[texbirds] Anahuac to Texas City today, ruff, 4 kingbirds on a fence, and warblers in the dark

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 19:41:14 -0500
Started birding at 5:20 while driving out of the neighborhood when several
warblers flew up from my headlights from yard and the gutter. Several more
in a parking lot next to 2nd Baptist made me almost stay home but I knew
that there would be lots more at High Island. Unfortunately not as there
was no fallout there.
The migrant of the day was spotted sandpiper.

The refuge was doing a major burn way back in the refuge. Fires were along
a couple of miles west of Pear Orchard road east to Pear Orchard Road. They
were at least half way down to the bay or intracoastal so there was no
access to see who was coming to feed in the flames. Smoke down to the coast.

Up at the Jenkins road wetland, lots of soras were calling before sunrise.
Going around shoveler pond just after sunrise was a little slow but the
sedge and marsh wrens were singing, all 3 gallinules out etc. No migrants.
Did some roads and had the usual marsh birds. A couple of horned owls
perched up on 521 where they were last fall.

The ruff was out feeding all the time I was there in the wet soil unit.
Quite a few stilt sandpipers were getting amorous but none were in breeding
plumage. Several male Wilson's phalaropes were spinning and there was a
nice mix of solitary sandpipers and lesser yellowlegs mixed with others.
Soras called and walked out in the open.

Going down 1985, there were several flooded fields but there was not a
shorebird bonanza but phalaropes, godwits and whimbrels are fine anytime.
Almost at the end of 1985 and just before you reach 124, there is a corral
on the left and just west of that is a pasture which was used to herd
cattle last week. The cows ate the grass short and there about 75
buff-breasted sandpipers and a few upland sandpipers there.

A few widely scattered birds at high island but a very short list when I
was there. 2 blue-headed vireos are my latest ever were the best birds
there.

Rollover had nice birds with lots of black terns and piping plover D26 who
is lingering a little late. The very strong winds of last weekend brought
some water into yacht basin road which made some whimbrels happy but
totally flooded bob road. Only a little water seeped into Frenchtown road
so there is still great habitat but almost no birds when I was there. Lots
of birds around the bolivar jetty and the flats; I walked out the jetty
most were still way out there at the end of the pavement. No sign of the
black scoter.

Stopped and pelican island and except for kingbirds it was quiet. A short
section of fence had eastern, western, tropical and scissor-tailed
kingbirds lined up in a row. The show did not last as the other tropical
kingbird showed up and showed the western kingbird off. Actually there were
5-6 western kingbirds there.

My jinx for kiskadees which is now up to 32 stops in a row without seeing
one on the Katy Prairie held true on pelican island and I did not see a
kiskadees there today either. Can start a new list.

Went up to the texas city dike and did not find the glaucous gull or much
else. Only a couple dozen laughing gulls and a few more terns. Several
common terns were there and the abundant forster's terns were elsewhere
having probably migrated or decided to raise some kids. No swimming birds
at the dike other than pelicans after a dive and the laughing gulls sitting
on their heads.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


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[texbirds] Anahuac to Texas City today, ruff, 4 kingbirds on a fence, and warblers in the dark

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