Hi Texbirders,
Even before the wind picked up mid morning, the changing weather seemed to
be keeping things quiet ... very different than the past couple of days.
Still a great way to spend the morning! Getting everyone's eyes on a
beautiful Verdin was a good start to the walk. Another highlight was
watching a Spotted Sandpiper bob its way heart-stoppingly close to the beak
of a very large Texas Spiny Soft-shelled Turtle. We weren't sure the turtle
would actually eat a sandpiper but our relief was audible when, just as the
bird got to the turtle, it seemed to sense danger and flew away. A Northern
Beardless Tyrannulet was a life bird for all of our participants ... way
fun to share that!
Guided bird walks leave from the front of the Visitor Center every day at
8:30 am. See you here!
Laura and Steve Paulson
USFWS Volunteers
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Alalmo, Texas
Santa Ana NWR (LTC 059), Hidalgo, Texas, US
Jan 22, 2017 8:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.5 mile(s)
Comments: Sunny. 63-79 degrees. Calm to start; becoming very windy by
mid morning.
55 species
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 25
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) 7
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 30
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 35
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 2
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 1
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 3
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) 2
Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus) 18
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 5
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 1
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 1
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 1
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) 1
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 5
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) 1
Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 24
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 20
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 1
Inca Dove (Columbina inca) 4
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) 5
Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) 1
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) 1
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 4
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) 1
Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) 6
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) 1
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 3 all heard only
Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) 3
Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) 4
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1 heard only
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 3
Long-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre) 1
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 4
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) 8
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 100
Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) 2
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 2
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 2
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/ch
ecklist/S33862770
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
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