By Andy Birch
A long weekend trip at the end of June to the coastal bend provided an opportunity to catch up with some local Texas specialties.
Dawn saw us at Jones State Forest just outside of Houston. A single Red-cockaded Woodpecker was soon located along with a family of Brown-headed Nuthatches. These were two of our target birds Also here were a nice supporting cast of summer migrants including Yellow-throated Vireo, Acadian Flycatcher and Magnolia and Pine Warblers.
Nearby Jesse Jones Park didn't reveal the hoped for Swainson's Warbler but did yield this gorgeous Prothonotary Warbler singing it's heart out along with Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos.
Next stop was back to Houston (Rice University) for a small colony of Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Most young had fledged the nest but there were still a few adults and one or two late-blooming juveniles still loitering.
At Anahuac, American Purple Gallinules shepherded their young perilously close to the patrolling alligators, whilst nearby an Alder and a Willow Flycatcher in the same row of trees warranted a second look and provided an instructional ID lesson. Nearby High Island had little more than a single Northern Waterthrush in Boy Scouts Wood.
Next day, we moved on to Big Thicket Preserve in our continuing quest for Swainson's Warblers. A gaudy male Painted Bunting on the way there was a stunner and another welcome sight for this west coast birder. After some searching, we did find another of our target birds; Kentucky Warbler. A family party of Kentuckys gave a constant nervous chip by the side of the road as the adults fed their youngsters.
Next month: Searching for Mexican vagrants and local specialties in Rio Grande Valley, Texas and SE Arizona.
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