Delta Lakes - Golden-crown Kinglet

Reports of a Golden-crowned Kinglet at Delta Lakes had us heading east.  Both Mary G and Lizzy C saw it in the AM. When we arrived an older red van was heading back toward the hotspot at the park. Laura talked to Ben B and she helped to locate the Kinglet by its sound. The circles are small in the birding world in SRGV, we were with Ben when he saw the Blue Bunting at Frontera and sat with him waiting for the no-show Crimson-collared Grosbeak at the Laguna Atacosca picnic area. We were successful but taking photos of a warbler high in the Ebony trees was not as successful. On two of the photo's the yellow shows and one the red feathers are visible. 

Yes, bow your head and show your gold and red crown.

On Brushline Road Again

I was lucky and grateful to go on a road trip with Laura Paulson, Santa Ana. We approached Brushline Road as we traveled West on FM-490. The turnoff a quarter mile stretch was incredibly filled with Pyyrrhuloxias. One male was extremely colorful, white the female was not so much. Sparrows were abundant throughout the drive. Up the road walked a Roadrunner and following him was a small bobcat. The Roadrunner finally ran across the road and the long legged (ferral) cat slinked into the brush showing its long tail on a fussy photo. OH, well. Other outstandig species we saw: Northern Quail, Caracara, White-tailed Kites, Merlin, Swainson Hawk. Next stop was Delta Lakes County Park (Hildago,County).

                                                                                Pyrrhuloxia (male)

Pyrrhuloxia (female at SPI)          

Savannah Sparrow 

                                                          Cassin's  Sparrow 

Vesper Sparrow 

Tropical Kingbird 

Harris's Hawk

 American Pipits

American Avocet  (non-breeding)

Where Is the Crimson-collared Grosbeak?

It was another "sit in" at Frontera Audubon in Weslaco, Texas. Our target bird this morning was the Crimson-collared Grosbeak, but we  first went to see the Blue Bunting. Luckily both our three-legged stools were delivered, so we were ready.  After settling in and getting our cameras ready for the Blue Bunting a Black-throated Green Warbler came to the drip for a bath. The stools worked perfectly for the low water dish. I stopped a couple and asked them if they were looking for the Bunting and convinced them to stay and wait and even sit on my stool. Sure enough in a few moments the Blue Beauty came in view and to the drip.  Gunnar got his great shot and I had a beautiful look. 

Black-throated Green Warbler

           Next a  Ruby-crowned Kinglet came moving from the left like the Blue Bunting.

 Finally    . . .    Blue Bunting  (Gunnar's)

Next came the sit at the main feeder. We were lucky to be the only humans there.

The usual suspects came searching for food but not the Crimson. Another day. 

 Altimira Oriole

 Cardinals

Clay-colored Thrush

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

 Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Long-billed Thrasher

Plain Chachalaca with a little red under his chin

Long-billed Thrashers and Ovenbirds

Thrashers and Ovenbirds are scavengers of the forest floor, so they are hard to see.  But today again the Long-billed Thrasher was out in the open. The Ovenbird was skiddish as usual and move away from us rather than closer. I am determined to get a great photo. I will return to Frontera until have a great photo. 

                 Long-billed and Curved-billed Thrashers live in mostly Texas and Mexico.

Brown Thrashers are in TX in migration and are range East of the Rockies to Florida.

Brown Thrashers are backyard birds for us in MiN.  All are twice the size of Ovenbirds.

Ovenbirds are small (7 inches) Woodland Warblers that migrate to Minnesota and North. There coloring are similiar to the Thrashers but have a stripey crown and a white eyering. 

Frontera's Feeders On a Cloudy Afternoon 2/27

Most woodland birds are hard to see, either in the treetops, brush or on the ground. But feeders are easy pickings for these birds. The feeders attract both birds and birders. Usually the Long-billed Thrasher is thrashing in the undergrowth turning the litter over looking for food. So it seems secretive. This Thrasher came to the feeder at Frontera many times.  In the first photo the Long-billed pretended that we really were not watching for him posed with our cameras.  We were also trying to ignore the distracting photographers.

Nashville Warblers are usually seen high in the treetops.  

A few rusty brown feathers are starting to show on the crown of this male. 

 

Clay-colored Thrush

              Altamira Oriole - Immature

                         Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Black-headed Grosbeak with Northern Cardinal (both females)

Black-headed Grosbeak (very uncommon here)

 

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Pintail Lakes Walk at Santa Ana 2/27

It was a day without sun, a nice change of pace.  The Santa Ana bird walk was lead by Laura and Steve Paulson who are excellent birders.  She identifies birds by their sounds and Steve in an "eagle eye".  There were many experienced SRG birders and a few from as far away as Newfoundland and Northwest Territories but majority were from Wisconsin. Very exciting to see the Jacana so close to the walkway and to get a photo of it flying was my surprise later reviewing the photos. The lemon yellow under wings are quite a show. The most memorial moment was when the Kestrel flew over the pond and scattered all the Dowichers.  A Sora popped out of the reeds right in front of us but no Kingfishers today.

 Northern Jacana

 Long-billed Dowitchers and Blue-winged Teal

 Sora, seldom seen but often heard.