[texbirds] Smith Point Hawk Watch Tuesday. Between the rain.

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:39:09 -0500
Got down to smith point early and the moon and stars were shining until I
passed the 1985 intersection where one could see clouds starting to build
down on the bay. Horned owls were a little quiet. Big thunderheads off
toward Galveston and Texas City when I arrived. 24 oystercatchers roosting
and waiting for a handout. They left for other spots in small noisy groups
before 7:30. On the way down a cooper's hawk went over the free range
chickens but did not hunt but caused a great panic.
Robbins park had some tidal water but not many birds. A broad-wing was
perched on a power line looking soggy. A few blue grosbeaks, dickcissel and
gnatcatchers apparently roosted in the area. Lots of seaside sparrows were
sitting up in the very wet grass.

The storms slowly inched toward the point but collapsed in a nice wind
before bringing rain. Unfortunately new storms came up north and east of
the tower and lingered all day creating a wall keeping birds from reaching
the point and not many did. A couple of nice groups of Mississippi kites
passed by and included a single swallow-tailed kite. One group of miki
headed out across the bay toward downtown Galveston as rain blocked the
normal route toward Laporte.

There were a few broad-winged hawks about. Several (7) were roosting out in
the mottes that flushed out after lunch. One had a nice round circle in its
wing which a few birds have each year.

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157448009

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157448006

During the day 2 high up least terns were going south. A small bird up high
was not a gnatcatcher but a kinglet sp?. Things got much slower later.

After 4, I went back to Robbins park and had 21 magnificent frigatebirds
hanging under an approaching thunderhead. As I watched birds started to
descend from the clouds as the thunder got closer until 88 birds were
circling. Then all went back up into the cloud. Lots of cloud to cloud
lightning but no fried birds fell out before I left. The last bird seen was
a spectacular young white-tailed hawk that was all black except for an
entirely white chest.

All day rain was moving north up trinity bay and I met it in Baytown on the
way home. Took over 3 hours to get home but I did have a big flock of
bronzed cowbirds in downtown Houston eating among the stalled cars.
Apparently lots of food is from cars.

Some nice bugs were about. A couple of oranges put out for orioles were
covered with figeater beetles which were absent in the last couple of
really dry years.

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157448000

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157447997

The hummingbirds feeders attract more than hummingbirds; in this case
hummingbird feeders

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157448004

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157448002

At least the weather was better on the tower than during the last couple of
days. Watching Buffalo Bayou come up toward the garage but it looks fine
now unless a flash flood comes down from north of I-10 again.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


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[texbirds] Smith Point Hawk Watch Tuesday. Between the rain.

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