The highlight of the trip back on the 22nd was the return of the eastern
willets with lots of birds proclaiming territory and sitting on their
favorite posts and wires. I usually consider the 20th as the date for their
arrival
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186426
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186425
They were very much sorted by habitat from the western willets which were
on beaches and artificial water edges compared to the eastern birds marsh
habitat. Most of the westerns I saw had not started their molt where all of
the eastern birds had molted much of their plumage. These westerns were on
the texas city dike
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186424
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186423
Other than one loon, the only water birds seen on the dike were the
red-breasted mergansers, all but 1 male
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186420
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186419
Crab street in Surfside had many yellowlegs of both species
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186410
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186408
And the indian paintbrush was in bloom everywhere
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186398
The lagoon down at Bryan beach has many ruddy ducks
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186397
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186396
And the adult lesser black-backed gulls were almost the most common gull
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186394
At home, the male barred owl keeps to cover so all the pictures are through
vegetation
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186390
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186392
Most of the time I cannot even find him while he does his mid-day hoots
with his wife across the bayou.
A week earlier I found a preening bald eagle on the wires next to the
intercoastal bridge north of high island
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172130
It was preening one feather at a time
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172133
The tail still has some smudge which will be all white on the next molt
He perked when a line of small groups of little blue and tricolored herons
approached
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172135
And left after a group of little blues who saw him too. Both got a good
ways off to the west when all landed and no one came up. Too far to see
what happened down in the march vegetation.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172137
More lesser yellowlegs
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172047
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172044
A northern harrier was hunting next to the oyster bayou tract at Anahuac
Refuge
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172033
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172036
And the merlin was on its usual stretch of fence posts
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165172031
After the general exodus of wintering butter-butted warblers about the only
bird seen was the cape may warbler at Lafitte's Cove
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186422
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165186421
But the good south winds should be bringing in lots of migrants but without
the rain over the gulf, they will mainly go further inland except for the
nesting birds and a few migrants.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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