Texas USA - March 2023
- Bob Croxton
- Mar 22, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 16
My third visit to Texas following on from visits in 2000 and 2008.
Locations in brackets where I stayed the night.
Monday 6 March (Galveston Bay)
Flew BA Heathrow to Houston
Warm and Sunny becoming misty
Total cock up at the car hire. Despite me having a car hire voucher saying I was picking up at 3 pm, they had on Hertz's system that I was coming at 9.00 pm. The small SUV I had ordered, was not available until after 9 pm. After some searching, I was offered a monster truck for $500 extra, the thought of waiting six hours after a ten-hour flight was too much, so I agreed, in the hope of reclaiming my money when I got home. Managed to knock $50 off the price and was taken to the car to find they had now found an American muscle sports car, the most unsuitable car for birding, but no option. Only does 300 miles on a full tank, managed to squeeze 30 US MPG out of it. Cruise control and auto steering/stopping, meant I could focus on identifying birds as I drove! (After much complaining back home, I did get a 2/3 rds refund)
On the drive down to Galveston through rush hour Houston, hundreds of Vultures overhead not sure which ones, will take a few days to get my eye in, along with many crackles. Nearing the coast Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans a plenty, along with the first Osprey. A stop at Walmart found a car park full of crackles. As dusk approached a sea fret came in, so I just managed a drive along 8 Mile Road to the south of Galveston Bay. Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret, Logerhead Shrike, Eastern Meadowlark and a very obliging perched Osprey. After checking in at my motel on Galveston Island a walk to the local Galveston Island Brewery found a number of churring nighthawks. American beer gets better, on each visit I make.
Tuesday 7 March (Rockport)
Early mist becoming warm and sunny
Brown Pelicans past the motel at dawn. Return to 8 Mile Road, Galveston Bay. Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Red-winged Blackbird, Osprey, America Kestrel, Belted Kingfisher, another Osprey eating breakfast, Black-necked Stilt, Great Blue Heron.
Surfside Beach - Crabbing Pier
Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Tri-coloured Heron, Willet, Forster's Tern,
Surfside Beach - South
Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Neotropical Cormorant, Caspian Tern, White Pelican, Clapper Rail, Little Blue Heron.
Colorado River near Bay City
Hundreds of Black Vultures, Song Sparrow, American Crow.
Palacios
Hundreds of Scaup out on the sea too far out to confirm identity most likely Greater, Royal Tern, Ring-billed Gull, Long-billed Curlew, American Herring Gull, Spotted Sandpiper, Purple Martin, Mourning Dove, House Sparrow, Northern Cardinal.
Port Lavaca
Turnstone.
Rockport/Fulton
Redhead Ducks on sea as well as American Coot.
About
Northern Harrier 6 being 1 male 4 Ring-tailed, Red-tailed Hawk, many American Kestrels, Turkey Vultures, 6 Ospreys, Crested Caracas.
Wednesday 8 March (Rockport)
Early mist becoming warm and sunny
Rockport
Northern Mocking Bird, Pied-billed Grebe, Mallard. Sanderling
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
White-tailed Deer, Greater Yellowlegs, Black-crowned Night Heron, Blue-winged Teal, Merlin, 4 whooper Cranes were out on the salt marshes plus another 4 Whooper Cranes flew over while driving, Moorhen, American Coot, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Meadowlark, American Bittern heard in the same area I observed in 2000 and 2008, Swamp Sparrow, Crested Caracara, Alligators including nearly stepping on some baby ones.
Rockport - Port Bay Club Road
Reddish Egret, Grey Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Dowitcher?: Gadwall, American Wigeon,
Rockport - Cape Valero Drive
4 Osprey
Thursday 9 March (Rockport)
Warm and sunny
Rockport
Huge flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds on road.
Port Aransas - Nature Preserve
White Pelicans, Green-winged Teal, Shoveler, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, American Avocet, Pectoral Sandpipers. 100s of Western Sandpipers and least Sandpipers. A family party of 4 Whooping Cranes in the distance way out on the marsh.
Port Aransas - Beech & Jetty
Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Royal Terns, many Bonaparte's Gulls all seemed to be first winter, on the beach and feeding along channel, Double-crested Cormorant, dolphins.
Indian Point
Wilson’s Plover, Least Sandpiper, American Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit, Dunlin.
4 Osprey today.
Friday 11 March (Brownsville)
Fog until mid-morning becoming hot and sunny
Rest area on drive to Brownsville
Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Brewer’s Blackbird.
Laguna Atascosa
Green Jay, Road Runner, Couch’s Kingbird, Ruddy Duck. Of note nearly all the male Ruddy Ducks were in eclipse/winter plumage in mid March, can't remember this happening when they were common in the UK!
South Padre Island Birding and Nature Centre plus Laguna Madre Nature Trail
Black Skimmer, Great Kiskadee, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs, Mottled Duck
Saturday 11 March (Brownsville)
Hot and sunny
Sabah Palm Sanctuary
Hooded Oriole, White-tipped Dove, Black-crested Titmouse, Plain Chachalaca, Olive Sparrow, Green Jay,
Brownsville Municipal Tip
You now have to sign in on entry and are offered a high-vis jacket. Last time I went, I managed to view the birds from my car, so I declined the jacket expecting the same. No effort at recycling here, just loads of Texans dumping waste from pick-ups, straight to landfill, to be bulldozed into the ground! All the vultures, crows and gulls were in the commercial area with the sun behind them, which would have necessitated a long walk over the tip in hot dusty conditions, to get the right side to view, so I gave up and left.
Boka Chica Beach
On my visit here in 2008 an excellent site for terns but not a place to go on a sunny weekend afternoon, very busy with vehicles all over the beach and a lot of the salt marsh/dunes are now the home to Elon Musk’s Space X launch pad and rocket factory, which you can walk very close too. Harris's Hawk on the drive too.
Sunday 12 March (Mission)
Very hot and sunny
Santa Ana
Gadwall, Least Grebe, Cinnamon Teal, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Ring-necked Duck, Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Estero Llano Grande State Park
Killdeer, Yellow-rumped Warbler
Monday 13 March (Mission)
Mild and cloudy becoming sunny
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
Wild Turkey, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher. Long-billed Thrasher, Swainson Hawk, Wild Boar
Edesburg water treatment plant
Another sewerage works where the water was pumped straight onto the nature reserve. Shovelers and Blue-winged Teal were feeding around the outfall in impressive numbers.
Green-backed Heron, Inca Dove.
Tuesday 14 March (Mission)
Mild and cloudy with light showers
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
Bob Cat, Zone-tailed Hawk. Northern Rough-legged Swallow, Eastern Fox Squirrel, Pyrrhuloxia, Altamira Oriole, Black-bellied Whistling Duck.
Wednesday 15 March (Laredo)
Morning showers becoming brighter mild
Drive
Raven species
Falcon State Park
Water well down. Rain and sticky mud. Walk to water’s edge. White Pelican, Ring-billed Gull, Laughing Gull, Snowy and Great Egret, Cormorants, Osprey, Crested Caracas , Roadrunner, Meadowlarks
Chapeño Road
Common Ground Dove, Harris Hawk, House Finch
Lake Casa Blanca
Spotted Sandpiper, Osprey,
Secret Lake (El Ranchito Pond Nature Preserve) to North of Lake Casa Blanca
I was recommended a visit to this lake which is the first turn right after leaving the park by a park ranger. Was told to ignore the ‘no public access’ sign.
Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Cinnamon Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Pied-billed Grebe, Least Sandpiper, Dowitchers, Stilts, White-faced Ibis
Thursday 16 March (Uvalde)
Light showers becoming warm and sunny
Drive to Uvalde
Crested Caracas, Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrow, Mainly Black Vultures today.
Gardener State Park
The park was very busy as its holiday week, but few Texans venture further than five minutes’ walk away from their vehicles. Nothing other than Chipping Sparrow and Black Vultures after a 3 hour walk around the park. Male Northern Harrier on the drive back to motel.
Friday 17 March (Junction)
Cool becoming sunny
Drive to South Llando
Crested Caracas, 2 Red-tailed Hawk, Raven,
South Llando River State Park
Black Throated Hummingbird, Western Scrub Jay, Armadillo 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Field Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Bewick’s Wren (South Western form), Rock Squirrel, Brown-headed Cowbird.
Saturday 18 March (Austin)
Cloudy cool
South Llando River State Park
Golden-cheeked Warbler, Scott’s Oriole, White-eyed Vireo heard.
Austin
Visited the roost of Mexican Free-tailed Bats under the bridge of the Colorado River at emergence time at dusk, nearby roost of Snowy Egret and Crackles in the city centre. I watched from the NE side which was busy with spectators, but the SE east side of the bridge seemed better. there were also a number of tourist boats out on the river, specifically to see the bats. If only they could fit bat boxes under bridges in the UK!
Sunday 19 March (Navasota)
Sunny cool
Webberville Parks
Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper, Great Egret.
Eastern Bluebird 2, Meadowlarks
Webberville Local Dump
Hundreds of Vultures, Crested Caracaras min 40.
Sommerville State Park Reservoir
North
Ring-billed Gull, Forster's Tern.
East
Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, White Pelican, American Coot, Roseate Spoonbill.
Near Navasota
At least 20 Cedar Waxwing feeding on berries
Monday 20 March (Drive back to Houston Airport to flight home at 1700 hrs))
Sunny becoming cloudy cool
Conroe Lake
Drive by Osprey
North Houston - Jesse Jones Nature Park
Pileated Woodpecker, c30 Cedar Waxwings, a small Brown Wren in woodland was almost certainly Carolina Wren. The distant crows passing overhead by the river, seemed on the small size and could have been Fish Crows, Eastern Grey Squirrel, Carolina Chickadee.
Flew back to Heathrow overnight with a free upgrade by BA, making the flight more comfortable. Chaos at St Pancras for the train back to Sheffield, signalling down, had to change at Leicester.
Americal Sparrows
Top - Black-headed Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow.
Middle - Lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow.
Base - Olive Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow (Corrections gratefully received)
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