[texbirds] Anahuac to Nassau Bay today

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2013 19:21:28 -0600
Started out in clear weather and about at Cove, the fog started closing in
and it was rather dark all the way around shoveler pond at sunrise and then
cleared a little down at the bay and then more fog. Dead calm early which
let the mosquitoes get up a active and then a good breeze that put them
down. Many of the birds went down too.
Almost no geese and thus no eagles around the refuge. There were lots way
back to the northeast of the corner on 1986 and Pear Orchard road but the
few at Anahuac all bombed my car when they loomed over me out of the mist.

Many fewer ducks around than a week ago but the large number of fulvous
whistling ducks was amazing. Several years ago a single bird in Hermann
Park was notable during the winter but the first trip around shoveler pond
had over 100 counted in the fog which hid all the berms and the second trip
had over 200 counted. Never saw numbers like this in winter ever. They were
scattered all over in groups of 10-30 and they were going back and forth
with lots of calling all the time. There is lots of duck droppings on the
asphalt which is the fulvous and black-bellied whistling ducks who roost on
the pavement at night.

Big influx of eagle food in shoveler pond which are also known as
ivory-billed gallinules. Many common gallinules too. Lots of sedge wrens,
swamp sparrows etc were calling but did not get up in the fog. Missed the
vermilion flycatchers here but had 2 at Skillern.

The land birds of the day were the tremendous number of sedge wrens. I
could stop almost anywhere and squeak up a couple but down along the bay
shore, squeaking would have a dozen per stop joined by swamp and seaside
sparrows. Some came right up on the pavement. Most were a little soggy and
even would shed water drops when they flew.

Hawks were sitting up drying too. Had 3 merlins and 3 cooper's hawks in
Anahuac with lots of northern harriers on the fenceposts along with
red-tailed hawks and a red-shouldered hawk. Very few red-tails except in
the refuge and the tame krider's is still down by frozen point. Had another
merlin on Retillon Road.

The tide was way out at Rollover Pass and fishermen were wading out where
the birds like to linger. Some dowitchers were pulling up worms several
inches long. Not many feeding birds. The beach in Crystal Beach only had a
few of the large gulls but my FOF Bonaparte's gulls were there (3). Could
not drive all the way to the flats as a couple of cuts were still running
deeper water. One dead common loon on the beach appeared in good health and
plumage.

Yacht Basin Road had some long-billed curlews and a couple of things. Bob
road was sort of birdless except for a late scissor-tailed flycatcher.
Frenchtown Road had no birds and the improved shoulders have no cover for
the rails and cannot be trusted to park. The ferry ride only had laughing
gulls and a couple of pelicans following.

Could not find the tropical kingbirds on Pelican Island in the wind. Very
little on the Texas City Dike. If one likes such things many were enjoying
the spectacle of those trying to un-ground a stranded fishing boat with a
backhoe.

Ended up at Nassau Bay to try and find the white-winged scoter. Several
scans had zilch and others had not found it either. Then it popped up? at
the end of the scaup flock, flapped its wings and vanished. It popped up
one more time and could be point at for others and it vanished again. How
does such a big bird disappear.

Maybe the same way that redheads appeared in the scaup, First one, then 2
and finally 3. Also a ring-necked male, several ruddy ducks and shovelers.
Among the tame birds is a ross's goose with one bad wing. If photographed
from the good side it will look well. It is really bullied by the coots and
various mallard ilks. An osprey overhead was nice.

Nice day. Could use the fog to id birds as silhouettes in the murk or by
call.


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[texbirds] Anahuac to Nassau Bay today

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