Spent my first day at the tower on Saturday and had no hawks to count. Did
see 3 young broad-winged hawks around during the morning and one even came
fairly close for a second. It was 4 years ago that they nested in the
northeast motte and the young then were just learning to fly on my first
day.
The wind was basically from the southwest which is the worst wind for Smith
Point and it stayed that way up in hawkland all day though the local wind
moved around some. Cooper's appeared to raise young again and an osprey
spent a few hours in the east motte where they like to take fish. He
screams whenever a person goes to the portapotty or great blue herons perch
in his tree. And a red-shouldered called late in the day and Bob says there
are young of those around too. A young turkey vulture was low down in the
northeast motte until it hopped up and took off later.
Blue sky all day and the clouds were trying to move in from the gulf were
pushed back by the SW wind. No oystering and the 2 shrimp boats left early
and no people fishing as seen from the tower. A scattering of sandwich
terns fed all day but only a couple of pelicans went by now and then.
Land birds were scarce. Good migration of cliff (75%) and barn swallows
(25%) early petered out to almost none later. 7 female plumaged orchard
orioles went by before the count started. One gnatcatcher and one young
painted bunting in the trees nearby. No hummingbirds. Late in the morning 2
bluebirds went over high calling and got the only upland sandpiper to call.
One black tern going by. About 100 white-winged doves were the big mover
for the day. No rattlebox out there and thus no empidonax feeding on bugs
there.
About 12 white ibis passed but 12 white pelicans and 9 wood storks were
about 2 miles north and a mile up and did not go anywhere. Just a nice
flight in cooler air.
The wet area out at Robbins Park was mowed short and had great habitat for
shorebirds and roosting terns etc. but was bone dry and no birds. No
apparent oyster shucking occurring either although there were some newer
Louisiana shells with no birds.
But it is a long season. Keep watch on the tropical stir over south of the
florida panhandle and if it moves closer but not too close the east winds
wrapping around it and the northwest winds from the high over here could
move birds toward the coast and give a great day like one years ago.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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