Month: April 2019

I got back late yesterday afternoon and just had time for a few glasses of wine before I fell into my own bed for the first time in two weeks. Still on Eastern time, I woke up early and scouted Escapule Wash for tomorrow’s field trip for the Southwest Wings Birding Festival. While engaging in some bridge construction projects in the wash, as I expected, I found a lot more birds around now than when I left two weeks ago. First up was MacGillivray’s Warbler (373), then Bullock’s Oriole (374), Pacific-Slope Flycatcher (375), and Western Wood-Pewee (376), all nice common birds. A special treat for trip participants will be the nest I found of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet. I hope I can add about 15- 20 species before I leave for New Hampshire in about 3 weeks.

Here are the next 3 pages of the List, including Texas and Florida, for your reading pleasure:

Today began at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park in Key West. I only had an hour or so but I wanted to see what was around and maybe add a few new ones. A group of 4 Blackpoll Warblers (369) was a good start, but the nearby Prothonotary Warbler (370) was even better. A single Eastern Kingbird (371) rounded out the list. Then it was straight up the keys to Everglades National Park, specifically, the Anhinga Trail in search of Purple Gallinule. But this was the best I could do:

I was really too hot, tired, and hungry to do this but I promised myself that if I missed Cave Swallow in Texas (I did) I would go the the well-known colony in Homestead. After a missed turn, and hardly any map, I pulled into a shopping center, went all the way to the back, and looked at the overpass of the Florida Turnpike over a canal. There they were, Cave Swallows (372) of the Caribbean subspecies. And so that’s it for Florida. I am holed up in Homestead tonight and tomorrow I return to Arizona. I added over 50 species here and visited some of the finest birding places in the country and saw some of the best birds. I like Florida!

What a day! Again I squeezed everything out of it I could. Starting with the boat trip to the Dry Tortugas, a place of myth and legend for birders, where everyone who does a North American big year must visit. The first visitor was Ponce de Leon in 1513. John James Audubon came here in 1832, and Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher, running their record setting Big Year, stopped by in 1953. And now, in 2019, Rob Woodward left his foot prints in the sands of Garden Key. There’s a lineup that few places can match.

As we approached our destination, the captain made a special turn to show us the only nesting colony of Masked Booby (360) (ABA 627)(World 2824) in all of North America:

About 70 birds. It’s just a sand bar but that’s enough. Before we docked we were surrounded by Sooty Terns (361)(ABA 628)(World 2825) and Brown Noddies ( 362)(ABA 629)(World 2826). Then we got off the boat. Inside the walls of the fort I teamed up with another 10 birders or so and we added half a dozen new birds, the best of which was a good Florida bird, Gray Kingbird (367).

After lunch I carefully scanned multiple times the Brown Noddy gathering on the coal docks looking for Black Noddy but no luck.

Before we knew it, it was time to get back on board our most seaworthy vessel:

Back in port at 5:30 pm, I trudged home with the hope of seeing a special bird in town – alive! – namely, White-crowned Pigeon (368)(ABA 630):

Turns out they aren’t that uncommon, even here right in town. A specialty of not just south Florida, but really of the Keys. I gulped down a meal of pizza and conch fritters and, tiring of the endless parade of Yul Brenner, Elvis Costello, and Donna Summer look-alikes, I ran off to Humaca Park and the back side of the airport one more time but there were no Antillean Nighthawks, even though they have been reported in Marathon. The lure of rum brought me back to Duval Street, where the never-ending weekend festival continues:

Instead of Sloppy Joe’s, I like Capt. Toni’s, Papa’s favored hangout, where I order a scotch and soda, Papa’s preferred drink here, as a tribute to one of the great ones. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park doesn’t open until 8 tomorrow, earning me a few extra minutes of debauchery, and well-deserved at that.

I’m on an island at the end of the highway. I may go no farther south anywhere in North America. This is the grand finale to this two week adventure, culminating in tomorrow’s boat trip out to sea, to the fabled Dry Tortugas. On the way down I added a few birds, one good one. First was my long-awaited first American Crow (356) in Big Cypress Preserve. From there it was non-stop to a residential street on Key Largo called Carysfort Circle where I found at least 3 singing, out-in-the-open Black-whiskered Vireos (357), a solid south Florida specialty. Along the keys I saw a Magnificent Frigatebird (358) and in Key West I found an American Redstart (359).

“Close to perfect, far from normal.” That’s what they say here, that’s Key West’s slogan. The “far from normal” part I’ll buy. Perfection is a little hard to come by. The streets and bars were packed tonight, and that was only at 7:00 pm. I made a beeline to the corner of Greene and Duval Streets. I was supposed to get a “sure thing” White-crowned Pigeon nesting in a palm tree. I was a little skeptical, this is just across the street from Sloppy Joe’s in downtown. I searched the several palm trees at the intersection in question and upon close examination I found a White-crowned Pigeon – dead! What the? No nest, no sure thing.

After dinner I had to go for one other thing I need here in Key West, what I really think of when I think of Key West – Key Lime Pie! I found the shop that serves “the best”. Inside I found a flyer announcing the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Conch Republic. They have many events to celebrate this important occasion. I don’t need to describe for you in detail and particularity the Drag Races run up and down Duval Street, for example. If you join the Hash House Harriers walk and run, you are asked to wear pirate attire or tutus.

Dragging myself from the downtown fun and frivolity, I drove to the back side of the airport and searched in vain for Antillean Nighthawk. If I can’t find one tomorrow, that one is a goner. Now it’s time for rest for an early start to tomorrow’s journey at sea.

To pick up where I left off yesterday, I had the good fortune to find a fine restaurant just around the corner so no driving. None other than the India Palace, serving up – what else? – “the cuisine of India.” I know 5 o’clock is early for dinner but I don’t mind being the only one in a restaurant. The service is better – I have their undivided attention. I went all out with the menu – cold IPA, hot lentil soup, naan, spicy lamb vindloo, the works. The portions were huge. How big? The dish of rice was bigger than the Taj Mahal. All 1.2 billion Indians could have eaten from it and no one would have gone hungry.

From there I went to Lakes County Park where the primary target, Glossy Ibis, was found in abundance. What a beautiful park, heavy on lakes and water with a million islands, brick walkways, boardwalks, boat rentals, and an unending procession of White Ibis. Then I made a quick visit to downtown Fort Myers. Historical, vibrant, colorful. A good downtown gives a city a heart and soul.

Today I went to Sanibel Island with the first stop at Lighthouse Park. I ran into Russ and Theresa from yesterday and when they went through the list of species already seen I cringed. I just wasn’t finding some of these warblers like Worm-eating and Kentucky. One lady walked by me and said: “It’s been an exciting migration season, hasn’t it!” “I don’t know, I’m missing it!”, I whined. “There’s still plenty of time,” she reassured me. “But my parking meter is expiring!” I wailed.

On to Ding Darling to get my Reddish Egret (346).

After I climbed the observation tower I found myself surrounded by a group of nuns, dressed in full traditional habits. Before long I found myself playing bird guide to a group of nuns. “Is that a Roseate Spoonbill?” “No sister, that’s a Reddish Egret. Notice the pink bill.” “Is that one a Reddish Egret?” “No, that’s a Little Blue Heron.” “Those black birds, sister, are Double-crested Cormorants.” How do I get myself into these things? How do I get out? But no, I like nuns, they have a gentle innocence about them. And one was kinda cute….

From there I went back to Cape Coral but still no luck with the jay. It was only mid-day so I went back to Babcock-Webb but I still couldn’t find a nuthatch. I did get three high soaring Wood Storks (350).

Corrections: Add two more species. I saw a flock of Fulvous Whistling-Ducks in Inspiration Road ponds near Bentsen State Park on April 14, and more in Estero Llano, like this one:

And I photographed a Swainson’s Thrush at Quinta Mazatlan while searching for the grosbeak on April 20. So the list now stands at 350.

Yesterday’s flight from San Antonio got in at 8:30 last night, and with a slight baggage delay (at first it wasn’t there and then suddenly it was), picking up a rental car, finding the right hotel – I almost checked in next door, glad I didn’t – I didn’t get to bed until 11:00. This morning I looked at the clock and it said 5:30. Should I get up now so I can search for Chuck-will’s widow at Babcock-Webb rather than go back again tonight? Just then a garbage truck with reverse gear horns blaring went by my window. I’m awake now. Skipping breakfast – which I never do – I went up the interstate to Babcock. I heard what sounded like the familiar old “peent” of Common Nighthawk. I stopped to listen and it was (319) and even better, right by the road were calling Chuck-will’s widows (320), a bird I haven’t heard since my first Florida birding trip in 1995. I still have yet to see one. Within 5 minutes the singing was over, I got there just in time, thanks to a garbage truck.

Next on the list was Snail Kite, a good Florida specialty, found in south Florida and nowhere else in North America. Up to three birds were being seen here all winter but despite two trips along Webb Lake I couldn’t find one. Along the way I met a nice young couple from Michigan, Russ and Theresa. They were looking for the same three birds as me: Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman’s Sparrow, and Brown-headed Nuthatch, specialties of the southern pine woodlands. Before I could get out of my car we had the woodpecker, the federally endanged Red-cockaded (324)

A little searching turned up Bachman’s Sparrow (327) but I could not find the nuthatch. I was in there for 5 hours but still couldn’t find one. Giving up on it and the kite, I headed for Cape Coral for some more specialties. Unbelievably, at 70 miles per hour, I found a Snail Kite (331) going down into a small pond in the median of Interstate 75! I saw at least one other eBird report of a kite in the median in this area. Never give up!

Driving toward Cape Coral on a fast boulevard, a bird with lots of white in its wings flew over the road. What was that? My mind went down the list of possibilities until I heard myself yell out: “Hey, that’s a Red-headed Woodpecker!” And so it was. (332). At Cape Coral I easily found Burrowing Owl (333):

… but I could not find Florida Scrub-Jay, Florida’s only endemic bird. I had no problem finding it here last year, the most reliable place in the area. So now I’ll have to go back. Last stop was Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve where I added Red-shouldered Hawk (334), Pileated Woodpecker (335), and Tufted Titmouse (336). After supper I’m going to Lakes County Park and then I’ll see what’s happening in historical downtown Fort Myers.

Big as the United States is I keep running up against the edge. As I stood here and looked out at Mexico, I hoped something from that big, bird-rich country would fly over to this side. Maybe a Crested Eagle or a motmot or some antbird. No luck, instead I added White-eyed Vireo to my Mexican list. Today I wanted to go to Edinburg Wetlands for Ringed Kingfisher but it’s closed today so based on eBird reports I went to Santa Ana. First new bird was Tropical Kingbird (317), saving me a trip to St. David. On Pintail Lakes I found three Gull-billed Terns (318). I don’t know how easy this would be to get in Florida so that’s out of the way. I tried some hawk watching from the tower but nothing was moving. I talked to a hawk watcher at Bentsen a few days ago and she said they hadn’t seen Hook-billed Kite in weeks so scratch that one.

So just two new ones today means it’s time to move on, and I do just that tomorrow. Back to San Antonio to drop off the car and fly to Fort Myers. Texas was good – very good – giving me 77 new species, a few lifers, and just a small case of chiggers.

Today was a low budget high profit day. I didn’t go far or push it too hard. First, I had to go back to Santa Ana to get Least Grebe, one of the true specialties of South Texas, especially since they don’t occur in Arizona any more. I carefully checked Willow Lakes without luck and started for Pintail Lakes but then thought better of it and went back to Willow Lakes. I ran into the guy I saw a few minutes before and he said he just saw the grebe and gave me directions. After a few minutes I found it (311):

I love the yellow eye, a surefire field mark. Next stop was down the road at Estero Llano Grande State Park. I told the nice lady at the desk one of my targets was Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. I followed her directions and found one on the other side of Alligator Pond (312). A Bronzed Cowbird (313) dropped in front of me on my way back to the visitor’s center where I snoozed for a few minutes and added Semipalmated Sandpiper (314). Refuge staff told me Baird’s Sandpipers were coming in to this pond but they raised the water level.

After this I was going to go back to my penthouse suite but just before I got there I changed course and swung by Quinta Mazatlan. Tomorrow they are closed and Monday I leave so I doubled down on Crimson-collared Grosbeak, the one true rarity in the valley right now. I had stopped by 2 or 3 times already in a half-hearted way to search for it at the end of long days but today felt different. For the first time they filled the feeders. There was a large group of birders looking and there was a report of it having been seen only 10 minutes before. The search was a combination of walking the trails and sitting tight by the feeders. While walking the trails I asked about Eastern Screech-Owl, a common bird here and one I don’t want to have to search for elsewhere. I was looking on one side of the trail when someone said they were on the other side, and there they were (315):

Chick and adult, side-by-side in a palm tree cavity. This alone would have made this visit worthwhile. But since I was there and this was my last chance, I might as well stand vigil for the grosbeak. Only two hours left. At 3:00 it flew in, moved around a little, showed well briefly, never came to the feeders, and disappeared again (316) (ABA 626) (World 2823). Good one! Wahoo! Who needs High Island? Time for cookies and beer.

Another full day – I left here at 7 at dawn and got back at 5. First stop was Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge to fill in check marks next to shore birds. I checked in with the visitor center and when the nice lady gave me a checklist of the birds it was like being issued a set of encyclopedias. Laguna Atascosa has the largest bird list (410) of any national wildlife refuge. Santa Ana is a close second. Only problem was, the road by the shore was closed for construction so there went my shorebird list. I made sure to add Altamira Oriole (286) before leaving. As soon as I left the refuge I stopped for a raptor soaring very close – White-tailed Hawk (287), one I missed the first two visits to south Texas and making the trip to Laguna Atascosa worth it (ABA #624).

Next I headed for the coast. Just before you enter the bridge over to South Padre Island, there is a yellow warning sign that says: “Watch for Pelicans”. I had to wonder if in Texas “pelican” is a slur for “bad driver”. First I visited the Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. Their boardwalk goes out to the Laguna Madre and they have feeding stations near the center. High on my list of targets was this secretive marsh dweller:

It pays to ask other birders what’s around. In and around the mudflats were shorebirds and terns but no Clapper Rail and I “just missed” a 200 strong flock of Franklin’s Gulls. Not far apart were Western Kingbird (294) and number 300 – Eastern Wood-Pewee. Next door is the Padre Island Convention Center with its own boardwalk and feeders. Tennessee Warbler (301) was a good find, not sure if I’ll see any more of that one, and Painted Bunting (303), surely the most colorful songbird in North America. I saw none last year so this might be it for this one.

Next stop is one of the most infamous birding stops in all of North America – the Brownsville Dump, the only place in all of North America to see Tamaulipas Crow. So much for my idealistic search for birds in their wild pristine habitat. Is there a more wicked, festering, low-down, bad place than this – I mean besides the motor vehicle department. Naturally the protocol to enter has changed. No longer do you simply show your binoculars to the attendant at the gate. Now you sign in and he issues you a hunter-orange vest. I drove way up to the top of the heap and parked in the thick of the action. This is Extreme Birding at its best. The wind was blowing dust, birds swarmed every where, large garbage trucks coming and going, dumping their loads. It was total chaos. And smelly? And 88 degrees! I could only leave one window open to keep out the dust. I searched carefully but this is not the place for a six hour stake-out. Only one crow is being seen in the dump and one along the road in. After just half an hour I reluctantly abandoned the search. But I did it – I birded the Brownsville Dump.

Last stop was the Superior Turf Farms somewhere between Los Indios and Progreso, way down a long dirt road. Here was my chance to redeem myself after missing some good shorebirds at the Progreso Sod Farm a few days ago. I first found American Golden-Plover (308) all by itself in one of the fields. Luck arrived in the form of a young birder dude who had some experience with the area. He said Upland Sandpiper was in the next field down and that there were a bunch of birds in the back field one field behind me. Sure enough, next field down had an Upland Sandpiper (309), saving me a trip to Pease in June. I really wanted the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a bird I can’t get any where else. I drove up a side road through the field and inched closer to a group of shorebirds. Sure look like Buff-breasted. They flushed and when I relocated them, they were in a mixed flock at least 30 strong (310). I’ve never seen more than 2 of these birds at a time and I don’t know how many years it has been since I’ve last seen one. The perfect finale to an over-all very good day. Twenty-seven new species were added, the best day this week with more to come.

This morning just didn’t go well. It wasn’t the rain and wind out my window first thing, that blew over by the time I walked out the door. Instead it was just the lack of traction every where I went. At Salineno, I ran into two guys also looking for the seedeater. I think the problem is that the sanctuary is closed for the season and that’s where the seedeaters are. It was hard to get a look up or down the river the water was so high. All I could add was Osprey (280). I stewed for a minute and then headed back downstream to Roma Bluffs. I followed the signs into town and came to an office locked tight with a sign saying closed for Good Friday. I don’t think today is Friday but maybe in Texas they celebrate Good Friday on a Thursday. After all, Sierra Vista holds an Otoberfest every year – in September.

By the time I got to Bentsen State Park it was noon and pretty quiet. They have stopped filling the feeders for the season but the water drip still runs and I picked up two more Valley specialties. Here’s a two-for-one shot:

Last stop was Quinta Mazatlan since it’s just around the corner from my hotel. They too appear to have stopped filling the feeders, so nothing new there. Siesta time back at my room. Speaking of my hotel, here it is:

All that for me! Brand new! Pillows, sheets, hot water, all the food you can eat in the morning. For the princely sum of fifty-four dollars (US) per night. Thus, I lead the caviar lifestyle on a tuna fish budget.