Watching the weather on Friday the forecast went downhill from dark and
gloomy and 20% showers to really rainy and 80% chance of showers. But
the late radar showed the rain retreating east and coverage diminishing and
by Saturday am it was mostly gone. The clouds were there all day but
started to break up after lunch but the rain was not far to the east which
kept the birds from reaching the area to be drifted down to the tower.
The first bird wasn't seen until after 10 but it was a swallow-tailed kite.
For 3-4 hours there were little groups of birds mostly well up with 28
broad-winged hawks and 24 Mississippi kites. One osprey came in like the
local bird but then went on across the bay. The first merlin of the fall
was in a great hurry to get across the bay but slowed down when it caught
and ate a dragonfly or something? and kept going.
2 different red-tailed hawks visited and one perched up the road. A
caracara made a close pass and the young turkey vultures had joined a gang
of 5 youngsters and were back and forth much of the day. The parent
vultures stayed off to the north.
The migrant of the day was the olive-sided flycatcher with 11 birds in
sight at one time. 9 were in the tops of the northeast motte trees.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971348
Only one bird made a stop in closer
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971350
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971349
The overcast made picture taking more like doing silhouettes but some birds
showed some color like the broad-winged hawk
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971352
and Mississippi kite
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971353
The young turkey vultures did not have much color to show
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971354
They still have their white condor collar and the lighter-brown feather
edgings on the back. And while flying well they had a little trouble with
the landing still.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/163971354
Black swallowtails were still migrating and the first of the fall love bugs
were up on the tower. Dragonflies kept drifting in during the day and there
was lots of food for hawks that would have shown up.
3 Baltimore orioles went by several times and blue grosbeaks perched for a
bit out front. Had my first of the fall belted kingfisher which was very
late. Chats were going jup-jup like they do in the fall out in the clumps
in front of the tower. A couple of alder type flycatchers were about. A few
eastern kingbirds flew over but only a few doves. Blue-gray gnatcatchers
were around all day.
Went out by Robbins Park before and after the count. Early in the day there
were large numbers of gnatcatchers leaving off to the northeast rather than
crossing the bay. Odd they cross the bay on a south wind but avoid it on a
north wind. Several hundred white ibis went by right around sunrise. And 2
horned owl females or (youngsters) were hooting from separate mottes during
the am.
On the way down at first light, a chuck-wills-widow was feeding over the
canal just north of the stop sign where 61, 562, and 62 etc meet. It
perched almost under the bridge and flew out and grabbed big bugs over the
water.
Nice day at the tower but it would be nice if it stopped raining in
Louisiana.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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