Patchwork highs and lows over the Bank Holiday

I've felt a bit stifled this weekend. Having to go into school on Saturday (due to imminent exams) didn't help, but an evening visit to Crossness on Saturday was really poor if not pleasant in the spring sunshine. I don't think I saw a bird that didn't breed there, so highlighting in a couple of Little Ringed Plovers. A 2nd-summer Yellow-legged Gull on the barges on the Thames at Rotherhithe was the first one I'd seen for a while.

Yesterday, I wanted to mix things up a little and get out of London for a bit. These days, there are rarely birds that really get me wanting to drive copious miles, and with the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Cornwall just too far (I've only ever seen one in Britain), I settled on a leisurely afternoon and evening at Dungeness with Karen. The birding was standard with an adult Little Gull, an Arctic Skua, eight Arctic Terns and the odd Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit past The Patch mid early afternoon while a walk round the RSPB reserve produced the odd Hobby and a load of summer songsters included a Cuckoo. Nice enough, and Dengemarsh was looking pretty rare, though the highlight of the day was a 'fisherman's roll' from the Dungeness Fish Hut. Enough said.

Bar-tailed Godwits, Crossness 5th May 2014

Today though, there'd been a bit of a pick up in the breeze and yesterday's southerly had banked round to give a bit more easterly in it. Though it was clear and sunny once again, a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits on the foreshore at Crossness were enough for me to go home with, given the state of play over the last couple of weekends. One in full summer kit, the other in full winter attire. A Black Tern that had gone through Gallion's Reach never reached me, and except 2 Dunlin and 5 Ringed Plovers, it was just the local birds that were chilling out on the river.

Back in Rotherhithe, having walked through Russia Dock Woodland and along The Thames, I was stood at the end of Rope Street late afternoon just checking on the local gulls near Greenland Pier. I'd been looking skyward for most of the day, and then scanning over towards Canary Wharf I clapped eyes on something. It was one of those quick identifications - a Honey Buzzard - standard plumage (dark underwing coverts and a line across the secondaries), long tail, long wings held flat and that was that. No indecision or thoughts of Common Buzzard; it gradually started to rise over the south end of the Isle of Dogs, spreading its long tail and showing a kinked inner wing with bulging secondaries in the process, before heading off northeast. I believe this is the first in London this year, and the first one I've seen/found for over a decade in the UK!

Pink gulls flying north in Texas

Ten days is a long time. Especially when you've swapped the serenity and sun of two weeks birding in Texas, with the cold, mundane birding and day-to-day grind of London. But, life goes on and it's always good to look back on experiences with fondness. I should have done an update at the weekend, but despite trying and some nice looking conditions things didn't really happen - just a Hobby, a 1st-winter Med Gull and a female Wheatear at Crossness.

Getting back to Texas now. Up until this most recent trip, unbelievably the only Franklin's Gulls I'd ever seen had been in Britain. And not many of them either - no more than a handful - since that first one I saw on a Gloucestershire rubbish dump in January 1996. So, enjoying a bit of larid action, seeing a load of these peachy boys was a bit of a target of mine. And they didn't disappoint. Good to see them with Laughing Gulls - really diminutive and nicely pink-flushed.

adult Franklin's Gull at Rollover Pass, Texas April 2014

What was excellent was how they went through in pulses on one of the days - just looking up at the sky and seeing groups of up to a few hundred head purposefully north. And as soon as you saw them, they'd drift off into the distance and that'd be that.

Final morning in the Texas sun

I arrived back in London earlier today, predictably to grey skies and drizzle. So even though it was just yesterday morning, the excellent birding in the sunshine seems a long time ago. We started off at Anahuac, where we headed right down the track past the 'Yellow Rail Prairie' to check the fenceline on the off chance of a late Le Conte's Sparrow. Needless to say, it didn't happen; however a Great Northern Diver was a new bird for the trip while this Common Nighthawk - likewise an addition to the trip - took the verge and adjacent fenceposts to its liking. A Sora in an adjacent ditch was the final new bird for the trip, meaning that we ended up with 319 species for the two weeks. Guess that tells you that I'd recommend Texas, right?

Common Nighthawk Anahuac 19th April 2014

There are generally just lots of birds around - Seaside Sparrows, Sedges Wrens, innumerable Savannah Sparrows, as well as a single Blue Grosbeak and loads of Cliff Swallows nesting by the reserve centre this morning.

Cliff Swallow Anahuac 19th April 2014

Back on High Island at Smith Oaks, a casual walk about for just over an hour produced a nice haul and a reminder that despite the blue skies, migrants were about in decent numbers. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Scarlet Tangers dominated, with perhaps up to 20 of the former, while Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, two American Redstarts, a handful of Wood and Swainson's Thrushes, several Red-eyed Vireos and a couple of Baltimore Orioles were also about before the inevitable drive back to the airport. Without doubt, one of the most bird-filled, quality trips I've done to date.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Smith Oaks 19th April 2014

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Smith Oaks 19th April 2014

Final full day in Texas

The last couple of weeks have been jam packed with birds and in total it looks like we'll be ending the trip on 316 species which includes 35 wood warblers, 6 species of owl and 19 species of sparrow. Not bad at all, but a lot of effort has been put in. Guess it's going to be back to work for a holiday!

The final full day in Texas has, like all good things, has just come to an end. Two lifers today, Nelson's Sparrow and King Rail, as well as some splendid Wilson's Phalaropes and a shed load of other dudey waterbird stuff. Up until the last couple of days, we'd neglected looking at waders and other waterbirds to a large extent but made up for it today, as the dreaded southerly winds meant there were more chumps than birds in the woods at High Island. So here's a selection of dudey waterbird snaps from today to keep things going til I'm back in good old London town.

Willet Bolivar Flats 18th April 2014

Reddish Egret Bolivar Flats 18th April 2014

Snowy Plover Bolivar Flats 18th April 2014

Long-billed Dowitcher Tuna Road 18th April 2014

 

American Dunlin Tuna Road 18th April 2014

Colourful High Island migration

Just a quick update from here in High Island. Having busted a gut to get here for Tuesday morning, the predicted fall did occur. With thunderstorms and strong northerly winds on the Monday evening, loads of migrants ditched down in High Island and the adjacent Sabine Woods. fresh from their Gulf of Mexico crossing. There were unfortunately tales of people seeing Yellowthroats getting chewed up by waves as they failed to make landfall, but thankfully a lot of birds did make it. And so Tuesday and Wednesday were a bit of an eye dazzler with an array of yellows, blues, reds and greens popping out from all angles.

Close call for best American wood warbler - Blackburnian (above) and Yellow-throated (below)

Tuesday finished with a total of 21 warblers including Canada, Cerulean, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Swainson's and Golden-winged all at Hook Woods, High Island. Along with these mega yanks, there were loads to keep the likes of myself (and a load of f**ktards) happy - Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, Red-eyed, Yellow-throated, Warbling and White-eyed Vireos, Wood and Swainson's Thrushes, Indigo and Painted Buntings, Dickcissel and lots of Baltimore and Orchard Orioles too.

Summer time

Yellow-billed Cuckoo in typically lethargic posture

Meanwhile at Sabine Woods yesterday there was a similar composition of birds, with Palm Warbler and Yellow-throated Warblers different to the day before. And for me, as good as the warblers, were a couple of distant Hudsonian Godwits in ricefields near Anahuac during the evening. This was a wader I didn't really expect to see this early in the Spring here in Texas, and was one of just a couple of Nearctic waders I've not seen before (the other still being Bristle-thighed Curlew!).


Palm Warbler

Today, having had some decent views of Bachman's Sparrow, we managed to add Prairie Warbler as warbler species 34 for the trip (as well as having good views of breeding Swainson's Warbler too). Other highlights today included a whacking flock of about 50 Yellow-headed Blackbirds as well as a Barred Owl just before dusk. Just one full day left tomorrow, and unlike a lot of trips, this is one where I could stay out here a while longer. The birds just keep on coming...

Various shades of yellow - Golden-winged Warbler (above) and Prothonotary Warbler (below)

Texas trip - Big Bend NP

I've just returned back to the Texas coast after a couple of days birding in Big Bend NP. This massive expanse of mountains and desert is a truly spectacular landscape, and being the northern extremity of the Chisos mountain range it attracts some interesting species in a US context. Most notably Colima Warbler just about extends across the border from Mexico, and during the 10 mile hike that I did yesterday just four birds were seen. They apparently arrive from 10-15 April each year, so I timed it pretty much bang on. For at first glance a grey bird, they're subtly fairly beautiful: -

Colima Warbler Big Bend 14th April 2014

The hike up to the summit took in a few habitats so predictably a load of good species were seen including a couple of Painted Redstarts (at Boot Springs), Townsend's Solitaire, Blue-throated and Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Black-chinned Sparrow and both Rock and Canyon Wrens to name just a few. It was a bizarre mix compared to the rest of the trip - with a distinctly 'western' feel to the birds which included Townsend's, Audubon's and Wilson's being the three commonest warblers.

Painted Redstart Big Bend 14th April 2014

Townsend's Solitaire Big Bend 14th April 2014

After a bit of searching at Cottonwood campground in windy conditions, a couple of Lucy's Warblers duly obliged before we headed coastwards overnight on an 11 hour drive. Anyway, here is an image of the previous day's Common Black-Hawk from Big Bend: -

Common Black-Hawk Big Bend 13th April 2014

Texas - the next installment

There has been a lot of driving, but a lot of birds over the past couple of days. After seeing some crazy looking Attwater's Prairie Chickens at the 'Prairie Chicken festival' (packed full of typically loud yanks that blighted any chance of actually hearing these beasts call), we headed to 'Hill Country' to the northwest of San Antonio - primarily for the two specialities. Both Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler were easily seen, and lovely looking birds to boot too.


Golden-cheeked Warbler

Black-capped Vireo

Having stayed at Neal's Lodge, where I finally managed to see Yellow-throated Warbler (they're an early migrant on the coast, so missed them so far there), we headed on down to Big Bend for the afternoon session where so far Common Black-Hawk, Scaled Quail, Common Poorwill, Green-tailed Towhee, Mexican Jay, Scott's Oriole and Plumbeous Vireo have all been seen.

Now for a few hours sleep before the 10 mile hike for Colima Warbler, and then a mammoth 11 hour drive back to High Island after that as a front with northerlies is meant to be hitting...