[texbirds] Martin Dies State Park (Jasper), Upper Coast overview

From: "Rhandy Helton" <rjhelton@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:40:56 -0500
I visited Martin Dies State Park at Jasper on 4/23 in a.m. I spent my time at 
the Hen House Unit north of H190. This is the best unit. I worked north along 
the park road, stopping occasionally, then to the wooden causeway that 
overlooks the East Logjam. This is a great viewpoint for the upper east side of 
the lake. Not a comprehensive list but some sightings (or heard only) include:
Swainson's Warbler  8 (most heard only as on territory)
Hooded Warbler  12
Prothonotary Warbler 10
Northern Parula  15 at least
Yellow-throated Warbler 4
Kentucky Warbler  3
Red-eyed Vireo  many
Yellow-throated Vireo 5
Also observed 1 Swallow-tailed Kite soaring over trees that line the Neches 
River channel.

 Traveled to Sabine Pass Woods for p.m. birding and BF (BF¾fore Front). Hot, 
mosquitos galore and a few birds---good thrush activity on in shaded east side 
of lot where we observed Swainson's, Wood and Gray-cheeked Thrushes, also 
several Veery. Warbler activity pretty slow. Headed to motel in Winnie. At 4:00 
a.m. awoke to loud thunder, peeked out window and rain coming down in torrents. 
Told birding buddy "this is gonna be the day". On 4/24 (AF¯ter Front) drove 
down roads I always drive through the ricefields including Hwy 65, Doornbus 
Road and then around to S. Pear Orchard Road to FM 1985. These roads are on 
"The Roads of Texas" publication. Most of the fields under cultivation had the 
water drained off of them but their was one good field on Doornbus Road where 
we picked up 2 Hudsonian Godwits as well as other shorebirds. Light conditions 
were not good and it was windy and unbelievably cold for late April. Glad I 
brought a flannel shirt from Junction and hoodie. We looked (but not too hard) 
for Reeve at Skillern Unit of Anahuac Refuge but no luck. Grass was high. 
Headed to Boy Scout Woods late a.m. but it was very slow. Then to Smith Woods 
where it was also slow but better than Boy Scout Woods. It would change at 
5:00p.m.---when waves of Scarlet Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles and 
Red-eyed Vireos started coming in. What a sight. Warblers began to pick up also 
but not like the aforementioned species. 

On 4/25 to Smith Oaks for a great birding until I departed at 1:00 p.m. The 
wind had changed from north, to northeast and then to from almost due east. 
Birds were falling into the woodlot. We observed most all of the warblers being 
seen but did miss Worm-eating and Cerulean that one birder told me she had 
observed near the rookery. We ended up with 23 species of warblers, which 
includes the Swainson's and Yellow-throated at Martin Dies SP. We observed a 
total of 162 species, also great were the 30 or so Red Knots at Bolivar Flats 
and all the expected plovers. 

Rhandy J. Helton
Junction, Tx. 
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[texbirds] Martin Dies State Park (Jasper), Upper Coast overview

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