[texbirds] shorebirds (08/17/14): 2 Cameron Co. sites and 21 species

From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 19:53:46 -0500
Yesterday (Sunday, 08/17/14) we visited two productive Cameron County sites
in search of shorebirds. Here are the sites and the findings relative to
shorebird species:

PORT ISABEL RESERVOIR (PIR): Despite a low water level created by many days
of heat and wind, this site had many hundreds of birds. Many birds, though,
were very distant and thus resistant to reliable identification, in part due
to heat convection, wind-induced scope vibration, and blowing sand. We will
note here those species we felt confident in identifying due to having
reasonably good views. In some cases (e.g., small calidris sandpipers) there
were quite a few additional individuals potentially of a given species that
were distant and could not satisfactorily be identified, so counts within
species may here be conservative. There might also have been additional
species none of whose members were close enough to identify satisfactorily,
given that many birds tended to be far from our viewing location due to the
receding water. The following were species that had at least one member
close enough to identify with confidence: BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (several,
some in attractive breeding attire); SNOWY PLOVER (2, at least); WILSON'S
PLOVER (1); SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (2); KILLDEER (1); BLACK-NECKED STILT
(several); GREATER YELLOWLEGS (2); LESSER YELLOWLEGS (8-10); WILLET
(several); SPOTTED SANDPIPER (1); LONG-BILLED CURLEW (est. 75-85);
SANDERLING (several; one in clean, fresh winter plumage); SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPER (8-10, probably conservative; some individuals were very
aggressive, as is typical of this feisty species); WESTERN SANDPIPER
(several); LEAST SANDPIPER (several); STILT SANDPIPER (1); WILSON'S
PHALAROPE (2, at least). PIR shorebird species identified =17.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND BAY SIDE SAND FLATS NORTH OF CONVENTION CENTER (SPI):
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER  (5, at least; one is good breeding plumage); WILSON'S
PLOVER (1); SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (2); PIPING PLOVER (several); AMERICAN
OYSTERCATCHER (1, south end of this site, as usual); GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1);
WILLET (est. 9-10, widespread, but most at south end); RUDDY TURNSTONE (1);
SANDERLING (many); WESTERN SANDPIPER (several); LEAST SANDPIPER (several);
and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (8-10, possibly all were hendersoni subspecies;
many had retained warm color on much of underside). SPI shorebird species
identified = 12.

TOTAL SHOREBIRD SPECIES FOR THE DAY = 21. Our survey yesterday regrettably
did not provide the opportunity to visit sod fields in search of
"grasspipers." It did include a couple of additional sites that were
insufficiently productive in terms of number of species to justify review
here, and they contributed no additional species.

Wishing everyone the best of fall migration birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen

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[texbirds] shorebirds (08/17/14): 2 Cameron Co. sites and 21 species

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