collared Seedeater -- Only one: Riparian brush on Rio Pilon on Rayones Hwy. I did very little birding in good "seedeater" habitat. Rufous-capped Brush-Finch -- One+ in oaks on Rayones Hwy at 660m; apparently relatively low elevation for this species. Olive Sparrow -- Few in Tamaulipan brush, low cloud forest; also detected in dry oak woods nr. Col. Mag. Cedillo (1320m), probably near s.w. edge of Gulf range. Green-tailed Towhee -- One in pinyon-juniper S of Galeana (MX bird for me). Spotted Towhee -- Just a single bird heard in oaks on Rayones Hwy. Canyon Towhee -- Few in arid brush near Cd. de Maiz. Rufous-crowned Sparrow -- Just one in open oaks woods on steep hill on Rayones Hwy. Chipping Sparrow -- Fairly common in open oaks, arid brush, pinyon-juniper. Black-chinned Sparrow -- One in arid brush N of Cd. de Maiz. Lark Sparrow -- Few, scattered in open country. ?Black-throated Sparrow -- Poss. heard in arid brush on W side of mts. Lincoln's Sparrow -- Few in brush at Alta Cima, elsewhere. Black-headed Saltator -- Few heard in foothills and cloud forest. Crimson-collared Grosbeak -- Several seen/heard in cloud forest. Northern Cardinal -- Few in lowlands and in arid habitats W of mts (Cd. de Maiz, Rayones). Pyrrhuloxia -- Heard in arid habitats on W side. Blue Bunting -- Pair seen in cloud forest. Painted Bunting -- Pair seen in brush in Alta Cima; elsewhere? Eastern Meadowlark -- Few heard in Gulf lowlands Western Meadowlark -- One heard in arid pasture W of El Naranjo. Melodious Blackbird -- Heard in humid lowlands, foothills. Great-tailed Grackle cowbird sp. -- One roadside flock, probably Bronzed. Altamira Oriole -- Few in Gulf lowlands. Audubon's Oriole -- Widespread, fairly common to common from Gulf lowlands through cloud forest and oak woodlands up to highest elevations I visited (1350m). A nuclear species in oak woodlands nr Col. Mag. Cedillo. House Finch -- Fairly common in arid brush and open dry oaks. Lesser Goldfinch -- Few heard in flocks in woodlands. Hooded Grosbeak -- Heard calls in cloud forest and humid oaks several times, not seen. House Sparrow Subject: RFI: Records of Golden-cheeked Warbler in Mexico in Migration From: Chuck Sexton <gcwarbler AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 11:47:20 -0800 Hi, BirdTrippers. I am researching records of the Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) (GCWA) in migration in Mexico. I contacted some of you privately last year, but I’m now issuing a wider RFI on this species. Please pardon any duplication and cross-posting to various discussion groups. I am interested in both the spring and fall movements of this species through Mexico. The spring migration likely spans the period of mid February through March. There is one questionable April report in n.e. Mexico which may have been a late lingerer. GCWAs head south on their fall migration remarkably early. There are several records of birds away from their breeding grounds in Texas by mid-July and there are even late June and early July reports in n.e. Mexico. The bulk of the fall migration probably extends from July through August and into September. The species has been recorded on its winter range in Chiapas, Guatemala, and elsewhere as early as late August, and has been recorded, presumably as a migrant, in Queretaro in mid-September. There are at least two December sight records by very experienced observers in the Xilitla area near the SLP/Queretaro state line which may represent late fall migrants or the very northern fringe of their winter range which is otherwise known only to extend as far north as Chiapas. If you have encountered the Golden-cheeked Warbler anywhere in Mexico, I will be very interested in notes on your sighting(s). While the migration appears to be mostly confined to the mountainous regions of eastern Mexico, I am interested in all reports. If your sighting is outside of that area or outside of the general pattern described above, I would like more detailed notes on the identification and how similar species were eliminated. I will appreciate as much detail as you might remember or care to offer: numbers of birds, associated species, habitat, elevation, precise location, etc., etc. We are finding that this species may be as specialized in its preferences on migration as is it picky on the wintering and breeding ranges.. Please contact me off-line with your information: or . At an appropriate time, I will post a summary of the reports here on this list. Chuck Sexton, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist Balcones Canyonlands NWR Subject: Flicker along Rio Beef Road, Willacy Co. From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 20:34:54 EST Hi, all! Had a great day bouncing around Willacy County with Gary Davidson, and the Flicker was definitely the bird of the day, seen shortly north of the little marsh on Rio Beef. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in the trailhead parking lot off 183 was definitely a highlight as well (although not in the county...)! Had a Vermilion Flycatcher at the marsh, and a small flock of Sandhill Cranes flew over around the same spot. Many things were singing before the wind kicked up, including my FOS (singing, anyway) Cassin's Sparrows! Also in the sparrow department was a Grasshopper Sparrow that sat up and posed! Part of the reason for the trip was so that Gary could show me the "dicey roads" that go east from GI Road where I normally make the turn north. That was a terrific area, with bogs (where Gary had a Masked Duck previously) and a large lake with dead trees where we had several Wilson's Phalaropes along with various ducks, plus a pair of Anhingas battling against the wind! A small snake wiggled across the road and stopped in the grass long enough to get some shots of his rear, and based on the pattern I think he was a Patchnose Snake. As I approached a little Spotted Whiptail came scurrying out of the brush and stopped in the middle of the road! Somewhere along in here we also scared up a herd of Nilgai. From there we headed down to the Mountain Plover spot on Mesquite Road, but the wind was really wicked by then, and only Horned Larks and a single Sprague's Pipit were braving the area. From there we headed over to the levee that I bird as part of the Santa Monica Wetlands route, and got another Sprague's Pipit (Gary got a much better look at this one than the previous one through the windshield...)! Heading up Old Alice Road and into the NWR tract, we found another hidden bog that had a Northern Waterthrush! From there I showed him Sacahuistale Flats and Fred Stone County Park in Port Mansfield, where we picked up a few water birds for the day list (most notably a Gull-billed Tern coming in to town), and where some scoping revealed some Ruddy Turnstones and a Black-bellied Plover. A string of White Pelicans sailed by while the Browns guarded the posts. On the way out Gary spotted a Long-billed Curlew in the ditch! A Harrier was at the Nature Trail, but other than that we just had a curious Orange-crowned Warbler and some exercise. We were bemoaning the fact that we hadn't seen a White-tailed Hawk when one suddenly showed up overhead on the way back! We were almost back to the trailhead when what was probably the same Krider's Hawk that the Rivers and I had in January posed on his post; the super-enhanced shot I got through the windshield almost looks like an abstract painting! Pics for the day 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: 3-6-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 3-6-09 to 3-6-09 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 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 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 Sora Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii 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 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 House Sparrow Passer domesticus White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Cassin's Sparrow Aimophila cassinii Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus 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 Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 92 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find employment help in your area. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005) Subject: Estero Llano Grande SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 16:36:32 EST Hi, all! Had a wonderful morning out with visiting birder Janie Henderson (all the way from Dallas ;-))! While waiting for her in the parking lot, a large flock of Red-crowned Parrots was flying around across the street, and she pulled up just in time to jump out and get a look before they all settled down, never to be seen again! I took her down to the llano first, where we had a gorgeous Roseate Spoonbill, several stilts and avocets, some White Pelicans, and a pod of Long-billed Dowitchers (she saw a Black-bellied Whistling Duck that I missed). A quick drive down the levee added Harrier, a Long-billed Curlew, my FOS Barn Swallow, and several Great Blue Herons standing like sentinels out in the field! American Pipit was a life bird for her, and on the way out a pair conveniently bobbed around next to a pair of Horned Larks for comparison! Once in the park we swung around to the "good" side of the boardwalk, enjoying a single Lesser Yellowlegs along with Least Sands and Grebes, plus the usual duck contingent. A big surprise was three Nutria right next to the boardwalk, seemingly unafraid of us and the other tourists! Soras called from the reeds, but we couldn't spot any. We were warned that a big group of school kids would be coming soon and heading over to Alligator Lake, so when we heard them arrive :-) we hightailed it over there! Our target was the Green Kingfisher, but alas, we couldn't kick one up; we DID have nice looks at Anhinga, Black-crowned Night Herons, and the resident Alligator, however! A Cooper's Hawk kept working the area and sent the Moorhens scrambling, and a Ringed Kingfisher called way in the distance, but unless he happened to be flying our direction (which he apparently wasn't) I knew that would be a lost cause so far as seeing him went. On the way out the kids had caught up with us, and true to form, Huck had spotted the Pauraques we looked for but couldn't find! So he gave us directions and we found one way in the back of the little "clearing" of the "island", but before long he was racing back, asking if we had found it. We happily pointed out the one we were enjoying, but he had been talking about one snoozing RIGHT THERE next to the trail! He woulda bit us had he been awake! :-) Janie also needed the two kingbirds, so we headed back on the Camino de Aves Trail, which was surprisingly quiet (except for the ubiquitous Ground Doves); around the back side we finally started to get some action with a young Harris' Hawk, a Pyrrhuloxia, and a skulky Long-billed Thrasher that finally gave us an identifiable look. An Eastern Phoebe was cooperative, feeding from the fenceline, Near Kiskadee Pond I heard a "tic-tic", and as is often the case, Janie spotted her life Green Kingfisher long before I ever found the silly thing! As we came around the corner I heard the "wheeK!" call of a Beardless Tyrannulet that sounded pretty close; we saw a suspicious bird fly into one of the mesquites (directly in the sun, of course), but we never could track it down for a look. I couldn't believe we had NO KINGBIRDS all morning!! With Alligator Lake out of the way, we took our time around Dowitcher Pond and the Llano Grande Trail (I believe that's the one that goes through the back grasslands), getting some great looks at a variety of ducks. The Grasshopper Sparrow popped up for us, as well as my first Chipping Sparrow for the park near the gazebo! Coming back around Ibis Pond we spotted one of the two Cinnamon Teal, and a lovely White-tailed Kite showed off overhead. Pics for the morning 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: 3/3/09 Number of species: 74 Gadwall 1 Blue-winged Teal 40 Cinnamon Teal 1 Northern Shoveler 40 Green-winged Teal 20 Least Grebe 15 Pied-billed Grebe 5 American White Pelican 30 Double-crested Cormorant 5 Anhinga 4 Great Blue Heron 15 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 2 Little Blue Heron 2 Tricolored Heron 5 Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 White-faced Ibis 3 Roseate Spoonbill 2 Turkey Vulture 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Northern Harrier 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 Sora 2 Common Moorhen 10 American Coot 70 Killdeer 8 Black-necked Stilt 30 American Avocet 25 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Least Sandpiper 20 Long-billed Dowitcher 20 Mourning Dove 20 Inca Dove 2 Red-crowned Parrot 30 Common Pauraque 2 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 5 White-eyed Vireo 8 Horned Lark 5 Purple Martin 20 Tree Swallow 30 Barn Swallow 1 House Wren 2 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Northern Mockingbird 5 Long-billed Thrasher 1 American Pipit 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 6 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 1 Pyrrhuloxia 1 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Great-tailed Grackle 20 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 30 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find employment help in your area. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005) Subject: NABA Birds From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:43:18 EST Hi, all! Got a late start on birding NABA today, but I needn't have worried about a lack of activity, nor did the wind keep good butterflies from coming our way! I wound up planting myself at the new feeder area and was shortly joined by May Snider, enjoying a variety of things including Orange-crowned Warblers going after the PB mix. American Goldfinches and Butterbutts favored the birdbaths, and Lincoln's and Olive Sparrows skulked around in the brushpile. Mockingbirds provided comic relief by chasing each other all around the area! The grape cluster tied to the line was one of the most popular items: when I first got there it was full, being robbed mostly by Altamira Orioles (plus a Clay-colored Thrush that speared one that fell), but then the Chachalacas discovered it and decimated it pretty well! Kiskadees, Green Jays, titmice, and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers all put on a great show, along with many Tropical Leafwings, a Band-celled Sister, and a Mexican Bluewing in the lep department! Running into Rick later he pointed me to a patch that was hopping with skippers, the best being a fresh Purple-washed. Pics for the day, including the thrush making a getaway with a grape on his nose, are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird List: Location: NABA International Butterfly Park Observation date: 2/26/09 Number of species: 28 Plain Chachalaca 4 Turkey Vulture 1 Common Ground-Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Great Kiskadee 5 Green Jay 6 Black-crested Titmouse 1 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Olive Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 2 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Western Meadowlark 12 Great-tailed Grackle 2 Altamira Oriole 2 American Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Get a jump start on your taxes. Find a tax professional in your neighborhood today. (http://yello wpages.aol.com/search?query=Tax+Return+Preparation+%26+Filing&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000004) Subject: Blue Buntings YES @ Laguna Atascosa From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:09:34 EST Hi, all! No time for a detailed report, but many thanks to Chuck Lorenz for tracking me down and getting me on the Blue Bunting pair at the Kiskadee Trail! (Several of us were looking for the Hermit Warbler without success, and I was already off looking for leps when the buntings showed up...) My first male Blue Metalmark was in the Gazebo Gardens, so that was also definitely a highlight! Pics for the day are here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: Laguna Atascosa NWR (LTC 024) Observation date: 2/24/09 Number of species: 86 Gadwall 6 American Wigeon 100 Mottled Duck 4 Blue-winged Teal 6 Northern Shoveler 100 Northern Pintail 50 Redhead 100 Ruddy Duck 6 Plain Chachalaca 2 Least Grebe 5 Pied-billed Grebe 10 American White Pelican 4 Brown Pelican 1 Double-crested Cormorant 5 Great Blue Heron 20 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 3 Little Blue Heron 4 Tricolored Heron 5 Reddish Egret 9 Green Heron 1 White Ibis 30 White-faced Ibis 15 Black Vulture 5 Turkey Vulture 20 Osprey 20 White-tailed Kite 3 Northern Harrier 2 White-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 5 American Kestrel 4 Merlin 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 1000 Black-bellied Plover 2 Killdeer 9 Black-necked Stilt 12 Greater Yellowlegs 5 Willet 100 Lesser Yellowlegs 4 Long-billed Curlew 15 Least Sandpiper 40 Dunlin 2 Stilt Sandpiper 5 Short-billed Dowitcher 50 Long-billed Dowitcher 100 Laughing Gull 1 Ring-billed Gull 4 Gull-billed Tern 8 Forster's Tern 1 Mourning Dove 100 White-tipped Dove 1 Greater Roadrunner 2 Groove-billed Ani 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 3 White-eyed Vireo 12 Green Jay 7 Horned Lark 6 Cave Swallow 4 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Bewick's Wren 1 House Wren 8 Sedge Wren 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 20 Long-billed Thrasher 8 American Pipit 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Northern Parula 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12 Common Yellowthroat 6 Olive Sparrow 9 Savannah Sparrow 15 Lincoln's Sparrow 12 Northern Cardinal 12 Blue Bunting 2 Red-winged Blackbird 500 Eastern Meadowlark 20 Great-tailed Grackle 70 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Get a jump start on your taxes. Find a tax professional in your neighborhood today. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=Tax+Return+Preparation+%26+Filing&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000004) Subject: Fox Sparrow Still @ VNC From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:25:44 EST Hi, all! The Red Fox Sparrow (I heard rumors that there was even a second bird) was seen again today at Valley Nature Center; I got there around 10:45 and ran into Rex and Birgit, and after a few minutes of waiting along the "Butterfly Trail", the bird sang beautifully, only feet off the trail! Trouble was, between the three of us (plus another couple that walked up), we couldn't spot him to save our lives! But that song was unmistakable! He moved around a bit as well, as I also heard him well from the vicinity of the little "cactus pond". Other highlights included a flock of Green Parakeets and a pair of Catbirds at the feeders. Before that I was at Estero Llano doing the rounds, first checking the llano itself; something spooked the birds, and over 100 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (among other things) exploded from the hidden reeds! A single Roseate Spoonbill was a treat, and from the levee had a pair of White-tailed Kites. Heard Red-crowned Parrots not only from the levee, but also the park parking lot, and then later near Kiskadee Pond flying overhead! At the deck a wedge of Snow Geese flew over, delighting the crowd preparing to go into The Forbidden Zone. It was fun hearing both Couch's and Tropical Kingbirds side by side along the Camino de Aves. Pics for today are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) Two bird lists follow: Location: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) Observation date: 2/20/09 Number of species: 76 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 150 Snow Goose 30 Blue-winged Teal 54 Northern Shoveler 52 Northern Pintail 1 Green-winged Teal 50 Plain Chachalaca 7 Least Grebe 8 Pied-billed Grebe 5 American White Pelican 60 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Great Blue Heron 9 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 10 Little Blue Heron 1 Tricolored Heron 2 Cattle Egret 1 White-faced Ibis 10 Roseate Spoonbill 1 White-tailed Kite 2 Northern Harrier 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 4 American Kestrel 1 Common Moorhen 5 American Coot 170 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 22 American Avocet 26 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Long-billed Curlew 1 Least Sandpiper 10 Long-billed Dowitcher 9 Mourning Dove 30 Inca Dove 4 Common Ground-Dove 19 White-tipped Dove 6 Red-crowned Parrot 20 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 21 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 3 Great Kiskadee 10 Tropical Kingbird 3 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 4 Green Jay 1 Horned Lark 22 Tree Swallow 8 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 1 House Wren 4 Marsh Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 American Pipit 8 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 6 Common Yellowthroat 9 Olive Sparrow 6 Savannah Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 4 Northern Cardinal 5 Pyrrhuloxia 1 Red-winged Blackbird 670 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Great-tailed Grackle 16 Brown-headed Cowbird 15 Lesser Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 80 Location: Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057) Observation date: 2/20/09 Number of species: 27 Plain Chachalaca 6 White-winged Dove 5 Mourning Dove 5 Inca Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 5 Green Parakeet 5 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Great Kiskadee 5 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 1 Purple Martin 2 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Carolina Wren 1 Gray Catbird 2 Northern Mockingbird 1 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Wilson's Warbler 1 Fox Sparrow (Red) 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Great-tailed Grackle 5 Lesser Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 50 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find an employment agency near you. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000003) Subject: Frontera Audubon From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:02:29 EST Hi, all! Spent the morning at Frontera, where I (and apparently everyone else) dipped on the Crimson-collared Grosbeak, but had great looks at the Rose-breasted. Ran into Steve Howell and Chris Wood, and while I was under the impression the grosbeak was a young male, Steve confirmed that it was actually an adult in winter plumage! He also confirmed a couple of calling Ovenbirds for me; not being intimately familiar with eastern warbler calls, I knew they sounded a little harsher than most, but still wasn't sure of what I was hearing. Other highlights include the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker chiseling his little row by the pond, a flock of Green Parakeets screaming over, a brilliant male Black-throated Green Warbler. My first Least Grebe for the preserve was in the "back" pond behind the fence, where the whistling ducks were also hanging out. A Clay-colored Thrush called softly where there's a bench at the bend of the trail on the north side, and Chachalacas and White-tipped Doves at the feeders were entertaining as always! A lovely male Lesser Goldfinch delighted the crowds back at the water feature. Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird list: Location: Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058) Observation date: 2/19/09 Number of species: 42 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 17 Plain Chachalaca 17 Least Grebe 1 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 7 White-tipped Dove 6 Green Parakeet 20 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 9 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 8 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 5 Tree Swallow 5 Black-crested Titmouse 5 Carolina Wren 3 House Wren 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 5 Long-billed Thrasher 4 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 8 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Ovenbird 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 4 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 4 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Red-winged Blackbird 104 Great-tailed Grackle 6 Lesser Goldfinch 7 American Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 8 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find an employment agency near you. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000003) Subject: Falcon SP & Salieno From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:35:09 EST Hi, all! Despite the drizzle, had a great day out in Starr County yesterday; at Falcon State Park a sunning (interesting in itself seeing as there was no sun) Caracara in the cabin loop was a highlight, and since the picnic area was still flooded I walked down there, logging several Least Sandpipers, a few Spotties, and a pair of Bufflehead. The Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are starting to get their "Groucho Marx" brows (dipped on the Blacktails, although the primitive area was pretty crowded with campers so I didn't walk around there), and down by the boat ramp had Savannah Sparrows in the disturbed area. Heard a Purple Martin gurgling overhead which wasn't my personal FOS but apparently they're showing up all over now! Also in the cabin area had a couple of Western Meadowlarks in a tree, and one actually tried to sing a little! Kinda nice to hear them again! :-) The blind was active with several Bobwhite and the shy Scaled Quail coming in occasionally! Salieno was packed as well: a 15-minute watch at the river yielded several ducks (including a "Northern" Mallard male with a Mexican Duck--he looked like a good wild bird and not a domestic type), a preening Gray Hawk, an Osprey, and a pair of Red-billed Pigeons on the island. At the feeders several Altamira Orioles were coming in, and the Green Jays were bobbing and weaving in some kind of courtship display, I imagine. Carolyn turned her back to greet and chat with some newcomers, and that's when the Audubon's Oriole decided to come in... The regular dove contingent was there as well, including White-winged and a hidden White-tipped. I went back down to the trail to look for the seedeater (it had apparently been seen last week), but got a pair of Green Kingfishers and a single Ringed instead. Somewhere unseen some White-fronted Geese flew by. Stopped at Roma to use the restroom and found a Texan Crescent trying vainly to get nectar out of a fallen olive blossom! Pics for the morning 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: 2/17/09 Number of species: 47 Bufflehead 2 Scaled Quail 1 Northern Bobwhite 14 American White Pelican 1 Neotropic Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 20 Great Blue Heron 5 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 1 Crested Caracara 1 American Coot 12 Killdeer 6 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Least Sandpiper 20 Ring-billed Gull 1 Inca Dove 6 Common Ground-Dove 4 Greater Roadrunner 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Vermilion Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 3 White-eyed Vireo 3 Green Jay 10 Purple Martin 1 Cactus Wren 3 Bewick's Wren 5 House Wren 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 9 Northern Mockingbird 18 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 American Pipit 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 11 Olive Sparrow 3 Black-throated Sparrow 4 Savannah Sparrow 5 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 9 Pyrrhuloxia 13 Red-winged Blackbird 595 Western Meadowlark 9 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Brown-headed Cowbird 7 House Sparrow 10 Location: Salineño (LTC 080) Observation date: 2/17/09 Notes: The Mallard was a male in company with a yellow-billed Mexican Duck; it looked like a good wild male and not a domestic type (photos available upon request) Number of species: 50 Greater White-fronted Goose 3 Gadwall 7 American Wigeon 1 Mallard 1 Mallard (Mexican) 1 Blue-winged Teal 4 Canvasback 1 Lesser Scaup 1 Plain Chachalaca 2 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 3 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 1 Gray Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 1 American Coot 2 Red-billed Pigeon 2 White-winged Dove 2 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 2 Common Ground-Dove 6 White-tipped Dove 1 Greater Roadrunner 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Great Kiskadee 4 Couch's Kingbird 1 Green Jay 5 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 2 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Long-billed Thrasher 2 American Pipit 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Altamira Oriole 5 Audubon's Oriole 1 House Sparrow 30 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Need a job? Find an employment agency near you. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000003) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan Practice From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:06:06 EST Hi, all! Spent an hour or so at Quinta Mazatlan this afternoon practicing with the Canon; I upped the ISO to 400 and knocked the exposure meter down a couple of notches, and that helped tremendously, although there are still some exposure issues in high contrast situations. Also tried using the flash, and it worked particularly well with the Mockingbird: he was totally hidden in shadow in the tree, and although he's hidden, the flash really brought out the details well. The parula was hanging out at the house but wouldn't come out; although it was hard to tell with the cacophany of House Sparrows, it sounded like his ending "tzip" was going down most of the time. 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/) **************Nothing says I love you like flowers! Find a florist near you now. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=florist&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000002) Subject: Testing the New Camera @ Edinburg Wetlands, TX (longish) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:13:43 EST Hi, all! Sorry about the cross-posting, but since several people have asked me to let them know of my final decision, and since the testing grounds was here in Texas for both birds and butterflies, I figured I'd hit everyone... I settled on the Canon Rebel XSI along with the 70-300mm zoom, as that's what I had ages ago, and it fit well within my budget. Edinburg Wetlands (aka the World Birding Center) is great for both birds and butterflies, and that proved to be a great proving ground as well. Being able to see my subjects clearly through the viewfinder was a great blessing, although until I got the diopter adjusted it WAS a little fuzzy... For the most part I opted to use manual focus (I tried the auto-focus on the Myrtle Warbler), and while Joseph Kennedy warned me about the possibility that "in focus" in the viewfinder does not necessarily equal "in focus" in reality due to those pesky things called trifocals ;-), the camera's sensor would beep at me to let me know the subject was truly in focus, so that was a great help. Hand-holding undoubtedly added some "fuzz" to some of the images, even with the image stabilizer; for illustration's sake, I didn't "sharpen" any of the images except for those that obviously needed some help, and some of the butterflies. I may need to use the sharpen feature more often, but I think once I figure out how to boost the ISO up (I was used to using ASA 400 film to get the fastest possible shutter speed), some of those motion problems may clear up. With the exception of the "jungle trail" shot, all images were taken at the full zoom, and I found that to be acceptable for both birds and butterflies. As with other cameras I've had, using the automatic settings caused some over-exposure in some of the shots, particularly checkered-skippers against a dark background or anything with light against dark, so I'll need to fiddle with that. Like I've said ad nauseum before, the one really great feature on the Olympus PAS was the super macro for butterflies, so I doubt I'll be able to beat that quality without actually buying a macro lens, but for the most part, the frustrations of the old PAS camera are non-existent with this camera. Bird and lep highlights include the continuing Groove-billed Ani, a Wilson's Warbler (not photographed), amorous Phaon Crescents, a Funereal Duskywing, and a lovely little Reakirt's Blue. Pics are posted here, with added comments about what I was trying to do with some of the shots and my thoughts about the results: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) I also noticed that you can't view the comments if you view it in slideshow mode... Thanks again to everyone who offered advice! I'm looking forward to honing my skills with this new toy! :-) MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Nothing says I love you like flowers! Find a florist near you now. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=florist&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000002) Subject: Quinta Mazatlan's Parula From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:36:20 EST Hi, all! Birded Quinta Mazatlan and Hidalgo Pumphouse this morning, and happened to get excellent looks at what I'm presuming is the continuing Tropical Parula (practically landed on me at one point). Even more miraculous was the fact that I was able to get a couple of shots of this guy showing what I saw, which appeared to be characteristics of both Northern AND Tropical Parulas! The bird was singing almost constantly (which honestly is what got me on him), and recalling the discussions on the differences of the endings of the Tropical and Northern Parulas (see the following post by Chris Benesh:) _http://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0802&L=TEXBIRDS&P=R21338&I=-3_ (http://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0802&L=TEXBIRDS&P=R21338&I=-3) I tried to pay attention to the terminal element (to over-simplify, Texas Northern Parulas go up, while Tropicals go down), and while he mostly did an "up" ending, he also did "down" endings periodically, as well as the more excited "zhreee-zhreee-zezezezezeze-tzup!" song. He had the warm orange breast typical of Tropicals, but also white eye crescents, not nearly as strong as in Northern, but definitely there if you got a good look. Dare I mention the dreaded "H" word? Or has this possibility already been suggested with this bird and I just missed it? Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Miriam told me about a Pauraque roosting along the entrance road, but I couldn't spot that one (not surprised...). As usual, it was entertaining watching the Chachalacas, Long-billed Thrashers, and Carolina Wrens at the feeders! The Olive Sparrows are starting to sing, and had side-by-side Tropical and Couch's Kingbirds near the golf course. White-winged Doves are there in force. Hidalgo Pumphouse had a few nice things as well, including Solitary Sandpiper and the requisite Black Phoebe. A mob of 20 Ring-necked Ducks steamed out to the middle of the resaca as I approached, where there was also first-for-my-list Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Anhinga, and Blue-winged Teal out there. A "choip"ing Altamira Oriole was also a first, as was an Audubon's Warbler hanging out in the trees down by the deck. Best lep was a White-sided Longtail. Two bird lists follow: Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 2/12/09 Notes: The parula actually had characteristics of both species: the soft orange breast of the Tropical, thin white eye crescents suggestive of Northern, and both song types (the ending "tzip" going up on one song, then going down on another, plus the "zhree-zhree-dedededede-tzirp" song. Number of species: 36 Plain Chachalaca 14 Killdeer 1 Rock Pigeon 10 White-winged Dove 22 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 7 White-tipped Dove 4 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 8 Tropical Kingbird 3 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 2 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 3 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 European Starling 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Tropical Parula 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 3 Olive Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 4 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Great-tailed Grackle 5 Lesser Goldfinch 2 American Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 150 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 2/12/09 Number of species: 33 Blue-winged Teal 1 Ring-necked Duck 20 Anhinga 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 2 White-winged Dove 1 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Black Phoebe 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 5 Couch's Kingbird 1 Green Jay 1 House Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 Common Yellowthroat 3 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Altamira Oriole 1 Lesser Goldfinch 1 American Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 4 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Nothing says I love you like flowers! Find a florist near you now. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=florist&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000002) Subject: Santa Ana NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:23:57 EST Hi, all! I was joined by Winter Texan Gary Davidson this morning, making the usual rounds around Santa Ana, and it was a beautiful day out, although the mosquitoes were really bad for some reason. Had the usual thornbrush stuff on the way to Willow Lake, and the usual suspects on the lakes themselves; someone had pointed out to me the little black gape spot on the bill of the Mottled Duck as being a good separation point between that and Mexican, so I got to show that to Gary on a nice pair we had there! He then found a Snipe on the back side of Willow Lake Trail that I would have otherwise missed, and had a Green Kingfisher along the Rio Grande. Another pair at the "little" Pintail Lakes was very cooperative and put on a great show flying back and forth! Ran into Carolyn doing HER survey back there, and amongst the many Ring-necked Ducks here were two female scaup that I initially wrote off as Lesser, but the more we looked at them, the more big-billed and round-headed they looked (and they weren't actively feeding), and we began to strongly lean towards Greater. Thankfully Gary got a decent shot of one of the birds, so as soon as he gets it to me I'll post it on PBase for comment by those who know better... Along that back trail we also had a couple of pretty little Gemmed Satyrs. "Big" Pintail Lakes had more ducks, plus a group of White-faced Ibis along with a single immature White. We also had an immature Little Blue Heron along the back. We converged with a huge birding group and all enjoyed a Sora feeding out in the open along with some Lesser Yellowlegs and a dowitcher, and before long they were joined by a Greater. Swinging around the back side of Pintail Lakes we found another Snipe feeding away, but nothing else out of the ordinary. A swing around the "old" butterfly gardens produced a pair of mating Funereal Duskywings. Gary had seen a Great-tailed Grackle at Pintail that I missed, but thankfully (???) one flushed out of the gardens for the day! The only two pics I got today (the satyr and duskywings) 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: 2/11/09 Notes: The scaup looked very round-headed and large-billed to us, but considering the rarity and location, we weren't willing to commit... Number of species: 57 Gadwall 30 Mottled Duck 3 Blue-winged Teal 30 Northern Shoveler 60 Northern Pintail 14 Green-winged Teal 2 Ring-necked Duck 15 Greater/Lesser Scaup 2 Plain Chachalaca 10 Least Grebe 13 Pied-billed Grebe 10 Great Egret 3 Little Blue Heron 1 Tricolored Heron 1 White Ibis 1 White-faced Ibis 12 Turkey Vulture 17 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Sora 3 Common Moorhen 5 American Coot 40 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 16 Greater Yellowlegs 5 Lesser Yellowlegs 5 Long-billed Dowitcher 1 Wilson's Snipe 2 White-tipped Dove 1 Belted Kingfisher 3 Green Kingfisher 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 8 Eastern Phoebe 7 Great Kiskadee 21 Couch's Kingbird 3 White-eyed Vireo 8 Green Jay 7 Tree Swallow 3 Black-crested Titmouse 11 Carolina Wren 7 Bewick's Wren 2 House Wren 4 Marsh Wren 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 5 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 9 Common Yellowthroat 9 Olive Sparrow 5 Lincoln's Sparrow 8 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 130 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Altamira Oriole 2 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there. (http://music.aol.com/grammys?ncid=emlcntusmusi00000002) Subject: Valley Nature Center From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:20:28 EST Hi, all! After a mini-lesson with Martin on Valley habitat types (VERY fascinating, BTW) I did the rounds around the property and picked up a few nice things. May have had a Clay-colored Robin, but couldn't rule out Curve-billed Thrasher (which I DID see later) with the brief non-bin look I had. There's one little feeder and drip area on the north side of the property that's consistently pretty birdy; a White-winged Dove was taking a drink when I arrived, and after he left a pair of Cardinals came in; it was fun watching him crack and manipulate several sunflower seeds while chasing off the House Sparrows (HE was chasing them, not me)! Meanwhile a Hermit Thrush, BC Titmouse, Ovenbird, female Wilson's Warbler, and a White-eyed Vireo lurked in the background. Two Long-billed Thrashers were song-battling, and had at least four Buff-bellied Hummers fighting around the main viewing area. Despite the wind and overcast skies, leps were pretty active, the highlights being Zebras and a Texan Crescent. Also had some colorful bugs on the bait logs! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Bird List: Location: Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057) Observation date: 2/10/09 Number of species: 30 Plain Chachalaca 2 White-winged Dove 1 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Great Kiskadee 3 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Black-crested Titmouse 2 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Hermit Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 7 Orange-crowned Warbler 4 Ovenbird 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 3 Great-tailed Grackle 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Lesser Goldfinch 1 American Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 30 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there. (http://music.aol.com/grammys?ncid=emlcntusmusi00000002) Subject: Zone-tailed Hawk, Pine Siskin, @ Anzalduas From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2009 22:11:14 EST Hi, all! Joined my San Diego birding buddies Barb Carlson and Jan Nordenberg today to clean up on some target birds they wanted. Started at Bentsen pre-dawn, where we easily picked up Pauraques tuning up, but the star was the VERY close tooting Ferruginous Pygmy Owl near the Kiskadee Trail! Either he flew over to the Green Jay Blind or else another bird started tooting over there, and as we made our way in that direction, what we thought was a low stump turned out to be a snoozing Javalina--boy, we all got a start when he jumped to life! (What was more amazing was the fact that after we gave him a wide berth he laid down and went back to sleep...) We also heard a Least Bittern cackle from the resaca, then spent a few minutes at the water feature and the Kiskadee Blind, but added nothing but several White-tipped Doves and a Green Jay. Picked up Altamira Oriole on the way back to headquarters, where we joined the rest of the gang waiting for the Allen's Hummer! Shortly said bird came in to the feeder down at the other building, so we all hitailed it over and got scope looks at this little guy! From there we headed to Anzalduas, but on the way the girls, driving behind me, did a "Uie" on Inspiration Road, and when I went back to check on them, discovered they had seen a flock of Green Parakeets! At Anzalduas, the girls had received intelligence that the Hook-billed Kites flew from nine till noon at the river overlook, but with the wind blasting we weren't too sure of seeing anything. At any rate we dutifully headed to the overlook, where we added the usual cormorants, gulls, and ducks, along with a few White Pelicans, one with something rather large in its beak! (A couple from Houston suggested it could have been a Siren--sp?) An Anhinga did its snakebird thing in the river, while an Osprey took off from the shore where all the vultures were hanging out. No kites appeared, but a beautiful Zonetail DID rock overhead, doing its TV thing! A Gray, Red-shouldered, and Red-tailed all got our attention at various times before proving they weren't the coveted bird. There were several Rough-winged Swallows swooping around, but a Cave hung in the air right overhead, which was great as it was a life bird for Jan! We headed back over to the other side to look for dickey birds, picking up Eastern Bluebirds on the way. Over by the boat ramp we initially didn't find anything, but the Houston couple came over and saved the day by pointing us to the feeding flock they had found, which by the time we got there included Pine Siskin among the American Goldfinches; Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Gray, and Pine Warblers; and a fabulous look at a silent Beardless Tyrannulet! While enjoying a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, a female sapsucker flew in and proceeded to lead us halfway around the park just to get a good look! :-) A Chipping Sparrow flock gave good looks as well, and the meadowlark flock finally gave some Western-specific vocalizations so Barb could count them for her Texas list! :-) From there we grabbed some lunch, and since Jan needed White-tailed Hawk for a life bird, I took them up to La Sal del Rey for the driving route, but first we braved the biting gnats and hiked the trail, as Barb needed Vesper Sparrow for Texas and that had been the most reliable spot (for me) for the Vespers. Got lots of Savannahs instead, a couple of Bewick's Wrens, and a Cactus Wren at the lake. A Verdin called on the way back, but on the way out, two big, beautiful White-tailed Hawks wheeled over head and gave great looks! We cruised the roads after that, getting wonderful views of Caracaras and a couple of Pyrrhuloxias. Up by the "ranch ponds" on Brushline we got a female Vermilion Flycatcher, Least Grebes, and White Ibis, but at the turnaround gate a flock of Lark Sparrows close to the road actually had a Vesper in with them! Thankfully it flew into a tree and stayed put long enough for Jan to get her scope on it! A Merlin ended the party, and back down along GI Road we checked the feedlots for strange blackbirds. We got Barb's Brewer's Blackbird further down by the mud hole. It was getting late, so we headed straight down Rio Beef Road to the highway, picking up a Roadrunner on the way, and on 186 itself had a beautiful young Krider's Hawk on a pole! Celebrated at the Outback (yum!) and headed home while the girls headed to Brownsville for one last day of birding before heading home themselves. Didn't quite nail 100 species, but almost! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 2-7-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 2-7-09 to 2-7-09 American Wigeon Anas americana Gadwall Anas strepera Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus 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 Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Green Parakeet Aratinga holochlora Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Archilochus Hummingbird Archilochus sp. Allen's Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis 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 Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis 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 Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Black-throated Gray Warbler Dendroica nigrescens Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Pine Warbler Dendroica pinus Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis 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 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis 96 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?ncid=emlcntusmusi00000003) Subject: Estero Llano Grande From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 17:12:18 EST Hi, all! Met San Diego birding buddies Barbara Carlson and Jan Nordenberg at Estero Llano to hopefully get them a few lifers! We started at the llano where we had a great display of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, plus a few White Pelicans, Stilts, Avocets, and other ducks. Some American Pipits fed in the field behind us as a Horned Lark called overhead. Our only Harris' Hawk of the day flew by in the distance. On the way into the park proper we got Jan her ABA Golden-fronted Woodpecker (first on many), plus a nice Blue-headed Vireo just outside The Forbidden Zone. Some distant Snow Geese cackled while we enjoyed the vireo. Inside the park we met Huck to go back to said Zone for the rarities, but in the meantime we got Jan her life Least Grebe, a nice Green Kingfisher, and a sunning Buff-bellied Hummer. Since a huge group showed up at the last minute, we opted to explore the inside of the park first and then go back with Huck later, and that proved to be productive as we got good looks at the waterfowl in Ibis Pond once we were on the boardwalk, and actually saw a Sora scoot underneath! A pretty Vermilion Flycatcher showed off at the little overlook, and had wonderful sparrow studies, including a Swamp near the little overlook, and a Grasshopper back in the savannah! A large flock of Spoonbills sailed in over the levee, while another large flock of White Ibis descended into Dowitcher Pond. At the pond itself we enjoyed all three teal and some closeup yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers, while a pair of White-tailed Kites chirped behind us. We tried for the Pauraque at Alligator Lake, but dipped on that, getting Anhingas instead at the overlook. Joined Huck and a smaller group after that, where we DID get to see a snoozing Pauraque back in TFZ, along with a female Black-throated Gray and Black-and-white Warblers, but the price of getting separated from the main group was missing the Tropical Parula! :-( We were able to add Carolina Wren and another lifer for Jan, the Black-crested Titmouse, however. Finally one of the kingbirds talked a little, nailing them as Couch's. After that we raided the McDonald's and ate on deck, then perused the butterfly garden, picking up a worn but still beautiful Malachite! Pics for the day 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: 2/5/09 Number of species: 75 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 200 Snow Goose 5 Blue-winged Teal 50 Cinnamon Teal 2 Northern Shoveler 20 Northern Pintail 2 Green-winged Teal 20 Least Grebe 20 Pied-billed Grebe 5 American White Pelican 20 Neotropic Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 7 Anhinga 2 Snowy Egret 5 Little Blue Heron 1 White Ibis 10 White-faced Ibis 2 Roseate Spoonbill 20 Turkey Vulture 2 White-tailed Kite 2 Harris's Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 Sora 3 Common Moorhen 10 American Coot 20 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 5 American Avocet 10 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 Least Sandpiper 40 Mourning Dove 2 Inca Dove 5 Common Ground-Dove 8 White-tipped Dove 3 Common Pauraque 1 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Eastern Phoebe 1 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 10 Tropical Kingbird 1 Couch's Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 1 Horned Lark 1 Tree Swallow 10 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 3 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 7 American Pipit 6 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 10 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 10 Savannah Sparrow 20 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 15 Swamp Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 4 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Great-tailed Grackle 800 Lesser Goldfinch 5 House Sparrow 50 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Stay up to date on the latest news - from sports scores to stocks and so much more. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000022) Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 14:57:28 EST Hi, all! It was quite foggy along Wallace Road starting off this morning, but had a nice selection of birds, including a Bobwhite tuning up! The ag fields had good numbers of Horned Larks, Killdeer, a single Long-billed Curlew, and a few Western Meadowlarks (probably more, but I only got a glimpse of a small group). As the fog lifted was treated to a "fogbow": like a rainbow only entirely white! The only Olive Sparrow of the day was in the little parking area of the wildlife refuge tract where the pumphouse is, and also had several Lesser Goldfinches in here. The wetland was alive with stuff, including 20 White-faced Ibis and a single White, a couple of White Pelicans, and lots of Anhingas as well as the normal stuff. Both Belted and Green Kingfishers were along here, as well as a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks. A flock of White-fronted Geese flew over, but had to literally get out of the way of a mean-looking farm machine coming up the road behind me! :-) Further down the road I heard Sandhill Cranes in the distance, and three large bodies down the road turned out to be Turkeys! I headed straight to Edinburg Wetlands after that; dipped on the towhees :-( but had several other nice things, including a cooperative Least Flycatcher, a posing Curve-billed Thrasher hanging out with a Mocker, a flock of Green Parakeets north of the north lake, the over-wintering Yellow Warbler that Javier pointed out while leading a bird walk, the continuing Yellow-crowned Night Heron (I swear he's glued to that branch), and an Audubon's Warbler in amongst the many Myrtles down by the spillway. Two turtles (one big and one little) on a piece of wood in the lake made for a great photo op! Walked the whole loop around the south lake, picking up a Pyrrhuloxia on the west side and a Green Kingfisher on the south side. A female Canvasback was snoozing in the middle of the lake along with some scaup and Ruddy Ducks; an Osprey flying overhead spooked them all, and she put her head up so the group with Javier could see her profile! As we were talking about how cormorant numbers were way down, a Snowy Egret landed on the deck and posed! Returning to the garden to "butter", couldn't kick up the ani or the towhees, but Javier got a glimpse of one shooting through the garden. Leps were sparse, the highlight being a pretty Painted Lady. Picked up the Roadrunner in the ditch on the way out! Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) Two bird lists follow: Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 2/4/09 Number of species: 69 Gadwall 12 Mottled Duck 14 Blue-winged Teal 3 Northern Pintail 2 Ring-necked Duck 9 Lesser Scaup 3 Ruddy Duck 27 Wild Turkey 3 Northern Bobwhite 1 Least Grebe 8 Pied-billed Grebe 3 American White Pelican 2 Neotropic Cormorant 4 Double-crested Cormorant 17 Anhinga 19 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 9 Cattle Egret 2 White Ibis 1 White-faced Ibis 20 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 Common Moorhen 1 American Coot 49 Sandhill Crane 3 Killdeer 27 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Mourning Dove 40 Common Ground-Dove 2 Belted Kingfisher 2 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Eastern Phoebe 4 Great Kiskadee 5 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 3 Green Jay 2 Horned Lark 11 Verdin 1 Bewick's Wren 1 House Wren 5 Marsh Wren 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 American Pipit 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 14 Common Yellowthroat 16 Olive Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 10 Savannah Sparrow 4 Lincoln's Sparrow 13 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 701 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Western Meadowlark 6 Great-tailed Grackle 58 Brown-headed Cowbird 23 Lesser Goldfinch 11 American Goldfinch 6 House Sparrow 15 Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC 061) Observation date: 2/4/09 Number of species: 50 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 60 Gadwall 5 Blue-winged Teal 50 Northern Shoveler 10 Green-winged Teal 25 Canvasback 1 Lesser Scaup 4 Ruddy Duck 24 Least Grebe 3 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Neotropic Cormorant 8 Double-crested Cormorant 10 Great Blue Heron 8 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 6 Little Blue Heron 1 Tricolored Heron 1 Cattle Egret 2 Black-crowned Night-Heron 12 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Osprey 2 Common Moorhen 10 American Coot 31 Killdeer 1 Rock Pigeon 40 Mourning Dove 1 Green Parakeet 25 Greater Roadrunner 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Least Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 5 House Wren 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 6 Yellow Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 85 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 Common Yellowthroat 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Pyrrhuloxia 1 Great-tailed Grackle 29 Lesser Goldfinch 1 American Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Stay up to date on the latest news - from sports scores to stocks and so much more. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000022) Subject: Sparrow-Hunting From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 15:31:59 EST Hi, all! Pam and Mason Rivers (I think that's their last name but they'll correct me if it isn't... :-}) and her sister Theas (sp?) joined me to do some sparrow hunting around the La Sal del Rey area this morning. We met at the trailhead parking lot on SR 186 (easy to find now that F&W has a big Burn Ban sign there) and decided to hike the trail to the lake first thing. That worked out great, as we avoided those nasty little biting gnats, and got great looks at Lark, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows, as well as some other grassland birds. In the mesquite forest an Olive Sparrow showed off very nicely, followed by a Lincoln's. Since they had never seen the lake we took a quick peek, adding several Least Sandpipers and a couple of Killdeer to the list; there was an isolated pond to the south with some whitish shorebirds poking around in them, but they were too far away to tell (probably yellowlegs). Couldn't find Karen's phalaropes, though... :-( We had a probable Vesper Sparrow on the way back, but I didn't get a definitive look. From there we cruised the roads, and logged more Caracaras and Harris' Hawks than I think I've ever seen there! Savannah Sparrows gave great looks, while Lincoln's were harder to get on. The wetlands at the north end of Brushline had several Least Grebes and a single Pied-billed, a Great Blue, several Blue-winged Teal, and a pair of Vermilion Flycatchers. Other highlights included a pair of soaring White-tailed Hawks, a single Wilson's Snipe in the mud-pond along GI Road (it was bone-dry the last time I went by there; don't know where the water came from...), and a Rhea sunning near a tree! (Unfortunately he wasn't countable, along with the ibex or whatever they were...) We stopped near the Rio Beef feedlots to pish up some birds, and got a kick out of the steers that came stampeding over to us! Another winner was the Roadrunner who posed in a tree next to the road! Made a brief stop at the marsh at the south end of Rio Beef Road, picking up several new ducks, plus the three expected rails. I had to head home after that, but I got a phone call later that the trio had seen a big flock of Sandhill Cranes on the way south! Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 2/2/09 Number of species: 70 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Gadwall 5 Blue-winged Teal 12 Northern Shoveler 20 Northern Pintail 4 Northern Bobwhite 1 Least Grebe 10 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 1 Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 10 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 8 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 White-tailed Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Crested Caracara 8 American Kestrel 5 Sora 2 American Coot 5 Killdeer 2 Black-necked Stilt 5 Least Sandpiper 20 Wilson's Snipe 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 150 Common Ground-Dove 10 Greater Roadrunner 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Eastern Phoebe 4 Vermilion Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 1 Loggerhead Shrike 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 3 Horned Lark 2 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Verdin 4 Cactus Wren 3 Bewick's Wren 3 House Wren 15 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Hermit Thrush 2 Northern Mockingbird 20 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 5 European Starling 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 10 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5 Common Yellowthroat 1 Olive Sparrow 3 Lark Sparrow 5 Savannah Sparrow 20 Lincoln's Sparrow 8 White-crowned Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 5 Pyrrhuloxia 8 Red-winged Blackbird 100 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Western Meadowlark 20 Great-tailed Grackle 60 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 House Sparrow 5 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Stay up to date on the latest news - from sports scores to stocks and so much more. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000022) Subject: Estero Llano Grande From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:58:41 EST Hi, all! Had a wonderful day out at the park this morning; I think it was the first time I wasn't collapsing from the heat by the time I was done! :-) Started at the llano itself as usual and logged great numbers of White Pelicans and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, plus a few Avocets, ducks, and a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill. More of the same was up on the levee in the wetlands, and at the gate heard distant Red-crowned Parrots and a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks yelling. A White-tailed Kite cruised by just as I was heading back, and a young Cooper's Hawk was sitting on one of the towers on the way out. Other "ag" birds included American Pipits, Horned Larks, and a single Long-billed Curlew. In the park proper, checked out the Green Jay Trail first where I added Olive Sparrow as well as the common wintering stuff. New for my park list was a mewing sapsucker, but dipped on the White-tipped Dove I usually get in there. At the deck, Huck was getting ready to take a group back into The Forbidden Zone and told me that the magpie jay had just been sitting in the dead snag across the way! He was gone, of course, by the time I got there, but Ibis Pond had a good selection of ducks and grebes in the meantime, plus a White-faced Ibis and the Belted Kingfisher still glued to the duck box! :-) Heading around the boardwalk had nice studies of both Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrows side by side in the grasses, and as I approached the benches at the intersection, the Magpie Jay was suddenly back on his perch! The only Green Jays of the day fussed from the same general area, and a mob of female Red-winged Blackbirds sailed into the trees in front of me. Dowitcher Pond had Stilts, Least Sandpipers, and a couple of Cinnamon Teals in with the Bluewings, plus a ton of Coots. No less than four Soras actually showed themselves along this stretch! A sit at Grebe Marsh eventually yielded a flyby Ringed Kingfisher (that was my first for the park as well, interestingly) along with a pair of Tropical Kingbirds. Over at Alligator Lake a pretty male Green Kingfisher sat on an overhang and "tic-tic"ed; his mate was down by the deck, along with several Anhingas. Looked carefully for a Pauraque, but couldn't spot any. A couple of grackles were scuffling so intently that they literally tumbled out of the tree and hit the ground! On the way out a Spotted Sandpiper landed on a log next to the trail and danced away! Looped around Camino de las Aves, picking up Bewick's Wren and more Golden-fronted Woodpeckers than I've ever seen in one spot before! (Interestingly dipped on the Ladder-backed...) As usual the place was lousy with doves, and kicked up a Sharp-shinned Hawk over by the orchards, as well as a Wilson's Warbler. Interestingly the White-tipped Dove came through along this trail! At the bridge one of the Green Kingfishers was posing just in time for Huck and his group to come enjoy him! They had seen the becard, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Tropical Parula, and I forget what else (I don't think he mentioned the Blue Bunting, but he'll post...). Back at Ibis Pond a pair of Couch's Kingbirds called, and scared up a small flock of Inca Doves in the butterfly garden. Chachalacas were hogging the feeders, but no hummers while I was there. Bird List: Location: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) Observation date: 1/29/09 Number of species: 75 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 200 Blue-winged Teal 40 Cinnamon Teal 2 Northern Shoveler 33 Green-winged Teal 22 Plain Chachalaca 5 Least Grebe 19 Pied-billed Grebe 11 American White Pelican 52 Neotropic Cormorant 5 Double-crested Cormorant 3 Anhinga 6 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 6 Little Blue Heron 4 Tricolored Heron 1 White-faced Ibis 4 Roseate Spoonbill 2 White-tailed Kite 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 American Kestrel 1 Sora 5 Common Moorhen 8 American Coot 140 Black-necked Stilt 16 American Avocet 13 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Least Sandpiper 23 Mourning Dove 60 Inca Dove 5 Common Ground-Dove 25 White-tipped Dove 1 Red-crowned Parrot 3 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 17 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Eastern Phoebe 4 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 10 Tropical Kingbird 4 Couch's Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 6 Black-throated Magpie-Jay 1 Green Jay 1 Horned Lark 2 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 1 House Wren 10 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 Northern Mockingbird 6 Long-billed Thrasher 5 American Pipit 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 13 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 21 Common Yellowthroat 25 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 3 Savannah Sparrow 14 Lincoln's Sparrow 19 Northern Cardinal 5 Red-winged Blackbird 101 Great-tailed Grackle 19 American Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 49 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023) Subject: Anzalduas & NABA From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:16:29 EST Hi, all! Despite the wind, it was quite a birdy day: while I couldn't find all the cool warblers I had last time, the river had several White Pelicans and Cattle Egrets lounging! A pair of Ringed Kingfishers flying by was another highlight. Once again dipped on the Black Phoebe, but got Eastern instead. Had a small flock of Cave Swallows fly overhead doing their funny little song, and over in the back side the female Vermilion Flycatcher was still on the same spot on the same wire as last month, and didn't at all mind the Kestrel perched right next to her! Most of the action was at the river overlook where there were yet more pelicans, many cormorants (mostly DCs with a couple token Neotrops), and a good variety of waterfowl, including both Mottled and Mexican Ducks. I was the first to get there, but by the time I left the place was crawling with birders--that's definitely a first in all my visits to Anzalduas! (Undoubtedly Sue's Hook-billed Kite drew attention... ;-)) Rick from Bentsen showed up with a couple from Ohio (who were very happy to be here), and pretty soon Pat showed up with a couple of other people as I was leaving, but other birders were strung out along that stretch, with more coming in! While we didn't find the kite (at least while I was there), we had a mob of Turkey Vultures on the Mexican side. A mob of Western Meadowlarks graced the grass on the way out, and on the way to NABA some TVs and a Caracara were interested in something near where the Walking Trail empties out onto Old Military Highway. In the park, to my surprise they had several feeders of various types set up by the "picnic table bait log"! Sat with another couple for awhile as Altamira Orioles, Kiskadees, and Green Jays came in; they had also seen Clay-colored Thrush and Nashville Warblers, but no MacGillivray's. A stroll down the Walking Trail added lots of Butterbutts and a calling Long-billed Curlew, and out in the garden added the requisite Ground Doves, plus two each of Savannah and Vesper Sparrows! Several Cattle Egrets fed outside the fence, and Carol told me it was probably because they had just mowed, and they were finding all sorts of critters in there... The lep highlight was a Malachite floating near the Walking Trail entrance, but it was pretty windy for all but the most hardy... What pics I do have for today are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068) Observation date: 1/27/09 Number of species: 42 Gadwall 30 American Wigeon 30 Mallard (Mexican) 1 Mottled Duck 6 Blue-winged Teal 10 Pied-billed Grebe 1 American White Pelican 27 Neotropic Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 43 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 1 Cattle Egret 9 Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 36 American Kestrel 3 American Coot 14 Killdeer 1 Ring-billed Gull 2 Rock Pigeon 25 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 8 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Green Jay 1 Cave Swallow 8 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 10 Orange-crowned Warbler 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 7 Western Meadowlark 45 Great-tailed Grackle 23 American Goldfinch 1 Location: NABA International Butterfly Park Observation date: 1/27/09 Number of species: 29 Cattle Egret 8 Turkey Vulture 4 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 1 American Kestrel 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Mourning Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 5 White-tipped Dove 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 4 Green Jay 3 House Wren 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 19 Vesper Sparrow 2 Savannah Sparrow 2 Lincoln's Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 1 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Western Meadowlark 20 Altamira Oriole 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023) Subject: Boca Chica From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:00:10 EST Hi, all! Met up with Jimmy Paz and his friend Hugo at Sabal Palms yesterday to take a trek down Boca Chica Boulevard and up the beach to try for Mangrove Warblers! We had a hard time getting out of there, as we kept stopping for suspicious chips and chirps; my favorite was the somewhat cooperative Carolina Wren! In the distance were Sandhill Cranes and both Snow and White-fronted Geese cackling up a storm. Heading down towards the beach we stopped a couple of times for Sedge Wrens, but nothing popped up. Dipped on the Aplomados as well, but had a couple of nice Harriers and several Caracaras; we were wondering what happened to all the Harris' Hawks when suddenly a pair materialized towards the end of the road! We also stopped for a distant wetland that had both ibis, several herons, and many puddle ducks, as well as a couple of fleeing Snipes. Closer to the end of the road a white heron with a bluish base to the bill made me initially call immature Little Blue, but a second look by Jimmy suggested white morph Reddish Egret, and he was right: the thick black legs were a dead giveaway, and because the bird was a juvenile it didn't have the pinkish cast to the bill (the neck was also really too shaggy for a Little Blue). Headed up the beach, logging several Laughing Gulls and smaller numbers of Ringbills and Herrings. Terns included Royal, a few Sandwich, and several Forster's, one poor bird with a fishing leader stuck in his throat. Shorebirds included Sanderlings, Willets, and a couple of Ruddy Turnstones. A lone Snowy Plover ran along as well, but we couldn't spot any bands on the legs. At the jetty we turned west and careened through the soft stuff (one lady was watching us with this terrified look on her face), adding several Oystercatchers to the list. We stopped at the first rather sparse mangrove patch and could only kick up Savannah Sparrows, and in the water a nice flock of Redheads. Out on a sand bar was a huge groups of Brown Pelicans and cormorants, with a token White Pelican in with them. Three Ospreys displayed overhead, one guy with his "landing gear" down and all four toes spread in that unique "X" shape! We then headed to the thick stuff further on, where we had barely gotten out of the vehicle and one of the Mangrove Warblers chirped brightly! He soon gave us fabulous looks at his bright yellow body and nappy rufous head! This was a "lifer" (if they ever split it) for Hugo, who said he was gonna "rub it in" when his birding wife returned from Michigan and sub-zero weather... ;-) Further down a female gave great looks, which led to a discussion of, how do you tell it from the female nominate Yellow Warbler? In migration, that would be a good question... There was a pretty good lagoon there as well that housed a large roost of Roseate Spoonbills, but an even bigger surprise to me were over 20 YELLOW-crowned Night Herons! I had seen roosts of BLACK-crowned like that before, but never the Yellow-crowned; that was quite a sight! I also heard something that sounded rather like a waterthrush "pink", but the bird wouldn't come out. On the way out we found a dark morph Reddish Egret with what looked like a bald spot on his head! Headed back happy campers after that, picking up a White-tailed Hawk and a great show by a Chihuahuan Raven on a wire, bowing and preening so that his white neck showed in the wind! On the way in to Sabal Palms a White-tailed Kite flew across the road. A big thanks again to Jimmy for doing all the adventurous driving! :-) Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-24-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-24-09 to 1-24-09 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Gadwall Anas strepera Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Redhead Aythya americana 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 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea 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 Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Sora Porzana carolina American Coot Fulica americana American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Willet Tringa semipalmata Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Herring Gull Larus argentatus Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula 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 Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata 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 82 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023) Subject: TOS Bay City Pics On Line From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:33:53 EST Hi, all! Finally got my pics (such as they are) from the Bay City TOS meeting uploaded: I made one gallery to hold five sub-galleries, one for each day: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tos_jan09_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/tos_jan09) From the above link you can browse any or all of the TOS trip galleries. Enjoy! MB Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023) Subject: McAllen Area From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:47:57 EST Hi, all! Started the day at Quinta Mazatlan, where highlights included two "duetting" Cooper's Hawks sounding rather like sapsuckers, a pair of Tropical Kingbirds twittering, and a Wilson's Warbler. Had four Curve-billed Thrashers all interacting at the "panther feeder" (with a fifth singing behind me), and a large flock of White-winged Doves flew overhead as well. Exchanged notes with John Brush as he was whizzing through doing his own survey before the kids came! :-) Next stop was Hidalgo Pumphouse, and I actually logged the biggest bird list yet there! It was still too cold for butters, but picked up the requisite Black Phoebes, and the resaca actually had water birds in it for the first time in my memory! A Green Kingfisher fished from the line that spans the water, and just before I left my vigil at the lower deck a Ringed Kingfisher flew overhead! Two bird lists follow: Location: Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC 063) Observation date: 1/22/09 Number of species: 28 Plain Chachalaca 4 Cooper's Hawk 2 White-winged Dove 40 Mourning Dove 41 Common Ground-Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 3 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 5 Tropical Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 3 Black-crested Titmouse 4 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 4 Curve-billed Thrasher 5 European Starling 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5 Wilson's Warbler 1 Olive Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 1 Great-tailed Grackle 6 House Sparrow 50 Location: Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC) (LTC067) Observation date: 1/22/09 Number of species: 28 Ring-necked Duck 1 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Rock Pigeon 6 Common Ground-Dove 2 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Black Phoebe 3 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4 Common Yellowthroat 2 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Great-tailed Grackle 4 Lesser Goldfinch 5 American Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023) Subject: La sal Del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:31:18 EST Hi, all! Was another beautiful day out on the dirt roads around La Sal, although I didn't make it out to the lake this time. Sandhill Cranes were flying early on, and had my first sapsucker of the route along Brushline. Pyyrs, Cardinals, and Green Jays were feeding all over the roads, as well as Savannah Sparrows and Ground Doves. The ponds along the northeastern "ranch road" off Brushline had both Least and Pied-billed Grebes, as well as a single Neotrop Corm. Most of the action was along GI Road, where I had Snow Geese (both lounging around the Rio Beef Feedyard and flying over), White-fronted Geese, and one lonely Black-bellied Whistling Duck! (Couldn't pick out any Ross' with the Snows...) The one little wetland that was full of Brewer's Blackbirds and shorebirds a couple of months ago was totally dried up, but the Brewer's were still hanging around in good numbers, as well as hundreds of redwings, cowbirds, and grackles. Where GI Road heads north I actually spooked a Screech Owl who stayed put long enough to get great looks at a very annoyed face! I went past the second cattle guard (where I usually turn around) to try and assess whether that road is public or private at that point, and I really didn't see anything to imply that it was a private road; it zigzagged on for another three miles before ending at bona fide private property. Got the only Roadrunner of the day in here, and discovered another pond that had more Least Grebes and a Great Blue Heron. Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 1/21/09 Number of species: 82 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Greater White-fronted Goose 18 Snow Goose 170 Gadwall 4 Mottled Duck 4 Blue-winged Teal 9 Northern Shoveler 23 Green-winged Teal 2 Lesser Scaup 2 Northern Bobwhite 2 Least Grebe 9 Pied-billed Grebe 9 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 1 Black Vulture 4 Turkey Vulture 12 Northern Harrier 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk 4 Crested Caracara 4 American Kestrel 6 Sora 3 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 9 Sandhill Crane 18 Killdeer 11 Black-necked Stilt 6 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Long-billed Dowitcher 10 Wilson's Snipe 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 111 Inca Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 14 White-tipped Dove 1 Greater Roadrunner 1 Eastern Screech-Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 10 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 12 Eastern Phoebe 7 Great Kiskadee 23 Couch's Kingbird 7 Loggerhead Shrike 3 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 28 Horned Lark 1 Tree Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Verdin 6 Cactus Wren 3 Bewick's Wren 10 House Wren 20 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Hermit Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 34 Long-billed Thrasher 7 Curve-billed Thrasher 3 European Starling 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 16 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 14 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 16 Savannah Sparrow 14 Lincoln's Sparrow 30 Northern Cardinal 19 Pyrrhuloxia 9 Red-winged Blackbird 260 Eastern Meadowlark 9 Western Meadowlark 8 Brewer's Blackbird 20 Great-tailed Grackle 210 Brown-headed Cowbird 300 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) Subject: Santa Ana NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:06:29 EST Hi, all! Birded Santa Ana this morning, but I wasn't back in the area where the possible Forest Falcon had been seen, and the rangers said there had been no further sightings. It was a beautiful morning to be out, however, starting out nippy but calm with clear skies. Highlights include all three kingfishers (Green was along the river and at Pintail Lakes, and the Ringed was near the eastmost Pintail Lake), a probable Least Flycatcher also at Pintail Lakes (Lake #2), and a female Black-throated Gray Warbler in the parking lot. At Willow Lakes a Sora exploded from the vegetation near the blind and swam around in plain view, which was fun! Scared up an Ovenbird along the eastern leg of the Willow Lakes Trail, and a Snipe sat motionless in the shallow water in the same area. Bird List: Location: Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059) Observation date: 1/20/09 Number of species: 59 Gadwall 25 American Wigeon 10 Mottled Duck 11 Blue-winged Teal 8 Northern Shoveler 13 Northern Pintail 4 Green-winged Teal 20 Ring-necked Duck 8 Lesser Scaup 2 Plain Chachalaca 20 Least Grebe 14 Pied-billed Grebe 9 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 3 Tricolored Heron 1 White-faced Ibis 1 Turkey Vulture 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Sora 2 Common Moorhen 8 American Coot 50 Killdeer 3 Black-necked Stilt 10 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Wilson's Snipe 1 White-tipped Dove 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Belted Kingfisher 3 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 9 Least Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 6 Great Kiskadee 23 White-eyed Vireo 8 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 8 Black-crested Titmouse 7 Carolina Wren 13 House Wren 10 Marsh Wren 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 5 European Starling 9 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Ovenbird 1 Common Yellowthroat 16 Olive Sparrow 11 Lincoln's Sparrow 11 Northern Cardinal 4 Red-winged Blackbird 12 Altamira Oriole 2 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De cemailfooterNO62) Subject: Choke Canyon - No Pine Flycatcher From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:32:04 EST Hi, all! Stopped at Choke Canyon on the way home from the TOS Convention, and since the park map showed that the Bird Trail made a little loop with the "Pine Flycatcher Trail", I started there and ran into a couple from Ohio who said the bird had been seen there yesterday, but not today yet. Padded the trip list with some Valley specialties like Green Jay, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, and White-tipped Dove in the meantime, while enjoying a holdout from the north in the form of a Carolina Chickadee that came shooting in! Had some nice ducks on the lake including a couple of female Canvasbacks, plus a single Laughing Gull. Looping around to "the trail" I ran into several photographers (found out at least three of them weren't really birders), waiting around the little water treatment building as the bird had evidently been coming to the barbed wire. I hadn't heard a "whit" of ANY type on my walk, so I kept circling and eventually made it over to the restrooms where several waders were hanging out on the shoreline and Neotropic Cormorants claimed the snags. Across the lake a couple of lines of Sandhill Cranes sailed in, and a feeding frenzy of close to 100 cormorants of some kind and some White Pelicans was taking place! Went back and hiked almost the entire Bird Trail (and at least got my "doggie fix" with several folks walking their dogs), and while kinglets and even Butterbutts initially got my heart rate going, no empids ever showed (at least for me and the folks who were there at the time). Overall it was a marvelous trip, and I will post pictures in a separate PBase gallery shortly! Bird list (new trip birds are in CAPS): Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-18-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-18-09 to 1-18-09 American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Egret Ardea alba Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Canvasback Aythya valisineria Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus Harris' Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis American Coot Fulica Americana Killdeer Laughing Gull Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Inca Dove Columbina inca WHITE-TIPPED DOVE Leptotila verreauxi GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER Melanerpes aurifrons Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER Picoides scalaris Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula 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 Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis VERDIN Auriparus flaviceps Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus GREEN JAY Cyanocorax yncas American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos 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 OLIVE SPARROW Arremonops rufivirgatus Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta BREWER’S BLACKBIRD Euphagus cyanocephalus Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 57 SPECIES Total for Trip: 156 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De cemailfooterNO62) Subject: Quintana & Bryan Beach From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:53:16 EST Hi, all! Had a great day out with leader Steve Gross and another carfull of ladies from Plano Texas (I should have written the names down but I think they were Betty, Gerry, Carolyn, and Terri; Veda and Ethel and I rode with Steve), setting out early and shooting to get to the Quintana Jetty before the gulls dispersed. We were waylaid by a pre-dawn Great Horned Owl by the highway, and at the same stop we heard Sedge Wrens tuning up! We stopped briefly by some ponds by a natural gas production plant that had several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and a few Blue-winged Teal. There was a mob of Laughing Gulls to greet us at the jetty, but the hoped-for Lesser Blackback was a no-show. We all agreed that this jetty should be the model for ALL of 'em, as it was a nice, flat, paved sidewalk clear out the end (I'm assuming--we didn't go that far)! We shortly saw why they designed it that way as a couple of fishermen wheeled by with enough gear to spend a week there! But it allowed us great looks at beautiful male Red-breasted Mergansers, fly-by Gannets and Common Loons, Forster's Terns, a first-year Bonaparte's Gull, and the real treat, a single Horned Grebe! The only "rockpipers" we could kick up were a couple of Willets and a single Ruddy Turnstone. From there we drove down the beach and couldn't scare up any odd gulls, but did great looks at cute Snowy Plovers in with the Sanderlings, and a nice male Canvasback in a pond next to the dunes (along with a couple of Lesser Scaup and tons of Ruddies). A handsome Peregrine Falcon perched on some kind of washed-up rigging, and along the south access road, which crossed a nice marsh, we had more ducks (including Mottled), a group of Sandhill Cranes flying by, a Harrier, and several Common Goldeneye. I believe it was in Freeport where we checked a little marsh and kicked up a Yellowthroat and Orange-crowned Warbler, and enjoyed a displaying Boat-tailed Grackle. From there we headed over to Surfside, where there was a marsh where we were going to try for Seaside and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows. A fellow birder named Eric joined us and pointed us to a pair of Yellow-crowned Night Herons he had spotted on the way in! Steve worked and worked to get the sparrows to respond, and in the meantime we enjoyed very cooperative Clapper Rails (even one that sparked a "Why did the rail cross the road?" joke...)! Finally a Nelson's came right out on the mud, giving everyone fabulous looks! We had lunch at a little park right across from the Quintana Jetty, fending off the mooching Great-tailed Grackles and Laughing Gulls. We decided to go back and try again for the Seaside Sparrow, and this time we tried a different road in the same area. Someone (I think it was Carolyn) was teasing Steve about how a "good leader" would go out in that stuff and scare the bird up, and he actually did it! :-D Only got a Marsh Wren, though... We worked the same road as before, adding some Least Sandpipers and a couple of Semipalmated Plovers to the list, and at the end of the road we had a better view of the huge gull flock which included a handful of Skimmers. A dowitcher wheeled in (we assumed Short-billed in that stuff, although he didn't talk) who behaved very atypically, but nonetheless gave everyone a good look. From there we headed back towards Bay City, stopping along the road for great studies of Neotropic Cormorants next to one Doublecrest (we had seen several cormorants along the jetty that we were calling DCs, although some of them looked questionable), and a white goose flock that we kept swearing included a Ross' until the thing would shape-shift and start looking no smaller than the other Snows... :-P A Long-billed Curlew squealed as three presumed White-faced Ibis came sailing in and a small flock of White-fronted Geese took off, spooking the Snows as well. Actually, before we hit the geese, Steve stopped at a spot that commonly held wintering Palm Warblers, and after a bit of diligent searching, everyone (I think) got cracking looks at the little tail-wagging guy! On the way home we were desperate to pad the list with Mourning Doves and Crows, and logged House Sparrow literally at the last minute... Bird List (and Steve et al definitely logged some I missed; those in CAPS are new for the trip): Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-17-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-17-09 to 1-17-09 COMMON LOON Gavia immer Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps HORNED GREBE Podiceps auritus 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 Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Snowy Egret Egretta thula YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON Nyctanassa violacea White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler CANVASBACK Aythya valisineria Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator RUDDY DUCK Oxyura jamaicensis Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris American Coot Fulica americana Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola SEMIPALMATED PLOVER Charadrius semipalmatus Killdeer Charadrius vociferus SNOWY PLOVER Charadrius alexandrinus SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER Limnodromus griseus LONG-BILLED CURLEW Numenius americanus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia Laughing Gull Larus atricilla Royal Tern Sterna maxima Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata PALM WARBLER Dendroica palmarum Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas NELSON’S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW Ammodramus nelsoni Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 78 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De cemailfooterNO62) Subject: Matagorda Rarity Hunt From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:58:11 EST Hi, all! What a whirlwind day! Our little group joined Brent Ortega to look for rarities and unusual birds sighted during the Matagorda CBC, and wound up logging well over 100 species! It was a caravan affair and I wound up riding with Gael and Leslie from Austin, and we had a grand old time! I didn't catch all the little county roads, but we started at a little gated woodland I believe along CR 242 (south of Bay City, at any rate), mainly to look for Woodcock. The guys managed to flush one (maybe more) enough so that most people got a composite look (I heard the distinctive wing whistle). At a little nearby wetland an Anhinga kept circling around as though waiting for us to leave before she decided to land, and scared up a small flock of Wood Ducks, another target bird. A Downy Woodpecker gave a great look, and several Pileateds went flying over. Back out at the entrance, the guys pointed out a Bald Eagle nest, complete with eagle! After that we cruised through a neighborhood that had large park-like lawns and trees, adding Eastern Bluebirds and Pine Warblers (at both extremes of brightness) to the list. From there we headed south towards the Matagorda Peninsula, enjoying a pair of White-tailed Kites, several roadside Sandhill Cranes, and a close-up Snipe en route. The wetlands along the road to the peninsula had both Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser (I only saw the latter) and several waders, including Roseate Spoonbills and Reddish Egrets. The target bird on the beach was an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull, but we couldn't find him amongst all the Bonies, Herrings, Laughers, Royal Terns, and Skimmers. A substantial flock of Avocets was also out in the surf, and a single Caspian Tern was in with the larid flock. We then headed over to the nuclear power plant where there were several waterfowl impoundments, where we added several ducks in addition to both Least and Pied-billed Grebes. We then cruised a series of nearby dirt roads that had produced Groove-billed Anis during the count, and lo and behold, we found them, bouncing along the hedges! We ran into one of the other field trips who also spotted a bright Wilson's Warbler for the day, and Brent also managed to spot a Least Flycatcher for us. Down the road were good studies of both Cackling and Canada Geese in with the Whitefronts, and another road near some sod farms produced great looks at a Sprague's Pipit! We finally found a flock of white geese that contained both Snow and Ross' (for real), plus several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. The last stop of the day was Matagorda WMA, which you must get special permission to access. It was a glorious spot where we first formed a scrimmage line across an old burned field with yet another field trip (might have been the same one) to scare up a Burrowing Owl. We managed to kick up two that went in opposite directions, which caused considerable confusion amongst the group as everyone tried to direct people's attention onto the bird(s)! From there we headed to the lodge (the sleeping quarters which rivaled any bed and breakfast I've seen) and down to the marsh overlook, where right away Clapper, Virginia, and Sora Rails all came out for us! Several distant shorebirds were added to the list as well before we headed back towards the gate, adding a Peregrine sitting on a ridge. We checked a little cow pasture (complete with curious cows) for Vermilion Flycatcher and finding a brilliant male, and when Brent went into an old building to try and flush a Barn Owl, he wound up scaring out a Great Horned instead! Rolled home tired and happy, and we three indulged at the Bay City Seafood joint (their gumbo is to die for)! Bird list (new species for the trip are in CAPS): SIGHTINGS Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-16-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-16-09 to 1-16-09 LEAST GREBE Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Pelecanus erythrorhynchos BROWN PELICAN Pelecanus occidentalis 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 White Ibis Eudocimus albus White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi ROSEATE SPOONBILL Platalea ajaja BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna autumnalis Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Snow Goose Chen caerulescens ROSS’ GOOSE Chen rossii CANADA GOOSE Branta canadensis CACKLING GOOSE Branta hutchinsii WOOD DUCK Aix sponsa Gadwall Anas strepera GREEN-WINGED TEAL Anas carolinensis Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Northern Pintail Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus BALD EAGLE Haliaeetus leucocephalus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis CLAPPER RAIL Rallus longirostris VIRGINIA RAIL Rallus limicola SORA Porzana carolina Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana AMERICAN AVOCET Recurvirostra Americana Killdeer BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola American Woodcock Scolopax minor Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER Limnodromus scolopaceus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca WILLET Catoptrophorus semipalmatus SANDERLING Calidris alba WESTERN SANDPIPER Calidris mauri LEAST SANDPIPER Calidris minutilla DUNLIN Calidris alpina Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis AMERICAN HERRING GULL Larus smithsonianus BONAPARTE’S GULL Larus philadelphia LAUGHING GULL Larus atricilla CASPIAN TERN Sterna caspia ROYAL TERN Sterna maxima Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri BLACK SKIMMER Rynchops niger Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura GROOVE-BILLED ANI Crotophaga sulcirostris GREAT HORNED OWL Bubo virginianus BURROWING OWL Athene cunicularia Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus DOWNY WOODPECKER Picoides pubescens NORTHERN FLICKER Colaptes auratus PILEATED WOODPECKER Dryocopus pileatus LEAST FLYCATCHER Empidonax minimus Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe VERMILION FLYCATCHER Pyrocephalus rubinus Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor American Pipit Anthus rubescens SPRAGUE’S PIPIT Anthus spragueii Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos EASTERN BLUEBIRD Sialia sialis American Robin Turdus migratorius Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Sparrow Passer domesticus American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata PINE WARBLER Dendroica pinus Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas WILSON’S WARBLER Wilsonia pusilla 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 Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalus quiscula Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus BRONZED COWBIRD Molothrus aeneus BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD Molothrus ater 112 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http:// pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De cemailfooterNO62) Subject: Hidalgo Co Big Day (long), Monday, 12 JAN 09 From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:54:26 EST Hi, all! Sorry for the late report, but this is the first opportunity I've had to write up this thing. Was antsy to forget about the numbers for once and just have a fun day of birding the county and trying to log as many species as possible, and God gave me a perfect day for it (pleasantly cool, mostly sunny, and calm)! Overcame my paranoia and started at Bentsen an hour before dawn (i.e., 6:22), and was pleased to see another lady named Petra starting out at the same time! We hiked in together and heard a Great Horned Owl (1), then parted company at the "10-minute bench" (i.e., 10 minutes from the parking lot). A quiet sit here for five added Eastern Screech Owl (2), and as I continued on, I caught a Pauraque (3) in the spotlight! (I needn't have worried as they became very vociferous later...) Sitting at the Kingfisher Overlook awaiting the dawn was delightful, as the first bird to sound off there was a Least Bittern (4) followed by several Coots (5)! A Sora (6) tuned up shortly afterwards, and Mottled Ducks (7) quacked unseen. Soon the Yellowthroats (8) started calling each other, and a Cardinal (9) and Carolina Wren (10) sang from the private camp across the way. I was thrilled to hear the tooting of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl near the Pavillion, until I discovered later that Petra was over there tooting herself about that time... :-P The Gambels showed up, and while we chatted we logged Mockingbird (11), House Wren (12), and a cackling Moorhen (13). By then it was light enough to see a pair of Ring-necked Ducks (14) across the way along with a lone male Lesser Scaup (15), some Gadwall (16), and a couple of Anhingas (17). Shortly a Kiskadee (18) greeted the dawn while we watched a Pied-billed Grebe (19) and logged the awakening Green Jays (20). Mrs. Gambel was pointing out her favorite kingfisher tree to me when a Green Kingfisher (21) suddenly appeared on it! Her "pet" Golden-fronted Woodpecker (22) showed up right on schedule on his pole :-), an American Goldfinch (23) bounced overhead, and a Red-shouldered Hawk (24) yelled in the distance. At sunrise I headed over to the Kiskadee Blind to at least try for the buntings, adding Eastern Phoebe (25), Orange-crowned Warbler (26), and Ruby-crowned Kinglet (27) to the list. No buntings, but a Lincoln's Sparrow (28) smacked nicely. On the way back a Gray Hawk (29) whistled (and if there was any question about it being a talented Green Jay, a real Gray Hawk showed up at Anzalduas later...), and more common dickeys such as Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (30), Red-winged Blackbird (31), and Ladder-backed Woodpecker (32) got added to the list. By now the White-tipped Doves (33) were at the feeders, and Yellow-rumped Warblers (34) were chipping in the trees. A lone Long-billed Curlew (35) flew overhead, and at the next set of feeders added Mourning (36) and Common Ground (37) to the dove lineup. Past the intersection a Long-billed Thrasher (38) sang, some distant Chachalacas (39) sounded off, and an Altamira Oriole (40) whistled. Almost back at the headquarters had the first Great-tailed Grackle (41) of the day, and a female Archilochus Hummer gave such a close view at one of the feeders that I felt comfortable calling her a Black-chinned (42). Narrowly escaping being shanghaied by Carol and Josh for the bird walk ;-) I headed over to Anzalduas, picking up a Kestrel (43) on the way and hearing House Sparrows (44) in the neighborhoods. A Loggerhead Shrike (45) was on a wire, and the best sighting was a pair of Ringed Kingfishers (46) turning the corner onto Abierto Farias! A Curve-billed Thrasher (47) whistled rudely from a bush on the fly, and logged the obligatory Rock Pigeons (48) and Starlings (49). Heading into Anzalduas, there was a lot of activity in some trees down by the river, so I got out to peruse and was immediately greeted by several Eastern Bluebirds (50)! There was also a Chipping Sparrow (51) flock on the ground, and the trees were full of activity, including several Pine Warblers (52), the Beardless Tyrannulet (53), and a Blue-headed Vireo (54). I was thrilled to discover that one of the "chink" warblers was indeed a Black-throated Gray (55), accompanied by two Black-throated Greens (56) and a Black-and-white (57). The Black-crested Titmice (58) joined the fray, and a quick check of the river added Great (59) and Snowy Egrets (60). I was on the way back to the car when a Yellow-throated Warbler (61) showed itself over my head! Continuing on the main drive a bulky Double-crested Cormorant (62) flew over, along with an Osprey (63), and a flock of Western Meadowlarks (64) fed in the grass. Driving over the Dicey Dike, I was headed toward the dam overlook when a female Vermilion Flycatcher (65) fluttered onto the wire! Padded the list well at the overlook, adding American Wigeon (66), White Pelican (67), a Laughing Gull (68), Neotropic Corms (69) along with the DCs, the Ring-billed Gull (70) from last time (coulda used that Caspian Tern), a Little Blue Heron (71), some Blue-winged Teal (72), and a Spotted Sandpiper (73). Quinta Mazatlan was the next stop, but I added a singing Eastern Meadowlark (74) on the way. Tropical Kingbirds (75) were song-battling driving in (I can't believe I dipped on Couch's), and at the first feeder a cute little Olive Sparrow (76) was very obliging! Inca (77) and White-winged Doves (78) were also easy, as well as the requisite Buff-bellied Hummer (79). Dipped on the Parula, which was my target bird there... A drive up 10th Street produced no parakeets, but did provide a couple of telephone lines' worth of little Darth Vaders (i.e., Bronzed Cowbirds-80)! Swinging over to Wallace Road, the ag fields held a Harrier (81) and sweet-sounding Horned Larks (82), which actually showed themselves nicely on North Bryan. Brown-headed Cowbirds (83) were in with the Redwings and grackles, and they all scattered when what I'm sure was the same Peregrine (84) that Joyce and I saw went tearing through, as it was so immaculately white below. Killdeer (85) were upset by this, and at the big wetland a big flock of White-faced Ibis (86) came in! Other new but expected species here included Great Blue Heron (87), Pintail (88), Least Grebe (89), Ruddy Duck (90), and Shoveler (91). Turkey Vultures (92) were starting to kettle by then, and a Bewick's Wren (93) actually sang from the scrub. At the north end of the wetland the Belted Kingfisher (94) Joyce and I had before was still there, and a Greater Yellowlegs (95) sounded off, along with a piping Green-winged Teal (96, which I saw plenty of later at Santa Ana). Continuing on into the ag and thornscrub, picked up several Savannah Sparrows (97) and a distant Bobwhite (98) doing its covey call, and heard a lone Lark Sparrow (99) singing tentatively from a tree, complete with snorts. A flyover Caracara was bird #100 (which usually turned out to be Rock Pigeon in San Diego...)! A quick peek at the flooded part of North Bryan added both Avocets (101) and a Stilt (102), a few Least Sandpipers (103), a couple of American Pipits (104), the only Long-billed Dowitchers (105) of the day, and a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs (106), along with a huge collection of curlews! Headed down the freeway to Edinburg Wetlands after that, adding Harris' (107) and Red-tailed Hawks (108) on the way, and at least one quick-flapping Black Vulture (109) in a kettle of TVs. Stepping foot in the butterfly gardens I heard a Lesser Goldfinch (110) make its sad little sound, and a female Pyrrhuloxia (111) fed along the path. Picked up the requisite Black-crowned (112) and token Yellow-crowned Night Herons (113) in the north lake, along with a couple of Cattle Egrets (114) and several snoozing Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (115) on the shore. Heard the Rufous Hummingbird (116) "zee-chuppity" past, but dipped on both the ani and the Roadrunner, which were both seen that day... :-( Was definitely hitting the point of diminishing returns at Santa Ana, where the only new birds included a flyover Cave Swallow (117) singing its funny song, and a fussing Marsh Wren (118) at Willow Lake. Since time was running out and I wanted to hit the La Sal del Rey area at dusk, I opted to skip Frontera and head to Estero Llano instead, where I was able to add a half dozen more species: Tricolored Heron (119) and Swamp Sparrow (120) in the llano itself, the Cinnamon Teal (121) from the deck, a spooked Snipe (122) from the boardwalk, Tree Swallows (123) flying all around, and the real treat, a Grasshopper Sparrow (124) in amongst the other grassland sparrows (that made up for the Sedge Wrens that didn't show this time...)! Blasted up to La Sal with barely enough light to spare and headed straight to GI Road (so I knew I was still in Hidalgo)! Heard Sandhill Cranes (125) in the distance, so was glad to at least log that, but dipped on the hoped-for geese. The consolation prize was a nice adult White-tailed Hawk (126). An odd dove on the wires morphed into a Eurasian Collared (127), and a flyby Cooper's Hawk (128) saved the dove from being the last bird of the day! Ironically, heard a Great Horned Owl as dusk settled in, so it was fun to begin and end the day with the same bird! Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) Subject: San Bernard NWR From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:35:03 EST Hi, all! Fellow Texbirder Lamont Brown and I joined forces to tackle San Bernard this morning. It was another glorious day out there (at least after we found the place)! The entrance road had a vulture on every telephone pole, it seemed like, and the grasslands were full of Sedge Wrens! Heading onto the auto tour, the more wooded areas going in had Carolina Chickadees, singing Tufted Titmice, and a cooperative Catbird at one stop! Sandhill Cranes bugled in the distance, although we never saw any. When we finally reached the wetlands, two cars in front of us had come to a dead halt, and soon we saw why: a group of Snow Geese was literally blocking the road! After awhile we broke the party up by pulling ahead, and the geese hopped up and over to an area right next to the road, giving great looks! Try as we might, however, we could find no Ross' amongst them, although one bird looked as thought it could have been a hybrid. A few minutes at the overlook added many ducks and waders to the day list, and behind us a King Rail grunted much like the Clappers back in San Diego! Tree Swallows were all over, and other nice wetland birds included a posing Belted Kingfisher (highly irregular, as they're usually rather skittish), and a Snipe right next to the road! Took me a minute to recognize the song of an old friend from Florida: the Boat-tailed Grackle! We found an offshoot to the main auto tour and took that, which went through a beautiful woodland area where we picked up White-eyed Vireo for the day. In the wetter spots we were able to find Swamp Sparrows, while Savannahs liked the drier areas. Sorting through the sparrows paid off as we were able to pick out a Vesper at one point! A tern batted by that "felt" like a Gull-billed, but I didn't get a good enough look to tell for sure. I pished in a couple of Ospreys, though... ;-) Lamont got a message on his Blackberry about a Least Flycatcher on the refuge, so based on the directions I thought I knew where they were talking about: instead of pulling into the auto tour from the entrance road, you went straight, and right there was a little wetland with willows and palmettos. We couldn't find the flycatcher, so we went back to check out the Scissortail Trail, where the highlight there was a Woodcock we flushed! After checking the boat ramp and the part of the auto tour we bypassed (we had nice looks at White-fronted Geese, a Tricolored Heron, and White-faced Ibis on the second round), we called it a day and headed back to Bay City for lunch and registration, but not before adding a lovely White-tailed Kite to the list! Bird List (those in CAPS are new for the trip): SIGHTINGS Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-15-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-15-09 to 1-15-09 PIED-BILLED GREBE Podilymbus podiceps Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba TRICOLORED HERON Egretta tricolor SNOWY EGRET Egretta thula White Ibis Eudocimus albus WHITE-FACED IBIS Plegadis chihi GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser albifrons SNOW GOOSE Chen caerulescens GADWALL Anas strepera MOTTLED DUCK Anas fulvigula NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta Blue-winged Teal Anas discors NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata RING-NECKED DUCK Aythya collaris LESSER SCAUP Aythya affinis Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura OSPREY Pandion haliaetus WHITE-TAILED KITE Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis KING RAIL Rallus elegans COMMON MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus AMERICAN WOODCOCK Scolopax minor Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca RING-BILLED GULL Larus delawarensis Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura BELTED KINGFISHER Ceryle alcyon Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe TREE SWALLOW Tachycineta bicolor American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren SEDGE WREN Cistothorus platensis MARSH WREN Cistothorus palustris GRAY CATBIRD Dumetella carolinensis Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus American Robin Turdus migratorius Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis TUFTED TITMOUSE Baeolophus bicolor Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos House Sparrow Passer domesticus WHITE-EYED VIREO Vireo griseus American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas VESPER SPARROW Pooecetes gramineus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE Quiscalus major Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 69 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) Subject: Lake Texana State Park From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:27:22 EST Hi, all! Headed up to Bay City today for the TOS Convention starting tomorrow, and got a great start to the trip list going up the old "Hawk Alley", logging Harris', Red-tailed, and White-tailed Hawks, plus the requisite Caracaras! The cutover to US 77 also had several Sandhill Cranes very close to the road! Stopped at Lake Texana, and it was a glorious time! It was sunny, cool, and calm, and a special delight to see some of my "old friends" from back east! Right away at the entrance had a Blue Jay trying very hard to convince me he was a Red-shouldered Hawk, and a little pishing brought in point-blank views of a Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, and the ever-present Orange-crowned Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Started by slowly cruising through the park, and a stop at the restroom and subsequent peek at the lake logged Coots accompanied by a single female Blue-winged Teal, and what I thought was a dowitcher at first glance (due to the "sewing-machine" behavior) turned out to be a Snipe! A couple of Greater Yellowlegs also graced the shoreline. While at the pier near the boat ramp a couple of Neotropic Cormorants came sailing in, and a Forster's Tern batted around, making a clicking sound. What I'm presuming to be Red-bellied Woodpeckers in this thick woodland habitat were very uncooperative, as looking at the range maps, it looked like this area might be on the cusp of the two species, and I wanted to get a look just to be sure, but never could. A real Red-shouldered Hawk flew up on a dead snag and never stopped yelling, and both Carolina Wrens and Chickadees chortled and sang. Both Black and Turkey Vultures owned the skies. After checking the roads I went back to the entrance gate to hike the first trail, which paralleled the highway for awhile. There was a lot of grassland and scrub along here, great for Savannah Sparrows and Western Meadowlarks, and at the trailhead a group of Inca Doves joined the Savannahs. A single Lincoln's popped up at one point for good comparisons. At the second trailhead I glimpsed a small white wader in the water, so after parking I went over to take a peek, and the culprit turned out to be a White Ibis! This second trail made a very nice loop through the woods which was absolutely beautiful, and turned out to be a sparrow paradise as well: a single Field Sparrow was hanging with some Cardinals at one point, and at the footbridge where there was ample deadwood and dry wetland habitat, several White-throated Sparrows popped up, along with two Swamp Sparrows! A Cooper's Hawk barreling through interrupted the party... In the mammal department several White-tailed Deer moseyed along unconcernedly, and a couple of Armadillos shuffled through the leaf litter; one apparently heard the sound of my camera focusing and actually sat up to see what was going on! Headed on in to Bay City after that, adding a beautiful male Harrier to the list. Those marked with an asterisk were seen en route and NOT within the state park. Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-14-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-14-09 to 1-14-09 Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Great Egret Ardea alba White Ibis Eudocimus albus Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura *Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii *Harris' 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 *Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis American Coot Fulica americana Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri *Rock Pigeon Columba livia *Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto *Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Inca Dove Columbina inca Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe American Pipit Anthus rubescens Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus American Robin Turdus migratorius Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis *Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos *European Starling Sturnus vulgaris *House Sparrow Passer domesticus American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis *Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta *Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 56 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital.(http://www.aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000027) Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 16:50:09 EST Hi, all! Joyce Davidson joined me this morning birding Wallace Road and environs, mainly to show me where the "real" Sapo Lake was (and to be honest, I never noticed it on any of my trips out there as it's away from the road and surrounded by trees), so now we're wondering what that big wetland is called that Wallace Road actually transects! Red-winged Blackbirds were "storm-clouding" out in the fields (eBird wouldn't let me enter more than 10,000, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were more than that along the route), and Joyce had found a Yellow-headed Blackbird amongst them on one of her excursions out here, but we couldn't find any today; the only mixtures (and that mainly at the "swamp" crossing North Bryan) were with grackles and BH Cowbirds. It was certainly Hawk Alley, however, with Red-tailed, Harris', and a beautiful flyover White-tailed all represented, along with the usual Harriers, Caracaras, and Kestrels, plus a single White-tailed Kite. Most of the action, of course, was at the wetland, with a highlight being an immaculate Peregrine Falcon perched on one of the dead trees! We caught up with Joyce's buddies about then, and we all enjoyed lots of Anhingas, cormorants, ducks, Coots, grebes, and egrets, as well as a few White Pelicans. A single Fulvous Whistling Duck was hiding in the southmost wetland, and the girls had had a flock of feral Muscovies fly past! Dickey birds included a Tropical Kingbird and a Green Kingfisher, but couldn't locate the Vermilion Flys that were there last month. In the shorebird department we added both yellowlegs and a Spotted Sand. We picked up a Vesper Sparrow hanging with some Western Meadowlarks along FM 490; Bryan Road was still impassable but we added several shorebirds and ducks to the list before backing out again. Zipped over to Edinburg Wetlands where we were met by Pat Reilley (I may have misspelled her name... :-(). It was a bit windy for butters, but had plenty of Butterbutts around, as well as the Rufous Hummer that "zee-chuppitied" by (surprisingly, I had no Buff-bellieds this time). Kicked up my first Blue-headed Vireo for the park in the "forest trail", and the north lake still had its mob of Black-crowned Night Herons (with the token Yellow-crowned) along with all three white egrets, several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, and a big pod of Blue-winged Teal at the spillway. The girls were tearing their hair out trying to get me on a Green Heron they had spotted: I was looking at a different part of the spillway that still fit their description! :-) The south lake had the usual throng of Neotropical Corms plus a few additional herons for the list. The Groove-billed Ani had been seen earlier, but not by us... :-( As we were heading out of the park Joyce spotted the continuing Roadrunner in the ditch! Two bird lists follow: Location: Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062) Observation date: 1/9/09 Number of species: 71 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 1 Gadwall 7 Mottled Duck 6 Northern Shoveler 6 Northern Pintail 8 Green-winged Teal 21 Ring-necked Duck 9 Lesser Scaup 6 Ruddy Duck 70 Least Grebe 2 Pied-billed Grebe 7 American White Pelican 7 Neotropic Cormorant 7 cormorant sp. 40 Anhinga 20 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 6 Snowy Egret 5 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Northern Harrier 3 Harris's Hawk 1 White-tailed Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 4 American Kestrel 3 Peregrine Falcon 1 Sora 2 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 100 Killdeer 53 Black-necked Stilt 7 American Avocet 14 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 35 Least Sandpiper 1 Long-billed Dowitcher 26 Mourning Dove 38 Belted Kingfisher 2 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5 Eastern Phoebe 3 Great Kiskadee 5 Tropical Kingbird 1 Tropical/Couch's Kingbird 1 Green Jay 4 Horned Lark 10 Black-crested Titmouse 1 House Wren 5 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Northern Mockingbird 3 Long-billed Thrasher 1 American Pipit 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 30 Common Yellowthroat 8 Vesper Sparrow 1 Lark Bunting 3 Savannah Sparrow 8 Lincoln's Sparrow 8 Red-winged Blackbird 10000 Western Meadowlark 20 Great-tailed Grackle 320 Brown-headed Cowbird 20 Lesser Goldfinch 2 American Goldfinch 12 Location: Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC 061) Observation date: 1/9/09 Notes: Groove-billed Ani also seen by other parties Number of species: 39 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 24 Blue-winged Teal 63 Northern Shoveler 6 Green-winged Teal 14 Ruddy Duck 2 Least Grebe 4 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 60 Double-crested Cormorant 30 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 6 Little Blue Heron 1 Tricolored Heron 1 Cattle Egret 4 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 23 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Common Moorhen 3 American Coot 20 Rock Pigeon 10 Common Ground-Dove 3 Greater Roadrunner 1 Rufous Hummingbird 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 5 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 32 Common Yellowthroat 2 Lincoln's Sparrow 3 Great-tailed Grackle 3 Lesser Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://news.aol.com?ncid=emlcntusnews00000002) Subject: Hook-billed Kite @ Bentsen From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 16:42:06 EST Hi, all! It was a gorgeous morning at Bentsen, with many folks searching for the pair of Blue Buntings (which were seen, but not by me :-( ), but a female Hook-billed Kite perched along the east side of the loop near Roadrunner Crossing was definitely the highlight! Visiting birder "Joe from Ottowa" also saw her, but I'm not sure anyone else did; the news sure spread fast, but further searches were apparently futile. The other highlight for me was a flyover Pine Siskin at the La Coma Rest Stop, and Groove-billed Anis were seen at the Hawk Tower, but again not by me :-( . I was hoping the rather dull Solitary-type Vireo I had at the east end of the Acacia Loop might be the reported Cassin's, but after talking to Mary G (who said it was a "classic" Cassin's seen earlier) and then consulting Sibley, I'm calling it Blue-headed until proven otherwise... Other highlights included two Ringed Kingfishers, a good selection of water birds at the Hawk Tower (including Snipe, Stilt and Solitary Sands, and both ibis), and a territorial confrontation by two White-tipped Doves at the Kiskadee Blind that got some of us chuckling. Ran into Rick Snider several times, but back at the headquarters "the other Rick" :-) pulled us over to the plants by the ladies' room where a fresh male Silver Emperor was feeding away! Pics for the day are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird List: Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC 069) Observation date: 1/8/09 Notes: At least two Groove-billed Anis, at least one Black-headed Grosbeak, and the Blue Bunting pair were seen by other parties. Number of species: 64 Gadwall 20 American Wigeon 1 Mottled Duck 4 Blue-winged Teal 40 Northern Shoveler 4 Northern Pintail 6 Green-winged Teal 70 Plain Chachalaca 6 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 6 White Ibis 2 White-faced Ibis 4 Hook-billed Kite 1 Northern Harrier 1 Crested Caracara 1 Sora 1 Common Moorhen 1 American Coot 50 Killdeer 4 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Least Sandpiper 70 Stilt Sandpiper 1 Long-billed Dowitcher 100 Wilson's Snipe 1 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 6 Common Ground-Dove 4 White-tipped Dove 8 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 9 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 10 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 5 Eastern Phoebe 3 Great Kiskadee 8 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 4 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 30 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Verdin 3 House Wren 12 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7 Hermit Thrush 2 Northern Mockingbird 5 Long-billed Thrasher 8 European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 11 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 10 Lincoln's Sparrow 7 Northern Cardinal 9 Red-winged Blackbird 20 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Great-tailed Grackle 9 Altamira Oriole 5 Pine Siskin 1 American Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://news.aol.com?ncid=emlcntusnews00000002) Subject: Crimson-collared Grosbeak & Blue Bunting (FINALLY!!) From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:42:25 EST Hi, all! Yes!! With the help of Karen Chaisson and her friend Pat, I finally got to see these two skulky critters (nice way to start the New Year by adding two lifers to your list)! They pulled in to the Frontera parking lot in the drizzling rain and cold right after I did and said, "We were wondering if we were gonna be the only fools out here!" :-D Turns out several "fools" trickled in during the course of the morning! We got an update from Wayne and first started looking for the bunting along the citrus grove fenceline, where Pat spotted a nice female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! Yellowthroats and a Wilson's Warbler were among the common wintering things. We then eventually wandered down to the feeding area where the grosbeak had been seen. I kept meaning to review the vocalization (and kept forgetting to), but when we heard this strong but unfamiliar whistle, we suspected that was the culprit, so we swung back to the feeder area, and there she was, feeding contentedly on the plant material and giving us a great show! Someone had seen the bunting back at the fence, so we headed back and searched for awhile there and near the little resaca. No success, so I gave up and continued on my routine, exchanging numbers with Karen just in case. We kept leapfrogging anyway, picking up a nice Yellow-throated Warbler behind the lake and a Blue-headed Vireo in the same area (they had already seen a Black-and-white). After sitting awhile on the bench at the base of the boardwalk (where I heard a Green Kingfisher), I took the "back" trail and picked up a few Black-bellied Whistlers in the hidden pond (plus another kingfisher), as well as a calling Gray Hawk. I eventually swung back around to the feeders where I sat for awhile, and about that time Karen called saying they had the bunting! So I headed back once again, and after a few tense moments the bird actually showed itself Lovely little thing! I really needed to get over to Valley Nature Center, so I checked in again with Wayne, when he said, "Did you see the Woodcock?" Karen and Pat waltzed in about that time, so we immediately about faced and headed back to the shack! We looked diligently (along with several other people who showed up), but couldn't find the thing, but the girls DID spot an Ovenbird (which I finally found after awhile)! Pat was looking for a Black-throated Gray Warbler, and when I heard the "chink" I pointed her in that direction (it was either that or Black-throated Green), and by golly they found it, and it WAS a Black-throated Gray! I never got on that one, either (by sight anyway...)! Like I keep telling people, my ears are great, but my eyes are lousy... Headed over to VNC after that, where at the turnoff before the "pool", a Clay-colored Thrush popped up and preened a bit! Several Buff-bellied Hummers were buzzing around as well, and a sit at one of the feeders allowed nice views of the titmice and chachalacas coming in for a snack. A female Wilson's Warbler came out for a peek, and as the sun was out and starting to warm things up, a beautiful Zebra Heliconian came out and posed! Rather poor pics of the grosbeak and a nice one of the Zebra ;-) can be seen here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058) Observation date: 1/6/09 Notes: Also reported by others was an American Woodcock. Number of species: 41 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 7 Plain Chachalaca 9 Gray Hawk 1 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 1 Green Parakeet 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Green Kingfisher 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 3 Great Kiskadee 4 White-eyed Vireo 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 4 Black-crested Titmouse 4 Carolina Wren 5 House Wren 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 3 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Yellow-throated Warbler 1 Ovenbird 1 Common Yellowthroat 2 Wilson's Warbler 2 Olive Sparrow 3 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Crimson-collared Grosbeak 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Blue Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 6 Great-tailed Grackle 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 House Sparrow 3 Location: Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057) Observation date: 1/6/09 Number of species: 23 Plain Chachalaca 6 Inca Dove 1 White-tipped Dove 2 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 2 White-eyed Vireo 2 Black-crested Titmouse 4 Carolina Wren 1 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Clay-colored Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Wilson's Warbler 1 Great-tailed Grackle 6 House Sparrow 40 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026) Subject: Bentsen CBC From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 21:40:50 EST Hi, all! Myself, John Yochum, and Mike Rickard covered the western portion of what Josh Rose called the Great White North, and while the wind hampered birding, we did see a fair number of species. Habitat consisted mainly of thorn scrub, disturbed areas, ag fields, and homesteads with a few patches of woodland here and there. The pressure was on to find Sprague's Pipits at the model airplane field, and while we kicked up plenty of American Pipits and Savannah Sparrows at that particular spot, we didn't kick up any Sprague's until we got west of there, on another road that abutted the area! Other highlights included adult and immature White-tailed Hawks, several sparrows including Lark, Vesper, and White-crowned (which wasn't on the list, surprisingly), a single White-tailed Kite, Crested Caracara, and Osprey, and two Vermilion Flycatchers. Also not on the list was Eurasian Collared Dove, of which we had 15 (and the team west of us had 50)--do we REEELY have to write those up??! ;-) Bird List (and John had Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in addition to these): Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 1-3-09 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-3-09 to 1-3-09 Snowy Egret Egretta thula Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Osprey Pandion haliaetus White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway American Kestrel Falco sparverius Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Rock Pigeon Columba livia Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris American Pipit Anthus rubescens Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre 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-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys 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 52 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026) Subject: Falcon SP & Salieno From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:16:55 EST Hi, all! Spent a cool, drizzly morning in Starr County today, but a profitable one bird-wise; I hadn't been out to the park since the flooding, and it was quite a sight! Pyrrhuloxias were out the wazoo (especially in the RV campground), and the flooded primitive area had tons of American Pipits and several Western Meadowlarks, along with whinnying Soras, a few Least Sandpipers, and a couple of Snipes. I also had a duck that I'm calling Mexican based on the fact that the speculum was broadly bordered in white, but the head matched Sibley's description of Mottled better; rather poor pictures are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) (and even though on the last shot it looks as though only one side of the speculum has the wide border, that's an illusion; both sides had broad white borders...). Comments/corrections are welcome! The boat ramp was flooded as well, so I could only walk down a little ways; ran into Ranger Donald, but he missed the Wood Duck that flew by just before he arrived! A multi-swallow flock was swirling around, with what sounded like several Banks (and a few came by close enough for visual ID) with their rapid-fire chatter (Roughwings and a couple of Trees were also represented). Over at the photo blind added an Olive Sparrow and Bronzed Cowbird to the list, but the Scaled Quail was a no-show for me (he showed up earlier for another gentleman I ran into). Dipped on the ani that is apparently still hanging around the Rec Center, although I didn't spend as much time there as I normally do due to the weather (no self-respecting lep would be out in that stuff...). One road I normally go down was closed, and in retrospect I probably should have just walked down there, but all hindsight is 20/20... There was more flooding on the way where Pied-billed Grebes and Great Egrets were hanging out, however! A slow roll through the RV campground yielded the aforementioned Pyrrs and a few Black-throated Sparrows as well. Headed over to Salieno to sit for 15; wasn't there long before Kim Eckert showed up with his VENT group! After looking at a Gray Hawk (which I overlooked) the group made their way to Cheryl's feeders while Kim and I gave the river a good looking-over before heading up there ourselves: 20 American Wigeons were the main show as well as a flyover Osprey, but none of the specialties showed while we were there (except for the hawk; they HAD seen Red-billed Pigeon and Muscovy at Chapeno earlier). Kim reported an American Bittern flying across the river after I left! :-( The feeders were entertaining as always: several Altamira and two Audubon's Orioles showed up, as well as Kiskadees, Green Jays, grackles, blackbirds, and various doves (I was shocked at a flock of around 80 White-winged Doves in there!). Butterbutts came to the peanut butter as well, including a pretty Audubon's! (That caused a lot of confusion when someone would simply say, "There's an Audubon's!" :-)) After Kim reported his bittern I went back to the river to sit for another 15, where both Green and Ringed Kingfishers made an appearance, plus a pair of Redheads that wheeled in, but that was about it. Two bird lists follow: Location: Falcon SP (Starr Co.)(LTC 084) Observation date: 12/31/08 Number of species: 58 Wood Duck 1 Mallard (Mexican) 1 Northern Bobwhite 3 Pied-billed Grebe 7 Neotropic Cormorant 4 Double-crested Cormorant 15 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 3 Snowy Egret 1 Tricolored Heron 2 Osprey 3 American Kestrel 1 Sora 3 American Coot 11 Killdeer 4 Least Sandpiper 5 Wilson's Snipe 2 Laughing Gull 3 Ring-billed Gull 3 Inca Dove 3 Common Ground-Dove 5 Greater Roadrunner 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3 Eastern Phoebe 3 Vermilion Flycatcher 1 Great Kiskadee 6 White-eyed Vireo 2 Green Jay 9 Tree Swallow 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 7 Bank Swallow 5 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Cactus Wren 5 Bewick's Wren 4 House Wren 15 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Northern Mockingbird 25 Curve-billed Thrasher 9 American Pipit 47 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 20 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Black-throated Sparrow 3 Savannah Sparrow 3 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 8 Pyrrhuloxia 23 Red-winged Blackbird 147 Western Meadowlark 12 Great-tailed Grackle 70 Bronzed Cowbird 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 15 Altamira Oriole 1 House Sparrow 6 Location: Salineño (LTC 080) Observation date: 12/31/08 Number of species: 36 Gadwall 1 American Wigeon 20 Redhead 2 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 1 Gray Hawk 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 80 Mourning Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Great Kiskadee 4 Green Jay 7 Black-crested Titmouse 1 House Wren 1 Marsh Wren 2 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 2 Chipping Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 200 Great-tailed Grackle 5 Altamira Oriole 5 Audubon's Oriole 2 House Sparrow 10 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026) Subject: Anzalduas & NABA From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:32:38 EST Hi, all! I was very glad to see that Anzalduas CP was open today, as it had been closed last month when I tried (and evidently was closed several days last month according to some other birders I ran into). The weather was great and the place was very birdy, although I dipped on the reported rarities. The boat ramp IS closed, but the trees in that area had a nice winter flock (apparently the same flock the rarities had been hanging with) consisting of American Goldfinches, Butterbutts, Orangecrowns, and at least two Pine Warblers (one had one tail feather left). Also had single Black-throated Greens and Black-and-whites. A pair each of Ringed and Belted Kingfishers carried on along the river, and picked up a mob of Coots and a couple of Moorhens and grebes. Found the requisite Black Phoebe in the picnic area, two Beardless Tyrannulets (one near the ramp and the other near the levee), and the adult Gray Hawk was very cooperative (he was along the back loop of the main park, then flew into the back part of the park). A huge flock of Western Meadowlarks circled overhead and eventually landed, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk showed up at the far end near the river, along with an Osprey. A pretty male Vermilion Flycatcher was along the south side of the loop, and I thought I might have heard a Cedar Waxwing, but there was so much squealing machinery that I wasn't sure... And just to clarify once again: you CAN go over the levee into the back area (those "road closed" signs are very confusing, but apply only to the levee itself). However, the road itself up and over the levee is VERY steep now; you almost need 4WD to get up it! And once up there, it was very difficult to see over Jip's hood to make sure I was still on the road going down! So some vehicles may not want to take the plunge... The river overlook was great: lots of cormorants and ducks, with a few herons and Least Sandpipers thrown in. New for my Anzalduas list was both Ring-billed Gull and Caspian Tern! A big flock of American Pipits was feeding in the area where you park to get to the overlook. Back in the main part of the park, I stopped at the salmon restrooms to check for moths but only found one unidentified little guy. On the way out I was bemoaning the fact that none of us (myself and the three other birders I ran into) had seen any Eastern Bluebirds yet, and suddenly there they were, at the four-way stop! Headed over to NABA after that, stopping a couple of times along Military Highway and picking up a Cooper's Hawk. It was rather cool for butterflies but very birdy; a noisy Ringed Kingfisher showed off over the canal, and Green Jays were coming in to the seed and orange fest the rangers had put out by the woodland picnic table. The Walking Trail had a cooperative Olive Sparrow at my feet and a preening Altamira Oriole in the open, along with the usual flocking things. A Long-billed Curlew called from a nearby field, and a White-fronted Goose called overhead (there may have been more, but I couldn't spot the bird...). Picked up the requisite Common Ground Doves in the woodpile near the field. Lep-wise, Queens and Brown Longtails were about the only things moving; Phil and his wife were there, and he showed me an aberrant Queen that looked like someone had taken a thick black magic marker to it on the ventral side! Pics from today are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) Two bird lists follow: Location: Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068) Observation date: 12/30/08 Number of species: 61 Gadwall 47 American Wigeon 20 Mottled Duck 5 Blue-winged Teal 18 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 1 Double-crested Cormorant 38 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 1 American Kestrel 6 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 47 Killdeer 1 Least Sandpiper 5 Ring-billed Gull 1 Caspian Tern 1 Rock Pigeon 25 Mourning Dove 4 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Belted Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 5 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 4 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 2 Black Phoebe 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 Vermilion Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 5 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 3 Cave Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 3 House Wren 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Eastern Bluebird 4 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 19 American Pipit 30 Orange-crowned Warbler 13 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 11 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Pine Warbler 1 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 5 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 26 Western Meadowlark 150 Great-tailed Grackle 19 Altamira Oriole 1 American Goldfinch 15 House Sparrow 6 Location: NABA International Butterfly Park Observation date: 12/30/08 Number of species: 37 Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Plain Chachalaca 2 Great Egret 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Common Ground-Dove 3 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Kiskadee 3 Couch's Kingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Green Jay 4 Black-crested Titmouse 1 House Wren 9 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 4 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 American Pipit 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 2 Lincoln's Sparrow 6 Northern Cardinal 4 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Western Meadowlark 2 Great-tailed Grackle 1 Altamira Oriole 1 American Goldfinch 3 House Sparrow 3 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025) Subject: La sal Del Rey From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:27:01 EST Hi, all! John Yochum joined me this morning birding the La Sal "driving route", and we had a marvelous time: although nippy, the wind had died, and we had sunny skies for most of the morning. Sandhill Cranes were almost constant, and we had a good variety of raptors, including many Kestrels and Caracaras, a beautiful pair of White-tailed Hawks, several Redtails and Harris', and a single Harrier and Sharpie. The "seasonal wetlands" were very productive: one pond off one of the Brushline spur roads had several Least Grebes (including a stripey-headed youngster) and several duck species, as well as a couple of Vermilion Flycatchers! Also along the east-west portion of Brushline we were barreling down the road to find a "whip"ping Least Flycatcher when we inadvertantly flushed a Barn Owl from a tree! At the turnaround point at the second spur road, we were enjoying a flock of Lark Sparrows when we noticed a pretty Whitecrowned in with them! A nice flock of Western Meadowlarks gave us looks at their lazy flapping while a couple of Easterns sang nearby. The wetlands along GI road were very productive as well: the little puddle that had one Brewer's Blackbird last month had at least 25 this time (I guesstimated about 30 but eBird didn't like that... ;-)), and the snipe and dowitchers were still there giving great looks. A larger pond further back from the road had over 300 Snow Geese along the edge (along with a few Ross'), and as many ducks in the water, along with a mob of Black-bellied Whistlers that John found. Further down the road a couple of wedges of Whitefronts flew over, rounding out the goose mix. Vultures of both flavors started kettling about that time, and we even found a Harris' Hawk trying to blend in! The marsh on Rio Beef Road yielded two Soras (one actually out in the open), several Moorhens and Coots, a couple of Neotropic Cormorants, and more Redwings than you could shake a stick at (just when I thought I had escaped them, another big mob flew over...) At the intersection with the highway was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the wire! We took the hike from SR 186 afterwards up to the salt lake; John found our first Curve-billed Thrasher of the day, and just as I mentioned that I often get Vesper Sparrows in there, up popped said bird! We also started chasing Dainty Sulphurs and Sleepy Oranges about that time, but those nasty little gnats hadn't gone away... At the lake were several Least Sandpipers, and the Snowy Plovers came close enough for great looks! A Bobwhite was tuning up just as we left. Bird List: Location: LRGV NWR Driving Route Observation date: 12/29/08 Number of species: 79 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 160 Greater White-fronted Goose 142 Snow Goose 315 Ross's Goose 20 Mottled Duck 4 Blue-winged Teal 11 Northern Shoveler 102 Northern Pintail 10 Green-winged Teal 200 Ruddy Duck 3 Northern Bobwhite 6 Least Grebe 7 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 2 Black Vulture 11 Turkey Vulture 39 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Harris's Hawk 5 White-tailed Hawk 3 Red-tailed Hawk 5 Crested Caracara 13 American Kestrel 10 Sora 2 Common Moorhen 8 American Coot 3 Sandhill Crane 349 Snowy Plover 4 Killdeer 10 Black-necked Stilt 2 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Least Sandpiper 30 Long-billed Dowitcher 6 Wilson's Snipe 6 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 110 Inca Dove 4 Common Ground-Dove 10 Barn Owl 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 13 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 11 Least Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 16 Vermilion Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 11 Couch's Kingbird 4 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 Loggerhead Shrike 7 White-eyed Vireo 3 Green Jay 20 Bewick's Wren 2 House Wren 27 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Northern Mockingbird 18 Long-billed Thrasher 6 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 8 American Pipit 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 22 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 22 Common Yellowthroat 2 Olive Sparrow 3 Vesper Sparrow 2 Lark Sparrow 30 Savannah Sparrow 12 Lincoln's Sparrow 19 White-crowned Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 10 Pyrrhuloxia 21 Red-winged Blackbird 4390 Eastern Meadowlark 4 Western Meadowlark 13 Brewer's Blackbird 25 Great-tailed Grackle 7 Brown-headed Cowbird 740 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025) Subject: Weslaco CBC From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:05:10 EST Hi, all! Lewis Cocks, Karen Chaisson (hope I spelled that right ;-)) and myself braved the winds road-birding our section of the Weslaco CBC today, which included parts of the Las Palomas WMA and a couple of levees north of US 281. Despite the wind we logged 68 species, plus a very cooperative "Audubon's" Warbler. Other highlights included a couple of Barn Owls in some old buildings on the WMA, probably the same Sprague's Pipit I kicked up when I was scouting the area, a couple of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, three White-winged Doves, a Vermilion Flycatcher we would have missed had Lewis not insisted on going down this particular road, ;-) and a Merlin bombing something just as the Border Patrol pulled up! :-) The bad news was that we couldn't access the eastern edge of Donna Reservoir, but the good news was that there was plenty of water around in patches, so we were able to log a good number of water-related birds. Pics of the pipit are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Bird List: Data of: Mary Beth Stowe Date: 12-27-08 Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-27-08 to 12-27-08 Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps 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 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Harris' Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus White-tailed Hawk Buteo albicaudatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula [Sora heard by Karen] Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Rock Pigeon Columba livia Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Inca Dove Columbina inca Barn Owl Tyto alba 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 Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor American Pipit Anthus rubescens Sprague's Pipit Anthus spragueii Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii House Wren Troglodytes aedon Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris 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 "Audubon's" Warbler Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 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 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 68 SPECIES Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025) Subject: Laguna Atascosa From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:37:57 EST Hi, all! Sorry for the late post, but ran out of time yesterday... Birded Laguna Atascosa on Christmas Eve; highlights include a very cooperative Grasshopper Sparrow on General Brant Road, a pair of young White-tailed Hawks, several White-tailed Kites throughout the area, and knockout looks at Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, and Reddish Egret along the Bayside Drive! Tried very hard to turn a young Peregrine into an Aplomado Falcon, but couldn't do it (although four were seen by the ranger-led birding tour)! Didn't realize it until I got home and did the list, but I missed breaking 100 by two species!! Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) Bird list: Location: Laguna Atascosa NWR (LTC 024) Observation date: 12/24/08 Number of species: 98 Greater White-fronted Goose 3 Snow Goose 4 Gadwall 16 American Wigeon 126 Mottled Duck 3 Blue-winged Teal 13 Northern Shoveler 23 Northern Pintail 990 Green-winged Teal 10 Redhead 203 Greater/Lesser Scaup 18 Red-breasted Merganser 20 Ruddy Duck 10 Plain Chachalaca 3 Least Grebe 4 Pied-billed Grebe 9 American White Pelican 309 Brown Pelican 1 Double-crested Cormorant 21 Great Blue Heron 11 Great Egret 8 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 2 Tricolored Heron 3 Reddish Egret 2 White Ibis 6 White-faced Ibis 8 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 8 Osprey 7 White-tailed Kite 6 Northern Harrier 4 Cooper's Hawk 1 White-tailed Hawk 3 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 7 American Kestrel 9 Peregrine Falcon 1 Sora 4 Common Moorhen 2 American Coot 1040 Sandhill Crane 11 Black-bellied Plover 11 Killdeer 23 Greater Yellowlegs 10 Willet 5 Lesser Yellowlegs 10 Long-billed Curlew 27 Ruddy Turnstone 1 Western Sandpiper 10 Least Sandpiper 13 Dunlin 10 Stilt Sandpiper 1 Wilson's Snipe 1 Ring-billed Gull 6 Herring Gull (American) 3 Gull-billed Tern 8 Caspian Tern 2 Forster's Tern 1 Royal Tern 4 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 291 Inca Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 2 Greater Roadrunner 2 Belted Kingfisher 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 11 Great Kiskadee 7 White-eyed Vireo 9 Green Jay 12 Tree Swallow 20 Cactus Wren 1 House Wren 17 Sedge Wren 12 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 30 Long-billed Thrasher 20 Curve-billed Thrasher 2 European Starling 3 American Pipit 3 Sprague's Pipit 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 25 Common Yellowthroat 10 Olive Sparrow 7 Savannah Sparrow 10 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Lincoln's Sparrow 7 Northern Cardinal 5 Red-winged Blackbird 700 Eastern Meadowlark 21 Western Meadowlark 2 Great-tailed Grackle 166 Brown-headed Cowbird 11 House Sparrow 6 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025) Subject: Bentsen SP From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:32:08 EST Hi, all! Did an abbreviated survey this morning in order to get to Christmas Dinner on time :-); highlights include a calling Gray Hawk, two Ringed Kingfishers (one of them on the wire over the entrance canal), a calling Sora at Kingfisher Overlook, and a single Indigo Bunting. Lincoln's Sparrows sounded off like popcorn the minute you pished! :-) Ran into the couple who birds there pre-dawn; they had had Great Horned and Eastern Screech Owls, but Mary G had had a Ferruginous Pygmy earlier. Someone had also seen a Clay-colored Thrush during the course of the morning. Lep highlights were my life (finally) Mexican Silverspot (great Christmas present from God :-)) and a Ruddy Hairstreak. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) Bird List: Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC 069) Observation date: 12/25/08 Number of species: 56 Gadwall 5 Mottled Duck 8 Blue-winged Teal 20 Northern Shoveler 5 Northern Pintail 5 Green-winged Teal 78 Ring-necked Duck 4 Plain Chachalaca 4 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Neotropic Cormorant 5 Cattle Egret 2 White-faced Ibis 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 1 American Kestrel 1 Sora 1 American Coot 100 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 13 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Lesser Yellowlegs 10 Least Sandpiper 10 Long-billed Dowitcher 40 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 9 Ringed Kingfisher 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 8 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 7 Eastern Phoebe 3 Great Kiskadee 12 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 14 Horned Lark 1 Cave Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 1 House Wren 11 Marsh Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Northern Mockingbird 4 Long-billed Thrasher 5 American Pipit 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 10 Common Yellowthroat 6 Olive Sparrow 7 Lincoln's Sparrow 14 Northern Cardinal 8 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 103 Great-tailed Grackle 2 Altamira Oriole 7 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025) Subject: Sacahuistale & Masked Duck From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM> Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:31:58 EST Hi, all! First of all, the four female Masked Ducks were beautiful and very cooperative, swimming out in the middle of the second pond as previously reported. But I can see where one might have to be patient, as Rex said: after a few minutes they all made their way into the vegetation closest to the road, and hence made themselves invisible (at least for awhile). But first I went out to Sacahuistale Flats, only getting out of the car once or twice to track a raptor, as it was cold, windy, and wet!! :-P It was surprisingly birdy, however: highlights included a small flock of Sandhill Cranes, several Caracaras, a lonely Snow Goose hidden in the fog, and at the canal I scared four Cave Swallows out of hiding under the bridge! A Swamp Sparrow peeping from the reeds was an added treat, as was the Spotted Sandpiper that wheeled in just before I left. At one stop I could just barely make out some water through the bushes from where I was sitting, and through that little peephole were about 20 Green-winged Teal! Canned the nature trail at Port Mansfield, and any birding I did at Fred Stone was totally from the car, but again, it was surprisingly birdy! Two large flocks of White Pelicans greeted me right off (interestingly, no Browns this time), and the Great Blue Heron Brigade was still standing sentry out in the dry marsh! Several shorebirds fed, but there was a huge raft of about 500 birds out in the laguna, mostly Redheads, but also with several Pintail and a few Scaups and gulls. Another surprise was a single Sandhill Crane coming in for a landing! Two bird lists follow: Location: Sacahuistale Flats (LTC 013) Observation date: 12/22/08 Notes: Cold, windy, drizzly conditions Number of species: 33 Snow Goose 1 Green-winged Teal 20 Northern Bobwhite 2 Great Blue Heron 1 Turkey Vulture 6 Harris's Hawk 1 Crested Caracara 3 American Kestrel 3 Sandhill Crane 5 Killdeer 3 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Mourning Dove 3 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Kiskadee 6 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Horned Lark 1 Cave Swallow 4 House Wren 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 11 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 8 Orange-crowned Warbler 6 Common Yellowthroat 3 Olive Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 5 Swamp Sparrow 1 Red-winged Blackbird 23 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Great-tailed Grackle 3 Location: Port Mansfield Observation date: 12/22/08 Notes: Cold, rainy, & windy Number of species: 25 Mottled Duck 3 Northern Shoveler 1 Northern Pintail 60 Redhead 450 Lesser Scaup 5 Pied-billed Grebe 1 American White Pelican 140 Great Blue Heron 11 Snowy Egret 1 Sandhill Crane 1 Black-bellied Plover 3 Killdeer 1 American Avocet 5 Greater Yellowlegs 10 Willet 1 Long-billed Curlew 1 Ruddy Turnstone 1 Laughing Gull 9 Ring-billed Gull 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 4 Northern Cardinal 1 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. 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