Nature's finest creations - American wood-warblers ranked

This was one of the hardest blog posts to put together. Ranking all of the wonderful American wood-warblers. I contemplated just posting a load of photos and saying how fantastic they all were - because they were - but I wanted to challenge my own thought process of what genuinely makes me appreciate a bird. Colour, character, abundance and prior desire to see it all certainly came into play. And given that (nearly) each and every one of the 35 American wood-warblers I saw in Texas last month was a) colourful b) showed well and c) would make a year in a British context, this was going to be a hard call. So I'll give it a try here and I'd be interested to hear what you think...

1. Yellow-throated Warbler - close encounters with a stunning male on breeding territory in riverine vegetation was a complete experience. A handful seen in total, so scarce (as it's one of the earliest migrants on the coast).

2. Blackburnian Warbler - three seen in total, including a showy male on High Island. Lives up to all the hype for once. Just need one in the WP now!

3. Golden-cheeked Warbler - a restricted range species, full of contrast and one male in particular showed well in the dry woods of the hills surrounding San Antonio.

4. Nashville Warbler - diminutive and seriously under-rated. I loved these little chaps - with their eyering, a subtle cinnamon dusting to the crown with a high-pitched metallic call - and despite being relatively common on a couple of days, loved each and every one I saw!

5. Hooded Warbler- an inquisitive dash of yellow in the darkness. A real lover of the dark understorey, and despite being common, always a pleasure... and look forward to the day I see one in one of those ribeiras on Corvo.

6. Kentucky Warbler - bouncing about on woodland floors (so a complete pain to photograph), nice and distinctive with several seen, but not enough to lose their value.

7. Black-throated Green Warbler - regular in small numbers at coastal sites, and the males are smart, contrasting things. Often needed to crane my neck up to see them - just like the one on Corvo last autumn - but worth the effort on every occasion.

8. Blue-winged Warbler - bold and brash, often vocal. Every one I saw brought back memories of that manic day on Cape Clear back in early October 2000.

9. Golden-winged Warbler - having only seen this quality species in Costa Rica a decade ago, it was nice to see a few on migration at High Island. Lovely birds, intricate and showy too.

10. Cerulean Warbler - quite regal really, with not a splash of colours but with intricacy winning over. At least half a dozen seen on the trip, so a good tally for this relatively scarce species.

11. Canada Warbler - one lovely, showy bird seen on High Island. Vivid colours, bubblegum legs and once again, the memories of the only one I'd ever seen before this - on a windswept Irish headland - came flooding back.

12. Colima Warbler - any bird you're going to walk ten or so miles for must be worth it. And it was; not one of the most colourful of the family but the close views that one bird gave meant it has got to be ranked highly.

13. Palm Warbler - much better than you'd imagine given the hard time I've heard this species get. It wasn't the first time either that I've enjoyed this species, following a showy bird in California last year. Continually tail-bobbing too added to the character.

14. Prothonotary Warbler - bold and bright. Seen as a migrant and on breeding territory. The gloss taken off this species by seeing one get hit by a car on breeding grounds, and having to dispose of the body.

15. Northern Parula - common, colourful and always a delight. If it was rare, it'd be much higher up but guess you can have too much of a good thing?

16. Black-and-white Warbler - like the species above, seen virtually daily and in good numbers. A mint humbug clambering up and down trees.

17. Prairie Warbler - seen only on breeding territory just as a thunderstorm passed over. May have ranked higher up if the sun had been shining.

18. Townsend's Warbler - only seen at Big Bend on the Colima Warbler hike, but having seen this species fairly often in California and Washington the last couple of years, perhaps its stunning plumage is something that I now take for granted too much?

19. Wilson's Warbler - just a couple seen in Big Bend, and like the species above, it's a bird I've seen a lot of in recent years. Of course this includes one on Dursey Island, Cork last September :)
20. Worm-eating Warbler - just a couple seen, and both were elusive. Sturdy and distinctive - perhaps if I'd have had one crawling around me then it'd have been ranked higher, but pretty special birds all the same.
21. Yellow-breasted Chat - this pseudo-warbler is admittedly pretty smart, and I feel slightly ashamed to rank it in the bottom half. Perhaps as it's a little bit more sluggish that the true warblers reduces its appearance somewhat.

22. Chestnut-sided Warbler - just a little bit too much going on with the adults. Having seen juveniles in New England over a decade or so, they're much more my cup of tea. The two adults I saw in Texas were still smart though.

23. Blackpoll Warbler - one seen on High Island. A large warbler, and nice to see an adult as opposed to the few transatlantic first-winters I'm more used to seeing.

24. Painted Redstart - perhaps you can overdo it? So gaudy with its black and red plumage, just the one bird seen in Boot Springs, Big Bend.

25. American Redstart - like several of these species, I can't believe that it has to be ranked so low. However, I guess some birds just get you going more than others and having seen a lot of them on past trips to the northeast of the US in summer, perhaps this has an impact.

26. Swainson's Warbler - two birds seen, and both extremely elusive. One singing male at Big Thicket did eventually show nice enough, but with the camera back in the car.
27. Ovenbird - several seen as migrants, skulking in the undergrowth on High Island and Sabine Woods. Characterful, though like a few other species, I've seen a fair few previously including on Scilly and the Azores.
28. Louisiana Waterthrush - enjoyed seeing this species, as particularly in the early part of the trip it was the only waterthrush on migration.

29. Northern Waterthrush - just the one bird seen, by the grandstand on High Island. Having seen several previously, I suppose that's why I ranked it below the above species.
30. Tennessee Warbler - a common sight on most days, flitting about and calling frequently. Nice to see so many.

31. Common Yellowthroat - commonly seen, and certainly being numerous does devalue the males which are a pretty stunning bird.
32. Yellow-rumped Warbler - having visited California the last couple of winters, I had probably had enough of a good thing. Once again, this species (Myrtle on the coast and Audubon's at Big Bend) was numerous.

33. Pine Warbler - encountered only on breeding territory in forests where I'd been targetting other species so essentially a sideshow. And all seen were high up in relatively poor light unfortunately.
34. Orange-crowned Warbler - the closest you get to the warblers we're used to over in Europe. But still, with its harsh call and yellowish undertail, pretty distinctive and seen in decent numbers particularly early in the trip.

35. Lucy's Warbler - after almost giving up in the wind and intense heat, a pair were found by the Rio Grande in Big Bend. Non-descript and being blown about, and not behaving too well for photography.

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