[texbirds] Smith point hawk watch yesterday

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:22:33 -0500
With a forecast of north east winds and 75% sunshine I headed to smith
point for the promised stream of hawks and kites but found gloom and
drizzle on arrival. I did some horned owl counting and had 3 pairs hooting
before sunrise. I heard none on Saturday when the weather was a better.
An early arrival at the point has other advantages such as the inspiration
for the famous song "moon over laporte".

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393142

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393141

The tower got a good group watching for a repeat appearance of the first
ever zone-tailed hawk for the tower that had come by at noon on Friday. But
had to be content with just checking turkey vultures like this young of the
year bird.

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393144

Most of the birds around got up late but when the sun gave a short look
later but clouds came back and things got slow again. A group of
Mississippi kites had gone back and forth for several hours but ended up
catching dragonflies from the treetops of the east motte and begging to be
fed without luck

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393143

The migrant of the day was the anhinga. A couple of large flocks passed
over a couple of times and finally one and then the other headed out over
the bay.

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393145

However, the approach of a much larger flock

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393145

led one group and then the other to turn back and greet the new arrivals

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393146

Everybody had lots of looks at the anhingas until they finally went off

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/157393148

The Robbins Park area has dried and many of the birds have deserted for the
time being. It also appears that the pelicans, gulls, and terns are also
fishing elsewhere. There were enough new oystershells there so that the
scavengers had food and residents birds YM, YN, and YO were lined up in a
row despite coming from different sites and years. YM and YN are now best
buddies and YO is not a pariah anymore after being chased and bullied for
over a year.

I tried a number of side roads on the way home without any luck. But the
hawks will come.



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


Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at 
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds

Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission 
from the List Owner
[texbirds] Smith point hawk watch yesterday

Other related posts:
