Subject: Texas-II (longer!)
Date: May 24 16:40:05 2001
From: Scott Atkinson - scottratkinson at hotmail.com


After Sabal Palm I had a late lunch-early dinner on the grounds of the Fort
Brown Holiday Inn in Brownsville-there were four GREEN PARAKEETS (new bird)
loudly moving between palms but no sign of RED-CROWNED PARROTS. NEOTROPIC
CORMORANTS were here and in a number of other spots (and now, having read
another recent Texas trip report, I wonder: were the black/white-breasted
"garbage" ducks here some farmer's local escapes, or something better, like
Muscovies?). 4 p.m., time to head east to Santa Ana NWR.....

En route I encountered an incredibly productive set of resaca ponds on both
sides of the connecting highway that runs between Weslaco and Rt 281. I had
not figured on stopping, but an amazing 15 shorebird species were here, and
some in remarkable numbers-I figured 80 STILT SANDPIPERS, 350 SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHERS and 50 WILSON'S PHALAROPES, along with several WHITE-RUMPED, a
single BAIRD'S, and a rich golden-buff, breeding-plumaged BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, among many others (Buffs were seen here in the two weeks prior
also). If that wasn't enough, there were more ROSEATE SPOONBILLS mowing the
shallows, several WHITE PELICANS and WHITE-FACED IBIS, a range of
fresh-water ducks (including the sole FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK of the trip),
herons and egrets seemingly everywhere. It was one of those places where
you just couldn't put the binoculars down (some Weslaco birders were
enjoying the scene with me) and every time I tried to leave, something new
would pull me back....And all of this without mentioning the two lifers I
found, a pair of CAVE SWALLOWS nesting right below the highway where I'd
pulled off, and two MOTTLED DUCKS.

I had just enough time to get to Santa Ana, jacked up by a report of a
CLAY-COLORED ROBIN there. Sure enough, with less than an hour to go before
dark, I spotted my first-ever of the species, although I followed it for
quite awhile before finally getting a look, and the view was less than
definitive. Still, it was right where the stake-out bird had been reported.
A flight of 12 MISSISSIPPI KITES headed northbound over the subtropical
forest nearby made for a nice evening picture. At Pintail Lake at dusk, a
horde of blackbirds made a deafening chorus, with occasional vocal backing
by gallinules, PB Grebes and other species; just before the lake I also
heard a GROOVE-BILLED ANI (I saw several at Bentsen the next day).

My big adventure unfolded after Pintail Lake. After spotting a migrant
WHIP-POOR-WILL near the entrance at dusk, I heard my first COMMON PAURAQUE
sounding off, and pretty quick you could hear several. I had to see one.
As dusk enveloped, I found two birds very accommodating-even without a
flashlight, the birds allowed close approach and one even circled me at very
close range. What an experience...Light winds at darkness, the moon poking
through slow-moving clouds, crickets whirring, and the other-worldly sounds
of a tropical goatsucker, the PAURAQUE...

What I had not counted on-was that there was no fudge factor with the gate
closing at dusk. Despite a number of outbuildings that I wrongly assumed
included a resident manager, the gate closed automatically at 8:45. I was
trapped inside-and no one answered my calls for helpIt took several cell
phone calls but finally the NWR law enforcement officer showed up, an hour
and a half later, to let me out. He wanted badly to give me a citation but
I lucked out, explaining the circumstances. I got into Mission (near
McAllen) late and tired.

May 6 dawned even more humid and hazy than May 5, and I went to Bentsen Rio
Grande State Park. Despite walking the entirety of the Rio Grande trail, I
pretty much got skunked-no HOOK-BILLED KITES (although three were seen on
the property that same morn elsewhere) and no AUDOBON'S ORIOLE or
KINGFISHERS. I did find my first ALTAMIRA ORIOLE (and a nest) with the help
of a southern belle, Annabelle from Mobile, AL, and an enthusiastic group of
British birders. I also heard another CLAY-COLORED ROBIN (one was staying
near the pavilion). I'd had no trouble with them in AZ, but others were
excited to find one-two N. BEARDLESS-TYRANNULETS here as well.

Later I went on to Chapeno and Falcon Dam, but got completely skunked on
local stake-outs-it was too hot and mid-day by now. None of six stake-outs
was to be found. I did videotape two snakes-a racer of some sort and a
large water snake sp. that was quite aggressive-right along the banks of the
Rio Grande River. The remainder of Sunday was basically birdless, I did not
even stop at St. Ygnacio or Zapata for the famous seedeater stakeouts there.
That evening on the long drive north a frightful thunderstorm had the car
swimming the highway and slowing to 30-50 mph, twice lighting bolts were
followed by immediate thunderclaps at point-blank range, flashes of
lightning that lit up the car every 5-10 seconds over the course of 45
minutes...Really impressive, with flash flooding, but better to take in
while not behind the wheel. The blackish clouds that overtook the area just
beforehand were some of the most ominous I've ever seen-they seemed almost
alive and on the attack.

Just the same, I made Austin that Sunday night. Oh well-I ran into no
chiggers or poisonous snakes, only one tick near Austin the next morn. (I
did get bit by a FIRE ANT near Houston one day, no biggie but-you couldn't
pack more bite into an ant that small!). The chiggers are apparently more
prevalent in summer, preferring tall grass.

Near Austin I had no trouble finding singing male GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLERS at
Emma Long ("City") Park in the pure stands of Ashe Juniper. Really felt
completed to have my last golden-faced dendroica down here, so far from the
others but with such a similar wheezy song, but a bit more musical. I was
even more thrilled on the morning of the 12th to find BLACK-CAPPED VIREOS at
the Shin Oak Observation Overlook near Austin, savoring them especially
after having driven the entirety of bumpy Cow Creek Road, owing to a report
of vireos there. The Texans have put up a nice interpretive display at Shin
Oak, and the habitat is really distinctively different than other
ecotypes-3' tall stands of dwarf Shin Oak, broken with patches of grass,
shrubs and wildflowersThe place was teeming with other birds as well, one
time we were treated to a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT sharing the same twig with a
male PAINTED BUNTING (the latter another lifer for me on the trip, many were
seen elsewhere). Quite a spectacle-and then there was a WHITE-EYED VIREO
nest right next to the viewing platform, you could actually look down and
watch two recently-fledged young making their first ventures into the world!
At one point, a female SUMMER TANAGER inexplicably zoomed in for a close
look at the vireo family, or as if to help out, it seemed. Super place, and
I shared with a family of locals who were just as excited about it as I was.

My only other thrilling highlight was my evening at Brazos Bend State Park
on the 10th, which seems to have produced my best rarity-an apparent
1st-year male TROPICAL PARULA (according to opinions of locals I've
conferred with on it, although I must admit there is not 100% consensus).
The bird was only seen briefly from below twice, but I listened to it sing
for 15 minutes or so. Although out of range, there is another park record
recently, and overshoots have been more frequent this drought year, with
another overshoot in late April at High I.Brazos also provided me with two
other lifers, a dazzling male ANHINGA and 8 or so PURPLE GALLINULES. I also
videotaped nesting BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS (they were common at
several sites) and one of the three AM. ALLIGATORS present.

Signs coming into the park read "DANGER: ALLIGATORS KEEP A DISTANCE",
"DANGER: DO NOT ENTER THE WATER" and "DANGER: POISONOUS SNAKES ARE FOUND
IN THIS PARK." They could not have done a better job of enticing me with
signs like these-I had to check it out. Brazos proved to have large
numbers of waders, with continual fly-by and feeding herons and egrets
especially, as well as WHITE IBIS, and KING RAILS called regularly along the
pond edges.

In all 209 bird species were seen, 29 of them lifers, but that was only part
of the story. I met several interesting people, and ran into many other
forms of life, including a possible OCELOT and more turtle species than I'm
sure that I've seen in all other places until now. Can't wait to return!

--Scott Atkinson

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