[texbirds] Cameron Co. (02/03/13): SPI (Flammulated Owl); SPI jetty (Common Loon); Laguna Vista (4 Whimbrels)
- From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2013 23:24:10 -0600
Today (Sunday, 02/03/13) in the early afternoon we, joined by Patricia
Heirs, first visited the South Padre Island (SPI) Convention Center area in
hopes of having another visit with the FLAMMULATED OWL. Thanks to the
efforts of Scarlet Colley and those who kindly shared set-up scope views of
this owl with her help, we had, at separate times, in good sunlight (albeit
via a small "hole" in dense vegetation), views of the owl's tree-bark-like
underside, the tip of its tail, and part its head, including, at one point,
a partially opened eye.
Next, we visited the beach and adjacent jetty area at SPI in hopes of
finding the Black-legged Kittiwake that seems to visit both that area and
the Boca Chica beach area. Alas, those hopes were not fulfilled, but as a
consolation prize we enjoyed excellent, close-range views of a COMMON LOON,
both in the channel between the jetties and in the surf immediately north of
the north jetty.
Late in the afternoon, on a falling tide, we visited the Bejarano-McFarland
Memorial County Park (with its boardwalk/viewing platform on Laguna Madre)
in Laguna Vista, primarily to find shorebirds. To our surprise and great
delight, we found WHIMBREL (4), a species generally rare during winter until
about mid-March. Other shorebirds there included BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (5, at
least), LONG-BILLED CURLEW (2), DUNLIN (4, at least), WILLET (est. 50),
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (4), RUDDY TURNSTONE (2), LEAST SANDPIPER (est .
10-12), and SANDERLING (3). We believe our good fortune there had lots to do
with the falling tide having created relatively shallow water and, thus,
opportunities for shorebird foraging. These birds appeared inside (i.e., a
bit closer to shore than) the area where the shallow waves were tending to
break on shoals.
Wishing everyone the best of birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen, TX
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
Other related posts:
- » [texbirds] Cameron Co. (02/03/13): SPI (Flammulated Owl); SPI jetty (Common Loon); Laguna Vista (4 Whimbrels) - Rex Stanford
