LEADERS: BOB SUNDSTROM
& ANDREW FARNSWORTH
[bird list compiled by
Bob Sundstrom)
April
21:
Morning at Sabine Woods, then birded east along Hwy. 82 in Louisiana and
at Holleyman-Sheely Preserve in Cameron Parish.
April
22:
Morning birding at South Oil Field Rd. and Bolivar Flats, and after lunch
birding at the Johnson House, Scout Woods, and Smith Oaks.
April
23:
Morning visit Cragen Rd. and Taylor Bayou and flooded rice fields between
Winnie and Nome. Afternoon to both Scout Woods and Smith Oaks, including
the wader rookery.
April
24:
High Island Woods, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, and Smith Oaks again
late.
April
25:
Morning birding in the Silsbee area "Piney Woods" and further west along
the Gore Store Rd. to a section of the Turkey Creek Unit of Big Thicket
National Preserve. Stopped at flooded fields north of Winnie. Afternoon
birding along Canal Rd., Scout Woods, Yacht Basin Rd., the Johnson House,
and at Port Bolivar.
April
26:
Brief morning birding at oil field access area north of High Is. and along
ditches just north of the Intracoastal Canal.
BIRD SIGHTINGS HABITAT
KEY:
American White Pelican –G
Brown Pelican -G
Rd., and at Anahuac.
Great Blue Heron -F ,S,N
Great Egret -F,G,N. sporting intensely green lores and fancy plumes at the Smith Oaks rookery.
Snowy Egret -F ,S,R,N
Little Blue Heron -F ,S,R,N
Tricolored Heron -F ,S,R,N
Reddish Egret -G. Dancing at Bolivar Flats.
Cattle Egret -W ,N .Some with nearly red bills and legs at the rookery.
Green Heron -C,F,R,O. Wonderful, close views.
Black-crowned Night-Heron -N,G
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron –F
Roseate Spoonbill- F,S,R,N. Stunning views at Smith Oaks rookery, including orange tails.
Mottled Duck -R,F
Blue-winged Teal -R,F
Lesser Scaup -G
Red-breasted Merganser -G
Northern Harrier –0
Cooper's Hawk -P
Red-shouldered Hawk –P
Broad-winged Hawk –P
Swainson's Hawk -0
Red-tailed Hawk -one Krider's type between Winnie and Port Arthur
Common Moorhen –F
American Coot –F
Snowy Plover -G; one female at Bolivar Flats
Wilson's Plover -G
Semipalmated Plover -R,G
Piping Plover –G
Killdeer –W
American Avocet -G; large flocks at Bolivar Flats
Greater Yellowlegs -F,G
Lesser Yellowlegs –F
Solitary Sandpiper –F
Willet -O,F ,S,R,G
Spotted Sandpiper -R,F
Upland Sandpiper -0; several in a pasture near Nome
Whimbrel- R,G
Long-billed Curlew -G,O
Hudsonian Godwit -G; at Bolivar Flats, a quick flyover of several birds
Marbled Godwit –G
Ruddy Turnstone -R,G
Red Knot -G
Sanderling -G
Semipalmated Sandpiper -R,G
Western Sandpiper -R,G
Least Sandpiper -R,G
White-rumped Sandpiper –R
Pectoral Sandpiper –R
Dunlin -R,G
Stilt Sandpiper -R,G
Buff-breasted Sandpiper -R; 200+ as the rice field first began to flood
Short-billed Dowitcher -G,R
Long-billed Dowitcher –R
Wilson's Phalarope –R
JAEGERS,
GULLS, TERNS, AND SKIMMERS
Laughing Gull- F,S,R,G
Ring-billed Gull -G,R
Herring Gull -G,R
Gull-billed Tern -F; good views at Anahuac
Caspian Tern –G
Royal Tern -G
Sandwich Tern –G
Common Tern -G
Forster's Tern -F,S,R,G
Least Tern –G
Black Tern –G
DOVES
AND PIGEONS
Rock Dove -H
Eurasian Collared-Dove -H. This non-native is increasing rapidly in the area covered by this tour, although we first saw it only on the 2000 tour.
White-winged Dove -a couple of fly-bys
Mourning Dove –W
Inca Dove –H
CUCKOOS
AND ALLIES
Yellow-billed Cuckoo -C; many good views of this trans-Gulf migrant
BARN
OWLS AND TYPICAL OWLS
Barn Owl -flying across the road in front of the van at dusk
Eastern Screech-OwI -a roosting rufous morph owl at Smith Oaks
Barred Owl -heard calling at Taylor Bayou
Chimney Swift –W
HUMMINGBIRDS
Ruby-throated Hummingbird -C; best views in a hummingbird garden near Scout Woods
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher –P
WOODPECKERS
Red-headed Woodpecker –P
Red-bellied Woodpecker -P
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker –C
Downy Woodpecker -C,P
Red-cockaded Woodpecker -P; several of these endangered birds were seen very well near the Jones State Forest headquarters after a bit of hunting for them
Pileated Woodpecker -P; heard only
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Eastern Wood-Pewee -C
Great-crested Flycatcher -P,C
Eastern Kingbird -W
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher -O; a splendid bird, great roadside views
SHRIKES
Loggerhead Shrike -O,H
VIREOS
White-eyed Vireo -P ,C
.Yellow-throated Vireo -P ,C
Philadelphia Vireo –C
Red-eyed Vireo -P ,C
JAYS,
CROWS, AND RAVENS
Blue Jay -W
American Crow -P, H
Fish Crow -P; along Cragen Rd. in several spots, and near Sabine Pass
SW
ALLOWS AND MARTINS
Purple Martin –W
Tree Swallow -W
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -G
Bank Swallow -G
Cliff Swallow -G; along the Sabine River near a small bridge
Cave Swallow -G; several along the Sabine River near a small bridge
Barn Swallow –W
TITMICE
Carolina Chickadee –P
Tufted Titmouse –P
NUTHATCHES
Brown-headed Nuthatch -P; several excellent views of this Southeast endemic
WRENS
Carolina Wren -P,C
Sedge Wren- S
Marsh Wren –F; heard at Anahuac NWR
KINGLETS
AND GNA TCA TCHERS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet –P
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher –C
THRUSHES
Eastern Bluebird -P
Veery -C; excellent studies of four species of small, brown thrushes in the first visit to High Is. !
Gray-cheeked Thrush –C
Swainson's Thrush –C
Wood Thrush -C
American Robin -P; surprisingly scarce locally at this season, we saw several near Hamshire
MOCKINGBIRDS
AND THRASHERS
Gray Catbird -C; ever present at Purkey's Pond and in general as migrants in the woods
Northern Mockingbird –W
Brown Thrasher –C
WAXWINGS
Cedar Waxwing –C
STARLINGS
European Starling –H
WOOD
WARBLERS
Blue-winged Warbler -C
Golden-winged Warbler -C; at Scout Woods, wonderful close views of this handsome bird
Tennessee Warbler –C,P; seen daily throughout the tour
Northern Parula -C,P
Yellow Warbler -C
Chestnut-sided Warbler –C
Magnolia Warbler -C
Yellow-rumped Warbler -C; a lingering Myrtle
Black-throated Green Warbler -C
Blackburnian Warbler -C; superb views of several of Peterson's "Firethroat"
Yellow-throated Warbler -P; exceptional views at 'Taylor Bayou
Pine Warbler -P
Prairie Warbler -P
Bay-breasted Warbler -C; great looks at the warbler chosen for the HAS 2001 patch
Blackpoll Warbler -C; east winds pushed a bunch of these in
Cerulean Warbler -C; a pair on the fallout day, the male almost at arm's reach!
Black-and-white Warbler –C
American Redstart -C
Prothonotary Warbler -C,P
Worm-eating Warbler -C; including one bathing at Purkey's Pond
Swainson's Warbler -C; bathing at Holleyman-Sheely, and later at Purkey's Pond
Ovenbird -C
Northern Waterthrush –C
Kentucky Warbler -C
Common Yellowthroat -C,F
Hooded Warbler -P ,C; seen especially well near the pond at Sabine Woods
Canada Warbler -C; the male at the Scout Woods "Cathedral" was a big hit
Yellow-breasted Chat –P
TANAGERS
Summer Tanager -C; excellent views, every day of the tour
Scarlet Tanager -P ,C; ditto
SPARROWS
Bachman's Sparrow -P; wonderful scope views of this lovely singer
Clay-coloredSparrow -in the brushy, migrant-strewn field on Yacht Basin Rd., a very unusual sighting for the area
Savannah Sparrow -O,F
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow -S; great views at this winter visitor along Yacht Basin Rd.
Seaside Sparrow -S; also in the Spartina along Yacht Basin Rd.
White-throated Sparrow -C; late departing wintering sparrows
White-crowned Sparrow –C
GROSBEAKS,
BUNTINGS, AND ALLIES
Northern Cardinal -W
Rose-breasted Grosbeak –C
Blue Grosbeak -O
Indigo Bunting -W
Painted Bunting -P ,C; the first bird of the tour, a male near the pool at the Houston hotel
Dickcissel -0; very nice looks at this grassland specialist
BLACKBIRDS
AND ALLIES
Bobolink -at least a dozen males in the brushy field along Yacht Basin Rd.
Red-winged Blackbird –W
Eastern Meadowlark –O
Great-tailed Grackle –H
Boat-tailed Grackle –F
Common Grackle -W
Bronzed Cowbird -the one at Scout Woods was rare here, but probably moving in as a species
Brown-headed Cowbird -H, W
Orchard Oriole -W
Baltimore Oriole –C
OLD
WORLD WEAVERS
House Sparrow –H
MAMMALS
AND OTHER CRITTERS
Nine-banded Armadillo
Fox Squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Swamp Rabbit
American Alligator -numerous at Anahuac
Bullfrog
Red-eared Slider (turtle)
Speckled King Snake