[texbirds] Black Friday Matagorda County Birding (Tundra Swans, Prairie Falcon, Late American Golden-Plover)

From: Ron Weeks <ronweeks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 06:12:02 -0800

TexBirders,
Not really all that interested in chasing the honeycreeper all the way down in 
the Valley (nor buying a pair), I was all set to do some birding in Galveston 
County.  Checked TexBirds Facebook for new information and saw the Gary Graham 
swans pictures from Matagorda County posted by Richard Gibbons.  I had heard 
about these swans the day before from a game warden, but he told me they were 
on a private ranch and could not tell me the location.  Now knowing the 
location I headed west instead of east.  Called Bob Friedrichs en route and let 
him know about the birds and started the day with him on Oyster Lake Road 
enjoying a nice Nelson's Sparrow.

We then moved to the swan marsh on the extreme south end of CR393 with shotgun 
rounds whizzing through the air to our east.  The swans were still there 
somewhat oblivious to the nearby shots and our presence.  They appeared to us 
to be young Tundras with largely pink bills and only light gray in the plumage. 
 Bob had to move on as he was heading out to look for the infamous flamingo 
pair at Port Lavaca (not there yesterday).

I moved on to what I refer to as the Bermuda Triangle of West STP Road and the 
South Citrus Road Sod Farms just west of the STP nuclear power plant.  I call 
it that because great birds are always found there and seem to disappear on the 
Mad Island CBC day - or appear right after the CBC.  This is the spot where Bob 
found Mountain Plovers last year and Brad Lirette and I found the January 
Buff-breasted Sandpipers.  It was pretty dead today and I was about to leave 
when I spotted a large falcon jetting directly away from me.  It looked dead on 
for Prairie.  Watched where it flew and was lucky enough to refind it in a 
fallow field along West STP Road.  Studied it for about 45 minutes before it 
took off when I was not looking.  Went back to the sod farms and there it was 
again sitting on the deck.  As I got some distant shots, I heard an odd 
shorebird note.  Then, three plovers flew in.  Two obvious Black-bellied 
Plovers and a dark-winged Golden.  The Golden
 had a definite limp which is likely why it is still around - unexpected 
summering shorebirds like Dunlin and White-rumps I have found often have the 
same issue.  By the time I looked up, the falcon was gone again and I needed to 
get home to make my Salvation Army bell ringing shift.  No honeycreeper, but 
some neat local birds.

Ron Weeks
Lake Jackson

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[texbirds] Black Friday Matagorda County Birding (Tundra Swans, Prairie Falcon, Late American Golden-Plover)

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