Narrative from Texas Tour April 5-14, 2007

April 5

April 6

April 7

Most of the group were awakening by a steady rain that began around 5:30 am. It foreshadowed the passage of a massive cold front which would set all time low records throughout Texas and much of the southern US for this weekend. Shortly before 6:30 am we boarded the van in the chilly wet darkness and headed down to pick up Hume and Sharon at the Cedar House. We arrived at Neals restaurant shortly after 6:30 am and were the only patrons to be seen. Not surprising considering it was incredibly cold and wet. For most of the day the temperature would hover in the THIRTIES!! Todays high was 40-50 degrees lower than normal! Most of the group would end up wearing every possible warm layer they had brought on their ‘tropical south Texas’ birding vacation.

Hot coffee and breakfast was taken at a leisurely pace, with no one biting at the bit to get out and get birding. We all sensed what lay ahead. Still after a good breakfast, we headed out and began our quest for new species. The first hour or so was tough slugging but we did have good success with new additions including a gorgeous pair of Hooded Orioles (Cattle Guard), Black Phoebe (several seen well), Spotted Towhee (female at Cabin 61), Long-billed Thrasher (Cabin 61 and the Cattle Guard feeders), Olive Sparrow (seen by most at Cabin 61), and American Goldfinch (Pecan Grove drive). After returning to the restaurant for a welcome break for hot coffee, we headed south past the bat cave to search for sparrows. The biggest challenge of this trip would prove to be the staggering size of the take out coffees (small, medium, large, bladderbuster – guess, which was the generous Neal’s default?). Driving south into farm fields we added an excellent variety of open country birds including many Vesper Sparrows (50+), Grasshopper Sparrows (10+), Horned Larks (5+), Eastern Meadowlarks (8), Loggerhead Shrikes (5), Wild Turkey (1) and Northern Harriers (2). At the first large open area we encountered many of the above plus large numbers of exotic antelope. In the distance Tom scoped a pair of Northern Shovelers, several Blue-winged Teal, a half dozen Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Herons and Great Egret. We looped south on a sideroad towards Sabinal and added six Baird’s Sandpipers (great, close looks), Killdeer (a surprisingly elusive single), Greater Yellowlegs (again slinking around in the vegetation) and several pairs of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Along the roadsides were impressive numbers of Lark, Vesper and Savannah Sparrows. Eventually we arrived at the Cattle yards west of Sabinal. Here amidst the thousands of Brewer’s Blackbirds we got scope views of Yellow-headed Blackbird. More importantly the ladies reminded us that the men had been the beneficiaries of at least a half dozen opportunities for ‘freelance’ bathroom breaks while they had not had but one. Fully understanding the pressure of the Neal’s size coffees we headed immediately for nearby Sabinal. The relief was evident in all the ladies faces!

After this much welcomed stop we returned directly to Neal’s where we first stopped for lunch. Before heading back to our accommodations we enjoyed a brief retail therapy break at the Neal’s store. We returned to the house and cabin shortly after 2pm, and took a break until 3:30pm. Most folks took advantage of this break and took a nap. When we rallied at 3:30pm the weather was worse than ever. The rain was now coming down hard and it was just as cold as the morning. Still we put in our time and headed to Garner State Park. In the state park we took refuge in the fact that we at least were in warm and cozy accommodations, unlike many of the campers and cabin renters who were either wet or without heat. In mid April in this part of Texas that is usually not a concern but today it sure was. Our drive around Garner was slow but next to the mini putt golf course we added a nice little flock when the rain lightened. Tops of sightings there was a superb male Golden-cheeked Warbler, which sat in the open for over a minute at point blank range. We returned to Neal’s and Cabin 61, which would be our last stop of the day. Here we watched and walked and eventually managed to dig out two Spotted Towhees, several Hermit Thrushes, and White-throated Sparrows – all good pick ups. From here we headed to an early supper at the lodge restaurant. After talking to another British group we learned that we had had a comparatively excellent day. Indeed we tallied a surprising thirty new birds for the trip (pushing the total to 108 species) and 12 new for the area list for the spring kept by resident birder June Osborne. We returned to the big house where we all enjoyed a celebratory drink (or two…) after a tough but rewarding day.

April 8

This morning we packed up and met downstairs shortly before 6 am. After two good days in Hill Country, we left the ‘big house’ behind and headed downhill to pick up Hume and Sharon. This morning instead of heading south to Zapata, Tom rearranged the itinerary to take us to Corpus Christi and Aransas Pass. This was due to the extreme cold weather for today (it was 33F in the morning and the high on the coast was only in the forties!! This front reached all the way south into the lower valley where we would have been seeking songbirds. Finding land birds in this weather would have been extremely tough so we opted instead for a day of birding for migrants and water birds on the coast. This proved to be an excellent choice.

Because it was Easter Sunday there was little traffic and we made good time heading cross-country towards Interstate 37 to CC. We stopped at a small town on Hwy 173 for a good cooked breakfast. Continuing on to the coast we continued the birding and gambling theme with a challenge of what new bird would be seen first today. The winner today was Pat who correctly guessed Cattle Egret. Other birds of note on the drive in were Franklin’s Gull, American Golden Plover (several small flocks in flight only) and Whimbrel.

Our first stop was Tule Lake just outside CC. Here we pulled over next to a small boardwalk and covered viewing platform overlooking a tidal flat. Unfortunately the wind and rain was really blowing in and even under the back of the covered deck we were still getting wet and it was a bone chilling experience. Nonetheless we added a number of new shorebirds, plus White Pelican and Marsh Wren.

We arrived at Blucher Park in CC shortly after 10:30 am. This tiny city park is a renowned magnet for songbirds. Although there were not large numbers of migrants, there was excellent diversity. Among the thirteen warbler species the highlights were a male Cerulean, a male Prothonotary, a Worm-eating and a male Blue-winged. Other notables included both Chuck-wills-widow and Whip-poor-will, at least twenty Great Crested Flycatchers, Warbling, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, Swainson’s Thrush and a male Scarlet Tanager. We finally pulled ourselves away around 1 pm.

After a full morning we headed towards Padre Island searching for a lunch spot. Our first attempt at Cracker Barrel was aborted our scout John found that there was at least an hour wait. Begrudgingly (hee,hee…) Tom suggested that Hooters would probably not be busy and would be a good choice. We got in right away and enjoyed a good solid lunch and the opportunity to check up on the Masters tournament. Best of all it was just nice to be warm and dry!

Next we birded along the edge of the causeway to Padre Island. The service road provided superb viewing opportunities along the edge and our shorebird, wader and waterfowl list grew rapidly. One of the best birds was our only Northern Pintail of the day. Once on the island we first checked out Packery Channel adding Ruby-throated Hummingbird and at least twenty Eastern Kingbirds (all looking very unhappy). The nearby shores of the inland lagoon provided many new shorebirds, the best of which were Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and several Least Terns.

We started to move north on the barrier island. Our first stop was an excellent one adding Upland Sandpiper, American Oystercatcher, and several Wilson’s Plovers. By now it was mid afternoon so we tried our best to move quickly north towards Aransas Pass. We did make a few rapid stops to enjoy an adult White-tailed Hawk and our first Roseate Spoonbill and Gadwall.

Our next stop was the Aransas Pass boardwalk. This was a superb stop and the birds provided incredibly close views. Among the best birds here were Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a male Orchard Oriole, a rather sluggish male Summer Tanager, several Solitary Sandpipers and Wilson’s Snipe, a Black Tern, a Fulvous Whistling Duck, a small flock of Ruddy Ducks, a fly over American Pipit, and another male Prothonotary Warbler. This site was a real hit even after the day full of superb views.

Just north of this site we made a quick trip into Paradise Pond. Although it was quiet we had fantastic views of several adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons, another even closer Prothonotary, and a wonderful study of a Louisiana Waterthrush. Our last stop before taking the ferry was the beach at the north end of the island. Here we had great studies of Caspian, Common, Royal, Least and Sandwich Terns perched within fifty feet. After grabbing the free ferry across the Aransas Pass we drove directly north to Rockport-Fulton. Bob directed us to one last stop to add views of Black Skimmer to wrap up the day. We checked into the Hampton Inn (great rooms) around 7:40pm, freshened up, did the list for the day (tallying an incredible 131 species for the day, of which 86 were new for the trip), and headed to Pizza Hut for a late supper (this was the best of a number of limited dining choices). Despite the length of the day, everyone seemed to concur that this was a truly memorable day of birding.

April 9

This morning Bob and Pat opted to sleep in while the rest of the crew met at 6:45 am to head to the Rockport dock to board ‘The Skimmer’. Bob and Pat had done this trip just a few days prior to the trip. Although it was still windy it was at least fifteen degrees F warmer than yesterday and the boat trip was on. We arrived at the dock shortly before 7 am and soon after Tommy our captain arrived. Lots of other birders were present but we managed to secure the seats we needed.

At 7:30 am the boat pulled out and we headed north towards Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Our main target was, of course, the Whooping Crane. However we were concerned that all the remaining birds would have headed north already. Still there were lots of other birds to be seen.

Highlights and new birds included Gull-billed Terns, great views of Seaside Sparrows (singing as well), a perched female Peregrine Falcon at close range on a channel marker and Tree Swallows. After several hours we finally came upon two groups of Whoopers totalling ten birds, including a group of three at point blank range. We watched these birds for almost half an hour and got views of the feeding, flying and evening doing their courtship dance! High fives all around… On our return journey we also added several Common Goldeneyes, a baby American Oystercatcher with parents, and a pair of Eared Grebes. We returned to the dock at 11:30 am and after purchasing some souvenirs we returned to the Hampton Inn to check out and pick up Bob and Pat.

We departed the Hampton around 12:20 pm. The next stop was a well earned lunch at Moon Dogs by the waterfront. Here we all enjoyed a hearty meal and revelled in the morning boat trip. Several other groups of birders from the boat were also doing the same thing.

From Rockport-Fulton we headed north to the causeway base and scanned for waterbirds. No bufflehead but we did pick up our first Common Loon of the trip. With this in the bag we made an about turn and headed due south to Corpus Christi. A quick swing by Tule Lake was aborted due to tides and the arrival of light rain and wind. We were soon on 77 heading south to Kingsville where we gassed up and took a pit stop at a rather seedy gas station. Heading south we turned east onto 772 and made our way to pipit corner. A Masked Duck had been reported here but despite scanning the small thickly vegetated pond for over an hour we couldn’t find it. Others who had been there for four hours were in the same boat. Still we did add our first Ring-necked Duck, better views of Tree Swallow, a male Indigo Bunting , a Least Grebe (for about half the group), and our first Great Kiskadee. At an area of scrub nearby we added four new species in short order: Curve-billed Thrasher, Pyrrhuloxia, Ladder-backed Woodpecker (previously heard but not seen) and Bullock’s Oriole (seen by only a few in the group). It seemed amazing to see four new birds in one tree when we had over 200 species for the trip already!

Now we really tried to make time though a Roadrunner spotted by Hume and a fly by Green Jay tried to lead us astray. Tom focussed on getting us to the lower valley in time to search for Green Parakeets and with some cross country navigation we arrived in a suburb of north McAllen shortly after 7 pm. It was tortuous drive north through a long series of traffic lights but eventually we reached a massive group of several hundred Green Parakeets right along 10th Street. It was quite a sight as the birds wheeling and actively fed and preened all around us. With this fine end to the day we headed to Chilis for dinner and then on to the BW in Weslaco for the next three nights.

April 10

We met at the BW restaurant at 6 am for the buffet breakfast. We were on the road by 6:45 am and heading south on 1015 towards Progresso Lakes. We drove around this pretty subdivision searching for Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds and Red-crowned Parrots. Our first loop produced a number of Couch’s Kingbirds and one pair of Tropical Kingbirds but not parrots. Tom opted to do one more loop and just as we were about to leave three pairs of Red-crowned Parrots came flying in, with one pair landing for scope views in the nearby treetops.

Spurred on by our success we headed next to Santa Ana arriving around 8 am. We headed out to the old Managers residence but couldn’t find any sign of Clay-colored Robin. Along the way we got great views of common species such as Ladder-backed Woodpecker. The road to Pintail Lake was extremely muddy and we all ‘clogged’ along the trail until we reached the grassy margins of the dikes.

At Pintail Lakes we heard at least five Least Bitterns, and got all three kingfishers and Least Grebe. The highlight however was the large number of Broad-winged Hawks lifting off from the park. There were hundreds everywhere we went. After reaching the end of Pintail we took a shortcut out to the boundary dike and followed that back to the Visitor Centre.

After a brief shopping stop at the centre, we headed west to Anzalduas County Park. This small open park provided some great birds during the rest of the morning. Tops among these were at least five thousand Broad-winged Hawks, several Mississippi Kites, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, adult Gray Hawk on nest (scope views), Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, a male Painted Bunting (seen briefly), many Clay-colored Sparrows, and four Anhingas soaring overhead.

We returned to the BW for lunch and completed the list until that point in the day. This afternoon the group took a break of more than two hours to recharge. We rallied again at 4 pm and headed to Bentsen State Park, arriving around 5 pm. At the world birding centre parking lot we had a tailgate picnic with items Tom had picked up on behalf of the group. After preparing for mosquitoes, we packed up our gear and hiked into the park. We walked through Bentsen for several hours, eventually returning to the gate at around 8 pm. Highlights of our walk included Green Kingfisher, Bank Swallow, a superb lengthy scope study of Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, two heard Clay-colored Robins, good views of Lesser Nighthawk in flight and Pauraque on the ground after dark, plus heard Eastern Screech and Elf Owls. We returned to the BW around 9:30 pm.

April 11

Breakfast again this morning at 6 am and then we boarded the van for our day on Padre Island. Our first stop of the day though would be Sabal Palm Sanctuary near Brownsville. We arrived around 7:30 am and went directly to the boardwalk along the Resaca Trail. Highlights of this short walk were scope views of Green Kingfisher and Black-crowned Night Heron, many Indigo Buntings and a selection of songbirds including Yellow-throated Warbler. At the parking lot we were surprised to add a small fly over flock of Cedar Waxwings.

Heading north we made a brief stop to search for Tamaulipas Crows without success. From here we made a lengthy drive north through Los Fresnos to Hwy 100 east. On a sideroad we immediately heard several Cassin’s Sparrows. Tom drove on to a spot where the habitat was better for the scarce Botteri’s Sparrow. The road was deeply rutted and slick Caliche so it was a bit tricky to negotiate. With a bit of luck we managed to get scope views of not just Cassin’s but also Botteri’s (seen and heard singing as well).

Next it was on to a spot along Hwy 100 where we pulled over to search for Aplomado Falcon. Right away Tom spotted a pair of the falcons and we all enjoyed great scope views of this spectacular raptor. Before leaving we added a pair of Chihuahuan Ravens building a nest.

Today was a day of reckoning in the gambling department. The first to go was Ivy who had selected 245 species for the group total. Next was Hume who had 250 species, followed by John with 255 and then finally Ian with 260. We ended the day with a total of 261 species, just four shy of tieing the previous record for this tour.

We arrived on South Padre Island shortly after 10 am and headed directly north to the Convention Centre. There were many birders and photographers circling the patches of plantings and water features. Although there were fewer birds than the two previous days (when a large grounding occurred), it was still excellent. We stayed on the island until mid afternoon, taking a break at the Padre Island Brew Pub for lunch. Highlights of our day included 16 species of warblers (tops being Kentucky, Worm-eating, many Hooded and Prothonotaries, both waterthrushes and Wilson’s), both Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, oodles of Orchard Orioles and several Baltimore Orioles, a Blue Grosbeak, four Yellow-billed Cuckoos, a Brown Thrasher, dozens of Indigo Buntings, and a superb lengthy view of a male Painted Bunting, two Least Bitterns, two Soras, Snowy and Piping Plovers, and Western Kingbird.

After Padre we went directly to Laguna Atascosa. Around the Visitor Centre we were wowed by the ‘Blue’ Green Jay (a strange pigment deficiency where the bird is blue instead of green), an incredible ten minute point blank open study of Louisiana Waterthrush, Worm-eating, Blue-winged and Hooded Warblers, and an Eastern Screech Owl calling. Next we headed to the driving loop. Highlights of this drive included several Roadrunners, fifty Fulvous Whistling Ducks, 4 Wilson’s Phalaropes, two White-rumped Sandpipers, several good views of Whimbrel and White-tailed Hawk.

From Atascosa we headed back to the hotel in Weslaco arriving shortly before 7 pm. The group met in the outdoor patio to catch up on the daily list. Afterwards Tom, Ian, John and Ivy decided to opt out of dinner while Pat, Bob, Hume and Sharon headed to a nearby Italian restaurant on foot. Tom arranged to revise the itinerary to add an additional night in Weslaco rather than going to Rio Grande City for the night.

April 12

This was a breakfast deprivation morning, with a 6 am meet at the van. By 6:01 am we were heading west towards our destination for the morning. We made good time heading up valley along Hwy 83 and by 7:35 am the van pulled into the boat ramp at Salineno along the Rio Grande River. It was foggy but soon the conditions began to improve. One of the first birds spotted was a Ringed Kingfisher on the Mexican side of the river, which soon flew to become a valid US tick. A Green Kingfisher also made both lists as it flew low along the river. Our targets here though were Red-billed Pigeon and Muscovy Duck, both of which were extremely tough. Tom’s unstated goal was to see one of the two. While we scanned the river we added a nice pair of Altimira Orioles. Everyone worked hard this morning spotting distant birds on tree tops for Tom to peruse with the scope. It was to be a true team day for spotting.

One of the most interesting events was the passage of a motor boat with two gentleman, heading down river. They returned to the boat ramp about twenty minutes later with two passengers who quickly ran ashore and jumped into a waiting car… I guess this was illegal immigration in action, but they looked like any other people heading to work for the day. It really makes you wonder about how arbitrary the human landscape seems to be…

Tom was getting anxious to head to Chapeno but before he could muster the courage to get the group on board, Bob spotted a strange bird flying across the river – it turned out to be a real coup – a Muscovy Duck! The bird crossed from the US into Mexico and provided close enough views to see the bright red facial skin. While we were waiting we also heard the scolds of Brown Jays from the Mexican side of the river and Tom glimpsed one dashing over the island towards Chapeno. So that’s where we headed.

We arrived at Chapeno around 9 am. Unfortunately the former El Rio RV park is now closed to birders due to the new landowners. However, the couple that formerly managed the RV park own property adjacent to the site and they still have active feeders. While we were trying to figure out the No Trespassing signs we managed to have excellent views of the Brown Jays (well spotted by Bob). A quick look at the river afterwards convinced us that we wouldn’t see any pigeons there. The former managers of the property suggested we scan from their deck. It provided a great vantage point over the river but Tom was concerned that it was getting late for the pigeon to be seen. The group scanned vigorously and picked up all kinds of great stuff… a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks spotted by Hume… a stunning kettle of over two hundred Swainson’s Hawks swirling low over the deck in the early morning light… and then John spotted a disappearing pigeon on the wing… it turned and landed and eureka here was our Red-billed Pigeon!

With a clean sweep of our targets we now headed towards Zapata for a well deserved breakfast. A stop at Tina’s next to the BW proved popular with their home made tortillas, quickly served hot breakfasts and copious fresh coffee. After recharging on this we headed for our next target, the White-collared Seedeater. Tom had called Joel Ruiz, manager of the seedeater refuge in San Ygnacio, and he met us at the parking area above the seedeater habitat around 11 am. It was getting hot and windy but we felt lucky. Joel provided an informative tour of the seedeater habitat and led us to a site where he had heard the bird earlier in the morning. After only five minutes out popped the young male seedater and he began to sing his heart out while we soaked in scope views – we were on a roll!

Tom then led us on a lengthy search of a series of side roads near San Ygnacio and Zapata where we looked for desert scrub species. High on our list of wanted birds were Cactus Wren and Black-throated Sparrow. We heard the former at several spots with only sharp eyed Ivy getting views of it. However the sparrow proved more co-operative and we had superb views of this gorgeous little sparrow. For Pat who had chosen 265 species as her wager, it was ‘death by Black-throated Sparrow’. This was our 266th species for the trip. After a lot of attempts we finally had great looks at Cactus Wrens. Then we headed cross country (north of Hwy 83 on sideroads) to McCallen. Here we had a late lunch/early dinner at the Chilis. Here Hume related a funny story of mistaken identity in the mens room when he mistook a native Texan for John, and asked him “do you remember San Antonio”? The response of ‘Are you talking to ME?” was duly noted.

After our early supper we made a B line (actually more like a W) to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge arriving around 6 pm. Our two targets here were Clay-colored Robin (only heard so far) and Buff-bellied Hummingbird. As soon as we arrived John and Bob spotted the hummer at the feeder. Patient waiting eventually got everyone on the ‘red-billed’ hummingbird and we were at 267. Tom noted that the robin had been seen around the buildings and picnic area and John and Hume soon had a likely candidate in sight. Tom confirmed the Clay-colored Robin and soon we all tracked down this elusive thrush. Although no new birds would be added after this we enjoyed a nice walk onto the dyke where Broad-wings and Swainsons were descending for the night. It seemed a fitting end to the day to see the full cycle of the dynamic migration that takes place on this corridor. We returned to the BW where we did the daily list in the outdoor patio.

April 13

This morning was an early start with a 5:50 am meet at the van with luggage. After packing the van everyone headed to breakfast which unfortunately was late opening this morning. Still we had gassed up the van, eaten (at break neck speed), and were all on board by 6:25 am. From Weslaco we headed directly to the Norias division of the King Ranch. Tom had booked what he thought was a private tour, so he wasn’t worried if we were a bit late. Unfortunately it turned out that this was a scheduled day and there was another van load of birders waiting when we arrived fifteen minutes late. As it turned out they had just arrived as well, so no one was upset.

We met our guide Brian Williams and all our group transferred into his van (the other van was guided by Tom ?). So we essentially had our own tour guide in Brian anyway. He was a great birder and an excellent guide and he kept us entertained all day. It was a pleasure to share this adventure with him.

The biggest challenge today was a brutal south wind which blew steadily at 30 mph all day. It was also extremely hot (likely at least mid 90s on the ranch as it was 97 in McAllen that day). Because all the birds we were searching for were woodland species, it made it quite challenging. Finding our targets required persistence and a lot of playback (not my favourite technique, but eventually it did pay off). Highlights of the morning included scope views of Tropical Parula (stunning), scope views of singing Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, many Hooded Orioles, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, a Great Horned Owl (in flight only and seen by only two group members), and a lingering Sprague’s Pipit (seen by all in our van but none of the back group – a real coup). Other non bird highlights included the ‘bump gate’, several feral hogs, lots of dung beetles, and an exotic antelope – the nilgai. Shortly after 1pm we stopped for a well deserved bathroom break (again the ladies were remarkably patient), then a great lunch of fried chicken and potato salad. After lunch we split up and again attempted to find the Audubon’s Oriole. However it was not extremely hot and coupled with the persistent winds, we struck out. That one will have to wait for another trip.

At 3:15 pm after a group photo, Brian bid us farewell and we were soon heading rapidly north towards the pond at ‘pipit corner’. We stopped just south of Kingsville for a Dairy Queen treat. We wont say who, but someone absconded with Tom’s ‘medium’ chocolate dip cone. The moral… you snooze, you lose.

Enroute to the masked duck attempt, we made a brief stop at Mittags Pond where we had scope views of Eared Grebes (at least fifty here, plus many ducks and other water birds). We arrived at the pipit corner pond shortly before 5 pm. There were at least fifteen other birders waiting including several who had been searching since 9 am in the morning. After a brief search of the close end of the pond, Tom overheard one of the watchers talking about a trail to the north side of the pond. He soon opted to search there with only Ian brave enough to join him. After scanning from this side of the pond for about fifteen minutes the Masked Duck started to splash in some thick vegetation and Tom was soon frantically waving to get the rest of the crew to come over. It didn’t take long. The brigade appeared and soon the scopes were all trained on this elusive little duck. We all got to enjoy this extremely rare bird. And for Tom it had special meaning. Just prior to this sighting the group had heard a Northern Bobwhite which was bird number 270 (Tom’s wager). So for Tom it was ‘death by Masked Duck (271). He conceded that this was just fine. This put Sharon in the lead, and as it turned out, this would be the bird that made all the difference.

From here we headed to Kingsville where Tom secured rooms at the Hampton Inn. After doing the checklist Tom drove the group over to Chilis. Unfortunately it was a forty five minute wait. So several of the group (who were not feeling well) opted for Whataburger, while the rest of us stuck it out at Chilis.

April 14

For our last short morning we had breakfast at the Hampton in Kingsville and then met at the van at 6:30 am with our luggage. Bob was busy trying to figure out how we might get five new birds to take over first place while Sharon was thinking more conservatively.

From Kingsville we drove north and east to Corpus Christi arriving at Blucher Park around 7:20 am. We spent the next hour doing a loop of this tiny oasis in the centre of the city. It was much warmer than when we had been here at the beginning of the tour and there were fewer birds. Still we enjoyed scope views of a perched Chuck-wills-widow that was spotted by John’s sharp eyes. There were also a smattering of warblers, Orchard Orioles and the several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Given that it was quiet here we decided to head to Tule Lake on Up River Road to search for shorebirds. The tide was just going out so there was a great selection of shorebirds right next tot eh viewing platform, and this time it wasn’t raining, blowing and freezing (though it was still brisk). In addition to good views of dowitchers, stilts, etc, Tom walked us all through good scope comparisons of Western, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers. We didn’t add any new species to our grand total but it was a great way to wrap up the trip. From here we drove to San Antonio, first dropping off Bob and Patricia in downtown SA, and then everyone else said goodbyes at the airport. It had been a great nine days plus of birding with a total of 271 species seen or heard by the group, with highlights including Masked Duck, Whooping Cranes, Muscovy Duck, Botteri’s Sparrow, most of the valley specialties, several good songbird groundings and a spectacular raptor lift off at Anzalduas. The winner of the first ‘birding and gambling’ wager was Sharon with 271 (her guess was 275). She kindly decided to take her winnings and donate it to a conservation program at Pelee (of Tom’s choice).

Thank you to everyone for all your patience and hard work spotting birds on the trip. It was a pleasure to share one of the continents best birding experiences with “Y’ALL”.