Spent all day around Estero Llano Grande State Park where
despite the cloudy, overcast conditions and the very cold, brisk N wind I had
an excellent days birding. Most of the
action was in the woodland around the centre, concentrated around the feeders
and fruiting trees; the highlight in the grand scheme of things was probably
good views of a WHITE-THROATED THRUSH feeding underneath a fruiting tree in the
company of quite a few CLAY-COLORED ROBINS – a real quality bird in US terms
being around the 15th record for the country!
Other
new birds for the trip in no particular order were several BUFF-BELLIED
HUMMINGBIRDS whizzing around the feeders and chasing each other, a single
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD at one of the feeders, a wintering SUMMER TANAGER,
several pairs of CURVE-BILLED THRASHERS, a stunning ALTAMIRA ORIOLE, a 1st
winter male ORCHARD ORIOLE, a single YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD with hundreds of
Grackles, Cowbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds, 2 PURPLE MARTINS overhead, a
TROPICAL KINGBIRD picked out amongst the several Couch’s Kingbirds on call,
great views of a roosting COMMON PAURAQUE and many COMMON GROUND-DOVES and
WHITE-WINGED DOVES around the place.
There
were stacks of other things around as well including a Black-and-white Warbler,
a Nashville Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Olive Sparrow,
several American Robins, loads of Great Kiskadees, Blue-grey Gnatcatchers,
Black-crested Titmouse, White-tipped Doves, Green Jays, Plain Chachalacas,
Long-billed Thrashers, great views of perched adult Cooper’s Hawk, a Harris
Hawk, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ladder-backed
Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker and Inca Doves.
Good
numbers of birds around the pools and channels included 20+ CINNAMON TEAL in
amongst Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Shoveler,
Gadwall and Pintail, a pair of LEAST GREBES, great views of a GREEN KINGFISHER,
an ANHINGA, a Night Heron with Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Roseate
Spoonbills etc. 20+ Least Sandpipers and a couple of Spotted Sandpipers.
The
rest of the reserve away from the centre was actually fairly quiet although
there was a female INDIGO BUNTING by Kiskadee Pool, a VERMILLIAN FLYCATCHER on
Spoonbill Trail and a flock of 80+ White-fronted Geese seemed to have had
enough of the cold weather a flew high south into Mexico!
Green Kingfisher
Orchard Oriole
Golden-fronted Woodpecker eating Oranges
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Common Pauraque
Great Kiskadee
Clay-colored Robin
Black-and-White Warbler
Least Sandpiper
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