[texbirds] Birding 10/31/14 in S. Willacy (return of Peregrine Falcon) and E. Cameron Co.'s (TX-48 boat launch)
- From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2014 13:33:27 -0500
Yesterday (Friday, 10/31/14) we first birded the area in southern Willacy
County from the juncture of CR 375 (Primrose Rd.) with FM 1018 at the tall
off-white water tower and northward ca. 1.5 mi. on CR 375 from that
junction. This is the area that at roughly the same time last year had
provided both the seemingly annual "winter" appearance of a Peregrine Falcon
(often sitting on the railing of the catwalk around the water-containing
structure) and a Prairie Falcon a bit north of there on the crossbars of
various utility poles on the east side of CR 375. Yesterday we, once again,
found a PEREGRINE FALCON, vigilant and seemingly doing a visual scan from
its usual catwalk railing, but, despite a careful search on CR 375, we found
no Prairie Falcon. Perhaps the Prairie Falcon will appear later in that
area, or perhaps it simply was present but "out to lunch." As we returned to
near FM 1018 from our search for the Prairie Falcon along CR 375, the
Peregrine Falcon was seen taking off from the water tower, but it could not
be re-sighted during our brief search afterward. Those wishing to find it
may have to exercise some patience and vigilance. (If there is a substantial
wind--and the local power windmills will let you know, if you don't
already--do not forget to give special attention to the side of the water
tower that is downwind.) In previous years the Peregrine often could be seen
in flight across, especially, the fields immediately north of the tower.
AMERICAN KESTREL was seemingly everywhere along CR 375 and FM 1018, common,
but fun to see, whether sitting or foraging.
Twice during the day--early mid-afternoon and late day--we briefly stopped
by the Port Isabel Reservoir (west side of Holly Beach Road northwest of
Laguna Vista) and, viewing only from Holly Beach Road, noted that, not
surprisingly given the recent heavy rains, the water level was very high,
and we found, depending on the visit time, from zero to very few birds on
the water as viewed from Holly Beach Road. A line of dark birds very far
back from the fence poles in the reservoir probably were cormorants, but the
area, due to the high water and apparent near absence of shorebirds and
waders, promised little, if anything, of interest, and we did not explore
farther.
Our mid-to-late afternoon stop was at the TX-58 boat launch area, which we
were pleased to see had almost no other visitors than several hundred birds
mainly parked on the substrate, largely to the north/northwest of the
parking area, but a few were spread about widely. The shorebirds were
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (1), GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1), WILLET (est. 140-150,
possibly more), MARBLED GODWIT (5), SANDERLING (1), and LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER (1). This Long-billed Dowitcher evinced considerable
still-quite-crisp juvenile plumage, a surprise because most of the juvenile
plumage of this species typically is molted and replaced by basic plumage by
this time. We are sure this bird was a Long-billed, so we suspect it might
have been a late arrival during the breeding season. The most numerous avian
species present was LAUGHING GULL, uncounted, but surely hundreds. A number
of BLACK SKIMMERS were evident amongst the large numbers of gulls and terns.
Present, also, were FOSTER'S TERN (est. 55-60), CASPIAN TERN (est. 20-24),
and ROYAL TERN (1).
On our homeward-bound journey 10 OSPREY were found sitting atop wooden
utility poles along FM 510 between Laguna Vista and its juncture with Buena
Vista Road, which in our experience is a somewhat exceptional number. This
stretch of highway yesterday was, by contrast, lacking its usual substantial
supply of HARRIS'S HAWKS, for we found only one. Perhaps they were out that
Halloween evening doing the Harris's Hawk version of trick-or-treat,
something called "trick-a-treat."
Wishing everyone great birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen, TX
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