7th to 11th.
$150 Roundtrip airfare, couldn't resist it!
Airbnb done too, now left is car rental but it's such a hassle. Anyone willing to drive me around, please send me an email, fantic at hotmail dot com. Maybe I should ask Houston Audubon. Or birdingpal.
Or...can I bike around?! Takes 2 hours to arrive at Bayou Vista..lol.
On to why I decided to come so early;
from ebird, ma California warbler records
| 286 | Dusky Warbler | Madrona Marsh | US-CA | 01 Oct 2017 |
| 294 | Wood Thrush | Coachella Valley Preserve, Thousand Palms Oasis | US-CA | 31 May 2017 |
| 297 | Gray Catbird | West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail | US-CA | 11 Jan 2016 |
As you see, saw a LOT. And that's only So. Cal, mind you. Snagged some more last Spring on ma Eastern trips. Granted I would like to see alternate-plumage male ones(more brilliant than drab females), but even if I can't, no big deal.
There are some warblers I've yet to see, especially
Geothlypis/Oporornis; Mourning, Kentucky, Connecticut
Vermivora; Golden-winged, Blue-winged
Limnothlypis; Swainson's
Setophaga; Hooded, Cerulean
Helmitheros; Worm-eating
And, crucially, Swainson's, Worm-eating and Kentucky warblers are early migrants(not really expecting on Mourning and Connecticut, those are usually found from May at MW areas). They're actually harder to find in Houston area after the 15th.
So, naturally those are target species, and if I can snag stray Vermivoras and Hooded, Cerulean, all the better.
But as I said, the real reason I wanted to come was to bird the shore. Bolivar peninsular is pretty good, so I might even concentrate on that area, birding nook and cranny, rather than birding farther High Island for warblers. And those warblers can actually rest on the island after crossing the Gulf, especially when met with strong Northerly winds.
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