Another hot day for humans but a great day for birding.
We got up early to drive the 1.2 hours ti South Padre Island and the South Padre Island Nature and Birding Center and the South Padre Convention Centrer. It was already 78 degrees F when we left, and we did not check later but it was in the upper nineties later on. It was overcast with wind and we stopped the Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Shepherdsbeard Road. We saw a Norther Waterthrush and a Baltimore Oriole. This is a lovely acre that is an oasis for the migrating birds. There are drips here and cool shade and dense trees and bushes in the middle of an residential area.
We also viewed this American Alligator in the ponds with all the neat birds.
We arrived at the Birding Center where the bathrooms are like a new upscale hotel's facilities. We started out on the boardwalks with several people and as a group we spotted my first lifer of the day (Colleen has seen this one in Florida at the BBar place), Clapper Rail and then a little ways down the King Rail. There were some shorebirds and lots of Laughing Gulls and one Herring Gull which was so huge compared to the Laughing Gulls. There were the usual shorebirds, Dunlins with the black lower belly, Willet, Pectoral Sandpiper. We saw Sora, Common Moorhe/Gallinule, Purple Gallinule and Mottled Ducks. It was rail heaven. This place is very well designed and really a treat to visit. it was overcast and so it was perfect for humans with good light to see the birds.
Another hot day for humans but a great day for birding.
From here we traveled to Brownsville to Sabal Palm Sanctuary part of which is on the other side of the border WALL now. We met a lovely older couple who gave us some advice on our Galveston Birding spots. We had lunch on the verandah of the birding visitor center and watched the bird activity at the feeders: Green Jays, Orioles and Northern Mockingbirds. We walked to the Rio Grande and the Mexican side was just a short swim away. There was a Kingfisher on the Mexican side but we could not see the detail well and possibly it could be the Ringed Kingfisher, we are not sure. But then a couple of birds showed up and we looked at them and they were a White-tailed Kite couple. Then we spotted the Crested Caracara on the Mexican side. On the road we saw a Harris' Hawk. We kept our eyes out for the Aplomado Falcon as we had some suggested locations to lood for it but no luck. At the pond side of Sabal Palm we were thrilled to find the Least Grebe!! So I had four lifers today while Colleen had the White-tailed Kite, the Least Grebe and the Long-billed Thrasher also at Sabal Palm Sanctuary.
It was hot but we took it easy, we tried to drive along the Rio Grande and ended up at the bridge to Mexico at Progresso. I did not have my passport and so we gave it a pass, haha.
This is a great area for birding, there are lots of different habitats and when it is hot, the birds head to water drips so that localizes most of the non-wading or water birds. There is always a nice cool blind to watch the birds and it is always windy so the bugs are not around us.
We celebrated our lifers today with an authentic Mexican supper and now we are stuffed full of friend beans and enchiladas and guacamole.
Tomorrow is our last day in this area and there are still several birds that we would like to see and of course it is going to be a sunny hot day for us. It is shorts and sandals weather here and we are fine.
Barb & Colleen
Photos today include Colleen overlooking the Rio Grande, the causeway to South Padre Island in the early morning fog. Blue Grosbeak, Clapper Rail, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Tricoloured Heron, Mottled Ducks, Great-tailed Grackle and a Green Heron.
At Sabal Palm one crosses the wall, there is no guard and no gate, and continues on the trail to the Rio Grande which about a 5 minute walk and one could ford the stream itself. There is a lot of business for the Border Patrol in this area at night.
Here we saw a Long-billed Thrasher, Least Grebe, Green Jay and a Harris Hawk. Across from us wa the Mexican side.
We got up early to drive the 1.2 hours ti South Padre Island and the South Padre Island Nature and Birding Center and the South Padre Convention Centrer. It was already 78 degrees F when we left, and we did not check later but it was in the upper nineties later on. It was overcast with wind and we stopped the Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Shepherdsbeard Road. We saw a Norther Waterthrush and a Baltimore Oriole. This is a lovely acre that is an oasis for the migrating birds. There are drips here and cool shade and dense trees and bushes in the middle of an residential area.
We also viewed this American Alligator in the ponds with all the neat birds.
We arrived at the Birding Center where the bathrooms are like a new upscale hotel's facilities. We started out on the boardwalks with several people and as a group we spotted my first lifer of the day (Colleen has seen this one in Florida at the BBar place), Clapper Rail and then a little ways down the King Rail. There were some shorebirds and lots of Laughing Gulls and one Herring Gull which was so huge compared to the Laughing Gulls. There were the usual shorebirds, Dunlins with the black lower belly, Willet, Pectoral Sandpiper. We saw Sora, Common Moorhe/Gallinule, Purple Gallinule and Mottled Ducks. It was rail heaven. This place is very well designed and really a treat to visit. it was overcast and so it was perfect for humans with good light to see the birds.
Another hot day for humans but a great day for birding.
From here we traveled to Brownsville to Sabal Palm Sanctuary part of which is on the other side of the border WALL now. We met a lovely older couple who gave us some advice on our Galveston Birding spots. We had lunch on the verandah of the birding visitor center and watched the bird activity at the feeders: Green Jays, Orioles and Northern Mockingbirds. We walked to the Rio Grande and the Mexican side was just a short swim away. There was a Kingfisher on the Mexican side but we could not see the detail well and possibly it could be the Ringed Kingfisher, we are not sure. But then a couple of birds showed up and we looked at them and they were a White-tailed Kite couple. Then we spotted the Crested Caracara on the Mexican side. On the road we saw a Harris' Hawk. We kept our eyes out for the Aplomado Falcon as we had some suggested locations to lood for it but no luck. At the pond side of Sabal Palm we were thrilled to find the Least Grebe!! So I had four lifers today while Colleen had the White-tailed Kite, the Least Grebe and the Long-billed Thrasher also at Sabal Palm Sanctuary.
It was hot but we took it easy, we tried to drive along the Rio Grande and ended up at the bridge to Mexico at Progresso. I did not have my passport and so we gave it a pass, haha.
This is a great area for birding, there are lots of different habitats and when it is hot, the birds head to water drips so that localizes most of the non-wading or water birds. There is always a nice cool blind to watch the birds and it is always windy so the bugs are not around us.
We celebrated our lifers today with an authentic Mexican supper and now we are stuffed full of friend beans and enchiladas and guacamole.
Tomorrow is our last day in this area and there are still several birds that we would like to see and of course it is going to be a sunny hot day for us. It is shorts and sandals weather here and we are fine.
Barb & Colleen
Photos today include Colleen overlooking the Rio Grande, the causeway to South Padre Island in the early morning fog. Blue Grosbeak, Clapper Rail, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Tricoloured Heron, Mottled Ducks, Great-tailed Grackle and a Green Heron.
Here we saw a Long-billed Thrasher, Least Grebe, Green Jay and a Harris Hawk. Across from us wa the Mexican side.
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