[texbirds] Anahuac to Texas City yesterday, ducks and shorebirds

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 09:48:26 -0600
I started the day at sunrise on the Anahuac access road. A large hawk that
made me think eagle was headed east directly into the orange half sun and
so did not allow much of a view. Very white bird and it may have been a
ferruginous based on shape etc.
The geese were back on the west side of shoveler pond and maybe even more
than earlier in the winter. But no eagles gave them flying lessons. Many
went out to feed and later in the am the number was way down. Very tame.

Duck numbers in shoveler pond were way down. A single male cinnamon teal
was on the roosting berm that you see way out there almost at then end of
the third (south) leg of the shoveler pond loop. 6 black-bellied whistling
ducks were the only ones of that pair left were on the same berm. Still a
couple of pairs of mallards and pintails but no ruddy ducks. Two young
brown pelicans seemingly in good health did scare ducks and geese a little.

A sharp-shinned hawk has taken up residence in the woodlot and several
cooper's hawks were around the refuge too. One took a gallinule from the
northwest corner of shoveler pond but had to take it off as another
cooper's and a harrier came in for shares.

An otter was resting in the first parking lot on the loop. An American
bittern was just past him and both king and clapper rails were calling.

A flock of snow geese down by the entrance to Anahuac east did have a
couple of eagles. One made a uninterested pass and the other had a very
full crop. The habitat back in the marsh is being improved with the marsh
vegetation knocked down and removed with the area being drained too.

Going down Bolivar, the tide was way out at Rollover pass, up some on the
empty beaches etc. Yacht Basin, Bob and Frenchtown roads were full of water
or dry and not birdy.

Walked way down bolivar flats and there were a good number of small
shorebirds at the end. They saw a hawk or other evil and all took off and
swirled and landed way past the pelican no go zone. A single long-billed
curlew flew in from the area and circled my head screaming as if it had
young; spring must be in the air. Only a couple of banded piping plovers
around.

The dormitory construction has basically closed the A&M tract on pelican
island and there was no sign of the tropical kingbirds or any birds.

I must pick the wrong time, tide or wind to go to the texas city dike as it
was basically birdless. One loon and a couple of unbanded oystercatchers
joined sanderlings, laughing and ring-billed gulls. Pelican numbers way
down but still lots of cormorants. Even fish cleaners did not have many
customers for the scraps they tossed. A snowy egret did well as a result of
the lack of competition.

Got home and the painted bunting is still around.

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


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[texbirds] Anahuac to Texas City yesterday, ducks and shorebirds

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