[texbirds] birds sighted at Aransas NWR last few days
- From: David True <davidttrue@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:17:28 -0400
7/23/2012
The past week has shown an increase in bird movement and activity at the
refuge. Although much of the refuge is still very dry, the nine inches of rain
we have received this month has helped "green" the place up and has kept the
Rail Trail full of fresh water. Meanwhile, salt-water levels have begun to
drop along the shorelines leaving better shorebird habitat, and birds are
starting to pop-up. Word of Warning! Mosquitos have become incredibly
plentiful with the heavy rains. Prepare to be under attack from these pesky
critters! Also, some of the wooded structures on the trails are closed due to
safety issues. Please don't enter structures that are marked as closed! Among
the speciality birds observed this week:
Groove-billed Ani - one bird sitting on top of a small tree on one-way auto
route near Hog Pond area (check bills of all the Great-tailed Grackles, a few
may not be grackles!)
Belted Kingfisher - an early surprise for this time of year; the bird was a
female flying over the Fishing Pier
Black-and White Warbler and Field Sparrow: Early migrants? Observed near the
Tower
Orchard Orioles - starting to migrate through
Swainson's Warbler - still singing by Fishing Pier and Tower area
Lesser Goldfinch - several in trees near Visitor Center
Painted Buntings and Brown-crested Flycatchers - both species still in good
numbers throughout refuge. Start checking for migrating Great Crested
Flycatchers soon!
Lots of Sandpipers and Plovers - the boat ramp along Cavasso Creek along HWY 35
has been particularly good for shorebirds the past few days but water is
dropping near the Fishing Pier and the Tower so more good habitat is being
exposed. Among the shorebirds observed have been: one Baird's Sandpiper (adult
in molt); approximately 10 Semipalmated Sandpipers (mixed with many Least
Sandpipers); several Stilt Sandpipers (still in breeding (alternate) plumage);
Long-billed Dowitchers (still in alternate plumage and calling; perhaps a few
Short-billed Dowitchers as well); a few Marbled Godwits, American Avocets,
Wilson's and Black-bellied Plovers; lots of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs,
Willets and Black-necked Stilts. These birds are ephemeral by nature and move
around all over the place so what may be seen one day at a certain spot may
change by the next.
Other Notable Birds: Sandwich and a few Black Terns mixed with Forster's, Royal
and Caspian Terns; Magnificent Frigatebirds and Osprey have been observed in
the bay sitting on oil and gas equipment; Cave Swallows in good numbers here
and there; Barn Swallows and Common Nighthawks appear to be starting to migrate
through; Several White-tailed Hawks on Auto Loop.
It seems a lot of birders get more excited about spring migration than fall
migration, which can be understandable with warblers, bird song and the beauty
of a new year. But fall can be quite good, sometimes rivaling spring migration
for diversity and species numbers, at least at this refuge. If fall is
anything like last year, birding may be better in the fall than in the spring,
particularly for shorebirds, waterfowl, hummingbirds and raptors! And of
course the Whooping Cranes will be coming back! Looking forward to Autumn
migration!
David True
Park Ranger
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
361-286-3559
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