June 2009

Rio Grande Valley birds, butterflies, dragonflies through the eyes of an ex-Buckeye

June 2009

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June 1 Harlingen's Dixieland Park 5 Jackrabbits, 1 Mexican Ground Squirrel, Cottontail. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Northern Bobwhite, Pied-billed Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Turkey Vulture, Osprey 1, White-tailed Kite 3, Harris's Hawk 4, Crested Caracara 2, American Coot, Killdeer, Laughing Gull, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Common Nighthawk, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Tropical Kingbird, Couch's Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike 5, Purple Martin, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, European Starling, Lark Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Great Tailed Grackle, Bronzed Cowbird, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow Tony Butler Municipal Golf Course not far away, Red-crowned Parrot 2

June 3 Estero Kid's groups today but we notice an Osprey being chased by Laughing Gulls.

June 6 Estero On the strictly traditional trail to Alligator Lake, the levy, to the picnic stop and back across the boardwalk with Huck and Don Carrell. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Plain Chachalaca, Least Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern (still on nest with one fluffy chick), Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Green Heron, White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Turkey Vulture, Sora, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Gull-billed Tern 2, Forster's Tern 1, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Red-crowned Parrot 5, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Pauraque 1, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Couch's Kingbird, Western Kingbird 1, White-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Bank Swallow, Cave Swallow, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, European Starling, Olive Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Bronzed Cowbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Lesser Goldfinch, House Sparrow. Added a Bewick's Wren on the Camino de Aves later, when taking groups back to see the alligators (saw two).

The best part of the day however was when visiting Chris Harrison and friend visiting from San Antonio found a BLOTCHED WATER SNAKE just off the deck! This is not only a first record for Estero Llano Grande State Park but none of the books or websites indicate a county record yet for Hidalgo, Cameron or Willacy (Starr, yes.).

June 7 Estero Night Hike At least 10 scorpions and 10 tarantulas, a couple Lesser Nighthawks, lots of Pauraques.

June 12 Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota We weren't out long, and mostly in the car, but: Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Spotted Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull 1, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, White-throated Swift, Cordilleran Flycatcher 1, Western Kingbird 1, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, American Dipper 6, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Veery, American Robin, Gray Catbird 1, European Starling, American Redstart, Ovenbird, MacGillivray's Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Pine Siskin, House Sparrow. What about YELLOW-BELLIED MARMOT and LEAST CHIPMUNK.

June 13 Our first day of the actual touring, around Lawrence County South Dakota: Mallard 4, Turkey Vulture 30, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Kestrel 2, Killdeer 1, White-throated Swift 4, Lewis's Woodpecker 2, Red-headed Woodpecker 4, Northern Flicker 4, Dusky Flycatcher 1, Warbling Vireo 2, American Crow 1, Barn Swallow 8, Rock Wren 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1, Mountain Bluebird 3, American Robin 5, European Starling 1, Virginia's Warbler 2, Yellow-rumped Warbler 1, Yellow-breasted Chat 1, Western Tanager 2, Spotted Towhee 5, Chipping Sparrow 8, Lark Sparrow 2, Dark-eyed Junco 2, Lazuli Bunting 1, Red-winged Blackbird 10, Western Meadowlark 4, Yellow-headed Blackbird 1, Brewer's Blackbird 6, Common Grackle 5, House Sparrow 4, and Crook County Wyoming: 308 Pronghorns (only 1 in SD), 15 Mule Deer, 5 Whitetail, 95 Prairie Dogs, 2 Yellow-Bellied Marmots, 1 Cottontail, more Least Chipmunks, 1 Coyote, 2 Red Squirrels, an Old World Swallowtail, Melissa/Boisduval's/Western-Tailed/Silvery Blues... Canada Goose 52, Gadwall 1, Blue-winged Teal 1, Northern Shoveler 3, Wild Turkey 2, Pied-billed Grebe 2, Eared Grebe 2, Western Grebe 1, American White Pelican 25, Great Blue Heron 5, Turkey Vulture 5, Northern Harrier 2, Cooper's Hawk 2, Swainson's Hawk 10, Red-tailed Hawk 11, Ferruginous Hawk 8, Golden Eagle 9, American Kestrel 3, American Coot 1, Killdeer 7, Mountain Plover 3, American Avocet 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Upland Sandpiper 1, Wilson's Snipe 1, Wilson's Phalarope 3, California Gull 1, Mourning Dove 12, Common Nighthawk 5, Northern Flicker 1, Loggerhead Shrike 3, Black-billed Magpie 1, Horned Lark 44, Cliff Swallow 72, Barn Swallow 5, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Wren 1, Mountain Bluebird 5, American Robin 1, Sage Thrasher 1, Chipping Sparrow 2, Brewer's Sparrow 11, Vesper Sparrow 4, Lark Bunting 98, Grasshopper Sparrow 4, Dark-eyed Junco 2, McCown's Longspur 10, Chestnut-collared Longspur 10, Red-winged Blackbird 7, Western Meadowlark 63, Common Grackle 3, Brown-headed Cowbird 4, Red Crossbill 1

June 14 Lawrence County SD White-Tailed Jackrabbit, Least Chipmunk, Yellow-Bellied Marmot (for the third day in a row!), Mallard 6, Great Blue Heron 4, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Cooper's Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Mourning Dove 8, White-throated Swift 1, Red-naped Sapsucker 2, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Dusky Flycatcher 3, Cordilleran Flycatcher 2, Warbling Vireo 3, Black-billed Magpie 3, Tree Swallow 2, Violet-green Swallow 8, Barn Swallow 1, Black-capped Chickadee 5, Red-breasted Nuthatch 5, Canyon Wren 1, American Dipper 4, Golden-crowned Kinglet 5, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2, Mountain Bluebird 1, Townsend's Solitaire 1, Veery 4, Swainson's Thrush 2, American Robin 20, Gray Catbird 2, Aubudon's Warbler 5, American Redstart 8, Ovenbird 1, MacGillivray's Warbler 4, Common Yellowthroat 1, Chipping Sparrow 6, Song Sparrow 4,White-Winged Junco 4, Black-headed Grosbeak 8, Red-winged Blackbird 9, Red Crossbill 4, Pine Siskin 13, House Sparrow 14. PenningtonCo SD 6 Bighorn Sheep; 5 Mule Deer; 1500 Bison, 3 Pronghorn, Mallard 4, Mourning Dove, Lewis's Woodpecker 1, Red-naped Sapsucker 3, Downy Woodpecker 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Black-backed Woodpecker 3 (an adult pair feeding young in the nest!), Plumbeous Vireo 1,, Warbling Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo 1, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, Townsend's Solitaire 2, Yellow Warbler 1, Black-and-white Warbler 1, American Redstart 4, Ovenbird 1, Common Yellowthroat 1, Western Tanager 2, Chipping Sparrow 6, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird 5, Brown-headed Cowbird 25, Red Crossbill 2

June 15 Mount Rushmore, SD Although there were hundreds of people, smack in the middle of them was this MOUNTAIN GOAT scratching his back on a wire fence used to keep people on the sidewalk and off the grass!

June 17 Dixieland Park Today the dogs and I found the first Texas Tortoise I've ever seen in this highly recreational park.

June 18 Estero Llano Grande SP Celia's Roadside-Skippers and White Peacocks plentiful. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 11, Mottled Duck 1, Plain Chachalaca 4, Northern Bobwhite 1, Least Grebe 6, Pied-billed Grebe 4, Neotropic Cormorant 1, Least Bittern 6, Great Blue Heron 2, Great Egret 8, Snowy Egret 12, Little Blue Heron 2, Tricolored Heron 2, Cattle Egret 1, Green Heron 9, Black-crowned Night-Heron 2, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2, White Ibis 1, White-faced Ibis 4, Roseate Spoonbill 8, Wood Stork 6 (first of season for Huck and me), White-tailed Kite 3, Harris's Hawk 3, Common Moorhen 13, American Coot 43, Killdeer 7, Black-necked Stilt 15, Laughing Gull 1, Gull-billed Tern 1, Rock Pigeon 4, Eurasian Collared-Dove 6, White-winged Dove 32, Mourning Dove 26, Inca Dove 12, Common Ground-Dove 8, White-tipped Dove 7, Red-crowned Parrot 17, Groove-billed Ani 6, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 5, Black-chinned Hummingbird 1, Green Kingfisher 2, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 30, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Brown-crested Flycatcher 8, Great Kiskadee 5, Couch's Kingbird 12, White-eyed Vireo 2, Purple Martin 4, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2, Cave Swallow 2, Carolina Wren 1, Northern Mockingbird 27, Long-billed Thrasher 2, Curve-billed Thrasher 1, European Starling 5, Olive Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 3, Red-winged Blackbird 8, Great-tailed Grackle 97, Bronzed Cowbird 2, Brown-headed Cowbird 2, Lesser Goldfinch 1, House Sparrow 8

June 19 Frontera Audubon Fast walk-through for lunch: Plain Chachalaca 14, Green Heron 2, White-winged Dove 6, White-tipped Dove 11, Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1, Chimney Swift 1, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 8, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4, Brown-crested Flycatcher 3, Great Kiskadee 4, Purple Martin 1, Black-crested Titmouse 1, Northern Mockingbird 3, Great-tailed Grackle 9, House Sparrow 1. Estero Butterfly Walk #20, a pitiful 20 species: Giant Swallowtail, Great Southern White, Lyside and Dainty Sulphurs, Gray Hairstreak, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Dusky-Blue Groundstreak, Reakirt's Blue, Red-Bordered Metalmark, American Snout, Texan and Pale-Banded Crescents, White Peacock, Queen, Brown Longtail, White and Tropical Checkered-Skippers, Laviana White-Skipper, Julia's Skipper, Southern Skipperling, Celia's Roadside-Skipper.

Clench's Greenstreak

June 20 Bentsen was very active with butterflies but I only had an hour to spend: GRAY MINISTREAKS, CLENCH'S GREENSTREAKS, Clyties, the first Gulf Fritillary in a long time, looking for the TELEA HAIRSTREAKS and missed the dingy purplewing. And I couldn't help but notice the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Altamira Oriole flying over.

June 22 Dixieland Park with 3 dogs, in improved section only, with much machinery and trucks and workmen: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2, Neotropic Cormorant 2, Snowy Egret 6, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 3, Killdeer 8, Laughing Gull 25, Forster's Tern 1, Rock Pigeon 10, White-winged Dove 16, Mourning Dove 40, Inca Dove 1, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2, Tropical Kingbird 2, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1, Loggerhead Shrike 1, Northern Mockingbird 2, Great-tailed Grackle 12, Bronzed Cowbird 6, House Sparrow 10

June 23 It was my day off and I was going to be free from 1pm to 6pm! I determined my goal was to see the shorebirds Dan Jones recently reported on Texbirds. On my way I thought I might pick up the birds of Port Isabel Road. I had bought a scope from an Eagle Optics email months ago, well maybe a year ago, so I brought it along to try it out. The first bird I saw through it was the Aplomado Falcon at the hacking station, and while looking for sparrows the scope's lenses were wetted by their first raindrops. Raindrops! Port Isabel Road turns to glue and wet cement and quicksand at the slightest hint of moisture! Dark clouds had gathered overhead from somewhere! I gave up my casual tour and drove as fast as I could, passing the skeletons of past skirmishes other cars had experienced with the road, huge ruts, now dry and harmless-looking.

I made it to 100 and drove in the rain to Holly Beach, where the rain had stopped. I only had enough time to scope them a bit (no time to count them: a Reddish Egret, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 8, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Wilson's Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Wilson's Phalarope, Laughing Gull) before the rain returned and I ran for the car.

I pulled off the road right after the South Padre Island Causeway, where there were 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Caspian Terns, 12 Royal Terns, 24 Least Terns, a Great Blue Heron, 2 Wilson's Plovers, 2 Willets and a Great-Tailed Grackle. On to the Convention Center where it kept raining intermittently until finally it poured and I was forced to leave for home: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Green Heron, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Clapper Rail, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Long-billed Curlew 2, Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer 2, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Great Kiskadee, Barn Swallow, Northern Mockingbird, RedWinged Blackbird, House Sparrow

June 24 Carol and I were asked to lead a bird walk for children near Misson at El Rocio Resort: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, White-tipped Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Green Jay, Purple Martin, Bewick's Wren 1, Northern Mockingbird, Long-billed Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Great-tailed Grackle, Bronzed Cowbird, House Sparrow. Also two Texas Tortoises.

June 25 Tiocano Lake Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 43, Fulvous Whistling-Duck 60, Neotropic Cormorant 10, Great Blue Heron 2, Great Egret 10, Snowy Egret 73, Little Blue Heron 2, Tricolored Heron 2, Cattle Egret 4, Green Heron 1, White-faced Ibis 2, Roseate Spoonbill 2, Harris's Hawk 1, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer 4, Black-necked Stilt 40, Least Tern 4, Red-winged Blackbird 15, Great-tailed Grackle 50

June 26 Estero Butterfly Walk #21: Pipevine and Giant Swallowtails, Great Southern White, WHITE-ANGLED, ORANGE-BARRED, and Lyside Sulphurs, Little Yellow, Gray Hairstreak, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Clytie Ministreak (6!), Ceraunus, Western-Pygmy, CYNA, MARINE, and CASSIUS (5!) Blues, Fatal and Red-Bordered Metalmarks, American Snout, White Peacock, Queen, Brown Longtail (these last three are by far the most common), POTRILLO SKIPPER, Mournful and Funereal Duskywings, White, Tropical AND DESERT Checkered-Skippers, Laviana and Turk's-Cap White-Skippers, Fawn-Spotted, Clouded, Julia's, Fiery and Celia's Roadside- Skippers, Whirlabout, and Southern Skipperling. The recent rains must have been wonderful for butterflies since we had 38 species this week-- almost twice of last week's 20. I was also very happy to see a White Satin Moth again. We have plenty of Yellow Oleander in the park so this should be no surprise I guess.

Satin White Moth