[texbirds] Upper Coast - Dec. 9-12

From: Chuck Sexton <gcwarbler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: TexBirds Posting Posting <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2013 09:13:22 -0600
TexBirders,

Greg Lasley and I made a swing though the UTC for about 3-1/2 days for 
photography and birding purposes.  We picked a rather ugly stretch of days for 
both purposes but came away with some interesting sightings.  (It’s always fun 
to spend time on the UTC in winter!)  A few highlights among the 140+ species 
observed included:

Fulvous Whistling-Duck  —  The high numbers at Anahuac NWR were impressive for 
this time of year; we probably had 100+ on 12/10.  Joe Kennedy had a better 
count.
Hooded Merganser  —  Four fremales on a salt water canal along Pilot Station 
Road S of Sabine Pass were about as far SE as you could observe this species 
(or any species, of course).
Red-tailed Hawks  —  Very high density in most areas on/near the coast; great 
opportunity to study plumage and racial variation.  We had a beautiful dark 
phase bird on the main entrance road to Anahuac NWR on 12/10-12/11 and studied 
a couple of probable Krider’s race there as well.
White-tailed Hawk  —  A Basic I plumage immature was on TX 87 a bit E of Port 
Bolivar on 12/11.  This bird had darkly barred belly feathers (rather than 
streaked or blotched) and an extensive white throat/breast; we passed it off as 
a darkish Red-tail when we first drove by.
Shorebirds  —  Shorebird density on the mudflats and oyster reefs during a very 
low tide at Rollover Pass on Wednesday morning (12/11) was really impressive.  
The mass of Avocets wintering at Bolivar flats and jetty is, of course, just 
mind-boggling.  Tide and wind conditions conspired against us at San Luis Pass 
on 12/12 to limit the availability of shorebirds to study.
Small plovers  —  Very few individuals were encountered either on the mudflats 
or outer beaches anywhere.  A flock of 17 at Rollover Pass on the afternoon of 
12/11 was the only substantial group (12 Piping, 4 Semipalm, 1 Snowy).  I 
suspect the high winds on most days had them hiding in out-of-the-way places 
much of the time.
American Woodcock  —  I flushed one bird out from under a hackberry tree near 
the trailhead for Texas Point NWR (on TX 87 between Sabine Pass and Sabine 
Woods) on 12/10.
Lesser Black-backed Gull  —  One adult on Galveston East Beach (12/12) and a 
possible 1st-yr bird at Rollover Pass (12/10).  Not sure about the latter bird; 
Greg photographed it but he hasn’t uploaded those images yet.
Bronzed Cowbird  —  A single male was at the Anahuac NWR entrance on 12/11; 
lighting conditions were terrible so we couldn’t verify the ID of the several 
females in the small flock with him.

Curious Misses  —  Canada/Cackling Geese, Eared Grebe, N. Gannet, Cattle Egret, 
Whimbrel, Red Knot, Horned Lark, Palm Warbler.

Greg has uploaded a lot of pics of the common species encountered here:
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/greglasley

Chuck Sexton
Austin, TX

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[texbirds] Upper Coast - Dec. 9-12

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