[texbirds] Port O'Connor-Port Lavaca , Brewster's Warbler, Bobolinks etc.

From: Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <Texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:49:26 -0500

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Started calm then to ~10mph S. and Clear....This was my best morning in
April to date in terms of FOY birds and with finally a decent number of
warblers! Several birds signal the beginning of peak migration including a
few empids. Did my usual walkabout and was beside myself with finally
seeing warblers that I did not have to bust a gut for. I did not keep
track of how many species, but it was on up there....By far my personal
best was a "Brewster" Warbler in side-by-side tasseling pecans with 7 other
species of warblers plus some vireos, buntings and tanagers ...A
Golden-winged elsewhere was my other favorite of the morning and there were
3-4 Magnolias, Blackburians etc. It has been a very long time since I
have seen a "Brewsters" and it took me sometime to realize what it was. By
now have pretty much finished with the expected warblers except for Cape
May, Mourning, Black-throated Blue. "Brewster's" being my favorite warbler
of the month closely followed by the Tropical Parula.
There were 5-6 Common Nighthawks working the streets of my patch also
FOY birds. I counted 13 male R.B. Grosbeaks in a single mulberry and the
tanagers and buntings I try to ignore were it not for a need of a Western,
Hepatic, Flame-colored etc. Tanager or out of range Varied Bunting that I
am hoping for. Thrushes present but not in quantity.

So after hearing of this "glorious" flooded rice field I drove up there
around 10A...Indeed it was teeming with several thousands of birds but I
was looking directly into the sun at it from the road....Still I saw a
pretty full complement of maybe 20-21 shorebird species including many
godwits and a small group of White-rumped sandies. Many dark ibis and 3 of
the closer ones were adult Glossies....Hundreds perhaps of Franklins Gulls
etc. etc.

But while all those are fun, my very favorite was a flock of Bobolinks on
the dike at the south end of the north field...I just like these birds a
lot and they are not that easy to get in the county. There were some
Dickcissels nearby as well as at least 3 Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

These fields are on the north end of 1289 about 2/10s mile south of 238
and on the east side. They are filling the fields now so the water levels
might be a bit deep for smaller shorebirds for a couple of days as it soaks
in but after that it should be great. Scope required, bird from the road,
afternoons will be better with the sun behind or to your right.

I returned to POC and made a second pass thru my patch seeing pretty much
the same birds, Was hoping the "Brewsters" would come in to a closer pecan
for some photos but I did not find it...So now I have a little sprinkler
going under the mulberry in back and can already hear Orchard Orioles.

I reckon another trip out late evening is in the offing.

--
Brush Freeman
361-655-7641 Cell
http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas

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[texbirds] Port O'Connor-Port Lavaca , Brewster's Warbler, Bobolinks etc.

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