https://ebird.org/checklist/S64897477
Hope those area available when I visit Mar. 10-14. Gannet, Razorbill, Red-necked Grebe, Harlequin, Eider, White-winged Scoter, Purple Sandpiper,
Monday, February 24, 2020
LRGV birding short recap
A failure since I couldn't spot one rare birds there, just the usual suspects.
They should seriously invest more on signage because places like Resaca de la Palma and Anzalduas Park was SO hard to reach without GPS. And I prepared for it using google map beforehand.
Local roads, even intersections with traffic lights, don't have signage, at all.
Moreover the signs themselves are too small; considering that birders are mostly elderly, NOT a good choice, at all.
So this could be a great Festival spot where local birders can drive you in a van; NOT for solo travelers who're new to this place.
Best spots;
Santa Ana; best for Kingfishers. Good spot for Hook-billed Kite and Gray Hawk but couldn't spot them. Also Easter-Screech Owl roosting spot at Tower trail(intersection with car road), also failed to spot one, it was empty. Bird walk on 8:30am thanks to them could found 3 Common Pauraques, impossible for color blind like me to spot it on my own!
Quinta Mazatlan; great gift shop, the cheapest, too bad I didn't buy any. Paths have plenty of shades. Spotted my only Olive Sparrow there, on a short 'bridge' that traverses over the stream just before the open vista(pond area).
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC; spotted all 3 Kingfishers, but farther than Santa Ana, scope would be nice for scanning far shore of the big lakes. Great spot for Blue-headed Vireo, up close and personal. Spotted a Bobwhite scurrying across the path. Myrtle warblers prevalent.
Estero Llano Grande has bird walk on 8:30am, but as usual not for the hard of hearing; you wonder what they're looking at and when you ask them WHAT? WHAT? it's too late, that's how I missed Bronzed Cowbird. Connie Unsicker is very nice. Can spot most species here, even I spotted like 72 species, official count is 90 species on that birdwalk.
Don't bother visiting Laguna Atascosa on the weekdays, especially on adverse weather; road to Bayside is closed, which is worse. You CAN walk but that's like 2-mile one way trip to the bay itself lol, I tried but eventually turned back. This place is ideal for Festival who knows where to look, not for solo travelers.
There's ebird hotspot for TX-100 Aplomado Falcon
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3322724
Tried there twice, couldn't find it. Again, if you are with a local, great. If not, don't bother, I don't think the pin location is accurate.
All in all, spotted like 107 species after wasting considerable time(almost half a day) wandering lost, asking cop and Border Patrol agents lol(BPs don't really know). That's less than 4 days(more like 3 days), same time span as Galveston/High Island/Anahuac yet that area had vastly better signage, so could spot like 134 species in early April 2 years ago. Even spotted a Pomarine Jaeger thanks to ebird. For me THAT place is the Birding Mecca.
I'll post bird pics later
They should seriously invest more on signage because places like Resaca de la Palma and Anzalduas Park was SO hard to reach without GPS. And I prepared for it using google map beforehand.
Local roads, even intersections with traffic lights, don't have signage, at all.
Moreover the signs themselves are too small; considering that birders are mostly elderly, NOT a good choice, at all.
So this could be a great Festival spot where local birders can drive you in a van; NOT for solo travelers who're new to this place.
Best spots;
Santa Ana; best for Kingfishers. Good spot for Hook-billed Kite and Gray Hawk but couldn't spot them. Also Easter-Screech Owl roosting spot at Tower trail(intersection with car road), also failed to spot one, it was empty. Bird walk on 8:30am thanks to them could found 3 Common Pauraques, impossible for color blind like me to spot it on my own!
Quinta Mazatlan; great gift shop, the cheapest, too bad I didn't buy any. Paths have plenty of shades. Spotted my only Olive Sparrow there, on a short 'bridge' that traverses over the stream just before the open vista(pond area).
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBC; spotted all 3 Kingfishers, but farther than Santa Ana, scope would be nice for scanning far shore of the big lakes. Great spot for Blue-headed Vireo, up close and personal. Spotted a Bobwhite scurrying across the path. Myrtle warblers prevalent.
Estero Llano Grande has bird walk on 8:30am, but as usual not for the hard of hearing; you wonder what they're looking at and when you ask them WHAT? WHAT? it's too late, that's how I missed Bronzed Cowbird. Connie Unsicker is very nice. Can spot most species here, even I spotted like 72 species, official count is 90 species on that birdwalk.
Don't bother visiting Laguna Atascosa on the weekdays, especially on adverse weather; road to Bayside is closed, which is worse. You CAN walk but that's like 2-mile one way trip to the bay itself lol, I tried but eventually turned back. This place is ideal for Festival who knows where to look, not for solo travelers.
There's ebird hotspot for TX-100 Aplomado Falcon
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3322724
Tried there twice, couldn't find it. Again, if you are with a local, great. If not, don't bother, I don't think the pin location is accurate.
All in all, spotted like 107 species after wasting considerable time(almost half a day) wandering lost, asking cop and Border Patrol agents lol(BPs don't really know). That's less than 4 days(more like 3 days), same time span as Galveston/High Island/Anahuac yet that area had vastly better signage, so could spot like 134 species in early April 2 years ago. Even spotted a Pomarine Jaeger thanks to ebird. For me THAT place is the Birding Mecca.
I'll post bird pics later
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Northerly Island pics
American Kestrel was the most common raptor, spotted at least in 3 places; here, Burnham Park and Park 566
Anyway this windswept area seemed like an ideal terrain for Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting and Common Redpoll.
Anyway this windswept area seemed like an ideal terrain for Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting and Common Redpoll.
Burnham Park--31st St. Beach pics
Wind was blustery, gloves are essential. If you can cover your face, please do.
7am on the 1st try;
2nd attempt the following day, late afternoon
7am on the 1st try;
2nd attempt the following day, late afternoon
Chicago birding by public transit
Like last Spring, birded by foot, but this time used Ventra 3 day $20 ticket to good effect, using buses and trains. Took 1.5 hrs to reach Wolf Lake Recreational Area, but definitely worth it, to snag my lifer Trumpeter Swan. Mute Swan also there, Bald Eagle too, Cackling Goose as well. Not sure about American Black Duck.
The only place I couldn't reach via public transit was Calumet Marsh, too bad because Rough-legged Hawk is spotted there. But aside from there, could reach pretty much everywhere. Could bird north of Chicago for Northern Shrike, takes about an hour but didn't bother, hesitant of actual success spotting it.
Misses; Great Black-backed Gull(not too many gulls, too bad), Snow Bunting(Park 566 had ideal habitat), White-winged Scoter(too far probably, didn't see any Scoter via bino), Winter Wren(Washington Park), Sparrows like White-throated and Swamp(but those I've seen elsewhere), Common Redpoll..
So spotted about 30 species and of course the highlight was Snowy Owl at 31st st Burnham harbor. 2 of them and one provided an ideal view, perched at the dock. Was skeptical of finding it but they appeared just before my arrival, lucky me. A local birder said it hasn't been spotted in the vicinity recently; what luck!
Spotted American Tree Sparrow but didn't have good looks, they were quite shy, not responding to phishing. Later I flushed it from their perch at the fence along the road, too bad. That Northerly Island seemed quite promising; Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting and Common Redpoll were spotted there before.
While failing to spot Winter Wren at Washington Park, instead got Greater White-fronted Goose(not a lifer but pretty rare there methinks), Slate-colored Junko and Song Sparrow. No luck with woodpeckers, I'm afraid(I'm pretty terrible spotting those).
So added like 16 species for Cook County list, mostly ducks and some raptors. 4 lifers, Snowy Owl, American Tree Sparrow, American Black Duck and Trumpeter Swan. All in all, not a bad haul, considering that I had limited time to bird, attending sports event(only could devote the whole morning on the last day, a bit less the day before)!
Will post pics later.
The only place I couldn't reach via public transit was Calumet Marsh, too bad because Rough-legged Hawk is spotted there. But aside from there, could reach pretty much everywhere. Could bird north of Chicago for Northern Shrike, takes about an hour but didn't bother, hesitant of actual success spotting it.
Misses; Great Black-backed Gull(not too many gulls, too bad), Snow Bunting(Park 566 had ideal habitat), White-winged Scoter(too far probably, didn't see any Scoter via bino), Winter Wren(Washington Park), Sparrows like White-throated and Swamp(but those I've seen elsewhere), Common Redpoll..
So spotted about 30 species and of course the highlight was Snowy Owl at 31st st Burnham harbor. 2 of them and one provided an ideal view, perched at the dock. Was skeptical of finding it but they appeared just before my arrival, lucky me. A local birder said it hasn't been spotted in the vicinity recently; what luck!
Spotted American Tree Sparrow but didn't have good looks, they were quite shy, not responding to phishing. Later I flushed it from their perch at the fence along the road, too bad. That Northerly Island seemed quite promising; Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting and Common Redpoll were spotted there before.
While failing to spot Winter Wren at Washington Park, instead got Greater White-fronted Goose(not a lifer but pretty rare there methinks), Slate-colored Junko and Song Sparrow. No luck with woodpeckers, I'm afraid(I'm pretty terrible spotting those).
So added like 16 species for Cook County list, mostly ducks and some raptors. 4 lifers, Snowy Owl, American Tree Sparrow, American Black Duck and Trumpeter Swan. All in all, not a bad haul, considering that I had limited time to bird, attending sports event(only could devote the whole morning on the last day, a bit less the day before)!
Will post pics later.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
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