Hi Texbirders, I had the pleasure to show my NYC birding buddy and his son from LA around this weekend. Saturday morning, we started at Quintana. Lots orioles and tanagers, but just 2 warblers, a female Common Yellowthroat and this Ovenbird on the path who had photographers snapping him from both directions. In this head on shot, he shows all his field marks... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921779 An unusual bird plumage was what I presume to be a first year male Rose-breasted Grosbeak as he was pretty brown still... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921780 Next we went to Brazoria NWR. The walk through the woods produced only mosquitoes, but no birds. However, the loop around Olney pond was amazing. There were probably 400 Wilson's Phalaropes. This is about 10x as many as I have seen in my life before in total. Here is a female... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921781 and the duller male... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921782 A single American Avocet was a surprise... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921783 A White-faced Ibis right beside the road allowed an extreme closeup to show the red eye. He still has a few white feathers.... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921784 Other birds were Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, Solitary Solitary, Hudsonian Godwit, Caracara, Peregrine etc We then went to Galveston at LaFitte's Cove and at dusk had a few birds in the drip. here is my FOS Magnolia Warbler... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921785 And a Northern Waterthrush... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921786 My friends just had a half day today before their flights home, so Galveston was the destination. We went to A&M campus hoping to see the Tropical Kingbirds, but I really wasn't sure where they were supposed to be, so we missed them. However, the mulberry trees were teeming with birds! Here is a Baltimore Oriole... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921787 And a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.. http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921788 A weird Eastern Wood-Pewee appeared to be scalped... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921789 Speaking of eastern, we flushed a small nightjar who landed on the bare branches. I assume this is an Eastern Whip-poor-will. This is only my second time ever to see this bird in my life. However in Canada as a child, I heard this bird all the time. A couple of photos... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921790 and his other side... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921791 On Settegast Road, I photoed this weird molting Summer Tanager. I love these unusual plumages... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921792 There were American Golden and Black-bellied Plovers both days as well as this Whimbrel... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921793 Back at LaFitte's at noon, I finally got a photo of a Golden-winged Warbler.... http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/149921794 My buddy had about 12 lifers. What a weekend! David McDonald Friendswood TX 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