[texbirds] Quintana to Lafitte's yesterday, lots of birds

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:06:39 -0500
I started the day driving the beach down bryan beach. Could only go as far
as where the old berm comes close to the water as the tide was up to that
point. One vehicle was trapped west of there. Tide still coming in. Later
in the morning out near the fishing pier, the water was up to the blue
trash barrels.
The beach was being used by a couple each of merlins and peregrines. Lots
of the usual carbirds, western willets and turnstones. A single snowy
plover was calling on the beach just opposite where they nested a couple of
years ago. A single young of last year lesser black-backed gull flew east.

The dredge spoil lagoon on your right as you come over the bridge was full
and in heavy use. Water was coming in at the west end and several hundred
avocets and wilson's phalaropes were swimming and eating goodies. Gulls and
white pelicans were feeding at the exit pipe which is closer to the bridge.

High tides at the jetty cut back on the number of birds. The tern flock was
about 1/3 each common, sandwich and royal with the others including black
as singles etc. One adult lesser black-backed gull which is my latest or so.

Neotropic had birds with rose-breasted grosbeaks the commonest. Some
warblers and vireos going around with the orioles. A couple of sparrows
remaining with quite a few white-crowns. Xeriscape was much less birdy with
the strong east wind moving people to the west.

The shrike people were hanging fresh provender on the LNG bobwire including
a yellow-breasted chat, rose-breasted grosbeak and mouse.

Wooly bears crossing the road forecast a long and cold winter.

A single male redhead was in one of the little puddles on Quintana and the
hurricane levee lagoon still had several eared grebes and ruddy ducks.

Going east on Follett's Island, I found a flock of 8 red knots mainly gray
just east of entrance 4 and a single piping plover just east of entrance 5.

Treasure Island had the only yellow-rumped warbler of the day. No big gulls
seen from the bridge.

Stopped for the rough-legged hawk and did not see him or any of the other
hawks that have been there for the winter. The fence line in back had the
only big dickcissel flock of the day.

Dos Vacos had a black-billed cuckoo, acadian flycatchers and bay-breasted
warblers. The bay-breasts were out in the short open marsh vegetation
snatching up mosquitoes? from the mud.

Good birds at Lafitte's but the chair/camera brigade kept most people from
seeing much at the big drip. Never moved and refused to move.

Settegast road had warblers flying by (from Lafitte's) to end the day along
with lots of the oriole/grosbeak/bunting people. The only harrier of the
day was around the corner.

Really nice day to be out after the clouds vanished. Too many pictures
again.

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


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[texbirds] Quintana to Lafitte's yesterday, lots of birds

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