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Updated on Wednesday, January 27 at 11:12 PM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.


Red-throated Loon,©Julie Zickefoose

27 Jan Pictures from Cameron Co. [Mary Beth Stowe ]
25 Jan Cannon Road to Boca Chica (Cameron Co.) [Mary Beth Stowe ]
25 Jan Cannon Road to Boca Chica Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ]
24 Jan Hidalgo Pumphouse to Anacua WMA (very late) [Mary Beth Stowe ]
24 Jan Pictures from the Week [Mary Beth Stowe ]
12 Jan Falcon SP to Anzalduas [Mary Beth Stowe ]
11 Jan Willacy County [Mary Beth Stowe ]
7 Jan Wheatear Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ]
1 Jan Bare-throated Tiger Heron Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ]
28 Dec CBC Pictures [Mary Beth Stowe ]
22 Dec Willacy County [Mary Beth Stowe ]
21 Dec Santa Ana CBC Hook-billed Kite [Mary Beth Stowe ]
8 Dec Bentsen State Park [Mary Beth Stowe ]
2 Dec La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ]
1 Dec Estero Llano and Anzalduas [Mary Beth Stowe ]
27 Nov Thanksgiving Big Day - Hidalgo Co. [Mary Beth Stowe ]
23 Nov Anzalduas County Park [Mary Beth Stowe ]
19 Nov La Sal Tracts [Mary Beth Stowe ]
12 Nov Santa Ana NWR (Apparently NO MADU) [Mary Beth Stowe ]
6 Nov Monte Cristo Tracts [Mary Beth Stowe ]
3 Nov Estero Llano Grande [Mary Beth Stowe ]
22 Oct Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands [Mary Beth Stowe ]
20 Oct Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ]
15 Oct Estero Llano Grande SP [Mary Beth Stowe ]
13 Oct Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse [Mary Beth Stowe ]
8 Oct La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ]
6 Oct Santa Ana NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ]
2 Oct Kentucky Warbler @ Frontera [Mary Beth Stowe ]
29 Sep Pics from Monte Cristo & Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ]
24 Sep Monte Cristo & Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ]
22 Sep La sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ]
21 Sep Cameron Co. (long) [Mary Beth Stowe ]
15 Sep Lark Bunting @ Falcon SP [Mary Beth Stowe ]
8 Sep Hook-billed Kite near Bentsen [Mary Beth Stowe ]
4 Sep Santa Ana NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ]
5 Sep Edinburg Wetland Images [Mary Beth Stowe ]
3 Sep Weslaco [Mary Beth Stowe ]
29 Aug Hot Afternoon @ Edinburg [Mary Beth Stowe ]
27 Aug Anzalduas & NABA [Mary Beth Stowe ]
26 Aug Odd Pluvialis and Other Goodies near SPI [Mary Beth Stowe ]
22 Aug Estero Llano Grande Pics [Mary Beth Stowe ]
22 Aug La Sal del Rey [Mary Beth Stowe ]
22 Aug La Sal del Rey Take Two [Mary Beth Stowe ]
18 Aug Laguna Atascosa NWR [Mary Beth Stowe ]
16 Aug Fwd: Tanzania Sightings July, August 2009 [MM ]
11 Aug Estero Llano Grande SP [Mary Beth Stowe ]
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 ]

Subject: Pictures from Cameron Co.
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:15:48 EST
Hi, all!
 
Here are the pictures from Monday's excursion, including the dike-loving  
Sprague's Pipit, the Krider's Hawk, and some cooperative Lesser Scaups.   
There's also a mystery skipper for the leppers on te list--it may just be a 
worn  Clouded, but the pattern and glassy forewing spots really threw me.
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) 
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Cannon Road to Boca Chica (Cameron Co.)
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:54:59 EST
Hi, all!
 
This week's Marathon Monday was gobs of fun, starting up Cannon Road (which 
 is really dicey in spots), circling around Adams Reservoir, heading back 
down  Weaver, and then up Rangerville Road to the little pond and then over 
to the  Ebony Unit of the Las Palomas WMA for the first leg.  Highlights 
along this  portion included several Roseate Spoonbills, a beautiful Krider's 
Hawk, a  Sprague's Pipit running along in front of me along the reservoir 
dike, and a  wintering Yellow Warbler near the intersection with FM 3067.  The 
bird of  the day for me, however, was a LeConte's Sparrow along the 
westernmost trail at the WMA, close to where the south end of the trail dumps 
out on 

Pecan Drive (and  I literally paid in blood--the mosquitoes were 
HORRIBLE!!!).
 
After that headed over to Resaca de la Palma where the skeeters were just  
as bad, then headed into Brownsville to check out Resaca Drive and Dean 
Porter  Park, which were the only places I had White Ibis, Moorhen, and Lesser 
Scaup for  the day (plus three very wild-looking Northern Mallards), as well 
as both  Couch's and Tropical Kingbirds.  The Fisheries Station had a pretty 
female  Black-throated Green Warbler along with the only Least Grebes of 
the day, and  the small patch of flowers had several species of butterflies 
vying for nectar,  including an Olive-clouded Skipper.  Headed down Boca Chica 
Boulevard after  that, picking up some nice raptors and coastal stuff, but 
dipped on the Aplomado  and the reported rare gulls and boobies at road's 
end.
 
I'll post pics as soon as I have time to process them!  Bird  List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
1-25-10
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-25-10 to  1-25-10

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Greater White-fronted  Goose           Anser  albifrons
Snow  Goose                             Chen caerulescens
American  Wigeon                        Anas americana
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Green-winged  Teal                      Anas crecca
Mallard                                Anas platyrhynchos
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Pintail                       Anas acuta
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown  Pelican                          Pelecanus occidentalis
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Anhinga                                Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Reddish  Egret                          Egretta rufescens
Tricolored  Heron                       Egretta tricolor
Little Blue  Heron                      Egretta caerulea
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Green  Heron                            Butorides virescens
Black-crowned  Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax
White  Ibis                             Eudocimus albus
Roseate  Spoonbill                      Platalea ajaja
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
  [Krider's Hawk]
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Sora                                   Porzana carolina
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Sanderling                             Calidris alba
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Ring-billed  Gull                       Larus delawarensis
Herring  Gull                           Larus argentatus
Caspian  Tern                           Hydroprogne caspia
Royal  Tern                             Thalasseus maximus
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Tree  Swallow                           Tachycineta bicolor
Sprague's  Pipit                        Anthus spragueii
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Green  Warbler          Dendroica  virens
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Le Conte's  Sparrow                     Ammodramus leconteii
Grasshopper  Sparrow                    Ammodramus savannarum
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp  Sparrow                          Melospiza georgiana
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis

101 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Cannon Road to Boca Chica Take Two
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:06:48 EST
Hi, all!  Apparently the first message didn't go through, so I'm  trying it 
again...
 
   
Hi, all!
 
This week's Marathon Monday was gobs of fun, starting up Cannon Road (which 
 is really dicey in spots), circling around Adams Reservoir, heading back 
down  Weaver, and then up Rangerville Road to the little pond and then over 
to the  Ebony Unit of the Las Palomas WMA for the first leg.  Highlights 
along this  portion included several Roseate Spoonbills, a beautiful Krider's 
Hawk, a  Sprague's Pipit running along in front of me along the reservoir 
dike, and a  wintering Yellow Warbler near the intersection with FM 3067.  The 
bird of  the day for me, however, was a LeConte's Sparrow along the 
westernmost trail at the WMA, close to where the south end of the trail dumps 
out on 

Pecan Drive (and  I literally paid in blood--the mosquitoes were 
HORRIBLE!!!).
 
After that headed over to Resaca de la Palma where the skeeters were just  
as bad, then headed into Brownsville to check out Resaca Drive and Dean 
Porter  Park, which were the only places I had White Ibis, Moorhen, and Lesser 
Scaup for  the day (plus three very wild-looking Northern Mallards), as well 
as both  Couch's and Tropical Kingbirds.  The Fisheries Station had a pretty 
female  Black-throated Green Warbler along with the only Least Grebes of 
the day, and  the small patch of flowers had several species of butterflies 
vying for nectar,  including an Olive-clouded Skipper.  Headed down Boca Chica 
Boulevard after  that, picking up some nice raptors and coastal stuff, but 
dipped on the Aplomado  and the reported rare gulls and boobies at road's 
end.
 
I'll post pics as soon as I have time to process them!  Bird  List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
1-25-10
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-25-10 to  1-25-10

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Greater White-fronted  Goose           Anser  albifrons
Snow  Goose                             Chen caerulescens
American  Wigeon                        Anas americana
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Green-winged  Teal                      Anas crecca
Mallard                                Anas platyrhynchos
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Pintail                       Anas acuta
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown  Pelican                          Pelecanus occidentalis
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Anhinga                                Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Reddish  Egret                          Egretta rufescens
Tricolored  Heron                       Egretta tricolor
Little Blue  Heron                      Egretta caerulea
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Green  Heron                            Butorides virescens
Black-crowned  Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax
White  Ibis                             Eudocimus albus
Roseate  Spoonbill                      Platalea ajaja
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
  [Krider's Hawk]
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Sora                                   Porzana carolina
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Sanderling                             Calidris alba
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Ring-billed  Gull                       Larus delawarensis
Herring  Gull                           Larus argentatus
Caspian  Tern                           Hydroprogne caspia
Royal  Tern                             Thalasseus maximus
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Tree  Swallow                           Tachycineta bicolor
Sprague's  Pipit                        Anthus spragueii
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Green  Warbler          Dendroica  virens
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Le Conte's  Sparrow                     Ammodramus leconteii
Grasshopper  Sparrow                    Ammodramus savannarum
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp  Sparrow                          Melospiza georgiana
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis

101 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Hidalgo Pumphouse to Anacua WMA (very late)
From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:22:00 EST
Hi, all!
 
I am VERY remiss in getting out a trip report from last Monday (the 18th)  
as I've started a new job and time is tight (it would help if I got home  
earlier, but with only one day to bird you make the most of it ;-)), so here 
it  is.  I basically followed the LTC map backwards from Old Hidalgo 
Pumphouse (where a male House Finch bounced overhead) and wound up at the 
Anacua 

WMA,  chagrined to discover that one can no longer access the levee due to the 
Border  Wall!  (It's been awhile since I've been there...)  A Merlin was 
the  highlight at the McAllen Sewer Ponds, and several White-tailed Hawks 
showed off  along Wallace Road.  A Black-and-white Warbler was at Santa Ana, 
along with a flock of Cedar Waxwings, which are always fun as I don't see them 

often  here!  Two Cinnamon Teals at Estero Llano Grande were nice along 
with several swallows and the usual suspects, but dipped on the becard. I'll 

try to do better on tomorrow's adventure, as I barely remember LAST week!  
:-(
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
1-24-10
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-18-10 to  1-18-10

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Snow  Goose                             Chen caerulescens
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Green-winged  Teal                      Anas crecca
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Cinnamon  Teal                          Anas cyanoptera
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Ring-necked  Duck                       Aythya collaris
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Anhinga                                Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Tricolored  Heron                       Egretta tricolor
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Cattle  Egret                           Bubulcus ibis
Black-crowned  Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Merlin                                 Falco columbarius
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Dowitcher                  Limnodromus scolopaceus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Stilt  Sandpiper                        Calidris himantopus
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Inca  Dove                              Columbina inca
White-tipped  Dove                      Leptotila verreauxi
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird               Amazilia yucatanensis
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Ringed  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle torquata
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Least  Flycatcher                       Empidonax minimus
Black  Phoebe                           Sayornis nigricans
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Vermilion  Flycatcher                   Pyrocephalus rubinus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Tree  Swallow                           Tachycineta bicolor
Barn  Swallow                           Hirundo rustica
Cave  Swallow                           Petrochelidon fulva
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Cedar  Waxwing                          Bombycilla cedrorum
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
House  Finch                            Carpodacus mexicanus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Black-and-white  Warbler                Mniotilta varia
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp  Sparrow                          Melospiza georgiana
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Brewer's  Blackbird                     Euphagus cyanocephalus
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis

94 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Pictures from the Week
From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:58:10 EST
Hi, all!
 
I've just posted some miscellaneous pictures from my lunch hour forays this 
 past week; most were taken at Estero Llano Grande.
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) 
 
Enjoy!  Love, MB
Subject: Falcon SP to Anzalduas
From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:48:19 EST
Hi, all!
 
Made a sweep today from Falcon State Park all the way to Anzalduas Park; it 
 was pretty miserable weather-wise, but the rain quit enough times to get a 
few  walks in.  Ellen, one of the park hosts, had a great setup by her RV  
(birders are welcome), even attracting Orange-crowned Warblers to a  
peanut-butter feeder! The lake was pretty socked in, so didn't get many water 

birds aside from Coots, a couple of Great Blues, and several cormorants of  
both flavors, but had the usual suspects in the landbird department (although  
dipped on Black-throated Sparrow).  Best bird was on the way out:  a  
Green-tailed Towhee that came in to pishing!
 
Skipped Salieno et al as I didn't want to attempt any dirt roads in this  
stuff, but did stop at Roma Bluffs and added a bunch of water birds, 
including  some White Pelicans.  A Buff-bellied Hummer was in the garden.
 
I wanted to try and find this "Chachalaca Trail" at Fort Ringgold, but the  
woods there where they say the trail is supposed to be is tremendous; had 
at  least six Clay-colored Thrushes (all very visible, acting more like 
American  Robins), a flock of Cedar Waxwings, an Audubon's Oriole, and a 
mostly-Bullock's Oriole (I say "mostly" because he looked like he had a bit 
more 

black on the  head than I would expect)!  A Beardless Tyrannulet was at the 
Yturria  Tract, and picked up Ringed Kingfisher and Altamira Oriole at NABA.   
Checked out the Mission Hike & Bike Trail for the first time and had both  
Yellow-throated Warbler and Tropical Kingbird.  Actually got Black Phoebe  
OUTSIDE Anzalduas this time (at the entrance levee), but it was almost 
closing time (and still raining) so couldn't bird as thoroughly as I would have 

liked.  But still ended up with 70 species, which isn't bad when most of  
the birding was from the car!
 
A couple of feeder birds are here (wasn't a great day for  photography):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
1-12-10
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-12-10 to  1-12-10

American  Wigeon                        Anas americana
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Mallard                                Anas platyrhynchos
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Cooper's  Hawk                          Accipiter cooperii
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Inca  Dove                              Columbina inca
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird               Amazilia yucatanensis
Ringed  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle torquata
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet         Camptostoma  imberbe
Black  Phoebe                           Sayornis nigricans
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Vermilion  Flycatcher                   Pyrocephalus rubinus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Cave  Swallow                           Petrochelidon fulva
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Cedar  Waxwing                          Bombycilla cedrorum
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Curve-billed  Thrasher                  Toxostoma curvirostre
Clay-colored  Thrush                    Turdus grayi
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Yellow-throated  Warbler                Dendroica dominica
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Green-tailed  Towhee                    Pipilo chlorurus
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Pyrrhuloxia                            Cardinalis sinuatus
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown-headed  Cowbird                   Molothrus ater
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis
Bullock's  Oriole                       Icterus bullockii
Audubon's  Oriole                       Icterus graduacauda

70 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Willacy County
From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:25:45 EST
Hi, all!
 
Made one last scouting trip to Willacy before the TOS Meeting, and for  
those of you signed up for that trip, I have a request:  if you have walkie  
talkies, PLEASE BRING THEM!  It's mainly road birding (partly on a VERY  busy 
road, I might add), and we'll need to be able to communicate!
 
That said, found a couple of nice little wet spots on some obscure paved  
roads in case we have to abandon Santa Monica Wetlands due to rain, and had  
three Gull-billed Terns as the highlight.  A Merlin just inside the county  
line on FM 88 was very nice, and a couple of irrigation canals had Swamp 
Sparrow  and Green Kingfisher again (a different canal than the one along 
Sacahuistale  Flats), as well as Green and Great Blue Heron, and while getting 
lost on a dirt  road I actually kicked up a Sprague's Pipit!  Fred Stone got a 
few new  birds in after the cold front, including Herring Gull (had a very 
pale youngster  with an all-black bill; thought I had a Lesser Black-backed 
at first but I think  the mantle was too pale--see the pic below).  The 
highlight here was a female Greater Scaup that flew in, bobbed around briefly, 

then took off again,  her long white wingstripe very obvious!  The white 
morph Reddish Egret is  still there, but farther out; hopefully he'll hang 
around for a few more  days!
 
Meager pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_mon) 
 
Bird List (still haven't quite hit 100...)
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
1-11-10
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-11-10 to  1-11-10

Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Green-winged  Teal                      Anas crecca
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Greater  Scaup                          Aythya marila
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
Brown  Pelican                          Pelecanus occidentalis
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Reddish  Egret                          Egretta rufescens
Cattle  Egret                           Bubulcus ibis
Green  Heron                            Butorides virescens
White  Ibis                             Eudocimus albus
Black  Vulture                          Coragyps atratus
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Merlin                                 Falco columbarius
Sandhill  Crane                         Grus canadensis
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
American  Avocet                        Recurvirostra americana
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Wilson's  Snipe                         Gallinago delicata
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Willet                                 Tringa semipalmata
Lesser  Yellowlegs                      Tringa flavipes
Ruddy  Turnstone                        Arenaria interpres
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Ring-billed  Gull                       Larus delawarensis
Herring  Gull                           Larus argentatus
Gull-billed  Tern                       Gelochelidon nilotica
Caspian  Tern                           Hydroprogne caspia
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Green  Kingfisher                       Chloroceryle americana
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Vermilion  Flycatcher                   Pyrocephalus rubinus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Sprague's  Pipit                        Anthus spragueii
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp  Sparrow                          Melospiza georgiana
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus

72 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Wheatear Pics
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 08:19:05 EST
Hi, all!
 
John Yochum and I made a whiz-bang trip up to Beeville yesterday for the  
Wheatear, and as was said previously, we think John the owner has the bird  
trained!  It came right in for killer views!  After that we swung by  Choke 
Canyon and had distant views of the Jacana.  On the way back we cut  over to 
77 via "Hawk Alley" and saw a gorgeous adult Ferruginous Hawk!   Pics of the 
Wheatear (along with some pics from the Bentsen CBC, including a  Greater 
Yellowlegs with a deformed bill) can be seen here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
1-7-10
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 1-6-10 to  1-7-10

Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Pintail                       Anas acuta
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Cinnamon  Teal                          Anas cyanoptera
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Bufflehead                             Bucephala albeola
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
Eared  Grebe                            Podiceps nigricollis
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Little Blue  Heron                      Egretta caerulea
White  Ibis                             Eudocimus albus
Roseate  Spoonbill                      Platalea ajaja
Black  Vulture                          Coragyps atratus
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Ferruginous  Hawk                       Buteo regalis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Sandhill  Crane                         Grus canadensis
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Northern  Jacana                        Jacana spinosa
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher              Tyrannus forficatus
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Northern  Wheatear                      Oenanthe oenanthe
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp  Sparrow                          Melospiza georgiana
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Brewer's  Blackbird                     Euphagus cyanocephalus
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus

64 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Bare-throated Tiger Heron Pics
From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 17:06:17 EST
Hi, all!  It was a VERY Happy New Year for those of us up on the levee  at 
Bentsen today, being treated to a great show by the Bare-throated Tiger 
Heron as he caught lunch! I'm sure there will be lots of pictures posted out 

there today (the light was perfect), but here's my offering:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) 
 
Not nearly as exciting, but here are some pics of the more cooperative  
birds from yesterday's outing to Willacy County:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: CBC Pictures
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:47:24 EST
Hi, all!
 
Participated in the Brownsville CBC on Saturday and part of the La Sal  
Viejas CBC yesterday; Saturday was pretty miserable weather-wise but had great 

company with Sharon and Lyle Sands as we surveyed the UTB campus, nearby 
golf  course, and other neighborhood areas; the highlight was a pair of House 
Finches  (considered accidental in the Valley, believe it or not) and a nice 
Krider's  Hawk.  On Sunday I personally didn't find anything noteoworthy, 
but  highlights for me included a White Pelican Ballet of about 500 birds, a 
group of  ten Sandhill Cranes "parachuting" down to a field with legs 
dangling, and at lunch a visit by Bill Clark with a stunning female 
White-tailed 

Hawk  he had captured and banded!  The "double-take" of the day was a 
decapitated House Sparrow that some shrike had skewered onto a barbed wire 
fence! 

:-P
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
Bird List for Brownsville:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
12-28-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-26-09 to  12-26-09

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Mallard                                Anas platyrhynchos
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Ring-necked  Duck                       Aythya collaris
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Anhinga                                Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Black-crowned  Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Cooper's  Hawk                          Accipiter cooperii
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Stilt  Sandpiper                        Calidris himantopus
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Ring-billed  Gull                       Larus delawarensis
Forster's  Tern                         Sterna forsteri
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
White-winged  Dove                      Zenaida asiatica
Green  Parakeet                         Aratinga holochlora
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Blue-headed  Vireo                      Vireo solitarius
House  Finch                            Carpodacus mexicanus
American  Goldfinch                     Carduelis tristis
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Green  Warbler          Dendroica  virens
Yellow-throated  Warbler                Dendroica dominica
Black-and-white  Warbler                Mniotilta varia
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp  Sparrow                          Melospiza georgiana
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown-headed  Cowbird                   Molothrus ater

72 SPECIES

Bird List for La Sal Vieja (my section):
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
12-28-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-27-09 to  12-28-09

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Greater White-fronted  Goose           Anser  albifrons
Snow  Goose                             Chen caerulescens
Ross's  Goose                           Chen rossii
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Black-crowned  Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax
Black  Vulture                          Coragyps atratus
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Peregrine  Falcon                       Falco peregrinus
Sandhill  Crane                         Grus canadensis
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Caspian  Tern                           Hydroprogne caspia
Forster's  Tern                         Sterna forsteri
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Tree  Swallow                           Tachycineta bicolor
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Green  Warbler          Dendroica  virens
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus

57 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Willacy County
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:26:37 EST
Hi, all!
 
After joining the crowd at the Tiger Heron Vigil this morning (very good  
for catching up with friends you don't see too often! ;-)) I headed up to  
Willacy County to scout a bit for the TOS meeting.  It was way too  windy to 
bird much, so I was mainly trying to figure out a route that wouldn't  get 
folks stuck in the mud, but had some nice birds despite the wind.   Found a 
decent dirt road southwest of the entrance to La Sal Viejas where I had  a 
Say's Phoebe and a big flock of Sandhill Cranes (the area looks great for  
sparrows).  From Raymondville headed out to Port Mansfield where I had a  
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the way in along Sacauistale Flats, and in 
addition 

to a few coastal things, a Lark Bunting popped up at the end of the road at 
Fred  Stone Park, and a white morph Reddish Egret fed in the wetlands beyond 
 that.  Heading down FM 1420 had a nice Peregrine Falcon next to me, and I  
thought for sure I had a Ferruginous Hawk at the turnoff to the wildlife 
refuge,  but the pictures didn't rule out a pale young Redtail.  Made the 
"Santa  Monica Wetlands Loop" without kicking up anything of note, but in 
general there were a lot of nice raptors out today. Pics are posted here (and 

don't  laugh at the Starling--he's quite pretty!):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List (one short of half of what we'll need for the TOS trip  ;-)):
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
12-22-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-22-09 to  12-22-09

Ring-necked  Duck                       Aythya collaris
Brown  Pelican                          Pelecanus occidentalis
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Reddish  Egret                          Egretta rufescens
Black  Vulture                          Coragyps atratus
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Sharp-shinned  Hawk                     Accipiter striatus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Peregrine  Falcon                       Falco peregrinus
Sandhill  Crane                         Grus canadensis
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
American  Avocet                        Recurvirostra americana
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Willet                                 Tringa semipalmata
Ruddy  Turnstone                        Arenaria interpres
Dunlin                                 Calidris alpina
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Forster's  Tern                         Sterna forsteri
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Say's  Phoebe                           Sayornis saya
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher              Tyrannus forficatus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Lark  Bunting                           Calamospiza melanocorys
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Pyrrhuloxia                            Cardinalis sinuatus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus

49 SPECIES
Subject: Santa Ana CBC Hook-billed Kite
From: Mary Beth Stowe <miriameagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:31:00 EST
Hi, all!
 
Someone else will probably post all the details of the count, but the  
highlight of my southern territory within the refuge (which was basically the  
Willow Lakes Loop) was a female Hook-billed Kite, of which horrendous but  
identifiable pictures are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
(It was pea soup that morning, so besides looking through a haze of fog, I  
think there might have been fog on my lens, too... :-( )  Clay from Maine  
met me later at the lakes but unfortunately missed that treasure (but he did 
add  Green Kingfisher and Pintail to our count area, which I missed), but 
we enjoyed  a couple of male Shovelers making chests at each other and 
showing off their  wing colors!
 
John Yochum joined me for the northern portion north of US 281 on some  
pretty dicey roads, but we had some good birds (the sun had come out by then), 

including Grasshopper and Cassin's Sparrow, Peregrine Falcon, and one young 
 White-tailed Hawk.  Had several Redtails (including a very pale bird), but 
 guess the reported Ferrugie is long gone.  I was hoping for Sprague's 
Pipit  on the levee like last year, but not this time... :-(
 
Here's my personal list for the day:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
12-21-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-19-09 to  12-21-09

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Cinnamon  Teal                          Anas cyanoptera
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Ring-necked  Duck                       Aythya collaris
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Hook-billed  Kite                       Chondrohierax uncinatus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Peregrine  Falcon                       Falco peregrinus
Sora                                   Porzana carolina
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
White-tipped  Dove                      Leptotila verreauxi
Eastern  Screech-Owl                    Megascops asio
Great Horned  Owl                       Bubo virginianus
Pauraque                               Nyctidromus albicollis
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Ringed  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle torquata
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Cave  Swallow                           Petrochelidon fulva
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Hermit  Thrush                          Catharus guttatus
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
American  Goldfinch                     Carduelis tristis
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Cassin's  Sparrow                       Aimophila cassinii
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Grasshopper  Sparrow                    Ammodramus savannarum
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown-headed  Cowbird                   Molothrus ater
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis

77 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Bentsen State Park
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2009 14:58:09 EST
Hi, all!
 
Made the rounds at Bentsen this morning, running into the Gambills on the  
way in who reported Ferruginous Pygmy and a couple of Barn Owls in addition 
to  the usual night stuff!  Had a Least Bittern at Kingfisher Overlook 
(which  was flagged by eBird, but I have a funny feeling that as more people 
become  familiar with the "cackle", there will be more winter records), but 
missed the Eared Grebe that was seen yesterday and later this morning by Carol 

and her bird  walk group!  Best birds for me included a Scissor-tailed 
Flycatcher on the  wire walking in, a Groove-billed Ani at the Hawk Tower, and 
added two birds to  my Bentsen park list:  some White-fronted Geese flying 
over unseen, and a  Cooper's Hawk giving its "sapsucker call" at Kiskadee 
Blind. No sign of the becard or CC Grosbeak, but as always it was fun to watch 

the moochers at the  feeders! :-)  Mosquitoes were out in force, too... :-(
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC  069)
Observation date:     12/8/09
Number of species:   59

Greater White-fronted Goose      3
Gadwall     20
Blue-winged Teal      2
Northern Shoveler     3
Ring-necked Duck   1
Plain Chachalaca     12
Least Grebe   1
Pied-billed Grebe     2
Neotropic  Cormorant     1
Least Bittern     1
Great  Blue Heron     1
Osprey     1
White-tailed  Kite     1
Northern Harrier      2
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1
Cooper's Hawk      1
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
Gray Hawk      1
Common Moorhen     2
American Coot      20
Long-billed Curlew     1
Mourning Dove   3
Inca Dove     1
White-tipped Dove   8
Groove-billed Ani     1
Ringed  Kingfisher     2
Belted Kingfisher      1
Green Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker   15
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     9
Eastern  Phoebe     5
Great Kiskadee     20
Couch's  Kingbird     2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher      1
White-eyed Vireo     1
Green Jay      30
Horned Lark     3
Cave Swallow      4
Black-crested Titmouse     4
Verdin      1
House Wren     20
Marsh Wren      1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   8
Hermit Thrush     2
Northern  Mockingbird     12
Long-billed Thrasher      9
American Pipit     3
Orange-crowned Warbler   15
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     6
Common  Yellowthroat     6
Olive Sparrow      8
Lincoln's Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal   5
Red-winged Blackbird     20
Great-tailed  Grackle     30
Altamira Oriole     6
Lesser  Goldfinch     2
House Sparrow     3

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: La Sal del Rey
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 17:21:05 EST
Hi, all!
 
Met Ev and Rose from England again up at La Sal first thing, where we hiked 
 the trail to the lake.  It was an absolutely gorgeous morning after all 
the  storms yesterday, and it took us forever to get to the lake because the 
place  was Sparrow City!  We had scope views of the common stuff like Lark,  
Savannah, and Lincoln's, but also more interesting sparrows such as 
Grasshopper, Vesper, Chipping, Clay-colored, Cassin's, and even Black-throated 

popped  up!  In between sparrows we had flocks of Sandhill Cranes, Snow and  
White-fronted Geese, Ring-billed Gulls, and a single Long-billed Curlew fly  
overhead.  They were pleased to see their first Pyrrhuloxia (which quickly  
became a "junk bird") and Cactus Wren!  The lake itself was pretty birdless  
(except for some Starlings doing a pretty good Eastern Meadowlark), but we 
did  get great looks at a White-tailed Deer waving her flag and a Coyote 
meandering  across the creek!
 
Along the route we enjoyed several raptors, including a curious  
White-tailed Kite, an adult and immature White-tailed Hawk, several Redtails 
and 

Harris', and oodles of Caracaras, including one pair that gave magnificent 
looks 

 in a mesquite!  We had a great flock of activity along the north end of  
Brushline (where it actually runs east and west), with more Vesper Sparrows, 
a  Verdin, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and my personal highlight: a small 
flock of  Lark Buntings that landed on the wires, giving their funny little 
whistle!   Nothing much except a Great Blue Heron and some Mottled Ducks were 
in the "Mis  Suenos Ranch" farm pond, but Ev and Rose got another knockout 
view of a full  adult male Vermilion Flycatcher, and we did manage to add 
Brewer's Blackbird at  the Rio Beef Feedyard.  We stopped briefly at the marsh 
along Rio Beef  Road, where a Virginia Rail grunted when I slammed the car 
door!   Unfortunately he didn't show himself...
 
Kissed Ev and Rose goodbye after a delightful morning out, with 64 species  
for the morning.  Pics (along with a couple of skippers from a quick run to 
 Old Hidalgo Pumphouse on Saturday) are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
12-2-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-2-09 to  12-2-09

Greater White-fronted  Goose           Anser  albifrons
Snow  Goose                             Chen caerulescens
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Sandhill  Crane                         Grus canadensis
Virginia  Rail                          Rallus limicola
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Ring-billed  Gull                       Larus delawarensis
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Vermilion  Flycatcher                   Pyrocephalus rubinus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Bewick's  Wren                          Thryomanes bewickii
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Curve-billed  Thrasher                  Toxostoma curvirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Cassin's  Sparrow                       Aimophila cassinii
Chipping  Sparrow                       Spizella passerina
Clay-colored  Sparrow                   Spizella pallida
Vesper  Sparrow                         Pooecetes gramineus
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Black-throated  Sparrow                 Amphispiza bilineata
Lark  Bunting                           Calamospiza melanocorys
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Grasshopper  Sparrow                    Ammodramus savannarum
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Pyrrhuloxia                            Cardinalis sinuatus
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Brewer's  Blackbird                     Euphagus cyanocephalus
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus

64 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Estero Llano and Anzalduas
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 20:42:12 EST
Hi, all!
 
Took visiting birders Evelyn and Rose Ebsworth from England out today, and  
despite the lousy weather (they joked that they consistently bring rain to 
even  the most drought-stricken areas the world over) we were actually able 
to walk  around the park some and see some nice birds!  Even though most 
everything  was new, their real target bird was the Vermilion Flycatcher, and 
we saw plenty  of them throughout the day!  We did go back into the Tropical 
Zone but  dipped on the becard and any Pauraques that might have been back 
there.   John Yochum joined us on the Alligator Lake portion of the excursion 
(couldn't  find the Pauraque back there, either), but highlights from the 
park include an  Altamira Oriole that greeted us as we came in, a brief look 
at the Cinnamon  Teal, a Green Kingfisher that Evelyn happened to spot while 
looking at an  Anhinga :-), a Cooper's Hawk in the headquarters garden just 
waiting to pounce  on something, both Buff-bellied and Black-chinned 
Hummers coming in to the feeders, a hovering White-tailed Kite, and a 
fluffed-up 

Chachalaca hiding very  well in a tree!  Of course the Valley specialties 
were exciting for them as  well!  The biggest challenge was walking with about 
five inches of mud  caked on to the bottom of our shoes! :-D
 
After dining on the deck we decided to swing through Anzalduas County Park  
(I had to come up with places that had paved roads from which to bird), and 
even  though it was still dripping on and off, we had some nice things, 
including the  Western Meadowlark flock, an in-your-face look at a perched 
Osprey, a (finally)  cooperative Green Jay, and the biggest surprise in that 
habitat: an immature  White-tailed Hawk sitting on the Mexican side!  We did 
the Pipit March and  kicked up several birds (cleaning our shoes off in the 
process), one actually  sitting long enough for us all to get looks!  In the 
middle of all that a  Ringed Kingfisher hovered nicely over the river, and a 
Caracara made a  pass.
 
After almost getting stuck in the back portion (I spotted a Scissor-tailed  
Flycatcher flying overhead that the Ebsworths unfortunately missed), we 
made a  quick stop at Hidalgo Pumphouse for the Black Phoebe since we couldn't 
kick up  the pair at Anzalduas.  Dropped Ev and Rose off in Weslaco with 87 
species  for the day, which isn't bad for such lousy weather!  No pics today 
as I  left my camera home...
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
12-1-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 12-1-09 to  12-1-09

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
American  Wigeon                        Anas americana
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Green-winged  Teal                      Anas crecca
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Cinnamon  Teal                          Anas cyanoptera
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Ring-necked  Duck                       Aythya collaris
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Anhinga                                Anhinga anhinga
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Tricolored  Heron                       Egretta tricolor
Little Blue  Heron                      Egretta caerulea
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Black-crowned  Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Cooper's  Hawk                          Accipiter cooperii
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Peregrine  Falcon                       Falco peregrinus
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
American  Avocet                        Recurvirostra americana
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Wilson's  Snipe                         Gallinago delicata
Long-billed  Dowitcher                  Limnodromus scolopaceus
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Lesser  Yellowlegs                      Tringa flavipes
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Stilt  Sandpiper                        Calidris himantopus
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Inca  Dove                              Columbina inca
White-tipped  Dove                      Leptotila verreauxi
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird               Amazilia yucatanensis
Black-chinned  Hummingbird              Archilochus alexandri
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Ringed  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle torquata
Green  Kingfisher                       Chloroceryle americana
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Black  Phoebe                           Sayornis nigricans
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Vermilion  Flycatcher                   Pyrocephalus rubinus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher              Tyrannus forficatus
Cave  Swallow                           Petrochelidon fulva
Sprague's  Pipit                        Anthus spragueii
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis

87 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Thanksgiving Big Day - Hidalgo Co.
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:44:30 EST
Hi, all!
 
Had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day out in the field yesterday: the weather  
was perfect fall birding weather, and while many of my regular Big Day spots  
were closed for the holiday, the timing worked out perfectly with the 
earlier sunset time. I've posted the bird list in order of sequence below, but 

here are the highlights:
 
My apartment pre-dawn: a single Snow Goose flying overhead!
 
Bentsen State Park (starting an hour before dawn): "Singing" Screech and  
Great Horned Owls (the latter in a "hoot battle" with one bird at Kingfisher  
Overlook and the other at the island camp), cackling Least Bitterns, the 
only  Anhinga of the day, Sora, a calling Clay-colored Thrush, a group of 
Ring-necked Ducks in the resaca, a singing (!) Olive Sparrow, a distant Ringed 

Kingfisher,  and a Chipping Sparrow on the walk out, in addition to the 
regular goodies we  take for granted in the Valley... ;-)
 
Santa Ana:  Beardless Tyrannulet in the parking lot, Green Kingfisher  at 
the canal, a Pied-billed Grebe bullying a Least at Willow Lakes, and a Mary  
Gustafson sighting ;-), besides all the pretty ducks!
 
Estero Llano SP:  The road to the llano was mud, so I skipped that  part... 
 Bryan (and Huck later) put forth a noble effort to find a bunch of  us the 
becard, but to no avail :-(, but a flyover Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was  
nice, in addition to a pale American Robin.  Other highlights included the  
continuing Vermilion Flycatcher(s), a Peregrine giving a Redtail fits, a  
Tropical Kingbird by Dowitcher Pond, and a nice selection of shorebirds and  
waders (including White-faced Ibis) at Ibis Pond.  Kyle showed me where the  
American Bittern had been hanging out, but we didn't see him, either.
 
La Sal del Rey area:  Delta Lake was open (and free), so I made a  
swing-through, picking up a hybrid Butterbutt, and a Caspian Tern over the 
lake. A 

big flock of Sandhill Cranes was along Brushline Road (south of  186).  A 
hike out to the lake from Brushline added Laughing Gull and Cactus  Wren.  
Other highlights included Vesper Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher,  and 
Brewer's Blackbird (yes, really!)  For my lep friends, had a moth stuck  in a 
spider web that I thought at first was a washed out Digrammia of some kind, but 

I'm not sure (his pic is in the link below).
 
Wallace Road:  White Pelicans were synchro-feeding in the wetland and  
Neotropic Cormorants were making their noises, but added Greater Yellowlegs and 

Avocet here.  Was blessed with a terrific sunset heading down the  road!
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
11-27-09
Description: Thanksgiving Big Day
Location:  Texas                                     
Trip Date: 11-26-09
Species Seen: 121

Snow  Goose                             Chen caerulescens
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Great Horned  Owl                       Bubo virginianus
Eastern  Screech-Owl                    Megascops asio
Anhinga                                Anhinga anhinga
Least  Bittern                          Ixobrychus exilis
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Pauraque                               Nyctidromus albicollis
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
American  Wigeon                        Anas americana
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
Gray  Hawk                              Buteo nitidus
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Sora                                   Porzana carolina
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Ringed  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle torquata
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Clay-colored  Thrush                    Turdus grayi
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis
Marsh  Wren                             Cistothorus palustris
White-tipped  Dove                      Leptotila verreauxi
Ring-necked  Duck                       Aythya collaris
Green-winged  Teal                      Anas crecca
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet                   Regulus calendula
Chipping  Sparrow                       Spizella passerina
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Brown-headed  Cowbird                   Molothrus ater
Cattle  Egret                           Bubulcus ibis
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
Inca  Dove                              Columbina inca
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet         Camptostoma  imberbe
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Green  Kingfisher                       Chloroceryle americana
Black-throated Green  Warbler          Dendroica  virens
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Northern  Pintail                       Anas acuta
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
Bewick's  Wren                          Thryomanes bewickii
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher              Tyrannus forficatus
Cooper's  Hawk                          Accipiter cooperii
American  Robin                         Turdus migratorius
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Vermilion  Flycatcher                   Pyrocephalus rubinus
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Peregrine  Falcon                       Falco peregrinus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Long-billed  Dowitcher                  Limnodromus scolopaceus
White-faced  Ibis                       Plegadis chihi
Tricolored  Heron                       Egretta tricolor
Stilt  Sandpiper                        Calidris himantopus
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Wilson's  Snipe                         Gallinago delicata
Lesser  Yellowlegs                      Tringa flavipes
Little Blue  Heron                      Egretta caerulea
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Yellow-rumped  Warbler                  Dendroica coronata
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Caspian  Tern                           Hydroprogne caspia
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Sandhill  Crane                         Grus canadensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
Black  Vulture                          Coragyps atratus
Sharp-shinned  Hawk                     Accipiter striatus
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Pyrrhuloxia                            Cardinalis sinuatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Vesper  Sparrow                         Pooecetes gramineus
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker               Sphyrapicus varius
Northern  Bobwhite                      Colinus virginianus
Hermit  Thrush                          Catharus guttatus
Ash-throated  Flycatcher                Myiarchus cinerascens
Brewer's  Blackbird                     Euphagus cyanocephalus
Bronzed  Cowbird                        Molothrus aeneus
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
American  Avocet                        Recurvirostra americana
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Anzalduas County Park
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:34:20 EST
Hi, all!
 
Birded Anzalduas Park this morning, one of my goals being to hike out into  
the big field and get a recording of the Sprague's Pipit flight call (which 
I  think was procured, but haven't edited the sound files yet...)!  Down by 
 the river where the road swings left had a Beardless Tyrannulet in with a  
feeding flock (along with Black-throated Green and Yellow-throated 
Warblers) which turned into a mobbing flock when one of the Gray Hawks showed 
up! 

Both Green and Belted Kingfishers were calling, and further down the river 
a  Ringed was hovering and making the rounds.  Picked up the Black Phoebe 
pair  near the dam, and a House Finch that I initially heard on the way 
towards the levee access road, but the bird itself was more in the middle of 
the 

park, near  the maintenance area.  On the way to get the finch a birding 
couple pulled  up and asked about the Zone-tailed Hawk, which I had not seen, 
but no sooner  were they out of sight when the thing flew overhead! :-(  I 
ran into them  again in the back area where we found nothing out of the 
ordinary aside from the usual pelicans, cormorants, ducks, and herons. On the 

way out I stopped at  the marsh overlook on the levee where the silly Zonetail 
suddenly showed  up!  Seeing an SUV coming towards me on the levee and 
thinking it was the  same couple, I waved like an idiot and pointed over the 
field, only when we got back on it, it morphed into a TV... :-( Turned out it 

wasn't the visiting  couple but the Gambills, so I felt a little silly 
crying wolf, but fortunately  the one lousy shot I was able to get of the 
initial bird proved I wasn't losing  my mind... ;-)
 
Also had an accipiter that I'm calling a Coop until proven otherwise: it  
was caught in a thermal in the back area and was certainly big enough for a 
Coop  and had rather straight wings and a roundish tail (although it looked 
to me like  it might have been going through molt), but it "felt" chunkier 
than most Coops  I've seen.  Some mediocre pics of that bird are included as 
well.
 
Pics are posted here (you can scroll down through the butterflies to get to 
 the birds...)
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068)
Observation  date:     11/23/09
Number of species:      61

Gadwall     20
American Wigeon      2
Mottled Duck     12
Blue-winged Teal      30
Ring-necked Duck     4
Pied-billed Grebe   2
American White Pelican     9
Neotropic  Cormorant     2
Double-crested Cormorant      10
Great Blue Heron     3
Great Egret      2
Black Vulture     1
Turkey Vulture      4
Osprey     1
Cooper's Hawk     1
Gray  Hawk     2
Zone-tailed Hawk     1
Red-tailed  Hawk     1
American Kestrel     2
American  Coot     20
Killdeer     2
Spotted  Sandpiper     2
Greater Yellowlegs      1
Least Sandpiper     1
Rock Pigeon      50
Mourning Dove     3
Inca Dove      1
Ringed Kingfisher     1
Belted Kingfisher   1
Green Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker     8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker      1
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     6
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet     1
Black Phoebe      2
Eastern Phoebe     1
Great Kiskadee      7
White-eyed Vireo     2
Green Jay      10
Black-crested Titmouse     4
House Wren   2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     4
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher     3
American Robin      1
Northern Mockingbird     9
Long-billed Thrasher   1
European Starling     7
Sprague's  Pipit     2
Orange-crowned Warbler      8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     2
Black-throated Green  Warbler     1
Yellow-throated Warbler      2
Common Yellowthroat     3
Olive Sparrow   5
Northern Cardinal     3
Eastern  Meadowlark     2
Western Meadowlark      12
Great-tailed Grackle     5
House Finch   1
Lesser Goldfinch     1
House Sparrow   6

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: La Sal Tracts
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:07:27 EST
Hi, all!
 
Got out to the La Sal Tracts before dawn this morning, where I had a Great  
Horned Owl sitting on a telephone pole, and as it got lighter, you could 
hear  the crane cacophony coming from the lake (I assume)!  A small flock of  
White-fronted Geese flew over, and later along GI Road had an even smaller 
flock  of Snow Geese.  It was Raptor City with calling White-tailed Hawks, 
several  Redtails (no Krider's), Harris', Caracaras, White-tailed Kite, and a 
single  Red-shouldered Hawk along Rio Beef, among others.  A Cooper's Hawk 
kept  riling up the meadowlark flocks, and at the feedlot was a mob of 
cowbirds and grackles, with at least a couple of Brewer's Blackbirds tucked 
away. 

 The  farm pond near the end of Brushline had a couple of avocets, a 
yellowlegs, a  Neotropic Cormorant, and lots of Least Sandpipers.  A singing 
thrasher  almost had me convinced he was a Brown, as I kept hearing repeated 
phrases, but the culprit finally popped up, proving once again that I'm no good 

at telling  these guys apart by song!  (It was a Curve-billed...)  Had an  
Ash-throated Flycatcher along Rio Beef, but the marsh was rather quiet.   
For a variety of reasons I bailed on hiking to the lake...
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     LRGV NWR Driving Route
Observation  date:     11/19/09
Number of species:      65

Greater White-fronted Goose     30
Snow Goose   12
Northern Bobwhite     4
Neotropic  Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     2
Black  Vulture     8
Turkey Vulture      20
White-tailed Kite     1
Northern Harrier   2
Cooper's Hawk     2
Harris's Hawk   4
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
White-tailed  Hawk     4
Red-tailed Hawk     6
Crested  Caracara     7
American Kestrel      4
American Coot     1
Sandhill Crane      100
Killdeer     8
American Avocet      2
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Long-billed Curlew   2
Least Sandpiper     30
Eurasian  Collared-Dove     6
Mourning Dove      200
Common Ground-Dove     6
Great Horned Owl   2
Belted Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker     7
Ladder-backed Woodpecker      8
Eastern Phoebe     15
Ash-throated Flycatcher   1
Great Kiskadee     15
Couch's Kingbird   3
Loggerhead Shrike     5
Green Jay   15
Horned Lark     3
Tree Swallow   2
Black-crested Titmouse     7
Verdin   1
Cactus Wren     1
Bewick's Wren   5
House Wren     30
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
Hermit  Thrush     2
Northern Mockingbird      30
Long-billed Thrasher     8
Curve-billed Thrasher   6
European Starling     1
Orange-crowned  Warbler     9
Common Yellowthroat      2
Olive Sparrow     7
Lark Sparrow      20
Savannah Sparrow     3
Lincoln's Sparrow   6
Northern Cardinal     4
Pyrrhuloxia   4
Red-winged Blackbird     30
Eastern  Meadowlark     8
Western Meadowlark      50
Brewer's Blackbird     3
Great-tailed Grackle   40
Brown-headed Cowbird     1000
House  Sparrow     12

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Santa Ana NWR (Apparently NO MADU)
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:54:47 EST
Hi, all!
 
Once again, I'm terribly behind:  made the trek out to Cattail Lakes  on 
Thursday the 11th along with a handful of other folks.  I still stopped  at my 
first bench along Willow Lakes Trail for five, and was surprised to hear a  
Dickcissel razz overhead; guess they're not done yet!  The new trail (which 
 branches off from Willow Lakes Trail) was fun, as I had never taken it 
before  (the last time I was out to Cattail Lakes was when the auto tour was 
still  open), so I got to see a different part of the refuge.  Chatted with a 
lady  from Port Lavaca part of the way out (didn't get her name), and 
another couple from DC (didn't get their names, either...) had just spotted 
their 

first  Beardless Tyrannulet, so they were very happy!
 
Eventually arrived at the lakes where the gal from PL and another gentleman 
 (Chris from Georgia--DID manage to get HIS name!) were already hunting for 
the  duck(s) in the lake where he had seen them on Sunday.  Had lots of 
Gadwall,  Shovelers, teal of both varieties (I only heard the Green-winged), 
along with  grebes and coots and a Wilson's Snipe we flushed.  We DID find 
four Ruddies, but their cousins were either in hiding or had gone elsewhere. 

Dipped on the Hook-billed Kites as well, but we had nice views of a Harrier 
 making a rather clumsy landing in the reeds, and a Merlin chasing yet 
another Cooper's Hawk! A flock of White-faced Ibis flew over, and at one point 

we  heard distant White-fronted Geese ("Specklebellies" to the lady from PL 
:-)),  which we finally spotted WAAAY up high going into the sun!  We 
happened to  be discussing Vermilion Flycatchers when suddenly a young male 
appeared and gave  us great looks!  A non-avian treat was a huge Indigo Snake 
crossing the  trail!
 
After enjoying a Sora that Chris found, I headed on about 9:30 towards the  
main tour road, and while peeking into the lake managed to add a pair of  
Redheads and American Wigeon to the trip list, and got an energetic Eastern  
Phoebe singing his little heart out on "tape"!  Leps were starting to come  
out about then: had a pretty Mestra sunning at a rest stop, and several  
Sickle-winged Skippers chowing down on some scat.  A little spreadwing  damsel 
landed and gave great looks; my best guess is Rainpool, but it might be a  
Chalky.  Took the Bobcat Trail across to the eastern side of the tour loop;  
this was yet another new trail (actually a gravel road), but was rather 
quiet as  things were warming up.  I eventually made it back to familiar 
territory at the Willow/Pintail Lake Trail, and back in the woods was treated 
to a 

Mimosa  Skipper and a Southern Broken Dash posing.  The lakes had the 
expected waterbirds (no herons, interestingly--the ibis were the only waders I 

ad all  morning), but my first Hermit Thrush for the refuge "thooked" from 
the  understory!  I couldn't believe I also dipped on Chachalaca... :-P
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_wed) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059)
Observation  date:     11/11/09
Number of species:      66

Greater White-fronted Goose     40
Gadwall   50
American Wigeon     2
Mottled Duck   3
Blue-winged Teal     30
Northern  Shoveler     50
Northern Pintail      5
Green-winged Teal     2
Redhead      2
Ruddy Duck     4
Least Grebe      20
Pied-billed Grebe     7
White-faced Ibis   12
Turkey Vulture     1
Northern Harrier   1
Cooper's Hawk     1
Red-shouldered  Hawk     4
Gray Hawk     2
Merlin   1
Sora     1
Common Moorhen      3
American Coot     100
Killdeer      3
Greater Yellowlegs     2
Long-billed Curlew   3
Least Sandpiper     2
Wilson's Snipe   1
Mourning Dove     2
Common Ground-Dove   3
Belted Kingfisher     2
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker     12
Ladder-backed Woodpecker      8
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet     1
Eastern Phoebe   15
Vermilion Flycatcher     1
Great  Kiskadee     20
Couch's Kingbird      3
White-eyed Vireo     7
Green Jay      9
Cave Swallow     2
Black-crested Titmouse   6
Verdin     1
Cactus Wren      1
Carolina Wren     3
House Wren      20
Marsh Wren     5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     8
Hermit Thrush   1
Northern Mockingbird     6
Long-billed  Thrasher     8
Curve-billed Thrasher      2
European Starling     1
American Pipit      1
Orange-crowned Warbler     5
Yellow-rumped Warbler  (Myrtle)     5
Common Yellowthroat      12
Olive Sparrow     15
Lincoln's Sparrow   2
Northern Cardinal     7
Indigo Bunting   1
Dickcissel     1
Red-winged Blackbird   100
Brown-headed Cowbird     1
Altamira  Oriole     3
House Sparrow     15

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Monte Cristo Tracts
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:26:34 EST
Hi, all!  Made a quick run up Wallace Road this morning and it was  Raptor 
City!  A huge flock of Western Meadowlarks went tearing by, followed  by a 
Cooper's Hawk being chased by a Merlin; that was pretty funny!  A  singing 
Least Flycatcher and a chirping Yellow Warbler were nice  additions.
 
After doing Wallace I snuck a peek at Sapo Lake where there was a mixed  
flock of Gadwall, Pintail, and Lesser Scaup, and afterwards did a little  
exploring and found a road that accessed Edinburg Lake, where there was a 
Ringed 

 Kingfisher, four Canvasbacks, and a Laughing Gull!  This looks like a  
promising place!
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
11-6-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 11-6-09 to  11-6-09

Gadwall                                Anas strepera
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Pintail                       Anas acuta
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Canvasback                             Aythya valisineria
Lesser  Scaup                           Aythya affinis
Ruddy  Duck                             Oxyura jamaicensis
Wild  Turkey                            Meleagris gallopavo
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
American White  Pelican                 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Double-crested  Cormorant               Phalacrocorax auritus
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Northern  Harrier                       Circus cyaneus
Cooper's  Hawk                          Accipiter cooperii
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Merlin                                 Falco columbarius
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Dowitcher                  Limnodromus scolopaceus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Stilt  Sandpiper                        Calidris himantopus
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Greater  Roadrunner                     Geococcyx californianus
Belted  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle alcyon
Ringed  Kingfisher                      Megaceryle torquata
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Least  Flycatcher                       Empidonax minimus
Eastern  Phoebe                         Sayornis phoebe
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical  Kingbird                      Tyrannus melancholicus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Barn  Swallow                           Hirundo rustica
American  Pipit                         Anthus rubescens
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
Orange-crowned  Warbler                 Vermivora celata
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Savannah  Sparrow                       Passerculus sandwichensis
Lincoln's  Sparrow                      Melospiza lincolnii
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Dickcissel                             Spiza americana
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus

71 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Estero Llano Grande
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:17:50 EST
Hi, all!
 
Had a beautiful morning at Estero Llano; the road along the south side of  
the llano was open this time, so did the road and the levee, picking up the  
usual whistling ducks, avocets, stilts, and a few ducks (could have sworn I 
 heard a Wood Duck but couldn't find it).  Up on the levee several Great  
Blue Herons stood sentry in the fields, but the highlight had to be the  
Peregrine sitting up on one of the big pressure pipes!  Coming back out the  
White Pelicans had moved into the llano, along with a pretty Roseate Spoonbill 

(a young bird was in the canal seen from the levee, and didn't look too  
hot...).
 
Got to the park proper about 8:30 and the butterflies were nuts  already!  
Ran into a couple looking for Guava Skipper (and found out later  that Huck 
was able to deliver :-)) and at least two other couples looking for  Yellow 
Angled Sulphurs, but the highlight for me was three different Tropical  
Buckeyes and a Silver-banded Hairstreak over by Fran's RV.  Walking the big  
loop trail, a young male Vermilion Flycatcher was very cooperative over by the 

"gazebo", and a Dickcissel flew over, doing it's funny snort, and had I 
known it was really that rare now I would have tried to "shoot" it, as it gave 

a great  look!  The Savannah and Lincoln's Sparrows were back in the 
grasslands in force, and was able to pish up a couple of pretty Clay-colored as 

well.
 
Green and Belted Kingfishers were hanging out at Alligator Lake, and the  
Screech Owl was hanging out his box (perhaps a different individual than the  
goofy-looking one I saw previously).  Back along the Camino de Aves I  
decided to continue on the maintenance road next to the orchard and check out  
Kiskadee Pond, since I had never seen it, and had a family of Harris' Hawks  
posing!  Passing Ibis Pond on the way back had what looked like a  
Twelve-spotted Skimmer according to the book, but also according to the book, 
they 

aren't supposed to be here!  A Solitary Sandpiper wheeled in just as I  was 
finishing up.
 
Pics for the day are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC  054)
Observation date:     11/3/09
Notes:   Guess there are still a few Dickcissels coming through here!   
(Two calling flyovers, one seen...)
Number of species:      79

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     30
Gadwall   5
Mottled Duck     6
Blue-winged Teal   12
Northern Shoveler     20
Green-winged  Teal     20
Ruddy Duck     15
Least  Grebe     15
Pied-billed Grebe      5
American White Pelican     50
Neotropic Cormorant   7
Double-crested Cormorant     2
Anhinga   2
Great Blue Heron     12
Great Egret   3
Snowy Egret     4
Little Blue Heron   4
Tricolored Heron     1
Cattle Egret   1
Roseate Spoonbill     2
White-tailed  Kite     2
Northern Harrier      1
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1
Cooper's Hawk      2
Harris's Hawk     5
American Kestrel      1
Peregrine Falcon     1
Sora      1
Common Moorhen     12
American Coot      100
Killdeer     12
Black-necked Stilt      20
American Avocet     20
Solitary Sandpiper   1
Lesser Yellowlegs     5
Long-billed  Curlew     1
Least Sandpiper     20
Stilt  Sandpiper     12
Long-billed Dowitcher      30
Mourning Dove     6
Common Ground-Dove   4
Eastern Screech-Owl     1
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird     2
Belted Kingfisher      2
Green Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker   6
Eastern Phoebe     2
Vermilion  Flycatcher     2
Great Kiskadee      7
Tropical Kingbird     1
Couch's Kingbird   1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher     7
Loggerhead  Shrike     2
White-eyed Vireo     4
Horned  Lark     3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow      20
Barn Swallow     30
Carolina Wren      2
House Wren     12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet      2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     4
Northern Mockingbird   15
Long-billed Thrasher     2
Curve-billed  Thrasher     1
American Pipit      3
Orange-crowned Warbler     8
Common Yellowthroat   4
Wilson's Warbler     1
Clay-colored  Sparrow     2
Savannah Sparrow      12
Lincoln's Sparrow     15
Pyrrhuloxia      2
Dickcissel     2
Red-winged Blackbird      1000
Eastern Meadowlark     9
Great-tailed Grackle   50
Brown-headed Cowbird     1
Lesser  Goldfinch     2
House Sparrow     30

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg Wetlands
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:19:08 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Well, the big rain storm we were supposed to have didn't materialize (at  
least along Wallace Road), but for the first time doing this route, the  
southmost pond you cross was absolutely bone dry!  Thankfully there was  some 
water in the next little wetland which had a nice variety of shorebirds,  but 
also a good number of TVs and caracaras hanging around!  Had my FOS  
American Pipit in the fields along with the Horned Larks and Lark Sparrows, and 
my 

FOS Green-winged Teal (still in eclipse plumage) were hanging with the  
Bluewings in the aforementioned wetland.  The little pull-in at the  trailhead 
(south of the wetland) had a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks and a  fussing 
Long-billed Thrasher.  I rarely see many butterflies along this  road, but 
today they were nuts with Queens everywhere; this one bush also had a  
White-striped Longtail and Gray Hairstreak along with many little  skippers!
 
Over at Edinburg Wetlands I did the south pond first, which had a young  
Spoonbill and both Green and Belted Kingfishers, along with the requisite  
Neotropic Cormorants and shorebirds.  A pair of Ospreys was circling and  
trying to fish; every attempt I saw was unsuccessful... :-( Also had a single 

male Ruddy Duck in the middle of the lake--I don't think I've ever seen  one 
hold his tail up so high!  My first Blue Grosbeak for the park was back  in 
the mesquite as well.
 
The group from the Butterfly Festival was delighting in all the activity in 
 the gardens (I scared an Orange-barred Sulphur their way... :-)), but 
bird-wise had the usual hummers, along with a possible Rufous, but I didn't get 

a good  look at it.  A pair of Wilson's Warblers and gnatcatchers were 
upset with me along the "Jungle Trail", and the north lake had a small group of 

White  Pelicans along with lots of Black-bellied Whistlers (a single 
Fulvous sounded off near the spillway), Shovelers, and teal. The water level 
was 

somewhat  low, so several Stilt Sandpipers were over by the spillway as 
well.  A  reptilian highlight was a family of Soft-shelled Turtles on the bank 
of the  canal, and also kicked up the female Summer Tanager back here, who 
looks as  though she's missing her right eye! :-(
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062)
Observation  date:     10/22/09
Number of species:      55

Mottled Duck     9
Blue-winged Teal   8
Green-winged Teal     5
Northern  Bobwhite     1
Neotropic Cormorant      30
Double-crested Cormorant     4
Great Blue Heron   5
Great Egret     8
Snowy Egret   2
Black Vulture     1
Turkey Vulture   30
White-tailed Kite     4
Sharp-shinned  Hawk     1
Cooper's Hawk     1
Harris's  Hawk     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     4
Crested  Caracara     5
American Kestrel      4
American Coot     2
Killdeer      10
Black-necked Stilt     5
American Avocet   1
Spotted Sandpiper     2
Greater  Yellowlegs     1
Least Sandpiper      20
Stilt Sandpiper     2
Long-billed Dowitcher   12
Mourning Dove     30
Common  Ground-Dove     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     2
Eastern Phoebe   2
Great Kiskadee     7
Couch's Kingbird   7
Green Jay     3
Horned Lark   7
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     3
Barn  Swallow     100
Verdin     1
House  Wren     15
Marsh Wren     1
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher      1
Northern Mockingbird     2
Long-billed Thrasher   3
American Pipit     1
Common  Yellowthroat     5
Lark Sparrow      2
Lincoln's Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal   2
Red-winged Blackbird     50
Eastern  Meadowlark     1
Great-tailed Grackle      20
Lesser Goldfinch     1
House Sparrow      20

Location:     Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC  061)
Observation date:     10/22/09
Number of  species:     49

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck   80
Fulvous Whistling-Duck     1
Blue-winged  Teal     60
Northern Shoveler      20
Green-winged Teal     6
Ruddy Duck      1
Least Grebe     5
Pied-billed Grebe      1
American White Pelican     5
Neotropic Cormorant   40
Double-crested Cormorant     8
Great Blue  Heron     7
Snowy Egret     2
Tricolored  Heron     3
Cattle Egret     1
Green  Heron     1
Black-crowned Night-Heron      2
Roseate Spoonbill     1
Turkey Vulture      1
Osprey     3
Common Moorhen      4
American Coot     50
Killdeer      3
Black-necked Stilt     30
Spotted Sandpiper   1
Least Sandpiper     50
Stilt Sandpiper   15
Long-billed Dowitcher     30
Laughing  Gull     1
Rock Pigeon     20
Inca  Dove     1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      5
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird     3
Belted  Kingfisher     2
Green Kingfisher      1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     3
Great Kiskadee   7
Couch's Kingbird     2
Northern Rough-winged  Swallow     1
Barn Swallow     2
House  Wren     12
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher      4
Northern Mockingbird     6
Curve-billed Thrasher   1
Orange-crowned Warbler     3
Common  Yellowthroat     1
Wilson's Warbler      2
Summer Tanager     1
Blue Grosbeak      1
Great-tailed Grackle     10

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Anzalduas & NABA
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:47:19 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Before heading to Anzalduas I poked down Old Military Highway, with  
highlights including an Osprey, Tropical Kingbird, Red-crowned Parrot, and a 
pair 

of Ringed Kingfishers near Bentsen.  Once at Anzalduas I took Dan's  advice 
and headed over to the dam overlook first to see if per chance the Bald  
Eagle was still hanging around (it wasn't--I rather suspected it was a one-day 
 wonder), but saw that the DC Cormorants have arrived in force!  Also had 
my  FOS American Wigeons, and at least 100 Barn Swallows swarming around.   
Don't know if Dan's sapsucker was in the back section, but MY FOS one bounced 
in  and attached himself to a tree, only to be promptly bullied off by a  
Golden-fronted Woodpecker!  Also had a nice female Vermilion Flycatcher  near 
the grassy area.  Making the rounds in the main part of the park, a  very 
nice Ringed Kingfisher posed at the River, and Rough-winged Swallows had  
replaced the Caves from last month.  Spooked a young Yellow-crowned Night  
Heron closer to the dam, and almost dipped on the Black Phoebe (DID dip on the 

tyrannulet :-( along with Dan's other goodies from yesterday).  On the  way 
out was treated to a tornado of at least 100 Turkey Vultures lifting  off!  
(Yes, I looked for a Zone-tailed... ;-))
 
On the way back to NABA I added a pair of Harris's Hawks along the paved  
levee, and sadly a dead Swainson's Hawk actually up on top of one of the  
telephone poles--not quite sure how that happened unless someone shot him and 
he  just stayed lodged up there somehow.  It had started to cloud over by the 
 time I got to NABA, but the butterflies were still active, the highlights 
for me  being a Malachite, a Nysa Roadside Skipper, and a Melonworm Moth!  
(Also  got to meet Jeff Glassberg, which was pretty neat! :-))  New birds 
there  for the day included three quiet (!) Chachalacas at the feeding station 
and a  whistling Altamira Oriole, plus a single Broad-winged Hawk in the 
parking  lot.  Heading west again on OMH the lines were lined with 
Scissor-tailed  Flycatchers, and the fields filled with Cattle Egrets!
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068)
Observation  date:     10/20/09
Number of species:      47

American Wigeon     2
Mottled Duck   2
Blue-winged Teal     10
Neotropic  Cormorant     6
Double-crested Cormorant      30
Great Blue Heron     1
Great Egret      3
Snowy Egret     1
Cattle Egret      1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     1
Turkey Vulture   100
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
American  Kestrel     3
Common Moorhen     1
American  Coot     1
Killdeer     8
Greater  Yellowlegs     1
Least Sandpiper     1
Rock  Pigeon     1
Mourning Dove     4
Ringed  Kingfisher     2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     1
Black Phoebe   1
Eastern Phoebe     1
Vermilion  Flycatcher     1
Great Kiskadee      7
Couch's Kingbird     6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher   2
Loggerhead Shrike     1
White-eyed  Vireo     1
Green Jay     5
Northern  Rough-winged Swallow     50
Barn Swallow      100
House Wren     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     1
Northern  Mockingbird     7
Long-billed Thrasher      2
European Starling     9
Common Yellowthroat   1
Olive Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal   1
Red-winged Blackbird     100
Eastern  Meadowlark     3
Great-tailed Grackle      80
Bronzed Cowbird     3

Location:     NABA International Butterfly  Park
Observation date:     10/20/09
Notes:   Survey includes a 3-mile stretch along Old Military  Highway
Number of species:     46

Plain  Chachalaca     3
Great Egret     1
Snowy  Egret     1
Cattle Egret     100
Turkey  Vulture     20
Osprey     1
Cooper's  Hawk     1
Harris's Hawk      2
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Broad-winged Hawk   1
American Kestrel     3
Common Moorhen   1
Killdeer     2
Black-necked Stilt   1
Mourning Dove     12
Red-crowned  Parrot     1
Ringed Kingfisher      2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     3
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker     4
Eastern Phoebe     1
Great  Kiskadee     10
Tropical Kingbird      1
Couch's Kingbird     9
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher   12
White-eyed Vireo     1
Green Jay   4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     30
Barn  Swallow     100
Black-crested Titmouse      1
House Wren     12
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   4
Northern Mockingbird     10
Long-billed  Thrasher     1
European Starling      3
Common Yellowthroat     3
Wilson's Warbler   1
Olive Sparrow     3
Northern Cardinal   2
Indigo Bunting     1
Dickcissel   1
Red-winged Blackbird     200
Eastern  Meadowlark     2
Great-tailed Grackle      100
Brown-headed Cowbird     7
Altamira Oriole   1
House Sparrow     6

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Estero Llano Grande SP
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:30:59 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Despite the threat of horrible heat, had a lovely time at the park this  
morning; since I woke up super early I went on over and sat in the dark near 
the  Green Jay Trail listening for night birds (picked up Screech Owl and 
Pauraque) then over to the VC walk in hopes that the King Rail might sound off 

(which it  didn't, but ironically my only BB Whistling Ducks of the day 
were heard  pre-dawn!).  A pair of Red-crowned Parrots woke up on the way back 
to the  car.
 
Wound up coming right back because the road to the llano and the levee was  
closed :-(, but it worked out for the best as I probably would have missed 
a  great warbler flock along the entrance walk otherwise!  Ranger Brian 
(whom  I didn't know was Ranger Brian till later ;-)) came up and we were able 
to sort  out Magnolia, Wilson's, and Redstart!  Unfortunately the male Hooded 
 Warbler popped up after he left...
 
Ran into Huck after that and we checked out Ibis Pond for awhile; mostly  
dowitchers and Stilt Sandpipers, with a token Least and Spotted, plus  
Blue-winged Teal. On the boardwalk added Tricolored Heron and Snowy Egret with 

the sun to my back.  Made my way to the gazebo and still couldn't kick  up a 
rail, but did get a Marsh Wren and Lark Sparrow while sitting, plus a  
Harris' Hawk sitting where the Magpie Jay often used to sit! A big surprise was 

a flock of Collared Doves flying over!
 
Since I couldn't drive to the llano I went ahead and climbed up to the  
levee, picking up some Avocets, Stilts, a spoonbill, and about 60 White  
Pelicans! Another spoonbill flew over on the way to Dowitcher Pond, as well as 
a 

Little Blue Heron.  This was where all the coots and grebes were  hanging 
out, as well as additional wintering ducks.  The Moorhens had  claimed Grebe 
Pond, and Alligator Lake was rather quiet; I might have flushed a  Barn Owl 
going in, but just didn't get a good look.  Heard and Anhinga and  Belted 
Kingfisher there.
 
I didn't do the whole of Camino de Aves for fear of the heat, but at least  
picked up the requisite Ground and Mourning Doves back there, and by that 
time  the pelicans had lifted off and were performing their ballet high in 
the  sky!  From this point on it was really a lep show, as the Milkweed Vine  
along the trail to CDA was crazy with blooms and butters, best of which was 
an  Ornythion Swallowtail!  Ran into Ranger John back near the VC where we 
had  more Ornythions and his Yellow Angled Sulphur from yesterday, and 
eventually were joined by Huck and Brian, adding Osprey, Greater Yellowlegs, 
and 

Red-shouldered Hawk to the bird list, plus a ton of leps that I'll post on 
the  lep listserv! :-)  
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC  054)
Observation date:     10/15/09
Number of  species:     78

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck   2
Gadwall     4
Mottled Duck   5
Blue-winged Teal     30
Northern  Shoveler     12
Plain Chachalaca     3
Least  Grebe     30
Pied-billed Grebe      3
American White Pelican     60
Neotropic Cormorant   8
Anhinga     1
Great Egret      1
Snowy Egret     3
Little Blue Heron      1
Tricolored Heron     2
Roseate Spoonbill   2
Turkey Vulture     1
Osprey   1
Cooper's Hawk     1
Harris's Hawk   3
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
American  Kestrel     1
Common Moorhen     12
American  Coot     70
Killdeer     9
Black-necked  Stilt     3
American Avocet     6
Spotted  Sandpiper     2
Greater Yellowlegs      1
Lesser Yellowlegs     1
Long-billed Curlew   1
Least Sandpiper     8
Stilt Sandpiper   12
Long-billed Dowitcher     20
Eurasian  Collared-Dove     8
White-winged Dove      100
Mourning Dove     2
Inca Dove      2
Common Ground-Dove     3
Red-crowned Parrot   2
Eastern Screech-Owl     3
Common  Pauraque     3
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      4
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird     1
Belted  Kingfisher     2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      8
Eastern Phoebe     1
Great Kiskadee      9
Couch's Kingbird     4
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher   2
White-eyed Vireo     1
Green Jay   1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     8
Bank  Swallow     1
Cave Swallow     1
Barn  Swallow     6
Black-crested Titmouse      2
Carolina Wren     2
House Wren      5
Marsh Wren     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher      2
Northern Mockingbird     9
Long-billed Thrasher   2
Curve-billed Thrasher     1
European  Starling     1
Nashville Warbler      1
Magnolia Warbler     1
American Redstart   2
Common Yellowthroat     3
Hooded  Warbler     1
Wilson's Warbler     1
Olive  Sparrow     1
Lark Sparrow     1
Northern  Cardinal     3
Red-winged Blackbird      200
Great-tailed Grackle     50
Bronzed Cowbird   3
Brown-headed Cowbird     2
House  Sparrow     12

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Quinta Mazatlan & Hidalgo Pumphouse
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:25:05 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Made the rounds at Quinta Mazatlan this morning; highlights include my FOS  
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, two pairs of American Redstarts (unless the same pair 
 followed me all around the complex), and a nice Magnolia Warbler.  My 
first Ringed Kingfisher for the park rattled off in the distance, and a pair of 

 Red-crowned Parrots posed nicely for John Brush and the folks he was 
showing  around!
 
Over at Hidalgo Pumphouse the main show centered around the leps, with my  
first "NABA" Hermit Skipper and what I'm thinking is a Titan Sphinx based on 
 what photos I could get.  Bird-wise I had my first Black-and-white Warbler 
 for the park over by the deck, and while not new, it was nice to see a 
couple of  Anhingas, a Moorhen, a Great Blue Heron, and hear a Green later.  
Guess the  trail behind the Wall isn't open yet...
 
Pics for the day (all leps this time) are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Quinta Mazatlan WBC (McAllen) (LTC  063)
Observation date:     10/13/09
Number of  species:     37

Plain Chachalaca      20
Killdeer     2
White-winged Dove      12
Inca Dove     2
White-tipped Dove      1
Green Parakeet     3
Red-crowned Parrot   2
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      3
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird     1
Ringed  Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      8
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     2
Great Kiskadee   2
Tropical Kingbird     1
Couch's  Kingbird     3
White-eyed Vireo     2
Green  Jay     2
Black-crested Titmouse      2
Carolina Wren     3
House Wren      1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   3
Northern Mockingbird     7
Curve-billed  Thrasher     2
European Starling      5
Magnolia Warbler     1
American Redstart   4
Wilson's Warbler     2
Olive Sparrow   2
Northern Cardinal     4
Blue Grosbeak   1
Indigo Bunting     4
Dickcissel   2
Red-winged Blackbird     100
Great-tailed  Grackle     40
Bronzed Cowbird     80
Lesser  Goldfinch     2
House Sparrow     20

Location:     Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (WBC)  (LTC067)
Observation date:     10/13/09
Number of  species:     30

Anhinga     2
Great Blue  Heron     1
Green Heron     1
Turkey  Vulture     1
Common Moorhen     1
Rock  Pigeon     9
Mourning Dove     10
Inca  Dove     1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      1
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird      2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     2
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker     1
Black Phoebe     2
Great  Kiskadee     1
Tropical Kingbird      1
Couch's Kingbird     2
White-eyed Vireo   1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     15
House  Wren     2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher      1
Northern Mockingbird     6
European Starling   1
Black-and-white Warbler     1
Common  Yellowthroat     1
Northern Cardinal      1
Dickcissel     1
Red-winged Blackbird      50
Great-tailed Grackle     4
Altamira Oriole   1
Lesser Goldfinch     2
House Sparrow   6

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: La Sal del Rey
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 17:39:13 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Tim Brush and Javier DeLeon joined me this morning for my route, although  
we ended up doing it in rather an unorthodox way! :-)  We first hiked the  
trail to the lake from SR 186 in hopes of kicking up some Black-throated  
Sparrows, but the breeze (which later turned into a pretty stiff wind) kept 
most of the stuff down (we glimpsed what could have been a Cassin's, but we'll 

never  know...).  It was fun seeing gangs of gulls streaming overhead from 
the  lake, as well as Long-billed Curlews!  (We were having a little debate 
as  to whether they were Laughing or Franklin's, but they turned out to be 
the  former...)  Songbirds were sparse (lots of things were "seep"ing but  
refused to show themselves), but had a good raptor turnout, including several  
Caracaras, a Harrier, and a Red-tailed Hawk back at the trailhead.
 
Tim had to get back home, but he stuck with us long enough to bird a bit of 
 Brushline (and for me to show him where I had been having Botteri's 
Sparrows--my dates on those BTW were 16 JUL 08 and 21 AUG 09). The best shows 

were the  airborne birds, with several Broadies, a Sharpie right overhead, 
Black and  Turkey Vultures, and a "tornado" of about 30 White Pelicans!  
Shrikes were still quite plentiful along the wires, as well as Scissortails. 
Tim 

 pointed out a squealing Harris' Hawk as well.
 
After dropping Tim off at his car, Javier and I went straight to Rio Beef  
(he wanted to "beef up" his Willacy County list... :-P) and stopped at the  
little marsh where we picked up Least Grebe, Sora, Yellowthroat, and Marsh  
Wren.  Zigzagging up GI Road we had a glimpse of a Krider's Hawk zipping  
across the road, and on the way out Javier spotted him on a telephone pole  
(wasn't quick enough with the camera, unfortunately... 
:-( ).  Continuing down GI Road we had lots more Scissortails and Lark  
Sparrows, plus some Cattle Egrets at the beefyard along with a cloud of  
Redwings. A lone male Baltimore Oriole was hiding in a roadside bush; I guess 

they're supposed to be getting pretty scarce by now.  We returned up  
Brushline to check out the farm pond near road's end, which still had the  
spoonbills from last time, but also more Cattle Egrets, a pod of Least 
Sandpipers, 

and a couple of Greater Yellowlegs.  Javier spotted some  Blue-winged Teal 
hiding.  On the way out a Chuck-will's-widow darted out in  front of the car, 
giving that "all brown falcon" impression!
 
Just for kicks and grins we decided to check out the pond on south  
Brushline, although it's not part of my "route" (so it didn't get put in the 
eBird 

account).  It was pretty active, with a Swainson's Hawk, Avocets,  
dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Snowy Egret, Shovelers, and White-faced Ibis 
being 

new for the day list.
 
Pics are posted here (with some mystery moths from the ranch if any of the  
leppers out there want a challenge...):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     LRGV NWR Driving Route
Observation  date:     10/8/09
Number of species:      61

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     1
Mottled  Duck     2
Blue-winged Teal     5
Northern  Bobwhite     1
Least Grebe     2
American  White Pelican     30
Great Blue Heron      1
Great Egret     1
Cattle Egret      11
Roseate Spoonbill     2
Black Vulture      8
Turkey Vulture     30
Northern Harrier      1
Sharp-shinned Hawk     2
Harris's Hawk      2
Broad-winged Hawk     40
Red-tailed Hawk   2
Red-tailed Hawk (Krider's)     1
Crested  Caracara     8
American Kestrel      9
Sora     1
American Coot      1
Killdeer     3
Greater Yellowlegs      2
Long-billed Curlew     30
Least Sandpiper   14
Laughing Gull     500
Rock Pigeon   1
Eurasian Collared-Dove     1
Mourning  Dove     6
Common Ground-Dove      7
Chuck-will's-widow     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker   6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     1
Eastern  Phoebe     2
Great Kiskadee     5
Couch's  Kingbird     10
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher      20
Loggerhead Shrike     12
Green Jay      4
Barn Swallow     40
Black-crested Titmouse   1
Verdin     2
Cactus Wren      4
House Wren     7
Marsh Wren      1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     1
Northern Mockingbird   4
Long-billed Thrasher     1
Curve-billed  Thrasher     1
European Starling      1
Common Yellowthroat     1
Olive Sparrow   3
Lark Sparrow     20
Northern Cardinal   2
Pyrrhuloxia     3
Dickcissel   1
Red-winged Blackbird     200
Great-tailed  Grackle     1
Brown-headed Cowbird      1
Baltimore Oriole     1

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Santa Ana NWR
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 18:00:39 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Made the rounds around the refuge this morning, deciding to go "backwards"  
on the recommendation of a couple of friends, and that worked out well 
(getting through the Pintail Lakes area before it got sweltering...)! Nothing 

earth-shattering; had a kingfisher sweep and flushed a nice adult 
Yellow-crowned Night Heron at the southeast lake, and Anhingas were out the yin 

yang!  Had  a very cooperative Great Crested Flycatcher near the River; other 
migrants  included Nashville, Yellow, and Black-and-white Warblers, 
Yellow-breasted Chat, and my first Summer Tanager for the refuge. Also had my 
first 

Myrtle  Warbler of the season along the River.  Interesting non-birds 
included a rather orangeish Lyside Sulphur, a very striking Cellar Melipotes, 
an 

American  Rubyspot, and a female bluet (or other damsel) for those who care 
to take a  crack at it...  Several things seeped and chucked that never came 
out and  therefore have inspired me to study the warbler calls a little 
better...  :-P
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059)
Observation  date:     10/6/09
Number of species:      70

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     40
Mottled  Duck     5
Blue-winged Teal     30
Northern  Shoveler     6
Northern Pintail     3
Plain  Chachalaca     6
Least Grebe      12
Pied-billed Grebe     6
Neotropic Cormorant   2
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Anhinga   10
Great Blue Heron     1
Great Egret   2
Little Blue Heron     2
Yellow-crowned  Night-Heron     1
Cooper's Hawk      1
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
American Kestrel   1
Sora     1
Common Moorhen      12
American Coot     30
Killdeer      10
Black-necked Stilt     1
White-winged Dove   50
Mourning Dove     4
Inca Dove   1
Common Ground-Dove     3
White-tipped  Dove     2
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     1
Ringed Kingfisher   2
Belted Kingfisher     1
Green  Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      9
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     6
Least Flycatcher   1
Great Crested Flycatcher     3
Great  Kiskadee     12
Couch's Kingbird      15
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher     1
White-eyed Vireo   8
Green Jay     10
Northern Rough-winged  Swallow     12
Bank Swallow     1
Cave  Swallow     1
Barn Swallow      100
Black-crested Titmouse     6
Carolina Wren   7
House Wren     5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   5
Northern Mockingbird     2
Long-billed  Thrasher     6
European Starling      20
Nashville Warbler     4
Yellow Warbler   1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)      1
Black-and-white Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat   4
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Summer  Tanager     1
Olive Sparrow     5
Northern  Cardinal     6
Indigo Bunting      4
Dickcissel     2
Red-winged Blackbird      200
Great-tailed Grackle     1
Brown-headed Cowbird   1
Altamira Oriole     2
Lesser Goldfinch   2
House Sparrow     3

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Kentucky Warbler @ Frontera
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 16:13:30 EDT
Hi, all!
 
I put that in the subject line as eBird flagged it; I was able to get a  
mediocre but identifiable photo which is in the "Friday's Pics" gallery  
(below).  My sense of direction gets all turned around in there, but it was  
along the trail that runs alongside the cemetery but "this" side of where  
another trail heads left off to the feeding station area.  It was a great  
migrant morning there, with other highlights including a female Summer Tanager, 
a 

brightly peeping Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (who finally showed himself), 
and  several other warblers including a brilliant male Hooded and a female  
Redstart.  A Yellow-throated Warbler was working the palms, and an Ovenbird  
bopped along the trail and flew just before Gloria got to see it! :-(   After 
chatting with her I continued on, flushing a Chuck-will's-widow!  
 
My first Anhinga for the preserve was croaking from the pond, as well as a  
clucking Green Heron.  Heard a Clay-colored Thrush give its querulous call  
early on, and Red-crowned Parrots flew over a couple of times.  The local  
Gray Hawk was pitifully whining, while a pair of Redshoulders yelled more  
emphatically.  One Archilochus hummingbird looked sufficiently long-billed  
and club-winged to make me feel comfortable calling it a Blackchin (along 
with a  paleish crown and wings that were pretty even with the tail tip).   
Afterwards got to meet Cindy, the new director!
 
A quick visit to Valley Nature Center added Eastern Wood Pewee to the  
migrant list; they also had an Ovenbird hanging around the drip. Titmice were 

also very cooperative at that particular feeder, but too quick for my  
camera for the most part... :-P Raul was having fun showing all the school kids 

around! :-)
 
Pics for the day are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058)
Observation  date:     10/2/09
Notes:     Photo of Kentucky  Warbler available if needed.
Number of species:      54

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     15
Plain  Chachalaca     15
Anhinga     1
Green  Heron     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
Gray  Hawk     1
Killdeer     1
Least  Sandpiper     1
Rock Pigeon      15
White-winged Dove     20
Inca Dove      4
White-tipped Dove     6
Red-crowned Parrot   3
Chuck-will's-widow     1
Chimney Swift   9
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      12
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     10
Black-chinned  Hummingbird     1
Belted Kingfisher      1
Green Kingfisher     2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker   10
Ladder-backed Woodpecker      1
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher     1
Least Flycatcher   1
Great Crested Flycatcher     1
Great  Kiskadee     8
Couch's Kingbird      3
White-eyed Vireo     6
Green Jay      2
Barn Swallow     5
Black-crested Titmouse   1
Carolina Wren     3
House Wren   2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     5
Clay-colored  Thrush     1
Northern Mockingbird      8
Long-billed Thrasher     3
Curve-billed Thrasher   2
Yellow Warbler     4
Yellow-throated  Warbler     1
American Redstart      1
Ovenbird     1
Kentucky Warbler      1
Common Yellowthroat     1
Hooded Warbler   1
Wilson's Warbler     3
Summer Tanager   2
Olive Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal   3
Blue Grosbeak     2
Dickcissel   2
Red-winged Blackbird     10
Great-tailed  Grackle     4
Lesser Goldfinch     5

Location:     Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057)
Observation  date:     10/2/09
Number of species:      26

Plain Chachalaca     10
Eurasian Collared-Dove   1
White-winged Dove     20
Inca Dove   6
White-tipped Dove     2
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird     9
Ruby-throated Hummingbird      2
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird      1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     6
Eastern Wood-Pewee   1
Great Crested Flycatcher     1
Great  Kiskadee     6
Couch's Kingbird      3
White-eyed Vireo     3
Green Jay      1
Black-crested Titmouse     2
Carolina Wren   1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
Northern  Mockingbird     10
Long-billed Thrasher      2
European Starling     1
Yellow Warbler      1
Ovenbird     1
Wilson's Warbler      3
Great-tailed Grackle     10
Lesser Goldfinch   1
House Sparrow     50

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Pics from Monte Cristo & Edinburg
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:25:25 EDT
Hi, all!  PBase is back up, so here are the pictures from last  Thursday 
(even though the gallery says Monday...).  Highlights included  Wood Storks 
and "Gramps" Cormorant at Edinburg!
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/gallery/new_pics_mon_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/gallery/new_pics_mon) 
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Monte Cristo & Edinburg
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:23:54 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Managed to avoid the rain this morning and had a delightful time birding  
Wallace Road (the Monte Cristo Tract) and Edinburg Wetlands!  Dickcissels  
were still moving through in good numbers, and at the tract kiosk the Yellow  
Warblers were out the yin yang along with a Wilson's.  Had a good variety  
of raptors including Swainson's, Red-shouldered, White-tailed (both hawk and  
kite), Kestrel, Harris', Caracaras, and a couple of smallish raptors that 
got  away before I could ID them.  The water level at the wetland was lower 
than  I've ever seen it, but it still had a good variety of things, 
highlights including two Wood Storks and a Pectoral Sandpiper. The number of 
Barn 

Swallows was incredible, but there were a few other species represented as  
well.  Out in the fields had a flyover Black-bellied Plover and a couple of  
Horned Larks, as well as good numbers of Lark Sparrows.  Other interesting  
dickies included a couple of Anis, a Warbling Vireo, a Great Crested 
Flycatcher giving its emphatic "Wheek!" and a group of Blue Grosbeaks towards 
the 

north end  of the road.
 
Edinburg's south pond was hopping with stuff: besides the hordes of  
Neotropic Cormorants and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, highlights included  
another pair of Wood Storks (including one juvenile), a Solitary Sandpiper,  
several Stilt Sandpipers, a White-faced Ibis, another goofy-looking young Green 

Heron, and more migrants including a Chat, Eastern Kingbird, and gobs of 
Yellow  Warblers.  If anyone had to see a Buff-bellied Hummer or they were 
gonna die, I'd send them to the butterfly garden: they were all over the place 

along  with tons of Ruby-throated Hummers (at least those I could 
positively ID)! A family of Kiskadees hung out at the Dragonfly Pond along with 
a 

Northern  Waterthrush, and another family (or maybe just a pre-migration 
group) of Couch's Kingbirds gathered along the walkway as well. The north pond 

had a calling  Ringed Kingfisher and several Black-crowned Night Herons in 
addition to the  usual stuff (swallows were all over here as well).  Along 
the canal I  flushed an Osprey (had presumably the same individual soaring 
around on the way  in), and had a cooperative White-eyed Vireo, several 
Baltimore Orioles, and  "Gramps" Cormorant, with so much white on his neck he 
looked like a Great  Cormorant! :-)  No leps, of course, but then again days 
like today are why  I never gave up birding! :-)
 
PBase is down, so no pics posted today; if you can't stand it and simply  
must see them, let me know and I'll e-mail them to you!  (Otherwise I'll  get 
them up as soon as PBase is up and running...)  Two bird lists  follow:
 
Location:     Monte Cristo Tract (LTC 062)
Observation  date:     9/24/09
Number of species:      67

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     2
Mottled  Duck     12
Blue-winged Teal     8
Northern  Bobwhite     2
Least Grebe      12
Pied-billed Grebe     1
Neotropic Cormorant   15
Great Blue Heron     6
Great Egret   15
Snowy Egret     20
Wood Stork   2
Turkey Vulture     1
White-tailed Kite   4
Harris's Hawk     1
Red-shouldered  Hawk     2
Swainson's Hawk      2
White-tailed Hawk     2
Crested Caracara   4
American Kestrel     1
Common Moorhen   1
American Coot     7
Black-bellied  Plover     1
Killdeer     4
Black-necked  Stilt     10
Spotted Sandpiper     3
Greater  Yellowlegs     1
Semipalmated Sandpiper      1
Western Sandpiper     1
Least Sandpiper   7
Pectoral Sandpiper     1
Long-billed  Dowitcher     2
White-winged Dove      2
Mourning Dove     15
Common Ground-Dove   6
White-tipped Dove     1
Groove-billed  Ani     2
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird   2
Belted Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker     3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker      5
Least Flycatcher     2
Great Crested Flycatcher   1
Great Kiskadee     9
Couch's Kingbird   5
Loggerhead Shrike     1
Warbling Vireo   1
Green Jay     4
Horned Lark   2
Bank Swallow     1
Cliff Swallow   1
Barn Swallow     100
Verdin   1
House Wren     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   4
Northern Mockingbird     2
Long-billed  Thrasher     4
Yellow Warbler     10
Common  Yellowthroat     5
Wilson's Warbler      2
Olive Sparrow     6
Lark Sparrow      20
Northern Cardinal     4
Blue Grosbeak      4
Dickcissel     15
Red-winged Blackbird      20
Great-tailed Grackle     200
Baltimore Oriole   1
Lesser Goldfinch     6

Location:     Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC (LTC  061)
Observation date:     9/24/09
Number of species:   61

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     100 (at  least)
Mottled Duck     2
Blue-winged Teal   30
Northern Shoveler     7
Least Grebe   6
Pied-billed Grebe     5
Neotropic  Cormorant     100 (at least)
Anhinga      2
Great Blue Heron     7
Great Egret      20
Snowy Egret     30
Little Blue Heron      3
Tricolored Heron     3
Green Heron      2
Black-crowned Night-Heron     8
Yellow-crowned  Night-Heron     1
White-faced Ibis      1
Wood Stork     2
Osprey     1
Harris's  Hawk     1
Common Moorhen     3
American  Coot     12
Killdeer     2
Black-necked  Stilt     15
Solitary Sandpiper      1
Greater Yellowlegs     2
Lesser Yellowlegs   1
Least Sandpiper     5
Stilt Sandpiper   12
Long-billed Dowitcher     6
Laughing  Gull     12
Caspian Tern     2
Rock  Pigeon     3
White-winged Dove      5
Mourning Dove     4
Inca Dove      2
Buff-bellied Hummingbird     10
Ruby-throated  Hummingbird     12
Ringed Kingfisher      1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     2
Least Flycatcher   1
Great Kiskadee     6
Couch's Kingbird   10
Eastern Kingbird     2
White-eyed  Vireo     2
Bank Swallow     1
Cliff  Swallow     4
Cave Swallow     10
Barn  Swallow     50
House Wren     1
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher     3
Northern Mockingbird      8
Curve-billed Thrasher     3
Yellow Warbler   12
Northern Waterthrush     1
Wilson's  Warbler     1
Yellow-breasted Chat      1
Great-tailed Grackle     7
Baltimore Oriole   5
Lesser Goldfinch     3
House Sparrow   3

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: La sal del Rey
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:05:46 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Was treated to an absolutely gorgeous sunrise on the way to the La Sal  
Tracts this morning, and wound up with 60 species for the route.  Shrikes  and 
Cactus Wrens were in higher numbers than I've ever had them (probably all  
the young 'uns) but migrants seemed scant; just had a single Yellow and 
Wilson's  Warbler, and a couple of Baltimore Orioles.  The highlight was a 
tinkling Black-throated Sparrow on the hiking trail heading north from SR 186, 

along with  a young Cassin's Sparrow trying to learn its song! :-)  Saw 
absolutely nothing at the lake, but I didn't go walking down to the water's 
edge, 

 either--it was WAAAY out there (and it was sweltering to boot)!  There 
were only two wet spots along the route: one was the farm pond near the end of 

 Brushline on the east side that usually has SOME water in it, and today it 
had  several egrets as well as three spoonbills and several shorebirds!  
The  marsh near the south end of Rio Beef Road had water this time, along with 
Least  Grebes and Soras.  Retreating from north Brushline, I spooked a Barn 
Owl  while stopped to check out a raptor (TV), and a hovering/soaring buteo 
near the  west end of GI Road turned out to be a Krider's Redtail.  
 
Pics (what there are) are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     LRGV NWR Driving Route
Observation  date:     9/22/09
Number of species:      59

Blue-winged Teal     3
Wild Turkey   1
Northern Bobwhite     12
Least Grebe   2
Great Blue Heron     2
Great Egret   5
Snowy Egret     1
Cattle Egret   15
Roseate Spoonbill     3
Turkey  Vulture     15
Harris's Hawk      2
White-tailed Hawk     3
Red-tailed Hawk (Krider's)   1
Crested Caracara     5
American  Kestrel     1
Sora     2
American Coot   1
Killdeer     4
Black-necked Stilt   1
American Avocet     1
Semipalmated  Sandpiper     1
Western Sandpiper      12
Least Sandpiper     5
Stilt Sandpiper      2
Eurasian Collared-Dove     2
Mourning Dove   100
Inca Dove     4
Common Ground-Dove   15
Greater Roadrunner     1
Barn Owl   1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      12
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     12
Great Kiskadee   12
Couch's Kingbird     15
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher     15
Loggerhead Shrike      15
White-eyed Vireo     7
Green Jay      10
Bank Swallow     3
Cave Swallow      2
Barn Swallow     80
Verdin      10
Cactus Wren     10
Bewick's Wren      10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     6
Northern Mockingbird   30
Long-billed Thrasher     6
Curve-billed  Thrasher     10
Yellow Warbler      1
Wilson's Warbler     1
Olive Sparrow      3
Cassin's Sparrow     1
Lark Sparrow      20
Black-throated Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal   12
Pyrrhuloxia     8
Eastern Meadowlark   3
Baltimore Oriole     3
Lesser  Goldfinch     2
House Sparrow     3

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Cameron Co. (long)
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:31:58 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Did kind of a "Big Day" in Cameron County on Friday, meeting Katherine at  
Resaca de las Palmas predawn first thing.  The first puzzle was a prairie  
dog-like bark that I've always associated with Elf Owls, but every time we 
heard  it we also heard Screech Owls trilling in the immediate vicinity, so 
we're  wondering if those were actually young Screeches (and I couldn't find 
any sound  samples on Xeno-Canto).  Pauraques were the only other night birds 
we  picked up, and Katherine pretty much hit on the highlights in her post! 
 On  the way out I did pick up a Summer Tanager "peek-ka-choo"ing in the 
parking  area.
 
A quick stop at the Fisheries added a few freshwater marsh species, but  
unique for the day were a Pied-billed Grebe and a pair of Mississippi Kites  
flying over.  We had gotten Red-shouldered Hawk at Resaca, but a couple  were 
yelling at each other at the Fisheries as well!
 
Headed down Boca Chica Boulevard after that, highlights including a Green  
Heron having a Bad Hair Day on the telephone wires, a young Gray Hawk, a 
calling  Alder Flycatcher, and a Snowy Plover in the flats.  On the beach 
picked up Sanderling and Piping Plover for the day. Swung by the dump and was 

heading into the "wetlands" when a sheriff's deputy very nicely told me that 
no  one was supposed to go back there (which was news to me as I had birded 
that  area several times over the last year and a half), so I got in line 
and for the  first time actually went IN the dump!  Finally was able to get 
some decent  Chihuahuan Raven shots (complete with white neck), but that was 
definitely a  "been there done that" experience...
 
Headed up to SPI after that, where the trees at the Convention Center were  
just dripping with Wilson's Warblers!  Several Yellows were also around, as 
 well as a young Mourning (had a pretty strong eyering), a Black-and-white, 
a  Chat, and several flycatchers; had a definite Least, but some others I 
wasn't  sure about, including a Myiarchus I thought was a Great Crested at 
first, but  the bill didn't show a pale base:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557435_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557435) 
 
Another highlight was a Bell's Vireo that allowed a brief view, and also  
what was probably a Warbling Vireo, but some aspects looked more like a 
Philly to me, including darker lores and wingtips, yellowish (although not 
much) 

on the  throat and under the "wingpits".  Any thoughts?
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557607_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557607) 
 
...and then hit "next" for the rest.
 
An immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron out on the boardwalk was very  
cooperative, but other than that it was the usual fare.  A few female  Pintail 
were back.  Made a quick stop at Sheephead and had what looked like  what 
might have been a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; what do you think?
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557647_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557647) 
 
...then hit "next" for the rest.
 
Headed over to the Port Isabel Reservoir where several peeps fed close to  
the berm; the bill structure looked more Western to me (plus I found out 
later  that Semipals aren't really supposed to get their "winter digs" until 
next  month), but they were definitely TALKING like Semipals, with that warbly 
little  twitter that is supposed to be diagnostic; here's the first of that 
series, and  then you can "next" through them:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557691_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117557691) 
 
Shovelers were back here in numbers as well.  The last stop of the day  was 
Laguna Atascosa, where highlights included a female American Redstart  
showing off at the headquarters, along with a male Blue Metalmark!  Had a  few 
new odes along the Bayside Loop that I hope I ID'd right, plus another  
cooperative flock of Yellow Warblers.  A delightful little moth was in the  
ladies' room, but I couldn't find a match for it...
 
All the pics are posted here (along with some shots from Texan Guest Ranch  
at the beginning):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) 
 
Bird List:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
9-19-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 9-18-09 to  9-19-09

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck          Dendrocygna  autumnalis
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Northern  Pintail                       Anas acuta
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Northern  Shoveler                      Anas clypeata
Plain  Chachalaca                       Ortalis vetula
Northern  Bobwhite                      Colinus virginianus
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
Brown  Pelican                          Pelecanus occidentalis
Neotropic  Cormorant                    Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Reddish  Egret                          Egretta rufescens
Tricolored  Heron                       Egretta tricolor
Little Blue  Heron                      Egretta caerulea
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
Cattle  Egret                           Bubulcus ibis
Green  Heron                            Butorides virescens
Yellow-crowned  Night-Heron             Nyctanassa violacea
Least  Bittern                          Ixobrychus exilis
White  Ibis                             Eudocimus albus
White-faced  Ibis                       Plegadis chihi
Roseate  Spoonbill                      Platalea ajaja
Black  Vulture                          Coragyps atratus
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
White-tailed  Kite                      Elanus leucurus
Mississippi  Kite                       Ictinia mississippiensis
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
Gray Hawk
  Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Clapper  Rail                           Rallus longirostris
Common  Moorhen                         Gallinula chloropus
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
American  Avocet                        Recurvirostra americana
Black-bellied  Plover                   Pluvialis squatarola
Semipalmated  Plover                    Charadrius semipalmatus
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Piping  Plover                          Charadrius melodus
Snowy  Plover                           Charadrius alexandrinus
Short-billed  Dowitcher                 Limnodromus griseus
Marbled  Godwit                         Limosa fedoa
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Willet                                 Tringa semipalmata
Lesser  Yellowlegs                      Tringa flavipes
Sanderling                             Calidris alba
Semipalmated  Sandpiper                 Calidris pusilla
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Pectoral  Sandpiper                     Calidris melanotos
Laughing  Gull                          Leucophaeus atricilla
Ring-billed  Gull                       Larus delawarensis
Least  Tern                             Sternula antillarum
Gull-billed  Tern                       Gelochelidon nilotica
Caspian  Tern                           Hydroprogne caspia
Royal  Tern                             Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich  Tern                          Thalasseus sandvicensis
Rock  Pigeon                            Columba livia
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
White-winged  Dove                      Zenaida asiatica
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Inca  Dove                              Columbina inca
White-tipped  Dove                      Leptotila verreauxi
Groove-billed  Ani                      Crotophaga sulcirostris
Greater  Roadrunner                     Geococcyx californianus
Eastern  Screech-Owl                    Megascops asio
Pauraque                               Nyctidromus albicollis
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird               Amazilia yucatanensis
Ruby-throated  Hummingbird              Archilochus colubris
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Alder  Flycatcher                       Empidonax alnorum
Least  Flycatcher                       Empidonax minimus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Eastern  Kingbird                       Tyrannus tyrannus
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher              Tyrannus forficatus
Great Crested  Flycatcher               Myiarchus crinitus
Brown-crested  Flycatcher               Myiarchus tyrannulus
Northern Rough-winged  Swallow         Stelgidopteryx  serripennis
Bank  Swallow                           Riparia riparia
Barn  Swallow                           Hirundo rustica
Cliff  Swallow                          Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Cave  Swallow                           Petrochelidon fulva
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Carolina  Wren                          Thryothorus ludovicianus
Bewick's  Wren                          Thryomanes bewickii
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Curve-billed  Thrasher                  Toxostoma curvirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
Chihuahuan  Raven                       Corvus cryptoleucus
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Bell's  Vireo                           Vireo bellii
Warbling  Vireo                         Vireo gilvus
Nashville  Warbler                      Vermivora ruficapilla
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Black-and-white  Warbler                Mniotilta varia
American  Redstart                      Setophaga ruticilla
Mourning  Warbler                       Oporornis philadelphia
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Wilson's  Warbler                       Wilsonia pusilla
Canada  Warbler                         Wilsonia canadensis
Yellow-breasted  Chat                   Icteria virens
Summer  Tanager                         Piranga rubra
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Blue  Grosbeak                          Passerina caerulea
Indigo  Bunting                         Passerina cyanea
Painted  Bunting                        Passerina ciris
Dickcissel                             Spiza americana
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Bronzed  Cowbird                        Molothrus aeneus
Altamira  Oriole                        Icterus gularis
Baltimore  Oriole                       Icterus galbula
Orchard  Oriole                         Icterus spurius

130 SPECIES


Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Lark Bunting @ Falcon SP
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:32:58 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Had a female Lark Bunting in the westernmost picnic area at Falcon State  
Park this morning:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117322374_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/117322374) 
 
...then click "next" for the next shot.  Apparently she's a tad early,  as 
John's excellent checklist has them showing up about a month from now!
 
Other highlights include a cooperative Roadrunner along the entrance road,  
a family of Cactus Wrens, and a flock of 70 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks 
in a  "V" over the lake.  A smaller flock of cormorants "V"-ing overhead 
looked rather short-tailed to me, so I logged them as arriving Double-cresteds. 

  As requested I checked out the butterfly garden as well, and while lots 
of stuff  was in bloom, leps were sparse: had one Vesta Crescent, one Lyside 
Sulphur, one  Pipevine Swallowtail, one Monarch, and a gazillion Ceraunus 
Blues! :-)
 
Headed over to Chapeno which was pretty quiet bird-wise but had several  
odes (those who know them better than I do can tell me if I guessed  
right...). Salieno was a little more active with both Ringed and Green 
Kingfisher 

(had a Belted at Falcon for a kingfisher sweep), an Ani, a couple of  Gray 
Hawks calling, and an osprey sailing upriver.  A Red-shouldered Hawk  flew 
across the road in town.  No other specialties, however...
 
All the pics (plus a few from the Texan Guest Ranch) are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Falcon SP (Starr Co.)(LTC 084)
Observation  date:     9/15/09
Notes:     The Lark Bunting  was a female and gave its diagnostic mellow 
whistle.
Number of species:   52

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck      70
Northern Bobwhite     13
Pied-billed Grebe   2
Neotropic Cormorant     4
Double-crested  Cormorant     40
Great Blue Heron      4
Great Egret     2
Snowy Egret      9
Cattle Egret     7
Turkey Vulture      5
Osprey     1
Harris's Hawk      3
Crested Caracara     4
Killdeer      8
Spotted Sandpiper     2
Least Sandpiper   1
Laughing Gull     2
White-winged Dove   8
Mourning Dove     4
Common Ground-Dove   1
Greater Roadrunner      2
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird     2
Belted  Kingfisher     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      4
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     7
Ash-throated  Flycatcher     2
Great Kiskadee      7
Couch's Kingbird     4
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher   1
Loggerhead Shrike     1
White-eyed  Vireo     1
Green Jay     2
Barn  Swallow     2
Black-crested Titmouse      1
Verdin     4
Cactus Wren      5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     5
Northern Mockingbird   12
Curve-billed Thrasher     6
Yellow  Warbler     1
Olive Sparrow      15
Black-throated Sparrow     6
Lark Bunting   1
Northern Cardinal     9
Pyrrhuloxia   4
Dickcissel     6
Red-winged Blackbird   12
Great-tailed Grackle     20
Orchard  Oriole     1
Bullock's Oriole      2
Baltimore Oriole     7
House Sparrow      3

Location:     River Roads Driving Route
Observation  date:     9/15/09
Number of species:      39

Plain Chachalaca     1
Great Blue Heron   2
Great Egret     2
Snowy Egret   3
Turkey Vulture     15
Osprey   3
Harris's Hawk     2
Red-shouldered  Hawk     1
Gray Hawk     2
Spotted  Sandpiper     3
Mourning Dove     2
Inca  Dove     4
Common Ground-Dove     1
Greater  Roadrunner     1
Groove-billed Ani      1
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird     1
Ringed  Kingfisher     1
Green Kingfisher      1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     5
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker     2
Brown-crested Flycatcher      1
Great Kiskadee     2
Couch's Kingbird      5
Loggerhead Shrike     1
Cave Swallow      1
Black-crested Titmouse     2
Verdin      3
Cactus Wren     2
Bewick's Wren      2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     1
Northern Mockingbird   2
Long-billed Thrasher     1
Olive  Sparrow     1
Black-throated Sparrow      1
Northern Cardinal     1
Red-winged Blackbird   3
Great-tailed Grackle     3
Hooded  Oriole     1
House Sparrow     6

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Hook-billed Kite near Bentsen
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 16:02:32 EDT
Hi, all!
 
After spending about four hours at Bentsen State Park, I decided to explore 
 some of the surrounding roads, and about 0.8 m west on Old Military 
Highway (west from Bentsen Palm Drive, that is) a female Hook-billed Kite flew 

across  the road!  That was definitely the best bird of the day!
 
Had a nice selection of birds in the park, although nothing out of the  
ordinary.  I was afraid I was gonna actually dip on White-tipped Dove until  a 
pair "sang" near the Kiskadee Trail!  Other highlights included a pair of  
Green Kingfishers at Kingfisher Overlook, many Baltimore Orioles (missed a  
cracking shot of a male because I had forgotten to turn the stupid camera on  
:-P), several Anis, a flock of about a dozen Eastern Kingbirds going 
overhead, and my FOS Black-throated Green Warbler. Several warblers were moving 

through, actually, but none others except a Yellow stopped to let me get a  
look.  El Morrio Banco was dry (evidently they're cleaning out some  
invasive vegetation), so there weren't many water birds this trip except for 
what 

flew over.  Back at the VC, it was kinda fun to pick out Dickcissels  from 
the hordes of House Sparrows taking a dip in the little dragonfly  pond!  On 
the way out I had a white skipper that was so beat up that I had  no clue 
what it was...
 
Pics are posted here (the first few are from Texan Guest Ranch):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)(LTC  069)
Observation date:     9/8/09
Notes:      The Hook-billed Kite was seen just north of the park along 
westbound Old  Military Highway.
Number of species:      54

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     8
Plain  Chachalaca     8
Neotropic Cormorant      11
Anhinga     1
Snowy Egret      3
White-faced Ibis     3
Turkey Vulture      1
Osprey     1
Hook-billed Kite      1
Gray Hawk     3
Killdeer     4
Upland  Sandpiper     1
White-winged Dove      50
Mourning Dove     2
Inca Dove      4
Common Ground-Dove     4
White-tipped Dove   2
Greater Roadrunner     2
Groove-billed  Ani     8
Common Nighthawk     1
Common  Pauraque     2
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      3
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird     1
Green  Kingfisher     2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      15
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     12
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet     3
Great Crested Flycatcher   2
Brown-crested Flycatcher     3
Great  Kiskadee     20
Couch's Kingbird      5
Eastern Kingbird     12
White-eyed Vireo   3
Green Jay     15
Bank Swallow   1
Cliff Swallow     2
Cave Swallow   10
Barn Swallow     20
Verdin   5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     12
Northern  Mockingbird     4
Long-billed Thrasher      6
Yellow Warbler     2
Black-throated Green Warbler   1
Olive Sparrow     6
Northern Cardinal   6
Dickcissel     20
Red-winged Blackbird   20
Great-tailed Grackle     12
Orchard  Oriole     8
Altamira Oriole     2
Baltimore  Oriole     15
Lesser Goldfinch     1
House  Sparrow     30

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Santa Ana NWR
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 16:51:03 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Made the rounds at the refuge this morning, adding a lot of migrants to my  
personal Santa Ana list, starting with a singing Olive-sided Flycatcher on 
the  Willow Trail.  Hit the nightjar jackpot by flushing two separate 
Chucks, a  Pauraque, and a Whippoorwill, only the second I've ever seen in my 
life!   (Thankfully this one landed again after I flushed it, but not long 
enough for a picture, unfortunately: it was noticeably smaller than the Chucks, 

about  nighthawk size, and much grayer, with those obvious scapular bars...) 
 This  latter bird was along the Pintail Lake Trail just before it starts 
paralleling  the Rio Grande.  Willow Lakes had nothing out of the ordinary, 
but along  the swampy area heading towards the old headquarters area on 
Willow Trail, had  two Northern Waterthrushes, also new for my list.
 
Was surprised to see another canopy tower AND walk up, so just to check it  
out I dragged myself up there and met fellow birder/photographer/artist 
Dora  holed up in a corner waiting for birds to land in this berry-laden tree 
right  next to us!  Orioles had been coming through (picked up both Baltimore 
and  Orchard there), but the only visitors while I was there was a family 
of  Chachalacas.  Tripped over to the other tower and down (warning: don't  
attempt those stairs if you're the least bit acrophobic...) and continued on 
to  the River, picking up a couple of Beardless Tyrannulets, Ringed 
Kingfisher, and  Clay-colored Thrush in addition to the aforementioned Whip.
 
Didn't see the Masked Duck at Pintail Lakes (although I glimpsed a couple  
of humans trying for it), but did pick up Green Kingfisher, several 
female-type Painted Buntings, and a Mourning Warbler along a little swampy area 

along the  south side of one of the lakes.  Chats were going through in good 
numbers  (learned their deep "chuck" call note), and saw (and heard) a handful 
of Alder  Flycatchers, their "pit" having a much different timbre than the 
"whit" of the  Least Flycatchers I had been hearing a lot of.  An Eastern 
Kingbird was  along this stretch as well, along with three Anhingas soaring 
around like  long-necked raptors!  The main lake had a family of Black-bellied 
Whistling  Ducks, a pair of Mottleds, several swallows, and a Sora making 
its upward call,  but that was about it.  Had a small feeding flock along 
"Ani Row" (the  section of Pintail Lakes Trail that continues north after the 
cutoff goes west)  consisting of mostly Yellow Warblers but also a Wilson's.  
A Tropical  Kingbird gave its rising twitter in the open area here, and a 
Gray Hawk called  in distance.  On my way back to the VC the Red-shouldered 
Hawk got in his  two cents at the last minute.
 
No pictures worth posting except a nice female Yellow Warbler; anyone  
wanting to see it that badly can e-mail me and I'll send it to them! :-)   Oh, 
and for Tim:  the Lesser Goldfinches were NOT singing! ;-)  Bird  List:
 
Location:     Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059)
Observation  date:     9/4/09
Number of species:      77

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     12
Mottled  Duck     3
Blue-winged Teal     40
Plain  Chachalaca     8
Least Grebe      15
Pied-billed Grebe     7
Neotropic Cormorant   1
Anhinga     3
Great Egret      2
Little Blue Heron     2
Green Heron      1
White Ibis     5
Red-shouldered Hawk   1
Gray Hawk      1
Sora     1
Common Moorhen      6
American Coot     30
Killdeer      5
Black-necked Stilt     2
Lesser Yellowlegs   4
Upland Sandpiper     1
Least Sandpiper   2
White-winged Dove     100
Mourning  Dove     12
Inca Dove     2
Common  Ground-Dove     4
White-tipped Dove      7
Groove-billed Ani     4
Common Pauraque   1
Chuck-will's-widow      2
Whip-poor-will     1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird   2
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird      1
Ringed Kingfisher     1
Green Kingfisher   1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      10
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     12
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet     2
Olive-sided Flycatcher   1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     3
Alder  Flycatcher     3
Least Flycatcher      2
Brown-crested Flycatcher     5
Great Kiskadee   15
Tropical Kingbird     1
Couch's  Kingbird     12
Eastern Kingbird      1
White-eyed Vireo     8
Green Jay      6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     3
Bank Swallow   2
Cave Swallow     20
Barn Swallow   7
Black-crested Titmouse     7
Carolina  Wren     15
Bewick's Wren     1
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher     8
Clay-colored Thrush      1
Northern Mockingbird     1
Long-billed Thrasher   7
Curve-billed Thrasher     1
European  Starling     1
Yellow Warbler     9
Northern  Waterthrush     2
Mourning Warbler      2
Common Yellowthroat     1
Wilson's Warbler   1
Yellow-breasted Chat     8
Olive  Sparrow     20
Northern Cardinal      5
Painted Bunting     3
Dickcissel      3
Red-winged Blackbird     4
Great-tailed Grackle   1
Orchard Oriole     4
Altamira Oriole   4
Baltimore Oriole     8
Lesser  Goldfinch     5

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Edinburg Wetland Images
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 17:59:49 EDT
Hi, all!  Sorry about the cross-posting, but while meandering around  
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands today I had an ode that just wouldn't stay still, and 

when it DID finally land it was belly to me!  My best guess is either Tawny  
Pennant or female Black Setwing; the overall look of the bug in flight was 
that  having a darker thorax and a thin, paler abdomen.  The shot I got is in 
the  gallery below.
 
Nothing out of the ordinary; just had some very cooperative Buff-bellied  
Hummers and Black-bellied Whistling Duck families, in addition to some common 
 leps and odes.  Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Weslaco
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 17:11:01 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Birded Frontera Audubon and Valley Nature Center this morning; highlights  
at Frontera include a beautiful male Canada Warbler (the bird in the gallery 
was  taken at Texan Guest Ranch), Clay-colored Thrush, and a Bell's Vireo 
in the  citrus grove.  There was quite the gathering of Snowy Egrets in the 
back  pond, and a cackling Least Bittern was the first one for me for the  
preserve.  A Belted Kingfisher announced his return, and had both Green  
Parakeets and Red-crowned Parrots fly over. Anis were in the parking area, as 

well as a flyover Upland Sandpiper, and had a pair of Great Crested  
Flycatchers showing off near the resaca.  Other migrants included a couple  of 
Eastern Kingbirds, a flyover Dickcissel (new for my list), and a dull bunting  
that I just couldn't get any color out of (the lighting was terrible), but 
given  that it looked plain-breasted and that Indigos aren't supposed to be 
showing up  just yet, I'm assuming Painted at this point.
 
At Valley Nature Center, had a White-eyed Vireo in heavy molt that looked  
like one of those exotic pygmy tyrants! :-)  Picked up a curious  
Yellow-breasted Chat, and after reviewing empid calls, I finally had something 
I felt 

comfortable calling an Alder (a Least was around as well).  What I  thought 
was a distant gnatcatcher at first turned out to be a full-grown "baby"  
Brown-headed Cowbird still being fed by a Lesser Goldfinch!  Had Mourning  
Warblers at both spots, and hummingbirds were out the yin yang at both places 
as  well!
 
What few pics I have are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Frontera Audubon Ctr (LTC 058)
Observation  date:     9/3/09
Number of species:      59

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     10
Plain  Chachalaca     8
Least Grebe     1
Least  Bittern     1
Great Egret     1
Snowy  Egret     12
Green Heron     1
Common  Moorhen     1
Killdeer     1
Upland  Sandpiper     1
White-winged Dove      100
Mourning Dove     1
Inca Dove      1
Common Ground-Dove     1
White-tipped Dove   8
Green Parakeet     3
Red-crowned  Parrot     2
Groove-billed Ani     3
Common  Nighthawk     1
Chimney Swift      10
Buff-bellied Hummingbird     10
Ruby-throated  Hummingbird     1
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned  Hummingbird     4
Belted Kingfisher      1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     10
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker     1
Great Crested Flycatcher      2
Brown-crested Flycatcher     3
Great Kiskadee   6
Couch's Kingbird     1
Eastern  Kingbird     2
White-eyed Vireo     3
Bell's  Vireo     1
Green Jay     1
Purple  Martin     1
Cliff Swallow     1
Cave  Swallow     1
Barn Swallow      4
Black-crested Titmouse     1
Carolina Wren   10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     4
Clay-colored  Thrush     1
Northern Mockingbird      3
Long-billed Thrasher     6
Curve-billed Thrasher   2
European Starling     1
Black-and-white  Warbler     1
Mourning Warbler     2
Canada  Warbler     1
Olive Sparrow     2
Northern  Cardinal     3
Painted Bunting      1
Dickcissel     1
Great-tailed Grackle      3
Orchard Oriole     2
Hooded Oriole      1
Altamira Oriole     2
Baltimore Oriole      1
Lesser Goldfinch     7

Location:     Valley Nature Ctr. (LTC 057)
Observation  date:     9/3/09
Number of species:      26

Plain Chachalaca     15
Killdeer      1
White-winged Dove     30
Inca Dove      10
White-tipped Dove     7
Chimney Swift      1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      8
Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird      1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     5
Alder Flycatcher   1
Least Flycatcher     1
Brown-crested  Flycatcher     1
Great Kiskadee      4
White-eyed Vireo     3
Black-crested Titmouse   2
Carolina Wren     4
Northern  Mockingbird     3
Curve-billed Thrasher      1
European Starling     9
Mourning Warbler   3
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Great-tailed  Grackle     30
Brown-headed Cowbird      1
Orchard Oriole     1
Lesser Goldfinch      2
House Sparrow     12

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Hot Afternoon @ Edinburg
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:53:57 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Had my first Baltimore Oriole of the season at Edinburg Scenic Wetlands  
this afternoon, plus sparring Buff-bellied and Ruby-throated Hummers (of the  
ones I could get a good look at), all with their mouths wide open (they were 
 smarter than I was...)!  Had some nice odes, too; my "mystery ode" is  
probably just another female Roseate Skimmer, but the markings on the thorax  
didn't look very strong.  Pics for the afternoon are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
(The Yellow-breasted Chat was shot in my "yard"...)
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Anzalduas & NABA
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:31:30 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Birded along Old Military Highway this morning before birding Anzalduas;  
highlights along this road include an empid that I think is a Least due to 
the  strong eyering and dark bill, but the tertial edges aren't very bold; 
would  appreciate opinions (the first few empids in the gallery were taken at 
Texan  Guest Ranch; I think it's a Least, too).  Heard several Upland 
Sandpipers  along the course of the road.
 
At Anzalduas had the requisite Beardless Tyrannulet and Black Phoebe, plus  
both stilts and avocets in the River which were new for my list there.   
Also new were three Roseate Spoonbills flying over!  The swallows were  making 
it easy by lining the wires; most were cutie-pie Caves but also had a few  
Barn, Bank, and Roughwings thrown in (there were probably more Cliffs than 
the  one I noticed).  To those who know better than me: do we get many  
dark-throated Caves in the Valley?  The reason I ask is because some of  these 
Petrochelidon swallows I see don't seem so cut and dried!
 
In the back area picked up more deep woodland things like Olive Sparrows,  
Anis, and a couple of White-eyed Vireos, but the highlight was a 
Yellow-breasted  Chat!  The river didn't have much except a couple of Spotted  
Sandpipers. Spooked the Gray Hawk coming out, and both flavors of vultures were 

starting to gather and kettle on the way out.
 
Went back to the NABA Garden and watched the feeders for five, adding  
Orchard and Altamira Orioles to the list and enjoying Ruby-throated Hummers  
battle for feeder rights, as well as a really beat-up Golden-fronted  
Woodpecker. Flushed a covey of Bobwhite near the levee fence, and a young Blue 

Grosbeak was along the Walking Trail, as well as a nice Yellow  Warbler.  
Nothing out of the ordinary in the lep department, but had a Common Mellana 
along 

the Walking Trail and pretty Bordered Patches here and  there, as well as a 
cooperative Gulf Fritilary at the Visitor's Center.
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_thu) 
 
Two bird lists follow:
 
Location:     NABA International Butterfly  Park
Observation date:     8/27/09
Notes:   This includes a 3.2 mile stretch of Old Military Highway.
Number  of species:     40

Plain Chachalaca      1
Northern Bobwhite     12
Great Egret      1
Turkey Vulture     1
Killdeer      3
Upland Sandpiper     5
White-winged Dove   4
Mourning Dove     15
Inca Dove   3
White-tipped Dove     2
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird     1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird      5
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     9
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker     6
Alder Flycatcher      1
Least Flycatcher     1
Great Kiskadee      10
Couch's Kingbird     8
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher   1
White-eyed Vireo     2
Green Jay   3
Bank Swallow     4
Cliff Swallow   5
Cave Swallow     4
Barn Swallow   10
Black-crested Titmouse     2
Northern  Mockingbird     6
Long-billed Thrasher      1
Yellow Warbler     3
Olive Sparrow      7
Northern Cardinal     4
Blue Grosbeak      2
Dickcissel     3
Red-winged Blackbird      3
Great-tailed Grackle     20
Bronzed Cowbird   20
Orchard Oriole     2
Altamira Oriole   1
Lesser Goldfinch     2
House Sparrow   15

Location:     Anzalduas County Pk (LTC 068)
Observation  date:     8/27/09
Number of species:      55

Plain Chachalaca     2
Least Grebe   1
Great Blue Heron     1
Great Egret   4
Snowy Egret     2
Roseate Spoonbill   3
Black Vulture     9
Turkey Vulture   30
Gray Hawk     1
Killdeer      1
Black-necked Stilt     5
American Avocet   2
Spotted Sandpiper     1
Upland  Sandpiper     1
Least Sandpiper      2
Laughing Gull     2
Rock Pigeon      20
White-winged Dove     6
Mourning Dove      4
Inca Dove     2
Common Ground-Dove      1
Groove-billed Ani     3
Golden-fronted Woodpecker   10
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     6
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet     2
Black Phoebe      1
Brown-crested Flycatcher     2
Great Kiskadee   10
Couch's Kingbird     12
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher     1
White-eyed Vireo      2
Green Jay     3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow   6
Bank Swallow     4
Cliff Swallow   1
Cave Swallow     100
Barn Swallow   12
Black-crested Titmouse     3
Verdin   2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     1
Northern  Mockingbird     15
Long-billed Thrasher      1
European Starling     5
Yellow Warbler      3
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Olive Sparrow   1
Northern Cardinal     1
Dickcissel   1
Red-winged Blackbird     1
Great-tailed  Grackle     30
Bronzed Cowbird     3
Orchard  Oriole     1
Bullock's Oriole     1
Lesser  Goldfinch     1
House Sparrow     3

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Odd Pluvialis and Other Goodies near SPI
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:49:38 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Had a nice morning along Old Port Isabel Road (still in good shape) and  
South Padre Island yesterday, and also checked out the Port Isabel "reservoir" 
 (hardly any water, but great for shorebirds--thanks, Rex!).  While there I 
 had an odd-looking Pluvialis plover still in alternate plumage; the bulk 
and  white undertail coverts sure reminded me of Black-bellied, but the cap 
and the  rest of the head pattern looked way too dark to me for BB.  The pics 
aren't  the greatest, but feedback would be appreciated (click on the link 
below and  then just scroll forward for the rest):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541182_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541182) 
 
While at South Padre (I was VERY happy to see that the full boardwalk loop  
is now open) I had a peep with a much bigger Sanderling that I first wrote 
off  as a Western due to the longer, droopy bill, but as I look at the 
pictures and  read the literature, I'm wondering now if it's actually a female 
Semipal; the  "jizz" just didn't look right for Western to me, plus it 
appeared to have a stronger face pattern. Again, here's the first shot, and you 

can just  scroll forward (there are a few individual Sanderlings in the 
stream,  too):
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541164_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/image/116541164) 
 
Just before those peep shots is a bird that took me totally by surprise: I  
kept hearing an unfamiliar call note, and just shot the little LBJ that 
popped  up and fled, not really knowing what it was until I started processing 
the  pictures, and it looks to be a juvenile Seaside Sparrow (until told  
otherwise)!  That was a nice addition!
 
Other highlights of the morning include several Botteri's Sparrows still  
singing along Old Port Isabel Road, tons of Piping Plovers out on the beach  
behind the Convention Center, and a point blank Wilson's Plover along the  
boardwalk!  The full gallery is posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Three bird lists follow:
 
Location:     Old Port Isabel Rd (Cameron  Co.)
Observation date:     8/25/09
Number of species:   30
(The little pond near the south end was totally dry.)

Northern  Bobwhite     4
Harris's Hawk      2
White-tailed Hawk     4
Crested Caracara   1
Black-bellied Plover     7
Killdeer   3
Black-necked Stilt     1
Greater  Yellowlegs     3
Long-billed Curlew      10
Laughing Gull     4
Forster's Tern      1
Rock Pigeon     3
Mourning Dove      3
Common Ground-Dove     2
Common Nighthawk   3
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     1
Great Kiskadee   2
Tropical Kingbird     1
White-eyed  Vireo     1
Barn Swallow     12
Verdin   1
Cactus Wren     8
Bewick's Wren   5
Northern Mockingbird     5
Curve-billed  Thrasher     3
Olive Sparrow     4
Cassin's  Sparrow     1
Botteri's Sparrow      7
Eastern Meadowlark     6
 
Location:     South Padre I.- WBC/Conv Ctr./Laguna Madre  Trail (LTC 035)
Observation date:     8/25/09
Number of  species:     53

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck   1
Mallard (Domestic type)     1
Mottled  Duck     8
Brown Pelican     12
Neotropic  Cormorant     1
Least Bittern     1
Great  Blue Heron     6
Great Egret     6
Snowy  Egret     12
Little Blue Heron      4
Tricolored Heron     15
Reddish Egret      3
Cattle Egret     1
Green Heron      4
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     3
White Ibis   12
Roseate Spoonbill     12
Osprey   1
Common Moorhen     12
Snowy Plover   1
Wilson's Plover     2
Semipalmated  Plover     12
Piping Plover      15
Killdeer     6
Black-necked Stilt      8
Spotted Sandpiper     5
Greater Yellowlegs   2
Willet     15
Lesser Yellowlegs   1
Long-billed Curlew     1
Marbled  Godwit     2
Ruddy Turnstone      12
Sanderling     20
Semipalmated Sandpiper   4
Western Sandpiper     20
Least  Sandpiper     15
Short-billed Dowitcher      12
Laughing Gull     50
Least Tern      7
Gull-billed Tern     1
Black Tern      30
Royal Tern     12
Sandwich Tern      3
Common Nighthawk     5
Eastern Kingbird   3
Barn Swallow     6
Northern  Mockingbird     4
Yellow Warbler     5
Seaside Sparrow   1
Dickcissel      2
Red-winged Blackbird     2
Great-tailed Grackle   30
Orchard Oriole     2

Location:   Port Isabel Reservoir
Observation date:      8/25/09
Number of species:     15

Reddish Egret     1
Roseate Spoonbill   1
Black-bellied Plover      15
Possible American Golden Plover   1
Snowy Plover     4
Semipalmated Plover      1
Piping Plover     1
Black-necked Stilt      15
Long-billed Curlew     1
Sanderling      10
Semipalmated Sandpiper     2
Western Sandpiper   20
Wilson's Phalarope     1
Laughing  Gull     50
Black Skimmer     2
Mourning  Dove     2

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Estero Llano Grande Pics
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:24:32 EDT
Nothing earth-shattering, but a young White-faced Ibis provided some good  
photo ops, along with some common leps (Ranger John and I couldn't relocated 
the  Falcate Metalmark).
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) 
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: La Sal del Rey
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:14:59 EDT
Hi, all!

Got there pre-dawn yesterday, although I’m still out to  lunch regarding 
nighthawk flight levels: from what I could tell, all the  nighthawks I was 
seeing were Common (and that’s what was calling), but they were  all 
low-flying! (I did have a single nighthawk later that I felt comfortable 
calling 

Lesser...)  The big shock throughout the entire drive  was the lack of 
blackbirds; I didn’t see any until I was driving back to Brushline along SR 
108, 

and even then it was just a handful of grackles!   But probably the biggest 
surprise were three (unless the same bird followed me  for a mile and a half) 
Beardless Tyrannulets!  That certainly was a first  way up there!
 
Other than that it was pretty much the usual; had some nice raptors  
including a very cooperative young White-tailed Hawk, a couple of Redtails, and 
a 

couple of Harris’, along with the usual Caracaras.  I was pleasantly  
surprised to pick up the Botteri’s Sparrow at that one corner where I had 
them 

once before (he was doing a partial song), and I was very gratified when an  
Alder Flycatcher made his ID easy by singing a little "fee-BE-oh!" for me!   
In the yard of the house at the end of the first little dead end was a 
covey of  Bobwhite, which was neat because you rarely actually SEE them along 
this  stretch!  The western wetland along “Ranch Road” was completely dry, 
and  the little farm pond along the eastern side was almost so, but had a few  
representative herons, a Stilt, and a few peeps; pulling out the scope I 
could  definitely make out Least, and the slightly bigger, whiter ones looked  
dinky-billed enough (along with that little warbly call note) that I felt  
comfortable calling them Semipals.  The sun was just right, however, for  
shooting some curious Olive Sparrows, titmice, and gnatcatchers!  Another  
first for the route was Purple Martin—in spades!  Upland Sandpipers called  
periodically overhead, as did a couple of Long-billed Curlews, and I was 
shocked  that I hadn't had them on that route before now!

There was no water whatsoever along GI Road (and no blackbirds, either;  
the only icterids around were Orchard Orioles and a couple of meadowlarks), 
and  the marsh along Rio Beef Road was dry as well (it was from this point 
north a mile and a half that I had the tyrannulets), but there was just enough 

water on  the western side to pick up a Spotted Sandpiper.  On the way out 
I decided  to finally check out the south stretch of Brushline Road, and 
found that pond everyone’s raving about—wow! That’s where I hit the 
jackpot, 

with Stilts,  Avocets, Stilt Sandpipers, Wilson’s Phalaropes, Long-billed 
Dowitchers, more  peeps (mostly Least and Western this time but an analysis 
of the photos did turn  up one Semipal), Mottled Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, a 
handful of Least Grebes, and  a single Pectoral Sand!  In a little puddle 
across the street were both  ibis and both yellowlegs for good comparison, and 
somewhere unseen a Fulvous  Whistling Duck was wheezing.  I’m sorry I didn’
t check this out earlier, as  it would have made a great part of the La Sal 
del Rey Easy Birder Route!
 
I have having problems with eBird yesterday, so here's the BirdBase  list:
 
Data of: Mary Beth  Stowe                                         Date: 
8-21-09
Limitations: One Sighting per Species; From 8-21-09 to  8-21-09
 
  Fulvous  Whistling-Duck                 Dendrocygna bicolor
Mottled  Duck                           Anas fulvigula
Blue-winged  Teal                       Anas discors
Northern  Bobwhite                      Colinus virginianus
Least  Grebe                            Tachybaptus dominicus
Great Blue  Heron                       Ardea herodias
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Snowy  Egret                            Egretta thula
White  Ibis                             Eudocimus albus
White-faced  Ibis                       Plegadis chihi
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Harris's  Hawk                          Parabuteo unicinctus
White-tailed  Hawk                      Buteo albicaudatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Crested  Caracara                       Caracara cheriway
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Black-necked  Stilt                     Himantopus mexicanus
American  Avocet                        Recurvirostra americana
Killdeer                               Charadrius vociferus
Long-billed  Dowitcher                  Limnodromus scolopaceus
Long-billed  Curlew                     Numenius americanus
Upland  Sandpiper                      Bartramia longicauda
Spotted  Sandpiper                      Actitis macularius
Greater  Yellowlegs                     Tringa melanoleuca
Lesser  Yellowlegs                      Tringa flavipes
Semipalmated  Sandpiper                 Calidris pusilla
Western  Sandpiper                      Calidris mauri
Least  Sandpiper                        Calidris minutilla
Pectoral  Sandpiper                     Calidris melanotos
Stilt  Sandpiper                        Calidris himantopus
Wilson's  Phalarope                     Phalaropus tricolor
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
Common  Ground-Dove                     Columbina passerina
Inca  Dove                              Columbina inca
White-tipped  Dove                      Leptotila verreauxi
Groove-billed  Ani                      Crotophaga sulcirostris
Greater  Roadrunner                     Geococcyx californianus
Lesser  Nighthawk                       Chordeiles acutipennis
Common  Nighthawk                       Chordeiles minor
Golden-fronted  Woodpecker              Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Northern  Beardless-Tyrannulet         Camptostoma  imberbe
Alder  Flycatcher                       Empidonax alnorum
Least  Flycatcher                       Empidonax minimus
Great  Kiskadee                         Pitangus sulphuratus
Couch's  Kingbird                       Tyrannus couchii
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher              Tyrannus forficatus
Ash-throated  Flycatcher                Myiarchus cinerascens
Brown-crested  Flycatcher               Myiarchus tyrannulus
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Purple  Martin                          Progne subis
Bank  Swallow                           Riparia riparia
Barn  Swallow                           Hirundo rustica
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Bewick's  Wren                          Thryomanes bewickii
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Long-billed  Thrasher                   Toxostoma longirostre
Curve-billed  Thrasher                  Toxostoma curvirostre
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher                  Polioptila caerulea
Black-crested  Titmouse                 Baeolophus atricristatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Green  Jay                              Cyanocorax yncas
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
White-eyed  Vireo                       Vireo griseus
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Olive  Sparrow                          Arremonops rufivirgatus
Botteri's  Sparrow                      Aimophila botterii
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Northern  Cardinal                      Cardinalis cardinalis
Pyrrhuloxia                            Cardinalis sinuatus
Blue  Grosbeak                          Passerina caerulea
Dickcissel                             Spiza americana
Eastern  Meadowlark                     Sturnella magna
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown-headed  Cowbird                   Molothrus ater
Orchard  Oriole                         Icterus spurius
 
79 SPECIES

Mary Beth Stowe
McAllen,  TX
www.miriameaglemon.com
Subject: La Sal del Rey Take Two
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:15:55 EDT
Forgot to include the link to the pics:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_fri) 
 
Enjoy!  MB  

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Laguna Atascosa NWR
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:41:46 EDT
Hi, all!  Went to Laguna Atascosa this morning; highlights include a  
couple of singing Botteri's Sparrows about a half mile past The Sign on General 

Brant Road, hordes of Purple Martins and Cave Swallows, and three Ospreys 
that  got flagged by eBird! ;-)  Other raptors included point-blank looks at a 
 Harris's Hawk and a nice immature White-tailed, as well as White-tailed  
Kites.  A family of Groove-billed Anis was along Buena Vista  Road.  Had the 
usual suspects along Laguna Madre (the seasonal wetlands  were dry); the 
highlight for me along here was a calling Clapper Rail in the  vegetation 
off-shore.  Had a couple of Wilson's Plovers as well as other  shorebirds and 
herons.  Jip started acting up so I had to cut the drive  short; back at the 
Visitor's Center the yungun's were putting on a cute show at  the feeders!  A 
BIG thunderstorm brewed along the Bayside Trail, and by the  time I got back 
to the VC it was thundering real good--woo hoo!  Even drove  through some 
rain on the way home!
 
Pics are posted here:
 
_http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/new_pics_tues) 
 
Bird List:
 
Location:     Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LTC  024)
Observation date:     8/18/09
Number of species:   67

Plain Chachalaca     20
Northern  Bobwhite     1
Great Blue Heron     4
Great  Egret     15
Snowy Egret     6
Little Blue  Heron     1
Tricolored Heron     3
Reddish  Egret     2
White Ibis     5
Turkey  Vulture     6
Osprey     3
White-tailed  Kite     3
Harris's Hawk     1
White-tailed  Hawk     2
Crested Caracara     3
Clapper  Rail     1
Black-bellied Plover      4
Wilson's Plover     3
Semipalmated Plover   1
Killdeer     1
Black-necked Stilt   5
American Avocet     5
Greater  Yellowlegs     1
Willet     15
Long-billed  Curlew     8
Ruddy Turnstone     1
Western  Sandpiper     4
Least Sandpiper      10
Laughing Gull     30
Gull-billed Tern      7
Caspian Tern     4
Royal Tern      1
Eurasian Collared-Dove     1
White-winged Dove   1
Mourning Dove     50
Common  Ground-Dove     4
White-tipped Dove      7
Greater Roadrunner     5
Groove-billed Ani   4
Common Nighthawk     1
Buff-bellied  Hummingbird     1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker      5
Ladder-backed Woodpecker     4
Brown-crested  Flycatcher     2
Great Kiskadee      1
Couch's Kingbird     3
White-eyed Vireo   12
Green Jay     10
Purple Martin   40
Cave Swallow     20
Barn Swallow   12
Verdin     7
Cactus Wren      4
Carolina Wren     2
Bewick's Wren      6
Northern Mockingbird     20
Long-billed Thrasher   12
Curve-billed Thrasher     4
Olive  Sparrow     20
Botteri's Sparrow     2
Lark  Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal      6
Eastern Meadowlark     6
Great-tailed Grackle   30
Altamira Oriole     1
House Sparrow   6

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
Subject: Fwd: Tanzania Sightings July, August 2009
From: MM <oscarboy AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:52:26 -0700
For the record, these are the significant sightings during a week long
safari in Northern Tanzania in July/August of 2009


Trip Date: 7-29-09 to 8-5-09                                Species Seen:
100

 Date: 8-16-09

Description: Tarangire, Ngorongoro Forest, Lake Manyara, Manyara District,
etc.

Location: Tanzania (United Republic of)





  Ostrich

  Cattle Egret

  Gray Heron

  Woolly-necked Stork

  Hamerkop

  Saddle-billed Stork

  Marabou Stork

F Spur-winged Goose

F Knob-billed Duck

  African Fish-Eagle

F Lappet-faced Vulture

  Gabar Goshawk

  Shikra

F Ovampo Sparrowhawk

F African Hawk-Eagle

  Long-crested Eagle

  Martial Eagle

F Pygmy Falcon

  Helmeted Guineafowl

F Hildebrandt's Francolin

F Red-necked Spurfowl

  Yellow-necked Spurfowl

F Water Thick-knee

F Double-banded Courser

F Collared Pratincole

  Common Sandpiper

F Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

F Black-faced Sandgrouse

F African Green-Pigeon

  Tambourine Dove

F African Orange-bellied Parrot

F Yellow-collared Lovebird

  Yellow-collared Lovebird

F Schalow's Turaco

F Purple-crested Turaco

F Bare-faced Go-away-bird

  Klaas' Cuckoo

F Yellowbill

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl

F Freckled Nightjar

  African Palm-Swift

F Striped Kingfisher

F Southern Ground-Hornbill

F Von der Decken's Hornbill

F White-eared Barbet

F Spot-flanked Barbet

F D'Arnaud's Barbet

F Brown-backed Honeybird

F Pallid Honeyguide

F White-tailed Lark

F Fawn-colored Lark

F Red-capped Lark

F Athi Short-toed Lark

F Yellow-bellied Greenbul

F Rueppell's Robin-Chat

F Collared Palm-Thrush

  White-browed Scrub-Robin

F Schalow's Wheatear

F Capped Wheatear

  Common Cliff-Chat

F African Bare-eyed Thrush

  Buff-bellied Warbler

F Banded Parisoma

F Trilling Cisticola

F Hunter's Cisticola

F Stout Cisticola

  Stout Cisticola

F Pectoral-patch Cisticola

F Black-headed Apalis

F Southern Black-Flycatcher

  Tawny-flanked Prinia

F Silverbird

F Arrow-marked Babbler

F Northern Pied-Babbler

  Scarlet-chested Sunbird

F Taita Fiscal

F Long-tailed Fiscal

F Mbulu White-eye

F Magpie Shrike

F Rosy-patched Bushshrike

  Brubru

F African Golden-Oriole

F Ashy Starling

F Hildebrandt's Starling                .

F Fischer's Starling

F Swahili Sparrow

F Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver

F Gray-headed Social-Weaver

F Rufous-tailed Weaver

F Black-necked Weaver

F Vitelline Masked-Weaver

F Chestnut Weaver

F Red-headed Quelea

F Black-winged Bishop

F Black Bishop

  Yellow-bellied Waxbill

F Blue-capped Cordonbleu

F Cut-throat

F Black-and-white Mannikin

F Brimstone Canary
  Thick-billed Seedeater
Subject: Estero Llano Grande SP
From: Mary Beth Stowe <MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:57:17 EDT
Hi, all!
 
Spent the morning at Estero, birding the llano and the levee south of there 
 as usual (the gate was open ;-)) and had tons of Stilt Sandpipers along 
with a  few dowitchers, Leasts, stilts and avocets, and one Western Sand.  Had 
four  spoonbills fly over, and had an adult in the little wetland on the 
south side of  the levee just west of the locked gate.  Also there were a few 
Fulvous  Whistling Ducks and more Stilt Sands.  An Upland Sandpiper flew 
over, plus  something that sure looked like a Tree Swallow to me, but they 
aren't supposed  to be here now!  (If it was a Cave I didn't catch the buffy 
rump patch or squared tail...) Had a single Dickcissel buzz down at the levee 

gate, and  icterids were out the roof, gorging on the sorghum from what I 
could tell on the  way out!  Discovered a species new to science: the Crested 
Cowbird!  ;-)
 
Made the loop around the park and had the usual suspects; both Kyle and I  
commented on how the gnatcatchers seemed to have shown up a bit early!   
Also had a female-type Black-and-white Warbler back in the Camino de Aves  
area.  A pair of White-tailed Kites in the trees by the Forbidden Zone was  
nice, and I see where they have a newly graded trail that eventually will head 

back in there; can't wait! :-)  Orchard Orioles were going through in good  
numbers, and has a nice look at a Least Bittern at Ibis Pond (Dowitcher Pond 
is  dried up).  An Empid flipped around at Alligator Lake that actually 
looked  rather like an Alder when I first saw it, but looking at what pics I 
could get,  I'm leaning towards Least now (especially with its "whit" rather 
than "pit"  note, although sometimes I have a hard time telling... :-P)  Saw 
the  goofiest-looking screech owl I had ever seen back there at the box as  
well!
 
Pics 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:     8/11/09
Number of species:   72

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck      40
Fulvous Whistling-Duck     4
Mottled Duck   2
Plain Chachalaca     6
Northern  Bobwhite     5
Least Grebe      12
Pied-billed Grebe     1
Neotropic Cormorant   2
Anhinga     1
Least Bittern   3
Great Egret     4
Snowy Egret   3
Little Blue Heron     1
Tricolored  Heron     3
Green Heron     3
Black-crowned  Night-Heron     2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   1
White Ibis     2
White-faced Ibis   2
Roseate Spoonbill     5
White-tailed  Kite     2
Cooper's Hawk     1
Common  Moorhen     12
American Coot      3
Killdeer     6
Black-necked Stilt      12
American Avocet     4
Solitary Sandpiper   1
Greater Yellowlegs     2
Lesser  Yellowlegs     5
Upland Sandpiper      1
Western Sandpiper     1
Least Sandpiper   15
Stilt Sandpiper     40
Long-billed  Dowitcher     12
Eurasian Collared-Dove      1
White-winged Dove     400
Mourning Dove   30
Inca Dove     2
Common Ground-Dove   5
White-tipped Dove     7
Groove-billed  Ani     1
Eastern Screech-Owl     1
Common  Nighthawk     1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird      7
Golden-fronted Woodpecker     15
Empidonax sp.   4 (probable Least)
Brown-crested Flycatcher      1
Great Kiskadee     5
Tropical Kingbird      1
Couch's Kingbird     6
White-eyed Vireo   4
Green Jay     1
Purple Martin   1
Cave Swallow     2
Barn Swallow   4
Black-crested Titmouse     1
Bewick's  Wren     1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher      3
Northern Mockingbird     12
Long-billed Thrasher   4
Curve-billed Thrasher     6
Black-and-white  Warbler     1
Olive Sparrow     2
Northern  Cardinal     4
Dickcissel     1
Red-winged  Blackbird     1000
Great-tailed Grackle      500
Bronzed Cowbird     40
Orchard Oriole   10
Lesser Goldfinch     4
House Sparrow   20

Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 
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 
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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/) 


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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 
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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! 

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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 
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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 

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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! 

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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
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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
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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/)


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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 
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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! 

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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!

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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/) 


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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/) 

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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/)


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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/) 


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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/) 



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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)