[texbirds] Quintana to Galveston yesterday, Redstart, bonaparte's gull and other stuff

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:18:28 -0600
I spent yesterday wandering along the coast from Brazos Mouth to 61st
street on Galveston. The beaches were great to drive but not real birdy
when I was there.
A note if you go down to Brazos Mouth and the tide starts in. You could get
trapped by all of the debris extending down into the lower water area. All
the debris and vegetation makes it hard to find resting small plovers if
they are not feeding as there is so much cover for them to hide behind.

Lots of ospreys, red-tailed hawks and american kestrels along the coast.
Batches of gulls but not many terns.

Going down to Brazos Mouth a group of 3 lesser black-backed gulls were near
the do not anchor sign just past the berm. Another was near the pier out
from Neotropic, another west from there and a third near entry 5 on
Follet's Island
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599076

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599075

The west lagoon at Bryan Beach is about dry but did have a good flock of
both dowitchers and dunlin. Here a short-bill
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599077

Most flushed and left when a peregrine flew in an landed on the sand to the
west. Many sanderlings on the beach.

The jetty had a good mix of shorebirds whereever there was green algae
including sanderling, turnstone, willet and least sandpipers. A single
bonaparte's gull was feeding along the edge but moved much faster than me.
It stopped for a second
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599079

Before moving on
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599081

A female plumaged vermilion flycatcher was in the brush near the berm on
the road to the alternate entrance to Bryan Beach near the phone company
facility.

Neotropic had 5 species of warblers including an american redstart
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599103

Cardinals like the area
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599096

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599094

And the red-tailed hawk in residence likes the rats. goldfinches were
overhead and Xeriscape also had pine siskins. Several species of sparrows
at Xeriscape including singing song sparrows. Lots of lincoln's sparrows
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599100

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599099

The hurricane levee north of Quintana had great ducks and grebes with more
birds than in many years. Lots of stuff to scan for goodies.

I dug out a single nelson's sparrow on Crab Street in Surfside before the
dog watchers ended that. Hooded mergansers on the hurricane levee there.

Lafitte's Cove had the continuing female ladder-backed woodpecker
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/147599092

And a single black-chinned hummingbird with no one to chase.

The mosquito ranch on Sportsman's Road had 1 oystercatcher with no band
along with a few other birds. Several homes under construction so lots of
dump trucks and cement trucks to run off the birds from the area. One loon
out in the bay but no ducks or oystercatchers near the reefs. No loons on
61st street but lots of boat traffic.

Great day out as usual when there are birds to be seen.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


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[texbirds] Quintana to Galveston yesterday, Redstart, bonaparte's gull and other stuff

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