Saturday was the first day of the 2020 hawk watch. Not many hawks or
migrants from the tower.
I got down to the point a bit after 7 and worked the side roads and
metropolitan area until starting time at 8. Very little around and no
hawks. I did have my first red-tailed hawk of the summer on the way down
along with caracara and both vultures on poles. No gnatcatchers or
empidonax. Limited swallow stream had mainly barn and a few cliff and
martins.
Did not see any frigatebirds on the roost.
Going up the tower more than one upland sandpiper called and were the only
ones on the day. Scanned the area from on top and had 2 olive-sided
flycatchers on the treetops. They interacted during the day and would fly
from the northeast motte to the trees at the entrance to candy abshier to
attack the other and vice versa. Only room for one at the point. Two
eastern kingbirds passed the tower in combat and almost hit the ground.
3 orchard orioles were on the road into the tower, A few gnatcatchers
headed across the day. One yellow warbled chipped by and 3 northern parulas
headed across too.
White-winged doves were still flying with about 125 in several flocks.
367 white ibis were the big migrant of the day with the largest flock
having 60 birds.
A few migrating hawks were seen including, swainson's, broad-winged,
cooper's and mississippi kite. A local red-shouldered hawk showed up later
in the day.
The wind kept the birds off to the north but there were good numbers of
turkey and black vultures that did kettle.
Season just started. Some of the local landowners have done a lot of
clearing and spraying since last summer and we will have to see if there
are fewer migrants as a result or if the landbirds divert before reaching
the point.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
