Thursday, May 06, 2010

High Island birding,TX … Last Day

    Howdee all,

Our last full day at High Island was another fun filled birdie day…

I had a leisurely day at home while Jeff went to Boy Scout woods..I told him when I was done with my morning chores etc..I would meet him at the woods.

He would call me if there had been an influx of migrants over night.

Jeff said that Boy Scout woods was the same ..no new influx..

so I took my time…

This Gazebo is in the RV park we stayed at.

They have feeders set up.HIGH ISLAND_014Several Yellow-headed blackbirds were coming to the feeders..

Doesn't it look like a yellow bird wearing a black jacket that doesn't fit well?HIGH ISLAND_005 HIGH ISLAND_009 Jeff and I went on our last guided walk of this visit with Sam Woods..if you haven't yet checked out his blog you should..He is an amazing birder and professional guide.

We saw this silly Reddish Egret…I love how it dances around crazily while fishing..

HIGH ISLAND_016  I found this interesting plant growing in the sand..high island_005any ideas of what this is???
Sickstas?high island_004We had excellent views of Wilsons Pharalope, Clapper rails, Sora,Wilsons,Semipalmated Plovers and many other shorebirds..

I am posting a High Island trip list of birds at the bottom of this post.high island_003Most of the shorebirds were too far for my camera..

except for these Ruddy Turnstones HIGH ISLAND_020  They let me take a few photos before running off..HIGH ISLAND_022

The Highlight of our day was when we went to Anahuac National Wildlife refugee with two new birding friends, Wilson and Barry..

We were hoping to see King and Yellow Rails..Barry, who had added over 100 birds to his life list on this Texas trip, was hoping to see the Purple Gallinule and the Rails.

We saw all three…

I have pictures of one…

King Rail

HIGH ISLAND_026HIGH ISLAND_033HIGH ISLAND_030

Two life birds for us..

King and Yellow Rail..

What a great way to end our Birding Trip to Texas..

We had a great time..and will definitely come back again during Migration.

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High Island Bird List

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Gadwall

Mottled Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Northern Bobwhite

Brown Pelican

Neoptropic Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Magnificent Frigatebird

Great-blue Heron

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Reddish Egret

Cattle Egret

Green Heron

White Ibis

White-faced Ibis

Roseate Spoonbill

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Red-shouldered Hawk

Swanson's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Perigrine Falcon

Yellow Rail

Clapper Rail

King Rail

Sora

Purple Gallinule

Common Moorhen

American Coot

Black-bellied Plover

Wilsons Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Killdeer

Black-necked Stilt

American Avocet

Spotted Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Willet

Lesser Yellowlegs

Upland Sandpiper

Whimbrel

Hudsonian Godwit

Marbled Godwit

Ruddy Turnstone

Sanderling

Seimpalmated Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Dunlin

Stilt Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Wilsons Phalarope

Laughing Gull

Franklins Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Least Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Caspian Tern

Black Tern

Common Tern

Forsters Tern

Royal Tern

Sandwich Tern

Black Skimmer

Eurasian-collared Dove

White-winged Dove

Mourning Dove

inca Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Common Nighthawk

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Yellow-bellied sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Great-crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Scissor-tailed flycatcher

Loggerhead Shrike

White-eyed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Purple Martin

Barn Swallow

Carolina Wren

Marsh Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Swanson's Thrush

Wood Thrush

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Blue-winged Warbler

Golden-winged Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Northern Parula

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Cerulean Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Northern Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Hooded Warbler

Canada Warbler

Yellow-breasted Chat

Summer Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Western Tanager

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Seaside Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting

Painted Bunting

Dickcissel

Red-winged Blackbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Common Grackle

Great-tailed Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Orchard Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

House sparrow

…………………………………………….

Jeff and I are now in NC for a month visiting Sicksta and Ghetto Boy

9 comments:

  1. Hi sicksta, The flower really looks like Petalostemum purpureum, but I am not sure of the foliage. It is in legume family.

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  2. I have never seen a yellow head black bird. That was a neat to see!

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  3. wonderful photos Dawn, love the rails, and an amazing list for the trip - wow

    dan

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  4. Great photos but you must have the patience of a saint.

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  5. Beautiful and Great shots !!Simply fantastic !! I always enjoy your blog spots !!

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  6. beachgrl
    Thanks Sicksta for the flower info..I knew i could count on you!

    diane-j-m
    Isnt it such a striking bird?
    keep looking you might see them in your travels..

    forestal
    Thanks Dan..yeah we did pretty darn good that trip..some awesome birding

    Ryan
    Thanks..but actually..I dont wait around for birds..if they dont come to me or arent easy to photo..i dont bother..

    Unseen Rajasthan
    Thanks allot for the kind comment!

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  7. Dawn that list goes on for miles!

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  8. You are doing well for a slow birding year. Things ARE slow here, even though spring came early. Even the old faithful Robins came late and in lesser numbers than usual.

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  9. Kathiesbirds
    Kathy..its a great place for Migrants! Lots of warblers.

    Ruth
    It has been different..I dont know whats up..we are at my sisters and the birds I normally see in higher numbers arent here..
    Hope they are just elsewhere.

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ok what do you really think?????