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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.

A good Big Year requires that you stick to the southern tier and both coasts. I’m doing just that this week and next. Here, there are a number of species whose range just extends across the border from Mexico, just in bounds. Birds like Plain Chachalaca, Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, Altamira Oriole.

Today I started at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge like I do whenever I come here. Sixteen new species later, I checked with refuge staff about the whereabouts of a bird I badly wanted to see, mostly because I’ve never caught up with it in the US and also because they are not showing any place else in North America. Namely, Groove-billed Ani. With directions in hand soon I found the group of three in question. This is not a great picture but it proves I wasn’t looking at a grackle:

Next stop was the Progresso Sod Farm for grass pipers but no luck with any of them. I’ll have to go back – the lure of Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden-Plover is too strong to let go of. Back the other way to the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands for some water birds. I met a lovely couple who are loyal subjects of Her Majesty the Queen who on their first trip to Texas found it to be “really rather extraordinary.” They had just seen Ringed Kingfisher, a high priority bird. I think I flushed it from some trees but I couldn’t see it well enough. I finished the day at Quinta Mazatlan, an old estate situated on many wooded acres harboring one Crimson-collared Grosbeak, a Code 4 bird that would fit well on my List. I took a preliminary look around, found out it was still present, and decided I would return on an early morning soon. Lastly I visited Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park this evening and first watched a Nine-banded Armadillo stroll by, then heard about 5 different Common Pauraques (280). Tomorrow it’s up river to Salineno to search for the rare and elusive Morelet’s Seedeater.

So I arrived in San Antonio at 5:30 am plenty sleep deprived and eager to get going. I found a cab and first talked to the driver, an eager gentleman who spoke good English who I will call … ummmm … “Ahmed”. I get in to his van and before we go 10 feet we have problems with the security guard in the parking lot of the train station. Ahmed was ordered to disgorge his passenger, turn around, and leave. My driver was livid and engaged in heated debate while I “disgorged” myself, preferring to let Texans fight Texans. I walked around looking for an alternative cab but there were none. I went back to where I started, saw Ahmed standing there and asked him if we could go. He aid yes but there was more engagement with the guard. Some how we got out of there and headed for the airport and my waiting rental. Along the way I noticed our speed was very limited and the car kept changing gears. Ahmed mentioned there was a mechanical problem with the vehicle after racking up 400,000 miles. I’m pretty sure we left half the transmission back in the parking lot, but somehow we chugged into the airport and by 6:45 am I was behind the wheel of my car.

On the way to Lost Maples State Natural Area I was treated to several Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (243), surely one of North America’s most spectacular birds. Lost Maples is the closest reliable place for two special birds – Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. I had no problem with the warbler (250) (ABA # 623)(World Bird # 2821) but after hours of searching, I reluctantly gave up on the vireo. Of the 15 new species there, this one was the only one I won’t see elsewhere without going out of my way:

Starving, I searched for a cafe in the nearest little town, Utopia, Texas. There’s one, Lost Maples Cafe. Lost Maples – I was just there, it’s probably packed with birders. Wrong. As soon as I entered the front door I was hit with an “Easy Rider” flash back. Needless to say, I drove the smallest vehicle and wore the longest hair of any male in all of Utopia, Texas. I wasn’t stared at so much as disregarded. Even the waitress tried to ignore me. I probably looked half naked without a cowboy hat. As I sat at my table, I wondered how many of them were thinking: “Who is this East Coast, long-haired, left-wing, liberal-loving lawyer environmentalist pinko bird watcher?” I couldn’t understand anything any of them were saying so they very well may have said that. Then I wondered what would happen if I yelled out:”George Bush is a twinky!” How long would I have lasted in that place? Instead, I hurriedly washed down a mediocre BLT and fries with coffee and put a quick end to the trespass.

Not far down the highway I was overcome with sleepiness. My eyes did close for a brief second. I immediately pulled into a paring lot, found a shade tree, and put the seat back. As luck would have it, I was adjacent to a road construction zone with trucks, heavy equipment, and beeping back-up horns. But they could have taken a jack hammer to the hood of my rental car and I still would have fallen asleep. And so I did.

Fueled with a short rest and a No-Doz, I flew down the highway, arriving in McAllen at supper time, picking up Crested Caracara along the way (257). In hindsight I probably should have just flown to McAllen and then I could have spent today birding the valley instead of driving half way across Texas, but I’m here now and the list is filling up fast, as you will see in the next entry, coming out very soon.

(there was no wifi on the train yesterday so here is yesterday’s post.) What a great way to travel. The train arrived only a few minutes late in Benson. Look at all that leg room! Is all this for me?! You could play handball in this space. After I settled in the porter came around asking if I would like lunch and/or dinner reservations. “Yes, both!” Then at each half hour they call you into the dining car. (Is anyone from the airlines listening to this!)

Many thanks to Mark Philips for following me to the Tucson airport where I left me car and then giving me a ride to Benson. We were early so we went to the sewage pond one more time and last time for Franklin’s Gull. Instead, I had to settle for Rig-billed Gull (242), the most wide-spread gull in North America. I have to get Franklin’s here in Texas.

The train ride was smooth and quiet. The scenery, before it got dark was classic southwestern, like this:

Out here, everything around you scratches, claws, pricks, and pokes. And that’s just your fellow Amtrak passengers. I counted 14 bird species, with Swainson’s Hawk as one of the most common. When you eat. you break bread with total strangers and then you go around the table to share your feelings and emotions, my favorite part. By the time we got to El Paso we were caught up on the schedule but then fell behind a little pulling in to San Antonio at 5:30 am. (Not much sleep!) It was a long day and today was another one so I will give you today’s post tomorrow.

Almost ablaze still you don’t feel the heat/it takes all you got just to stay on the beat. So far I’ve been delayed by snow, rain, and wind. Now add fire. Today’s destination was Carr Canyon. As I drove down Highway 92 I could see smoke and also see that it was directly on Carr Canyon Road. The road wasn’t closed yet but I wasn’t going up there only to be trapped behind a wall of flames for 3 days. I patiently cooled my heels walking the trails around Carr House for an hour. When the police cruisers came down the road I went up.

First I hiked down Comfort Springs trail then Reef Townsite Campground. Highlights were Zone-tailed Hawk, close studies of Grace’s and Olive Warblers, and, while no Virginia’s Warblers, I did see a nice male Hermit Warbler (241). I’ll have more chances for Virginia’s next month.

And this just in over the wire services: only what we’ve all been waiting for – Big Year updates! I see my cross-state rival, Henry Detwiler of Yuma, Arizona, author of, among other books, Finding Birds at the Salton Sea, a copy of which is in my library, reports that as of April 10 he has 436 species. Reigning champ John Weigler says that as of April 9 he has – ready for this? – 436 species! A dead tie. Now let’s look at this from an historical perspective. On April 13, 1973, Kenn Kaufman had 440! A hitchhiking teenager! And John is counting Hawaiian birds! All I know is that I am not impressed and that when the dust settles and the smoke clears this tortoise is going to beat the feathers out of those two jackrabbit hares. It’s on to Texas!

I needed to do a little bit of scouting for the birding festival next month and I figured I could find a few new birds for the year too. First stop was Paton’s where I soon got on a very small hummingbird with no tail and a shorter bill – Calliope Hummingbird (238), the smallest bird in North America. That makes 12 hummingbirds for the year, with 2 more sure ones to go – Buff-bellied in Texas and Ruby-throated in Texas, Florida, or elsewhere in the East. There are no other regularly occurring hummingbirds here so that will give me 14 for the year. I’m already beginning to run out of some families.

While sitting on a bench, I saw this beauty fly in:

Black-headed Grosbeak (239) came in for just a minute and then was never seen again. He looks especially orange in this picture, I don’t know why. Then I moved on to the Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve just down the road. Here I added Summer Tanager (240) and found the nests of Broad-billed Hummingbird, Common Raven, and Gray Hawk. Tomorrow I’m going up Carr Canyon to see if I can pry out Virginia’s Warbler, a perennial problem for me. There might be a few other things up there as I close in on half-way to 500.

That’s not me, dressed to look like an English rock star frontiersman. We should pay tribute to our birding ancestors from time to time. Meet Alexander Wilson, widely regarded as the “Father of American Ornithology”. He immigrated from Scotland in 1794 and settled in Philadelphia after walking 35 miles from the dock in Newcastle, Delaware. He was a contemporary and even a rival of John James Audubon but because the latter was a better showman and self-promoter, he won out in fame. While Audubon may have been the better artist, Wilson was a true student of bird study. His multi-volume American Ornithology, published from 1808-14, is a testament to his scholarship. His name lives on in 5 species of North American birds, I think more than any other in North America: storm-petrel, phalarope, snipe, plover, and warbler.

Today on the San Pedro River I added Wilson’s Warbler (237) to the List. It took some acrobatics. While carrying on a conversation with one of our visitors on our weekly bird walk, or rather listening attentively to her talk, I had to find the bird holding the binoculars in one hand and give Mark Philips, who was pointing out the bird, the thumbs up with the other hand. That’s three things at once; I’ve never done four. The bird looks like this one, who posed just right to show the diagnostic field mark of its black cap:

I’ve already seen the snipe, I hope to get the plover in either Texas or Florida, I will have no trouble with the phalarope, they are here in the hundreds in late summer, and I should get the storm-petrel on a whale watch in New Hampshire this summer.