Hi Griffin -
Ok, the TexBirds mail system does not give me your own e-address to reply to,
so I have to post it to TexBirds in general. Please feel free to contact me
directly.
First question - WHEN are you planning on visiting? So many of the
probabilities change with the seasons.
Next, How long will you be staying in TX?
See my basic notes in your list below, and feel free to e-mail / call me for
more details.
Clay Taylor
(formerly Moodus, CT)
TOS Life Member
Calallen (Corpus Christi) TX
Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
401-965-9064
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On ;
Behalf Of Griffin Richards
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2016 11:16 AM
To: Texbirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [texbirds] Help Planning Trip! - Rio Grande Valley
Apologies in advance for this cumbersome request, but I’d really like some help!
I’m planning a trip to the Rio Grande Valley and areas North/Northeast of there
up to Corpus Christi (and perhaps further north, for the Attwater
Prairie-Chicken refuge), and I’m a little overwhelmed! I live up in New England
so many of the common birds that are around I have never seen and would like
to, in addition to the many regional specialties. I’ve got a long list that I’m
working my way through, but if anyone has any advice on particular places I
should go or things I should know to find any of the birds listed below I’d
really appreciate it. Even just to say you've seen one of these birds at a spot
near your house is helpful to me! And if anyone is headed up to New England I’d
be glad to return the favor!
Thanks!
Griffin
The list! (roughly in order of reported frequency, according to eBird)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - my house
Crested Caracara - my house or nearby
Green Jay - my house
Great Kiskadee- my house
Black-crested Titmouse - my house
Couch’s Kingbird - my house
Long-billed Thrasher - Hazel Bazemore Park or the Valley
Olive Sparrow - Hazel Bazemore Park or the Valley
White-tipped Dove - Hazel Bazemore Park or the Valley
Mottled Duck - winter, everywhere
White-tailed Hawk - Hazel Bazemore Park or the Valley
Least Grebe - Pollywog Ponds or the Valley
Roseate Spoonbill - Tule Lake, Han Suter, South Padre Island
Reddish Egret - everywhere in the Corpus Christi area, South Padre Island
Convention Center
Tropical Kingbird - SPI, Estero Llano Grande, Edinburg Wetlands
Altamira Oriole - Bentsen, Santa Ana, Estero
Ringed Kingfisher - sporadic, but most likely Edinburg Wetlands or Estero
Green Kingfisher - Hazel Bazemore Park or the Valley
Audubon’s Oriole - Salineno area upriver
Plain Chachalaca - any of the Valley refuges
White-collared Seedeater - tough, but best in San Ygnacio or Laredo
Whooping Crane - After November - Rockport area from land, but take the boat
for better looks
Buff-bellied Hummingbird - my yard, Hazel Bazemore, Blucher Park, the Valley
Gray Hawk - Salineno area, maybe Bentsen or Anzalduas
Clay-colored Thrush - all over the Valley
Common Pauraque - Estero Llano Grande
Cassin’s Sparrow - Old Port Isabel Road
Sprague’s Pipit - tricky. Depends on the year, November and later
Cave Swallow - under the highway bridges, even some in winter
Sedge Wren - - Hazel Bazemore Park (abundant) or the Valley
Black-chinned Hummingbird - my yard, Hazel Bazemore, the Valley
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - tougher after November, but always possible
Fulvous Whistling-Duck - Estero Llano Grande
Zone-tailed Hawk - up river Salineno but never predictable
Rufous Hummingbird - my yard, various yards throughout the winter
Mountain Plover - tricky. Need to get the real-time updates after November
Green Parakeet - plenty of sites in the Valley
Le Conte’s Sparrow - tricky, but present. Mustang Island in winter
Groove-billed Ani - present in winter, but very tough to find.
Sandwich Tern - tougher in winter, Mustang Island
Aplomado Falcon - Old Port Isabel Road nesting platforms
Bullock’s Oriole - tough in winter, sporadic in fall migration
Western Tanager - unpredictable
Greater Prairie-Chicken - unless you get VIP access at APC, forget it
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet - Estero, Santa Ana, Anzalduas, Bentsen. Never
predictable away from the breeding season
Tropical Parula - ditto NB-T, adding in Laguna Atascosa
Red-crowned Parrot - 7am at the Casa de Amistad (RGV Festival Hq.) in Harlingen
- they will fly right by you on a squawking mass
Hook-billed Kite - VERY unpredictable. Best shot at Santa Ana, Anzalduas, or
Bentsen at 8:30 - 10:00 am doing their morning flight.
Swainson’s Hawk - should be widespread
Wilson’s Plover - all the beach / marsh flats
Harris’s Sparrow - winter irruptive - feast or famine
Yellow Rail - Anahuac NWR Rail Walks - that's it
Black Rail - even harder to find. Hazel Bazemore Park and Port Aransas Birding
Center, and if you get one go buy a Lottery Ticket immediately before the magic
wears off.
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
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
