April 27- May 7, 2006
As soon as my plane touched down in San Antonio I drove immediately to Avenue A where a Rufous-capped Warbler had been reported the day before. It took me awhile to find it because Google Maps sent me to a section of Avenue A under a freeway overpass under construction and in a shady neighborhood. I wasn’t about to get out of my car there. So I drove around and parked my car at a driving-range thinking the habitat across the street looked promising. I started walking around and saw a sign “Avenue A.” I couldn’t find the warbler but I saw an Ovenbird perched on the ground for about ten minutes. I also saw a Western Kingbird, Northern Cardinal, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Great-tailed Grackle, White-winged Dove, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow. That was all the time I had for birding because I had to load up at the grocery store for the next ten days of camping.
I drove to Guadalupe River State Park where I had a blissfully peaceful camp site under the oak trees. In the morning I walked along the beautiful Guadalupe River and saw Eastern Phoebe, Chimney Swifts flying overhead, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, one Northern Parula, and a Great-crested Flycatcher. I heard a Canyon Wren singing at the river. According to Birding the Lower Rio Grande Valley Friedrich Wilderness doesn’t open until 9:00 AM but I found out this was part of a great deal of misinformation in this book and Birding the Texas Coast. I walked the entire park but only heard a GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER at the windmill and later heard a Summer Tanager singing. In the parking lot I got a close up look at male Painted Bunting. Some nice birders I met suggested that I try a brand new San Antonio park called Crown Ridge which was a very nice city park very well maintained with well marked trails and excellent habitat for birds. There I saw my first ever BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER and I saw an Eastern Wood Peewee. On a whim I drove over to Government Canyon thinking I might get lucky with the Golden-Cheeked. I started down the Joe Johnson trail and saw nothing. I was cursing that I had paid $6 to enter because I felt compelled to walk at least one trail. There were dozens of Lincoln’s Sparrows and that was it. I was just about to turn around when I saw a Black-and-white Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Indigo Bunting. From Government Canyon I made the long drive to Kerr Wildlife Management Area where I heard but did not see a BLACK-CAPPED VIREO. It was paying off that I had listened obsessively to those bird song tapes for hours in my car prior to my trip. I saw some more Painted Buntings, Lark Sparrow, and Field Sparrow but due to the lateness I had to give up and drive to my camp site for the night at Pedernales Falls State Park in Austin. I hear it’s beautiful there but it was dark when I arrived and dark when I left. On the drive over the radio announced a tornado warning! The park ranger told me to go to a shelter if the storm got too bad. After I settled into my tent for the evening a ferocious storm descended and pummeled my poor little tent. I don’t know how it withstood the ferocity of the storm. In the morning every birder in Texas headed down to High Island while I headed to the Balcones NWR Bird Song Festival where I had signed up for a guided tour. A Chuck-will’s Widow was singing as I ate my breakfast in the dark at Pedernales Falls.
Balcones NWR is the best place in the state to see Golden-Cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos but only has a few areas open to the public. My tour was led by Chuck from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, whose job is to monitor these two federally listed endangered species. In the van everyone introduced him or herself. The man on the back row with me was from southern California. I looked wonderingly at his very long fingernails and thought to myself how odd that the two gays from California ended up on the same seat together. Some lady said she was just along for the ride with her husband and she was his mule to carry his scope and field guide. The man from southern California said he only brought his scope along if his husband was there to carry it for him. I thought how bold! He is announcing to a group in south Texas where they arrested two men in the privacy of their own home for having consensual sex (overturned at the Supreme Court in the famous Lawrence v. Texas case) that he is married to a man! How brazen. At the first stop, the Shin Oak or Shinnery, we saw many Yellow-breasted Chats and more Painted Buntings than you could shake a stick at. While admiring these beautiful birds a CRESTED CARACARA flew by! Life bird! Then a MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over—another life bird. Then Chuck did an excellent job getting a BLACK-CAPPED VIREO to pop out giving everyone in the group excellent eye level views. It circled our group twice and we examined it again. At the next stop we saw a Blue Grosbeak, Greater Roadrunner, Cliff Swallows, and Cave Swallows. Everyone was very excited about a Western Scrub Jay perched on a wire. When we got back into the van the driver said, “where is Ann?” I thought who the hell is Ann? I don’t remember anyone named Ann. Well, Ann, the “man” from southern California finally got back in the van and I laughed to myself at my little peccadillo. On the way back to the festival headquarters we saw some Yellow-headed Blackbirds in a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds along with some Cattle Egrets.
It is a long drive from Balcones NWR to my next destination, Big Thicket National Preserve. I had pre-arranged a camp site at Indian Springs Campground, a place across the street from the Big Thicket Headquarters, where the owner said if I was driving all the way from California to see some “stupid birds” he couldn’t see it in his heart to charge me. When I pulled into the entrance road I almost turned around and left when I saw some sort of Christian revival taking place but I was too exhausted to drive another minute so I found the owners and they pointed out a little spot for me to “pitchmytent.” The trees were full of birds but no one paid the least bit of attention. A Pileated Woodpecker was calling loudly. I also heard an Acadian Flycatcher calling “pizza” deep in the woods. While sitting in the car going over the next day’s activities a man came over, introduced himself, and invited me to a non-denominational singles pot-luck at the meeting room. I did not think this was a good time to announce my atheism and lesbianism so I said I had already eaten and thanks anyway. I got up at dawn and got out of there. It was still dark when I left and I heard a Great Horned Owl and a Barred Owl. I rolled the window down as dawn broke to listen to the birds as I drove out and I heard a Swainson’s Thrush singing. I took a walk on the Turkey Creek Trail and birds were singing everywhere but not moving as it was only 48 degrees at that early hour. Again the incessant bird tapes I listened to throughout April were invaluable. I heard Red-eyed Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Tufted Titmouse singing. I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker but it was obvious that this morning a later start would have been better so I drove over to Tower Road. Three people were standing by the side of the road. I stopped and listened. Swainson’s Warbler, I asked? They were not unduly impressed with my bird song skills. Even though I was born and reared in South Carolina I had never seen or heard this species because I did not become a birder until I moved to California. I got out and followed them into the woods. One of them was obviously a hired guide and the other two were from Calgary. The guide played a tape and the SWAINSON’S WARBLER popped up and started singing. The three were satisfied and left but as they were leaving the guide warned me to watch out for snakes. I do know snakes from my SC days. I squatted down in this swampy area trying to get some video of the Swainson’s Warbler but it only gave some glimpses so after a while I left and went to the Kirby Trail. Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Purple Martins, and one Red-shouldered Hawk soared overhead. The Kirby Trail was awesome. In fact, I was very impressed with Big Thicket and very glad I visited it. I saw a Northern Parula, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Gray Catbird, and another Swainson’s Warbler, this one in plain view singing away. I also found its nest. In a swamp I saw Yellow-crowned Night Heron and Green Heron. As I was leaving the trail a Kentucky Warbler gave its loud song. And then I heard another song that sounded like Prairie Warbler but the habitat was all wrong. Then I realized it was a Worm-eating Warbler. Other birds on this trail were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Great-crested Flycatcher, and other typical southern birds. Some other parts of Big Thicket I had planned to visit were closed due to damage from Hurricane Rita so I decided to make a side trip to Jones State Forest in Houston. After walking the trail I heard a little peak and some drumming and there was a RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER, another life bird! I know it is shameful that I was getting all these South Carolina specialty birds in Texas but I was ecstatic. I pulled out my video camera to get some footage and some completely oblivious jogger ran right under the tree followed by his off-leash dog and scared the bird away. I was furious. When I got back to my car I waited until I was safely inside the car with the motor running before I rolled down the window and was bold enough to tell that man that Jones Forest is a leash only area and that it is home to an endangered species. I don’t know if he was being patronizing but he just kept saying OK, OK.
Next I drove to Fort Anahuac NWR thinking I could camp there, another piece of disinformation from A Birder’s Guide to the Texas Coast. I saw a tiny RV Camp and asked if I could “pitchmytent.” The owner said I could for $5 a night. She let me throw my tent right next to Trinity Bay with awesome sunset views for the next two nights. Neither the bathroom nor the shower had a door and so the mosquitoes were everywhere inside. So later in my tent I assumed all the itching on my butt was from mosquitoes that had gotten me while showering. The mosquitoes were the size of Frigatebirds and were particularly vicious, able to bite me right through my clothing even after I dressed. I couldn’t sleep that night with the itching which I scratched liberally. Buzzing was all around my head. Finally I got up, turned on my headlamp, and realized that two of the maulers had gotten inside my tent. After I killed them I was able to get to sleep. The next day I was in agony with itching and I continued to scratch liberally. A Common Yellowthroat and Double-crested Cormorant were in Trinity Bay.
I drove from my camp to Anahuac NWR. At the first pond after the pay station there were 15 FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCKS, one of six life birds I got at this wonderful park. While I was admiring these handsome ducks a Northern Bobwhite called behind me. I checked out the willows but I had missed the fall out completely and saw no warblers. I took the driving tour and almost immediately two KING RAILS started to cross the road. I know, I know I should have gotten these birds on the many trips I have taken to the SC coast in my life but this was a life bird. Within minutes I saw a PURPLE GALLINULE and a LEAST BITTERN. I almost cried I was so excited. A flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flew over followed by two MOTTLED DUCKS. I also saw Wood Stork, Tri-colored Heron, Little Blue Heron, one ROSEATE SPOONBILL flyby, many Common Moorhen, Eastern Kingbirds everywhere, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, one Loggerhead Shrike, Savannah Sparrows, Common Nighthawks making their “pent” call, many Eastern Meadowlarks, Common Grackles, and Boat-tailed Grackles. Orchard Orioles were all over the place and there was one Gadwall in Shoveler Pond. I drove all the way to East Bay where I saw a few Laughing Gulls and Dickcissels aplenty. I drove out of the main refuge and down the road to a flooded rice field with a viewing platform. I scoped the field for a long time and after picking through the flock of Long-billed Dowitchers and Dunlins picked out my first ever BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. There were also Least Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, a Long-billed Curlew, two Whimbrels, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, and two Wilson’s Phalaropes. After much study I found my first ever AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. The only terns I saw were Forster’s Terns. Reluctantly I left this little treasure and drove to High Island where I was sure the fall out was long over.
I parked my car at the parking lot for Boy Scout Woods and got out with binoculars in hand. I looked up in a tree and there was a yellow Oriole. It had an all black head and I thought that’s odd. I knew I was out of range for Scott’s Oriole. I carefully checked the nape and it was yellow. The bird flew away and I got out my Sibley. The bird was a dead ringer for an AUDUBON’S ORIOLE. That would be far out of its normal range. I told the lady at the sanctuary about it and she tried to tell me it was a Baltimore Oriole. This bird clearly had a yellow nape. The black hood ended in a line around the head just like the picture in Sibley. I made a special note of looking at the nape remembering that this was a field mark but not realizing at the time how out of range Audubon’s Oriole would be at High Island. No one in Texas believed my sighting but I am convinced that this was an Audubon’s Oriole. There was also a Yellow Warbler in the parking lot. Inside Smith Wood Sanctuary I immediately saw a GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH on the ground. I walked around but there was little activity besides more vicious mosquitoes. How do they bite through your clothing? Also I kept wondering how I survived 27 summers in South Carolina. I next stopped at Eubanks Woods Sanctuary where I saw more Black-and-White Warblers, two Ovenbirds, an American Redstart, three Magnolia Warblers, and then a beautiful looking bird. I put my binoculars up to get my first ever look at a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER as a mosquito impaled the dead center of my throat. The pain was exquisite but I was not moving my binoculars until I was satisfied with my view of the bird. Next I went over to Smith Oaks Sanctuary where I saw one Blackpoll Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Indigo Bunting. All the usual birds were at the rookery: Roseate Spoonbill, all the heron species, White Ibis, and some Anhingas. I drove back to my camp site at Trinity Bay and was getting concerned with the numerous mosquito bites. I have never seen bites get that red and swollen and I assumed that they had become infected with all the scratching.
In the morning, May 2, I drove back to High Island at sunrise. First thing in Boy Scout Woods I saw a VEERY. There were more Magnolia Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, Yellow Warblers, Blackboll Warblers, Orchard Oriole, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and another Gray-cheeked Thrush.
From High Island I drove along the Gulf Coast and skimmed the ocean looking for the elusive Gull-billed Tern which I never did see on the whole trip. Are they becoming extinct? There were many shorebirds at the Bolivar Flats Bird Sanctuary including Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, and after much scrutinizing my first WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. It took a while to pick out a Baird’s Sandpiper because I have only seen them a few times in August here in California. There were a few Brown Pelicans and one lone Herring Gull. It was very odd to only see almost exclusively Laughing Gulls after looking at all the many gulls we get here on the west coast. There were also some Black Skimmers, Reddish Egret, WILSON’S PLOVER, Semipalmated Plovers, many Dunlins in breeding plumage, American Avocet, Ruddy Turnstone, Sandwich Terns, a few Black Terns, Royal Tern, Least Tern, and even a Caspian Tern but no Gull-billed Tern. I decided to make one last desperate attempt at the Gull-billed Tern by taking the Bolivar Ferry to Galveston. On the ferry I didn’t see any terns but was surprised to see a MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD attacking the Laughing Gulls following the ferry.
From Galveston I made the long drive to Brazos Bend State Park, my camp for the night. I don’t even know how this park got on my itinerary or why but I’m glad it did. After setting up my tent (and by the way no one tent camps in Texas; my little tent was the only one I saw the entire trip) I took a walk on the many trails through gorgeous oak woods. Mostly the birding here was by ear because it’s hard to see the birds up in the canopy but they were singing unlike the birds on migration at High Island which were silent. I heard Northern Parula, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Acadian Flycatcher, and Great Crested Flycatcher. I saw Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Prothonotary Warbler and a Mississippi Kite flyover. That night as I sat at the picnic table preparing for the next day’s excursion I read that Aransas NWR abounds with mosquitoes and chiggers. Chiggers! Oh my god those aren’t infected welts on my butt. I had chiggers! I hadn’t had chiggers since I went to Africa in 1982. I was having extreme anxiety. I had been scratching the hell out of those “mosquito bites” on my butt. Oh god. I looked at them again and they were all over the back of my knees, my butt, my breast, and all the crevices. I was panicking but there was no cellular service and only one pay phone that requires Homeland Security to make a long distance phone call. After thirty minutes I got through to my spouse. I was nearly in tears. I was in a remote area of Texas, all alone, with chiggers all over my body. My spouse told me to go to the hospital. Out of the question! I was on a birding trip for god’s sake. I cried myself to sleep that night. I must have gotten the chiggers when I followed that idiot into the swamp on Tower Road for a Swainson’s Warbler when all I had to do was walk the Kirby Trail. I got up at 5:00 AM as was my habit but couldn’t motivate myself to go to Aransas NWR with its bountiful chiggers and mosquitoes. So I lingered at Brazos Bend and decided to walk around Elm Lake at dawn. What a delightful walk that turned out to be. The park is known as home to the American Alligator but it is also home to many wonderful birds and beautiful scenery. At Elm Lake Roseate Spoonbill, Little Blue Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Anhinga, and herons of all kinds were dripping from the trees. As I headed back to the car I heard another Northern Parula. Then I reluctantly headed over to Aransas.
I stopped and bought giant tubes of anti-itch cream, antibiotic cream along with extra large cans of insect and chigger repellent. In my reluctance to go to Chigger NWR (Aransas) I stopped at Bennett Park where I saw my first ever BALTIMORE ORIOLE, a beautiful adult male. (It’s shameful that I had to go to Texas to see a bird that winters in South Carolina). There was also a Black-and-white Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler. Overhead was another Mississippi Kite and a Crested Caracara flew by. This was a neat park but had a lot of trash. Finally at Aransas I saw a Redhead and Blue-winged Teal in a pond on the entrance drive. I walked the rail trail and heard a King Rail with its washing machine sound and saw many White-eyed Vireos. On the Dagger Point Trail I was assaulted by 40 mosquitoes but if you aren’t seeing mosquitoes you aren’t seeing warblers and sure enough there were Black-throated Green Warblers, American Redstarts, Chestnut-sided Warblers, a Summer Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, and Painted Bunting. I should have skipped the stupid driving tour which is basically only there for the already departed Whooping Cranes. I left Aransas with the intention of camping at Mustang Island at Padre Island National Seashore but decided to drive all the way to the other end to get an early start the next day. It turned out to be a brilliant move on my part (it’s so wonderful traveling alone) because that is a long drive and in retrospect I should have skipped Aransas altogether. It was so late by the time I got to Harlingen that camping was out of the question and I was driven to staying at a Motel 6. Horrors! This was a camping trip!
I got up at 5:00 AM as usual and made it to Santa Ana NWR at dawn. What an incredible park. Thursday, May 4, 2006 turned out to be one of the best days of my life. I was the only visitor to Santa Ana that day apparently. As soon as I arrived I saw OLIVE SPARROW, PLAIN CHACHALACA, GREEN JAY, and GROOVE-BILLED ANI, all life birds for me. I saw my first COUCH’S KINGBIRD and later saw two of them attacking a Cooper’s Hawk that got too close to their nest. A Swainson’s Hawk soared overhead and White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, Inca Doves, White-tipped Doves, and Common Ground Doves were everywhere. I even saw a Eurasian Collared Dove. At the Resaca I saw a Sora, Black-necked Stilt, American Coot, Spotted Sandpiper, Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal mating, Gadwall, Least Grebe, Long-billed Dowitcher, and my first ever STILT SANDPIPER. Golden-fronted Woodpeckers were in every tree it seemed with their beautiful tri-colored heads. I got some good video of GREAT KISKADEE. I saw many LONG-BILLED THRASHERS and BRONZED COWBIRDS. I heard an EASTERN SCREECH OWL. And I added BLACK CRESTED TITMOUSE to my life list. On my way back to the visitor center to pay the entrance fee (it wasn’t even open when I arrived) I heard a Parula singing but could never find it. At the visitor center the recent sightings list said it was a Hybrid Parula. I went back to the willows and the Parula was singing for a good 25 minutes but I could not get on that darn bird. I was so frustrated I was ready to throw my binoculars in the Resaca and give up birding altogether. I went around the loop and saw a CLAY-COLORED ROBIN and one Willow Flycatcher then went back to the willows and tried again. Again the parula sang and sang but I could not see it. I went to my car completely dejected and made myself a sandwich. I sat outside the visitor center to eat lunch and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD perched above my head for about five minutes. I even walked back to the car to get my video camera and it was still perched allowing me to get excellent video footage.
Next I drove to Sabal Palm Grove which turned out to be, by far and away, my favorite part of the whole trip. What an incredible place. I was there from 2-5 (why in the hell do they close at the unspeakably early hour of 5:00 PM?) and saw 15 warbler species. The birding is great here in California but we do not have that many warblers so this was a special treat for me. The lady at the visitor center told me where I could see a Gray-crowned Yellowthroat. I took the trail where she indicated by crossing a raised walkway. A Northern Waterthrush was right out in the open. There were also Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles in the trees. I saw a Common Yellowthroat but no Gray-crowned so I walked around some until I found a bench where you could just sit and watch warblers at eye level. Almost all of them were brightly colored non-singing males. I saw Tennessee, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler (North America’s most lost bird), American Redstart, Ovenbird, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler and what is that thing? Oh my god my first GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER! At the pond I saw a Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Common Moorhen, and some more herons and egrets and then I went back with time running out to try one more time for the yellowthroat. I heard a yellowthroat type song and then there it was a GRAY-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT! What a spectacular day. It was 4:45 PM and time to go. I drove from there to Adolph Thomae County Park to camp. Do not ever camp there unless you like to stay up all night and fish at the lighted fishing pier because that’s what everyone does there. In the evening after my shower I heard a COMMON PAURAQUE calling.
In the morning I drove to Laguna Atascosa NWR. I had heard so much about it and it just didn’t cut the mustard. I only saw a Greater Roadrunner, Long-billed Thrasher, White-tailed Kite, and Lesser Scaup. I was so disappointed that I took a break from birding after that and had lunch on the beach at South Padre Island. Next I drove to the famous Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park. That birding book is so outdated that I didn’t even know they had removed the trailer park. I had a reservation to camp there but I was the only person. I set up my tent in the primitive camp area and then took a walk around. There were only doves flying around since it was still around midday. But then I saw a Bobcat run across the road (looked like an Oceolot to me but the zoologist there told me it was a Bobcat). I walked out to the hawk tower but there was just no activity except for one Least Flycatcher. I went back out to the parking lot and there was an ALTAMIRA ORIOLE right across from the visitor center. Its nest was right on the telephone wire. Another Mississippi Kite flew over. After the sun set I heard Lesser Nighthawks calling, a FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL, an EASTERN SCREECH OWL calling and more Pauraques. I got in my tent but a Javelina started grunting near my tent. In SC where I grew up there were wild boars and they are vicious and will attack you. Even though it is irrational and idiotic I became frightened to the point that my heart was racing and I knew I would not be able to sleep. I tried but it wasn’t possible. So I took down my tent and walked the ¾ mile back to my car and slept in my car. When I told friends and such about my plan to camp for 10 days alone in Texas most were amazed. I was never afraid the entire trip until I encountered these wild animals. The Border Patrol came and shined their head lights on my car until 5:00 AM when I got up to make breakfast. When they saw I was white they left. I walked around the park some more and saw a NEOTROPIC CORMORANT and heard a NORTHERN BEARDLESS TYRANNULET singing. I could only see its back before it flew off. Later I met this woman named Mary, the zoologist, who told me they nest in the park and showed me approximately where the nest is. We couldn’t locate the bird though despite more singing. So I went out to the hawk tower with her to try for the Hook-billed Kite. It never came along but we saw two Gray Hawks and one Swainson’s Hawk. On the way out of the park I saw two Clay-colored Robins and in the parking lot while having my lunch a Harris’s Hawk flew over.
For my last stop I drove up the Rio Grande to Falcon State Park. I parked at the entrance and walked the entire park desperately trying one last time for the Cassin’s Sparrow which I did not find. I found another Altamira Oriole with nesting material in its mouth and saw Bullock’s Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Hooded Oriole, and Orchard Oriole. Near the boat launch I heard a thrasher singing, my first ever CURVE-BILLED THRASHER. A Black-throated Sparrow was singing along the nature trail and there was one Lark Sparrow. Pyrrhuloxias were everywhere. I found a Verdin feeding her chicks and final bird of the day a nice Cactus Wren. Then I looked and looked for an acceptable Audubon’s Oriole but it was the only oriole I couldn’t find there. It was time to make the grueling drive back to San Antonio. In the morning at the airport I looked out the window for any last birds before departing but couldn’t even see so much as a grackle. I was sad to leave the wonderful world of birding in Texas. It was an amazing trip and despite all the insults, the mosquito bites, the chiggers, the itching, the fire ant that bit my foot, the noisy fishers at Adolph Tomae, one that left my heart full of joy. Of all the beautiful birds I saw and fantastic additions to my life list I say this with all sincerity, that most of all I will miss all the grackles of Texas with their many vocalizations, tenacity, and terrific adaptability. If only all these beautiful warblers and endangered species could be so flexible (e.g. Golden-cheeked Warbler can only eat bark from an old Ashe Juniper, Red-cockaded Woodpecker can only use old growth trees, etc). Tears are running down my face now as I think about how lucky I was to have had this experience.
TOTAL SPECIES = 224
LIFE BIRDS = 41 (in bold)
Michelle Brodie
We picked out the very best camp site in the park surrounded on three sides by the unusual rock formations for which the park was named and set up the tent. We were awakened the next morning by the “kikiki” of White-throated Swifts circling overhead and the “kabrick” of an Ash-throated Flycatcher. After a quick breakfast we made a mad dash for the world famous IBA, Butterbredt Springs. As soon as we got there I saw a Cassin’s Vireo in a tree and not far away a Blue-headed Vireo giving an excellent comparison of these two very similar species. There were Wilson’s Warblers, Willow Flycatchers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers, and Western Wood-Pewees on every branch. We ran into noted ornithologist, Scott Terrill, who told us about an American Redstart. Sure enough we soon saw a first year male near the spring. There were a few Swainson’s Thrushes and Western Tanagers and one Nuttall’s Woodpecker. Scott and his wife, Linda, told us about an Ovenbird at this oasis called Galileo and insisted that we had to make a stop there. She even sheepishly suggested that we might camp there (more about that later). When things started to die down at the spring we took the dirt road up Piute Mountain all the way to Kelso Creek. Along the road we tried in vain for any kind of thrasher but saw none. Two immature Golden Eagles flew up from the creosote and sage brush not too far from the car but I wasn’t quick enough on the draw to get any video. A few minutes later a Phainopepla flew by and still later we saw a Chukar fly up the hillside.
The wind had picked up considerably putting a damper on this delightful little trail. We saw a Lark Sparrow on the trail and a few more Bullock’s Orioles but then decided to call it a day and returned to our campground for the evening. The sunset was awesome and was punctuated by two Barn Owls that flew in to roost right behind our campsite.
Cindy showed us a Costa’s Hummingbird sitting on her nest and I also saw a Hammond’s Flycatcher and a Dusky Flycatcher fly up the spring. Then a woodpecker flew into the trees overhanging the spring. It had a bright red cap that extended all the way to its bill but it had a lot of black on its face and on its nape—Nuttall’s x Ladder-backed Woodpecker. This was the first time I had seen a hybrid of these two species; they are both known to breed at Butterbredt. After a while we decided to walk up the canyon to warm up. I had checked the weather repeatedly before I left and was assured by every source that it would be a magnificent desert experience with hot days and cool nights. Oh contraire! I had thrown a couple of pairs of shorts, some t-shirts, and a North Face polartec jacket in a bag and as a last thought threw in a little skull cap and thin gloves. The polartec was worthless in the wind and I spent two days thinking ruefully of all my high tech clothing at home. Up stream I found a female MacGillivray’s Warbler and some Sage Sparrows. While we were admiring it Oscar flew past us yelling, “Blackburnian!” We passed on that one and I guess it didn’t stay around very long anyway because we never saw it either. Back at the spring we saw a Scott’s Oriole, a late Hermit Thrush, and some Violet-green Swallows. Right before we left I found a Hermit Warbler in the Cottonwoods.
We took the Desert View trail and saw some more Black-headed Grosbeaks two Loggerhead Shrikes, and many Say’s Phoebes, Black-throated Sparrows, and Cactus Wrens. We took the trail up a ridge with expansive views of the desert and the gorgeous sandstone formations. We then dropped into a wide wash and Susan spotted a Prairie Falcon. We followed it until we found its nest high on the canyon walls. That evening we cradled our camp chairs into the canyon wall to protect us from the wind. We read until our friends the Barn Owls came to let us know it was time for bed. That evening we decided we could not tolerate the wind any more and would leave Red Rock in the morning.