[texbirds] UTC this weekend - photos

  • From: David McDonald <davidkmcd@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2013 21:09:08 -0500

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


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  • » [texbirds] UTC this weekend - photos - David McDonald