Hello Texbirders,
The day started off foggy and steamy. Birds were calling and singing all
around but they really made us work to get eyes on them. However, patience
paid off and we ended up with wonderful sightings. GREEN KINGFISHERS gave
great looks, as did the MERLINS that were hunting at both Pintail and
Willow Lakes. Simultaneous views of both adult and immature WHITE-TAILED
HAWKS gave good comparison looks of their plumage differences. SORA and
VIRGINIA RAIL were seen side-by-side while MARSH WRENS zipped around the
same area. Perhaps the spot of the day was the flock of NORTHERN BOBWHITES
that crossed Pintail Lakes service road in front of us.
Some non-bird sightings of butterflies, including two beautiful Malachites,
and snakes (a Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake and a Ruthven's Whipsnake) really
rounded out the morning. And again, the delightful birders who joined us
made the morning perfect.
Come join the fun. Walks leave from the Santa Ana Visitor Center at 8:30
am, every day of the week this winter. (Please note that the Visitor Center
is closed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and bird walks and tram
tours are cancelled for the holiday too. The Refuge itself is open through
the holidays, dawn to dusk as usual.
Happy birding,
Laura and Steve Paulson
Santa Ana NWR volunteers
Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059), Hidalgo, Texas, US
Dec 27, 2016 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.1 mile(s)
Comments: Foggy and steamy to start, clearing to hot and humid. Mid 70s
to mid 80s.
76 species (+2 other taxa)
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 1
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) 5
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 30
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 50
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 3
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 25
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 5
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) 20
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 10
Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus) 18
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 3
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 1
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 30 circling high
overhead
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 2
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 2
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) 12
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) 3
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 14
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1
Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) 2
White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) 2
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) 1
Sora (Porzana carolina) 5
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 10
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 25
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 20
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 20
peep sp. (Calidris sp. (peep sp.)) 1
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) 40
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 2
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 25
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 8
Inca Dove (Columbina inca) 4
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) 5
Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) 2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1 heard only
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) 4
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) 4
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) 8
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) 2
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2 one at Pintail Lakes, one at
Willow Lakes
Merlin (Falco columbarius) 2 one at Pintail Lakes, one at Willow Lakes
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 2 Seen flying high overhead and
interacting with each other. Watched one dive on the other. Size difference
apparent so possibly male and female.
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) 1 heard only
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 7
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) 1 young male
Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) 12
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 6 Eyes on one, others heard only
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) 1
Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 4
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 1
Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) 2
swallow sp. (Hirundinidae sp.) 20
Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) 6
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps) 1 heard only
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 4 one seen, others heard
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 3
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 3 heard only
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 3
Long-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre) 4 heard only, calling and
singing
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 2
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) 1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 3
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 5
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 5 Males were singing today!
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 10
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 4
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) 20
Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) 4
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/
checklist/S33230642
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