Migrant Shorebirds, 4/11/25

I ran up tp Falcon State Park yesterday and was surprised to find a single American Golden-Plover on a rocky spit on the Starr County side.  They are common this time of year in open fields and turf farms in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy Counties but this was a first for me for Starr County.  When it flushed I hoped it wopuld cross the water into Zapata County but it went the wrong way.

Otherwise it was the regular Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers.

A week ago I found three Snowy Plovers on the Zapata County side.  I don't think it would be inconceivable for them to nest here but they were most likely migrants.

A few days ago I made the run up the baeach at South Padre Island.  As sea levels rise, it seems every spring it is more difficult to make the 25 mile drive up to the Port Mansfield channel.  But this was a good day with firm sand and not many people.  Not far up from Beach Access 6, I found eight Baird's Sandpipers.  These may be the first I've ever seen at the beach.  Usually they are on mud flats and usually on the drier portion.

Only one Red Knot may have been a early migrant or a winter hold over.  It was along the Willacy County portion of the beach.

I saw several dozen Piping Plovers.

But only a few Wilson's Plovers.

I posted a photo of this banded American Oystercatcher on Facebook and Stephanie Bilodeau claimed credit for banding it in March 2022 on a spoil island in the Lower Laguna Madre.

Spotted Sandpipers always look out of place on the beach.  After Killdeer it was my second lifer shorebird many years ago along a gravelly stream in the Ozarks.

I found another surprising shorebird species earlier in the day.  After crossing the Laguna Madre I pulled over and parked at the base of the causeway on South Padre Island.  A familiar "toodle" call cause me to look up and I fired a shot at the four shorebirds passing overhead.  At the time I knew the call was familiar but I was thinking American Golden-Plover.  Nope they were Upland Sandpipers.  I have to relearn calls every year.

Gee as I type this I am getting a report of a Short-tailed Hawk at Santa Ana and Flame-colord Tanagers at both Quinta Mazatlan and South Padre Island.  There's no rest for the weary.

SPI Warblers after Record Flood, 3/28/25

We have been suffering from severe drought here in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas.  The winter fronts that passed though gave only a little mist and no measurable precipitation.  But a low pressure system was forecast to come in from Mexico and give us a little relief.  The giant-headed bald guy on Texas Storm Chasers on Youtube forecast the major heavy rain to hit the Coastal Bend.  (I like making fun of this guy cuz he is so pretentious.) Wrong!  Instead most of Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties got clobbered with historic flooding.  While some places only received five inches of rain, much of the Valley was swamped by 10 to 20 inches.

So yesterday, after the deluge, I ventured out into the sunlight and made the long drive to South Padre Island to see what the storms had brough in.  At least a hundred cars were abandoned along the freeway because of the flooding from Mission to Harlingen.  People had gotten swamped on the frontage roads and drove into even deeper water trying to seek high ground.  The poor towns of Donna, Mercedes, La Feria, Harlingen and San Benito really suffered because of their poor drainage.

South Padre Island got at least ten inches but the roads were clear.  The Valley Land Fund's Sheepshead lot was flooded and migrants passerines were busy looking for flood refugee insects.  this Yellow-throated Warbler found a juicy cockroach.

Brilliant male Hooded Warblers were about.  Male migrant passerines arrive first on their way to steak out territories on their breeding grounds.

Male Northern Parula will soon be trilling on his stream side territory.

Most popular was this uncommon Prothonotary Warbler.  Birders were confused by the dark crown but experienced Valley birders know these migrants often arrive from Central America with a sticky substance matting the feathers on their face.

One of my targets for the day was the early migrating Louisiana Waterthush.  I was surprised this turned out to be a Northern Waterthrush hunting on the flooded Sheepshead lot.

Most of the same assemblage of early spring migrants were also showing at the partially flooded Convention Center.

Here's a striking male Black-and-white Warbler.

One little bottlebrush held Nashville, Tennesee, Orange-crowned and Yellow-Rumped Warblers along with this Northern Parula.

My only Blue-gray Gnatcatcher for the day.

After a good meal and a pint at the Brewery I picked up this basic plumaged Painted Bunting at the Sheepshead lot.  With the bluish tinge, I'm guesing it's a young male.

As I drove home I felt bad for all the people suffering in flooded neighborhoods.  Usually the indegent live in the most flood prone areas.  The next few days are going to be tough.