Wow. I can add 46 more from Bastrop Co. this afternoon
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Brush Freeman
503-551-5150 Cell
120 N. Red Bud Trail. Elgin, Tx. 78621
http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
On Sat, Aug 8, 2015 at 11:02 PM, Bird.fried <bird.fried@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Texbirders:
Using Google Earth, Brent Ortego laid out a more extensive Buff-breasted
Sandpiper survey than the one that Brian Berry and I conducted last
Friday. While our survey consisted of 7 points, mainly in Matagorda
County, Brent's survey consisted of 55 points, primarily sod farms in
Matagorda and Wharton counties with a few points in Victoria and Jackson
counties.
Yesterday (Friday), Brent and I ran the survey, splitting this much larger
BBSA survey route east and west with the Colorado River as the divider.
Starting at about 7am and working until about 4pm, we surveyed as many of
the 55 points as possible. Most points that we surveyed paid off with at
least a few birds while some locations did not, now being hay pastures or
in row crop production. A few are locations were private and
inaccessible. The results?
We tallied a very healthy 4612 Buff-breasted Sandpipers on the day with
76% occurring at just 3 fields, each with approximately 1000 birds. Two of
these fields (Bieri Rd and S Citrus Rd) were in Matagorda County and the
third field (on CR 118) was in Wharton County. Though each of these 3
farms was quite large, the birds were concentrated on a small part of the
turf farms, generally the part that was damp from recent irrigation and
usually on Bermuda Grass turf instead of St. Augustine.
Other observations from yesterday are similar to those from last Friday.
-> There are lots of BBSA on the coast, seemingly earlier than usual.
Perhaps, as indicated by Rick Lanctot, the birds are migrating earlier
because of an earlier breeding season in Alaska.
-> Some fields held lots of birds while others held none and some not even
a Killdeer!
-> Very short grass with some moisture seemed key to finding
birds....easier for the birds to find food and get a cool drink at the same
location?
-> The birds also seemed to be more prevalent on the parts of sod farms
with varied substrate like strips of bare dirt where turf had been recently
harvested.
-> BBSA seemed to show a preference for sod farms that were 'not as pretty
and green' nor as well manicured. These field likely have more to eat.
-> We saw a small number of birds on/over recently tilled fields though
the birds definitely seemed to prefer the sod to this habitat.
In addition to an impressive number of BBSA, we also had a respectable 267
Upland Sandpipers and 400 Killdeer with a smattering of Pectorals, Leasts,
Westerns and Long-billed Curlews.
Thanks to Brent for organizing a great day in the field observing
Buff-breasted Sandpipers and learning more about their preferred stop-over
habitats along the Gulf coast!
Good birding!
Bob Friedrichs
Palacios
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