Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (2005, KRE photo)
Zone-tailed Hawk, Salineño (2014, KRE photo)
Hook-billed Kite, Salineño (2005, KRE photo)
Whooping Cranes, Aransas NWR (2018, Bill Sullivan photo)
White-tailed Hawk (2018, KRE photo)
Plain Chachalaca (2015, Jeff Stephenson photo)
White-tailed Kite (2014, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Groove-billed Ani, Estero Llano Grande (2019, Val Landwehr photo)
Aplomado Falcon, Mustang Island (2023, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Common Pauraque (2004, KRE photo)
Ringed Kingfisher (2016, Jerry Pruett photo)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (2020, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Great Kiskadee (2018, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Green Jay (2023, Joanne Dial photo)
Black-crested Titmouse (2009, Vija Kelly photo)
Clay-colored Thrush, (2023, Joanne Dial photo)
White-throated Thrush, Estero Llano Grande (2015, Jena Highkin photo)
Long-billed Thrasher (2014, Scott Meyer photo)
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Estero Llano Grande (2015, KRE photo)
Red-crowned Parrot (2019, Lon Baumgardt photo)
Morelet's Seedeater, Salineño (2020, Jay Vancura photo)
Olive Sparrow (2019, Lon Baumgardt photo)
Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Pharr (2011, KRE photo)
Blue Bunting, Laguna Atascosa NWR (2009, Vija Kelly photo)
Altamira Oriole (2023, Jeff Stephenson photo)
* * *
2019 SOUTH TEXAS MBWEEKS SUMMARY
February 17 - 25 (MBWeek I) & February 25 - March 5 (MBWeek II)
I suppose the weather on these two MBWeeks could have been better some days – especially on both days when we toured Aransas NWR aboard the Skimmer, and on the last full day of MBWeek II (with N winds, high only around 40, and non-stop mist/drizzle). But we couldn’t whine too much given the relentlessly unpleasant weather back in Minnesota, as we escaped the winter on these 39th and 40th South Texas MBWeeks and came up with two pretty impressive lists of birds.
Combining our two efforts, we found a composite total of 220 species in all (plus two “non-countable” exotics). MBWeek I did a bit better with 207 species, 24 of these not found on MBWeek II’s list of 196; in turn, there were 13 species on II not seen during week one. And our composite list of species after 40 of these MBWeeks (the first one was back in 1988) now stands at 349 species, as for the first time we listed two out-of-season rarities: Bell’s Vireo (on both MBWs) and an unidentified Myiarchus flycatcher (either a Brown-crested or Great Crested on MBW II).
In addition to these, MBW I found a surprising Little Gull at Port Aransas (for only the second time ever), both MBWs managed to see that wintering Common Black Hawk in Brownsville (3 previous records) and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (also only 3 previous records), and there were Sandwich Terns and a Nelson’s Sparrow on MBW II (5 previous records of each). Though not as numerically significant, these less-than-annual rarities turned up as well on both MBWeeks: Golden-crowned Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Crimson-collared Grosbeak. In addition, though its species total was lower, MBW II listed these rarities that MBW I missed: Muscovy Duck (2 Salineño fly-bys – our first ones in 10 years!), Northern Gannets (offshore at Port Aransas), Grasshopper Sparrow (by The Big Tree), and 2 Morelet’s Seedeaters (at Salineño, though leader-only and heard-only).
Other special highlights seen on both MBWeeks included those easy-to-miss Red-billed Pigeons at Salineño, and Groove-billed Anis (Estero Llano Grande on MBW I; Laguna Atascosa on MBW II). And MBW I came up with no fewer than 23 shorebird species (there were 24 in all with MBW II’s Snowy Plover at South Padre); a total of 640 Black Skimmers counted by tens at South Padre; an impressive count of 1,060 Green Parakeets at their McAllen staging/roosting site, all 3 kingfishers at the Common Black Hawk resaca (no Ringed here on MBW II), and a shy Tropical Parula at Laguna Atascosa.
A few other random thoughts. First, despite all the birds we did find, it was curious that White-tailed Kites, Ringed Kingfishers, Clay-colored Thrushes, and Black-throated Sparrows proved so difficult to find this year. Second, among all the places we birded, I was especially impressed by that resaca on the UT Brownsville campus, by the rarities that Port Aransas provided for us, and by finding muscovys, pigeons, and seedeaters at Salineño (to see just one of these is hard enough). And, finally, note how many of the South Texas specialties are not included in this summary of highlights – so, my apologies to the chachalacas, pauraques, Buff-bellieds, White-tailed and other hawks, Aplomados, kiskadees and kingbirds, Green Jays, thrashers, Olive and other sparrows, orioles, and all the others for not giving them here the recognition they deserve.
Itineraries
MBWeek I:
Feb 17 - Evening arrivals at HRL (dinner at Texas Roadhouse & night at Country Inn & Suites).
Feb 18 - Oliveira Park, UT Brownsville resaca, Hwy 48 inlet, Old Port Isabel Rd, and Hwy 100; afternoon drive to Aransas Pass via Indian Point (dinner at San Juan’s & first of 2 nights at Microtel).
Feb 19 - The Big Tree & vicinity, Aransas NWR boat trip, Hwy 35/Cavasso Creek, return to Big Tree, and Cove Harbor (lunch/dinner at Charlotte Plummmer’s).
Feb 20 - Port Aransas, Sunset Lake, and Indian Point; return to LRGV via Bishop City Park, Edinburg Wetlands, and parakeet staging site at Trenton & 10th St in McAllen (dinner at Blue Onion & first of 5 nights at Donna Comfort Inn).
Feb 21 - Hook-billed Kite-less levee vigil, Quinta Mazatlan, Valley Nature Center, and Estero Llano Grande (dinner at Blue Onion).
Feb 22 - Resaca de la Palma, UT Brownsville, Old Port Isabel Rd, South Padre I, Hwy 100, and Laguna Atascosa NWR (dinner at Arturo’s).
Feb 23 - Progreso Lakes, Border Rd owl burrow, Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo, Anzalduas Co Park, and return to Hook-billed levee (dinner at Double Cross BBQ).
Feb 24 - Salineño, Falcon Co Park, Falcon State Park, Peñitas, and Estero Llano Grande (dinner at Blue Onion).
Feb 25 - Final morning at Bentsen State Park and Tiocano Lake; afternoon departures from HRL for home.
MBWeek II:
Feb 25 - Afternoon arrivals (for most) at HRL; Pendleton Park and Tiocano Lake (dinner at Blue Onion & first of 2 nights at Donna Comfort Inn).
Feb 26 - UT Brownsville resaca, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Hwy 100, and Hwy 48 inlet (dinner at Longhorn Cattle Company).
Feb 27 - Valley Nature Center and Quinta Mazatlan; afternoon drive to Aransas Pass via Indian Point and Sunset Lake (dinner at San Juan’s & first of 2 nights at Microtel).
Feb 28 - Cove Harbor, Rockport Harbor, Hwy 35/Cavasso Creek, Aransas NWR boat trip, The Big Tree, Cape Valero, Old Port Bay Club Rd, Indian Point, and Sunset Lake (lunch/dinner at Charlotte Plummer’s & Bakery Cafe).
Mar 1 - Port Aransas, Mustang Island, and Hans Suter Wildlife Area; return to Donna via King Ranch Visitors Center, Sarita, and Laguna Atascosa (dinner at Blue Onion & first of 4 nights in Donna).
Mar 2 - Estero Llano Grande, Border Rd owl berm, Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo, Anzalduas Co Park, and Bentsen State Park (dinner at Milano’s).
Mar 3 - Salineño, Falcon State Park, Roma, Peñitas, and Alamo cowbird staging area (dinner at Arturo’s).
Mar 4 - Laguna Atascosa, South Padre I, Hwy 48 inlet, Old Port Isabel Rd, UT Brownsville, and Resaca de la Palma (dinner at Blue Onion).
Mar 5 - Staging cowbirds in Alamo, former Hook-billed levee, and Anzalduas Co Park; noon departures from HRL for home.
Bird List
• I = found only on MBWeek I
• II = found only on MBWeek II
(species not marked I or II = seen on both MBWeeks)
• boldface = “non-Minnesota” birds (absent, Accidental, or Casual in MN)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (incl 100s at Progreso Lakes on I)
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose I (heard-only in the fog)
Muscovy Duck II (2 fly-bys at Salineño)
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard (“Mexican Ducks” at Salineño)
Mottled Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye I (leader-only)
Hooded Merganser I
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck II
Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Wild Turkey
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon (again at Salineño; also calling on II)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
White-tipped Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Groove-billed Ani (Estero Llano Grande on I; Laguna Atascosa on II)
Common Pauraque (sleeping stake-outs still at Estero)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Bentsen)
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Clapper Rail
King Rail (Tiocano L: seen on I; heard-only on II)
Virginia Rail I
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Whooping Crane (big fans of bad poetry at The Big Tree?)
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover II (South Padre in the cold, wind, drizzle)
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Killdeer
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Stilt Sandpiper I
Sanderling
Dunlin I
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher I
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe I
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Little Gull I (big surprise at Port Aransas)
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull I (also at Port Aransas)
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern II (6 recent arrivals at Port Aransas)
Black Skimmer (flock of 640 at South Padre on I)
Common Loon
Northern Gannet II (2 offshore at Port Aransas)
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite (why so few?)
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk II
Cooper's Hawk
Common Black Hawk (wintering at UT Brownsville)
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Gray Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk I
Red-tailed Hawk
Eastern Screech-Owl (the mccallii subspecies/species)
Burrowing Owl (again along Border Rd)
Ringed Kingfisher (numbers down)
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher (best at UT Brownsville)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Aplomado Falcon (best at Mustang Island on II)
Peregrine Falcon II (leader-only)
Monk Parakeet
Green Parakeet (1,060 counted at 10th & Trenton on I)
Red-crowned Parrot
[White-winged Parakeet - “non-countable” in McAllen]
[Lilac-crowned Parrot - “non-countable” in Weslaco]
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (immediately responsive at Anzalduas!)
Myiarchus, sp. II (either Brown-crested or Great Crested)
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (at The Big Tree on I; 2 at Santa Ana on II)
Black Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Bell’s Vireo (Hidalgo stake-out)
Blue-headed Vireo
Green Jay
Chihuahuan Raven I
Horned Lark I
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cave Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
House Wren
Sedge Wren (heard-only on I; seen on II)
Marsh Wren (heard-only)
Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Clay-colored Thrush (almost missed)
Gray Catbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing I
House Sparrow
Sprague's Pipit (again at the Peñitas Pipit Patch)
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Olive Sparrow
Cassin's Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow I
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow I (tough to find this winter)
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow II (a surprise at The Big Tree)
Seaside Sparrow I (heard-only)
Nelson's Sparrow II (most cooperative at Cavasso Creek)
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow I
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Hooded Oriole II (Santa Ana)
Altamira Oriole
Audubon's Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Ovenbird I
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula I
Tropical Parula I (both parulas at Laguna)
Pine Warbler I
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler II
Black-throated Gray Warbler I (leader-only at Hidalgo)
Black-throated Green Warbler I
Golden-crowned Warbler (Valley Nature Center)
Wilson's Warbler
Summer Tanager
Crimson-collared Grosbeak (female at Quinta Mazatlan)
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Indigo Bunting
Morelet’s Seedeater II (leader-only / heard-only at Salineño)
* * *
SOUTH TEXAS MBWEEKS PHOTO GALLERY
Audubon's Oriole (2019, Dennis Randall photo)
Northern Jaçana, Santa Ana NWR (2016, KRE photo)
Pyrrhuloxia (2016, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (2017, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Rose-throated Becard, Resaca de la Palma (2020, Doug Kieser photo)
Green Kingfisher (2023, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Clapper Rail (2018, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Anhinga (2018, Jerry Pruett photo)
Least Grebe (2023, Joanne Dial photo)
Snowy Plover (2019, Lon Baumgardt photo)
Sandwich Tern (2019, Lon Baumgardt photo)
Common Black Hawk. UT Brownsville (2019, Dennis Randall photo)
Gray Hawk (2019, Bill Marengo photo)
mccallii Eastern Screech-Owl (2023, Joanne Dial photo)
Buff-bellied Hummingbird (2020, Doug Kieser photo)
Tropical Kingbird (2019, Lon Baumgardt photo)
SOUTH TEXAS MBWEEK SUMMARY
February 17 - 25, 2020
This 41st MBWeek in South Texas may have ended up with close-to-normal temperatures overall and an average species total of 205, but at the same time it featured its share of uncommon highlights. Considering the weather, note that an average high in winter is in the 70s, but this mostly seems the result of days in the 50s or even 40s combined with others well into the 80s and even 90 – and not that many in between. True to form, our first full day this year reached 90, but the next day featured a 30 degree drop along with about the heaviest rain showers I’ve ever seen here (where winter rains are rare). Then, strong north winds dropped temperatures down through the 50s and into the 40s as we birded the Rockport area in winter jackets. It then rebounded back to 80 as the MBW ended.
But, as they should be, the ornithological highlights of this MBW were more interesting than the meteorological ones. During our first full day in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), we saw a pair of oft-elusive Fulvous Whistling-Ducks among some domestic somethings at Bannworth Park in Mission, and that same afternoon we found all three “countable” parakeets/parrots: Monks at their Hidalgo nests, Greens by chance on a wire during our break at McDonald’s, and Red-crowneds on a wire in Weslaco. Then the next morning at Resaca de la Palma we had views of two Rose-throated Becards, and a Tropical Parula was heard (but not seen, alas). And before we headed north to Rockport there was time to find the Common Black Hawk which had returned from 2019 to the resaca at UT’s Brownsville campus (we had recorded this species only 5 times in the previous 40 MBWs).
During our cold day-and-a-half in the Rockport-Port Aransas-Corpus Christi area, we chose to forgo the boat tour into Aransas NWR for the first time ever (if we had gone, we would have faced 20 mph headwinds and a “high” of 50), but the Whooping Cranes on their now-favorite pasture put on quite a show as 8 unmated sub-adults were methodically displaced by a dominant pair of adults that flew in after we arrived. A staked-out female Painted Bunting at a Goose Island State Park feeder was next (only the 3rd one ever on this MBWeek), but the best sighting that day was at Indian Point when at least 6 Brown Boobies flew by at fairly close range. For some reason they had been wintering out in the bay here, and this represented species #350 on the all-time South Texas MBW list (!) – along with a new addition to my Texas life list.
After our return to the LRGV, we went back to Santa Ana NWR to witness a flight of no fewer than 4 Hook-billed Kite close to the observation tower – this after no one had reported more than 2 that month! (And their timing was perfect as they appeared at 9:58 am after I had announced we were planning to go elsewhere at 10:00.) During the next 10 minutes they flew around us, chased each other at times, and even perched for brief scope views before flying out of sight. Anything later that day was anticlimactic, but at Anzalduas the wintering Sprague’s Pipits were easier than usual to see, scope, and photograph in the shorter-than-normal grass, and we finally found a Clay-colored Thrush (not as easy to find in recent years) at Quinta Mazatlan.
Our pre-dawn departure to spend the next day upriver in and around Salineño was mostly successful. There were 3 brief sightings of uncooperative Red-billed Pigeons that popped up into view on their traditional island, but a Morelet’s (formerly White-collared) Seedeater provided uncharacteristically long and close views for a full minute for most of us. Mexican Duck-type Mallards were also on the river (“countable” on eBird, but not so on ABA’s checklist), all the expected desert-type species were cooperative (e.g., at least 8 roadrunners, Bewick’s and Cactus Wrens, Cassin’s and Black-throated sparrows), plus a bonus Black-tailed Gnatcatcher in “downtown” Salineño.
We spent our last full day along and near the Gulf coast and finally had nice looks at an Aplomado Falcon at its Old Port Isabel Rd platform, after missing this species up at Mustang I. We also rounded out our shorebird list with no fewer than 25 species with Snowy Plovers near one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX facilities and a group of no fewer than 70-80 Reddish Egrets. And a staked-out Rock Wren, which is rare here, was waiting for us in Laguna Vista to complete our trip list of 205 species.
We would have 207 in all if I count the possible fly-by Common Tern at Indian Point and a heard-only goldfinch at Anzalduas which Jeff felt was probably an American. But for now, American Goldfinch goes down as missed for only the second time ever on this MBWeek, and even worse is the inexplicable absence of Cattle Egret from our list for the first time ever! Other “misses” included a Mew Gull which appeared before and after – but not during – our 3 visits to the Port Aransas boardwalk, and the elusive Groove-billed Anis we were unable to find at Santa Ana and Oso Bay. It is also interesting that normally productive birding sites like Laguna Atascosa NWR, Progreso Lakes, and Bentsen State Park were missing from our itinerary, as was Capt Tommy’s boat trip on the Skimmer, and we barely spent any time at Estero Llano Grande.
On the plus side, note that Pectoral Sandpiper had only been seen once before on this MBW, and Bank Swallow only three times. Also consider there are so many other birds cited above that most South Texas specialties failed to make the final highlight reel – chachalaca, Least Grebe, White-tipped Dove, pauraque, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Harris’s & White-tailed & Gray hawks, kingfishers, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, kiskadee, Tropical & Couch’s kingbirds, Green Jay (ignored, as always, after a couple days), Black-crested Titmouse, Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, Audubon’s & Altamira orioles, and all the other "routine" species.
Itinerary
February 17: Arrival at HRL @10 am; Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, Resaca de la Palma, and UT Rio Grande Valley resaca; dinner at Blue Onion (!) & first of 2 nights in Mercedes.
February 18: Santa Ana NWR, Border Rd’s owl-less burrows, Hidalgo, Granjeño, Anzalduas County Park, Shary Rd CVS parakeets, Bannworth Park, Westgate Dr cowbirds & parrots; dinner at Arturo’s.
February 19: Return to Resaca de la Palma and UT Rio Grande Valley; afternoon drive to Rockport via the Brewer’s at the Sarita wayside, Chapman Ranch, and Indian Point; dinner at Crab-N (now reopened after the 2017 hurricane!) & first of 2 nights in Rockport.
February 20: Rockport-Fulton bay, The Big Tree’s crane pasture, Goose Island State Park, Cavasso Creek, return to Indian Pt, Sunset Lake, Hans Suter Wildlife Area, North Padre Island, and Mustang Island; dinner at San Juan’s.
February 21: Return to Cavasso Cr (for grackles!), Old Port Bay Club Rd & Live Oak Country Club, Port Aransas boardwalk and beach, Mustang Island, Packery Channel Park, JFK Causeway, Oso Bay Preserve, return to Chapman Ranch, and return drive to LRGV; dinner at Longhorn Cattle Company (Jeff’s favorite) & first of 4 nights in Weslaco.
February 22: Return to Santa Ana, return to Anzalduas, and Quinta Mazatlan; dinner at Blue Onion.
February 23: Pre-dawn upriver drive to Salineño, Chapeño, Falcon State Park, Falcon County Park, and Roma; dinner at Milano’s.
February 24: Tiocano Lake, return to Resaca de la Palma, Old Port Isabel Rd, Boca Chica Blvd (incl SpaceX), Hwy 48/Zapata Boat Ramp, South Padre Island, and Holly Beach Rd; dinner at Arturo’s.
February 25: Estero Llano Grande (briefly) and departure for MN.
Bird List
(boldfaced species = “non-Minnesota” birds (i.e., absent, Accidental, or Casual in MN)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard (incl “Mexican Duck”)
Mottled Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Plain Chachalaca
Northern Bobwhite
Wild Turkey
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground Dove
White-tipped Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Common Pauraque
Archilochus, sp.
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Clapper Rail
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Whooping Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Snowy Plover
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Common Loon
Brown Booby
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Hook-billed Kite
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Common Black Hawk
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Gray Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Eastern Screech-Owl (the mccallii subspecies and potential split)
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Aplomado Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Monk Parakeet
Green Parakeet
Red-crowned Parrot
Rose-throated Becard
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Black Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Green Jay
Chihuahuan Raven
Horned Lark
Bank Swallow
Tree Swallow
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cave Swallow
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
Rock Wren
House Wren
Sedge Wren (heard-only)
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Clay-colored Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
House Sparrow
American Pipit
Sprague's Pipit
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Cassin's Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Hooded Oriole
Altamira Oriole
Audubon's Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Tropical Parula (heard-only)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Morelet’s Seedeater
Fulvous Whistling-Ducks (2020, KRE photo)
Greater Roadrunner (2020, Jay Vancura photo)
Black-necked Stilt (2020, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Reddish Egret (2020, Carla Bates photo)
Hook-billed Kite, Santa Ana NWR (2020, Doug Kieser photo)
Harris's Hawk (2020, Doug Kieser photo)
Crested Caracara (2020, Doug Kieser photo)
Green Parakeets (2020, Doug Kieser photo)
Vermilion Flycatcher (2020, Carla Bates photo)
Sprague's Pipit, Anzalduas County Park (2020, Carla Bates photo)
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY
following the summaries of the 2023, 2020, and 2019 MBWeeks
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SOUTH TEXAS MBWEEK SUMMARY
February 10 - 17, 2023 (plus post-MBW Feb. 18-19)
The verdict was unanimous. It seemed everyone we talked to said the birding was slower than normal this winter, and I had to agree. That’s not to say it was boring or uneventful, however; the assortment of birds we saw was merely excellent rather than spectacular. After all, our trip list was graced by both whistling-ducks, chachalacas, Least Grebes, White-tipped Doves, pauraques, Buff-bellied Hummingbirds, Whooping Cranes, skimmers & spoonbills, two kinds of kites, Harris’s & White-tailed & Gray and Zone-tailed hawks, three kingfishers, Aplomado Falcons, three countable parrots/parakeets, a vocalizing becard, kiskadees & kingbirds, Green Jays, Long-billed Thrashers, Clay-colored Thrushes, Hooded and Altamira orioles, Tropical Parula... And most of these are found nowhere else in the U.S.!
In all, we “officially” listed 186 species on this MBWeek (i.e., through Feb 17), and I have to admit this total was well below average. (I also admit it was disappointing that tyrannulet, Black Phoebe, Cactus Wren, Sprague’s Pipit, Cassin’s Sparrow, Audubon’s Oriole, and the always-difficult seedeater were uncooperative this winter.) This was our 42nd South Texas MBW, which has averaged a respectable 204 species overall, and only three previous trips here recorded totals in the 180s, with another six finishing with totals in the 190s. On the other hand, we have managed 220 species or more on five MBWeeks, with an impressive high of 231 in 2016. And if you add up all 42 MBWs, our composite list now stands at a lofty 352 species!
Among the 186 birds we found through Feb 17, I did not include Red-billed Pigeon (although it’s likely that the large, dark pigeons that flew by me at Saliñeno were Red-billeds, since they started to appear there regularly the next day); I also chose not to list Short-billed Dowitcher (though some were almost certainly among the many silent dowitchers we saw on the coast). But I did include Yellow-headed Blackbird and Say’s Phoebe at Progreso, Cinnamon Teal (and another Fulvous Whistling-Duck) at Santa Ana, Tropical Parula (seen by Bruce at Laguna Vista), Summer Tanager (and Yellow-throated Warbler) found by Darcy & Joanne at Quinta Mazatlan – since these were all seen that afternoon.
Note that our total list would have reached 196 if the birds seen Feb 18 and/or Feb 19 counted. The Doug/Scott/Jeff/Kim group had Least Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Sandwich Tern (plus Gull-billeds), and Bronzed Cowbird (finally!) on the 18th, and on the 19th we had a non-countable but free-flying Budgerigar at Anzalduas, while Scott and Jeff had a brief look there at a Tropical Parula. Meanwhile, Kevin saw the Laguna Vista Tropical Parula on the 18th, when it was joined by Northern Bobwhite and Painted Bunting; then on Feb 19 at South Padre, he reported Black-throated Gray Warbler, Orchard Oriole (quite rare in winter), Green Heron, and Stilt Sandpipers.
I would assume that the Hook-billed Kite sightings at Bentsen represented the leading highlight of our trip for some (especially Scott), but it was especially rewarding as well to see Whooping Cranes so well, plus that pair of Aplomado Falcons on Mustang Island, to at least hear the Rose-throated Becard at Bentsen, and to find a Nelson’s Sparrow posing so nicely as a surprising consolation for the silently invisible Seasides. Note as well that our MBWeek highlights included our first-ever Palm Warbler, while Mountain Bluebird and Dickcissel had each only been recorded on three previous MBWs here.
Itinerary
February 10: Arrival at HRL @11:00 am; Hugh Ramsey Nature Park (briefly), Hwy 106 Cattle Egret pond, Hwy 100 Aplomado-less platform, and first of 4 total visits to Laguna Vista Nature Trail; night in Raymondville.
February 11: Drive to Ingleside via the Sarita wayside & town, King Ranch Visitor Center, Hazel Bazemore County Park, Indian Point & Sunset Lake in Portland; first of 2 nights in Ingleside.
February 12: Port Bay Club Rd & vicinity, Cavasso Creek grackles & wetlands, The Big Tree crane pasture, Rockport-Fulton bay, and Mustang Island (UT marine center, Gulf of Mexico & beaches, Aplomado nest platforms, Port Aransas Birding Center boardwalk).
February 13: Return to LRGV via Pollywog Pond, Hwy 285, and Hwy 281 wayside; Edinburg Scenic Wetland, brief visits to Weslaco vulture roost and Estero Llano Grande; first of 4 nights in Weslaco.
February 14: Brief parrot search in Weslaco, Bentsen State Park, National Butterfly Center, Anzalduas County Park, and 10th & Trenton parakeets staging area.
February 15: Weslaco parrots, return to Estero Llano Grande, Laguna Atascosa NWR, return to Laguna Vista, Jaime Zapata boat landing & Hwy 48 inlet, and San Benito Burrowing Owl.
February 16: Pre-dawn drive upriver to Salineño, Chapeño, Falcon State Park & vicinity; return to LRGV via former/alleged Peñitas Pipit Patch and Hidalgo.
February 17: Return to Bentsen State Park, and Kevin, Darcy, & Bruce to IAH car rentals; post-lunch for some to Progreso and Santa Ana NWR; Bruce’s successful return to Laguna Vista and flight home; Darcy & Joanne to Quinta Mazatlan (with flights home Feb 18).
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February 18: Day One of post-MBWeek (Doug/Scott/Jeff/Kim) to Old Cannon Rd, Resaca de la Palma, UT Brownsville, Boca Chica Blvd (incl Space X), return to Jaime Zapata inlet, Old Port Isabel Rd, and Harlingen grackle/cowbird roost; Kevin’s successful return to Laguna Vista (and extra days at South Padre Island).
February 19: Day Two of post-MBWeek (Doug/Scott/Jeff/Kim) to Bentsen State Park, Anzalduas, and Donna sod farm en route to HRL for flight home; Kevin still at South Padre Island.
Bird List
• boldfaced species = “non-Minnesota” birds (i.e., absent, Accidental, or Casual in MN
• post-MBW = only seen Feb. 18 or 19
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Snow Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mottled Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Plain Chachalaca
(Northern Bobwhite - post-MBW)
Wild Turkey
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground Dove
White-tipped Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Common Pauraque
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Whooping Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Snowy Plover
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
(Stilt Sandpiper - post-MBW)
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
(Sandwich Tern - post-MBW)
Black Skimmer
Common Loon
Anhinga
Double-crested Cormorant
Neotropic Cormorant
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
(Green Heron - post-MBW)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Hook-billed Kite
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Gray Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Eastern Screech-Owl (mccallii subspecies)
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Merlin
Aplomado Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Monk Parakeet
Green Parakeet
Red-crowned Parrot
Rose-throated Becard (heard-only)
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
(Least Flycatcher - post-MBW)
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Green Jay
Chihuahuan Raven
Verdin
Black-crested Titmouse
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Bewick's Wren
Carolina Wren
House Wren
(Winter Wren - post-MBW)
Marsh Wren
Gray Catbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Mountain Bluebird
Clay-colored Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Olive Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
(Orchard Oriole - post-MBW)
Hooded Oriole
Altamira Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
(Bronzed Cowbird - post-MBW)
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Tropical Parula
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
(Black-throated Gray Warbler - post-MBW)
Wilson’s Warbler
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
(Painted Bunting - post-MBW)
Dickcissel
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Monk Parakeets (2023, Jeff Stephenson photo)
Black-throated Sparrow (2023, Jeff Stephenson photo)
White-eyed Vireo (2023, Joanne Dial photo)