Sunday, March 27, Barbara and I took part in an interesting “exercise” at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Texas.  The Friends of Anahuac sponsor “rail walks” each spring to look for the elusive Yellow Rails and even more elusive Black Rails that inhabit the grasslands of the refuge in the winter and early spring.  Having never (knowingly) seen either a Yellow Rail nor a Black Rail, I hoped to see one  or the other on this, the first walk of the 2011 season.  That was not to be.  Our leader has conducted these “walks” for 15 years, twice a day for 5 days each spring.  Our first walk of the day, commencing a little after 7:00 a.m., came up empty for the 9th time in all of his outings.

The going was tough.  We lined up behind a short rope with milk bottles attached as the leader and a volunteer pulled the rope through the grass.  Supposedly, the rails will not flush unless there is a lot of noise right beside them.  The 10 or so participants struggled to keep up, but we were all able to complete the outing.  The area we searched has not burned for several years and the grass was high and dense and the ground was wet, often with several inches of water hiding under the dense grass.  We were able to  stay with it, but we were exhausted.  Several falls occurred (with soft landings in the mushy, wet grass).  The best birds for the walk were good numbers of Sedge Wrens and Seaside Sparrows. 

After the walk we explored some of the trails at Anahuac.  We were rewarded with closeup views of two Yellow-crowned Night Herons in full breeding plumage. 

We then drove to High Island.  I have heard of High Island for years as a prime stop-over for weary warblers migrating across the Gulf of Mexico in early spring.  Either we were too early to see any warblers, or weather conditions had not been suitable to create the “fall-outs” for which High Island is reknowned.  The Audubon Society has acquired several properties at High Island.  One of these, Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary, contains a rookery located on a U shaped island in the middle of a fairly large pond on the Sanctuary.  We were fortunate to be there at the beginning of the breeding season. 

The rookery was filled with nesting Great Egrets and Cormorants, and courting Roseate Spoonbills. 

The Spoonbills were exceptionally colorful. 

One of the other highlights was the sight of light blue eggs protected by an Egret in her nest. 

We enjoyed the spectacle for an hour or so before moving on to explore the beach at High Island. 

At the beach we were entertained by a myriad of Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls and several species of Terns as they dove into the surf for succulent raw fish dinners.

We returned to Anahuac for the afternoon walk. Our leader had located a somewhat less difficult area for the afternoon walk.  The afternoon participants included a foursome of young birders from Hungary, whose ability to keep pace with the leader made for a better chance of scaring up a Yellow Rail, but taxed us at least as much as the morning “hike” in the taller and wetter marsh.  Consequently we cut our participation short and found our way back to the road and our car before the search was completed.  Again, we found no rails, and we do not know if any were located by the remaining participants after we bailed out.  Again North American Bird number 700 eluded me.  Oh well, there will be plenty more opportunities.  For those of you who have never participated in a “rail walk”, I recommend that you do it sooner rather than later so that you have the physical stamina for it. Our guide indicated that he once had an 85 year old participant who managed it without apparent ill effects.  Personally, I would not recommend waiting that long.  Nor would Barbara.

I arrived at Bentsen (Texas) State Park in the lower Rio Grande Valley a little after 7:30 a.m on Thursday, January 6th.  The NARBA (North American Rare Bird Alert) had reported that a Black-vented Oriole was being seen in the Park and in the adjoining Bentsen Palm Village RV Park.  The best chances appeared to be in the RV Park.  As I walked to the RV Park I was met by some smiling birders.  The “bird”, they reported, was seen in the RV Park at 7:20, but had flown away.  “No worries”, said one of the ladies; “He will be back”.  So I moved on until I spotted the familiar cluster of tripod-mounted telescopes and binocular laden humans, all pointing at a red-flowering tree beside one of the driveways in the RV Park.  The relaxed attitudes and lack of focus in the group told me that the bird was not there at the moment.  Within 10 minutes, however, he (or she?) reappeared, feeding on the red-flowers of the Coral Bean Tree, obligingly growing and flowering right across the street from where we visitors to the  RV Park were graciously allowed to congregate on this private property. 

To see the Black-vented Oriole so quickly (and so well) was a major surprise and a terrific way to start my day of birding in South Texas.  Just a few weeks ago I was fortunate to find a pair of Streak-backed Orioles near Yuma, Arizona, constituting the 9th of the 10 Oriole species that have ever been seen (documented) in North America.  The Streak-backed Oriole is a Category 4 bird in the American Birding Association Checklist of North American birds.  Category 4 is defined as:  “Casual-Species not recorded annually in [North America] but with 6 or more total sightings of which at least 3 must have been within the past 30 years.”  The Black-vented Oriole is a Category 5, the rarest of all, defined as: “Accidental-Species recorded 5 or fewer times in North America, or fewer than 3 in the past 30 years.”  So, the Black-vented Oriole, became Bird Number 696 on my life list of North American bird identifications.  Not only that, but it completed my list of members of the Blackbird (Icteridae) family in North America. 

By 8:30 a.m I was driving east on Highway 83 to make a repeat visit to the landscaping business/residence of Allen Williams, on the east side of McAllen.  I arrived about 9:00 and joined a group of 3 college students from New Hampshire who were using their college break for a one-week birding tour of Texas.  It was not long before one of them spotted the bird of interest, a Crimson-collared Grosbeak.  She (referring to the bird) (clearly “she”, because of the absence of any hint of crimson in the feathers of this dimorphous species) is  dull green with a distinct black hood.  Allen Williams has restored the area around his home to pre-settlement vegetative state, enhanced by water features.  It is an oasis in an urban setting for rare and unusual birds who find themselves out of their normal territory.  He welcomes birders, with prearrangement by phone and a small contribution to maintenance of the area.  This year, the female Crimson-collared Grosbeak has been on-site since mid-November and many birders have had the pleasure of seeing it, although on some days, it does not make itself known.  Thanks, Allen.  This ABA Category 4 bird became number 697 on my life list.  This trip was already exceeding all my expectations. 

At 9:30 I was on the road again, this time heading east and south to Estero Llano Grande State Park, south of Weslaco.  On December 29th there was a report that a White-throated Thrush (until recently called a White-throated Robin) was seen there.  It had been seen subsequently on several occasions when it came to drink at a water feature in the Park.  This ABA Category 5 bird was obviously of great interest to the birding community, as there were at least 15 birders standing near or sitting on conveniently located benches a short distance away from the water feature.  I sat.  And sat.  And sat.  No bird.  Maybe my luck was ending.  A young man sat next to me whom I recognized as having been in the group looking at the Black-vented Oriole a couple of hours earlier.  We visited to pass the time of day.  At 2:30, an older gentleman wearing “Park Volunteer” identification came by to tell me (I and a recently arrived photographer, originally from Johnston, Iowa, were the only ones still sitting and waiting) that he had just seen the bird in some thick undergrowth at the edge of the Park.  We quickly walked the short distance.  We were quickly joined by 15 or more other eager seekers, including the New Hampshire college students and Chris, the young man who had been with me at the water feature and oriole site earlier.  Chris spotted the bird and got some pictures.  I did not at first see it, but later I was able to get a terrific look as it sat still on an open branch.  Hurrah!!!  Life bird number 698, and the day was not over.  Maybe I could go look for my often sought and never seen Rufous-backed Robin. 

White-throated Thrush

By 3:00 p.m. I was back on Highway 83 heading east through Rio Hondo to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Reserve.  A Rufous-backed Robin was being reported there intermittently from the third week of November.  I had gone to try to find it on two different days a month or so earlier, with no success.  But this day was my lucky day.  About 5:00 p.m. the Rufous-backed Robin appeared at the water feature where about a dozen or so eager birders were silently hoping for that event.  Silent cheering on the part of all.  As luck would have it, Chris, mentioned earlier, was also there.  I asked if he would send me some of the photos he had taken of the Oriole, the Thrush and the Robin, and he promised to do so.  And he did so promptly.  The pictures accompanying this blog were provided through the courtesy of Chris Warren of San Marcos, Texas.  He is a fine birder and even if he doesn’t have 30 pounds of equipment, he managed some pretty good shots of these rare North American visitors.  Thanks, Chris. 

Rufous-backed Robin

So, what is the (all important) count?  Right:  699.  I knew immediately at that point that I was not going to look at a bird on the way back to McAllen to catch an early flight home.  If I racked up number 700 in the absence of my photographic assistant and travelling companion, Barbara, I absolutely would be persona non grata at home.  Ah, me!!!  From the glories of 70 degree days, sunny skies and soft breezes in south Texas, to a whipping snow storm, freezing temps and dark skies in Iowa.  Yet, life is sweet.  Oh, and did I mention:  the Rufous-backed Robin is just a Category 3 bird, meaning, “Rare-Species occurs annually in very low numbers.”   This was very likely the most fruitful day of birding I will ever have in North America, if you grade it by the combined numbers (4) of new life birds multiplied by their difficulty of finding (5, 4, 4, and 3).  If my math is correct, it was a Category 64 day.  Of course, I don’t know of anyone else who grades success that way.  I just thought it up.  Yikes!!!  Have I always been so obsessed with high grades???

Birding is, to use the cliche, interesting.  During this past year or so I have climbed for miles up tall mountains (e.g., to find my Himalayan Snowcocks in the Rubys); I have struggled across spongy, lumpy, Grizzly Bear infected tundra (e.g., to find Bristle-thighed Curlews near Nome); I have enjoyed the Boston Symphony preparatory to looking for the Barnacle Goose on a roadside pasture in nearby Concord, from the comfort of my car; I have walked through rain and mist in freezing temperatures by Hudson’s Bay in New Brunswick (to see a Pink-footed Goose); I have endured a night in third-tier bunk on a wave tossed boat in the Pacific in a two-day (fruitless) search for Pelagic species; and a wild and bumpy day-long ride on a fast boat in the Atlantic scouting for Atlantic Pelagic species; and other, diverse searches, including, of course the most successful and least strenuous of all:  sitting and waiting for “The Bird” to show up at a favorite destination, such as a water feature at Llano Grande State Park or at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Preserve, in Texas.   While waiting for the specific, much of the general can be seen.  Of most recent memory are the lovely Mexican Blue Butterflies that Chris identified and that filled the air around me while I was sitting in the shade on a warm, sunny winter afternoon in South Texas.

“I’ve got an ocean front property in Arizona; from the front porch you can see the sea!”  So goes the song.  This week my version is: “I  found some Streak-backed Orioles in Arizona; from the front road you can see their tree.” 

Actually I went to Phoenix primarily hoping to find the Baikal Teal that had been seen at the Gilbert Riparian Park for a week or so.  Never before had this northern Asian species been seen in Arizona, and very infrequently has it been seen in the United States.  There is some question whether this one is really is a wild bird or whether it has escaped from an exotic bird farm of some sort.  Unfortunately, the Baikal Teal has not been seen for several days, beginning the day before the day I was there.  The day I spent at the Riparian Park looking for the Baikal Teal was the hottest on record for that date in the Phoenix area.  From 10 above on the Fahrenheit scale in Iowa to 90 above within 6 hours was a bit of a challenge.  The Riparian Park itself, however, is a lovely spot with lots of birds of many species, so the day was not wasted. 

My second day in Arizona was to be devoted to finding  Streak-backed Orioles.  Reports had been fairly regular and encouraging that two of these Mexican species had adopted as their winter residence a farm grove at the edge of an agricultural area between Weldon and Tacna, just east of Yuma, AZ.  I arrived there early on the road adjacent to the farmhouse and grove.  No one else was there.  The temperature was closer to what I left in Iowa than to what I had encountered the day before in Phoenix.  I walked up and down the road several times and about 9:00 a.m. I spotted 2 orioles at the top of a Pomegranate Tree.  They were being very cooperative, foraging at the top of the tree not hidden by foliage.  I was virtually certain they were the Streak-backed species, but I could not make out the streaks on their backs with my binoculars.  Fortuitously, a young man arrived about that time, binoculars in hand.  We soon connected and confirmed that we were seeking the same bird.  I showed him the spot where I had seen the Orioles, and we both were able to observe them for several minutes.  I lamented that I would really like a telescopic view to be completely satisfied as to their identity, but that I had not brought a scope with me in order to travel more lightly.  He replied that that would be no problem.  He went to his car and came back with a telescope and we were both able to scope the birds well for several minutes, with clear identification of the distinctive marks of Streak-backed Orioles.  Very satisfying.      Thus, Streak-backed Oriole became my 695th North American species.  It is a beautiful bird, to boot.  This completes my sweep of all 9 of the Oriole species listed in Sibley’s Field Guide.  National Geographic lists a 10th, the Black-vented Oriole, which is even rarer.  Interestingly, someone has just reported seeing a Black-vented Oriole in southern Florida.  But with the holidays at hand, that trip will have to be deferred.  Moreover, I think only one person has reported finding it and I would not make the trip based on that skimpy record. 

After we had both had our fill of viewing the Orioles, Alex asked if I had seen the Bean Goose that has been hanging out at the Salton Sea in California.  I said I had not, but that I had seen one of that species on Adak when I was there a few years ago.  He said he was going to drive over to try to find it as it would be a new Life Bird for him.  I decided to join him and we “convoyed” over to the Salton Sea.  We encountered thousands and thousands of beautiful white Snow Geese at the Salton Sea, but the Bean Goose had chosen that day to hang out somewhere else, so I left without finding it.  Alex, a grad student at the University of Arizona, however, stayed on to make full use of his day without classes. 

My final target bird for this Arizona trip was the Rufous-backed Robin.  Yes, the very same elusive species that I had sought fruitlessly in Texas a week or so ago.  This required a trip back to Arizona and half way across the southern part, to a spot not far north of Nogales called Santa Gertrudis Lane.  This is a fascinating little area providing access to the banks of the Santa Crus River.  It was dedicated to public use by the original owner of the ranch that has now been carved into many smaller pieces, but all the owners are obligated to abide by the public use requirement of the Lane that they also must use to reach their properties.  Once again, this secretive Robin avoided my detection.  Early in the morning when I was the only birder on the Lane, a car stopped and the driver started a conversation with something like, “I don’t quite know how to tell you this but I guess the best way is to just tell it like it is.  Last night a couple of miles down the road a Border Patrol Agent was murdered by members of a Mexican Drug Gang.  Some of them were caught, but one or two have escaped and are at large in this area.  I suggest that you stick to the main roads today for your own safety.  This road is safe, but I would not go back into the bush along the river.”  We proceeded to visit for a while and when he found out I was a lawyer he had a good laugh and a couple of lawyer jokes to tell me, which I appreciated!!!  He is a retired aviator who bought a 200 acre ranch at the end of the Lane and I learned a lot about the problems of having so many people living down that road.  Later in the day, he came by again and invited me to come see his place, so I got in his vehicle, we forded the river, and drove around his ranch for an hour or so.  I didn’t see many birds but I really enjoyed seeing the ranch (he boards horses for others for $215 per month, and has up to 90 horses on board during the winter months).  He provided me with a supply of bottled water and drove me back across the river so I would not get my feet wet.  I spent the rest of the day looking for the Robin, with no success.  I do want to express my thanks to the good Samaritan, George, who gave me good advice and a friendly reception.

Irony of ironies, when I checked my Rare Bird Report Site this morning, there was a report by my birding  neighbors here in West Des Moines, Reid and Pam Allen, that they saw the Rufous-backed Robin yesterday at the very same location in Texas where I spent a day and a half two weeks ago, looking for it.  Oh, well, maybe some day I will find that darn bird.

Monday I went to McAllen, TX to search for the Rufous-backed Robins that were being seen at the National Butterfly Center in Mission and at the Laguna Atascosa NWR on the coast.  I drove to the Laguna Atascosa Visitor Center, arriving about 2:00 p.m.  With a couple of others, I kept watch for the rest of the afternoon on the little brook at which this skulky Robin had been seen on several prior occasions.  I believe I saw it but the lighting conditions were not the best, and since none of the other observers saw it,  I would have to say that it was a possible sighting, and not one that I could be sure of. 

Plan B was to go to the National Butterfly Center the next morning, Tuesday.  Morning sightings of a Rufous-backed Robin had been fairly reliable there of late.  However, by 5:00 p.m. I was weary and the gates were about to be locked so I left, with no bird seen.  The day was lovely and there were plenty of nice birds to be seen as I sat (or stood)  by the water feature.  Prominent among them were the colorful Green Jays and Great Kiskadees.  About 20 other less colorful species  came by during the course of the day.   These included several that are not found in Iowa, such as  Plain Chachalacas, Black-crested Tufted Titmice, and Long-billed Thrashers, (which I first mistakenly identified as Brown Thrashers, until corrected by one of the local bird/butterfly enthusiasts).  Most of the others seen there are commonly also seen in Iowa.  Several local butterfly experts stopped to visit and offer encouragement.  These were  mostly former birders who have, as they freely admitted,  gone over to the “Dark Side” (Butterflying).  In fact, as the day turned warm and sunny, the butterflies were numerous and pretty and added a welcome diversion from  the long and fruitless search for the Rufous-backed. 

With one more partial day to go, I decided to return to Laguna Atascosa.  While I was there on Monday, the staff at the center told me that they have had a number of sightings of Aplomado Falcons on the preserve in recent years, including recent days.  I have never seen one of these lovely raptors in North America.  If the Rufous-backed Robin was going to elude me, at least I might come back with one new North American Life Bird to add to my list and, indeed, I did.  In fact 2 of them.  As I was nearing the Preserve at about 8:00 a.m., one was perched on a utility wire along the road and held still for a very nice view.  Then, as I entered the Preserve, a second one put on an aerial show that was amazing, including the capture of some sort of small creature in a grassy field along the road.  The Aplomado Falcon, primarily a Central and South American resident, was once somewhat common in south Texas, but was extirpated from the area for a large part of the 20th century.  A reintroduction program at Laguna Atascosa has been quite successful and in the past two or three years, more of them are being seen on and around the Preserve.  The winds became very strong and birding was extremely difficult, so I decided not spend any more time at the Preserve.

My final search of the day was at the Allen Williams’ residence and landscaping operation in Pharr, TX.  Allen has had a female Crimson-collared Grosbeak, another Mexican visitor, on his property for several days and this would be a new life-bird for me.  Unfortunately, high winds and bad timing joined me on this visit, which I had to cut short to make it to my plane on time.  Thanks to Mrs. Williams and her mother, I was able to enjoy a tasty hot flavored tea drink during  my brief search about their property.  Their gracious hospitality was very much appreciated.

Shortly before Thanksgiving day the North American Rare Bird Alert posted the finding of a Ross’s Gull at the Gavin Point Dam area on the Missouri River near Yankton, SD.  This was the first ever reported sighting in Nebraska and the second ever in South Dakota.  The Iowa Bird Line picked it up and sent out an alert to its subscribers suggesting that a trip across the border might be in order to see this rare “lower 48” visitor.  Shortly before noon on Saturday I drove to Yankton, arriving around 3:30.  I searched for the Ross’s among the flurry of Bonapartes and Ringbilled Gulls air-fishing in the tailrace below the dam.  No luck.  I drove across the dam and turned right, toward a complex of frozen ponds.  There several birders had their scopes lined up looking at the Ross’s Gull, which was sitting on the ice in the midst of a flock of Ringbills and Bonapartes.  I am learning that one of the best strategies for finding rare birds is to first look for the rare bird searchers. 

The Gull was very cooperative as it sat and walked on the ice for nearly an hour.  It then flew off into the sunset so I was unable to get a good view of it in flight.  However, the sitting and walking views were satisfactory.  The bird was clearly pink on the breast and belly.  The black ring band on the back of the neck was not present, as is to be expected in a winter bird.  It looked a lot like a little seal with its round, white face with large black eyes and black bill as it sat on the ice looking directly at us.  The eyes seemed unusually large for a gull.  I was happy to add this bird to my Life List as number 692.  I have considered travelling to the Churchill area in northern Manitoba to view the Ross’s Gulls that have been seen there in recent years, (although in very limited numbers now) but it was much more convenient  to drive to Yankton from Des Moines. 

While chatting with the other birders who were looking at the Ross’s, one of them mentioned that a Little Gull had been seen at the Oahe Dam north of Pierre, SD.  I decided to extend my visit to SD and stayed overnight at Yankton.  I left for Pierre about 4:00 a.m. the next morning.  I arrived about 8:00 and after a quick breakfast, began my search for the Little Gull.  At first, the only gulls visible were too far out on the reservoir to identify.  I looked down-river and around the dam, with no luck.  About 10:30, the gulls started moving and I was able to locate the Little Gull on an ice-covered pond very near the power plant,  just below the dam.  It was nestled on the near side of a large flock of resting Ringbilled Gulls, Bonapartes Gulls, one Black-legged Kittiwake and one Glaucous Gull.  The little Gull was very close to the West Tailrace track,  so the view was excellent.  It was easily distinguished from the sometimes confusing Bonapartes because of its much smaller size.  It was a first-winter gull, with a lot of black on the wings.   This became my North American Life Bird number 693.  I have previously searched for Little Gulls reported once in Dickinson County, IA and annually by Lake Michigan in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, without success.    The 700 magic number is getting surprisingly close.  I doubt that I will reach it in 2010, but with any luck, 2011 will be the year.  These two gulls were high on my list of “Want to See”, so it felt like an early Christmas present.  I guess I fit right in with the Black Friday/Saturday mad shoppers, only I don’t have to wait in line for the stores to open.