Texas Spring falloutSpring fallout - Oriole Birding

Texas
Spring fallout

5th -19th April 2006
Tour report

Celtic bird tours

TOUR LEADERS
Mark Suomala
Neil Donaghy

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
Sarah Barnes
Jeff Curtis
Fiona Grant
John Moxham

5TH
The group met at Gatwick in good time for our early afternoon flight to Minneapolis, where we landed a little ahead of
schedule, allowing us plenty of time to make our connection to Houston. We cleared customs without any problems and
soon saw our first Turkey Vulture and skeins of Snow Geese heading high north while we sat in the departure lounge. A
small accipter that flew over the airport just before we left was undoubtedly a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Our flight to Houston
arrived on time and we were met by Mark before transferring to our motel, followed by dinner and some much needed
sleep. A White-tailed Deer en route was our first mammal of the tour.

6TH
A very sticky, overcast and humid start to the day. Our pre-breakfast excursion to Jones State Forest to the north of
Houston provided us with some excellent birding as we began our tour to Texas in earnest. On arrival, Sarah picked out a
male American Kestrel that was perched on a pylon and the trills of Pine Warblers were the first songs we heard. We saw a
few of them high in the pines, but it was principally for woodpeckers that we were here and once the light improved we
enjoyed plenty of success. With patience, we found three of the rare Red-cockaded Woodpecker, a couple of Red-bellied
and three displaying Red-headed Woodpeckers all of which gave us stunning views. We also had brief views of a Downy
Woodpecker. As we searched, we encountered a few exotic Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, while many others were
heard. A flock of five White Ibis circled the wood, a Carolina Chickadee showed well and a male Eastern Bluebird gave
prolonged views as it tried to eat a rather large prey item while sat on a wire. A brief Northern Mockingbird rounded
things off here. It was time for breakfast, so we stopped at a roadside IHOP, where we enjoyed the total American
breakfast experience and also added European Starling and Eurasian Collared Dove to the trip list! Our next port of call
was to be the famous migrant trap of High Island, but we had to drive along several highways to get there, all the time
adding new species. Kettles of Black and Turkey Vultures were seen throughout the day, often in double figures and
numbers of Boat-tailed and Great-tailed Grackles reached three figures. On route 90, a brief detour led us to a nesting
colony of Cliff Swallows under a bridge and good numbers of Barn Swallows were seen throughout the journey. We also
encountered our first Great Blue Heron, which obligingly flew alongside both sides of the bus, allowing all to get a good
view. Route 10 produced more vultures and grackles and also our first fly over Laughing Gulls and a ringtail Northern
Harrier that quartered low along the roadside. Route 124 produced our first Red-winged Blackbirds, Great Egrets and
Cattle Egrets, many more of which were seen during the rest of the day and a few unidentified buteos were seen perched
on telegraph posts that we were unable stop for. Our first stop at High Island was Boy Scout Woods on what by now was a
hot afternoon with plenty of company from the local mosquitoes, who had come out in force to greet our arrival!
Thankfully, the bites didn’t itch for long so more of an irritant than a major problem. Red-winged Blackbirds, Common
Grackles and Northern Cardinals were very common here and a pair of Orchard Orioles perched up beautifully as we got
out of the bus and a few Purple Martins hawked insects over the local houses. Two Grey Catbirds posed nicely by the pool
and a striking male Ruby-crowned Kinglet flitted around the trees with one or two dowdier female companions. A Blue-
headed Vireo gave excellent views too, but on the whole it obviously wasn’t a day for passerine migrants and the wind was
steadily picking up making searching the trees hard work. We headed out to an open area where a couple of Little Blue
Herons showed very well, all three grackle species were everywhere and busy courting and a few Texas Red-eared Slider
Terrapins slouched on the wet banks. A Virginia Rail was heard calling and we had rather unsatisfactory views of our first
Loggerhead Shrike and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, neither of which perched up for long in the wind. A couple of Mourning
Doves flew through and an Eastern Kingbird showed rather better as it perched high in a swaying tree. We returned to the
pond where a very dowdy Yellow-rumped Warbler and a stunning Red-bellied Woodpecker was at the pond and a few
Tiger Swallowtails and a Red Admiral provided the butterfly entertainment. We decided to head to the Smith Oaks
Sanctuary and en route we had excellent views of a flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds, two Inca Doves and some House
Sparrows. Smith Oaks was birding overload as we watched the rookery. Flocks of nesting Roseate Spoonbills, Great, Cattle
and Snowy Egrets, Small Blue and Tri-coloured Herons and Double-crested and Neotropical Cormorants sat uneasily
alongside some massive Alligators! Small numbers of Blue-winged Teal, Moorhens and American Coots were on the water
and a cracking Belted Kingfisher perched up nicely for scope views. A Lesser Yellowlegs risked its life by walking past a
gator with its mouth wide open, but it seemed more interested in sunning itself than an easy meal and a Spotted
Sandpiper did likewise a few minutes later. A few Tree Swallows dropped in to feed – beautifully coloured birds in the
afternoon sun and we also enjoyed much better views of Downy Woodpeckers. A few Soft Shelled Turtles were on the
banks and our first Anhinga was a female that perched up conveniently. A White-faced Ibis was joined by a better marked
Spotted Sandpiper and a pair of Pied-billed Grebes showed very well. Further Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Kingbirds, Blue
Jays and Loggerhead Shrikes showed well and our first Willet of the rip was a brief view of an over flying bird. A stop at
the bridge connecting to High Island produced some excellent birding. A flock of 12 Fulvous Whistling ducks, 21 Gadwall
and several Blue-winged Teal were on a small lake and three Mottled Ducks were also seen on the other side of the road in
sexual chase. Neil saw a male Least Bittern while the others were getting out of the bus and a flock of 20 or so Black-
necked Stilts were seen in the distance. A large number of Tree Swallows dropped in to feed and a more flocks of herons
were seen in the distance. A Red-tailed Hawk was disturbed from a fence post and finally a Brown Pelican was seen
distantly in flight to cap off an absolutely superb first days birding.

7TH
A later start today, but we still managed to fit in an hour or so before breakfast searching for early migrants at Jesse Jones
State Park. Initially, this proved to be a very frustrating experience as we heard more than we saw; Great Crested
Flycatcher, Northern Parula, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos all eluded us, but we did see a couple of Tufted Titmouse
and several other species seen yesterday including Carolina Chickadee, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern
Cardinals, Snowy Egret and Tri-coloured Heron. Our luck changed as the sun broke through and we enjoyed prolonged
views of a stunning male Prothonotary Warbler, a pair of Carolina Wrens, a drake Wood Duck and a couple of American
Crows in the Cypress Swamp, while much better views of a pair of Pine Warblers were also had. Some Black Swallowtail
butterflies, a couple of Grey Squirrels and an Eastern Box Turtle were the non bird highlights. Following another IHOP
breakfast, we headed back to High Island, but this time concentrated in other areas than the woods. En route, a few
Turkey and Black Vultures and another Northern Harrier were the highlights. At Winnie, a Swainson’s Hawk put on a
superb display and we also had very good views of a Broad-winged Hawk. Several Purple Martins were perched on a nest
box and a few Mourning Doves were scattered around the housing areas. We also saw more Loggerhead Shrikes, a very
close Eastern Kingbird and new birds included three beautiful male American Robins on a lawn and a Brown Thrasher
that eventually gave itself up to all as it fed in a fruit tree. Near the bridge to High Island, we had superb views of Scissor-
tailed Flycatchers with several more throughout the day, a male American Kestrel, a male Anhinga and very large numbers
of Cattle Egrets. We drove on to Bolivar Flats and timed it perfectly for the high tide and the result was sensorary overload
as the area teemed with birds. Squadrons of Brown Pelicans were everywhere and small numbers of American White
Pelicans were seen more distantly offshore and large flocks of Laughing Gulls were seen throughout the area. The high tide
roost contained a couple of hundred Royal Terns, a lone Caspian Tern that dwarfed even them when alongside them and
good numbers of Sandwich, Least and Forster’s Terns in a variety of plumages, as well as approximately twenty Black
Terns dip feeding further offshore and four Gull-billed Terns that were seen only briefly. A few Ring-billed and Herring
Gulls loafed around and a Belted Kingfisher showed well. A “dancing” Reddish Egret was new for the tour and good
numbers of Snowy and Great White Egrets as well as a couple of Great Blue Herons were also noted, while at least 150
Black Skimmers provided excellent entertainment as they busied themselves with feeding and generally doing what
skimmers do… Small numbers of Sand Martins and Barn Swallows passed through and an amazing stroke of good timing
brought three Clapper Rails out in full view, one of which remained in sight for about ten minutes. Shorebirds were
present in very good numbers and included a few familiar species such as Grey Plover, Dunlin and Ruddy Turnstone,
while both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs allowed for side by side comparison as well as good fun watching their busy and
eccentric feeding behaviour and good numbers of Willets gave often close views as they regularly got up to fly around-
often calling loudly. A couple of American Oystercatchers were present and four American Avocets were just showing the
first signs of breeding plumage, while a few beautifully, but subtley marked Marbled Godwits caught everyone’s attention.
On the ocean, we noted large flocks of Blue-winged Teal and a couple of Gannets. We moved on to Bob’s Road, where the
pools brought another staggering array of birds! A flock of 25 or so Lesser Scaup showed well on the first pool where we
also noted more gulls, terns, American Coots and a Pied-billed Grebe. Pool two had vast flocks of shorebirds feeding on
the mud, all of which were sent skywards by a patrolling Crested Caracara-superb! Once everything had settled back down,
we had excellent and often close views of Western Sandpipers, Wilson’s and Semi-palmated Plovers, Killdeers, Least
Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, a drake Green-winged Teal and a fly through Osprey. As we finally left this magical
place, an Opossum ran across the road in front of the bus. Our next stop was the beach and pretty soon we had notched up
Sanderling, more Wilson’s Plovers, a Western Sandpiper, our first Semi-palmated Sandpiper and good numbers of Piping
Plovers including a ringed individual, but despite searching, there was no sign of any Snowy Plovers. An Osprey showed
very well, 13 Fulvous Whistling Duck flew close inshore, a brief Northern Harrier as seen and a female Merlin came in off
the sea and dashed over the dunes. All too soon we had to leave for the ferry to Galveston, but not before several more
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers had been seen. The ferry crossing was rather dull by comparison with “just” large numbers of
Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls for company, but the drive through Galveston itself produced at least three White-
winged Doves, but sadly these were not seen by all and Neil, Fiona and Jeff were fortunate to pick out a hunting juvenile
Bald Eagle by the side of the road – sheer size meant it could have been nothing else. A few more unidentified buteos were
seen perched but we were unable to stop due to fast traffic and small numbers of White Ibis were seen flying overhead. We
stopped for dinner in a Steak and Seafood House in Bay City before continuing on to Victoria where we arrived at 22.00 –
the end of a hot and tiring, but ultimately stunning day’s birding!

8TH
We began a little later today and set off for Fulton after breakfast at the hotel on a breezy but beautifully azure skied day. A
couple of White-winged Doves were in the grounds and the by now familiar mixed flocks of grackles were highly visible as
well as vocal. Driving along Route 185, we soon added large numbers of mixed hirundines over a canal, as well as the usual
common roadside birds – Turkey and Black Vultures, Northern Mockingbirds, Loggerhead Shrikes, Mourning Doves and
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Switching to Route 35 produced two trip birds in the form of a showy Couch’s Kingbird and a
stunning male Yellow-headed Blackbird, but this was seen only by Neil and Jeff. We arrived early at Fulton, so to kill time
before our boat trip; we scanned the local lagoons and village. A couple of Reddish Egrets, Great Blue Herons, a few Royal
Terns and two drake Lesser Scaup were on the waterfront and a pair of Mottled Ducks on a small pond were joined by
three female ducks that initially caused a bit of confusion as they upended in the shallow water. They were Redheads and
they were upending because the water wasn’t deep enough for them to dive for food. Driving around the village produced a
very brief Chimney Swift, a Red-tailed Hawk; Killdeer, two very showy male Bronzed Cowbirds and a Tarantula crawling
up the wall of a house – scary! We returned to the harbour and boarded our boat for the trip out to Aransas Wildlife
Refuge on a choppy sea. The first ten minutes or so produced a few Double-crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans and
Laughing Gulls, but as we approached calmer water, sandbanks appeared and the birdlife improved. Three Caspian Terns
were resting with a good number of Black Skimmers, while a flock of eight White-faced Ibis flew alongside us for quite
some time and a distant Great Northern Diver was seen heading further out to sea. American Oystercatchers, Willets and a
few Spotted Sandpipers were joined by a Whimbrel and our first Long-billed Curlews, allowing for excellent side by side
comparison. A good sized flock of 50+ Semi-palmated Plovers were feeding on muddy patch and a few Lesser and Greater
Yellowlegs were seen at sporadic points throughout the trip.

Our main reason for coming out here was to see Whooping Cranes – one of the world’s most endangered species. We were
not disappointed and saw a total of nineteen of these giant white birds, while feeling a real sense of privilege to be so close
to them before they set off on their long northward journey to Northern Canada – magical! Three different White-tailed
Hawks showed with varying degrees of detail being noted and a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins kept us entertained
while they played in the wake of the boat. A sizeable flock of American Avocets included some in full breeding dress and a
couple of female Goldeneye were seen flying low over the sea. We also saw a few Gull-billed Terns, White Ibis and almost
as we docked a Cooper’s Hawk gave distant, but
prolonged and conclusive views as it struggled in
the fierce gale that was now blowing. This trip was
a great experience, but it seems almost trivial to
try and give any idea of the scale and size of these
bays [which holds true for much of the Texan
countryside] – it is quite simply huge…
Our next stop was Road 1781 Farm Pond, where
we quickly added more trip ticks and life birds!
A flock of nine Black-bellied Whistling Duck were
very attractive in the afternoon sun, four more
Chimney Swifts gave much better views than the
earlier bird, seven Franklin’s Gulls flew quickly
through and a few Northern Shoveler and a drake
Pintail were also present. Back at Aransas Bay, a
Black-necked Grebe was close in on the sea and
was joined by a female Red-breasted Merganser.
Route 774 was hot and dusty through relentless
ploughed fields, but it produced a superb flock of
eleven Crested Caracaras at a kill, where
interaction with the local vultures was noted, along
with another White-tailed Hawk and a fall of
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers was counted at 19 birds
in less than a mile, and a couple of female Wild
Turkeys walked slowly through the brush. The
land based part of The Aransas Refuge produced
stunning views of a huge Alligator sunning itself
on a bank at close range and some good views of
Red-tailed Hawks. The rail trail produced a few
American Coot and Moorhens, but also our first
Green Heron and Least Grebe, both of which were
resplendent in breeding plumages. A final stop at a
secluded pool produced our first Stilt Sandpiper,
but this was rather dowdy in non-breeding dress,
as well as a flock of Roseate Spoonbills, four more
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, a couple of White
Ibis and a Coypu walking out on the bank near the
boardwalk where we stood and a flock of roosting
dowitchers remained unidentified. An Armadillo
was well spotted by Jeff as we got in the bus to leave before it ran off with ears pricked and a Belted Kingfisher was seen by
the side of the road. It should be noted that throughout the day large numbers of Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Barn
Swallows and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were on the move – far too many to count individually at each site, all making for
another fantastic day’s birding in pristine habitats!

9TH
We took an early breakfast and headed south along Route 445 just as the sun was coming up on another hot, but
thankfully, less windy day. Our first bird was an American Crow that flew alongside the bus and we soon saw the first of
many Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that were present again throughout today Small groups of White-tailed Deer were seen
alongside the road and a couple of adult Crested Caracaras and Eastern Meadowlarks were also noted. Driving through
Sinton produced a few White-tailed Doves and our first stop was at a roadside pool on Route 881. We finally opened our
sparrow account when a very obliging Savannah Sparrow sat up in some brush and good numbers of American Avocet,
Black-necked Stilts, Semi-palmated Sandpipers and the usual assortment of herons and egrets were noted. A couple of
Western Sandpipers, Semi-palmated Plovers and Stilt Sandpipers were picked out amongst the flocks and our first
Northern Rough-winged Swallows appeared amongst a large flock of Cliff Swallows that also contained a few Barn and
Tree Swallows too. Two Gull-billed Terns were joined by a very close Caspian Tern making for a very enjoyable start to the
day. We had excellent views of a Red-shouldered Hawk that dropped down onto prey from a post on Route 1069– this was
the first example of this species that we were all entirely happy to add to the list before our patience was tested at our next
stop along country road 2028. White-eyed Vireos could be heard singing at several locations, but it took an age to actually
see them, though finally a pair did show very well. Likewise a House Wren that steadfastly stayed deep in cover, though
again, we all managed to see it reasonably well – eventually! We took the short ferry crossing to Mustang Island and it
seemed like the rest of Texas had the same idea as the queues were pretty horrendous in the by now considerable heat.
Finally, we made our way to the refuge, which provided some outstanding late morning birding. The vast wetland was
teeming with birds and we steadily made our way through the assorted groups and flocks. Good numbers of Blue-winged
Teal, Gadwall and Northern Shoveler were expected, but we also found a few drake Northern Pintail, American Wigeon,
Green-winged Teal and stunning Cinnamon Teal amongst them.

Small numbers of Ruddy Duck were nearly all females and a breeding plumage Black-necked Grebe was picked out by
Fiona, alongside a drake Redhead. A few Back-bellied Whistling Ducks loafed amongst the reeds, a Least Grebe popped
out periodically, while Pied-billed Grebes seemed to be quite common. After hearing a Sora call, we soon had outstanding,
close up views of a bird and likewise with a Marsh Wren. A couple of ringtail Northern Harriers and a Peregrine quartered
the marsh sending the flocks of shorebirds skywards periodically. A breeding plumaged Stilt Sandpiper was picked out
amongst a large flock of dowitchers, but again most remained unidentified. However, one bird was positively identified by
the amount of white on the fresh scapulars as a Long-billed Dowitcher, while a couple of Least and Semi-palmated
Sandpipers were also present. An Osprey circled overhead and several Roseate Spoonbills fed actively, and we also had
excellent views of very close Snowy and Great Egrets and Great Blue and Tri-coloured Herons, while a male Least Bittern
seen first in flight settled down to become a real poseur as it hunted in full view. We decided to get lunch, but this was
interrupted by an American Purple Gallinule that skulked though some muddy understory and spooked a Sora into full
view too! Still we weren’t finished, as by amazing good fortune a small group of passerines passing through as we walked
back to the bus included a rather dull Yellow-rumped Warbler, our first Lincoln Sparrow, but best of all a stunning male
Common Yellowthroat that showed really well – what a place! We took lunch at Subways on a high and then drove down
to the Marina, where despite the heavy boat traffic, large numbers of Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls and both
Neotropical and Double-crested Cormorants wee joined by a close Great Northern Diver and a pod of Bottle-nosed
Dolphins. We continued south with most taking the opportunity to catch up on some sleep during the journey, arriving in
Kingsville in the mid afternoon after no further stops. Ten Chimney Swifts were seen from the motel grounds as we left for
Dick Kleberg Park on the outskirts of town. The park was really busy on a hot Sunday afternoon, but despite this, we
enjoyed some fantastic birding as we scanned the mesquite trees and water body. A Green Heron showed superbly and we
later saw another, and a male Indigo Bunting flew overhead before landing close to a Great Kiskadee allowing for both to
be scoped as they perched right in the open. Another Great Kiskadee was seen later on and while watching this bird a
Greater Yellowlegs was seen on the waters edge along with another Green Heron. The mesquite trees held a few Chipping
Sparrows that initially caused some confusion until we saw a few much better marked breeding plumaged birds. We also
saw another Lincoln Sparrow and had superb if rather brief views of our first Lark Sparrow, which was a very smart bird.
Both Ladder-backed and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers showed extremely well and a few Couch’s Kingbirds also perched
openly for scope views. A couple of initially skulking birds in a mesquite were soon identified as a pair of Curve-billed
Thrashers as they became bolder and perched on the edge of the tree and a Brown Crested Flycatcher also perched for
scope views while uttering it’s repetitive “pip” call. A Swainson’s Hawk flew overhead, a pair of Bronzed Cowbirds skulked
low in a bush, an Inca Dove showed briefly and a few Pied-billed Grebes were on the lake. As we left for what turned out to
be an excellent Mexican meal, thousands of Great and Boat-tailed Grackles and European Starlings going to roost rounded
off another day in this amazing birding destination.

10TH
After collecting breakfast, we set off at 06.00 with our local guide Jim Sinclair for the hour long drive to King Ranch. This
vast ranch covers 225,000 acres in total and holds some special birds. Upon arrival, we immediately added a Bewick’s
Wren singing from a telegraph wire next to the visitor centre and the first of many pairs of stunning Hooded Orioles were
in courtship mode, a Golden-fronted Woodpecker showed well and Neil and Jim had a brief but good view of a beautiful
male Summer Tanager. We began our drive along the trails and flushed an Eastern Cottontail Rabbit, while the grassy
roadside areas gave up superb views of small numbers of Upland Sandpipers and a total of seven Bobwhite Quail. We also
noted a few Savannah Sparrows and Killdeers, as well as a pretty female Vermillion Flycatcher and before too long, we had
also added a stunning male found by Sarah. This really is a gorgeous looking bird and we saw four pairs in total
throughout our visit. One or two Crested Caracaras patrolled the skies and we also had our best views yet of White-tailed
Hawks. A Brown Crested Flycatcher flew over with two accompanying Great Kiskadees and we also saw another Brown
Crested Flycatcher after lunch. Several groups of Wild Turkeys were seen walking through the brush and we also
encountered a couple of displaying males, while we could not believe our luck as a Greater Roadrunner picked it’s way out
of some vegetation and walked to within a foot of the bus to whoops of delight as this was a most wanted bird for everyone
–fantastic and we also saw another one later for good measure, while a third was heard giving it soft cooing call, but was
not seen. Two female Common Ground Doves fed nervously in some vehicle tracks and we later saw a bird in flight, but
couldn’t sex it, a Cooper’s Hawk circled overhead and a Lark Sparrow gave excellent views as it perched on a small bush.
We made the first scheduled stop for a target species and pretty soon afterwards had scope filling views of a Ferruginous
Pygmy Owl, which sat on a branch calling for a full ten minutes before deciding we weren’t a threat. Jim told us a bit about
the species, which is pretty rare elsewhere within the USA – King Ranch holds approximately 300 pairs or 95% of the total
population. Stopping a bit further down the road, a Buff-bellied Hummingbird performed well, as did a singing male
Tropical Parula and after a bit of searching we found a Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, which showed well but moved
through very quickly and out of sight. A couple of White-throated Sparrows perched up, but didn’t give the greatest of
views, likewise a Great Crested Flycatcher and our first Green Jay, which unfortunately spent the brief time it was in view
in silhouette, though it did call loudly. We saw several White-tailed Deer and the much larger Nilgai that are native to
India, while a small herd of Impala were rather unexpected, though as it felt as though we were on safari, they didn’t seem
too out of place! The first of several Harris Hawk’s was found by Sarah and perched upon a pole before flying off to reveal
the gorgeous chestnut under wing and white tail and we later saw a couple of birds displaying. A tense search for the
skulking Audubon’s Oriole ended in success as a pair finally revealed themselves after being called in by Mark – a lovely
bird and another King Ranch speciality and a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew briefly by in the same area. We found an
unexpected water hole in this year of drought and a Baird’s Sandpiper feeding on the only bit of remaining mud was a
pleasant surprise. Small numbers of Northern Rough-winged Swallows passed through, but otherwise it was quiet here
other than some spectacular butterflies including Giant Swallowtails – beautiful creatures and great views. A roadside stop
produced an acceptable, but rather distant view of a singing Verdin and a singing Cassin’s Sparrow that we managed to get
in the scope. After a comfort break, where Jeff found a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which unfortunately wasn’t seen by
all, we moved to an area of open scrub. While watching some rather brightly marked Savannah Sparrows that initially
caused a few identification problems [no-one said these sparrows would be easy!], John picked out a superb male Blue
Grosbeak in some dead wood at the end of a tree.

We all managed to see the bird well, but all too briefly as it took off and wasn’t relocated. Careful scanning produced a
couple more Lark Sparrows and a Vesper Sparrow perched high in a tree, while a singing Long-billed Thrasher showed
well despite the breezy conditions. Our final birds at this amazing place were a couple of Olive Sparrows that showed really
well after being called in by Jim. By now it was really hot, so we decided to say our farewells to this wonderful place and
head south to our next base in Mc Allen, close to the Mexican Border. Most of us fell asleep, but thankfully, not Mark who
was driving and we arrived in the late afternoon. We took an hour out to freshen up before meeting back up for some pre-
dinner birding at Progresso Lakes. At least 750 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks made for an amazing sight as they flocked
for a pre-roost gathering and we found three Fulvous Whistling Ducks amongst them too. A flock of 22 Lesser Scaup were
also on the water and a Caspian Tern flew over. A couple of Great Kiskadees showed well and our first Plain Chachalaca
was seen sat in a dead tree by the side of the lake. We also noted our first two Mallard of the tour with two drakes being
present and a pair of stunning Green Kingfishers gave excellent views as they began courtship rituals. Finally, we enjoyed
an excellent mixed flock of herons and egrets that held single Little Blue and Tri-coloured Herons, a Green Heron, three
Snowy Egrets, three Black-crowned Night Heron and a single Yellow-crowned Night Heron that was seen briefly as it left
the roost and flew over our head – another excellent bird to end a simply incredible day’s birding.

11TH
A slightly later start saw us heading off to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on a humid, overcast morning with no wind.
As we got out of the bus, Neil and Fiona shouted a pair of male Scarlet Tanagers flying across the car park but sadly
nobody else managed to see them. A Buff-bellied Hummingbird showed well as we walked out to the raptor watch point.
We arrived just in time to see the post roost flight of approximately 1000 Broad-winged Hawks, four Swainson’s Hawks
and five Sharp-shinned Hawks – an amazing sight, as the birds all found thermals to begin the northward migration. We
also had a brief view of a flying Altimira Oriole, a few Chimney Swifts and a perched Harris Hawk. Both Ladder-backed
and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers showed very well and in numbers and large flocks of White-winged Doves reminded us
of Wood Pigeons back home. We left the watch point after about an hour and headed into the woods where we
immediately had good views of a couple of Olive Sparrows hopping around on the ground; we saw several more during the
day and Great Kiskadees and Couch’s Kingbirds were also seen at regular intervals throughout the day. A Brown Crested
Flycatcher gave reasonable views as it perched in a dead tree and we all finally enjoyed excellent views of a couple of Ruby-
throated Hummingbirds as they buzzed around a particularly good food tree. Scanning through the treetops, we had our
first real encounter with the syndrome known to birders as “warbler neck” as we searched for the slightest movements
among the foliage that give the birds away. A Tropical Parula gave us the run around by constantly singing before finally
showing, a female Black-throated Green Warbler was also fairly elusive but a rather handsome male Nashville Warbler
showed briefly but well. We walked down to the swampy area to look for Clay- coloured Robin, but only Mark had any joy
with this skulking species, and as the area was infested with mosquitoes, we decided to return a bit later and checked out
the lakes instead. Nothing new here, but good numbers of American Coots, four Least Grebes, drake Cinnamon and Blue -
winged Teals, a couple of Spotted Sandpipers and Smooth Shelled and Slider Turtles. We tried again for the Clay-coloured
Robins and this time were far more successful, as unbelievably, we watched a pair gathering nest material and then
feeding close by while a large Indigo Snake slithered into the stagnant pool – excellent! A Lincoln Sparrow hopped around
in the undergrowth and a Long-billed Thrasher sang from the top of a tree while we had scope filling views. A few Plain
Chachalacas were noisily calling throughout our visit and we also scoped a couple of these strange birds, while large
numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds were around the feeders and a showy Northern Parula was in the car park as we left.
We also noted both Mesquite and Rosebelly Lizards. Following lunch, we drove west to Bentsen State Park on what was by
now a scorching and energy sapping afternoon. A few Cave Swallows were nesting under the bridge at the entrance, but we
saw very little other than grackles, cowbirds and blackbirds until we reached the oxbow lake. A couple of Anhinga and
several Double Crested Cormorants were perched on some dead trees and while scanning these, John found a perched
Ringed Kingfisher, which although distant was perfectly viewable in the scopes. Walking to the hide we added, a few Inca
Doves and once inside we enjoyed half an hour of close encounters with Green Jays, White-winged and White-tipped
Doves and three Indigo Bunting, which included two stunning males. It was also nice to be in the shade for a while. We
met up with a couple of Canadian birders and together we watched a rather annoyed Eastern Screech Owl clamber up to
the top of it’s tree to see what the noise was as Mark called it in and while researching a potential Elf Owl for later on an
Olive-sided Flycatcher showed very well in a dead tree –it’s white waistcoat clearly visible despite the strong overhead sun.
Two Javalinas [a type of native wild pig], were seen under a feeding station and we again had rather brief views of a couple
of Altamira Orioles as they flew quickly through, though a male Hooded Oriole showed much better in the same area.
We returned to the hotel to pick up some food and freshen up before returning for our evening walk. While we stood
waiting at the Elf Owl tree, we enjoyed some good raptor watching. Our first confirmed Grey Hawk [we’d seen a few
possibles earlier today] came in low over our heads, while a pair of delicate White-tailed Kites were hawking insects and
gave several extended flyby’s and an Osprey was looking for a roost site. The two Canadian birders re-appeared and not
long afterwards, we couldn’t believe our luck as our third Clay-coloured Robin of the day just flew up off the ground and
perched out in full view! Another tour party arrived and together we all waited to see if the owl would show. A few of us
saw a very brief and rather distant Common Nighthawk, but we were all more successful with the Lesser Nighthawk that
flew right over our heads before disappearing down into the trees. It was just about time to give up when both Fiona and
Jeff saw a small blob fall out of the hole in the tree and out of sight for what was the briefest of views of the Elf Owl, though
we did hear one calling nearby afterwards; a bit of a shame, but not entirely unexpected for this difficult to see species. We
also heard, but didn’t see three different Ferruginous Pygmy Owls, an Eastern Screech Owl, the cries of a couple of Coyotes
and a couple of Paraques, as we searched for ay further signs of life under a full moon that cast shadows as we walked –
very atmospheric, despite the mosquitoes. Another wonderful day!

12TH
We decided to return to Santa Ana for
early morning raptor watching and this
proved to be a good decision. Upon
arrival, we had excellent and prolonged
views of a Lesser Nighthawk flying
around the car park! A warm, overcast
morning saw large flights of Mississippi
Kites [approximately 350 in total]
leaving the roosts and amongst them
was a single Swallow-tailed Kite, which
glided elegantly and effortlessly until out
of view – a fabulous start to the day, as
this was a much wanted species. The by
now familiar Great Kiskadees, Couch’s
Kingbirds, and Golden-fronted and
Ladder-backed Woodpeckers all showed
well and at least three Altmira Orioles
flew over at close range, while Jeff and
Mark also had brief views of a Clay-
coloured Robin. As the sun broke
through good numbers of Broad-winged
Hawks took to the wing, though not as
many as yesterday and a few Sharp-
shinned Hawks were also noted, along
with several flocks of Snowy Egrets. A couple of Spotted Sandpipers showed well and we also had our first Solitary
Sandpiper of the tour fly over our heads. A singing Brown Thrasher sat up in full view, a flock of nine White-faced Ibis flew
over and we had excellent views of a flock of incredibly raucous Plain Chachalaca that kept up a constant background
noise as they called to each other. Following an excellent Mexican breakfast, we moved further south to the Brownsville
area. Our first stop was at the Old Port Isobel Road – a dusty and breezy track on the outskirts of town. The birding was
good as saw a couple of Cassin’s Sparrows at close range along with a very showy Vesper Sparrow and a few Savannah
Sparrows by the side of the road. A White-tailed Hawk showed pretty well as it circled over the fields and a Pyrrhuloxia
was seen by a few of the group as it landed in a mesquite tree. A couple of Harris Hawks showed briefly, a Lesser
Yellowlegs fed in the small muddy pool and a few Willets were busy displaying. A couple of Loggerhead Shrikes were
perched on the telegraph wires and two Chihuahuan Ravens were seen displaying in the distance – our first of the trip, but
they were in heat haze too, so not great views. Small numbers of Lark Sparrows all gave excellent views and a single Long-
billed Curlew flew in but quickly disappeared. Two Common Ground Doves were seen in a patch of bare ground and a
Curve-billed Thrasher showed very well as it sat atop a Cactus plant. As we were about to leave two Horned Larks ran into
the road, giving excellent views – another new species for the tour. We arrived at Sabel Palms on a hot and very muggy
afternoon. The feeders around the reserve centre held a couple of Green Jays, Black Crested Titmouse and a rather elusive
Indigo Bunting, as well as the expected Plain Chachalaca, Red-winged Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackles. We walked
around the palms, hearing only a couple of Common Yellowthroats when John called a water thrush. We played hide and
seek with this frustrating bird for a good hour before everyone finally got good views of a Louisiana Waterthrush, but boy
was it a skulker! A Long-tailed Thrasher showed well while we were searching and three more male Indigo Buntings were
seen by Neil, Jeff and Sarah. Moving on to the wetter areas, a Green Kingfisher gave excellent views as it hunted a stagnant
pool and a Belted Kingfisher flew quickly through. An excellent count of thirteen Least Grebes were flocked together and
there were also good numbers of Mottled Duck, American Wigeon, Gadwall and Blue-winged Teal, as well as a drake
Redhead and a couple of Ruddy Ducks. Jeff and Mark were fortunate to get a brief view of a Hermit Thrush, but this bird
could not be relocated amidst very dense vegetation. We decided to move on and look for Apalamado Falcon, but with a
strong breeze and terrible heat haze, we didn’t give this too much of our time. We did see a few Eastern Meadow Larks,
Laughing Gulls and some unidentified distant buteos in the area, but as expected no falcons were seen. We stopped for a
short while at Port Brown where a large flock of Green Parakeets were still at the winter roost site, and where we could
actually see into Mexico, but despite searching a couple of known sites, we couldn’t find either Red-crowned Parrot or
Tropical Kingbird – our first real downtime of the whole trip but with such difficult conditions, not that surprising. We
drove back to the hotel for a little recuperation time before going out for an excellent Mexican meal.

13TH
We were on the road very early as today was to be a long travel day and with it being the start of the Easter holiday, we
wanted to try and avoid as much of the extra traffic as possible. There is always usually one day on a tour when things
don’t go to plan and for some birds today was that day. We stopped for breakfast in Roma and soon had a flock of 25
Chihuahuan Ravens flying overhead, along with a Swainson’s Hawk and a few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. We made good
time to our first stop at Chapeno and this is where things didn’t really happen for us bird wise. News of a Brown Jay using
the feeders raised expectation levels, but it proved to be hugely frustrating as we spent over three hours searching and
waiting for them to reappear only to be told by the owners that we had missed them by a couple of minutes on each
occasion. We scanned into Mexico for Hook-billed Kites, but didn’t connect with those either, though a couple of Ringed
and a single Green Kingfisher were noted along with an Osprey and at least two Audubon’s Orioles. We also had excellent
views of several Altimira’s Oriole, Black Crested Titmouse and seven White Pelicans, while a few American Wigeon, Pied-
billed Grebes and an Anhinga were on the river. A Grey Hawk gave excellent views as it hunted along the river, Purple
Martins were all around and other species noted included Ladder-backed and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Brown-
headed and Bronzed Cowbirds, our first good look at a Pyrrhuloxia, Green Jays, Northern Cardinals and a male Common
Yellowthroat. We also noted 13 striped Ground Squirrel, Fox Squirrel and Neil was lucky enough to see a male

Prothonotary Warbler when walking back to collect a t shirt that was left behind. We also added seven fly by Red-billed
Pigeons to the tour list. We moved on to Savileno, where a further four Red-billed Pigeons gave better views as they
perched up on a riverside roost and a Cooper’s Hawk was also scoped as it perched in a dead tree, allowing our best views
of that species so far. We also noted more Swainson’s Hawks, American Wigeon and Ringed Kingfisher here. A brief stop
at a hot San Ygnacio produced very little and no White-collared Seedeater, but we did see a Band-celled Sister butterfly.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon travelling along Route 83 where roadside species included good numbers of
Crested Caracaras, Harris Hawks, Chihuahuan Ravens, Northern Mockingbirds, Black and Turkey Vultures and Scissor-
tailed Flycatchers were seen from prominent perches and a male Wild Turkey was at the side of the road. We arrived at
Neal’s Lodges in Concan just in time for dinner and added Chipping Sparrow and Lesser Goldfinch at the feeders, an
Eastern Phoebe as we dropped off John and Fiona’s luggage and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds as we ate dinner.
The evening was spent at Concan Bat Cave where we soon saw another Eastern Phoebe, a skulking Bell’s Vireo and some
gorgeous Black-throated Sparrows that perched up for scope views and a pair of Virden that showed fairly well. A Canyon
Wren was seen going to roost after singing briefly, a Rock Wren showed fairly well and a Cactus Wren was seen briefly by
some of the group. Our main reason for being here though was to watch the millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats that leave
their cave at dusk and we weren’t disappointed! The scene was set by a vast flock of Cave Swallows that went in to roost
with the first bats leaving soon after. What followed then was an awesome wildlife experience - it is impossible to describe
the sound of the wings and the smell as these creatures head off into the night to hunt up to 50 kilometres away, but the
local Red-tailed Hawks were obviously aware of the feast on offer and regularly dipped into the streams of bats to pick off
a unfortunate victim. As it got darker the Cave Myotis bats began to leave and we were fortunate enough to see both
species side by side in the hand as a couple of researchers were trapping them for biometric data. As we left this magical
place, a Common Nighthawk hunted the scrubby hillside and a Chuck Wills Widow called at really close range, but try as
we did, we just couldn’t find it as it sat underneath dense vegetation. There are always trade offs to be made and we all
agreed that despite the disappointments of not catching up with some of the rarest breeding birds in the USA, it was made
up for by what we had just witnessed – magic!

14TH
The day began cool and breezy, as after breakfast, we explored some of the feeding sites around the lodges. It seemed that
more migrants had arrived as we quickly added two male Summer Tanagers perched on telegraph wires as dawn broke
and as we collected our things from our cabins Neil was fortunate to see two gorgeous Black Phoebes fly catching along the
Frio River and an Orange–crowned Warbler in some scrub on the way back to meet up with the others. It was hard to
know where to look first at the feeders as several species came and went in quick succession. A small flock of sparrows
included a single male Black-throated Sparrow, a few Chipping Sparrows, three Lark Sparrows and our first Clay-coloured
and White-crowned Sparrows, the latter of which surprised us with its size – an excellent start. We soon added a few
smart male House Finches and a brief but showy
Canyon Towhee, along with small numbers of Lesser
Goldfinches. The highlight however was a dazzling male
Painted Bunting that showed superbly and brought
more whoops of delight from all as it was another much
wanted species. We left after this and took Route 183 to
Lost Maples State park through some beautiful
countryside of juniper covered hills and just outside the
town of Utopia, we encountered a flock of at least 50
Swainson’s Hawks all perched on posts or grubbing for
insects in the adjacent field. A wide array of plumages
were present, but no other species and we guessed that
it must be a post roost gathering that were waiting for
thermals before flying. Lost Maples is a stunning place
to visit with more juniper covered hills, pools and
streams of crystal clear water and mature maple trees
and consequently is home to special breeding birds and
some interesting migrants. An Eastern Phoebe and
Carolina Chickadee were seen around the feeders at the
entrance and a few Common Ravens “cronked” as they
flew high over the canyon cliffs. We began walking and
the sun came out and with it the birdsong started.
A Black-chinned Hummingbird showed briefly alongside a Ruby-throated, a Red-eyed Vireo sang it’s monotonous tune
but was seen only by Fiona and a couple of Nashville Warblers gave reasonable, but brief views as they flitted through the
foliage. We heard a couple of Black and White Warblers but were unable to find either of them, but a Black Phoebe showed
well for everyone this time. A Porcupine sat sound asleep and high in a tree was a major surprise and our first Rufous-
crowned Sparrow was seen perched nearby. A small fall of Orange-crowned Warblers had taken place and this allowed
everyone to see that species too; though not the most attractive of the American warblers it was still nice to see them. We
also encountered our first Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, which were very hard to track as they restlessly flitted through the
foliage. While we stood near the maintenance depot an Osprey flew over – apparently the first record for the park! We also
saw a brief Western Scrub Jay here, along with a male Indigo Bunting and a Golden-cheeked Warbler that was seen only
in flight and not by the entire group. We began the steep ascent to the top of the canyon on a rough track and in now
considerable heat. An Ash-throated Flycatcher perched up conveniently on some wires, allowing close examination of its
very pale under parts compared to Brown Crested Flycatcher. A pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were seen on the nest and
a Field Sparrow was heard singing, but not seen. Our target species up here was Black-capped Vireo, which is found
nowhere else. We heard a singing bird upon arrival, but only Fiona and Mark had glimpsed this skulking bird after over
two hours of waiting patiently for what seemed destined to be more scant reward for our efforts. Frustration mounted in
the heat and we decided to move away and come back.

There was little else to see other than patrolling Turkey Vultures, but just as we were about to give up a bird started
singing close by and then there it was in view! Not for long, but close enough to see all of the salient features! Not only
that, but it was accompanied by a female Golden-cheeked Warbler too. It was a case more of relief than joy, but although
we heard at least another two singing birds, we didn’t see them either… The walk back down was uneventful until we
reached a small clearing when unbelievably, a male Golden-cheeked Warbler started singing right in front of our noses
and we had exceptional views of this gorgeous and rare bird as it flitted around it’s territory with one or two of the group
seeing the female too. Lunch was a late but happy affair after our change of fortune. We returned to the lodges and went
and sat in shade at another feeder where we enjoyed two hours of excellent and relaxed birding. Many different species
were using the area, especially the water dripping into a bowl, and we had superb close up views of more Painted
Buntings, White-throated and Chipping Sparrows, a pair of Long-billed Thrashers, House Finches and Lesser Goldfinches
and a showy White-eyed Vireo. The Black-chinned Hummingbirds provided great entertainment as they buzzed around
chasing each other away, a pair of Hooded Orioles showed briefly and Neil and Jeff were fortunate enough to see a Spotted
Towhee run across their line of view, but this bird wasn’t seen again. A Western Scrub Jay showed very well, which again
allowed those who missed it earlier to catch up with it, a couple of Olive Sparrows dropped in and just as Mark announced
it was time to go to dinner, the bird we had all been waiting for dropped in for a drink! A stunning and very rare male
Rufous-capped Warbler gave superb views before it was chased off by an aggressive Cardinal but the two hour wait had
been well worth it for such a little beauty and we left for dinner happy after a terrific day.

15TH
The day began early as we took a walk along the River Frio at Neal’s Lodges before setting off on a long travel day. A
Carolina Wren showed well as we left the café and another was seen later in the seat of an abandoned JCB! A couple of
pairs of Cave Swallows were nesting under the eves of Neil’s cabin allowing excellent photographic opportunities and an
Eastern Phoebe was perched on a nearby wire. A couple of Black Phoebes were feeding along the rocky shoreline and
several flocks of Cedar Waxwings flew over, but we were unable to see them perched. A cracking male Yellow-throated
Warbler showed really well and a couple of others were seen higher in the Cypress trees, while a Canyon Wren was scoped
up at fairly long range, but was still identifiable. Finally, a Myrtle Warbler was noted feeding low down in a juniper. We
spent a final visit to the feeders where we added a pair of Bushtits that were taking food to young in a nest, a Ruby-
crowned Kinglet shot quickly through and a normally skulking male Yellow-breasted Chat showed really well while we
waited for the Bushtits to return to the nest. The other feeder again had good numbers of House Finches, Lesser
Goldfinches, Chipping and Clay-coloured Sparrows and another stunning Yellow-throated Warbler that was collecting
nest material, but there was no sign of any Painted Buntings today. A walk along the birding trail produced a singing
Canyon Towhee, an Ash-throated Flycatcher, a brief but vocal Bewick’s Wren and a Pyrrhuloxia. We left Concan at in the
morning and drove along Route 127 to Sabinal. Good numbers of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Northern Mockingbirds and a
couple of Loggerhead Shrikes were perched on roadside wires, an Ash-throated Flycatcher also perched up nicely and a
male Blue Grosbeak was seen a couple of times in flight and briefly perched in a bush. At Sabinal Grain Storage, good
numbers of Great-tailed Grackles were present, along with a very showy male Brewers Blackbird, which gave prolonged
views as it sat on a railing near the rather pungent cow sheds! Further along the road, a Curve-billed Thrasher perched
atop a bush and after a bit of a wait a pair of Cactus Wrens showed really well as they sang their loud rattling song from a
dead branch high in a tree. A couple of White-crowned Sparrows were sat in the road and a couple of Red-tailed Hawks
were seen soaring over the fields. We spent the next couple of hours with the pedal to the metal, not really birding, but a
fuel stop in Flatino produced a bonus trip tick in the form of four Western Kingbirds that were displaying in an oak tree
just off the forecourt. They were identified by the all ale grey head and much stubbier bill than the more familiar Couch’s
Kingbird. We continued on to Attwater Prairie Chicken Reserve, where a strong wind was blowing across the plain.
Numbers of birds were not high, but a couple of Savannah Sparrows were seen at close range and a couple of Eastern
Meadow Larks were in display flight. The small amounts of remaining water held a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs, Least
Sandpipers, Blue-winged Teal, a Great White Egret and a Little Blue Heron. A White-tailed Hawk gave good views and a
few Bobwhite Quail ran off the track into the brush, giving their distinctive call. From there we drove directly to Winnie,
where we arrived in the early evening. Birds seen en route included a Brown Pelican, Laughing Gulls, Mourning Doves and
Snowy Egrets.

16TH
We found out at breakfast that there was to be a Yellow Rail walk at Anahuac this morning at 07.00, which was convenient
as this was where we had decided to go anyway! We arrived on cue to be met by 91 other birders who had turned up for the
event! Unfazed, the warden gave us the briefing and then it was off across the Spartina Marsh to try and find the birds; it’s
done by dragging a weighted rope across the likely habitat and flushing a bird in a controlled manner. While not everyone
agrees with this on ethical grounds, it has to be said that seeing the birds is certainly a money spinner for the reserve as
almost everyone made a contribution by buying items in the shop afterwards. The walk was slippery at times, but we
succeeded in seeing four different diminutive Yellow Rails flying at close range, allowing for excellent views of one of
North Americas most wanted birds and with minimum disturbance. Back at the reserve centre, we saw a Solitary
Sandpiper, few Blue-winged Teal, Black-necked Stilts, White Ibis, Tri-coloured Heron, Great White and Snowy Egrets and
Fulvous Whistling Ducks. We drove the loop trail and had some more excellent birding experiences as we went. Four
different American Bitterns included one spectacularly showy bird that started to display; some really close up views of
Swamp Sparrows, two perched Least Bitterns, a female Merlin and several Alligators. Eastern Kingbirds were everywhere
– a real fall of this species had taken place, and in the small area of vegetation known as The Willows, we got wonderful
views of a male Palm Warbler and a Broad-banded Water Snake that sat coiled in the road. A few Northern Harriers
quartered the reeds, a Wilson’s Snipe was seen dropping into dense vegetation, but we still managed to relocate it and a
couple of American Purple Gallinules showed really well as they fed in an area cleared of reeds. A Sora showed well and a
Common Yellowthroat perched on top of a reed head before dropping down and out of sight. A King Rail slowly edged its
way out of dense cover before swimming across some open water and we later had excellent views of another in some
roadside vegetation. A small fall of Orchard Orioles had taken place; a flock of White-faced Ibis flew over, as did a large
flock of Cattle Egrets.

We drove down to the sea, where we had large numbers of Savannah Sparrows along the road and a couple of very showy,
singing Seaside Sparrows. Small flocks of shorebirds on some wet rice paddies included a few Stilt Sandpipers, a
Whimbrel and some distant peeps and dowitchers, while a few Laughing Gulls and Gull-billed Terns loafed around the
bunds. We decided to drive down to High Island and made a brief stop at Boy Scout Woods, which was a bit busy and
quiet for birds in the early afternoon, so we moved quickly on to Smith Oaks. Once again our instincts were right and we
were rewarded with a fine selection of migrants, despite continuous mosquito irritation. Both Scarlet and Summer
Tanagers were present, but there had been a large fall of Baltimore Orioles, which we enjoyed watching flitting through the
treetops and they were joined by the occasional Orchard Oriole and at least three stunning male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
Two rather plain looking, but nonetheless attractive Warbling Vireos were noted, looking for all the world like a North
American version of a Garden Warbler and we also had very good views of a Blue-headed Vireo and a couple of Red-eyed
Vireos that everyone finally managed to see. A couple of Grey Catbirds were also present and we had superb views of at
least three cracking Yellow-billed Cuckoos perched high, but right out in the open. A female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
proved to be a bit of a frustrating bird, but we all finally got reasonable views, along with good views of Red-bellied and
Downy Woodpeckers. A nicely plumaged male Myrtle Warbler showed well and we later encountered another rather tatty
female type and John glimpsed a small passerine that turned out to be a stunning Worm-eating Warbler, which gave
superb views as it crept through the undergrowth undetected by any of the other birders present on the loop. Ruby-
crowned Kinglet and Common Yellowthroat passed through rather quickly and almost unnoticed with so much activity
going on. Sarah picked a very smart Wood Thrush sat high in an oak, but unfortunately this bird was seen only briefly by a
few of the group before it dropped down and out of sight and our final bird was an Eastern Wood Pewee that caught a
couple of flies before flitting off into dense vegetation. We decided to return to Boy Scout Woods in the late afternoon and
watch the two ponds. A Yellow-crowned Night Heron showed well as it perched high in a tree and a Green Heron was also
perched openly. A couple of water thrushes underwent a lot of scrutiny before the consensus was that they were Northern
Waterthrush. A male Blue Grosbeak was seen briefly and another male Rose-breasted Grosbeak took our total for the
afternoon to four. More Grey Catbirds, an extremely confiding Blue-headed Vireo, more Baltimore Orioles and a smartly
plumaged White-throated Sparrow were other highlights. It may not have been as spectacular as some of the fallouts here,
but this was a very exciting afternoon’s birding in this legendary migration hotspot.

17TH
Our last full day in Texas began with an early breakfast
before the journey to Port Arthur and Sabine Pass woods.
We drove through vast oil refineries to get to this migrant
hotspot. En route, along Route 87, the usual selection of
herons, egrets, terns and gulls were noted and a single
Brown Pelican was seen fishing in the docks. The whole
area still showed much evidence of the havoc wreaked by
Hurricane Katrina last August with huge piles of debris by
the roadside and several collapsed houses. So much so in
fact that one of the main nature reserves was still closed.
We tried searching the woods for migrants and had good
numbers of Grey Catbirds, a couple of White-throated
Sparrows, a Brown Thrasher, a couple of Blue Jays and a
vast flock of Tree and Barn Swallows overhead, but no
warblers. The marsh opposite held a couple of singing
Sedge Wrens, but we couldn’t locate either and one or two
Greater Yellowlegs were seen displaying over the marsh.
We tried an area near Hamshire called Taylor’s Bayou,
which gave us excellent views of Yellow-crowned Night
Herons and Little Blue Herons as well as showy Northern
Parula and male Prothonotary Warbler, as well as Green
Anole Lizard. By mid morning it was extremely hot, and
there were no migrants around, so we elected to travel to
Big Thicket. After being stuck in a traffic jam, we arrived
there early afternoon and were greeted by a flock of nine
Mississippi Kites passing through right overhead. We soon
heard a singing male Hooded Warbler, but we were unable
to find this bird. Thankfully, another bird stated to sing
nearby and this was much more obliging, allowing good
views and we later saw another even better. A couple of
Myrtle Warblers showed fairly well, as did a Northern Parula and a brief White-eyed Vireo. We had excellent views of a
pair of Red-eyed Vireos, closely followed by a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, but it was pretty hard going on an
exceptionally hot afternoon. However Fiona’s eagle eyes picked out a male Pileated Woodpecker about to enter it’s nest
hole and we got good views of the bird before it disappeared inside. It then proceeded to stick its head out of the hole in
response to some tree tapping and with spirits raised after such good fortune; we set off back for the vehicle. En route we
heard but couldn’t locate a singing Yellow-headed Vireo and only Jeff had the briefest of views of a calling Arcadian
Flycatcher. With migrants tending to arrive in the late afternoon, we headed for Boy Scout woods again on High Island
and we enjoyed sitting watching the birds passing through the two ponds. The usual Grey Catbirds, grackles, Red-winged
Blackbirds and Northern Cardinals were joined by a few Summer Tanagers, Orchard Orioles and Baltimore Orioles. Two
Blue Jays were using the drip to drink from and a Brown Thrasher popped out periodically, while at least two pairs of
Common Yellowthroats were busy in what appeared to be courtship routines.
A Worm-eating Warbler showed briefly but very well and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was seen scrambling through the trees.
An Eastern Wood Pewee was busy fly catching from a high perch and a Red-eyed Vireo appeared in the Cypress Tree that

is the centre of focus here. A Northern Waterthrush skulked around in the deep pond side vegetation, while a Wood
Thrush showed very well; the late afternoon sun highlighting the gorgeous rufous tones to its upperparts. A female Blue-
winged Warbler was seen drinking from the pool and a female Indigo and a Painted Bunting popped in to drink now and
then. The main excitement was caused by a male Kentucky Warbler that initially skulked but then showed well and a
showy male Tennessee Warbler was also very popular with the now large crowd. An Ovenbird was disappointingly skulky
and didn’t reappear, a couple of White-throated Sparrows showed well and our third Hooded Warbler of the day was a real
show off! A male Prothonotary Warbler was seen up high in an oak and a female Black and White Warbler proved very
popular as it acrobatically fed amongst the high leaves, but showed very well while doing so. Finally, a perched nightjar
was conclusively identified as a Lesser Nighthawk – a very rare bird on High Island and a tremendous show stopper that
allowed scope filling views as it dozed in the early evening sunshine. A day that hadn’t started too well had been salvaged
by some excellent afternoon birding.

18TH
We decided to do some fairly relaxed birding on our final morning, so headed to Anahuac again. There had obviously been
an influx of shorebirds on to the wet paddies and we spent an hour or so scanning through them. The usual Greater and
Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-necked Stilts were present in good numbers, along with a few Grey Plovers, Turnstones, Stilt
Sandpipers and distant dowitchers. Closer inspection revealed small numbers of both Pectoral and Buff-breasted
Sandpipers and a solitary non-breeding plumaged Wilson’s Phalarope amongst them, but no sign of any American Golden
Plovers. We had further excellent views of a couple of King Rails, five American Bitterns and several Yellow-crowned
Night Herons, as well more of the other herons and egrets, including a lone Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis,
Fulvous Whistling Ducks and Purple Gallinule. Two Palm Warblers were in The Willows and we also saw several
Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Kingbirds and Purple Martins before we headed back to the hotel for a shower and on to the
airport. We stopped for a short time at Jesse Jones State Park, but it was pretty quiet in the sweltering afternoon heat. Just
a couple of Carolina Chickadees, a calling, but not seen Arcadian Flycatcher, and a Downy Woodpecker of note.
Our flights all left on time and were pretty eventless and we arrived ten minutes ahead of schedule at Gatwick the
following morning at 09.50. We said our farewells after what had been a fantastic two weeks of top quality birding.

SYSTEMATIC LIST
1 Black-bellied Whistling Duck
2 Fulvous Whistling Duck
3 Snow Goose
4 Wood Duck
5 American Wigeon
6 Gadwall
7 Mallard
8 Mottled Duck
9 Blue-winged Teal
10 Cinnamon Teal
11 Northern Shoveler
12 Northern Pintail
13 Green-winged Teal
14 Redhead
15 Lesser Scaup
16 Common Goldeneye
17 Red-breasted Merganser
18 Ruddy Duck
19 Plain Chachalaca
20 Common Pheasant
21 Wild Turkey
22 Northern Bobwhite
23 Great Northern Diver
24 Least Grebe
25 Pied-billed Grebe
26 Black-necked Grebe
27 Northern Gannet
28 American White Pelican
29 Brown Pelican
30 Neotropic Cormorant
31 Double-crested Cormorant
32 Anhinga
33 American Bittern
34 Least Bittern
35 Great Blue Heron
36 Great White Egret
37 Snowy Egret
38 Little Blue Heron
39 Tri-coloured Heron
40 Reddish Egret
41 Cattle Egret
42 Green Heron
43 Black-crowned Night Heron

44 Yellow-crowned Night Heron
45 White Ibis
46 White-faced Ibis
47 Roseate Spoonbill
48 Black Vulture
49 Turkey Vulture
50 Osprey
51 Swallow-tailed Kite
52 White-tailed Kite
53 Mississippi Kite
54 Bald Eagle
55 Northern Harrier
56 Sharp-shinned Hawk
57 Cooper’s Hawk
58 Grey Hawk
59 Harris’s Hawk
60 Red-shouldered Hawk
61 Broad-winged Hawk
62 Swainson’s Hawk
63 White-tailed Hawk
64 Red-tailed Hawk
65 Crested Caracara
66 American Kestrel
67 Merlin
68 Peregrine
69 Yellow Rail
70 Clapper Rail
71 King Rail
72 Virginia Rail [H]
73 Sora
74 American Purple Gallinule
75 Common Moorhen
76 American Coot
77 Whooping Crane
78 Grey Plover
79 Wilson’s Plover
80 Semi-palmated Plover
81 Piping Plover
82 Killdeer
83 American Oystercatcher
84 Black-necked Stilt
85 American Avocet
86 Greater Yellowlegs
87 Lesser Yellowlegs
88 Solitary Sandpiper
89 Willet
90 Spotted Sandpiper
91 Upland Sandpiper
92 Whimbrel
93 Long-billed Curlew
94 Marbled Godwit
95 Ruddy Turnstone
96 Sanderling
97 Semi-palmated Sandpiper
98 Western Sandpiper
99 Least Sandpiper
100 Baird’s Sandpiper
101 Pectoral Sandpiper
102 Dunlin
103 Stilt Sandpiper
104 Buff-breasted Sandpiper
105 Short-billed Dowitcher
106 Long-billed Dowitcher
107 Wilson’s Snipe
108 Wilson’s Phalarope
109 Laughing Gull
110 Franklin’s Gull
111 Ring-billed Gull
112 Herring Gull
113 Gull-billed Tern
114 Caspian Tern

115 Royal Tern
116 Sandwich Tern
117 Forster’s Tern
118 Least Tern
119 Black Tern
120 Black Skimmer
121 Feral Rock Dove
122 Red-billed Pigeon
123 Eurasian Collared Dove
124 White-winged Dove
125 Mourning Dove
126 Inca Dove
127 Common Ground Dove
128 Green Parakeet
129 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
130 Eastern Screech Owl
131 Great Horned Owl [H]
132 Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
133 Elf Owl [H]
134 Lesser Nighthawk
135 Common Nighthawk
136 Common Paraque [H]
137 Chuck Wills Widow [H]
138 Chimney Swift
139 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
140 Black-chinned Hummingbird
141 Buff-bellied Hummingbird
142 Ringed Kingfisher
143 Belted Kingfisher
144 Green Kingfisher
145 Red-headed Woodpecker
146 Golden-fronted Woodpecker
147 Red-bellied Woodpecker
148 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
149 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
150 Downy Woodpecker
151 Red-cockaded Woodpecker
152 Pileated Woodpecker
153 Northern Beardless Tyrannulet
154 Olive-sided Flycatcher
155 Eastern Wood Pewee
156 Acadian Flycatcher
157 Black Phoebe
158 Eastern Phoebe
159 Vermillion Flycatcher
160 Ash-throated Flycatcher
161 Great Crested Flycatcher
162 Brown Crested Flycatcher
163 Great Kiskadee
164 Couch’s Kingbird
165 Western Kingbird
166 Eastern Kingbird
167 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
168 Loggerhead Shrike
169 White-eyed Vireo
170 Bell’s Vireo
171 Black-caped Vireo
172 Yellow-throated Vireo [H]
173 Blue-headed Vireo
174 Warbling Vireo
175 Red-eyed Vireo
176 Blue Jay
177 Western Scrub Jay
178 Green Jay
179 American Crow
180 Chihuahuan Raven
181 Common Raven
182 Shore Lark
183 Purple Martin
184 Tree Swallow
185 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

186 Sand Martin
187 Cliff Swallow
188 Cave Swallow
189 Barn Swallow
190 Carolina Chickadee
191 Tufted Titmouse
192 Black-crested Titmouse
193 Brown-headed Nuthatch
194 Cactus Wren
195 Rock Wren
196 Canyon Wren
197 Carolina Wren
198 Bewick’s Wren
199 House Wren
200 Sedge Wren [H]
201 Marsh Wren
202 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
203 Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
204 Eastern Bluebird
205 Hermit Thrush
206 Swainson’s Thrush [H]
207 Wood Thrush
208 Clay-coloured Robin
209 American Robin
210 Grey Catbird
211 Northern Mockingbird
212 Brown Thrasher
213 Long-billed Thrasher
214 Curve-billed Thrasher
215 European Starling
216 Cedar Waxwing
217 Blue-winged Warbler
218 Tennessee Warbler
219 Orange-crowned Warbler
220 Nashville Warbler
221 Northern Parula
222 Tropical Parula
223 Myrtle Warbler
224 Golden-cheeked Warbler
225 Black-throated Green Warbler
226 Yellow-throated Warbler
227 Pine Warbler
228 Palm Warbler
229 Black and White Warbler
230 Prothonotary Warbler
231 Worm-eating Warbler
232 Ovenbird
233 Northern Waterthrush
234 Louisiana Waterthrush
235 Kentucky Warbler
236 Common Yellowthroat
237 Hooded Warbler
238 Rufous-capped Warbler
239 Yellow-breasted Chat
240 Summer Tanager
241 Scarlet Tanager
242 Olive Sparrow
243 Spotted Towhee
244 Canyon Towhee
245 Cassin’s Sparrow
246 Rufous-crowned Sparrow
247 Chipping Sparrow
248 Clay-coloured Sparrow
249 Field Sparrow [H]
250 Vesper Sparrow
251 Lark Sparrow
252 Black-throated Sparrow
253 Savannah Sparrow
254 Seaside Sparrow
255 Lincoln’s Sparrow
256 Swamp Sparrow

257 White-throated Sparrow
258 White-crowned Sparrow
259 Northern Cardinal
260 Pyrrhuloxia
261 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
262 Blue Grosbeak
263 Indigo Bunting
264 Painted Bunting
265 Red-winged Blackbird
266 Eastern Meadowlark
267 Yellow-headed Blackbird
268 Brewer’s Blackbird
269 Bronzed Cowbird
270 Brown-headed Cowbird
271 Orchard Oriole
272 Hooded Oriole
273 Altamira Oriole
274 Audubon’s Oriole
275 Baltimore Oriole
276 House Finch
277 Lesser Goldfinch
278 House Sparrow
279 White-tipped Dove

OTHER WILDLIFE
Javalina
Feral Hog
Porcupine
Alligator
Opossum
Armadillo
Fox Squirrel
Grey Squirrel
Thirteen Striped Ground Squirrel
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Cave Myopis
White-tailed Deer
Nilgai
Impala
Eastern Cotton Tail Rabbit
Marsh Rabbit
Coypu
Indigo Snake
Broad-banded Water Snake
Coyote [H]
Skunk and Raccoon were both seen as road kills.

BUTTERFLIES
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Palamedes Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail
Zebra Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Pipevine Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Texan Crescent
Common Buckeye
Red Spotted Purple
Gemmed Satyr
Fiery Skipper
Gulf Fritillary
Southern Dog Face
Elada Checkerspot
Queen
Monarch
Texas Longtail
American Snout
Banded-celled Sister
Cloudless Sulphur
Red Admiral
Question Mark

Many Thanks to Mark Suomala who organised and led the tour and whose driving skills more than made up for his jokes!
Thanks also to Jeff Curtis who put together the butterfly list and Sarah Barnes for the use of the pictures in this report. We
all had a great deal of fun and all missed Clive Ellis who was due to join us but had to pull out at the last minute. Thanks
also to North West Airlines for ensuring that every flight connection was made in good time, leaving us free to enjoy a
hassle free trip.