[texbirds] Shorebirds at Port Isabel Reservoir (Cameron Co.): Wednesday 05/14/14

From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 15 May 2014 00:49:03 -0500

Yesterday (Wednesday, 05/14/14) we went out largely to try to find our 
first-of-season White-rumped Sandpipers. We will not bore readers with our 
unsuccessful tries earlier in the day, but some time between 5:30 and 6:00 
PM we arrived at the Port Isabel Reservoir and at last found WHITE-RUMPED 
SANDPIPER, a species for which we had been searching on several recent 
outings. Indeed, we were thrilled to find 6 of these handsome creatures in 
the finger-like watery area to the immediate north of the discharge pipe at 
the adjacent waste-water treatment facility. This finger of water is 
bordered on the west by marsh-like vegetation and on the east by the berm on 
the east side of the reservoir.

Here is the complete list of shorebirds that we found at this site late this 
afternoon: SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (1); BLACK-NECKED STILT (3, at least), 
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1); SPOTTED SANDPIPER (1); SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (6, at 
least); WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (6); DUNLIN (est. 12-15, often in very 
attractive breeding plumage); STILT SANDPIPER (14); and WILSON'S PHALAROPE 
(ca.14). The Semipalmated Sandpipers foraged quite close to the White-rumped 
Sandpipers with no sign from either species of interspecies or agonistic 
(i.e., within-species) aggressive (hostile) behavior. On the other hand, one 
of the Stilt Sandpipers repeatedly harassed one of its own kind, 
successfully putting the other to flight out of the immediate feeding area. 
The Wilson's Phalaropes charged rapidly, widely, and at times almost wildly 
about this finger of water, feeding peaceably together with not a single 
spinning maneuver observed. Much of their food seemingly consisted of 
insects in flight, for we often saw them snatching prey from the area not 
far from the water's surface. Some of the birds on this list were found in 
the water south of the outflow pipe or both there and in the finger of water 
north of that pipe. The Semipalmated Plover was found south of that outflow 
pipe, and that is the region where we most often have found it on recent 
visits. (Total shorebird species for this site = 9.)

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


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[texbirds] Shorebirds at Port Isabel Reservoir (Cameron Co.): Wednesday 05/14/14

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