[texbirds] 31-Jan-13 trip to Highlands and San Jacinto monument areas (long)

  • From: paul sellin <pjsellin@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 06:47:35 -0800 (PST)

Yesterday morning, Thursday, 31-Jan-13, I visited last year’s site for 
Longspurs in the south field (adjacent to Fig Orchard Rd in Highlands, exit 
John Ralston on I-10 East).   I found “do not enter” signs and a 
radically changed landscape with major earth moving equipment present.  
 
I next visited the field on the north end of the “Longspur” field along 
Barbers Hill Rd (across the road from the turf farm being actively harvested). 
 The north field had a couple of Savannah Sparrows and a Yellow-rumped Warbler 
in the trees along the road.  I found no sparrows, no Longspurs, and only a 
couple of Eastern Meadowlarks in the fairly short grass.  In the wet west side 
of that field I flushed 20 Snipe in pairs or individually. Bring boots for the 
north field and to use the wooden plank to cross the water in the NW corner of 
the field.  I photographed an American Bittern walking across the one of the 
two levees on the west side of the field. 
 
Highlands Reservoir has been bisected by a land bridge under active 
construction.  Hundreds of dabbling ducks, and dozens White Pelicans and White 
Ibis were present on the north side.
 
In the afternoon, the San Jacinto Monument area was very quiet with only ten 
Scaup and a couple of Ruddies next to the land bridge, and no birds in the 
recent sighting area for the Long-tailed Duck. The San Jacinto River north of 
I-10 was very quiet in the morning.
 
Other:  This morning, Feb 1, I still have two female Rufous hummers in the 
yard.  They both have been here a month.
 
Paul Sellin
SW Houston 
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  • » [texbirds] 31-Jan-13 trip to Highlands and San Jacinto monument areas (long) - paul sellin
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