Today(04/22), Stacy Zarpentine and I met up with Jonathan Wickman at Packery
Channel for what was essentially a Quest for Warblers(and anything else we
might find).
We Birded Packery Channel, Port Aransas, Debbie and Clay Taylors' Refuge(also
known as their 'yard'); and we counted Birds seen in transit from one locale to
the next.
For the day, we tallied 117 species. In the interest of full disclosure, we did
not dwell on Peeps or distant Swallows.
Major highlights included 2 Western Tanagers at the Audubon Outdoor Club's
Packery Channel Refuge. Also found at or near the same locale were Cape May,
Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, and Worm-eating Warblers; Yellow-headed
Blackbirds, American Redstart, Summer Tanager, and quite a bit more.
From the Willows just off HWY 361, we had Yellow, Canada, and Chestnut-sided
Warblers. Also White-tailed Hawk, and a stream of 15 Coast-hugging Broad-winged
Hawks.
At Paradise Pond, we had Ovenbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a stunning
show by a hungry male Blackburnian Warbler.
The Birding Center(and surrounding areas)gave us Wilson's Phalaropes,
Semipalmated Plover, Blue-winged, Yellow-throated and Blackpoll Warblers; Wood
Thrush, Sora, baby American Coots(radical feathering), and the amazingly cool
Least Bittern.
Charlie's Pasture was a bit slow in terms of volume(in an admittedly brief
visit); but we did score stellar Roseate Spoonbills, along with Eastern and
Western Kingbirds. Also - the Channel along the entrance road netted 2 Common
Loons, one of whom was in astonishingly vivid Spring plumage - we are crazy
about Loons.
Transit Birds included Red-tailed Hawk, Reddish Egret, and Black-bellied Plover.
The Taylor Refuge provided us with a very unexpected Hooded Oriole; Painted
Bunting, Buff-bellied and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Cedar Waxwing, Cooper's
and Sharp-shinned Hawks, plus a stream of 3 dozen or so Mississippi Kites.
Warbler total for the day = 20 species.
I also must mention that on 04/20(Stacy solo), and on 04/21(Stacy and myself);
well over 6,000 Mississippi Kites, and several hundred Broad-winged Hawks were
counted, from the Hazel Bazemore HawkWatch platform. Swainson's Hawks, several
Accipiters, and a fab Merlin were also observed.
In summary; just another 3 days in Paradise...
Get out and Bird...
Dane Ferrell
Corpus Christi, TX
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