[texbirds] Results of sabine connecticut warbler census, shorebirds and lingering migrants, fish crow too

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 12 May 2013 19:37:45 -0500
I spent most of today in sabine woods and up and down the coast from the
jetty road down into the wildlife refuge.
Results of the census were a little better than last years which resulted
in zero connecticut warblers. This year I had at least 4 birds moving in
deep undergrowth which could not be identified which would give a result of
slightly above zero but not by much.

Not too many birds around with female bay-breasts and northern
waterthrushes the common warblers. Swainson's the common thrush, catbirds
etc. Sort of the past few weeks written smaller.

When I first passed the woods on the way down to the beach there were no
cars parked. Later that went up to a total of 5 at the peak.

The area has had really good rain and high water with a couple of trails
flooded and lots of pools along the road being used by shorebirds, soras
etc. The commonest shorebird of the day was wilson's phalarope followed by
lesser yellowlegs and white-rumped sandpipers inland and the usual
sanderlings, turnstones etc on the beach at McFaddin. The tide was high and
not much room to drive. I could not access the state park beach due to high
water which had shorebirds. Backridge road also had lots of shorebirds.

Lots of rats along the highway as well as an influx of savannah sparrows.
Maybe new critters or moved to the road by the water. A coyote had a large
rat alongside the road at Texas Point. Looked at lots of nighthawks and all
were booming birds and not trilling. Lots of courtship chases and booming
too.

Early in the am there was a western kingbird at the state park where the
boat building used to be and the fence in McFadding past the buildings but
were not there later.

A couple of mississippi kites were overhead in the town of sabine pass. One
broad-winged hawk over Winnie.

I cover much of pleasure island without too much luck but had my first fish
crow for the area in a couple of years. it flew behind the car on the one
way road in the park just north of the bridge and I never saw it again. Not
begging from picnic people or out on the dike scrounging catfish etc.

One the way home one field about half way between port arthur and winnie
had lots of dark ibis feeding in what appeared to be fairly dense
vegetation a fair ways back from the road. Checking the "vegetation", it
turned out to be several thousand smaller shorebirds of dunlin, stilt
sandpiper size sort of. No large birds among them but they were way back.
Checked other fields but did not have any luck finding anything.

My personal forecast of birds to be seen today was for many more birds. Had
some clouds and there was rain on radar south of sabine but it had no
effect on birds overnight or before I left for the day.

Had my first deer and horseflies for the year in one patch of the woods and
enough mosquitoes to get some spray again for the first time this spring.
Counted 4 different species of mosquito biting but no salt marsh critters
yet but the recent rains will take care of that.

Male cooper's hawk at home was up soaring and the barred owls have moved
from the nest area and multiple birds are calling now. Chickadees, titmice
and downy woodpeckers are all busy feeding noisy youngsters.

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


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[texbirds] Results of sabine connecticut warbler census, shorebirds and lingering migrants, fish crow too

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