Birding and Birdwatching           

Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas Trip, Part 2 of 2

This is the second, and last, part of a trip report for Tyler Bell and Jane Kostenko, on their first-ever birding trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Part 1 covered January 11-13, 1995, and described birds seen from Houston, Lake Texana, Aransas NWR, Goose Island State Park, Dick Kleberg State Park, a chicken farm outside of Raymondville, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Audubon's Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Brownsville, Bentsen-Rio Grande SP, Santa Anna NWR, and McAllen. Birds listed here will be new species seen for the trip, but not all species seen (a complete list of the 140 species seen may be requested separately); some birds will be listed again in this Part 2, if the sighting was significant or appreciably better than the first listed sighting. Because this was our first birding trip to Texas, we were interested in maximal species, so you'll notice a decided lack of "chasing" of rarities.

Saturday, January 14, 1995

To the earliest risers often go the best birds, so Tyler and I were up at 5:30 from our tent-camping in Bentsen-Rio. An ELF OWL hooted for a mate behind trailer site #77. After scanning the trees with our flashlight and not finding the owl, we were off for Salineno, a fair two hour drive away. The small town of Salineno ends in a gravel road that leads to the Rio Grande River. On this morning, a heavy fog rolled along the water, masking the miriad of ducks, cormorants, and other birds flying along. As the sun rose and the fog lightened, a GREEN KINGFISHER alighted on a snag near us. His spotted belly, rusty chest and green back were wonderful to see before he zipped off to an overhanging branch on the river. Shortly thereafter, a RINGED KINGFISHER noisily announced his flight along the river and into the same area of overhanging branches to our right. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS by the hundreds were our introduction to Gale DeWind, who was out for his morning walk; he said the blackbirds were causing quite a stir among the neighbors. A photographer for the National Geographic, assigned to capture the kingfishers on film, joined us as we listened to the kingfishers and heard a HOUSE WREN. Before we headed to the DeWind's, a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT paid a visit.

After signing in at the DeWind's, we sat back to enjoy the show: perhaps a dozen feeders enticed all sorts of birds in, and sliced oranges attracted both the Altimira and AUDUBON'S ORIOLE. CEDAR WAXWINGS, CHIPPING SPARROW (in breeding plummage), and BEWICK'S WREN made pleasant additions to our list, before four BROWN JAYS finally appeared. Interestingly, the DeWind's said a dozen Brown Jays previously fed there, but that their numbers had dropped to four in recent times. (The DeWind's also remarked on the decrease in birders this year, making for a curious sensation: the counters being counted). As we left the DeWind's, a flock of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flew overhead.

We headed for Falcom Dam, where we spent time at the spillway, studying the hundreds of gulls, dozens of cormorants (no NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, as earlier seen), and other birds. We walked along toward the Girl Scout camp, adding LAUGHING GULL, CACTUS WREN, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, before turning around. Two other birders had completed the long walk, and reported VERMILION FLYCATCHERS, but no kingfishers. Our next stop was the Zapata County Library, where the aforementioned birders had just, that morning, gotten the WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATERs. No luck for us after noon. We had SAY'S PHOEBE and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, the latter being with which the Seedeaters had been seen. We made a brief stop at the Falcon Dam State Park, having great views of BLACK-THROATED SPARROWs and a quick glimpse of a GREATER ROADRUNNER. At 3:30, we parked on the road, and walked up to a house in Salineno (directions provided by the DeWind's (first house on the right as you leave Salineno after you pass the graveyard, be brave and just walk up, no invitation necessary)) for the scheduled 4 o'clock feeding of local quail. Marshall (first name? last name?) mentioned that a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK had swooped in yesterday and gotten one of the birds, so the birds were leery of feeding in the open. The Houston Audubon Society joined us, and a BOBWHITE made a brief appearance. A COMMON GROUND DOVE came out, followed by two SCALED QUAIL, being very skiddish. Everyone had wonderful looks at the quail. We didn't stay, so we don't know if the usual dozen came to feed or not. We drove back to Bentsen for the night.

Sunday, January 15, 1995

Feeling quite virtuous, we again arose early. We were rewarded with exciting looks at glowing orange eyes of the Paraques, not bothered by our dim flashlight. We heard two separate pairs of Elf Owls hooting to each other, one again by trailer site #77 and the other between the Rio Grande Trail Road and the west entrance to the trailer loop. We hit the Rio Grande Trail at 8 a.m., being the first people to walk it that morning. A scheduled bird walk with the Dumonts the day before had reported yielding virtually nothing, so we were greatly surprised to see a large hulking shape in the bare tree limbs overlooking the plowed field by the dump road. Once we got the scope on it, a RED-BILLED PIGEON came into clear view. Greater Kiskadees finally drove it off, but it was the single most exciting find of the day. The Dumonts said the pigeon was in its exact spot where it had been seen up through November, but not since. What a great feeling!

With reluctance, we left Bentsen, and made a short stop at the McAllen sewage ponds. No WHITE-FACE IBIS were among the many birds there this noon, but AMERICAN PIPITS were feeding in the gravel pits along the main road. At the Norias ponds, we had time to look at BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, before stopping at the Sarita rest stop for one last try at the TROPICAL PARULA, to no avail. Another stop at Aransas gave us even closer looks at the Whooping Cranes. We camped again at Goose Island.

Monday, January 16, 1995

We spent time notifying the local wildlife folks about a Barred Owl that we moved gingerly from the road, after it was apparently hit by a car earlier. Since it seemed healthy, save for its one wing held at an angle, we have hopes for its rehabilitation. Blue Geese stood out in passing flocks of Snow Geese, and six Sandhill Cranes passed overhead. We got to Brazos Bend SP around 10:30, rapidly adding WHITE IBIS, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK, and NORTHERN FLICKER. Giving us astoundingly close views were two male and three female MASKED DUCKS, the males being in full breeding plummage. Texans, out to enjoy a lovely Martin Luther King holiday, were intrigued by the number of birders, who didn't seem too interested in their alligators! For once mis-judging the time it would take to drive, we regretfully left Brazos Bend early, then ended up with time to check out Galveston Bay, where we added a nice number of gulls, terns, and shorebirds.

By the time we turned in the rental car, we had logged over 1,600 miles, seen 140 species of birds, added 27 lifers to our list, and had missed about that same number more. Though distances are great between birding spots, the roads are excellent, fellow drivers considerate (if you should pull off to look at the pond along the way), and gas incredibly inexpensive (how long has it been since you paid less than 95 cents a gallon?!) Upon our return to Maryland, we heard about the GREY SILKY-FLYCATCHER (which would have made for a VERY long drive back to Houston) and learned that the BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY is still around Austin. Trust me--we've gotten the "easy" birds from Texas now; the *next* trip will be for rarer fare.

Good Birding! Jane Kostenko California, Maryland

Part 1 | Part 2

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