LRGV Rarities

Alright, back with another post about how special it is to bird in south Texas. This trip highlighted why you want to visit the valley in the winter. A lot of species are within a good days trip. So you can make the most each day, and visit different habits to see different birds.

This post is about the amount of "rare birds" you can see when you visit the valley. Several birds are local species, but can only been seen with ease down here. Many of the state parks carry these.

Out of the 158 species that I saw, 22 where Code 2 or higher. That's 14%!! So one out of 14 birds where a birding highlight reel. Here's some good ones . . .

• Rarest bird: Gray-Crowned Yellow Throat--Code 4 ; originally seen by me 4/1/88  @ Sabel Palm San.

1/25/15 originally seen, still showing

 It was great to see this super rare bird again, I was only 10 years old when I first saw it. This time at Estero Llano Grande SP, early in the morning, a group of birders where there, waiting for it to sing. Then I heard it, and it popped up. The whole group was mystified.

  In far southern Texas, this warbler was once a regular resident; today it is only a very rare straggler there. Although its behavior is somewhat like that of the Common Yellowthroat, it is less of a marsh bird, often living in rank weedy or brushy fields.

Seen in 88', 04', 05', 06', 15' in ABA

Code 4: Casual.
Species not recorded annually in the ABA Checklist Area, but with six or more total records—including three or more in the past 30 years—reflecting some pattern of occurrence.

• 2nd rarest bird: Hook-Billed Kite--Code 3 ; originally seen by me 4/1/88 @ Santa Ann NWR 

Best shot of my only 3

Reported this winter, at the levee at the entrance to Benston SP, up to three different Kites have been reported. Dark morph, light morph/juvi phase birds. Early one morning, at 8:12 am cst on a dry sunny morning, a hush grew over the crowd, then cheering & excitement happened, as the group all got to experience a Hook-Billed Kite soar over. It was beautiful.


As a recent arrival in Texas, this kite seems to require nothing more than undisturbed nest sites and a good supply of tree snails. Probably has declined in many parts of tropical range with clearing of woods.

Flying away, quick 1 min look

Code 3: Rare
Species that occur in very low numbers, but annually, in the ABA Checklist Area. This includes visitors and rare breeding residents.








Total seen:  158
Code 2s:       17    
Code 3s:         4     Hook-bill kite, Apl. Falcon, Trop.Parula, Clay-colored Thrush(Robin)
Code 4:           1    Gray-crowned Yellowthroat

Code 2: species have a restricted North American range, are more widespread, but occur in lower densities, or are quite secretive making their detection often difficult. We readily acknowledge that some Code-2 species are harder to find than some species that have higher codes.

Altamira Orioles Code 2

Green Jay  Code 2

Groove-billed Ani  Code 2

Common Pauraque Code 2

Common Pauraque  #2

Great Kiskadee  Code 2

Green Parakeets  Code 2

White-tailed Hawk  Code 2

Next up:  Winter Texas Birding recap

I HEART TEXAS +3 Lifers

Welcome home Tex!!! That's right, back in good old cold Ohio, but its good to be back. I spent the end of February/early March in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, getting some winter birding in. It was a chance to start my year list off quickly and hopefully add some much needed #LifeBirds. And guess what? I did just that, with a total of 158 species and 3 lifers, plus one TBD; see below.

This first blog is a recap of my LRGV hit list birds needed to add to my ABA area life list. The next entries will be more winter LRGV rarities, FOY's, and place visited.

Lifers seen:

• Red-Crowned Parrot, code 2-- 2/24/15  1st lifer seen, 2 hours into the trip 

A "Company of Parrots"

ABA #562

Red-Crowned Parrots

Their appearance is generally green with the most notable features being a bright red forehead and crown, dark blue streak behind the eyes, and light green cheeks. Birds in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas may be either feral, descendants of natural vagrants from Mexico, or both. These are only considered ABA countable in south Texas. RC Parrots in Florida are not countable, either are Yellow-lored parrots, seen with the Red-Crowns here in Texas.

• Alpomado Falcon, code 3-- 3/4/15, seen at 8am day of departure, Port Isabel--sr100 east

Aplomado Falcon

Male(left), Female(right)

ABA #564

Spanish for lead-coloured, the Aplomado falcon’s common name is a reference to the adult’s blue-black upperparts ⁽²⁾. A slim-bodied raptor with longish wings and tail, the aplomado falcon has distinctive head markings, comprising a white band running above the eyes, meeting at the back of the head.

Among the 31 known breeding pairs, 26 are using the artificial structures in SE Texas. The pair that I had seen where at this nesting box early, at 8am.  We looked at this box around 12:30pm--days before, but the falcons where out hunting, so early morning is best!!
Even those these are introduced birds, they are considered countable by ABA standards when seen in the SE Texas area.  Big Year birds such as Neil Hayward, Sandy Komito and Dorian Anderson all saw Aplomado Falcons in Texas and counted them that year.  There have been few vargiants in SE New Mexcio that could be truly Mexico birds that fly up through the valleys into ABA areas.

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/aplomado_falcon_fact_sheet.pdf

• Tropical Parula, code 3-- 2/27/15, seen at Resca Del Palm parking lot

ABA #563

Tropical Parula

Within 10 mintues of checking in at the desk, we birding the parking lot. It's a well known best place there to bird. There a lot of trees, and it attracts warbles and finches. Sure enough, the reported bird was up in the tree tops with American Goldfinch.

• Snowy Plover, code 1, see pictures below, need help on ID of several birds

  

What am I?

Hmmm

Backside help?

At the South Padre Island, convention center back patio area, the team scoped out lots of shorebirds. Then we saw 6-10 of this extra white peeps. These are the best pictures I could post. So the question is what are they?



Itinial reports that day where Snowy Plovers!! But after researching winter plumage pictures, ebird reports for that area/month, and behavior I believe these are winter plumage Sanderlings.

So, I please need your shorebird ID birders to help me out some. Please answer in the comment box below. If you don't have a google ID, then use "anonymous".

Below is a picture of a Snowy Plover, taken February 2015 in southwest Florida coast.

Snowy Plover

         Missed lifers:

• Prairie falcon, code 1, spent 1 hour in midday looking, but dipped, to windy
• White-Throated Thrush, code 4, had not been seen in over a week, but tried anyway, would have been very hard, right timing was the prior week dipped
• Thayers/Slaty-Backed Gulls, not even a thought to chase them, dipped

With that, I'll take another successful trip to the Valley. Those three lifers where great, and I got the chance to "retrace the steps" of two other rarities seen on the trip, but fourtunely got to see them as lifers in 1988-89 in the valley.

Next up:  Retrace the steps . . . Gray-Crowned Yellowthroat & Hooked-bill Kite

LRGV Hit List

Which ones do we get first??

Current ABA list list: 561
Last one seen: Common Redpoll, 12/28/2014

I will be visiting south Texas for the next week and get to relax, eat some cheese, catch some rays and of course see some #lifebirds.  #Bigyear2015 begins


Lifers needed:

• Red-Crowned Parrot, code 2, easiest to get
• Alpomado Falcon, code 3, second time a charm?
• Tropical Parula, code 3, got two good places,
• Prairie falcon, code 1, recent sightings in a small area
• White-Throated Thrush, code 4, very hard to get but at Estero Llano Grande
• Snowy Plover, code 1, just reported at a place I know
• Brownsville Dump--reported/pictured Thayers/Slaty-Backed Gulls, I'm not your gull man

Year Birds:
 Tons of them down there, since I only have 30-40 Ohio/NJ birds for the year, I'm basiclly going to start in Texas at ZERO, then after the trip add up my balance.

Goals:
130 birds for the trip
4 life birds

Next up:  The star are bright . . . to late at night . . . deep in the heart of TEXAS!!

Blendon Woods Bird Walk

It has been so snowy and cold in February this year, that birding has been a real chore. That the sub zero tempatures and wind chill have limited you ability to stand outside, and that's what birding is about--being outside. Lucky, the monthly bird walk at Blendon Woods Metro Park on Februray 8th wasn't cold, in fact, it was warm enough in the 30's to snow 7 inches that day. Check out this great pics of the snow in the pine trees.

zoom in some

zoomed in some more

The best place to view the birds on a snowy and cold day is at the Nature Center and out at the blinds by Thoreau Lake. It's nice to set up your scope and view the waterfoul. No wind either.

Green-winged Teal, front, American Black Duck, rears

Redheaded duck

Canvasback Duck female back, AMB duck front

Blind from a ducks view at us

On the way back to the Nature Center, make sure you stop at the pipeline/cut area and look up at the oak tree. The Red-Headed Woodpecker is making it thru winter, and starting to turn into full male plummage. Let's hope we get to see more of him this spring.

Red-Headed Woodpecker

“flying checkerboard”

So with that, that's about it for 2015 so far. I've been to Blendon twice, Chesire Rd once, and my NY/NJ trip.

 Now I'm think I'm rested up enough for some SUN and WARM temperatures . . . .
off to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.  Where & What winter birding is all about!!

No Pink-footed or Barnacle

My goose hunting trip planned for early Jan 8th-9th got pushed back to Jan 29th-30th. But I still made the 1200 mile round trip safely and got another goose along the way!  Early January, both Pink-footed Goose and Barnacle Goose(code 4s) where seen in Wall township and Mercer, New Jersey respectfully. But by the time I got there, after the Blizzard 15' up the east cost from Monday Jan. 26th. storm, no one had re-spotted the either rarity--and either did I.

Duck, Duck, Goose!!

I did stop by South Amboy, New Jersey-- a waterfront park, Raritan Bay, and saw about 200 Brandt geese.

Medium to small goose; Amer. Wigeon scale

White, partly broken collar

Black head, neck, and chest

An abundant small goose of the ocean shores, the Brant breeds in the high Arctic tundra and winters along both coasts. The Brant along the Atlantic have light gray bellies, while those off the Pacific Coast have black bellies and were at one time considered a separate species.

Sometimes when birding is slow, or you just aren't getting that lifer blood flowing, it's best just to sit back and take it in. Just enjoying the moment and location. So included are pictures of "Bridges and Sunsets"  . . . which after all, what CAN you take pictures of when your driving ALL the time?!?

GW Bridge into NY . . How much is the toll sir?

$17.50 WTF?!?!$%&

 

 

 

Throngs Neck Bridge 295S, Toll -- How much?

$7.50 . . Thank you please drive thru

Verrazano Bridge 278 West out of Long Island

How much is the toll sir?   $15.00 !! Greeaatt

Thank you, please drive thru

Pennsylvania Turnpike 76West

Pull the ticket . . . 276 miles later

A sunset worth . . . $33

Praise the Lord I made it. The Subaru saved my life. I am now a fan.

Next up: Snowing at Blendon Bird walk

2015 Subaru Crosstrek XV

BIGBOARD --80 East to NY, then 76 West to OH

#BIGYEAR2014 in review

Happy New Year!!! 2015, can you believe it? Wow has the time gone by fast.  This post is a recap of the year that was #BigYear2014, all the fun stuff, places visited, good times and future plans. Below are some of the highlights.

• 29 lifers--Wow!! What a year, in 2013 I only had 16 lifers, but this year was tremendous. Because of so many life birds, I had a tie for my ABA Bird of the Year. Both are rare & hard species to see. The code 3 LaSagra's Flycatcher in Miami, FL was the highest code bird I saw, but I also wanted to add in the Code 2 Gunnison's Sage-Grouse. The grouse population is getting very thin, with less that 5000 birds left. I probably will not see another Gunnison's again. My Ohio Bird of the Year, was the Northern Wheatear, an arctic rarity that was only the 4th state record in Ohio, what a great bird, and I didn't have to travel to Alaska like most to see it. 

• 7 states--Ohio, Delaware, Florida, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, Washington

• 359 species--Holy Cow!! I finished with 359 for the year, that's great, my goal was 350 since last year in 2013 I only got 338 for the year. Also, many species I missed in 2013 I saw and photographed in 2014. In 2013 I visited 7 states, including California(Palm Springs area)

• Misses--Yeah there was a few of them, espically Ohio species, that I've actually missed the last two years. So in 2015, my goal will be to get them early and keep trying.  Misses included: 

         Cackling Goose, Broad-winged Hawk, Virginia Rail, American Golden-Plover, Upland Sandpiper, Red Knot, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted sp., Long-eared Owl, Bell's Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Canada, & Connecticut Warblers, Vesper Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Dickcissel, and Crossbill's.

• 2015 trips--So far, only one planned scheduled trip, but more to likely follow. 

           1. Late Feb/early March--Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas--lifers need include
              Tropical Parula, Alpamado Falcon and Red-Crowned Parrot
           2. Las Vegas/Henderson BP--if not summer, definitely Labor Day weekend again
           3. Seattle, Washington--maybe? 3 years in a row out there, still could use some lifers
           4. Maine--maybe?  Atlantic Puffin, Black Guillmont
           5. Ohio--Biggest week in American Birding--you know where to find us May 12th

• show ideas/"B2B"-- So what did everyone think of the new online Youtube show "Between 2 Birds"? I started with an interview with grandma Louise. Next I need to find another birder and film show #2.  Any other ideas you suggest? Please let me know in the comments section below.

LaSagra's Flycatcher Code 3

ABA Bird of the Year--tie

Gunnison Sage-Grouse ABA Bird of Year--tie

Grouse #'s at Wanita Lek

Northern Wheatear--code 2

Ohio Bird of the Year

Next up: Let's start of #2015BigYear with a . . . ?