[texbirds] sod-field shorebirding (04/04/14) Cameron Co.
- From: "Rex Stanford" <calidris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TEXBIRDS" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 23:00:25 -0500
Today (Friday, 04/04/14) we sought "grasspipers" at three sod fields
(Progreso in Hidalgo Co. and La Feria and Weaver Road in Cameron Co.). This
morning we visited the Progreso sod fields and found no shorebird of any
species. We quickly moved on to the small, remaining La Feria sod field but,
again, had no success. In late morning we visited the sod fields on Weaver
Road (between FM-800 and Jimenez Road) and found AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (at
least 60) and PECTORAL SANDPIPER (est. 50-55). They were seen mainly as they
foraged while moving steadily northward on the very green field that is the
second sod field north of the south end of this stretch of fields. Because
water had begun to be released onto this very productive field shortly
before we left in the early afternoon, we decided to return to the Weaver
Road sod fields late in the day. That time often is a great one for finding
sod-field birds, and we speculated that the water having been freshly
supplied to at least the south end of the most active field might help
attract additional birds. In the late afternoon (6:00 - 6:45 PM) we
revisited the Weaver Road fields and quickly learned that our expectations
of great grasspipering at day's end had been richly fulfilled.
In the field that had been greatly successful earlier in the day, our
earlier success was, late in the day, multiplied several times! This time,
PECTORAL SANDPIPER was the majority species (estimated 240-260 individuals),
but AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER also had dramatically increased in numbers, its
late-day showing being an estimated 150-160 individuals.
We were elated at these large and unexpected numbers of both of these
species on the Weaver Road sod fields today, but we left regretting that not
even one Buff-breasted Sandpiper had been found on this day of otherwise
very rewarding sod-field birding.
Wishing every the best of Spring-migration birding,
Rex and Birgit Stanford
McAllen, TX
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