Texas 13 - Summary

OK, The final instalment. I hope I've given you a feel of this great birding State. Some may have known it already but others not.

Birders travel the world to their own favourite spots. This is mine. I've been to many European hotspots over the years including Cyprus, Majorca, Extremadura and the Pyrenees amongst others. Fortunate enough to visit many US States including Alaska (extremely impressed) and I've even made it to Australia (not impressed).

A few reasons why I love Texas. Great birds...obviously, which allow excellent photo opportunities. SPACE (it's bigger than France)...fantastic for a touring holiday. Superb scenery. Friendly people. Fabulous infrastructure....road system excellent, motels everywhere...and food! No need for jabs! No language problems!!

Below are my final images from this years trip. I hope to return sometime in the not to distant future...

Raptors

Osprey

Harris Hawk

Crested Caracara

White-tailed Hawk

Here's a few more in no particular order.

Love thrashers...fearless and full of character...

Long-billed

Summer Tanager...

Great Horned Owl...

distant shot in heat haze...many thanks to Tim Isherwood

Purple Gallinule...

lucky to see this one

Forster's Tern...

Cliff Swallow...

memories of  Spurn 23/10/95!

Couldn't finish without a pic of my Texas Bay-breasted Warbler. I'd always been too early when I visited during my teaching life, so it was very satisfying to finally connect after 13 years...

Celebrations were in order...

a familiar pose!

likewise!

Return to Beacon Ponds

I decided to return to Beacon Ponds just in case the Bridled Tern had dropped in!!! Well, it is possible?

My main aim was to try and grab an image or two of the waders in flight...

Closer...

Starling like shapes...

c5000 Knot, c3000 Dunlin

Superb spot...

Beacon Ponds

Spent a very pleasant couple of hours down at Kilnsea Wetlands/Beacon Ponds late morning/early afternoon.

Bumped into John McLoughlin and we put the world to rights for a while. Great to see you pal!

Managed to see a few (3) Curlew Sandpipers (P.141, S.108) plus masses of waders including spectacular numbers of summer plumage Knot...superb!

Also a good selection of Terns (4 species) including some juveniles. Common and Arctic (P.143, S.110) were added to the year list...I had a slow spring!!

15 Little Egrets in a nearby field should never be underestimated!

Got the usual Avocet fly-by on the way back...

Texas 13 - Waterbirds

Cinnamon Teal...

Reddish Egret (white phase)...

White Pelican (wing span 9 feet!!!)

Brown Pelican..

Raptors tomorrow...

Texas 13 - Valley rarities

Did a bit of dirty twitchin' down in the Valley. I'd already seen a Crimson-collared Grosbeak on a previous visit in 2005. It would have been rude not to try for this one at sabal palm sanctuary...

Also had great views of (the not quite as rare) Clay-coloured Robin...

Also enjoyed the superb Hooded Oriole...

the almost pre-historic Plain Chachalaca...

Golden-fronted Woodpecker...

The local Buff-bellied Hummingbird...

and finally...the Green Jay...

Quite a place that Sabal Palms.

Texas 13 - Night and Day

Regular readers will know that my numero uno twitch of all time was COMMON NIGHTHAWK on Scilly on 24/10/99. My full account can be found here.

It IS a common bird in the States and it's not unusual to see birds on the Bolivar Peninsular during the daylight hours. I had seen a few hawking for insects in bright sunshine (23C+).

On one of several sorties cruising in the car along the minor roads off the main thoroughfare, searching in vain for my Texas Bobolink, I managed to spot (to be honest I couldn't miss) this chap roosting right by the road on a fencepost...

Totally unconcerned, although he did raise an eyebrow at one stage...

Scilly Birding: Joining the Madding Crowd (Paperback) by Simon Davey

Just read about this new book on Scilly birding. Might be worth a look? You can get it on Amazon for £6.41.

Two-barred Crossbill at Spurn

Just had a peep on the Spurn website. Two visitors stumbled on a juvenile on the 20th. Nice record!!

Texas 13 - Overkill?

Believe it or not I'm conscious of overdoing the holiday snaps! On the other hand I've had good feedback regarding passing on information about this bird-rich State...so I'll do a few more...while we're in the summer hiatus.

There are three species of Cuckoo in the US. In an earlier post I showed a photo of a Black-billed Cuckoo, below are a few shots of Yellow-billed from Sabine Woods...



3 is a bit greedy!



Here are a few more from the wonderful Sabine Woods...



Well...the odd one doesn't hurt!

Couldn't really nail the fireball Blackburnian Warbler as the ones I saw stayed high in the canopy but I managed to fluke this one...

Blackpolls are always smart...

A soft focus Red-eyed Vireo...

Northern Parula



Baltimore Oriole

I'll probably post a couple more round-ups of my trip to the bird State.

Oh, by the way, the third Cuckoo is Mangrove which is found in Florida. I still haven't seen this bird (dipped in 2009) but I'll be having another go next Springtime as I've just booked for 2014...

Texas 13 - Back East at Smith Oaks Rookery

The last few days were spent back on the Upper Coast based at Galveston. The idea was to try and catch a "fall" at High Island and/or Sabine Woods.

One of the unmissable sights at Smith Oaks (part of the High Island area) is the "Rookery". Not Rooks however but MUCH more colourful birds...Egrets, Herons and Spoonbills...

Roseate Spoonbill





Great Egret

Tricoloured Heron

Snowy Egret



Pink feet and lores during breeding season (usually yellow)