Texas Results

I haven’t tallied up the final list yet, but it looks like our trip to Texas last week turned up around 175 species. I’d hoped for more, but we never really saw anything approaching a “good” passerine migration (which might mean, of course, that the birds were profiting from the nearly constant south winds and didn’t need to stop on the coast). Some of the highlights for me:

10 species of waterfowl including Fulvous and Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Mottled Duck;

Northern Gannets off Bolivar Flats;

13 species of herons and ibises, plus both vultures;

Broad-winged Hawks in small numbers, and no fewer than 3 Merlins;

6 rallids including King and Clapper Rails and Purple Gallinule;

30 species of shorebirds (a couple of those, unfortunately, only on my scouting days);

Red-cockaded and Pileated Woodpeckers;

excellent looks at Sedge Wrens at High Island;

only 13 warblers, but among them Prothonotary, Hooded, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Yellow-breasted Chat;

Bachman’s and Seaside Sparrows.