[texbirds] Sunday (07/14/13) Cameron Co.: Hwy. 4 + Laguna Atascosa NWR
- From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:06:27 -0500
Yesterday (Sunday, 07/14/13) we birded TX-4 (Boca Chica Blvd.) from
Brownsville to the gulf beach, plus Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
(LANWR), birding mainly the Bayside Wildlife Drive (BWD, a one-way 13-mile
loop drive; total of 15 miles, roundtrip, including the access road).
HWY. 4 FROM BROWNVILLE TO BEACH: The shallow bay south of TX-4 (Boca Chica
Blvd.) this time continued to reek of a very unsavory odor, which was
heavily pushed our way by a stiff southeast wind, and we found only a
minimal number of birds of any kind and nothing unusual or of special
interest. We drove to the gulf beach area but, despite what seemed a
favorable tide for some beach driving, we did not venture onto the beach
because (a) it was very busy and potentially good driving areas often were
obstructed by large vehicles, and (b) virtually everywhere, including in
what ordinarily might have been good driving areas, large, heavy vehicles
with large wheels had rutted the sand deeply and extensively, and we were
wary of becoming stuck in our mini-SUV, despite its 4-wheel drive. We
therefore turned about and headed to LANWR.
LANWR: We had come here hoping to find some early shorebird migrants or
anything else of potential interest, hoping, also, that this place, where we
often find some exciting surprises, might turn up something of special
interest. It was shortly before 4:00 PM that we arrived at the Visitor
Center and checked in. Then we headed directly for the Bayside Wildlife
Drive where we spent about two hours in a careful search, often using our
scope, for whatever might be on the bayside shore or out on the water or
even on distant islands. The birding was far less than it sometimes can be
but was somewhat better, in general, than it had been on our previous visit
on July 10. Yesterday, as on July 10, we still found only the same 3
shorebird species. Yesterday their numbers were BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (2),
WILLET (several), and LONG-BILLED CURLEW (1). Despite this disappointing
shorebird contingent, we were somewhat heartened, yesterday, to see a
slightly better turnout by non-shorebird waders than on our most recent
visit. Yesterday's wader species and numbers were, in no particular order:
GREAT-BLUE HERON (2), TRICOLORED HERON (2), GREAT EGRET (4), SNOWY EGRET
(2), and REDDISH EGRET (1, dark morph). The terns were, in order of
numerosity: ROYAL (7), CASPIAN (2), and SANDWICH (1). As for raptors, along
the BWD the showing was poor: OSPREY (1) and CRESTED CARACARA (3). The
raptors we found, though, as we left the refuge more than made up for what
had been lacking on the BWD.
Near the refuge, along FM-106, heading westward late in the day, we found
APLOMADO FALCONS (2) sitting on a utility wire, close together and separated
only by a wooden utility pole, both facing southward with bodies angled
directly into the strong southeast wind. By stopping and proceeding very
quietly--and insuring no door slamming by the stiff wind--I (Rex) moved
toward the rear of our vehicle and got photos of these two. We had stopped
slightly west of these birds, so the late-day sun angle was fairly good, and
I never was, anyhow, tempted to walk eastward for a different angle because
I wished to obviate any possible disturbance. (Another vehicle, proceeding
westward, dashed by while we were there, but these stalwart falcons did not
relinquish their challenge to the wind.) The Aplomados both had remained in
the same location and position during our stay, and they remained there as
we left them. Neither individual, based on my (Rex's) study of the photos,
appears to be fully adult, but one seems well on the way and the other
somewhat less so, but, on the other hand, neither would appear to be a
freshly minted juvenile, based on, for example, their yellow ceres,
eye-rings, and legs. One still would appear to have substantial buff on its
breast and the other, less of it. One shows considerable brownish
color--found in juveniles--on the top side, but the apparently older one,
judged older on other criteria noted above, has, expectedly, less brown on
its top side. Based on the photos, the younger falcon bears a very dark
(gray/black?) ring (i.e., human-applied band) at the base of the tarsus of
its right leg and none on its left leg, but the somewhat older falcon would
appear to bear no ring of any kind on either leg.
We were delayed a bit on our way to dinner by these Aplomado Falcons, but we
enjoyed every minute of that delay, a very exciting way to end an otherwise
none-too-exciting day of very early fall migrating birding. It affirms our
long-established belief that a trip to LANWR, even when, upon occasion, it
supplies an otherwise lackluster day of birding, can provide some truly
exciting surprises!
Wishing everyone exciting fall migration birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen, TX
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