BIRDQUEST2004

While on a trip to Florida for the Large-billed Tern, I heard about a Cattle Tyrant that was found by David Essian and being seen in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The 11 hour trip didn’t sound very appealing from Pensacola to Corpus Christi, after I’d driven 4500 km from Ottawa, even less so the 30 hour drive back home from Corpus after hopefully seeing the Tyrant.

I drove back home but my thoughts were on Texas. Over the next few months birds just kept rolling in and soon there was no doubt, I’d have to go on another road trip.

Cattle Tyrant in Corpus Christi, Fan-tailed Warbler in Brownsville, Brown Jay, Mottle Owl and Bare-throated Tiger Heron at Santa Margarita Ranch, my lord, my chasing instincts were on fire. I booked a trip at the ranch first and then arranged my flights and car rental.

Arriving late in San Antonio on January 21st, I headed to Corpus Christi and next morning found me at the Cattle Tyrant stakeout. I searched the area for about 25 minutes and circled back to the compactor behind the Oyster Bar and saw the usual suspects House Sparrow, Grackles and Starlings but no Tyrant. I just happened to look down behind me and there was the Tyrant less than 2 feet from my right heel, where he came from I’ll never know. My movement spooked him and he flew up the road. I went in that general direction and found him at the corner of North Chaparral and Lawrence St..

I spent a lovely half an hour with this bird but then it was time to move on.

Near by there was a Bar-tailed Godwit being seen but there were numerous birds in the valley and just no time. Here’s a photo I took in Alaska of a Bar-tailed.

I had a full day to explore the Harlingen/Brownsville area before I’d pick up, good friend Drew Smith, at the airport. I headed straight to the UTRGV Campus and get the sense of where the Fan-tailed Warbler was hanging out.

It was often seen by a culvert, feeding on flies, around a dead gar on shore. 

I spent over 40 hours in the area, over the next 5 days, with it being seen once, while I was at another location.

I saw numerous birds at the Resaca, great place to bird

Anhinga

Black Throated Green Warbler

Blue-headed Vireo

Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorant

Great Kiskadee

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Best Seven Dollars I ever spent for the stool.

Muscovy Duck

Mockingbird

White-eyed Vireo

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Tuesday at noon I picked up Drew at the Airport and we went back to the University Resaca and had very little luck, although Drew was tuned in for the bird.

After trying for the warbler and speaking to a local guide, he suggested we go very early for the Gray-collared Becard at Resaca De La Palma State Park. We left shortly after breakfast and were on site by 7:30am. Watching the area behind the visitors centre for action. 

Altamira Oriole

Black-Crested Titmouse

Clay-coloured Thrush

Long-billed thrasher

Olive Sparrow

Success!

Orange-crowned Warbler

White-tipped Dove

Bruce Barett and I

Wilson’s Warbler

There were many like minded birders but at 9:30 we decided it was time to explore the area. We exchanged phone numbers with birders on site and headed for an area where a Roadside Hawk was being seen, a short 1 km walk down the road.

We had no sooner arrived at the area, my phone began to ring. The Becard was being seen in the parking lot. Drew Smith, Bruce Barrett and I began to high tail it towards the area. 

We got there in time and had decent looks at the Becard. Not a great photo but the only Bird was buried in the foliage and backlite.

Leaving Resaca, I suggested we go to South Padre to see if we could locate the Mangrove Warbler that was breeding there and on the way stop for the Aplomado Falcon.

South Padre Island has always been one of my favourite birding locations in south Texas, today wasn’t any different.

I’d seen the Mangrove Warbler in Belize, it is a sub-species of our Yellow Warbler

It was great fun but after our visit, we went back to the University for the afternoon and found out that our little sidetrip had cost us the Fan-tailed Warbler, oh well, that’s birding.

We spent the next few days at the University looking for the Fan-tailed but it was a no show. Friday at noon, I drove Drew to Harlingen Airport for his flight home. 

Saturday I decided enough already, no more University, I birded with Gilbert Bouchard and left for Rio Grande City, and a hopeful meeting with an Owl, Heron and a Jay.

Cia for now