[texbirds] Spring West Texas Swing (Very Long)
- From: sgross77@xxxxxxxxxxx
- To: TEXBIRDS <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2013 17:57:58 +0000 (UTC)
Easter Weekend provided a chance to head a bit farther down the road than
usual, so we took advantage. Leaving Houston at 4:30 a.m. Friday, Dave Dolan,
Blake and Holly Wright, and I headed through San Antonio , making a quick stop
at Cagnon Road to listen to the dawn chorus. There are a lot more houses out
there than there used to be!
Castroville Regional Park was our next stop, and we started picking up western
species that one does not see in Houston . Ash-throated Flycatcher, Couchâs
Kingbird, and others met our ears and eyes during the 30-minute visit.
From there, we headed through Uvalde to chase the Phainopepla that has been
observed by Tripp Davenport. His excellent directions allowed us to easily find
his place, and we staked out the entrance to the ranch property for 45 minutes.
The handsome, male silky-flycatcher eluded us during our time there, but there
were enough other birds to keep our interest.
Cookâs Slough was next. Oddly, there wasnât a whole lot there, but we did
tick Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, and Lincoln âs Sparrow. I can see why
birders like this oasis. From there, we had lunch in town, then we headed to
Uvalde County Road 202, which I first learned about years ago in June
Osborneâs A Birderâs Guide to the Concan Area. June was a delightful and
wonderfully helpful lady, so our visit was kind of a nod to her. Black-tailed
Gnatcatcher, Bell âs Vireo, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and other scrub country
birds serenaded us along the route. At the Nueces River , we found one patch of
wet mud, and it seems that the birds had found it, too. Rough-winged Swallow,
Clay-colored Sparrow, cardinal, and a few other species spent time on the wet
mud and on the branches above. The area was otherwise pretty birdless, so this
was a nice find.
Park Chalk Bluff was next. This spot was new for me, and I enjoyed our time
there. Yellow-throated Warblers sang and fed above us in the Pecan Bottom. We
found a Vermilion Flycatcher nest and enjoyed scope views of the female coming
in with nesting material, then easing down to arrange the crèche. Along the
river, Canyon Wren called repeatedly, and we found a Bewickâs Wren nesting
cavity, which allowed nice photo ops for Dave and Blake (from a respectful
distance, of course).
Evening found us up Uvalde County Road 400, where we dipped on our two targets:
Elf Owl and Common Poorwill. You canât fault us for failing to try!
Saturday morning had us heading west toward the Pecos . We first visited
Kickapoo Cavern State Park , where Black-capped Vireo, Gray Vireo (heard only
â possibly two), Bronzed Cowbird, Bell âs Vireo, Black-throated Sparrow,
and Painted Bunting (one male, seen only by me) gave away their presence. We
knew that we were early for many species, but you go when you can. This was
Blake and Hollyâs first visit to Kickapoo Cavern, and Iâm sure it wonât
be their last.
Heading west from Brackettville (NCAA basketball tournament jokes were rife
during our time in that hamlet), we soon reached Del Rio . The Amistad National
Recreation Area provided a few good birds â Sayâs Phoebe and another
Vermilion nest.
Next, we reached our prime destination â Seminole Canyon State Park .
White-throated Swift was our main target, and we immediately found several
swifts zooming around above the Visitorâs Center. Lucky we were, as we
didnât see any more swifts during our several hour-long visit.
Birding the campground brought us close looks at Cactus Wren and several more
Black-tailed Gnatcatchers. The temperature had risen by then, and we took
proper precautions for the sun and heat as we hit the Canyon Ridge Trail (or
some similar name â the trailhead is opposite the campground. At the first
trail junction, where you can head left to look into the canyon proper, we hit
the mother lode! A Sage Thrasher sat up briefly, allowing Blake and Dave to get
passable, but distant, photos. Considering the very low numbers of Sage
Thrasher reports this winter, this normally findable bird was a real prize. We
spent a little time along the canyon edge, hearing Rock Wren and seeing and
hearing several more Clay-colored Sparrows. Though it was a bit warm (94
degrees), there was a slight breeze, and we sat and listened to the
mockingbirds sing for a short while before heading back to the rig.
At the same intersection where the Sage Thrasher had been, weâd gotten
distant looks at a small number of Lark Buntings. On our way back through, we
got much closer to these molting birds, particularly one male who was mostly
black. He sat in the shade of a spindly mesquite, and photos were taken. These
three or four birds are often found in flocks of hundreds in spring migration,
but these were the only individuals we encountered during the trip. Their
numbers have been low this winter, as well, it seems, so we were lucky to have
seen them.
Our westernmost stop on the trip was the Pecos River access just west of
Seminole Canyon . We had an Osprey, some cormorants, and some grackles, but not
much else. Nonetheless, it was nice to get to the border of True West Texas,
the Pecos . Judge Roy Beanâs haunt, Langtry, was not too many miles across
the river.
Easter morning came early, and our six a.m. departure from the hotel allowed us
to drive for a while in darkness. This allowed us one more opportunity to find
one of our target birds, Common Poorwill. I turned south onto Standard Lane , a
wide caliche road which I hoped would offer up a poorwill. Nada. I turned the
car around, got out, and played a bit of tape. Sure enough, there was a
response from a single bird north of our parking place. Bonus! It was a first
for Blake and Holly, though Iâm not sure what they do with heard-only birds.
I know very few birders who see a poorwill before hearing one, and the Wrights
joined that group Easter morning.
Our eastward trek met the rising sun just west of Uvalde, and we were treated
to a perched Harrisâs Hawk (weâd had one on TX 55 coming back from Park
Chalk Bluff the previous day, and I was reexamining my understanding of their
distribution in that part of the state), then a monster Western Diamondback
rattlesnake which unfortunately had met its end while crossing the road. It was
a bigun. North of Uvalde, we stopped again at Tripp Davenportâs place and
were rewarded with great looks at the male Phainopepla after about 20 minutes.
It landed right above Blake and started vocalizing. Nice!
Our luck continued as we tracked down the Tropical Parula at Nealâs Lodges.
This has been Ground Zero for TRPAs over the last two years, and the single
singing bird we had was right by the bathrooms along the riverbank. A stonker,
to be sure. Yellow-throated Warblers sang, the river mumbled, and all was right
with the world. Dallas and Brad Hart have done a great job at Nealâs,
increasing the birder-friendly access with signage, well-maintained feeding
stations, and continuation of the bird sightings log in the office. Our brief
stop at the Cattle Guard feeding station brought Lincoln âs Sparrow, Lesser
Goldfinch, Nashville Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, and a calling Inca Dove.
Well done.
When you visit, ask about locations for Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped
Vireo. Be sure to get proper information about access to the area across the
Frio , which does not belong to Nealâs. I did hear one Golden-cheeked on
Nealâs property, but Iâll allow the management at Nealâs to divulge that
location. Dallas Hart is opening a new location with birding access, the Leakey
Inn, so look for that, too. Every Texas birder should visit Nealâs at some
point. Itâs worth the effort to get there.
Next, to Lost Maples. Blake and Holly had never been there, so we took the
trail to the ponds. I donât believe that we were out of earshot of
Golden-cheeks during our entire stay at this great State Natural Area.
Additionally, we had visible and singing Louisiana Waterthrushes, Nashvilles,
Blacks and White, Canyon Wren, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Northern Parula , and
other great birds. Again, we were a bit early for some species, but what we got
to see was worth the visit. It was a beautiful Sunday, and the refreshing walk
quickened our pulses, stretched our legs, and broadened our smiles. It was a
great way to end our three-day weekend. The 300 miles home took some extra time
due to backups on I-10, but we had our memories and anecdotes to buoy our
spirits, and soon enough, we were home.
If youâd like any information about species seen, locations, etc., feel free
to contact me off-list.
Steve Gross
NW Houston
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
Other related posts:
- » [texbirds] Spring West Texas Swing (Very Long) - sgross77
