[texbirds] Rio Grande Valley Trip, April 24 to May 4, part 2, Upper Valley

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 14:42:16 -0500
Monday April 30 was spent up valley in the Falcon Dam area. An early stop
at Salineno just missed a group of muscovies that others watched head
downstream ahead of the airboat flotilla. Orioles were around with 3
species but the feeding area seemed to have no customers looking for their
lost feeders.

One green kingfisher chased a second bird upstream but neither came back
downstream.

The next stop was at Starr County Park which again was one of the
highlights of the valley and my trip. It has been about 45 years since I
last had a chorus of red-billed pigeons in Texas and the there were good
numbers of red-bills in the park. I counted 7 birds feeding in 2 areas but
others were staying hidden in the central scrub area of the park and going
out to feed. Later in the day, a single red-billed pigeon flew in front of
the car while driving up the hill from Chapeno.

Hawks were migrating during the morning and seemed to be using the dam
and/or its updrafts as a way across or around the lake. At least 4
sharp-shinned and 1 cooper's hawks passed over as well as a couple of
ospreys and several northern harriers. Just a little before 7am, 50+
mississippi kites had lifted off from the western edge of Rio Grande City
and I missed birds that were already disappearing to the north.

A good flock of all clay-colored sparrows was moving around the park with
lots of long buzzing. They would feed under one tree for a bit. Fly to
another tree and drop to the ground for a bit to feed and then do it again.

The area had lots of orioles as did Falcon State Park. One 1 camper in the
park so no food out. Had a beardless tyrannulet along the highway going
north from the park next to the game farm. Lots of Ani's being noisy.

Stopped at Salineno again on the way downriver but they were having a
welcoming party for visitors with 5 boats and more than 10 vehicles which
left nowhere to park. Side roads appeared rather barren and very dry. Not
much food out there.

Tuesday was the day for Bentsen, Anzalduas Santa Ana and the Pumphouse.
Lots of black phoebes; 1 pair at Bentson, several at Anzalduas and a pair
with grown young still trying to hijack food and a second nest at the
pumphouse.

Anzalduas had a major clean-up/fix up project happening and numbers of
supervisory people who had not heard that birdy watchers go to the park and
who did not think such should stop in their park. Apparently had nothing to
do with the park but just keeping out of the office. Said you could not
cross the levee but did nothing about locals who did so. Welcome wagon out
again on the downriver trail at the pumphouse so a good time not to walk.

Walked most of Bentson but gave up on walking Santa Ana as the dead and
gray trees was too depressing as seen from the tower. All the tall hawk
perches from my last visit seem to have fallen. Between drought and flood
the 2 traditional sites are sad. Did have a tyrannulet way on the backside
of Bentsen but nothing at the hawkwatch tower.

Wednesday was back to Estero Llano Grande with Frontera and the Valley
nature center thrown in. After a couple of hours at the VNC had the
crimson-collared grosbeak singing. No idea as to age of the bird as I could
only see the undertail coverts through the leaves. It sing for a good bit.
Also had the female black-throated blue warbler when I first arrived but
did not find it again.

The green kingfisher perched across from the deck at Estero and a newly
fledged yellow-crowned night heron was out at Alligator Lake along with
several least bitterns calling and perched in the open. Another green
kingfisher at Frontera along with a chuck-wills widow.

Back upriver on Thursday to get to Salineno earlier. Just as I got out of
the car, 7 male muscovy ducks flew north fairly low across the river from
Mexico and went inland over the head of a visitor from Ireland. I know of
no water they could have been heading for but they may just have been
circling ahead of the airboat heading downstream that rounded the island a
little later. Good flycatchers and orioles but boat traffic makes it hard
to see birds on the river and the water covered most of what is usually the
parking lot.

Had the red local house finches in the section of Salineno around the 2
traffic humps just off the highway.

Back the the country park where 2 red-billed pigeons were out in the open
and a couple others called from the center area. Still some clay-colored
sparrows buzzing but with it hotter and windier they did not come out of
their tree. The dump road out of Salineno had numbers of black-throated
sparrows which were scarce in both parks.

The section of the state park on the east side of the road (downriver) has
been opened up a little. Someone has cut the brush out of the old loop road
but the grass was high and a perfect chigger heaven so I did not walk it.
Sparrows, buntings and anis singing in there.

Friday was heading home day after another dawn stop at Estero. Nice birds
as usual.

Did Raymondville at noon with it over 95, very windy and dry. Tide very
high and no edge for shorebirds and no shorebirds. Good birds in the
metropolitan part of town were 3 green parakeets that flew into the palms
along the harbor area.

Stopped to make a sandwich just out of town and had several each singing
botteri's and cassin's sparrows.

Good trip but I missed some of the regulars mainly by not going out at
night or hitting the coastal areas late in the pm. Changes for the good
include rapidly increasing purple martins and tropical kingbirds and more
chimney swifts. Ravens still scarce but caracaras doing well. And lots of
reasons to come back.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
[texbirds] Rio Grande Valley Trip, April 24 to May 4, part 2, Upper Valley

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