[texbirds] Anahuac and Smith Point today
- From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 16:50:13 -0500
I spent the morning wandering Anahuac wildlife refuge and ended the trip
with a swing through Smith Point.
The area missed most or all of the recent rain and almost all of my little
puddles etc are bone dry. The pond that than have shorebirds on the way to
Smith point is dry and the grass that started to grow there died. Lots more
dead trees around smith point. The large marshy area on the way down to
frozen point is completely dry.
Shoveler pond though looks great as does part of the marsh although some
areas are starting to brown.
Nothing really exciting for the day. Lots of birds still singing; orchard
oriole, marsh wren, dickcissel and least bittern. There has been an influx
of wood storks since my last trip. Singles and small groups were passing
over or feeding in the remaining puddles with the largest group being 18.
When I first arrived there were quite a few black, forster's and
gull-billed terns feeding over the open water in shoveler pond. The last 2
were taking food to young.
Several broods of black-bellied whistling ducks were about and the peeping
of gallinule chicks was the dominant sound from the marsh. Black-necked
stilts have more chicks as do the willets and clapper rails. The killdeer
nest had a large accident over the last couple of days.
The only shorebird was a single lesser yellowlegs overhead.
Smith point was quiet with no hawks overhead. The shell mound has been
returned to the oyster reefs and the area only had a single oystercatcher
and killdeer. A large flock of sandwich terns without chicks was flushed by
a boat coming into the dock. There are really lots of brown pelicans
sitting on all lumps and islets along with 2 badly plumaged white pelicans.
No frigatebirds.
Hardly a soul seen in several hours of wandering the refuge which made it a
great day.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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