Monday, January 5, we headed straight for the Limpkin found Sunday at
Resaca de los Fresnos in San Benito. A couple from Tennessee we’d met
before and who had been on the unsuccessful search for the Crimson-collared
Grosbeak arrived at the same time. We got the Limpkin in the scope
quickly, and John Yoakum, on a “bus driver’s holiday” drove up to see it as
we were leaving.
Our luck didn’t hold, as we dipped on the Aplomado Falcon along and in the
vicinity of Hwy. 100. With high hopes of seeing a hummingbird (Kathleen
had missed it at Estero and Clare hadn’t had an opportunity, yet), we went
to the Laguna Vista Nature Trail with the three blinds. All feeders were
empty. Blind 3’s drip wasn’t working; Blind 1’s feeder was on the ground.
At Blind 2 a Long-billed Thrasher, a Lincoln’s Sparrow , Olive Sparrow and
two bathing Orange-crowned Warblers drew our attention. We stopped at the
Laguna Vista Community Marina and stayed in the car to see 10 species,
including Spotted Sandpiper, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorant, White
Ibis, Tricolored Heron and lounging Brown Pelicans.
We made the sharp right into a small parking area at the east end of the
causeway used by fishermen. Lisa Saffell had seen the recently split
Mangrove Yellow Warbler there after waiting 10 minutes. The woman with her
for the sighting had been waiting for it for 4 hours. We gave it 20
minutes, then drove to the mudflats and mangroves via the dirt road that
goes right just after the turn onto the KOA entrance road. Nothing there. We
went for a restroom and a picnic lunch at the Convention Center.
The drive around the mudflats north of the Convention Center was productive
again, although fewer birds were present than on our last drive there. Four
plover species, a Gull-billed Tern, a white morph Reddish Egret, and our
first of trip Marbled Godwits were highlights.
TX-48 Shrimp Basin Bridge/Zapata Memorial Boat Ramp/San Martin Lake outlet,
like the mudflats, had fewer birds than before, but were good for 20
species. I took a cat nap as the others surveyed the site.
Our last stop of the day was Oliveira Park to wait for the parrot fly-in. It
was very windy and the parrots flighty, but we got good looks at a group of
Red-crowned Parrots in time to be just a little late for meeting up with
Marc Lund and Kelly Clarke for dinner at El Dorado.
On the 6th, we started at the Progresso Sod Farms, once again looking for
the Burrowing Owl, this time with better information as to the location of
the pile of concrete blocks it was hanging around. We dipped again, but
the very bright Vermillion Flycatcher was at the end of the street to
dazzle us.
At Hidalgo we found Monk Parakeets at a nest, then went on to the Old
Hidalgo Pumphouse WBC. The day was heating up and lawn mowing was in full
swing. We walked to get good views of the resaca, and found a nice
selection of RGV species, including very good views of a White-tailed Kite,
but added no new birds to our trip lists.
To our delight, Anzalduas County Park was back fully open (not counting the
portion across the levee that has been off limits since 911). It is no
longer being used as a migrant detention center, but several genres of law
enforcement-- border patrol, sheriff, and state troopers-- were present.
We had excellent views of a Gray Hawk. A FOY Black-and-White Warbler was
working the ebony trees near our picnic table. The extremely short grass
in the expanse between the levee and the entrance booth was being cut
again, we assumed simply because the employee was paid full-time and it was
a new tractor. Once the go-to site for Sprague’s Pipits, it is doubtful
they could find the area attractive now.
We finished the day’s birding at the National Butterfly Center, now
charging $10 for entrance. We sat at the feeders and I did a short walk
along the trail. A Curve-billed Thrasher and a Long-billed were using
opposite sides of the feeding area. The usual suspects were around—that
is, all but the chachalacas, which were off somewhere else, well aware that
there would be no more fresh food put out for the day.
Edge Wade
Alamo, TX
<1edgewade...>
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