[texbirds] Shorebirding Cameron Co. (Sunday, 05/19/14): diverse sites

From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2014 00:54:11 -0500
Today (Sunday, 05/19/14) we visited 5 sites in Cameron Co. in search of 
shorebirds, including "grasspipers" on sod fields. The sites are listed 
below in order of visitation today, following by species of shorebirds 
observed at each.

LA FERIA SOD FIELD: no shorebirds

WEAVER ROAD SOD FIELDS: Here we found KILLDEER (2), BLACK-NECKED STILT (1), 
UPLAND SANDPIPER (1), AND BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (31, at least, distributed 
across 3 of the sod fields at the north end of this set of fields; a 
surprisingly late find). We were pleased to have learned, upon coming home 
and reading TEXBIRDS this evening, that others (Mary Beth and party) had 
also found these rather late "buffies" and the "uppie." The fields where we 
found these shorebirds are located on the "dog leg" segment of Weaver Road, 
which is what one comes to first if one enters Weaver Road from the north.

TIDAL AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY TX-4 CLOSE TO BOCA CHICA BEACH: This area is 
roughly opposite Kopernik Shores, a rudimentary development as one 
approaches Boca Chica Beach. Here we found these shorebirds: SNOWY PLOVER 
(1), GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1, a "champion" specimen with very long, distinctly 
upturned bill), RUDDY TURNSTONE (1), SANDERLING (6), SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 
(1), WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (6, possibly 7), and WILSON'S PHALAROPE (8-10, 
including one beautifully breeding plumage female). It was entertaining to 
watch the interaction of one of the White-rumped Sandpipers with the several 
Wilson's Phalaropes that, in their wild dashes, happened to enter its 
feeding territory along the little peninsula where they fed. The phalaropes 
were substantially larger and stood much taller. Nonetheless the out-sized 
White-rumped persistently ran at and threatened any one of them coming into 
its territory. It succeeded, at one point in thwarting entry by any one of 
them. After a pause a bold one of the phalaropes managed a last-ditch attack 
upon the White-rumped, but the this bold little calidris sandpiper 
immediately attacked back with some ferocity. That ended the fuss. The 
phalaropes moved on to easier-to-forage space. The aforementioned brightly 
breeding plumaged phalarope, oddly, never foraged along the tidal edge of 
the peninsula where the others fed, but fed continuously a bit south of that 
shoreline, standing entirely apart from the feeding contests on the 
shoreline.

TX-48 BOAT LAUNCH (EAST SIDE OF HIGHWAY): There was far too much human and 
machine (e.g., ATV's dashing about) disturbance here for there to be large 
numbers of shorebirds, but we saw a few shorebird species, all north of the 
channel: SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (5), AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER (1), WILLET (2, 
plus several heard), and SPOTTED SANDPIPER (1, handsome breeding plumage).

PORT ISABEL RESERVOIR (very late afternoon): WILSON'S PLOVER (1), KILLDEER 
(2), BLACK-NECKED STILT (3, at least), WILLET (2), SPOTTED SANDPIPER (2), 
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (1), WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (2), STILT SANDPIPER (1, 
gorgeous breeding plumage), and WILSON'S PHALAROPE (2, possibly 3).

TOTAL SHOREBIRD SPECIES FOR THE DAY = 17

OUR BIRD OF THE DAY: Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a nice surprise this late, 
especially in this number (31).

Wishing everyone the best of birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen, TX

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[texbirds] Shorebirding Cameron Co. (Sunday, 05/19/14): diverse sites

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