The following is an edited version of the Victor Emmanuel tour report compiled by James and Anne Williams, describing their trip to High Island, Texas during Spring migration.
 

                    HIGH ISLAND MIGRATION TOUR

April 19 -26, 2001

LEADERS: BOB SUNDSTROM & ANDREW FARNSWORTH

[bird list compiled by Bob Sundstrom)

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

April 19: Arrival in Houston. 
April 20: Morning birding at Jones State Forest, then on toward Winnie, birding enroute, including at crawfish ponds near Nome. After check-in at motel, a late afternoon visit to Scout Woods. 

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:

C = Coastal woods patches 

[Includes the High Island woods (Smith Oaks and Scout Woods), Sabine Woods, Holleyman-Sheely Preserve, and the Johnson house. This habitat is defined by associations of larger trees, often including Live Oak and Hackberry, that are attractive to songbird migrants just arriving across the Gulf of Mexico.]

O = Open fields and brushy edges 

[Pastures and grazed open country, fallow fields, hay fields, and associated ditches, brushlines, fencelines, etc. throughout the area covered by the tour.]

F = Freshwater marsh and vicinity 

[Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge marshes in particular, plus other freshwater wetlands north of the Intracoastal Waterway.]

S = Salt water marsh 

[Marshes and wetlands such as those along Yacht Basin Rd., the High Island oil fields, and at Port Bolivar, where tidal movement penetrates directly or in channels, and Spartina and brushy plants predominate.]

R = Flooded rice fields and shallow inland ponds 

[Diked fields with shallow standing water or recently wet/turned in cultivation that are especially attractive to many migratory shorebirds. Also shallow fresh water bodies of water such as Shoveler Pond at Anahuac NWR.]
G = Gulf of Mexico shoreline habitats
[Coastal beaches, mudflats, and dunes such and immediate offshore waters, such as Bolivar Flats, Rollover Pass, and the tidal inlet at Port Bolivar]

P = "Piney Woods" habitats

[Areas dominated by cultivated pine species and associated hardwoods/broadleaf forest, including Jones State Forest, the Silsbee area, and Turkey Creek Unit of Big Thicket Preserve, as well as the wooded area along Cragen Rd. and Taylor Bayou along this road.]

N = Smith Oaks wader rookery

[Nesting rookery of cormorants, spoonbills, herons, and egrets at Smith Oaks.]

H = Around human habitation

[In towns, yards, urban edges, farmyards and other contexts dominated by human change to the land, such as in the town of Winnie or along the drive through the greater Houston area.]

W = Widespread, found in a number of different habitats

BIRDS OBSERVED

[species in italics are unusual to rare, or seen only occasionally on the tour]

GREBES 

Pied-billed Grebe -F
PELICANS 

American White Pelican –G

Brown Pelican -G

CORMORANTS 

Double-crested Cormorant -F,G
Neotropic Cormorant -F ,G,N
ANHINGAS
Anhinga -F
FRIGATEBIRDS 
Magnificent Frigatebird -G, two hanging over Galveston harbor in the distance
BITTERNS, HERONS, AND EGRETS 
American Bittern -F. Best view was of one posing in a ditch north of the Intracoastal Canal.
Least Bittern -F. wonderful views of these diminutive bitterns in Cameron Parish, along Canal

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

IBISES, SPOONBILLS, AND STORKS
White Ibis -F ,S,R,N
White-faced Ibis -F,S,R

Roseate Spoonbill- F,S,R,N. Stunning views at Smith Oaks rookery, including orange tails.

NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture -W
Turkey Vulture –W
WATERFOWL 
Fulvous Whistling-Duck -R,F
Wood Duck -P; seen by only a few

Mottled Duck -R,F

Blue-winged Teal -R,F

Lesser Scaup -G

Red-breasted Merganser -G

HAWKS AND ALLIES

White-tailed Kite -W
Mississippi Kite -at least eight in a migrant flock along Hwy .90.

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

FALCONS 
Peregrine Falcon -R; two at the flooded field full of shorebirds north of Winnie
GALLINACEOUS BIRDS 
Northern Bobwhite -P
RAILS AND ALLIES 
Clapper Rail -S; good views of a couple along Yacht Basin Rd.
Purple Gallinule -F; a dozen or more along Canal Rd., also in Cameron Parish

Common Moorhen –F

American Coot –F

PLOVERS 
Black-bellied Plover -R,G; some in nearly full, striking breeding plumage
American Golden-Plover -R; a few very golden birds in nearly full breeding plumage

Snowy Plover -G; one female at Bolivar Flats

Wilson's Plover -G

Semipalmated Plover -R,G

Piping Plover –G

Killdeer –W

SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES 
American Oystercatcher -G; a pair of these unmistakable large shorebirds at Bolivar
Flats Black-necked Stilt -F,S,R

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

NIGHTJARS

Common Nighthawk –W
SWIFTS 

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

Garter Snake