[texbirds-freelists] [texbirds] High Island News April 4

From: Sam Woods <sam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 19:31:38 -0700
APRIL 4, 2012

A cool windy morning, with winds slightly from the
south, and threatening skies, makes for some slow birding, and this
morning was no exception at HAS Boy Scout Woods. A lone LOUISIANA
WATERTHRUSH quietly creeping around Prothonotary pond ended the warbler
drought. At the back of the woods a single PALM WARBLER and a lone
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT rounded out our low warbler list. Just before the
rain began a distant MERLIN was found near the settling ponds.

The
afternoon shorebird showdown was well attended today, even in the
seemingly approaching storm. At RolloverPassthe gull and tern flocks
were close, allowing us to carefully sift through and take in the sheer
family diversity represented. LAUGHING, RING-BILLED, HERRING, and 2
FRANKLIN'S GULLS were found. Along with the ever present BLACK SKIMMER,
ROYAL, CASPIAN, SANDWICH, FORESTER'S, COMMON, and LEAST TERNS, we also
picked out a couple BLACK TERNS just coming into breeding plumage. This
is a total of 12 species of gulls and terns on one small stretch of
beach, truly amazing diversity. Shorebird numbers were on the low side
at Rollover, but we still found all the regular species such as; WESTERN
SANDPIPER, SANDERLING, RUDDY TURNSTONE, MARBLED GODWIT, WHIMBREL,
WILSON'S PLOVER, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, etc.

In the afternoon Boy
Scout Woods was an exciting place with both RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, and
HARRIS'S SPARROW reported, also FOS OVENBIRD and KENTUCKY WARBLER. The
4pm walk in Smith Oaks was pumping with passerines coming off of the
gulf. The wind was completely gone, the humidity was peaking and the
birds fell in to the woods. We found a big mixed flock containing
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, INDIGO BUNTINGS, ORCHARD ORIOLES, TENNESSEE,
ORANGE-CROWNED, BLUE-WINGED (2), BLACK-AND-WHITE, NORTHERN PARULA,
BLACKBURNIAN (1 FOS), BLACK-THROATED GREEN (6), YELLOW-RUMPED,
YELLOW-THROATED (2), and WILSON'S WARBLER. A respectable 10 warbler
species in this early season flock. We even found our COUCH'S KINGBIRD
seen yesterday. Lets hope tomorrow will bring even more birds, and even
more interesting weather, although hopefully not as interesting as in
Dallas.

SCOTT WATSON


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[texbirds-freelists] [texbirds] High Island News April 4

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