A Visit to the Celery Fields and Big Cypress

Tuesday, November 17

Today, with Bob Pelkey behind the wheel, we had planned a stop at the Celery Fields in Sarasota. Then the reports came out about the Mountain Bluebird being seen at the Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress Preserve. So a stop was planned for there as well.

Mountain Bluebird

We arrived in early afternoon and easily spotted the Mountain Bluebird. It was sitting on its spot on a fence near the parking lot. Very unusual to have this western bird in the Everglades. The bird is reported to be a juvenile female and is a lifer for me. Hasn't been reported here since about the 20th.

Some other species seen at the visitor center.

American Alligator

Tricolored Heron

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

American Crow

The Celery Fields - Sarasota

Bob and I arrived at dawn and spent the morning mostly around the south cell. Soras could be heard calling and Marsh Wrens heard babbling. Least Bittern was hiding in the flag weed and Purple Gallinule were active as well. Rosette Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and Wood Storks were flying over head. Limpkins were calling and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were just hanging around. Calling Nanday Parakeets and a flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds too.

Loggerhead Shrike

Savannah Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Limpkin

Marsh Wren

From here traveled about a mile up Palmer Road to Palmer Lake were we added Northern Shovelers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Glossy Ibis, Laughing Gulls, Forster's Terns Long-billed Dowitchers and a Crested Caracara

Javelinas

Monday, November 9th

Having never visited this part of the U.S. before, I hadn't ever seen any Javelinas. This family group came into the bird feeding station at Hugh Ramsey Park, during quite periods to feed on spilled seed.

Javelina

Other creatures would visit the feeders too including this Fox Squirrel and Cottontail Rabbits

Fox Squirrel

Trip Report - RGVBF - Hugh Ramsey Park

Monday, November 9th
Day 6

Curved-billed Thrush

Hugh Ramsey Park - Harlingen

Before leaving Harlingen, Texas today, stopped at Hugh Ramsey Park for a few pictures.

A Javalina or Collared Peccary

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

White-tipped Dove

Great Kiskadee

Green Jay

White-winged Dove

Black-crested Titmouse

Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Plain Chachalaca

Great-tailed Grackle

Trip Report - RGVBF - Sabal Palms Sanctuary

Sunday, November 8th
Day 5 

Green Jay

Sabal Palms Sanctuary, Brownsville, Texas

Sabal Palm Feeder Webcam
Sabal Palm Sanctuary 
Photos of Sabal Palm Grove

The restored 1892 Rabb Plantation House,
now Center for the Sanctuary

Today's field trip wraps-up my activities as a part of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. I had looked forward to today, as I had been following the feeding station webcam at Sabal Palm for months prior to my visit. Green Jays, White-tipped Doves and Black-crested Titmice were frequent visitors. Golden-fronted Woodpecker, White-winged Doves and Mourning Doves as well. More interesting were spotting a Clay-colored Thrush, Hooded Oriole and suspected Olive Sparrows. 

An interesting visitor to Sabal Palms from the far west was a, now confirmed, Pacific-sloped Flycatcher. Our group lead by local Master Birder, David Benn and Estero Llano Grande State Park Superintendent, Javier de Leon did not see the flycatcher, but lots of good birds were seen

White-tipped Dove

First stop after visiting the Rabb Plantation House was the feeder station. The webcam was currently off-line due to a resent lightening strike, but we got the see the White-tipped Doves, Green Jays a Plain Chachalaca and Black-crested Titmice.

Green Jay at feeders

We then walked the muddy and buggy trails and had a nice warbler day with sightings of Black-and-White, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Northern Parula Pine, Yellow-throated and Magnolia. The Magnolia was especially exciting to the local birders. In Florida we expect them in spring and fall migrations, but are uncommon in  migration through Texas. A verdin was seen by most of the group while we observed a mixed flock.  I just couldn't spot it and missed getting a lifer, but I did get to see a lifer in sightings of Olive Sparrows. 

Ruddy Duck

Other sightings included Carolina wrens, a House wren, Long-billed Thrasher, White-eyed Vireo, Couch's Kingbird Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Buff-bellied Hummingbirds, a over-flying Franklin's Gull, several Broad-winged Hawks soaring southward, a pair of Gray Hawks, Harris's Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. We also had a large flock of Greater White-fronted Geese pass over head.

A Least Grebe

Least Grebe

A stop at a blind over-looking a pond was quite rewarding.  The high-light was watching a Pied-billed Grebe as it incapacitated a Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake and spent a long time to swallow such big prey.

Green Kingfisher

We also observed other Pied-billed Grebes, Least Grebes, a lone Ruddy Duck, a pair of Blue-winged Teal and a Green Kingfisher.

A Pied-billed Grebe consuming a ribbon snake

Dixieland Park - Harlingen

In the afternoon, I checked-out Dixieland Park in Harlingen, were interesting water fowl are sometimes reported. Found that a lot of birds could be seen along the lake within the fenced-off wastewater plant property at the back of the park.  Probably around a hundred Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were lounging on the shore. Plus we had several Laughing Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, Rock Pigeons, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Forster's Terns, a pair of American White Pelicans, an Anhinga, a Green Kingfisher, a Spotted Sandpiper and a pair of Mottled Ducks. Started with three Black-necked Stilts, then were joined by an addition two dozen more.

The park also hosted a flock of Great-tailed Grackles, a pair of Vermilion Flycatchers, a pair of calling Tropical Kingbirds, Northern Mockingbirds and a Starlings. I also watched several Black-tailed Jack Rabbits lounging in the grass behind the wastewater plant.  I hadn't see jack rabbits before and was really surprised by their large size.

Double-crested Cormorants

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Black-necked Stilt

Cormorant with a resting pelican

Today's Bird List - (58)

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Greater White-fronted Goose, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Plain Chachalaca, Pied-billed Grebe, Least Grebe, Double-crested Cormorants, Anhinga, Great White Pelican, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Harris's Hawk, Gray Hawk, Broad-winged, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Franklin's Gull, Forster's Tern, Rock Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Mourning Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Eastern Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Couch's Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Green Jay, Black-crested Titmouse,  House Wren, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Long-billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Eurasian Starling, Black-and-White Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Olive Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Great-tailed Grackle

Trip Report - RGVBF Santa Ana NWR and Looking for Aplomado Falcon

Saturday, November 7th
Day 4

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

The now rare to the Rio Grande Valley,
The Ocelot
was once more numerous here
 including Santa Ana NWR.
 Today only a few are found within the U.S.
 None have been seen at Santa Ana for many years.

Today's field trip takes us to the Santa Ana NWR. This is another venue bordering the Rio Grande, offering a many of the Mexican and western birds I came to see. 

Just like at Estero Llano Grande State Park, a rare to the U.S,  juvenile Northern Jacana had recently been seen here.  And just like at Estero Llano Grande, it disappeared  before the festival started. Just the same lots of great birds are found here. 

Our leaders today were Raul Garza, a ranger at Santa Ana, and international birder, Julian Hough, They guided our group on the trails around Pintail Pond. We started with distant views of an Altamira Oriole (a Lifer) and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, before reaching the pond. 

At the pond I had another lifer in a White-faced Ibis. Lots of waterfowl to sort through as well. These included Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Gadwalls, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shovelers, a Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, American Coots, and Common Gallinule. 

Great Kiskadee

Other birds at the pond included Black-necked Stilts, Great Egret, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Least sandpiper, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Green Kingfisher, Sora, Great Kiskadees and Red-winged Blackbirds.

Black-necked Stilt

Soaring raptors appeared as the day warmed-up with American Kestrel, Harris's Hawks, Turkey Vultures, a Red-shouldered Hawk and a very exciting find in a pair of Hook-billed Kites. Hook-billed kites are very uncommon in the U.S. and are only seen along the Rio Grande.

Greater Yellowlegs

Other sightings seen at this venue included Western Meadowlarks, Eastern Phoebes, a Savannah Sparrow, Vermilion Flycatchers, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tree swallows, Cave Swallows, House Wrens, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Long-billed Thrashers, Northern Mockingbirds, American Pipit, Indigo Buntings, Great-tailed Grackles and a lifer with some Lesser Goldfinches.

A bad picture of a lesser Goldfinch

We ended the trip at the bird feeders.Here we had lots of House Sparrows, Green Jays, Grackles and a very uncooperative Clay-colored Thrush, another lifer

White-faced Ibis

Looking for an Aplomado Falcons

The Aplomado Falcon was a resident to Texas and the U.S. Southwest till being extirpated several decades ago.  The current falcon population east of Harlingen is the result of the re-introduction of falcons from a captive breeding programs. 

See Peregrine Fund. 

This afternoon I drove east from Harlingen on FM 100 to a spot being called the Aplomado Falcon viewing area. Several birders were on hand scoping the area and after an hour one was located.  It was a very distant view and we all took quick looks on the scope before it moved on. 

Lots of other raptors were present and easier to find including Turkey Vultures, White-tailed Kites, Northern Harrier, White-tailed Hawk and an American Kestrel

Also seen were several flocks of Long-billed Curlew, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and American White Pelicans. Also added were Great Egrets, Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Meadowlark and Grackles

Today's Bird List - (68)

Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, 

Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American White Pelicans, Great Great, Little Blue Heron, White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Hook-billed Kite, Northern Harrier,  Harris's Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Gallinule, American Coot,  Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Curlew, Least Sandpiper, Mourning Dove, Common Pauraque, Belted Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker,Ladder-backed Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Aplomado Falcon, Northern Beardless Tyrannult, Eastern Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, Green Jay, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cave Swallow, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, American Pipit, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Olive Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlark, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, Altamira Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow