[texbirds] late BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS: Weaver Rd. sod field (Cameron Co.) on 05/20/12
- From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 00:12:04 -0500
Please start sending your posts to texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Today (05/20/12) between, roughly, 1:00 and !:30 PM we birded the sod fields
on the west side of Weaver Road (Cameron County) in the hope of finding,
especially, Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We knew that it was a bit late for the
"buffy," but we decided to try for it, anyhow.
On 05/20/12, despite the relatively late date in the region for
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, we found 9 of them on the northmost of the three
adjacent sod-field sections on the west side of Weaver Road. When we first
saw them (ca. 12:55-12:15 PM) they were foraging that field, moving
systematically from north to south within its relatively short-grass south
section. (The north section had extremely tall grass.) We watched these nine
"buffies" until they had reached the south end of the northmost field. We
then searched the two more southern sod fields (same side of road) but found
no "buffies" there. Finally, we turned around, drove back to the south end
of the northmost field, to find there (ca. 1:25-1:30 PM) that all of these
birds had reversed their course and were foraging while heading north. It
seemed as though they liked the short-grass south portion of northmost field
and were running its course again in the interest of finding more food.
Our subsequent check of four different volumes providing information on
occurrence of this species in this area confirmed our impression from
personal experience that their presence today was a relatively late
appearance.. We also found in the Weaver sod fields today Pectoral Sandpiper
(6), but they were in the central field of the three sod fields, not in the
same field as the buffies. Additional shorebird species found on these sod
fields today were the ubiquitous Black-necked Stilt and Killdeer.
Weaver Road (Cameron Co.), a north/south dirt road, may be found on various
maps, and the relevant section lies between FM-800 and Jimenez Road.The sod
fields all are on the west side of Weaver Road, a short distance south of
the "dog leg" bend (left then right, as one heads south) on Weaver. There
appears to be no signage for Weaver Road as one travels on FM-800, but we
have been told that there is signage for it as one travels Jimenez Road (but
we have not personally verified that). It may be helpful to note, though,
that the intersection of the rather inconspicuous dirt-surfaced Weaver Road
with FM-800 is a short distance (possibly about a mile) east of where
FM-3067 joins--essentially turns into--FM-800, which then heads east. FM-800
subsequently makes a very slight bend (to the left, if one is headed east on
it) at the point where it is intersected by Weaver Road on its south side.
That bend is a useful cue that you are at Weaver. Weaver Road is an
inconspicuous dirt entity that might look a bit like a private driveway (and
sometimes has various heavy-duty vehicles parked on its east side at its
junction with FM-800). Mary Beth Stowe, in a TEXBIRDS report (Wednesday, May
9, 2012) noted that Weaver Road is extremely slick and sticky when there has
been rain.
A search earlier today of the Progreso sod fields (Hidalgo Co.) had yielded
no Buff-breasted Sandpipers.
Wishing everyone the best of birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen, TX
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