About my last hawk of the season at Smith Point was this red-tailed hawk
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864328
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864327
It was another season in a long string of not many red-tails at the tower.
And lots of other small counts too. Lack of real cold fronts and the
presence of vermilion flycatchers and hummingbirds in the upper mid-west
sort of demonstrate why the hawks are not here yet and migrated later than
normal.
There were still some migrant turkey vultures around including this one
with a different wing pattern
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864321
One of the last broad-winged hawks has a bad tail but is growing new
feathers and did not have trouble flying
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864317
And can control the feather spread at times
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864315
Cooper's hawks were still moving at the end of the season
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864314
The robin horde on the 12th was spectacular
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864310
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864308
As were the franklin's gulls. No camera when the big round flocks went by
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864305
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864303
A group of red-breasted mergansers were about the first ducks on the bay
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864302
The 9th had a major spiderling lift off with birds in the later pm
festooned with silk strands of many spiders like the turkey vulture
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864294
and these white pelicans
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864293
Other birds had less
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864288
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864292
The spiderlings originated in the area of Anahuac Refuge andor upwind of
there. At least there was a great amount of silk all over the refuge and
cars etc so that all visitors were amazed. There was heavy dew early in the
day and the birds seen before a noonish wind shift did not have silk. I did
not notice any on the plants at smith point and at the tower only saw a
couple of big pieces that probably came off vultures.
A couple of late wood storks were up with the vultures and a small anhinga
group was down low
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864284
Migrants of the day were the white pelican flocks
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864283
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864282
A crested caracara came in high and chased first a broad-wing and then a
red-shouldered hawk with what I thought was breakfast intent.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864281
Two bald eagles for the day were my best of the season
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864279
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864280
And made everyone else look little
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864278
A banded piping plover was back at Robbins Park for its second season
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864274
The bobwhite quail continue until they are routed by blue jays wanting to
eat
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864272
And the villain of the story
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864270
Most robins and bluebirds are way up there but some do drop in by the tower
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864271
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/161864269
Not a real hawky end to the season but great days birding.
--
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
