Started the day at east beach and there was a good beach for a change. Not
at the jetty but down the channel.
Very few new shorebird arrivals which was unusual but the plovers were
great.
The bird of the day was Wilson's plover with a total of 75 seen. There were
14 birds down the way where some pools had formed. A flock of 42 more flew
in from somewhere around the Lagoon? down there. They lighted for a minute
or two and then left for bolivar flats.
I found the flock which was resting together on the flats but only counted
41 birds. There were 17 more Wilson's there and a couple more on east beach
for a total of 71.
Had 3 piping plover for the first fall birds. One with a yellow flag was
from the upper Mississippi river and 2 unbanded birds.
Willets for the day were interesting. I really counted and surveyed lots of
territory that they like and most were willetless.
Until I got up by high island, all the eastern birds were family groups
that included flying and well feathered young of the year birds. Most roads
and areas I checked had no willets. Anahuac only had a couple. But western
willets are arriving with 18 on bolivar flats. Most of those were still in
full breeding plumage but a couple were rapidly shedding feathers.
The flats still had a gray red knot, breeding plumaged dunlin, 13 marbled
godwits with most having orange beaks, and several whimbrels. All the
sanderlings (40) were non-breeding.
Lots more royal and sandwich terns out on the beach and lots more young
royal terns. No young sandwich terns yet. A couple of least terns still are
thinking about nesting but more than have the least terns are non-breeding
first year birds. Only 7 avocets for the day.
the 2 lesser black-backed gulls continue and 2 herring and 3 ring-billed
gulls all have nice feathers. Have not seen a ratty or bleached gull for
several weeks.
Had 1 of the 3 summering bolivar ospreys but non-gull/shorebirds were hard
to find. One singing horned lark on east beach but none on bolivar after
the high water.
Inland, there is still good fresh water shorebird habitat without any
shorebirds. Shoveler pond at 1pm was really empty of birds other than the
rookery birds bringing food. They were mowing the road to the boat launch
and attracted many cattle egrets and a swainson's hawk. Looked for kites
again heading to I-10 but had none again.
Calendar says lots more shorebirds like least sandpipers should be here but
they are not where I have been.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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