I spent last Thursday looking around Galveston Island for shorebirds and
hopefully some young of the year marsh birds. Had no babies yet but the
lingering shorebirds were fun
White rumped sandpipers were the common peep on the island
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501791
Their white-footed mouse like squeak note is very different from the other
peeps and shorebirds in the flocks
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501796
Many appear to not like others and there is a good bit of chasing and
posturing
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501787
they can be long-necked and also somewhat pectoral like in that there is a
vest and warty growth at the base of the bill as well as color on the base
of the bill
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501786
Several hundred American avocets remain from the wintering flocks of
thousands
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501769
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501771
Most were in breeding plumage and there was some courtship, bowing and
calling
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501774
This bird was in process of chasing a short-billed dowitchers. It
continually chased dowitchers but ignored black-necked stilts and western
willets in the same area.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501776
And one of the victims
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501752
Note the western willets have thinner, uncolored bills than the eastern
birds. They are bigger but not as rounded in the body
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501756
These non-nesters have no sign of breeding plumage unlike all of the
eastern birds nearby. They usually ignore the other species
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501758
A Wilson's plover had one marking black band; a bird marked on Bolivar had
a red band
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501759
Snowy plovers had a chick that ran very fast and hid well
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501755
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501753
All of the sanderlings were very white without any of the rusty breeding
plumage
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501749
Red-winged blackbirds are still displaying
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501736
A young crested caracara repeatedly hunted over the marked least tern area
and may be partially responsible for the small number of terns
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501733
It heard something down under the log
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501735
The royal terns are rapidly losing their breeding head feathers
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501729
But some still have good crests. There was no sign of courtship or fish
bringing among the flocks
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501727
And no reddish beaked birds.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501726
I only saw one black tern all day and only a couple of summering common
terns. Apparently the usual summer flock is elsewhere this year. Maybe all
the fresh water coming into the bay has moved the food fish elsewhere as
well as ruining the oyster harvest. However, there were lots of large
shrimp all along the ship channel.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501714
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501709
The commons did show their carpal bar well
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501711
Laughing gulls have generally lost their red bills
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501708
And otherwise commented on the photographer
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501707
There was more contact and discussions between the sandwich terns
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501705
And a couple of yellow-crowned night herons were walking around in the
least tern area looking for food
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163501704
Great day out on the island.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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