I did Bolivar and High Island yesterday and also tried inland but it seemed
to be mostly empty of shorebirds.
The sun rose while I was on the ferry and getting off, there were numbers
of migrants zipping around on Frenchtown road. However when they got up the
wind took them and off they went. Most seemed to be yellow warblers,
dickcissels, buntings etc. The pond was really full and the road still had
a little water on it. Much of the road had been washed over especially
around the new bridge.
Many of the yard in Port Bolivar had large groups of shorebirds in the
puddles. Most were either dowitchers which seemed to keep to themselves and
lesser yellowlegs.
The loop view of the lagoon had no edge but a single male red-breasted
merganser.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147622
Bolivar flats was very nice. However the water had been up in the
vegetation and the favorite spots of some of the Wilson plover pairs had
been washed clean. Lots of least terns around but none were not sitting
next to the water. The group moved from the area of the bollards down to
the end of the rope barrier and only one bird showed any interest in my
head and then not until I was almost back to the car.
There were good numbers of red and gray knots along the edge.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147628
They were eating the little surf clams which were scattered all over the
tidal area.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147626
They ate them whole
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147630
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147631
I thought one was trying to cough up a clamshell ball but it did not come
up. But it was good to see them
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147640
Lots of ruddy turnstones too
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147634
The turnstones were everywhere on the day with lots on all of the roads on
the peninsula as well as in yards
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147635
Black-bellied plovers were mostly in full breeding plumage with lots of
them way down the beach. I left them there as I did not want to put up all
the least terns.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147637
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147636
The dunlin were mainly still in molt without red backs or black bellies.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147639
The further down the beach I went, the more small plovers were out feeding
including semipalmated
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147641
There were a couple of snowy plovers still
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147655
including a well blinged bird
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147644
Piping plovers were the commonest small plovers
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147650
They were eating the usual small worms
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147653
I had no western willets on the beach but a couple of eastern birds were
using the surf to bath
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147646
On the way out, I had my first singing nelson's sparrow along retillon road
in many years.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147648
White-rumped sandpipers were scattered around inland edge. Edge being
scarce due to the high water.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147657
Whimbrels were everywhere. This one was using a slab on yacht basin road to
preen. There is rice west of 562 north of Fairview that had a flock of more
than 100 birds circling. It is behind the levee so nothing can be seen from
the highway.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147667
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147665
Roseate spoonbills were feeding out from the rookery near high island
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147669
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147671
Stilt sandpipers were in good plumage and braying from fresher water puddles
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147673
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147675
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147677
A semipalmated sandpiper made a good mystery bird
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147672
High island had good numbers of birds scattered about. Apparently the
higher numbers from early in the morning had moved on like the birds on
bolivar. A Tennessee warbler was across the street from Boy Scout Woods.
Had 2 black-billed cuckoos and good looks at all of the late warblers.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147680
A Baltimore oriole was down the road from Smith Oaks
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163147683
The only hawk for the day was a red-tailed hawk on 1985. Watched a
gentleman with a big camera pull up next to it and charge the bird to get a
picture of it taking off. However, the hawk had been well trained by
earlier picture takers and was long gone by the time he got near the fence.
It is illegal to harass birds and if it had happened a mile up the road it
would be a federal crime with a couple years in jail possible. But it also
makes it hard on all the other birders who would like a chance to see the
untrained semi-tame hawks that would be along the road without the camera
people.
Note the the facebook hawkwatch group banned such photographs due to the
harassment of the birds. Maybe there is a deep web site for people who
don't care about others where they share pictures they cannot post in
public.
Great day out with nice spring weather.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
