mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) (05/04/89)
My brother, Joe, and I just finished our first trip to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. As the subject line states, it was an excellent adventure. I racked up 217 species of birds; 61 of which were lifers. My brother pulled in 70 lifers. A species list follows the article. We started in Corpus Christi, where I met my brother at the airport (he lives in Colorado). By this time I had already seen my first Texas bird out the airplane window at Dallas; a Starling. Ironically, a Starling was my last Texas bird, seen out of an airplane window at Dallas. But not to worry; there was loads in between. We woke up that first morning to the raucous calls of the Laughing Gulls and a pre-breakfast walk on the beach added Sanderling, Tricolored Heron, Least Tern, Royal Tern, Great Tailed Grackle. We then left for Padre Island, where we were hoping to pick out a Piping Plover from the masses of Wilson's Plovers. When we arrived, the terns kept rolling in; Sandwich, Common, and Forster's. However, except for the occassional Black Bellied, we didn't see any plovers. After walking the beach for a couple of miles, we finally kicked up a small plover. After studying it through the scope, we confirmed it to be a Piping. We were overjoyed, expecting this to be a difficult bird to get. On our way back to the car we kicked up exactly 7 more Piping Plovers, 1 Snowy Plover, and not a single Wilson's. We eventually saw Wilson's Plovers; 4 of them, to be exact. Half the number of Pipings seen; not really the ratio we expected. The next day we attended a field trip at a local park, Blucher Park, led by a local birder. It was a pleasant outing, giving us an unexpected Chuck-Will's-Widow. The leader also mentioned that Pollywog Pond had some good birds; a place that we weren't planning on visiting. Based on his recommendation, we decided to visit it that afternoon. Boy! Were we glad that we did. The place was really jumping, producing Olivaceous Cormorant, Least Grebe, Purple Gallinule, White Rumped Sandpiper, Painted Bunting, White Ibis, Little Blue Heron, and Fulvous Whistling Duck; lifers all. Then it was on to the Valley, via the King Ranch. We hit the 2nd rest stop along highway 77 and the trees were full of birds; Northern and Orchard Orioles, Philadelphia and Solitary Vireos, Kiskadee, American Redstart, Canada and Black-and-White Warblers, and Black Crested Titmouse. A Black Vulture flew with the Turkey Vultures. It was hard to tear ourselves away. The drive along the highway produced the expected birds; Harris' and White Tailed Hawks and Crested Caracara. We also saw about 6 - 8 hawks that were somewhat confusing. They had the bold facial pattern (dark crown, eye stripe, and malar stripe on an otherwise white head) and white rump that is characteristic of a juvenile Gray Hawk. But we couldn't be seeing that many of a rare species, so we assumed that they were the similar Broad winged Hawk. However, after returning home and consulting more specific field guides, the field marks still pointed to Gray Hawk. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with this area or these species. That afternoon we did the Sabal Palm Grove in Brownsville. The Buff bellied Hummingbird was absolutely beautiful from about 20 ft. away, and much larger than I was expecting it to be. It was visiting feeders at the visitor center, along with Green Jays, Long Billed Thrashers, Olive Sparrows, and White Tipped Doves. A walk through the grove produced about 13 or 14 warbler species. I guess that we lucked out, because people that were there the next day say that they really bombed out. A whole day was set aside for Laguna Atascosa because we had high expectations for this place. The day started out great - we immediately got Plain Chachalaca, Curve Billed Thrasher, and Botteri's Sparrow - and ended great - with Common and Lesser Nighthawk and Common Pauraque. But the time in between was a big disappointment. We spent about a half an hour making sure that a Savannah sparrow wasn't a Baird's and the rest looking at the long empty expanse of Laguna Madre. We searched in vain for Cactus Wren and Verdin, birds that the ranger said should be easy, and got only a Roadrunner for our trouble. The next morning we started at the Brownsville dump and, in 15 minutes, had 8 Mexican Crows. We saw 1 raven, but decided not to spend the time trying to ID it since we both had the Chihuahuan on our life lists already. On our way out we were treated to a Lesser Nighthawk and a Cassin's Sparrow. Then it was off to the Santa Ana NWR. We took a walk around Willow Lake and netted a few warblers and, while scanning through some more warblers around the old headquarters, were informed by another birder that Ringed Kingfishers were seen flying over Pintail Lake during the day, so we headed off in that direction. We didn't see any kingfishers but found 2 Anhingas along the edge of the lake. We thought that we were pretty lucky to see these 2 until a flock of 48 flew over us on the way back. A Groove Billed Ani watched us warily from the reeds as we walked out of the park. Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park was next on the agenda. We were eagerly looking forward to this visit. Visions of Tropical Parulas and Clay Colored Robins danced in our heads. Alas, these exotics were not to be had. The trailer sites where they had been fed all winter by the wintering folk were empty and the birds had obviously left with them. Although we got Ringed and Green Kingfisher and Altamira Oriole here, we missed the other bird that we anticipated here; the Hooked Billed Kite. Feeling that this bird could not be seen anywhere else, we decided that we must return the next day to try again. We awoke the next day to a downpour and by the time that it subsided, it was late morning. When we arrived at the park, we positioned ourselves next to an agricultural field that was recommended by another birder. We saw 2 birds that looked suspiciously like kites in the distance flying towards the headquarters, so we headed there. We walked along the road from the headquarters until we came to the trailhead for the Singing Chaparral Trail and decided to walk it. As we walked, we noticed that the rain had brought out a lot of snails, the kite's favored food. Before long we caught a glimpse of a juvenile kite through the trees and pressed on. After a while we decided to turn back and, just then, sighted 3 soaring kites in the distance back the way we came. About halfway back we finally flushed 2 kites from the trees right next to the trail and got a satisfying look. It was onward up the Valley, making quick stops at Santa Margarita Ranch, Chapena, and finally Falcon Dam. Nothing much until about 7:00 in the evening when we watched a Zone Tailed Hawk soar with the vultures over the spillway at Falcon Dam. The next morning we walked the trail downstream from the dam heading for Ferruginous Pygmy Owl country. Along the way, we flushed a couple of Brown Jays and, unexpectedly, another Hooked Billed Kite. When we reached the fence line that indicated owl territory, we started working our way slowly along it. After about 200 yds. I heard a flycatcher calling behind us that I thought was an Ash Throated. Since my brother needed this for his life list, I decided to try and find it. As I looked toward the area that the call was coming from, a bird flew from the tree into another a short distance away. Thinking it to be the flycatcher, I put the glasses on it and, lo and behold, it was an owl. Its small size, round shape, and thin, short tail indicated that it was a pygmy owl. I called to my brother and approached the bird, stopping often to look at it through binoculars. The dark barring on the rusty colored tail and the white streaking on the top of the head told it from the similar Northern Pygmy Owl. We moved directly under the bird and watched it from a distance of about 30 ft. Then we walked beyond the bird and observed it from behind, noticing the dark "false eyes" on the back of the head; all the while it sat posing for us. Contented, we walked back to the dam. That afternoon we drove on to San Antonio, intending to finish our trip by picking up the "hill-country" specialties of the Edwards Plateau. We decided on Freidrich Park, and quickly spotted the Golden Cheeked Warbler, but learned that the Black Capped Vireo had been sighted only once in the last 2 years. Disappointed, and wanting the vireo, we decided to drive to Lost Maples State Natural Area further northwest. This was by far the most beautiful spot we had seen on the trip and I heartily recommend it as a stop for anyone in the area. The birds are also great. Both the Black Capped Vireo and Golden Cheeked Warbler are readily found here, as well as Carolina Chickadee and Carolina Wren. Green Kingfishers nest here. Cave Swallows were a cinch at Braunig Lake just south of San Antonio for fitting end to a truly "excellent adventure". Mike SPECIES LIST: * = lifer LEAST GREBE * PIED BILLED GREBE EARED GREBE WHITE PELICAN BROWN PELICAN DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT OLIVACEOUS CORMORANT * ANHINGA * GREAT BLUE HERON GREAT EGRET SNOWY EGRET LITTLE BLUE HERON * TRICOLORED HERON * REDDISH EGRET * CATTLE EGRET GREEN BACKED HERON BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON YELLOW CROWNED NIGHT HERON * WHITE IBIS * WHITE FACED IBIS ROSEATE SPOONBILL * FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK * BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK WOOD DUCK GREEN WINGED TEAL MOTTLED DUCK * MALLARD BLUE WINGED TEAL CINNAMON TEAL NORTHERN SHOVELER GADWALL AMERICAN WIGEON REDHEAD GREATER SCAUP RUDDY DUCK BLACK VULTURE * TURKEY VULTURE OSPREY HOOK BILLED KITE * BLACK SHOULDERED KITE MISSISSIPPI KITE * NORTHERN HARRIER SHARP SHINNED HAWK COOPER'S HAWK HARRIS' HAWK BROAD WINGED HAWK SWAINSON'S HAWK WHITE TAILED HAWK * ZONE TAILED HAWK * RED TAILED HAWK CRESTED CARACARA * PLAIN CHACHALACA * WILD TURKEY NORTHERN BOBWHITE * SCALED QUAIL SORA PURPLE GALLINULE * COMMON MOORHEN AMERICAN COOT BLACK BELLIED PLOVER SNOWY PLOVER WILSON'S PLOVER * SEMIPALMATED PLOVER PIPING PLOVER * KILLDEER BLACK NECKED STILT AMERICAN AVOCET GREATER YELLOWLEGS LESSER YELLOWLEGS WILLET SPOTTED SANDPIPER WHIMBREL LONG BILLED CURLEW RUDDY TURNSTONE SANDERLING WESTERN SANDPIPER LEAST SANDPIPER WHITE RUMPED SANDPIPER * PECTORAL SANDPIPER DUNLIN STILT SANDPIPER SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER WILSON'S PHALAROPE LAUGHING GULL * RING BILLED GULL HERRING GULL GULL BILLED TERN * CASPIAN TERN ROYAL TERN * SANDWICH TERN * COMMON TERN * FORSTER'S TERN LEAST TERN BLACK SKIMMER ROCK DOVE WHITE WINGED DOVE MOURNING DOVE INCA DOVE COMMON GROUND DOVE WHITE TIPPED DOVE * YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO GREATER ROADRUNNER GROOVE BILLED ANI * FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL * LESSER NIGHTHAWK COMMON NIGHTHAWK COMMON PAURAQUE * CHUCK WILL'S WIDOW * CHIMNEY SWIFT BUFF BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD * BLACK CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD RINGED KINGFISHER * BELTED KINGFISHER GREEN KINGFISHER * GOLDEN FRONTED WOODPECKER * LADDER BACKED WOODPECKER * N. BEARDLESS TYRANNULET EASTERN WOOD PEWEE EASTERN PHOEBE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER BROWN CRESTED FLYCATCHER GREAT KISKADEE * COUCH'S KINGBIRD * EASTERN KINGBIRD SCISSOR TAILED FLYCATCHER * HORNED LARK PURPLE MARTIN TREE SWALLOW N. ROUGH WINGED SWALLOW BANK SWALLOW CLIFF SWALLOW CAVE SWALLOW * BARN SWALLOW GREEN JAY * BROWN JAY * SCRUB JAY AMERICAN CROW MEXICAN CROW * CAROLINA CHICKADEE * TUFTED TITMOUSE * VERDIN CACTUS WREN CAROLINA WREN * BEWICK'S WREN RUBY CROWNED KINGLET BLUE GRAY GNATCATCHER GRAY CHEEKED THRUSH SWAINSON'S THRUSH GRAY CATBIRD NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD LONG BILLED THRASHER * CURVE BILLED THRASHER CEDAR WAXWING LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE EUROPEAN STARLING WHITE EYED VIREO * BLACK CAPPED VIREO * SOLITARY VIREO WARBLING VIREO PHILADELPHIA VIREO * RED EYED VIREO * BLUE WINGED WARBLER * GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER * TENNESSEE WARBLER NASHVILLE WARBLER NORTHERN PARULA YELLOW WARBLER CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLER MAGNOLIA WARBLER BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER GOLDEN CHEEKED WARBLER * BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER CERULEAN WARBLER * BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER AMERICAN REDSTART WORM EATING WARBLER OVENBIRD NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH COMMON YELLOWTHROAT WILSON'S WARBLER CANADA WARBLER YELLOW BREASTED CHAT SUMMER TANAGER SCARLET TANAGER NORTHERN CARDINAL PYRRHULOXIA ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK BLUE GROSBEAK INDIGO BUNTING PAINTED BUNTING * DICKCISSEL OLIVE SPARROW * BROWN TOWHEE BOTTERI'S SPARROW CASSIN'S SPARROW RUFOUS CROWNED SPARROW CLAY COLORED SPARROW LARK SPARROW SAVANNAH SPARROW SONG SPARROW LINCOLN'S SPARROW RED WINGED BLACKBIRD EASTERN MEADOWLARK WESTERN MEADOWLARK GREAT TAILED GRACKLE COMMON GRACKLE BRONZED COWBIRD BROWN HEADED COWBIRD ORCHARD ORIOLE HOODED ORIOLE ALTAMIRA ORIOLE * AUDUBON'S ORIOLE * NORTHERN ORIOLE HOUSE FINCH LESSER GOLDFINCH HOUSE SPARROW