[texbirds] Highlights from Starr and Zapata Counties

From: Jay Packer <jay@xxxxxx>
To: Texbirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2013 16:36:12 -0600
My wife and I just got back from a big trip to the lower Texas coast and
valley over the last week. January 2nd and 3rd, we birded sites in Starr
and Zapata Counties. Some of the best birds (which I presume are rare or
unexpected) that stood out in my mind included:
- Wood Duck
- Tricolored Heron
- Reddish Egret
- Common Tern
- Tree Swallow
- Summer Tanager

Read below for details and other interesting birds.

1/2/13 - Saliñeno, Starr County

- Northern Bobwhite
- Tricolored Heron
- Tree Swallow

1/2/13 - Mangus Lake

- 5 species of duck - Gadwall, Redhead, Bufflehead, American Wigeon, and
Ruddy Duck
- Greater Yellowlegs

1/2/13 - Falcon SP, Zapata County

- Eared Grebe
- Snowy Egret
- American Coot
- Laughing Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Common Tern - got an excellent look through the scope. I was very
surprised to see this species in large numbers (perhaps 10 birds) and not
Forster's Tern.
- Hermit Thrush

1/2/13 - Falcon SP, Starr County

- Northern Bobwhite
- Eared Grebe
- Common Tern
- Hermit Thrush

1/3/13 - Hwy 83 west of Rio Grande City, Starr County

- Greater White-fronted Goose - large flock of about 250 birds

1/3/13 - Saliñeno, Starr County
- Gray Hawk
- White-eyed Vireo
- Blue-headed Vireo
- American Pipit
- Summer Tanager, female
- 3 orioles - Altamira, Audubon's, and Hooded coming into the feeders and
oranges.

1/3/13 - Falcon SP, Starr County

- Common Tern as many as 25 birds
- Forster's Tern - after looking hard, we found a single bird we were
confident was a Forster's and not a Common.
- Reddish Egret - likely a younger bird that recently molted but still
retained some juvenile feathers. Flew in close and offered a prolonged look
through the scope

1/3/13 - Zapata, TX, Zapata County

- Merlin - on a tower above the Diary Queen.
- House Finch - whether just back luck or something else, these two birds
were the only House Finches we saw in an entire week on the lower coast and
in the valley.

1/3/13 - Zapata Library / City Park, Zapata County

- Wood Duck - male (quite vocal after being disturbed)
- Lesser Scaup
- Common Gallinule (still having trouble getting used to this name)
- Marsh Wren
- Common Yellowthroat

All in all, it was a very fun, cold, and wet couple of days up river.

--
Jay Packer
(sent from my phone)

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[texbirds] Highlights from Starr and Zapata Counties

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