I tried to make it a more relaxed trip this time. I still haven't decided if I succeeded.
I also tried to make it a mixture of target birding and quality time spent at favourite sites...plus getting Louise plenty of sunshine! I definitely achieved the latter. The detail can obviously be found in the daily reports. I've created a file that can be found under "labels".
It was great to start at Lorna's and re-acquaint ourselves, not forgetting Clyde of course!
Way out West I finally notched my ABA RED CROSSBILL and also added Cassin's Finch for Texas. The time spent with a Golden Eagle was also VERY special, another State addition. Other Texas Western additions were Sagebrush Sparrow and Sage Thrasher both found amongst the incredible sagebrush habitat of a salt lake around Dell City. The only disappointment being our failure to access McKittrick Canyon due to fall colour popularity. A successful visit whilst enjoying superb weather and stunning scenery.
The RGV is always great Birding. Our two days on SPI was also a great decision...even though I say so myself! Love to spend some time here in April/May...2019? I did get lucky when a reachable Long-tailed Duck dropped in at Riviera Beach, a couple of hours north of Mission. A bonus Texas tick. Our base in Mission was perfect for exploring the numerous quality sites that were in easy reach. Thanks Lorna. Seeing all three Kingfishers well at Edinburgh was definitely time well spent. I tried hard (maybe too hard) for Audubon's Oriole at various sites without success BUT the times spent at the sites was still wonderful.
Our final destination was our beloved Galveston. The self-found TAMAULPAS CROW was the obvious highlight...for rarity if not plumage! I really enjoyed my visit to Cattail Marsh and the Galveston/Bolivar area is simply Dreamlando! Very disappointed with my Woodpecker/Nuthatch haul in the Pineywoods. That's birding! You've heard about my double American Woodcock dip. I guess I didn't really dip, as I never made it!?
The cold weather never arrived. Great news for Louise, slightly disappointing for me as the Longspurs stayed north.
Unfortunately a few ticks arrived after my departure. That will always be the case. I probably would have connected with most of these if I'd have kept the same dates as last year!
GREEN-BREASTED MANGO
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Elegant Tern
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Northern Wheatear
5,235 miles covered
My list - additions in capitals
Black-bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)
Ross's Goose (Anser rossii)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
American Wigeon (Anas americana)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Mexican Duck (Anas platyrhynchos diazi)
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula [platyrhynchos])
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca carolinensis)
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
Redhead (Aythya americana)
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
LONG-TAILED DUCK
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula)
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus)
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Great Blue_ Heron (Ardea herodias [cinerea])
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi [falcinellus])
Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja)
American Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus [caeruleus])
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
GOLDEN EAGLE
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Harris' Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
White-tailed Hawk (Buteo albicaudatus)
Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis)
Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)
Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus [himantopus])
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus [hiaticula])
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)
Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
Spotted Sandpiper (Tringa macularia [hypoleucos])
Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)
Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla)
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argentatus)
Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)
Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)
Royal Tern (Sterna maxima)
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
Inca Dove (Columbina inca [squammata])
Common Ground-dove (Columbina passerina)
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)
Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona viridigenalis)
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis)
Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis)
Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope)
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)
Ringed Kingfisher (Ceryle torquata)
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)
Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens [spinoletta])
Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens)
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Sedge_ Wren (Cistothorus platensis)
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
SAGE THRASHER
Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre)
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
Clay-coloured Robin (Turdus grayi)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
Black-crested Titmouse (Parus atricristatus [bicolor])
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Woodhouses's Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii)
Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Tamaulipas Crow
Chihuahuan Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
CASSIN'S FINCH
RED CROSSBILL - ABA tick
Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)
Tropical Parula (Parula pitiayumi [americana])
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronate)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus [erythrophthalmus])
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
SAGEBRUSH SPARROW
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
Savannah Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus)
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps)
Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus)
White-collared Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea)
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus)
Trip total 201
Texas List 469
I hope to return...soon!
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