For Labor Day, John and I decided to head upriver to check out Salineno and nearby spots, to see what was around. We were happy to have Stephanie Galla, Tiffany Kersten, and Javi Gonzalez join us. We didn't see the hope-for Red-billed Pigeon or Muscovy Duck, but we did see a Wood Duck flying down-river (regional rarity, especially in the summer). We had a 3-oriole morning, despite missing Baltimore and Orchard (migrants often seen in the area). Interesting to see an Audubon's Oriole molting its tail--had a "fork-tailed" look, with older outer tail-feathers and new, shorter inner tail-feathers growing in). Below is the list from Salineno; along FM 2098 we also saw a pair of American Kestrels (again, a regional rarity in summer). 2098 is the road that leads from US 83 toward Falcon Dam and Falcon State Park, of course plenty will come in over the next few months to make the species a common wintering bird. We heard Black-tailed Gnatcatchers in the thorn-scrub at Starr County Park, but saw only Blue-gray there. Falcon State Park was quiet in the mid-day heat, but we got a few "new" species at the Roma Bluffs observation platform on the way home. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <ebird-checklist@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2014 at 7:07 PM Subject: eBird Report - Salineño (LTC 080), Sep 1, 2014 To: txbrush5@xxxxxxxxx Salineño (LTC 080), Starr, US-TX Sep 1, 2014 7:45 AM - 8:30 AM Protocol: Traveling 0.2 mile(s) Comments: sunny and warm, water high--with John Brush, Tiffany Kersten, Javi Gonzalez and Steffany Galla--watched from river parking area and walked up trail to spot near cypress 41 species (+1 other taxa) Wood Duck 1 eclipse (non-breeding) male flying downstream Plain Chachalaca 2 Neotropic Cormorant 4 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 1 Tricolored Heron 1 first-year plumage Green Heron 1 Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 12 Osprey 2 Spotted Sandpiper 3 flying tight flock, calling Least Sandpiper 5 Laughing Gull 2 Common Ground-Dove 1 White-winged Dove 120 Mourning Dove 6 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Green Kingfisher 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Crested Caracara 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 2 Great Kiskadee 2 Couch's Kingbird 5 White-eyed Vireo 1 Green Jay 2 Bank Swallow 3 Barn Swallow 30 Cave Swallow 5 Cliff/Cave Swallow 10 Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 2 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Northern Mockingbird 5 Yellow Warbler 3 Olive Sparrow 3 Northern Cardinal 2 Great-tailed Grackle 12 Hooded Oriole 2 adult male plus probable female--on upstream island Bullock's Oriole 3 Altamira Oriole 1 Audubon's Oriole 3 one pair plus one heard only House Sparrow 4 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19641347 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) 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