Odd Day at South Padre Island, 4/21/25

The weather forecast said a cold front was stalled just north of us and cloudy, humid, drippy weather was in store for the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas.  With this being the height of spring bird migration, it sounded like a pretty good recipe for lots of birds at South Padre Island.  I was wrong.  I arrived at the Valley Land Fund's Sheepshead lot mid morning only to find a few dozen birders and very few birds.  Both Townsend's and MacGillivray's Warblers had been reported but other than a few orioles not much was happening.  Then the shout that someone had the Townsend's and a bunch of us went running.

Well it wasn't a Townsend's Warbler.  Just a female Black-throated Green Warbler with a bit of a mask.  It would sure be nice if the spring time warbler watchers spent a little time with the field guides and maybe even get out in the field during the rest of the year.

A Yellow-breasted Chat was by the water feature on the north side.  I don''t think I've ever seen one feeding on an orange.  One of the few good things the avian taxonomist have done is to declare the Yellow-breasted Chat is not a warbler.  They have placed it between sparrows and black birds.

Many of the birders took off but I kept at it.  Then I found a dark skulking warbler on the ground with bright eye arcs.  MacGillivray's Warbler?  No it was just a late dark funny acting Orange-crowned Warbler feeding on dandelion seeds.

I ran up to the Convention Center hoping for better luck.  I found the Cape May Warbler with little effort.  They are always partial to the exotic Australian bottlebrush.

Another Townsend's Warbler had been found by Michelle Cano in the mangroves on the boardwalk.  I spent over an hour looking for it and I got a very brief look at it after Michelle refound it but no photo.  Several flocks of Dickcissels passed overhead.  Here's one hiding in the mangroves.

Mangrove crabs are always fun.

I returned to the water feature and got to see the reported female Western Tanager.  It's funny how I can be thinking I am getting good photos as my brain ignores an awkwardly placed leaf or stem.  But the camera doesn't ignore it.

I got a scruffy Maagnolia Warbler.

And a pretty but uncooperative Chestnut-sided Warbler.

A fun flock of seven Painted buntings fed on the lawn behind the Convention Center.

So I stopped for some pizza and beer and made one more stop at the Sheepshead lot.  I had been running into group of British birders all day.  They were having a good time and were surprised to hear that I considered the day as being really slow.  Luckily they refound the MacGillivray's Warbler.  With John Yochum's help I was able to get some good photos.

And then the Townsend's Warbler popped in by the water feature.  It was pretty distant.

So I only saw ten species of warblers on a day when over twenty are possible  But it was nice seeing some of my long time birding friends and I got some pretty nice birds.  And there's still a few more weeks of spring migration ahead.

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.