Around Texas and the GBBC

I was in San Antonio this past weekend helping my son move from one apartment to another. Moving reguired three flights leaving and three flights arriving, needless to say we moved our tails off. In betwixt all the running around we saw tons of American Robins that are not seen in far South Texas which was a treat. More important though, and also to my good fortune, a Blue Jay.

I remember the Blue Jays in Central and East Texas very well, but have not seen one in some time; I am more used to our area Green Jays now. Note the snow, not many photographs of Grren Jays in snow, I suspect.

I remember now … a Jay is a Jay is a Jay. Always the Tricksters, or The Toughs in the bird leixcon. Always up to no darn good.

I reported just over 17 speicies in the GBBC, but read a preliminary report today that the number of Snowy Owls this year is 628, with the next highest year in 2009 at only 237!  We’ve had reports of a Snowy in Dallas that’s been hanging around for a while … it looks like a record braking year!

 

 

Sewing the Torn Sleeve

Sewing the torn sleeve of my shirt

painted with cranes, I mediatate

on the scarcity of these harbringers

of peace, flocks once rising

from the feathgered grass

opened the sky in flashes

brilliant as the sun on water

into which their shadows fell.

 

Each loop of thread I draw

through cloth becomes a prayer

for the continued flight of birds

whose every wingstroke gives breath

a shape, and mends the ragged space

btween heaven and earth. I have seen

 

others soar like this, and felt light

fill my bones lifting me into blue.

Though moments in which we open full

shine rare as a whooping crane, I go on

dipping my needle like a beak

into the shadows beneath the water.

 

Photo by Greg Lavaty

Nests, Full Moon and Passion – w/sound

Last night’s full moon.

White-winged Dove nest: there is a baby bird in there, I just couldn’t photograph it. Unfortunately, I don’t have that skill, perhaps some day.

Passion Flower.

Giant Cicada or Cicharra in Spanish

20110715_142249_2.m4a

http://www.texasento.net/Cicada.htm

Awesome New Friends and 1st Rain of 2011

ON TOPIC & NOT TO BE MISSED!

I have a varied and international group of friends on my birding Face Book page and I’ve made a new friend this week who is a true gem, a diamond in the rough, a gentleman among scholars.  Bill has turned me on to some wonderful new friends and I’d like to share them with you.

1.) First, I’d like to introduce his son, Bryan Tarbox who is currently on a six-week internship for Texas A&M University in Costa Rica and is a gifted photographer

— see some of his other amazing birds shots at 

http://www.pbase.com/disx0d

You can also follow his internship at Bryan Tarbox at Texas A&M on Face Book.  

Bill also introduced me to a few of his favorite bloggers and I can only agree with him, they are quite talented and not to be missed.

2.) Carolyn writes about her bird sanctuary at Christmas Mountains Oasis in mystical West Texas and can be found here

http://cmoasis.blogspot.com/

Photo by Carolyn Ohl-Johnson

 3.) Then, there is the eclectic blog of Heidi Trudell and Matthew York, “See Trail” which is a wonderful combination of conservation, birding, and everything else on the Trail right here

http://seetrail.blogspot.com/

Photo by Heidi Trudell

You can also find links to these and other blogs, people, and places that I endorse here in the right column of the blog under “LINKS”

Finally I’d like to introduce a “neighbor” of mine — out in the wilds at some point, everyone becomes a neighbor, here in Texas.

4.) McIntyre Birding Tours in Port Aransas, Texas, is owned and operated by native Texans with affordable rates and the flexibility that ONLY birders can truly appreciate.  These are some of the BEST guides we have in South Texas and are sure to please even the most discriminating birders. Check out their offerings here

http://www.mcintyrebirdingtours.com/page/page/4130574.htm

In the end, who are we really, without friends and neighbors?

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OFF TOPIC  & COMPLETELY SELF SERVING

Not much bird wise happening in McAllen, today.  We did however get our first rain of the YEAR.

 

Lord, call yo momma, the water is a’risin’!

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My garden has gone WILD!

I have more Lady Cream Peas than I will EVER be able to manage — which only means a bountiful harvest for friends and family (did I mention that my neighbors adore me?).  And I’m away for several weeks in a few days, I’m frightened that with this rain I will return to find that the garden has truly gone mad and has overtaken house and husband!

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P.S. We’ve a weeklong forecast for rain, glory be, and

please don’t let the garden go berserk!

The Two Screeches!

We have been seeing a pair of Screech Owls for several months now.

I had them pegged as Western, my guest thinks Eastern, IDK.  I’m starting to think they might be nesting nearby. We have managed to take some decent photos with a flashlight and a point and shoot.

After my last guest’s visit, I think they (the Two Screeches) feel at home here.  I am so pleased to host them. 

Vernal Adieu

Spring in South Texas is a birding bonanza!

Of the 338 species of Neartic-Neotropical migrants in North America, 98% have been recorded in Texas. This means that the 629 species of birds reported in Texas, 53% of them are Neartic-Neotropical migrants.

Birds of all colors, sizes, and shapes pass through our area en route to their nesting grounds in Texas and beyond during the prime Spring migration time of April and May. Not to mention the numerous two fisted birders of all colors and shapes and sizes and some with very wierd dialects.

Novice birders, or pigeon haters cannot help but be impressed with the varieties and numbers of migrants. Even the locals are awed at this time of the year and also filled with questions about bird migration. Let’s see if I can answer of few of them.

The best part is that a few of the migrants overwintered* in South Texas, which means we get to see them for months at a time. But most of them have spent their winters in the Tropics, from Central Mexico to South America.  Spring reverses the cycle and these Nearartic-Neotropics return North to nest and fan out across Texas and the rest of North America. One of my favorite facts about migrating birds is the Arctic shorebirds that winter in southern South America and nest in northern Alaska; traveling round-trip well over 13,000 miles!This is endurance beyond anything else in the animal kingdom.

Migrant songbirds are an interesting bunch as they mainly migrate a night, flying nonstop for up to 80 to 90 hours. Most leave Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in the early evening and arrive along the Texas Gulf Coast the following day (depending upon weather conditions), a distance of about 550 miles. If you are wondering how in the heck to catch a sighting of these guys; set up a spotting scope on a clear night aimed at the moon; the abundant birds appear as black specks. Not quite as alluring as those great digiscoped shoots but awesome in the magnitude of numbers.

Most long-distance migrants travel between 25 and 40 mph. Flight speeds vary, however. For instance, Purple Martins fly at 27 mph, shorebirds fly between 45 and 55 mph, and hummingbirds may fly up to 55 mpg. Raptors sail along with the prevailing winds, but can fly much faster when necessary; Peregrine Falcons, for example, can dive at an impressive bullet spend of 140 mph.

During Spring migration most birds fly by night and settle in for the day to forage and rest, so it’s the best time to catch them for a good close up look-see. During the Fall migration the reverse is true; travel is mostly done by day and rest is at night. However not all birds fly at night even during Spring migration, swallows do not and flycatchers who feed in flight usually migrate during the daylight hours. We see many of these birds flying north over the fields and woodlands of South Texas. The favored, raptors also fly during daylight hours, roost overnight, and head out again in the morning as soon as the day warms up enough for them to take advantage of the rising thermals.

Depending on the topography, about 90% of all migrating birds fly below 5,000 feet above ground level. Many fly much lower and are audible on calm days. At night when flying over land, they tend to fly higher. The Trans-Gulf migrants usually fly very low, often able to take advantage of even the slightest updrafts.

Most migrating birds tend to stick with their own kind, much like we stubborn humans. With the exception of songbirds, ducks, and shorebirds. Sometimes confusing the matter, many species of hawks and other raptors often roost together at choice sites, so that their morning departures incorrectly give the impression that they are migrating in mixed flocks.

In preparation for migration most birds accumulate great quantities of fat as fuel for their long-distance flights. Many double their weight. The tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird, weighing 4.5 grams, uses 2 grams of fat to fly nonstop for twenty-six hours. A typical bird will loses almost 1% of its body weight per hour while migrating. So if you happen to live in an area where birds migrant, stuff them full just before the migration.

A bird’s signal to migrate is a complex thing, but a simple answer is the changing length in daytime hours. And not to worry your feeders will not entice a bird to stay longer than it should.

The Birds Nest has availability in April and May offering two nights FREE for anyone who books two full weeks from either a Facebook referral

or a posterous referral. 

Not to be a braggart, ok maybe just a little, but if you are interested in the native “specialty” birds in South Texas check this link for a partial list http://southtexasnature.com/Birds/Specialty

and watch this space for your very own Urban Birder’s Yard Bird List – coming soon. 

My most gracious thank to Lisa Edwards for all photos!

 

My Birding Guest Gets the Black Vented Oriole

I offer an exclusive private suite in a B&B in South Texas: the Heart of the New Birding Mecca. What I enjoy the most about hosting birders in my home is making new friends, learning about their lives and their knowledge. My first guests for 2011 were a lovely couple that we immensely enjoyed hosting. He is a cartographer by trade and an active board member of the Audubon Society in California. They were on the trail for their last 16 species to reach 600 in the lower 48 states. I was very much hoping to be the spot were they achieved that goal.

They arrived on January 28 via Rockport, Texas where they stopped to see the Whopping Crane that they had missed previously due to a heavy storm. However, this time the cranes were quiet accommodating and my birders didn’t even need to take the boat ride out onto the flats as it appeared to be dinner time and the cranes were hanging about the parking area yumming up the blue crabs which are in abundance this year. Mr. Dawson got a stunning photograph of a crane with a crab in its bill. While in that area they also saw two other species on their life list.

The arrived here late in the day and this is what their basic routine looked like. The weather for the 8 days they were here ranged from the low 70’s to the mid 80’s during the day, 50’s at night (they slept with their windows open), with the exception of the last two days when we got a rather severe cold front for our area, more on that later.

They basically birded three major locations, with a few side trips: Estero Llano Grande – 20 minutes, Bentsen State Park – 20 minutes, and Santa Ana Wildlife Park – 20 minutes. They mostly started their day before sunup and came back home by sundown.

Here comes the good part, our guys were very anxious to see an extremely rare bird, the Black Vented Oriole, that had been reported in the area beginning December 9th in an RV park near Bentsen State Park. The first day they were up, fixed their ample continental breakfast at their leisure — and yes it was at the crack of dawn and no we did not see them — and were off. Midday they came in looking a bit disheveled and I was concerned when Mrs. Dawson asked rather sheepishly if we might have a spare alarm clock. They had missed the Black Vented by 20 minutes! A spare Bose was promptly secured and they did indeed get the Black Vented the next day, but with no small hilarity as Mrs. Dawson was in the lavatory when it appeared and I am sure that all birders can understand the panic that ensued. As well, it has been a bit of a circus having a mega rare bird camped out in a Winter Texan park. The seniors had been a bit alarmed with all the people wondering around their neighborhood at all hours of the day with high powered scopes, tromping through the grass and pointing at who knows what.  But being the kind lot that we birders are, compromises were made, rules were set, and all worked out.

My birders were lucky in the end, they left on February 4th and the Black Vented Oriole has not been seen since February 9.

In short order here is a list of the rest of the life listers they saw during their stay at our B&B.

White-throated Thrush (mega rare)
Crimson-collared Grosbeak (rare)

Clay-colored Thrush (unusual)

Groove-billed Ani (rare in winter)

Green Parakeet (seen at 10th & Violet and in our yard)

Red-crowned Parrot (seen from our yard)

As mentioned, most of the time they were here it was absolutely perfect birding weather with some mixed clouds and sun, really very mild. Then the day before they were scheduled to leave the temperature dropped into the 40’s and the wind chill was bitter, so they contemplated staying indoors. We all dug in and found a rather dubious looking activity called “Garden of Eating Tour”, we thought it might be indoors and it was to be held at Quinta Mazatlan, a lovely renovated mansion close by known for its nature conservation. It sounded safe enough for 40 degrees, so off they went and came back with the biggest surprise yet, another life lister, the Tropical Parula!

The excitement on their faces from such an unexpected discovery made me so happy and Mrs. Dawson made this year of birding one of my personal best by commenting that we were becoming the “luxury spot” to stay. 

As I was writing this blog — cross my fingers, hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eyes — I looked up and saw a broad-wing hawk sitting on the tree outside my kitchen window.

Now you tell me, what better place is there to be?

Check us out at http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/43709

Photos by Jared Dawson

Win a Free Trip to the Birding Mecca of the Country

With one of the most knowledgable and friendly guides around!.  Sign up to day and stay at the Gypsy Birders retreat where guest are treated like royalty and small, thoughtful gifts await.

http://www.mcallencvb.com/uncategorized/win-the-opportunity-to-grow-your-bird…

SIGN UP TODAY AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS! 

The Winter Migration is still in full swing, the temperatures are moderate and the airlines are having fare sales left and right. Now is the time!

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO VISIT THE BIRDING MECCA AND ADD TO YOUR LIFE LIST.

My last guest added eight in just a few short days.

Elf Owl In the City

We have been on the move a lot in the last several months from our home base here in McAllen.  I travelled up to Central and East Texas early last month and we have been back and forth to the ranch in Raymondville, Texas multiple times. I suspect I missed the winter migration of raptors this year, but I’ve seen plenty of natives like the kiskadee. One large male has been hanging out at our house, by the porch swing, out the kitchen window.

At the ranch we have seen Green Jays, Kingfishers, Vermillion Flycatchers, a large flock of posturing Turkey Vultures, and Wild Turkeys.  I also encountered a couple of birds that I have yet to identify: a small warbler with a stark black tail, and a sparrow sized bird with a bright red breast, almost as bright as the Vermillion Flycatcher.  

But tonight, my son and I had the best sighting yet, a Elf Owl!  We were sitting on the front porch and it was well after dark when my son thought he saw a bat. It landed in the tree 3 feet from us and I could tell it was too big for a bat.  Then my son said that perhaps it was on owl and my reply was, “It’s too small to be an owl.”  It flew off into our large century oak and we grabbed the flashlight and tracked him.  Again, we got within a few feet and it sat and posed for us for ten minutes or more.  I am not positive of that ID, it could have been an Pygmy Owl.

 

Photo By Charles Melton

I have also been grappling with the yearly task of finding a vacation rental in Texas where my entire family can spend the holidays — we do this every year in a central location. UGH!  It is not always easy to find the proper accommodations when you travel and certainly traveling for birding and other naturalist activities, which are often in remote locals, can be a serious and often frustrating endeavor.

 

That is why I’ve listed my house as a birding destination. 

 
We are located in an area flush with natural parks and native habitat

and the room that I let to birders is so much better than an ordinary hotel, it cost way less and

we actual have birding onsite.

Migrating Hawks and Chachalacas

I saw my first kettle of migrating hawks today, October 21, 2010.  They were too far away for me to identify the species, but it was a large kettle.  I will be looking up over the next few days.  

Meanwhile, the native, non-migratory Chachalaca, similar in size and form to a female Ring-necked Pheasant, are abundant in South Texas and well known for their loud clacking calls; they are even considered a nuisance in some neighborhoods when early morning activity comes a little too early.  I first saw the birds while visiting my husbands parents in La Feria, Texas I had never seen a bird this large or this loud before.

For information about the chachalaca visit

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/habitats/southtx_plain/upland_birds/chachalaca.phtml

I am now quite familiar with these wonderful birds. I have lived in my house for fourteen years and for most of that time we have had a nesting pair of chachalacas in our neighbor’s yard; we are separated by a brick fence.  We see them most active when they are nesting. We have always had dogs in our yard, and as you may guess, the combination of baby chachalacas and dogs is not ideal.  We learned soon enough that nature has its own ideas and we no longer try to rescue the babies if they happen to waddle and fall off the wall into our yard — typically everything turns out the way that it should. Our nesting pair has become part of the fabric of our neighborhood and we chart the course of the year with them.

Photo courtesy oh the Audubon Society

If you are interested in seeing chachalacas in native habitat within a city, I recommend late spring.

I have a private apartment at my house that I rent to birders and I can almost guarantee chachalaca sightings.  Just this past summer, my husband and I heard a loud, totally unfamiliar call from our back yard; when we looked we saw that it was the chachalacas being harried by a hawk. These birds are fierce breeders, easy to identify and frequently willing to stay awhile for some prime watching.