[texbirds] Rio Grande Valley Trip, April 24 to May 4, part 1, Lower Valley

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 15:11:10 -0500
I spent 10 days down in the valley. A good trip but missed the migrants I
hoped to see. As noted here many times during the trip, the winds were
impressive with gusts over 50 mph on at least 1 day.

The drought that sort of ended here in Houston has not ended down there.
The narrow coastal strip below Corpus Christi is still in the worst case
drought according to the map I checked when I got home. As you go south
things look about the same until you reach the turn off for Tivoli off 77
where most of the oak trees have much more damage than locally. Rainfall in
the valley appeared to have been spotty. Up around Falcon, it varied field
by field with areas a mile apart having brown or greener grass.

I started birding where the missing picnic table and kiskadee used to exist
but both are long gone. Wandered down to Laguna Atascosa Refuge which was
really dry. The largest wet area on the tour routes etc is the drip and
pool at the building followed by the concrete tank for the alligator. I did
not see a drop of water around the tour loop with the resultant scarcity of
the local birds. A couple of ospreys were still sitting along the Laguna
but there was no edge with the high tide and no shorebirds. Sad place.

Thursday had me greeting the dawn on Padre Island. Sheepshead had a few
migrants, mainly buntings, orioles etc but most left when a garbage truck
loaded garbage 8-10 times in the blocks next to the very small area. The
Convention Center had a young male western tanager along with more
photographers than migrants. Hummers included stray rufous and
black-chinned. A large SUV with camera out the window constantly drove
around the flats next door and chased off almost all the birds. The British
driver would have been arrested if at home but harassing birds when away is
OK.

Went on to Sabal Palm Grove which really has a lot of least grebes. One
change since my last visit was that the Carolina wrens appeared to speak
their normal dialect and not valley talk. There were local talking wrens
further up the river later. The wind kept the birds low but most of the
locals were present.

Friday was Boca Chica day and the windiest day of the trip. Palmito Hill
was one of the highlights of the trip. Saw no aplomado falcons who were not
flying due to the wind. Did have a number of Botteri's sparrows singing all
day. They had a lot of trouble sitting up and actually were blown off
perches but kept trying. Also a large number of cactus wrens but only 1
cassin's sparrow.

The area had the almost highlight of the trip when a reddish all over
ground dove flushed in front of the car and circled around including
banking in the sunlight. Just as it was heading back to the road one and
then a second passing harrier swooped at the dove which hit cover. The
harriers apparently did not catch the dove and it is worth a look if anyone
is out there. I will probably put ruddy ground dove on my list but it is
not reportable for others.

The wires back in the wooded area had lots of singing blue grosbeaks on the
wires and numerous bobwhites calling. The white-tailed hawks were out along
the berm near the dying village but had much trouble with the wind and
headed to the other side of the area. The lagoon had a large drift of spume
piling up along the downwind shore with lots of wilson's phalaropes
swimming and feeding on things in the drift. Surprisingly, short-billed
dowitchers can swim too and were out with the phalaropes and doing well
based on how much they caught.

Went on and did Resaca de la Palma Park which was dry. I had been there
long ago with Irby Davis when the area was a dove hunting club. I did not
recognize anything and the wooded area I seem to remember is not there but
may have been at the end of the short trail that goes to the Resaca behind
the building. Lots of good potential for birds though with more water and
rain.

Lots of green parakeets in Brownsville but I missed the parrots and was
probably too early for roosting birds.

Saturday was back to Padre Island and Sabal Palm. The island had a total of
3 warblers 2 of which were tennessees and the other a black-throated green.
There would have been a few more birds there in the late pm but not on my
schedule. Tried all the aplomado spots with none up in the wind.

Sabal Palm Grove was a little more active and did see the green kingfisher
zip by and even more least grebes seemed out if that is possible.

Sunday I did Cannon Road which is a gem. Actually did it several times.
Then on to Llano Grande State Park which is currently the jewel of the
valley. Clay-colored thrushes, not robins were there and beardless
tyrannulets plus least grebes and a green kingfisher. A bronzed cowbird
destroyed the altamira oriole nest on the wires as we watched. No oriole
tried to protect it so the cowbird had probably been there before. On to
Frontera and many valley regulars but no migrants to speak of.

Lots of green parakeets later in McAllen at McColl and Nolana.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
[texbirds] Rio Grande Valley Trip, April 24 to May 4, part 1, Lower Valley

Other related posts:
