TRIP REPORT

South Texas Tropicals & Whooping Crane Extension February 1st - 9th, 2016Guides: Michael Hilchey and Michael Retter

Day 1 - February 1st - Arrival Our first day of the trip was mostly devoted to collecting everyone from the airport, but part of the group did manage to get in some birding before dark. A stop at Harlingen Lake produced our first Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Tropical Kingbirds for the trip, while a stop at Dix-ieland Reservoir was rewarded with Neotropic Cormorant, Vermilion Flycatcher and Redhead. Lastly, a visit to the Harlingen Thicket found us eye-to-eye with a gorgeous Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Crested Caracara, and a perfect Harris’s Hawk perched just above our heads!

Day 2 - February 2nd - Frontera Audubon RaritiesWe’d not long left the hotel before making an impromptu stop. A Peregrine Falcon was perched on the Alamo water tower and afforded nice scope views for everyone. We had some neat fly-bys, too: Red-crowned Parrot, Long-billed Curlew, and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. A Logger-head Shrike perched on the wire across the road and was the first of many this week. We arrived at our destination, Weslaco’s Frontera Audubon Center, just as the gate was opening. A number of rare birds had been reported here in the days leading up to the trip, so everyone was itching to get onto the trails. Vultures roost in the thicket in large (and odiferous) numbers, but it was a surprise to see a Zone-tailed Hawk with them. Not only do they look and fly like Turkey Vultures: it seems they roost with them, too. We split the group up between the two leaders and kept in touch via cellphone. One-by-one, the targets fell. First, it was the male Blue Bunting. Then a female Crimson-collared Gros-beak. And, finally, a female Tropical Parula. Other highly-appreciated birds included Altamira Oriole, Green Jay, Long-billed Thrasher, White-tipped Dove, Black-crested Titmouse, Buff-bel-lied Hummingbird, Clay-colored Thrush, Plain Chachalaca, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed

woodpeckers, and a female Black-headed Grosbeak. Soon it was lunchtime, and we decided to head to nearby Estero Llano Grande State Park to have a picnic on the deck there. While eating lunch, we were treated to views of Cinnamon, Blue-winged, and Green-winged teal, Least Grebe, Mottled Duck, White-faced Ibis, Little Blue Heron, Tropical Kingbird, and Vermilion Flycatcher. After clearing the tables, we headed off into the open portion of the park toward Alligator Pond. Along the way, we had nice views of Sora, Common Ground-Dove, and Green Kingfisher. A small flock of Field Sparrows as a locally un-usual surprise. At the pond itself, there were both night-herons and an Anhinga. Across the trail, a Common Pauraque was roosting on the ground just where they always seem to be, and we had amazing views of the bird from an arm’s-length away. A Zone-tailed Hawk circled directly overhead and then proceeded to give us a prolonged, direct comparison with a Turkey Vulture. Could you ask for more? The “tropical zone” of Estero is an old trailer park dotted with exotic tropical plants. Its lush green feel has attracted many rarities over the years, and though there had so far been no reports of any, this season would be no exception. A female Pyrrhuloxia was quite a surprise, but the species was undergoing quite an irruption to the east this winter. We had our first nice view of a Great Kiskadee here, which was much appreciated after only hearing them all day. A pair of Curve-billed Thrashers put on quite a show, and we were able to study the appear-ance (not too helpful) and vocalizations (very helpful) of a Couch’s Kingbird and discuss how it differed from the Tropical Kingbirds we’d observed earlier in the day. After giving up and only briefly hearing a Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, one appeared at the parking lot!

Day 3 - February 3rd - Santa Ana NWR We still had a mild case of vagrant fever, so a trip to Santa Ana National Wildlife refuge was in order; a Northern Jaçana was being seen there, but it was on one of the hard-to-view “willow lakes”, so we were prepared to be patient. A Harris’s Hawk landed next to the trail as we walked south from the visitors center, and Olive Sparrows kept teasing us with split-second views as they scurried across the ground. The habitat here has been severely altered by the flooding of a couple years past—turning what had been semi-tropical forest into mostly scrub. That scrub did afford us our first views of Verdin, however. Once at the willow lakes, we scanned for half an hour or so when a loud cackle was heard to the right. We looked over to see a pair of neon-yellow wings fly along and over a levee out of sight. It was the jaçana! We moved ourselves to the base of the levee and were able to easily relocate the jaçana. Everyone got scope views of this interesting, long-toed bird. It was transi-tioning into adult plumage and a very neat-looking bird: it had a chestnut body but the black-and-white striped head and neck of a juvenile. We had now successfully chased nearly every major rarity in the Valley, and it was before lunch on the second day of the weeklong tour. What to do next? A couple people hadn’t gotten good views of the tyrannulet, so we made our way to Anzalduas County Park, which is also where a Greater Pewee had set up a winter territory. An adult Gray Hawk fortuitously wheeled over the picnic tables during lunch, and a heard-only Pine Siskin flew over. We spent a good hour walking around the park looking for mixed flocks, and succeeded in finding lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Most were “Myrtles”, but a differ-

ent call note alerted us to the presence of an “Audubon’s”. Other flock members included Or-ange-crowned Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Black-crested Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. A small handful of Pine Warblers was a little surprising to see this close to Mexico. A pair of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets finally cooperated to everyone’s satisfac-tion. Dozens of Western Meadowlarks walked across the mowed lawn, which was also carpeted by Chipping and Lark sparrows. A pair of Black Phoebes seemed to be on territory near one of the bathrooms. We were having no luck with the Greater Pewee and headed back toward where we’d parked only to find it nearly over the top of the picnic table we’d started at! A beautiful male Black-throated Gray Warbler was also hanging out in the area. With another “cleanup” species in mind, we headed to Quinta Mazatlán in McAllen, where Clay-colored Thrushes are often very easy to see. One of the participants had unfortunate-ly missed seeing the thrush the day before. We found another roosting pauraque on the walk in. While we didn’t find a thrush during our visit, we did see a “McCall’s” Eastern Screech-Owl peeking out of its nest box, and it was nice to just be on the grounds of the beautiful estate. A Rose-throated Becard had been reported from the small park just down the street for our hotel, so we headed there next. No luck with the becard, but we did enjoy very close views of a cooperative Blue-headed Vireo and a pair of Tropical Kingbirds.

Day 4 - February 4th - South Padre Island and the Coastal Plain We headed east today and started the morning at the southern end of Buena Vista Road, in prime Aplomado Falcon habitat. The falcons didn’t seem to be around, so we headed toward Laguna Vista, where a small flock of Groove-billed Anis had recently been reported. On the way there, we had stellar views of Cassin’s Sparrow and Long-billed Curlew, and the lagoon off Holly Beach held a small flock of Bufflehead. We failed to find any anis along the Laguna Vista Nature Trail, so we continued east across the long causeway to cross the Laguna Madre and bird on South Padre Island. At the Convention Center, passerines were scarce, but we did turn up a couple Lincoln’s Sparrows, an Eastern Phoebe, and another female Pyrrhuloxia. The nearby tidal flats were more productive. There we found a large group of roosting gulls, terns, and Black Skimmers, with hun-dreds of Red-breasted Mergansers and Redheads swimming in the distance. Along the board-walk through the marsh and mangroves, we had wonderful views of a couple Clapper Rails, some Northern Waterthrushes, a white-morph Reddish Egret, and some Roseate Spoonbills (and their orange tails). There was a stiff east wind today, so we headed to the jetty at the

southern end of the island to try to find a Northern Gannet. After about 10 minutes or so, we spotted one headed north above the giant crashing waves. Loads of terns (mostly Royal, For-ster’s) fed in the churning waters, and a flock of Sanderlings ran along the beach. A sandwich Tern flew by giving it distinctive two-parted call. From the jetty, we headed toward Brownsville, but not before stopping at the Zapata Boat Ramp (aka Shrimp Basin Bridge). This is often a great spot for close views of water birds, and today was no exception. We were greeted by a pair of American Oystercatchers walking alongside the parking lot! Other exciting finds were a large flock of Marbled Godwits and a pair of Gull-billed Terns. Watching the Black Skimmers feed was a special treat. On the northern outskirts of Brownsville lies the base of Old Port Isabel Road, a fabled birding location—and for good reason. We spent about two hours here and managed to find four Aplomado Falcons! In both cases, we had to drive away from the birds. They were that cooperative! A Say’s Phoebe was a nice find this far east. A major highlight of the tour was watching a beautiful adult White-tailed Hawk capture and tear apart a wood-rat from point-blank range. You could spend all day here, but we were on a schedule. Parrots are fairly unpredictable when it comes to where and when they will be over the course of a day—with one exception. They often congregate in certain neighborhoods in the late afternoon before going to roost. So we headed to one such area in Harlingen and were suc-cessful. We didn’t find a huge number of birds, but we did get great views of 8 Red-crowned and 2 Red-lored parrots in the light of the setting sun.

Day 4 - February 5th - Upper Rio An early start this morning as necessary in order to make it to Salineño by dawn. We’d staked out our positions on the Rio Grande just before sunrise because this is the best way to find Red-billed Pigeons and Muscovy Ducks. But there was no such luck with those species to-day; they’re often difficult in the cooler months. Meanwhile, however, a White-collared See-deater appeared in the reeds just upriver, and we all had great views of an adult male and a female-type bird. There was a fair amount of bird movement on the river. Lots of Neotropical Cormorants, Ospreys, blackbirds, and egrets flew over, as did a couple Ringed Kingfishers. Of special note here are the “Mallards”, which appear to be “Mexican Ducks”, Mottled Ducks, and/or something in between! We saw a dozen or so over the course of the morning, including one flock that featured a “Mexican Duck”, a Mottled Duck, and a male Cinnamon Teal! We even-tually gave up on the pigeons and Muscovies and headed to the bird feeders, where we were quickly rewarded with great views of Audubon’s Oriole, Hooded Oriole, and Olive Sparrow. Other birds in attendance included Altamira Oriole, Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, Northern Bobwhite, and Bewick’s Wren. Today’s picnic lunch was at Starr County Park, near Falcon Dam. The mowed lawn was full of sparrows (Chipping, Lark, Savannah, Cassin’s, and Grasshopper), Northern Bobwhites, and Western Meadowlarks. A walk through the desert scrub yielded Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Sparrow, Verdin, and Cactus Wren. Pyrrhuloxias were in great numbers here: at one point we saw 10 in a single tree, including many gorgeous males. We drove back roads in the area to (unsuccessfully) look for quail and roadrunners, but we did find a Green-tailed To-whee. We had an hour or so to kill, and decided to hang out at the Salineño feeders again, which proved to be a popular decision. While we were there, word came in of a White-throated Thrush

having been found in the tropical zone at Estero. Tomorrow’s first birding venue now seemed clear. We ended the day in Rio Grande City, where a flock of Green Parakeets had been seen recently. We were not disappointed, as we found a flock of about 35 cavorting on the power-lines and in the palm trees as the sun set.

Day 5 - February 6th - White-throated Thrush & The Dump Expecting a stampede for the White-throated Thrush, we left the hotel to be at Estero by the time the gates opened, but we were waylaid by a roadside flock of Bronzed Cowbirds. We’d missed the species so far in the week, so stopped a gas station and gave the birds about 10 minutes before heading on. By the time we arrived at Estero, birders were leaving the park and giving thumbs-up signals. This was a good sign. We waited for perhaps 20 minutes before the White-throated Thrush reappeared at its favorite fruit tree. All had nice views, and it was getting crowded, so we decided to leave and let others have their chance. And best of all—a Clay-colored Thrush also appeared, cleaning up this “dirty” species for the group. Back at the observation deck, we found more Cinnamon Teal and Least Grebes. A small lake just south of the park held a group of Stilt Sandpipers, a lifer for some members of the group. With well over half of the day left, we decided to try for what has become one of the Valley’s hardest-to-see resident birds: Hook-billed Kite. We arrived at Bentsen State Park just in time for “prime kite time”: between 9 and 11. There were no kites seen there this morning, but we did see a Broad-winged Hawk and some Lesser Goldfinches, which were lifers for some in the group. As we were leaving, a park volunteer told us a White-throated Thrush had just been photographed at a feeder in the park. We had other places we wanted to visit and so decided to pass on this opportunity, having just seen one well a few minutes earlier. Why look for a White-throated Thrush when you could be hanging out at the Brownsville Dump? That was our thinking, anyway! It was very windy, but the wind was blowing away from the garbage, making it a stink-free experience! Our main target, Chihuahuan Raven, was found quickly and with ease. Of course, there were loads of gulls, vultures, and caracaras here. We had ample time to discuss gull molt and ageing for those who were interested, and in the process found 11 Lesser Black-backed gulls among the more numerous Laughings, Herrings, and Ring-bills. At one point, a small, dark-headed gull landed right at our feet as it to beg for food. It was a Franklin’s Gull—an unexpected treat for early February! A quick stop at the campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley turned up a number of Anhingas, a Black Phoebe, a Yellow Warbler, a couple Wilson’s Warblers, and a flock

of feral Muscovy Ducks, a couple of which looked very much like “wild-type” birds. As with the birds in Florida, these Brownsville Muscovies seem to have been established in the area for quite a while, so whether you count them or not is really up to you. We ended the day at Brownsville’s Oliveira Park, where parrots are known to assemble just before sunset. Right after we arrived, three birds flew in: two Red-lored Parrots and one Yellow-headed Parrot. Over the next hour, we counted 24 Red-crowned Parrots, 5 Red-lored Parrots, 2 Yellow-headed Parrots, and 60(!) White-fronted Parrots. Only Red-crowned Parrot is on the ABA Checklist, but that may change if this large flock of White-fronted Parrots persists in the area.

Day 6 - February 7th - End of the Main Tour On the last day of the main tour we luckily had some extra time before everyone had to be at the airport, everyone except Mr. Retter that is, so we quickly ate breakfast and headed to Estero Llano Grande for one last chance at some of the birds we’d missed during the week. Right out of the car we headed to the back of the “tropical zone” for another look at the White-throated Thrush because, why not! This morning’s thrush watch went much like the day before with a short period of panicking every time a Hermit Thrush or Gray Catbird came to get a morning snack before the star of the show put in a brief but very satisfying appearance. After taking a few photos of the uncharacteristically cooperative vagrant we slowly made our way to the decks wetland area. En route we picked up Lesser Goldfinch for the folks who had missed it yesterday. Then, with only an hour or so left we headed to the last unchecked pond of the day with a mention of “maybe we’ll have the Fulvous Whistling-Ducks.” As luck would have it, just as we rounded the bend and the pond came into view two lazy Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were spotted sleeping on a log in the middle of the pond! But we still weren’t done with new birds for day, our last bird came zooming overhead just a few moments before we had to head to the van. A long overdue Cave Swallow! NOt a hard bird in South Texas but for some reason we hadn’t run across one yet.

After we said our good-byes to most of the group, the remaining participants headed north to Rockport. There wasn’t much in the way of interesting birds en route but a long awaited stop at Dairy Queen certainly made the trip much more enjoyable.

Day 7 - February 8th - Whooping Cranes! After breakfast at the hotel we went straight to the marina and boarded the Black Skimmer our boat for the morning. Captain Tommy introduced himself and off we went, across the lagoon to Aransas NWR. Despite the temperature being on the cold side we had a spectacular time with amazing views of Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, Tricolored Herons, American Oys-tercatchers, and of course Whooping Cranes. We had several family groups of cranes feeding actively on Blue Crab in the saltmarshes.

The evening found us at Goose Island State Park enjoying the bird feeders with excellent looks at Carolina Wren, Field Sparrow, Buff-bellied Hummingbird and more. After dark, we had an amazing dinner at The Groove in Rockport, delicious fish for everyone.

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Day 8 - February 9th - DepartureOur last day of the trip was uneventful, we simply loaded up and made the drive south back to the Harlingen Airport.

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