Texas 22 - Day 8

Our last full day on SPI (even initials sound cool in Texas). I started the day with the intention of doing a relaxed day list to see how many species I could come across on the Island. All that changed when I read the Ebird hourly email update...

PAINTED REDSTART East Retama Street, Cameron County, Texas

The hoped for MEGA had arrived...and it was FIVE minutes from our place! This species breeds in the mountains of the West. When I arrived...there was no-one there!? Not quite like the UK. I wondered if I'd made a mistake but the eBird directions linked to Google maps are always spot on. I got my gear and started to scan. Other Birders began to appear but the Bird was nowhere to be seen. After around 20 minutes it showed much to the relief of the 8 Birders present. It was VERY active and it's only a tiny bird...but a stunner. I sneaked a pic through the undergrowth...

More Birders were arriving now as word got round...so I left. I planned to return later in the day and headed back to the CC. The place was "popping" as they say over here. My dream of experiencing a fall had become a reality. OK not riddled with birds BUT they were in EVERY bush and tree! The next couple of hours were Birding Heaven in my book. 

Summer plumage Warblers, Orioles, Tanagers, Vireos, Grosbeaks and Buntings a plenty. A few examples...

Scarlet Tanager - a species that looks like it's been plugged into the mains

The accurately named Rose-breasted Grosbeak

A much sought after species is the Blackburnian Warbler. This morning it arrived...

Boomshakalaka

Just one more of the Prothonotary...

Love the setting...and the bird!

Another species I'd been eargerly waiting for the Humbug...again, today was the day...

Black and White Warbler

Definitely the most acrobatic of them all...

You can't have enough Cape May...can you?

Slightly better plumage than the one I saw on Unst!

You can't "die" of overkill with birds of this quality IMHO.

I did return to East Retama St late afternoon and was rewarded with a better view even though it was raining...

Only my third record for the ABA and second for Texas after a bird in the Davis Mountains in April 2006. Our last morning here tomorrow before we make our way North to Galveston. We'll be having a stop-over in Rockport where I'll be trying to add Sooty Tern to my Texas List.

Trip Total...145 species (it ain't about the numbers)