This afternoon (Friday, 04/29/16) from roughly 2:20 - 3:40 PM my wife
(Birgit) and I birded the Weaver Road sod fields in Cameron County. Under
an overcast sky with a fairly low ceiling and a strong, persistent
southeast wind, the grasspipers were good from the start but got better and
better, both in numbers of a given species and in number of species, as we
stayed, studied the birds, and took photos. The grasspipers at times seemed
to be nearly everywhere we looked. The productive field this afternoon was
the third field from the south end of the sod fields. We, of course, were
delighted at this plentitude of our sought species, and we could hardly
believe our eyes as things kept getting better. At times a large flock
would take to the air for unseen reason(s), but they generally would just
circulate a bit and return to the same field. Whether they were foraging on
the green grass or gracing the sky on their long, lovely wings, they
captured our attention and elicited our admiration throughout our visit.
Here are the species and their numbers. sometimes based on actual counts
with less numerous species and sometimes as estimates: AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER (est. 45-50); KILLDEER (4); UPLAND SANDPIPER (7); LEAST
SANDPIPER (3); BAIRD'S SANDPIPER (4, at least); PECTORAL SANDPIPER (1); and
last, but most numerous, those delectable, warmly colored, baby-faced,
golden-legged, high-stepping. and very-long-distant migrants, BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER (est. 110). Birgit once saw one of them do its famous spread-wing
display while pursuing one of its species, but she could not be entirely
sure whether this was an early sexual overture or perhaps a threat gesture.
We tend to think not the latter, though, because such own-species threat
gestures do not in our experience tend to characterize this species. I was
pleased to get some photos showing their photogenetic white, sparsely
marked, underwings, but these seem to be based on catching one in flight or
on takeoff/landing.
Wishing everyone rewarding birding, Rex Stanford (Weslaco).
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