Bird Sighting Update

As reported by Billy Sandifer

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

I drove the entire length of the Padre Island National Seashore beachfront September 8, 2009. Approximately 20,000 Black Terns showed up in the first 15 miles late in the day…The most seen in some time. Anchovies must be nearshore in that area. A total of 28 Red Knots were observed in small scattered bunches. Lesser numbers of Little Blue Herons, Yellow-crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets were observed migrating. At 2:35 p.m. at the 59 mile beach I observed an adult Sabine's Gull steadily headed South about 100 yards offshore. No brown was visable in the wing which leads me to call this individual an adult. I tried in vain to get a picture but the distance was too far away by the time I could get to the camera. Mel Cooksey reports the 2 Brown Noddies are still on the bouy at the Port A. jetties and that a black backed type gull was reported from the 5 mile on the Padre Island National Seashore yesterday afternoon. I never saw the bird and no photo was taken by the observer. Keep your eyes open, it could be a Kelp Gull. Had a Mourning Warbler in the yard this morning and my wife is now tending 17 hummingbird feeders. Numbers seemed down today. One Allens/Rufous first year bird remained among the regulars.

Friday, September 11, 2009

72 Red Knots total, which is the highest count in some time. What is unusual is they are quite scattered instead of in the usual area—7 were at the 43 mile, 17 were at the 58 mile and 4 were at the 59 mile. This is unusual indeed.

Good Birding, Capt. Billy

Old Friends and New Journeys

As reported by Nan Dietert

Old friends wear well and lately old friends have been responsible for my well-being, both physically and spiritually. These friends have come in two forms; both human and non-human.

Late in the summer I was in need of some knee repair. I needed two good knees for the fall migration and I needed some time for healing, but I was beginning to run out of time. My friends began to offer help on every level. Friends from Austin, where I wished to have the surgery done, took care of me and offered their homes, their support, and home delivery – if needed. And while I took care of our parrot, Lyndon, my friend and husband, took care of all my responsibilities at home, our remarkable Scottish-fold cat, and my beloved willow trees; increasing the amount of water carried to them, from 11 to 17 gallons each evening! My friends in Port Aransas offered anything and everything to speed my recovery. And the birds from Central Texas to the Coastal Bend – filled my inner reservoirs and brought me peace and strength. All of these friends make up my world. These things are my world.

A birder’s world expands though, with the coming of any migration and the fall migration has now begun in earnest. Like birders everywhere, I’ve been waiting for the fall migration since the spring migration ended. The birds are now coming through in numbers large enough that almost everyone is experiencing migrants in their backyards and our birding sites are teaming with birds from a large variety of species.

“Firsts”, of all kinds are showing up on everyone’s check list: the first Northern Harrier, first Peregrine Falcon, first large groups of Blue-winged Teal, first Mississippi Kites, first Sora rail and so on.

Many songbirds came in with last Saturday’s front. When the wind shifted, it was an easy “freight-train” for any migrants that were fattening up and staging to our north. Baltimore Orioles now joined their Orchard Oriole-cousins, and begged to compete in shear numbers for the most numerous beauties in the garden. Many vireos and too many flycatchers to mention came in along with warblers, buntings, tanagers, kingbirds, Dickcissals, and Lark Sparrows! What a sight for a birder’s eyes. There have been so many Yellow-breasted Chats, Mourning Warblers, and Canada Warblers in the Joan and Scott Holt Paradise Pond, that I am truly unable to estimate their numbers. They are at every turn and they are flying across your field of view as you count the birds in front of you!

A few days ago, our first Chuck-will’s-widow of the season came into Paradise Pond and began to hunt while we were watering the small willow trees. Their hunting techniques had been described to me but I’d never seen them before. Like all of birding, it was an experience to remember for a lifetime.

The shear numbers of Black Terns that have recently stacked-up in our area have been remarkable. Look up any time of the day and they are traversing our island – everyday – all day long, and they have been for months.

These birds, that we share our existence with, move into and through our area twice each year. They have sensed “the fall promise” – a promise of food, rest, and survival – if they will travel south across parts of the globe, unknown to them many of them, and led by instincts we are still studying and learning to appreciate. Follow them on their epic journey south and wait for their return in the spring. If you wish, make them a part of your world. Go birding.

Chitter Chatter...

Bird Sightings around town!

From Linda Lanoue on Hwy 188 west of bypass Hwy 35:

August 31, 2009

We went to the Corpus Christi Library today & when we were finished went for a walk in Blucher Park. It was teeming with hummingbirds; they were everywhere. Also warblers: Black-and-white, Yellow, Oven Birds, huge numbers of Mourning & quite a few Chats, along with Baltimore & Orchard Orioles, Great Crested Flycatchers & Empids. Hummers outnumbered everything else, though, by far.

At home we still have most of the birds from 2 days ago & they've been joined by Mourning & Black-and-white Warblers, an Eastern Wood Pewee & a Summer Tanager. As voracious as these birds are, I'm not sure there will be any berries left for the next group.

We have a mature male cardinal that is more orange than red. Not as bright as an Oriole, but orange enough that I do a double-take every time I get a glimpse of him.

From Lee Hutchins in Sinton:

This may be of some interest…Last Friday, August 28th, in San Diego, TX while watching the football game I looked up and saw this bird and thought it was a Nighthawk. On its second pass over the field I found that it was a Rock Dove. This Rock Dove was catching insects in the lights. This went on for half the game or longer. I've never seen anything like this before. That Rock Dove must have been mighty short on food.

Scott Holt in Port Aransas reports a 'yard full' of Orchard and Baltimore Orioles after he mowed and turned on the sprinklers. He also reports seeing three Chuck-Will's Widows, an Oven Bird, and a Bell's Vireo among others.

From Bron Rorex in Country Club:
September 1, 2009
Banding was insane Tuesday morning. I didn’t even get inside till almost 1:30pm. Think we banded about 60 ruby-throats, many great-crested Flycatchers & chats, a handful of empids, a Prothonatory warbler, a northern Waterthrush, & a hatch-year mocker. The first net run this morning had 39 ruby-throats plus assorted passerines; started the morning off with a bang. The self-capturing trap does grab some birds; I need to find time to make some more of them; mend my torn net & make more hummer bands

From Mary Mauel at the South Texas Botanical Gardens:

September 1, 2009

This is the beginning of the fall migration. It was overcast. It was thundering in the southwest away from the gardens. The temperature was probably 85 degrees Fahrenheit , and probably winds from the south. Butterfly species observed were 2 Cloudless Sulphur in the Butterfly House, 1 female Queen nectaring on Mistflower, 1 female Pipevine Swallowtail nectaring on Lantana, 2 male Fiery Skipper, 2 Little Yellow, and 1 Sachem. Good birding!

Great Egret:1—Fishing in Oso Creek.

Turkey Vulture:3—Flying over head.

Killdeer:1— Heard over head.

Laughing Gull:2

White-winged Dove:2

Mourning Dove:5

Inca Dove:3—Heard behind the Hummingbird Garden.

Chimney Swift:2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird:10—Observed at the hummingbird feeders.

Western Kingbird:1—Observed at the bird blind by the Tree…Demonstration Area in full breeding plumage.

White-eyed Vireo:1—Heard along the Bird and Butterfly Trail.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher:1—Observed in full breeding plumage.

Northern Mockingbird:2

Yellow-breasted Chat:1—Observed in the Sensory Garden on the Olive Tree.

Northern Cardinal:3—Observed the male juvenile feeding at the bird blind. The female adults were at the beginning of the Wetlands Trail.

Dickcissel:2—Observed 2 first winter females at the entrance to the Wetlands Trail. They were calling to one another.

Red-winged Blackbird:50—Observed and heard on the grounds of the gardens. Thirty three of them were flying over head.

Baltimore Oriole:2—Both were feeding on Root Beer Berries of the Root Beer Plant in the Sensory Garden. The female was a first year female and the male was in full adult breeding plumage.

House Sparrow:5—At the bird blind.

Successful Birding Weekend

As reported by Joan Holt in Port Aransas:

On Saturday morning, my yard was hopping with flycatchers, orioles and warblers so I called Ann Vaughan and headed to Paradise Pond. We were rewarded with many birds coming to the water drips and feeding in the willows and the chance to bird with Ron Weeks. The birds we saw and heard were Inca dove, upland sandpipers (h), least, yellow bellied and willow/alder flycatchers, eastern wood pewee, great-crested flycatcher, white- eyed vireo, Bell’s vireo (which was a first for me at Paradise Pond), warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, Wilson’s, yellow, black and white, mourning, and Canada warblers, Common yellowthroat, yellow-breasted chat, Northern mockingbird, orchard and Baltimore orioles, and Northern cardinals. Later in my yard I added green heron, chuck-wills widow, ruby-throated hummingbirds, eastern kingbird, orange-crowned warbler, painted buntings and dickcissels to the list. A truly great day in Port Aransas even though we missed the brown noddy at the jetty. We will try again on Monday.

As reported by Ernie Edmundson at the Preserve off Hwy 1781

Have seen a Lesser Goldfinch two days in a row coming to the birdbath.

We had a pair of Baltimore Orioles and Yellow Breasted Chat competing with the Mockingbirds for American beautyberries. There aren’t many berries this year with the drought, but they managed to find the ones in my yard that have gotten enough water to bear fruit.

I've seen a Yellow Warbler along with many Ruby-throated hummers and our Buff Bellied hummers.

Update on Bird Sightings

As reported by Billy Sandifer, Tuesday, August 25, 2009

LOTS going on in the bird world for those willing to get out without A.C.

Mel Cooksey reports 2 Brown Noddies being seen at the end of the Port Aransas jetties at once. To my knowledge that is the first time 2 of this species have ever been seen in Texas at one time. Red-necked Phalarope has been seen at Port Aransas as well. The Curlew Sandpiper has been seen once again on the mud flats of the West side of the Oso, Yellow-breasted Chats are moving through in large numbers; especially at Pollywog Pond and will continue through early September. 100 Buff-bellied Sandpipers are being seen at the sod farm South of highway 664 across from Hazel Bazemore Park. This sod farm is going to be invaluable as a birding resource. It's the first habitat of it's kind in the Coastal Bend and as folks frequent it more and more there are going to be some really great sightings. The Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds are beginning their migration through our area in ever increasing numbers and I have a beautiful adult Rufous Male Humingbird in my yard the past 3 days as well as the resident Buff-bellied.

I've also had Orchard Orioles, Yellow-breasted Chat and female Canada Warbler here in the yard. I've been fishing offshore lately and large numbers of Black Terns are everywhere. I did see one lone Sooty Tern 6 miles offshore of the Padre Island National Seashore on Saturday, August 22nd.

Awful cool stuff. Get out and see some of it.

Capt. Billy Sandifer

Hawkwatch Celebrates Flight Nationwide

Birders descend on Hazel Bazemore Park for 3-month-long event

CORPUS CHRISTI - Birders are descending on Hazel Bazemore County Park in Calallen for Corpus Christi Hawkwatch, which began Saturday, August 15 and will run through November 15.

Hawkwatch is the largest and most diverse raptor migration count conducted in the United States and averages more than 730,000 raptors each fall.

A "Celebration of Flight", which is a three-day festival, will be held September 25 to 27. The celebration is scheduled during the peak of raptor migration over the Coastal Bend when daily raptor flights of more than 100,000 have been experienced.

During the festival, representatives with HawkWatch International will host morning bird walks and lectures about these majestic raptors.Also, at 10 a.m. each Saturday at Hazel Bazemore County Park during the three-month long event, there will be lectures given about raptors, their conservation and why it is so important that migration counts, such as in Corpus Christi, continue.

Last year, some 800 avid and beginning birders participated in Hawkwatch.

Hazel Bazemore Park is one of the parks operated by the Nueces County Parks and Recreation Department. The 77.6-acre park is located on the Nueces River in Calallen, just off of Farm Road 624 and County Road 6.

Info: www.ccbirding.com/thw

Curlew Sandpiper Spotted- RARE SIGHTING

As Reported by Mel Cooksey:

A post-breeding Curlew Sandpiper was spotted, apparently a female, in the flats at the mouth of the Cayo del Oso in Corpus Christi. Mel spotted the bird about 7:30 PM on Monday, August 17th, and worked frantically with the remaining light to get digiscope photos, but could not.

Directions: Go to the intersection of Ennis Joslin and Ocean Drive. Park in the parking lot of the closed restaurant on the north side of the intersection. Walk down into the flats about ¼ mile or so, to the edge of the water in the very center of the flats. The flats are dusty dry, maybe slightly damp in the morning. Walk to the waters edge, and scan the shallow pools, around the short vegetation and small mangroves. There are LOTS of shorebirds here, with hundreds of Western Sandpipers as the main species, so it may take awhile to find the bird if it is still there.


Description: You are looking for a Dunlin-sized bird, although not as "squat", a bit more delicate, and longer-legged, although not as long-legged as Stilt Sandpiper. The main feature is some remnant blotchy rufous feathers on the belly. These show up well. The bird is in pretty advanced molt, well on its way to full basic. The back feathers appear to be a combination of black/white/gray mostly old feathers. There are some cold gray new feathers mixed in, maybe mostly around the scapulars. The belly appears to be mainly whitish, with some black spotting. I noticed no rufous feathers around the head or throat; they were whitish gray and appeared to be very lightly streaked. If you are chasing this bird, just look for the rufous markings on the belly. If you have The Shorebird Guide by O'Brien et. al., check the molting female at photo 5 on page 297. This is very close to our Oso bird. I noticed a whitish area at the lower back, and don't know if this was feather wear, or the white rump exposed below primaries.

A key feature is the bill shape. It is all black, very thin and gradually decurved throughout its length, with a thin tip. Dunlin has a slightly heavier bill, with a more abrupt droop at the tip. Here is a photo of Dunlin and Curlew Sandiper together, to illustrate bill shape.

http://www.birdphoto.fi/lajikuvat/kuvahtml/3calfer316.html


It is really too early for Dunlins, although I did see one in full basic plumage at this location on Saturday. There are numerous Stilt Sandpipers present. Be advised there is also a Red Knot present, which would likely be the only other bird with reddish blotches on the underparts. There are lots of dowitchers, mainly Short-billed.


I was able to see the bird fly for a short distance, and clearly observed the white rump with NO central line, and gray upper tail feathers. My total observation time was about 20 minutes, at about 70-80 feet. The bird probed and picked at the surface, and was quite active. There is lots of scattered short vegetation which makes photography rather difficult. Especially when you're a lousy photographer like me. Will try again on Tuesday, August 18th, in the morning for photos.


Mel Cooksey