On this past Friday (07/28/16) I joined Erik Breden for a long day of
birding. Here I will list the highlight species of each site visited (in
order of visitation) and occasionally will provide commentary. I was the
recorder for this trip and will, for each site visited, note here its
highlight species and provide a count or a numerical estimate for each
listed species at each site. I offer my apologies for the late report.
PROGRESO SOD FIELD AREA: We birded the north/south traversal road between
Baker Road and US-281 from 11:15 â 11:40 AM. The sun was high and hot, the
former made for glare-ridden views of birds illuminated mainly from the top
and with heavily shadowed undersides, and the heat-created convection (heat
waves) made difficult the study of the birds with high magnification via
zoom scope. These difficulties in birding this site were compounded by
substantially high grass that often blocked good views of avian legs and
might have obstructed the view some of the smaller birds present. In any
event, the only shorebird species that we could find were: BLACK-NECKED
STILT (6); LESSER YELLOWLEGS (an estimated 20); and LEAST SANDPIPER (4,
possibly 5, based on seeing them as a group in flight that dropped down
into tall grass). Much of the area seemed, on various accounts, presently
unsuitable for the needs of the fall migration of grass-loving shorebirds.
These three shorebird species were, not surprisingly, seen in the only area
that we could see that had some visible water.
WEAVER ROAD SOD FIELDS (ca. 12:10 â 12:40 PM) : These fields looked to be
in better shape for future fall shorebirding than did the Progreso sod
fields, but yesterday our only shorebird species for the entire stretch was
KILLDEER (10). The fields here were reasonably green and grassy. Given the
distribution of birds (i.e., far back from the road), we suspect that those
distant fields might have had some standing water. Given the basically good
condition of these fields, if there should be some irrigation closer to the
road, birders might be in for a shorebird treat. Please remember, as
always, not to leave Weaver Road, making sure that one does not venture
onto the private roads that go into the fields and making sure to stop
where oneâs vehicle would not obstruct the passage of other vehicles,
including farm-related ones. The same considerations of course apply also
to birding other farm-field areas.
TIDAL ESTUARY SOUTH OF TX-4 (ca. 2:30 â 2:45 PM): A few miles west of this
area a SPOTTED SANDPIPER graced a watery road-side ditch. Arriving at the
estuary, we were delighted to find that it held substantial water, to our
surprise given this extended summer heat, and we did not encounter the
nauseating stench that sometimes can arise from here when the water level
is low in summer. We attempted no counting of what might have been a few
hundred shorebirds, largely calidris sandpipers spread very widely along
the shoreline in the shallower water fairly close to shore. We were able,
despite bad lighting conditions and the distances involved, to ascertain
the presence of three shorebird species: SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER; WESTERN
SANDPIPER; and STILT SANDPIPER.
BOCA CHICA BEACH FROM TX-4 SOUTH TO RIVER (ca. 3:00 â 4:05 PM): The birds
listed here were found almost exclusively on our southbound drive. To avoid
double-counting birds, no effort was made, during our northbound return (to
the TX-4 terminus), to count species that had been found on our southbound
count. We decided that if a new species appeared as we headed back north
from the river (but south of TX-4), it would be included in our
south-segment list, but I am not sure, in retrospect, that we actually
spotted a new species when we headed back north (but if there was one, it
will be listed here). SHOREBIRDS: Snowy Plover (1); Willet (8); Ruddy
Turnstone (10; based mainly on my count, but incremented somewhat on an
estimate by Erik who felt I missed some because I was busy with doing
independent counting, when possible, and writing down counts); and
Sanderling (9). HERON: Great Blue Heron (3). GULLS: Laughing Gull (not
counted; many); Ring-billed Gull (1); TERNS: Least Tern (3); Black Tern
(1); Caspian Tern (15); and Royal Tern (31). PELICAN: Brown Pelican.
BOCA CHICA BEACH FROM TX-4 NORTH TO SOUTH JETTY (ca. 4:17 â 5:00 PM): The
same count rules were applied here as in the southbound trip. SHOREBIRDS:
Black-bellied Plover (1); Piping Plover (1); Willet (30, estimate; may be
conservative); Ruddy Turnstone (17; based mainly on my count, but
incremented somewhat on an estimate by Erik who felt I missed some because
I was busy with doing independent counting, when possible, and writing down
counts); and Sanderling (21). TERNS: Least Tern (140, by actual count, but
I almost certainly missed some); Black Tern (9); Common Tern (4, adults,
based on additional tern species included in photos taken when I was
photographing a handsome, very dark, Black Tern); I have ruled out
Forsterâs Tern as an ID competitor because: (a) this presumed Common Ternâs
primaries, as an adult, were far too dark for Forsterâs tern; and (b) its
wingtips extended notably past the tail tip, but in Forsterâs Tern the tail
tip frequently extends past the wing tips. These 4 presumed Common Terns
also seemed, by comparison with nearby species, to be a bit too small and
slender for Forsterâs Tern, which is typically about an inch longer and
substantially heavier than Common Tern.
I am very grateful to Erik for driving on this trip, for navigating the
sometimes deep sands of the beach without even a moment of being stuck, for
his usual top-notch spotting, and last, but not least, for his good
company. Wishing everyone the best of fall-migration birding in whatever
habitat in search of whatever species â Rex Stanford (Weslaco).
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
