Rio Grande Valley &

RIO GRANDE VALLEY & ARANSAS NWR FEBRUARY 16-24, 2002 LEADERS: MARK KORDUCKI & DARYL TESSEN

Species of regional or seasonal interest are in boldface.

Common Loon………………………….Aransas Bay, Rockport Harbor, South Padre Island (SPI) Least Grebe……………………………..Pollywog Ponds, Santa Ana Pied-billed Grebe……………………….on ponds and rivers throughout Eared Grebe…………………………….Aransas Bay, Edinburg Wetlands American White Pelican………………..recorded daily Brown Pelican…………………………..Corpus Christi, Rockport, SPI Neotropic Cormorant……………………near water throughout, best views at Hans Suter Double-crested Cormorant………………seen daily Anhinga………………………………….great views on resaca in Brownsville, worth the U-turn Great Blue Heron………………………..recorded near water throughout Great Egret………………………………recorded daily Snowy Egret……………………………..recorded in many wetland areas Little Blue Heron…………………………Hans Suter, Rockport, SPI Tricolored Heron…………………………seen in many wetland areas Reddish Egret……………………………both color morphs seen in coastal locations, “dancing” at SPI Cattle Egret………………………………Anzaldulas, SPI, following tractor along Hwy. 77 Black-crowned Night Heron…………….Hans Suter Yellow-crowned Night Heron…………...final bird of trip at SPI White Ibis………………………………..Tule Lake, Hans Suter, Aransas Bay Roseate Spoonbill………………………..Hans Suter, Aransas Bay, Hwy. 188 Black Vulture…………………………….recorded throughout, roosting with TV’s at Pollywog Ponds Turkey Vulture…………………………...seen throughout Black-bellied Whistling Duck……………Brownsville, Harlingen behind the hotel Greater White-fronted Goose…………….Hwy. 188 west of Rockport, Falcon State Park Snow Goose………………………………Hwy. 188 west of Rockport, some amongst cacti Ross’s Goose……………………………..at least 2 with the Snow Geese Gadwall…………………………………..recorded on wetlands throughout American Wigeon………………………..recorded in most wetland habitats Mallard (Mexican race)…………………..Salineno, San Ygnacio Mottled Duck……………………………..Hans Suter, Aransas Bay, Salineno, SPI Blue-winged Teal…………………………recorded in most wetland habitats Cinnamon Teal……………………………Port Aransas Birding Center, Salineno Northern Shoveler…………………………recorded on wetlands throughout Northern Pintail……………………………seen in a variety of wetland habitats Green-winged Teal………………………..recorded on wetlands throughout Canvasback………………………………..Aransas Bay, Chapeno Redhead…………………………………...Aransas Bay, SPI Ring-necked Duck………………………...Pollywog Ponds Lesser Scaup………………………………seen at a variey of wetland habitats Bufflehead…………………………………seen at wetlands throughout Common Goldeneye………………………Aransas Bay Hooded Merganser………………………..a pair seen from the boat at Aransas NWR Red-breasted Merganser…………………..Aransas Bay, SPI Ruddy Duck……………………………….seen in a variety of wetland habitats Osprey……………………………………..seen near water throughout Hook-billed Kite…………………………..2 birds in Bentsen right on schedule White-tailed Kite…………………………..Rancho Viejo on wire, near Santa Ana, McAllen, Harlingen Norther Harrier…………………………….seen almost daily Sharp-shinned Hawk……………………….one in a gale at San Ygnacio Cooper’s Hawk……………………………Bentsen, Santa Ana, near Chapeno Gray Hawk………………………………..Bentsen, excellent views of soaring bird at Anzaldulas Harris’s Hawk…………………………….El Canelo, common east of Harlingen and west of Chapeno Red-shouldered Hawk……………………vocalizing at Santa Ana, San Ygnacio White-tailed Hawk……………………….Mustang Island, El Canelo Red-tailed Hawk…………………………recorded in a variety of habitats throughout Crested Caracara…………………………seen in many locations, best view at Hans Suter American Kestrel………………………..recorded daily Merlin……………………………………one behind the hotel in Harlingen Peregrine Falcon…………………………Hans Suter, Aransas Bay Plain Chachalaca…………………………recorded at many locations in the valley Wild Turkey……………………………...El Canelo, along Hwy. 77 in Kenedy Co. Northern Bobwhite.………………………Falcon State Park Clapper Rail………………………………great looks at SPI Convention Center Virginia Rail….…………………………..almost close enough to touch at Port Aransas Birding Center Sora…………………………………….…vocalizing at Llano Grande, Los Ebanos, SPI Convention Center Common Moorhen……………………….great looks at Port Aransas and SPI American Coot…………………………...recorded at wetlands throughout Sandhill Crane……………………………Hwy. 188 west of Rockport Whooping Crane…………………………great views from the boat at Aransas NWR Black-bellied Plover………………….…..common in coastal habitats Snowy Plover…………………………….20 birds at Tule Lake, SPI Semipalmated Plover…………………….Tule Lake, SPI Killdeer…………………………………..recorded at many locations American Oystercatcher…………………great views from the boat and at SPI Black-necked Stilt……………………….recorded at wetlands throughout American Avocet………………………..common along the coast and at Llano Grande Greater Yellowlegs……………………...seen at many wetland habitats Lesser Yellowlegs……………………….Tule Lake, Hans Suter, El Canelo Willet…………………………………….common along the coast Spotted Sandpiper………………………..seen in many wetland habitats Long-billed Curlew………………………Hans Suter, Aransas Bay, SPI, along Hwy. 77 Marbled Godwit………………………….Hans Suter, Aransas Bay, SPI Ruddy Turnstone…………………………Aransas Bay, SPI Sanderling………………………………..Aransas Bay, SPI Western Sandpiper……………………….Tule Lake, Aransas Bay Least Sandpiper…………………………..recorded at wetlands throughout Dunlin…………………………………….common along the coast, Llano Grande Stilt Sandpiper……………………………Tule Lake, Hans Suter, Llano Grande Short-billed Dowitcher……………………vocalizing at SPI Long-billed Dowitcher……………………vocalizing at Hans Suter and Aransas Bay Common Snipe……………………………Pollywog Ponds Laughing Gull…………………………….common along the coast Bonaparte’s Gull………………………….Aransas Bay Ring-billed Gull…………………………..recorded along the coast and at Chapeno Herring Gull………………………………a few at Aransas Bay and SPI Gull-billed Tern…………………………..SPI Convention Center Caspian Tern……………………………..Hans Suter, Aransas Bay, SPI Royal Tern………………………………..Aransas Bay, SPI Forster’s Tern…………………………….seen in moderate numbers along the coast Black Skimmer…………………………..Aransas Bay, SPI Rock Dove……………………………….recorded daily Red-billed Pigeon………………………..4 birds along the Dump Road, 1 seen from San Ygnacio Eurasian Collared-Dove…………………Rockport White-winged Dove……………………..Corpus Christi, McAllen, Weslaco thicket Mourning Dove………………………….recorded daily Inca Dove………………………………..seen at many residential areas Common Ground Dove………………….El Canelo, Bentsen, Salineno, Chapeno White-tipped Dove………………………common throughout the valley Green Parakeet…………………………..Fort Brown, more impressive show at McAllen Red-crowned Parrot……………………..well worth the wait in McAllen Greater Roadrunner……………………..FR 2098 and great views at Falcon State Park Barn Owl………………………………..great view at El Canelo Eastern Screech-Owl……………………calling and seen by a few at Bentsen Great Horned Owl……………………….found along the Dump Road Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl………………..cooperative again at El Canelo Burrowing Owl………………………….an unexpected bonus at Port Aransas Common Pauraque………………………numerous at Bentsen at dusk, one along trail at Santa Ana Buff-bellied Hummingbird………………great views at Santa Ana, McAllen, and Weslaco thicket Ringed Kingfisher……………………….Anzaldulas, and great scope views of 3 birds at Chapeno Belted Kingfisher………………………..seen at several coastal and inland waters Green Kingfisher………………………..Chapeno and a pair in the scope at Salineno Golden-fronted Woodpecker…………….missed the first day then seen everywhere! Ladder-backed Woodpecker…………….initial views were elusive then became quite easy Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet………..heard and seen well at Bentsen, heard only at Santa Ana Black Phoebe…………………………….cooperative individual at Pollywog Ponds Eastern Phoebe…………………………..seen almost every day Vermilion Flycatcher…………………….great looks at Rancho Viejo Great Kiskadee…………………………..common but still impressive Tropical Kingbird………………………..vocalizing at Rancho Viejo Couch’s Kingbird………………………..El Canelo and Santa Ana Loggerhead Shrike……………………….recorded in open areas throughout, more common along the coast White-eyed Vireo………………………..common and vocal throughout Blue-headed Vireo……………………….Santa Ana and Weslaco thicket Green Jay………………………………...abundant but still spectacular and a crowd favorite Brown Jay………………………………..up to 7 birds at the feeders in Chapeno Chihuahuan Raven……………………….common east of Harlingen and west of Falcon Dam Purple Martin…………………………….Aransas Bay, McAllen, Salineno Northern Rough-winged Swallow……….Anzaldulas, Falcon Dam Cave Swallow……………………………great views at El Canelo Tufted Titmouse (Black-crested form)…. common throughout Verdin…………………………………….a nice look at El Canelo Cactus Wren………………………………Dump Road, west of Falcon Dam Carolina Wren…………………………….Pollywog Ponds, Santa Ana, Los Fresnos Bewick’s Wren……………………………El Canelo, Salineno House Wren……………………………….Pollywog Ponds, Santa Ana, Los Fresnos, Sedge Wren……………………………….Tule Lake Marsh Wren……………………………….Hans Suter, Port Aransas Birding Center Ruby-crowned Kinglet…………………….common in woodlands throughout Blue-gray Gnatcatcher…………………….common and vocal in a variety of habitats Black-tailed Gnatcatcher…………………..nice surprise at Falcon County Park Eastern Bluebird…………………………..west of Rockport and a pair at El Canelo Clay-colored Robin……………………….good views of 2 birds at Bentsen American Robin…………………………..a lone bird at San Ygnacio Northern Mockingbird…………………….seen daily, abundant in desert habitat near Salineno Long-billed Thrasher………………………common and extremely cooperative throughout the valley Curve-billed Thrasher……………………..El Canelo and along the Dump Road European Starling………………………….seen everywhere American Pipit…………………………….seen at Chapeno and Salineno Sprague’s Pipit…………………………….excellent views in a gale at El Canelo Orange-crowned Warbler………………….most common warbler, seen in a variety of habitats Northern Parula…………………………….one at Santa Ana Tropical Parula……………………………..beautiful looks at singing male at Santa Ana Yellow-rumped Warbler……………………in lower numbers this year, both Myrtle and Audubon’s forms Black-throated Green Warbler.…………….recorded at Weslaco thicket and McAllen Yellow-throated Warbler…………………a nice bonus while waiting for Red-crowned Parrots Black-and-white Warbler…………………Anzaldulas, Santa Ana, Weslaco thicket Ovenbird…………………………………..one at Sabal Palm Sanctuary Common Yellowthroat……………………seen at several wetlands Olive Sparrow…………………………….cooperative at many feeders, several calling birds noted Cassin’s Sparrow………………………….along Chapeno Road Chipping Sparrow…………………………visiting the DeWinds’ feeders in Salineno Clay-colored Sparrow……………………..common at El Canelo, Dump Road and Falcon County Park Vesper Sparrow……………………………El Canelo, Chapeno Road, Falcon County Park Lark Sparrow………………………………flocks at El Canelo and Falcon County Park, San Ygnacio Black-throated Sparrow……………………Dump Road and Falcon County Park, beautiful sparrow! Lark Bunting……………………………….El Canelo, Chapeno Road Savannah Sparrow…………………………recorded at many locations throughout Grasshopper Sparrow………………………seen well at El Canelo Song Sparrow………………………………Pollywog Ponds, El Canelo, San Ygnacio Lincoln’s Sparrow………………………….recorded throughout Swamp Sparrow……………………………Pollywog Ponds, San Ygnacio White-crowned Sparrow…………………...San Ygnacio, Falcon State Park Northern Cardinal………………………….common throughout Pyrrhuloxia…………………………………El Canelo, Dump Road, Falcon County Park Blue Bunting……………………………….great views of the female at Bentsen Lazuli Bunting……………………………..2 birds at Bentsen Indigo Bunting……………………………..numerous at Bentsen Red-winged Blackbird……………………..quite common Eastern Meadowlark………………………..vocalizing at Mustang Island, Falcon State Park and SPI Western Meadowlark……………………….vocalizing at El Canelo and Chapeno Road Brewer’s Blackbird…………………………common along 77 in Kenedy Co. Great-tailed Grackle………………………..impressive displays at dawn and dusk Brown-headed Cowbird…………………….seen in mixed flocks throughout Altamira Oriole……………………………..continued to dazzle despite frequent sightings Audubon’s Oriole…………………………...Salineno, Chapeno and a surprise at Bentsen House Finch…………………………………required a side trip to Zapata City Park Lesser Goldfinch…………………………….nice views of a male behind Boggus Ford American Goldfinch…………………………Bentsen, San Ygnacio House Sparrow………………………………seen daily, prey item for American Kestrel in McAllen