[texbirds] Local Patch today (plus butterflies) - Calallen (Corpus Christi)

From: Clay Taylor <Clay.Taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013 18:14:54 -0500
Hi all -
My sister is visiting from FL, so after I flew back into CC last night (from a 
frosty-cold New England, bearing 8 live lobsters for Debbie!) we got a late 
start this morning.

Pollywog Ponds at 10am were definitely not as birdy as Jon McIntyre had them, 
as I dipped on the bunting and Scissor-tail.  However, when we reached the 
first big pond, there was a sharp call coming from across it, in the W-SW 
corner.   I could not put a species to the call, but it was definitely not a 
"local".    As we worked our way around the ponds (my first BB Whistling Duck 
of the year, 1 Hooded Merganser, 11 Buffleheads, lots o' grebes of both 
flavors, etc.) there was a Solitary Sandpiper at the Nueces River, and a 
Northern (yellow-shafted) Flicker working the treeline in front of us, and 
finally a Marsh Wren in the cattails.

We got to the area of the "mystery call", but whatever it was had either left 
or shut up.   Dang.   We did get nice looks at the usual woodpeckers, a 
Blue-headed Vireo, and other regulars.   Actually, the best part of the walk 
was the butterflies - over 25 species, including a Goatweed Leafwing (in the 
same place as one a few weeks earlier), and my first Obscure Skipper for 
Pollywog.

Off to Hazel Bazemore County Park, where the big pond viewed from the new 
observation platform in the picnic area was pretty active with ducks and 
shorebirds, but no surprises.   I commented to Sue "I really need to get a 
Cinnamon Teal for the Patch List".   We drove to the SE corner of the park, and 
the Black Phoebe was chipping on the other side of the brush at the river - 
never did see it, but nice to know it is still there.    Cruising the roadway 
along the river, the "tame" Long-billed Curlews let me drive to within 20 feet 
of them, and Sue got full-frame shots with a 300mm zoom lens.   Cool.

As we approached the ponds from the North, Sue said "those three ducks are 
red".    Hot dang - three drake Cinnamon Teal!    Ask and ye shall receive!   
However, that only works once, as the Green Kingfisher did NOT appear upon 
appeal.

So, that added 5 species to the Patch List, for 130 on the year.

When I got home and turned on the laptop, I saw Jon's post about Pollywog 
Ponds, and when I read about the Rusty Blackbird, I did my best Homer Simpson 
"D'oh!!!" - THAT'S what was calling across the pond!    That was never a common 
species back in CT, so my day-to-day familiarity with the call note was really 
rusty (pun intended).   Add another species!


Clay Taylor
TOS Life Member
Calallen (Corpus Christi),  TX
Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



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[texbirds] Local Patch today (plus butterflies) - Calallen (Corpus Christi)

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