Rio Grande Valley

March 2

I awoke at sunrise, packed up my tent, and drove the remaining six hours back to Mission, Texas. A one week trip that turned into three and a half! My roommate, Gloria, had been caring for my dog, Puppet, and boy was she sure happy to see me. It's the longest we'd been apart since I adopted her seven years ago. 

I spent the rest of the day unpacking and recalibrating my life to the idea that I really was doing a Big Year. 

March 3

I didn't get out birding at all, but eBirded a Rufous Hummingbird that's been coming to my feeder most of the winter. We've had an unusual season and many more western birds than average have been wintering here. Spent the day working on creating my website! 

Year List: 455

March 4

My morning was spent guiding clients Mary and Mark from Austin at Bentsen State Park just down the street from my house. Migration was just beginning, and new birds included a flyover Dickcissel with its flatulent call, Indigo Buntings, an early Baltimore Oriole, and a few adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. 

Year List: 456

March 5

It was time to clean up on the Rio Grande Valley birds I hadn't gone after in January, when I  most certainly wasn't planning on year listing of any sort. Simon came down from College Station to join me for a couple of days of birding, and the first stop was at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - Brownsville, where a Common Black Hawk has been wintering the last few years. The hawk was not present, and hasn't been seen to this date, so it may have already moved on for the spring. A lone Solitary Sandpiper was a new bird for me here, in the Resaca habitat that the hawk had been residing at previously. Next, we visited the Gladys Porter Zoo, where a Golden-crowned Warbler has been unbelievably obliging and bouncing around between two garden patches each not much bigger than the size of a queen bed. I'd seen the bird earlier this year, but got some fun pictures of Simon and the bird in the same shot. Purple Martins overhead were new for year, just barely returning from the south. From there we headed to the famous Brownsville Dump, in hopes of lucking upon some Tamaulipas Crows, which have been absent from the US the past couple years. We sifted through lots of blackbirds, grackles, and ravens, but didn't find a single crow. Simon managed to pick an overwintering Franklin's Gull out of a flock of Laughing Gulls. These birds are much prettier in migration with their pink bellies, and I'd see more soon enough in bigger numbers on South Padre Island, resting up to continue their journey north. 

Golden-crowned Warbler at the Gladys Porter Zoo

Year List: 458

March 6

I spent the morning guiding Joe and Ruth from Houston at Estero Llano Grande State Park, enjoying incredible views of a female Crimson-collared Grosbeak that's been coming to the feeders. We also found the long-staying female Elegant Trogon. They were first-time visitors to the RGV, so everything was good for them! My new tick for the year, continuing on the western-birds-in-the-valley theme, was a Black-headed Grosbeak. They've been showing up everywhere the last few weeks! 

In the afternoon, I met back up with Simon, and we drove over to Cameron County to look for Aplomado Falcon at the viewing spot off of Highway 100. One bird was present on the distant hacking tower, its pale breast contrasting with its aplomado - meaning lead-colored - band and rusty underparts. Less than satisfying views have been giving me conflicting feelings about doing a Big Year. I try to remember that it's all part of the game, but to "check" or "tick" a bird feels disconnected, to me. I remind myself to keep appreciating  the birds, and, as I've mentioned in my first post, my interest is in the adventure and not in the listing. Albeit, they'll be forever intertwined. Such is life. 

First of season Barn Swallows greeted us over the South Padre Island mudflats, just north of the convention center. At a stop down a Highway 48 boat launch, scanning the birds turned up some Wilson's Plovers and a pair of American Oystercatchers. I hadn't realized how many species I'd yet to see for the year here in South Texas, not far from home. 

We finished the day in Brownsville at Oliveira Park, where hundreds of Red-crowned Parrots come to roost each night. Simon is just finishing up his PhD after years of studying these parrots in the Rio Grande Valley, and he answered lots of questions an older couple visiting the park had about them, as we watched and waited for them to come in, group by group. Simon is a much better bird estimator than I, and I    deferred to his expertise eBird data of 320 Red-crowned Parrots. 

Year List: 465

March 7

Simon and I walked through the newly-reopened fields at Anzalduas County Park in hopes of flushing some Sprague's Pipits but no luck. This park is a very popular area for local families to have large gatherings for barbecues, and I suppose that's the likely reason it's been closed for most of the pandemic. A Rock Wren had been present at this location, along the rocks leading toward the dam. We tried for the bird and then all but gave up. I'd been going nonstop since leaving my house on February 8th. I  laid down to rest for a second and ended up falling asleep for an hour in the back of the open hatchback of his rental SUV, along the side of the road in the park, for all park-goers to see. Simon fell asleep in the driver's seat. When we woke, the Rock Wren was in the rip rap just across the street from the car. 

Year List: 466