Did Smith Point yesterday in light of the forecast of great winds. Starting
off early, there were a number of broad-winged and cooper's hawks perched
and feeding and sharp-shinned hawks coming down trinity bay all of which
promised a nice liftoff.
But there was no liftoff but lots of cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks going
over and by most of the day. Nice blue skies ensured that most would be up
there.
Then around 2 pm when things normally start to quiet down a group of
broad-winged hawks started to kettle overhead with more joining and new
groups appearing. Cooper's were also up there and there were several
hundred birds before things quieted down.
But the highlight of the day and even the month was a swallow-tailed kite
that came over not that high but left getting very high for my latest ever
and making a total of 6 October birds for the count. But then swallow-tails
are highlights for any day anywhere.
All 3 vermilion flycatchers continue out Hawkins Camp road and there was an
influx of Lincoln's sparrows there in the am. More brown thrashers and blue
jays arrived overnight. Good bunch of scissor-tails came off the roost
there and some later passed the tower. One flicker and one dickcissel at
the tower at opposite ends of their migration.
Really large numbers of dragonflies continue but only fed a kestrel and
Mississippi kite. One kite passed the tower and I caught up with it out at
Robbins park where it planned to cross trinity bay with a cooper's hawk but
it chickened out, came back and went across Galveston bay instead.
Lots of dead dragonflies continue on the tower ramps. Solved the mystery
when one hit a wire apparently headon and fell dead. New dead bugs showed
up all during the day.
Things were rather dull on the way home but I did have my first Canadian
Snowbirds heading south. There will soon be swarms of them as well as
Yankee Snowbirds.
No sign of hawks settling in south of whites park where they often drop in
as well as in the park late in the day.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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