Countdown to one year in Texas...

.Nov 1 National Butterfly Association's International Butterfly Park I was trying to find the gray cracker reported within the last week, but no such luck. Enroute to this goal Tom and I found: Pipevine and Giant Swallowtails, Southern Dogface, Cloudless, Large Orange, and Lyside Sulphurs, Tailed Orange, Little Yellow, Sleepy Orange, Gray Hairstreak, Mallow and Lantana Scrub-Hairstreaks, Dusky Blue Groundstreak, Western Pygmy-Blue, Ceraunus Blue, American Snout, Gulf Fritillary, Bordered and Crimson Patch, Phaon, PaleBanded and Pearl Crescents, White Peacock, Common Mestra, Red Admirals, Painted Lady, Questionmark, Tropical Leafwing, Buckeye, Silver (a male AND a female) and Tawny Emperors, Carolina Satyr, Monarch, Queen, Soldier, Zebras and Two Barred Flashers, Brown and WhiteStriped Longtails, Sickle-winged, White Checkered-, Tropical Checkered-, Laviana and Turk's-cap White-Skippers, Clouded and LongTailed and Fiery Skippers, Sachem, Eufala, FawnSpotted, Ocola Skippers. Back at Bentsen, nice additions were ANOTHER SILVER EMPEROR, A GREAT SOUTHERN WHITE, JULIAS, ZEBRAS, A GREAT PURPLE HAIRSTREAK, ANOTHER TWO-BARRED FLASHER AND THE MALACHITE.

Nov 3 SoPadreIs was futile-- too many fishermen, motorcycles, loud music, huge kites, traffic and people in general. White Pelicans and Franklin's Gulls though...

Nov 4 Bentsen Hawktower Plain Chachalaca 86 Pied-billed Grebe 6 Neotropic Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Anhinga 2 Green Heron 1 Wood Stork 3 Black Vulture 7 Turkey Vulture 567, Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 3 Northern Harrier 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 2 Harris's Hawk 4 Broad-winged Hawk 43, Gray Hawk 3, Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Coot 50 Inca Dove 1 Belted Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1, Eastern Phoebe 3 Green Jay 3 Northern Rough-winged, Cave and Barn Swallows, Verdin 2, House Wren 3 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 2, Common Yellowthroat 1, Lincoln's Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 4 Eastern Meadowlark 1, Great-tailed Grackle, Altamira Oriole 1. In the gardens were a Julia, many Longtailed Skippers; a pair of (m&f) Silver Emperors; Question Mark; and a Two-Barred Flasher. NABA for lunch I flushed a covey of quail in my search for the elusive Gray Cracker: Northern Bobwhite 12, Turkey Vulture 1 Northern Harrier 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Great Kiskadee 5, Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 3 Northern Cardinal 6, Red-winged Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackles. I had time to drop by the Rio Grande Valley Cemetery Pond (Inspiration/Military) and was surprised by a Least Grebe there: Mottled Duck 8, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 1 Cattle Egret 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 1, Mourning Dove 10 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Loggerhead Shrike 1, House Sparrows

Nov 5 Bentsen Birdwalk 15+ Javelina, 2 Fox Squirrels, Blue Spiny Lizards, 40 Mottled Duck 3 Northern Shoveler 2 Plain Chachalaca 105, Pied-billed Grebe 6 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Anhinga 103 Great Egret 3 Cattle Egret 3 Black Vulture 4 Turkey Vulture 2 Osprey 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 2 Harris's Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 3 American Coot 30 Mourning Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 6 Greater Roadrunner 1 Ringed Kingfisher 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Eastern Phoebe 1 Couch's Kingbird 1 Green Jay 21 Cave and Barn Swallow X Black-crested Titmouse 2 House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 2 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 3 Common Yellowthroat 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Red-winged Blackbird 120 Great-tailed Grackle 8 Altamira Oriole 2. Many butterflies were in the Headquarters Gardens, especially nice being the Oddly-Yellow-Spotted Julia, Two-Barred Flasher, TWO RUBY-SPOTTED SWALLOWTAILS, and ANOTHER RUBY-SPOTTED SWALLOWTAIL at the Gatehouse!

Nov 6 Bentsen Gatehouse Feeders only: 2 Fox Squirrels, Pipevine Swallowtail, Southern Dogface, Lyside, Large Orange, Cloudless Sulphur, Little Yellow, TWO TWO-BARRED FLASHERS, White & Tropical Checkered-Skippers, Mestra, White Peacock, Carolina Satyr, Sicklewing Skippers, BRAZILIAN SKIPPER. Number of species: 17 Plain Chachalaca 42 Cooper's Hawk 1 Gray Hawk 1 Inca Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 5 Greater Roadrunner 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Great Kiskadee 3 Green Jay 6 Black-crested Titmouse 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 3 Great-tailed Grackle 10 Altamira Oriole 2

Nov 10 Salineno/Chapeno Gadwall 8, American Wigeon 7, Mexican Mallard 2, Mottled Duck 4, Blue-winged Teal 3, Northern Shoveler 1, Northern Pintail 6, Plain Chachalaca 3, Northern Bobwhites, Neotropic Cormorant 14, Double-crested Cormorant 8, Pied-billed Grebes, Great Egret 1, Snowy Egret 1, Cattle Egret 33, Green Heron 2, White-faced Ibis 3, Black and Turkey Vultures, Osprey 5, Northern Harrier 4, Harris's Hawk 2, Gray Hawk 1, White-tailed Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Crested Caracara 8, American Kestrel 1, American Coots, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper 3, Western Sandpiper 3, Least Sandpiper 2, Laughing Gull 1, Rock Pigeon 12, White Winged Doves, Mourning Doves, Inca Dove 9, Common Ground-Dove 3, White-Tipped Dove 2, Eastern Screech-Owl 1, Ringed Kingfisher 4, Belted Kingfisher 1, Green Kingfisher 3, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3, Eastern Phoebe 1Vermilion Flycatcher 2, Loggerhead Shrike 1, Great Kiskadee 4, Green Jay 11, Black-crested Titmouse 10, Barn Swallows, Verdin 1, Cactus Wren 3, Bewick's Wren 2, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7, Hermit Thrush 1, Northern Mockingbird 12, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Curve-billed Thrasher 1, European Starlings, American Pipit 1, Orange-crowned Warblers, Common Yellowthroat 2, Olive Sparrow 4, Clay-Colored Sparrow 1, Chipping Sparrows, Black-throated Sparrow 3, Lincoln's Sparrow 3, Northern Cardinal 14, Pyrrhuloxia 14, Indigo Bunting 5, Dickcissel 4, Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlark 7, Great-tailed Grackles, Bronzed Cowbird 4, Altamira Oriole 3 Audubon's Oriole 3, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow 12. Darn it, reliant on the videocamera due to my forgetfulness...

Nov 12 Bentsen Our morning bird walk: 14 Javelina, 2 Fox Squirrels and a Cottontail Rabbit plus Greater White-fronted Goose18 Gadwall 2, Plain Chachalaca 60, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Neotropic Cormorant 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Anhinga 1, Black Vulture 1, Turkey Vulture 5, Osprey 1, Cooper's Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 1, Crested Caracara 2, American Coot 72, White-winged Dove 2, Mourning Dove 5, White-tipped Dove 15, Ringed Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 12, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3, Great Kiskadee 3, Couch's Kingbird 1, Green Jay 39, Cave Swallow 2, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Clay-colored Robin 1, Northern Mockingbird 3, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 1, Northern Cardinal 7, Indigo Bunting 5, Red-winged Blackbird 82, Great-tailed Grackles, Altamira Oriole 4

Nov 14 Anzalduas Very fast drive-through on my lunch break, only on the entrance side of the railroad tracks. Stayed in car whole time. Mottled Duck 4, Blue-winged Teal 4, Least Grebe 4, Pied-billed Grebe 4, Great Egret 1, American Kestrel 1, Clapper Rail 1, Common Moorhen 4, American Coot 39, Mourning Dove 6, Green Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Great Kiskadee 6, Green Jay 3, Northern Mockingbird 5, Western Meadowlark 17 Bentsen Band-Celled Sister and Common Banner.

Nov 16 Visited Dixieland Park in Harlingen, but lost my list before I could enter it on E-bird. Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Gadwall, Mottled Ducks, hundreds of Redhead and Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed and Eared Grebes, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants, Great and Snowy Egrets, Osprey 1, Laughing Gulls, Forster's Terns, Rock Pigeons, White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, Inca Doves, Common Ground-Doves, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Northern Mockingbirds, Curve-billed Thrashers, American Pipits, Orange-crowned Warblers, Great-tailed Grackles, House Sparrows. Visited Tiocano Lake at the end of Harlingen's Wilson Road. Lost the list after I entered it on E-bird. Trying to recall: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Gadwall, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebes, over 50 American White Pelicans, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants, 20 Great Egrets, Snowy Egret, 5 Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, 9 Roseate Spoonbills, 17 Wood Storks, Turkey Vultures, 1 American Kestrel, Common Moorhens, American Coots, Killdeer, 4 American Avocets, Long-billed Curlews, Laughing Gulls, Rock Pigeons, Mourning Doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackles. The large waterbirds milling about in the remaining water were an amazing and beautiful sight. Checked out South Padre near dark: American Wigeon, Mallard (not Mexican Mallards, but honest to goodness green-headed male Mallards!) 2, Mottled Duck, Northern Pintail, Redhead, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe 1, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Osprey, Clapper Rail, Sora 1, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Laughing Gull, Herring Gull 1, Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Northern Mockingbird, Common Yellowthroat Northern Cardinal 3, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle

Nov 20 Bentsen The gatehouse alone had at least 104 Chachalacas at the feeders! Kiskadees, a pair of Altamira Orioles, both Woodpeckers, a LongBilled Thrasher, A Hummingbird moth, TwoBarred Flasher and Brazilian Skipper at the Olive Trees there were dwarfed by a surprise BLUE-EYED SAILOR (female) on the Magic Hedge (unceremoniously called by some the Lantana by the Gift Shop Ladies' Restroom) shown to me by Rick Snyder upon my return to the Headquarters Garden. A visitor had also shown me a bright MALACHITE photo taken across from the tram stop. Pavon's and a Red Rim frolicked at the bait near the outdoor cafe. At the nearby Rio Grande Veteran's Cemetery (Inspiration/Military) a group of about a dozen Caracaras and a juvenile White-Tailed Hawk had set down for the day. Understandably, the waterbirds usually in the pond were absent.

11/21 Anzalduas Just on lunch break with Tom Pendleton, and only at the dam itself for a very short time. Gadwall 12, American Wigeon 18, Pied-billed Grebe 2, American White Pelican 1, Neotropic Cormorant 1, Double-crested Cormorant 25, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 1, Little Blue Heron 1, Turkey Vulture 8, American Coots, Killdeer 8, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Rock Pigeon 155, Green Jays, Long-billed Thrashers, Orange-crowned Warbler At the Bentsen Butterfly walk were 54 species: Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor, Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes, Giant White Ganyra josephina, Southern Dogface Zerene cesonia, Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae, ORANGE-BARRED SULPHUR Phoebis philea, Large Orange Sulphur Phoebis agarithe, Lyside Sulphur Kricogonia lyside, Tailed Orange Pyrisitia proterpia, Little Yellow Pirisitia lisa, Dusky-blue Groundstreak Calycopis isobeon, Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus ceraunus, Red-bordered Metalmark Caria ino, American Snout Libytheana carinenta, Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae, Julia Heliconian Dryas iulia, Zebra Heliconian Heliconius charitonius, Mexican Fritillary Euptoieta hegesia, Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon, Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis, BLUE-EYED SAILOR Dynamine dyonis, Painted Lady Vanessa cardui, Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta, Common Buckeye Junonia coenia, White Peacock Anartia jatrophae, Malachite Siproeta stelenes, BAND-CELLED SISTER Adelpha fessonia, Common Mestra Mestra amymone, RED RIM Biblis hyperia, Tropical Leafwing Anaea aidea, EMPRESS LEILIA Asterocampa leilia, Tawny Emperor Asterocampa clyton, PAVON EMPEROR Doxocampa pavon, SILVER EMPEROR Doxocopa laure , Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius, Monarch Danaus plexippus, Queen Danaus gilippus, Soldier Danaus eresimus, Brown Longtail Urbanus procne, White-Striped Longtail Chiodes albofasciatus, Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus, Dorantes Longtail Ubanus dorantes, Sickle-winged Skipper Achlyodes thraso, White Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus albescens, Tropical Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus oileus, Laviana White-Skipper Heliopetes laviana, Clouded Skipper Lerema accius, Southern Skipperling Copaeodes minimus, Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus, Whirlabout Polites vibex, Sachem Atalopedes campestris, Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala, Ocola Skipper Panoquina ocola, Common Mellana Quasimellana eulogius

Nov 25 Rio Grande Valley Veteran's Cemetery Mottled Duck 4, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Great Blue Heron 1, Cattle Egret 4, Turkey Vulture 1, Northern Harrier 5, Harris's Hawk 3, White-tailed Hawk 1 (the juvenile, still hanging around!), Red-tailed Hawk 6, Crested Caracara 8, American Kestrel 3, Merlin 1, Killdeer 2, Long-billed Curlew 3, Rock Pigeon 6, Mourning Dove 40, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1, Couch's Kingbird 1, Loggerhead Shrike 1, Cave Swallow 1, Northern Mockingbird 1, Western Meadowlark 62

Nov 26 Bentsen Weekly bird walk. In two hours we saw: Gadwall 2, Northern Shoveler 5, Plain Chachalaca 58, Least Grebe 1, Pied-billed Grebe 3, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Anhinga 6, Great Blue Heron 3, Turkey Vulture 6, Northern Harrier 3, Cooper's Hawk 1, Harris's Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 4, White-tailed Hawk 1 (beautiful juvenile!), Crested Caracara 4, Common Moorhen 1, American Coot 132, Mourning Dove 7, Inca Dove 1, Common Ground-Dove 2, White-tipped Dove 12, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1, Ringed Kingfisher 2, Belted Kingfisher 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 11, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 at the Resaca, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1, Eastern Phoebe 2, Great Kiskadee 3, Loggerhead Shrike 1, White-eyed Vireo 1, Green Jay 55, House Wren 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 11, Northern Mockingbird 8, Long-billed Thrasher 6, Orange-crowned Warbler 8, Black-and-white Warbler 1, Olive Sparrow 2 (long great views at Green Jay Blind), Savannah Sparrow 3, Northern Cardinal 9, Red-winged Blackbird 500, Great-tailed Grackle 15, Altamira Oriole 2. Two gorgeous Malachites flew by as well, now that the weather is back in the 70s. The last half of the day I was tied to the Gatehouse, where at the feeders alone were seen: Plain Chachalaca 75, Turkey Vulture 6, Cooper's Hawk 1, Gray Hawk 1, White-tailed Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 3, Crested Caracara 3, Mourning Dove 10, Inca Dove 2, White-tipped Dove 2, Greater Roadrunner 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Great Kiskadee 3, White-eyed Vireo 1, Green Jay 9, Black-crested Titmouse 1, Northern Mockingbird 1, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Olive Sparrow 1 (again great long views), Northern Cardinal 3, Red-winged Blackbird 200, Great-tailed Grackle 6, Altamira Oriole 2. Butterflies were very few since it was chilly: Southern Dogface, Lyside Sulphur, Two-Barred Flasher, and Fiery Skippers. Unsure of what the headquarters gardens held, but at NABA GREEN-BACKED RUBY-EYE with Tom, the Dauphins, Dave, the Indiana Kelley group, the Sniders and many more! It was wonderful!

Nov 27 Bentsen My only opportunity for birding is from the Gatehouse only: Northern Harrier 3, Cooper's Hawk 1, Harris's Hawk 2, Gray Hawk 1, White-tailed Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Crested Caracara 8, American Kestrel 2, Peregrine Falcon 1, Plain Chachalaca 76, Inca Dove 4, White-tipped Dove 3, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 3, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Great Kiskadee 3, Green Jay 8, Black-crested Titmouse 1, Northern Mockingbird 1, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Olive Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 3, Red-winged Blackbird 50, Great-tailed Grackle 3, Altamira Oriole 2, plus a gorgeous Malachite on the Olive Trees, plus 2 Fox Squirrels.

Nov 28 Bentsen Butterfly Walk today, but it was cool and overcast, both bad for leps. No wonder we only had 39 species, but this is only 15 less than last week, and we had 9 species that weren't on last weeks list! Pipevine, Giant White, Southern Dogface, Cloudless & Lyside Sulphur, Little & Mimosa (new) Yellow, Dusky Blue Groundstreak, Gray (new), Lantana Scrub- (new), Mallow Scrub- (new), Silver Banded (new) Hairstreaks, Reakirt's (new) and Western Pygmy-(new) Blues, RedBordered Metalmark, American Snout, Gulf Fritillary, Phaon & Texan (new) Crescent, Questionmark, Red Admiral, Common Buckeye, White Peacock, Tropical Leafwing, Tawny Emperor, Carolina Satyr, Monarch, Queen, Brown & Zilpa (new) Longtail, Southern Skipperling, Common Mellana, Sickle-Winged, Laviana White-, Clouded, Fiery, Eufala, Ocola, and PURPLE-WASHED Skippers. In the Headquarters garden, our Rufous Hummingbird chased a gorgeous Nashville Warbler-- what a clash of bright colors! Also there was a Buff-bellied and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird back in view.

Nov 30 Harlingen Dixieland Park: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 66, Mottled Duck 2, Redhead 20, Ring-necked Duck 10, Lesser Scaup 1000, Ruddy Duck 2, Pied-billed Grebe 5, Neotropic Cormorant 6, Double-crested Cormorant 30, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 1, Osprey 1, American Kestrel 1, American Coot 18, Killdeer 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Laughing Gull 36, Forster's Tern 9, Rock Pigeon 18, Mourning Dove 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4, Great Kiskadee 1, Northern Mockingbird 4, European Starling 4, Orange-crowned Warbler 5, Nashville Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 3, Yellow-throated Warbler 1, Pine Warbler 2, Great-tailed Grackle 43. Harlingen City Lake: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 245, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Neotropic Cormorant 1, Double-crested Cormorant 15, American Coot 11, Laughing Gull 16, Mourning Dove 6, European Starling 6, Great-tailed Grackle 15, House Sparrow 12 Hugh Ramsey at almost dark: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 71, Great Egret 1, Harris's Hawk 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Eastern Phoebe 1, Great Kiskadee 4, Black-crested Titmouse 1, Olive Sparrow 1, and an Armadillo. Tiocoano Lake Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 9, Pied-billed Grebe 1, American White Pelican 6, Neotropic Cormorant 5, Double-crested Cormorant 17, American Bittern 1, Great Blue Heron 2, Great Egret 7, Snowy Egret 74, Little Blue Heron 3, Roseate Spoonbill 3, White-tailed Kite 1, Northern Harrier 1, American Coot 2, Killdeer 22, Black-necked Stilt 4, Least Sandpiper 44, Stilt Sandpiper 9, Long-billed Dowitcher 229, Rock Pigeon 30, Mourning Dove 4, Great Kiskadee 3, Northern Mockingbird 2, European Starling 2, American Pipit 4, Orange-crowned Warbler 2, Northern Cardinal 10 (all in one spot!), Red-winged Blackbird 2, Great-tailed Grackle 58, Bronzed Cowbird 6