[texbirds] Re: Yesterday (05/07/12) Weaver Road (Cameron Co.): sod field shor...

From: MiriamEagl@xxxxxxx
To: calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 08:22:35 -0400 (EDT)
Hi, all!
 
Rex is right in that Weaver Road is not signed from FM 800; an easier way  
to get directly to the sod farm is from Rangerville Road:  if you're headed  
south on Rangerville from the exit on 77, you'll want to turn right on 
Jimenez  Road.  This is just north of the access to Las Palomas WMA, so if you 
get  to those nifty little resacas on either side of the road, you've gone a 
mite too  far!  Since I normally don't come in this way (I approach the 
farms the way  Rex describes, as this is part of the "Cannon Road Loop" that I 
periodically  do), I THINK Weaver Road will be the first road to the right 
that you come to,  almost a mile down the road, and it IS signed at that 
point.  You don't  have to go far to hit the sod farms.
 
Hope this helps!  Oh, after these recent rains, beware of Weaver Road,  
however, as it is slick as snot when it's wet (I almost got stuck once)...you  
may want to park on a dry road and walk up the road a piece...
 
MB
 
 
Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 



In a message dated 5/8/2012 11:08:02 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Please  start sending your posts to texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yesterday (Monday,  05/07/12), following up on Sunday's (05/06/12) TEXBIRDS
report by Mary Beth  Stowe (and her web account), we visited the sod fields
on the west side of  Weaver Road (Cameron Co.). This dirt road is accessible
from FM-800, just  as one, heading east on 800, comes to a slight left turn
in 800 (or,  heading west, as 800 makes a slight right turn). One easily
could miss the  turn onto this small dirt road, but its entrance is on the
south side of  800 at the bend just mentioned and is immediately west of a
fenced  property. Despite our best efforts, we saw no signage for this road
in  either direction on 800 (but we might have missed something). Turning
south  onto Weaver Road one continues, fairly soon, through a "dog leg"
(left,  then right) turn after which the sod fields will shortly  be on  
one's
right.

Yesterday we found on these fields an estimated 200  BUFF-BREASTED 
SANDPIPERS
along the sod-field stretch of this road. At one  time the main 
Buff-breasted
flock--and all the other shorebirds there (see  below)--were set into flight
by something not noticed by us, and the  "buffies" were together as a group
in flight, providing a fairly easy way  of estimating the flock size by
counting a typical area of it and  multiplying by the number of times that
quantity seemed to be represented  in the entire flock.  These birds foraged
in widely spread small  groups or singly. Most, perhaps all, of them,
subsequent to taking flight,  returned to an area of the sod field a bit
farther south.

In the  same field we found, also, an estimated 60-65 foraging WILSON'S
PHALAROPES,  but they did not seem to be finding sufficient of the food
and/or foraging  environment they desired. (We inferred this from the fact
that although  some of their number were constantly feeding, a large central
group tended  to stand in the grass rather close to one another, largely 
just
looking  about a good bit. We surmised that they might not have been very
happy with  the absence of water--or, any substantial water, at least so far
as we  could see--and the absence, therefore, both of some of their 
preferred
food  items and method of finding them (i.e., spinning in water). This
impression  seemed to us to be confirmed when seemingly all the shorebirds 
on
the  immediate field took flight in response to some unseen cause.  The
phalaropes circled about for a very few minutes as a separate group and  
then
headed away from the field. Although a flock--presumably the same  flock--of
phalaropes appeared overhead some time later, they flew on and  did not land
in the field. This was a saddening scenario for us because  these birds
appeared to be having a hard time finding the water and related  food that
they most desired.

Additionally, we found on this field  BAIRD'S SANDPIPER (1), WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER (3), and GREATER YELLOWLEGS  (2).

We would encourage potential visitors to this site to remember  that these
fields are private property and that Weaver Road, which has farm  fields on
both sides, often is used by farm personnel and by farm-related  implements
(e.g., tractors). Courtesy and friendly consideration therefore  are in
order, including recognition that entry onto the fields for any  purpose by
any means is to be avoided in respect (a) of private property,  (b) of any
birds present trying to meet their needs for continuing  migration, and (c)
the interests of other birders who might not be treated  well if visiting
birders do not respect the rights of the property owners  and their workers.
We stayed on Weaver Road, not entering any of the small  side roads into the
fields, and we strongly urge other birders to do the  same. Being on those
narrow roads could create problems for access by  farm-related vehicles and
implements and for oneself if one were blocking  the way.

We shortly also will post a TEXBIRDS notice of our finds on  South Padre
Island yesterday (05/07/12).

Best wishes to all for  continued rewarding spring-migration birding,
Rex and Birgit  Stanford
McAllen, TX

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[texbirds] Re: Yesterday (05/07/12) Weaver Road (Cameron Co.): sod field shor...

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