On April 19, 2014, we decided to head up to Lost Maples State Park. They had been seeing some good birds there, including a number that would be lifers, like Lazuli Buntings, Black-capped Vireos, and a Painted Redstart. I saw on the Lost Maples website that they were doing bird walks on Saturday morning at 8:00AM, so we decided to make the 1.5 hour drive west.
As we were driving to the park, we got our first year bird, the ever elusive Wild Turkey. We had about 6 of them, including a mating pair in the fields along the road. At the Visitors' Center, we snagged another new bird, a beautiful Indigo Bunting. We paid and made our way up to the overflow parking lot for the beginning of the bird walk. While observing the feeders, we met the guides and saw a nice male Blue Grosbeak enjoying some seed. I told one of the guides about some of the birds we were looking for and she happened to hear one of our targets. We all looked up to see a male Scott's Oriole (lifer) singing at the top of an oak tree. Not even 15 minutes in the park and already 3 year birds!
We ended up being the only participants on the walk, so we began our trek down the trail. We had just crossed a stream when a small Myiarchus flycatcher blew past. Based on call and size, we had another lifer...Ash-throated Flycatcher! The next bird was also awesome, not new, but you can't beat excellent looks at singing male Golden-cheeked Warblers. A Texas Hill Country specialty!
Moving on, our guides pointed out a Hutton's Vireo nest. She wasn't home, but it was very cool to see anyway. In a cliff face on the left side of the trail was literally the largest Red-tailed Hawk nest I have ever seen. They also weren't home, but the size of this thing was impressive to say the least. We crossed a second stream and had a Louisiana Waterthrush sing in the trees. We also heard the beautiful descending song of the Canyon Wren (lifer).
Continuing toward the pond, Les (one of the guides) mentioned that he was disappointed to have not seen an Acadian Flycatcher yet as they normally moved through about this time. No sooner had he said that than we heard a very distinctive 2-note call. 8 eyes and 10 minutes later (and an Eastern Phoebe...), we had our Acadian (lifer).
The Acadian provided a burst of excitement, so we continued around a bend and crossed a third stream. Well, it may have been the same stream, but we crossed it 3 times on our way up. We heard the Canyon Wren again (I'll never get tired of that song!) and had a Northern Cardinal acting very aggressively. Turns out he was less than pleased with the Eastern Screech-Owl perched in a dead tree. The owl gave us the eye, so we moved on. In this area, we had numerous singing and fly-by Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, and while those were year birds, those were not my target. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash at eye level, and barely, just barely, had my Black-capped Vireo (lifer). These are also a TX Hill Country specialty, but are much more secretive than the GCWA.
We were all hoping for better looks at the BCVI, so we headed about 100 yards up the East Trail where they have been reported (even as recently as the same morning). We weren't able to see them, but they were definitely calling from the deep bush, as were at least 2 Hutton's Vireos. Our thought was that others most likely played a BCVI call to draw them out in to the open, but as Lost Maples is a State Park, playback is strictly forbidden. Also, I prefer to not play calls unless I really am confident the bird will not be too stressed and I don't think they're on a nest at the time. Generally I play calls in my car so I am familiar with the sound and can recognize it in the field. We were entertained about about 4 GCWA as we listened to the BCVI.
The walk back was filled with many of the same birds. Once we returned to our starting point, our guides described a Great-Horned Owl nest that was visible from the camping area. Luckily the nest was too far away to be disturbed, but we were able to see one adult and one owlet peering out from their home. We camped out at the bird guides' feeders (they live at the park for a couple of months), but did not see any of the reported Lazulis. No worries, we still had 4 lifers and added 11 birds to the year list, bringing our total to 257! :D
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Birding Blind?
I suppose that title can have a couple different meanings. You can bird from a blind, or you can blindly bird, or you could feel blind while you bird. I'm dealing a bit with the third. I wear glasses at work, not because it's hard for me to see, but because I easily get eye strain when staring at a computer all day. My vision isn't 20/20, but it's still pretty good. I can see things far away, I can see things up close, I can see things that are small.
However, on our recent trip to the RGV, I was in charge of the camera for a time. I'm clearly not the best photographer, but I don't do it for the best pictures in the world. I like taking pictures of the birds because 1) I think they're pretty, 2) it reminds me of all the fun I had on a specific trip, and 3) it helps me see the field marks on various individuals which may have a different pattern than the standards in a book, which makes me a better birder. Looking back at some of the pictures I took on this past trip, I realized something that made me feel much older than my true age: I can't see nearly as well as I thought I could. The things with the bins and camera is that I can adjust the fine focus to make the birds look clear to me through the lens. Unfortunately, that doesn't always translate to an in-focus image once I've taken the picture.
In concession to my age, I think it's time to start birding with my glasses. I'm due for a new pair, so maybe I can get a cheaper pair for birding and keep my nice ones for work. I just hope that'll solve some of my problems when it comes to taking pictures. It's hard to ID field marks from a smudgy pic.
However, on our recent trip to the RGV, I was in charge of the camera for a time. I'm clearly not the best photographer, but I don't do it for the best pictures in the world. I like taking pictures of the birds because 1) I think they're pretty, 2) it reminds me of all the fun I had on a specific trip, and 3) it helps me see the field marks on various individuals which may have a different pattern than the standards in a book, which makes me a better birder. Looking back at some of the pictures I took on this past trip, I realized something that made me feel much older than my true age: I can't see nearly as well as I thought I could. The things with the bins and camera is that I can adjust the fine focus to make the birds look clear to me through the lens. Unfortunately, that doesn't always translate to an in-focus image once I've taken the picture.
In concession to my age, I think it's time to start birding with my glasses. I'm due for a new pair, so maybe I can get a cheaper pair for birding and keep my nice ones for work. I just hope that'll solve some of my problems when it comes to taking pictures. It's hard to ID field marks from a smudgy pic.
RGV Birding Part 3 (4/14/14)
We got out of the house around 7AM and grabbed some coffee before heading back to the island. The wind was supposed to have died down, hopefully making birding a bit more successful. We really like this bagel shop called Bada Bing, but they apparently they're closed on Mondays. 
Instead, we went to McDonalds and grabbed a quick breakfast and then made our way to the SPI Birding Center. This is a really fantastic area, and definitely worth the $5 admission. If you go to the RGV, make this one of your stops.
Walking out on to the boardwalk, we saw a Cattle Egret roost with at least 50-60 birds. There was a Mottled Duck under the seed feeder. Down the boardwalk, there were numerous Willet and Least Sandpipers in the mudflats and Tricolored Herons perched on the boardwalk itself.
Continuing around, we spied a Clapper Rail running in the reeds with Coots and Gallinue. Near one of the bird blinds, we had this little Least Bittern standing right out in the open.
Overhead were lots of Laughing Gulls, Least Terns, Black Skimmers, and other gulls (which remained unidentified until just a bit later). Instead of walking out the end of the boardwalk, we doubled back to see if we could pick up anything else we missed. This is how we saw a Swamp Sparrow and Common Yellowthroat. Near an intersection in the boardwalk, we ran smack into another Least Bittern, as well as a couple we had seen the day before. They pointed us to a Sora and we directed them to the Least Bittern. That's the best kind of birding.
As we made our way back to the center, we passed some folks looking at another Clapper Rail (which they were calling a Sora) while others were looking at a scope. I heard two words that made me turn around: "Peregrine Falcon". It's one of my embarrassing misses...well, it was! They had great looks at one perched on the water tower. Lifer! I thanked them and explained how to tell the difference between the Clapper and the Sora and directed them to where the Sora had been. Hopefully they got to see it.
We left the birding center and drove to the Convention Center in hopes of having more luck than the day before. Immediately in the bottlebrushes, we saw two Tennessee Warblers. Around back, we had the Townsend's again, as well as a Black-throated Green.
I kept walking down the path and saw my huge flock of unidentified gulls land. I peeked at them through the binoculars and remembered what Huck had said the day before. "Franklin's will have a pinkish tint. Laughing won't." He was serious. These gulls looked like they got washed with a red sock!
We saw the Orchard Orioles again, but not much else, so we went to the Sheepshead Lots. There were two other birders there, but they said they hadn't seen much. We saw the Louisiana Waterthrush again, and were about to give up when we noticed some fluttering. In one tree we had an unidentified flying yellow object (which was figured out in a bit with the help of you all!), a Northern Parula, a Black-throated Green, and a Painted Bunting. Awesome! I followed the lady back to see a roosting Nighthawk while my partner went on a bunting hunt. I saw the Nighthawk and came around to find my partner on 3(!!!) male Painted Buntings. I quickly waved the couple over (the lady had missed the Painted Bunting her husband had seen a few days before because she was at yoga). By the time they got there, one had left, but we still got nice looks at 2. They went a little further down while we waited to see if anyone else popped out. They got on something, and I swear it sounded like Grosbeak, so we hustled over. They had 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (2 males, 1 female). We decided we were each other's birding good-luck charms.
Coming back around, we ran into the other couple from the Convention Center and we told them about the Nighthawk, so they went off in search of it. There were actually at least 2, so we figured they'd have good luck. I walked back around to the middle of the area, turned, and saw this:
We waved our new friends over so they could see it too. As we were standing there, a van full of New Yorkers rolled up. We happened to get on a bird and were looking at it through our binoculars but myself and one of my new friends could not make the word come out of our mouths. There was some sort of brain/bird disconnect. Leave it to a New Yorkers..."DICKCISSEL!!!!!!!" We all got stellar looks at the year's first Dickcissel before he decided he had somewhere else to be.
The New Yorkers were on an Eastern Wood-Pewee, so I'd like to consider us even. We walked across the street and saw the mystery bird in the water drip. One of our new friends came over and we were all stuck in Warbler mindset and couldn't make it work for anything. Thanks to y'all, I know now that we had a female Scarlet Tanager (duh!). Right before we left, we had a Yellow Warbler in a tree.
We packed up the dogs and began the long drive back to San Antonio. Along the way, we picked up White-tailed Kite, Brewer's Blackbird, Crested Caracara, and Swainson's Hawk. Boy it was fun, but I was glad to be home.
One of the wonderful things about South Texas birding in the winter is Winter Texans. These are folks from up north who come down here in the winter because being up north in the winter really sucks.
These are some of the friendliest birders I have ever met. They're always sad for us when they find out we have to go back to work and are only down for the weekend. They always help us find birds we didn't see, and they're always ready to have a chat. I think that's because they only see each other all winter and are happy to see a fresh face.
Instead, we went to McDonalds and grabbed a quick breakfast and then made our way to the SPI Birding Center. This is a really fantastic area, and definitely worth the $5 admission. If you go to the RGV, make this one of your stops.Walking out on to the boardwalk, we saw a Cattle Egret roost with at least 50-60 birds. There was a Mottled Duck under the seed feeder. Down the boardwalk, there were numerous Willet and Least Sandpipers in the mudflats and Tricolored Herons perched on the boardwalk itself.
Continuing around, we spied a Clapper Rail running in the reeds with Coots and Gallinue. Near one of the bird blinds, we had this little Least Bittern standing right out in the open.
Overhead were lots of Laughing Gulls, Least Terns, Black Skimmers, and other gulls (which remained unidentified until just a bit later). Instead of walking out the end of the boardwalk, we doubled back to see if we could pick up anything else we missed. This is how we saw a Swamp Sparrow and Common Yellowthroat. Near an intersection in the boardwalk, we ran smack into another Least Bittern, as well as a couple we had seen the day before. They pointed us to a Sora and we directed them to the Least Bittern. That's the best kind of birding.
As we made our way back to the center, we passed some folks looking at another Clapper Rail (which they were calling a Sora) while others were looking at a scope. I heard two words that made me turn around: "Peregrine Falcon". It's one of my embarrassing misses...well, it was! They had great looks at one perched on the water tower. Lifer! I thanked them and explained how to tell the difference between the Clapper and the Sora and directed them to where the Sora had been. Hopefully they got to see it.We left the birding center and drove to the Convention Center in hopes of having more luck than the day before. Immediately in the bottlebrushes, we saw two Tennessee Warblers. Around back, we had the Townsend's again, as well as a Black-throated Green.
I kept walking down the path and saw my huge flock of unidentified gulls land. I peeked at them through the binoculars and remembered what Huck had said the day before. "Franklin's will have a pinkish tint. Laughing won't." He was serious. These gulls looked like they got washed with a red sock!
We saw the Orchard Orioles again, but not much else, so we went to the Sheepshead Lots. There were two other birders there, but they said they hadn't seen much. We saw the Louisiana Waterthrush again, and were about to give up when we noticed some fluttering. In one tree we had an unidentified flying yellow object (which was figured out in a bit with the help of you all!), a Northern Parula, a Black-throated Green, and a Painted Bunting. Awesome! I followed the lady back to see a roosting Nighthawk while my partner went on a bunting hunt. I saw the Nighthawk and came around to find my partner on 3(!!!) male Painted Buntings. I quickly waved the couple over (the lady had missed the Painted Bunting her husband had seen a few days before because she was at yoga). By the time they got there, one had left, but we still got nice looks at 2. They went a little further down while we waited to see if anyone else popped out. They got on something, and I swear it sounded like Grosbeak, so we hustled over. They had 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (2 males, 1 female). We decided we were each other's birding good-luck charms.
Coming back around, we ran into the other couple from the Convention Center and we told them about the Nighthawk, so they went off in search of it. There were actually at least 2, so we figured they'd have good luck. I walked back around to the middle of the area, turned, and saw this:
We waved our new friends over so they could see it too. As we were standing there, a van full of New Yorkers rolled up. We happened to get on a bird and were looking at it through our binoculars but myself and one of my new friends could not make the word come out of our mouths. There was some sort of brain/bird disconnect. Leave it to a New Yorkers..."DICKCISSEL!!!!!!!" We all got stellar looks at the year's first Dickcissel before he decided he had somewhere else to be.
The New Yorkers were on an Eastern Wood-Pewee, so I'd like to consider us even.
We walked across the street and saw the mystery bird in the water drip. One of our new friends came over and we were all stuck in Warbler mindset and couldn't make it work for anything. Thanks to y'all, I know now that we had a female Scarlet Tanager (duh!). Right before we left, we had a Yellow Warbler in a tree.We packed up the dogs and began the long drive back to San Antonio. Along the way, we picked up White-tailed Kite, Brewer's Blackbird, Crested Caracara, and Swainson's Hawk. Boy it was fun, but I was glad to be home.
One of the wonderful things about South Texas birding in the winter is Winter Texans. These are folks from up north who come down here in the winter because being up north in the winter really sucks.
These are some of the friendliest birders I have ever met. They're always sad for us when they find out we have to go back to work and are only down for the weekend. They always help us find birds we didn't see, and they're always ready to have a chat. I think that's because they only see each other all winter and are happy to see a fresh face. SPI Birding and Convention Center: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17892581
Sheepshead Lots: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17892657
Trip Summary:
Total Birds: 139
Year Birds: 27
Lifers: 5