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Flights were on American (several airlines were all at the same rate, picked based on time and connecting city) and we had no real issues. Car rental was through Hertz. Mazda 3, which was much less comfortable than the 6 I had last year. We’re pretty sure we got screwed a bit on the cost there and have no interest in dealing with Hertz again any time son. Hotels and food are all mentioned in the daily reports.

I brought my own GPS. It worked fine for the most part, but had occasional issues with new construction and road names. The construction wasn’t a problem as it was obvious where to go but the names did cause some problems. We had to refer to the paper directions for several places as I couldn’t find them in the attraction list and the route number in the address wasn’t accepted (for some reason it wanted the local name).

Here’s everything seen on our trip:

Birds (156)

Gadwall

At most places with water

American Wigeon

various watery spots

Mallard

A few in the Riverwalk in San Antonio and a couple in Rockport

Mottled Duck

2-4 each at Santa Ana, Llano Grande, and South Padre

Blue-winged Teal

Couple each at various water spots

Cinnamon Teal

Four from the deck at Llano Grande

Northern Shoveler

Big numbers at Llano Grande and Laguna Atascosa

Northern Pintail

Huge numbers at Laguna Atascosa and Goose Island

Green-winged Teal

Couple at Llano Grande and Choke Canyon

Redhead

Many in the bay at South Padre and Laguna Atascosa

Ring-necked Duck

1 at Santa Ana, handful at Llano Grande

Lesser Scaup

2 at Llano Grande

Bufflehead

Few each at Aransas, Goose Island, and Choke Canyon

Common Goldeneye

Couple while driving over the causeway between Rockport and Aransas

Red-breasted Merganser

Few at most coastal stops

Ruddy Duck

15 at Llano Grande

Plain Chachalaca

Flocks of 5-10 at most valley sites (Santa Ana to Laguna Atascosa)

Common Loon

5 at Goose Island

Least Grebe

Few at Santa Ana and Llano Grande, single at Laguna Atascosa

Pied-billed Grebe

At sites all over from Zacata Creek to Goose Island

Eared Grebe

Few way out at Goose Island

American White Pelican

Few at Falcon and Zapata, about 100 at Llano Grande, couple elsewhere

Brown Pelican

All over the coast

Neotropic Cormorant

Few from Zacate Creek to South Padre

Double-crested Cormorant

from Laguna Atascosa to Goose Island (probably lots should have been cormorant sp)

Anhinga

4 at Llano Grande, 2 at Frontera

Great Blue Heron

Everywhere

Great Egret

Everywhere

Snowy Egret

Everywhere

Little Blue Heron

1-3 at Llano Grande, South Padre, and Laguna Atascosa

Tricolored Heron

Singles at Llano Grande and South Padre, 6 at Aransas

Reddish Egret

1 at South Padre, 2 at Aransas

Cattle Egret

3 at Zacate Creek

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Single at Llano Grande (the bird walk also had a Green Heron that I missed)

White Ibis

few from South Padre to Aransas

White-faced Ibis

Single at Zacate Creek

Roseate Spoonbill

Singles at Llano Grande and South Padre, about 10 at Aransas on the boardwalk by the tower

Black Vulture

Everywhere

Turkey Vulture

Everywhere

Osprey

Few near Falcon, along coast, and at Choke Canyon

White-tailed Kite

Pair at Llano Grande

Northern Harrier

Singles at Falcon, South Padre, and Laguna Atascosa

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Singles at Zacate Creek and Bentsen

Cooper’s Hawk

Singles at Santa Ana, Quinta Mazatlan, and Llano Grande

Harris’s Hawk

Single at Falcon and Santa Ana

Red-shouldered Hawk

Small numbers from Frio County to Llano Grande

White-tailed Hawk

several along the roads in Cameron County and up to Aransas (one perched in front of the cranes)

Red-tailed Hawk

Numerous along the highways (likely some other hawks mixed in but it was hard to stop)

Crested Caracara

Numerous, especially near Zapata and along the coast

American Kestrel

Abundant along the highways (I could have used a hand clicker to keep track of numbers)

Peregrine Falcon

One over the parking lot at the Best Western in Weslaco

Aplomado Falcon

A distant bird in flight at Laguna Atascosa must have been one of these

Sora

One at Llano Grande

Common Moorhen

Few each at Santa Ana, Llano Grande, South Padre, and Laguna Atascosa

American Coot

Everywhere there was water

Sandhill Crane

2 along the road west of Rockport somewhere

Whooping Crane

2 were visible from the tower at Aransas

Black-bellied Plover

Single at South Padre

Killdeer

few all over

Mountain Plover

At least 50 in the field at the intersection of 57 and 140 in Frio County

Black-necked Stilt

6 at Llano Grande

American Avocet

4 at Llano Grande, 1 over the road between Rockport and Beeville

Northern Jacana

the long-staying bird at Choke Canyon was easy to see at the shore of 75-Acre Lake

Spotted Sandpiper

1-2 at many spots

Greater Yellowlegs

Few each at Zacate Creek, South Padre, and Laguna Atascosa

Willet

4 at South Padre, 30+ at Laguna Atascosa, 4 at Goose Island, all presumably Western

Long-billed Curlew

2 at South Padre, 5+ at Laguna Atascosa

Marbled Godwit

Single at South Padre, handful at Laguna Atascosa

Ruddy Turnstone

1 at Laguna Atascosa, few at Goose Island

Dunlin

10+ at Laguna Atascosa

Long-billed Dowitcher

40+ at Llano Grande, single dowitcher at South Padre

Laughing Gull

Numerous along the coast

Ring-billed Gull

Few at Goose Island

Herring Gull

Handful

Gull-billed Tern

About 10 at Laguna Atascosa

Caspian Tern

4 at South Padre, singles at Laguna Atascosa and Rockport (several tern sp along the coast as well)

Royal Tern

Few at South Padre at least

Black Skimmer

About 50 at South Padre, 3 at Goose Island

Rock Pigeon

Various in cities

Eurasian Collared-Dove

5 at the Best Western in Weslaco, 2 near the Big Oak at Goose Island, 2 in Lamar

White-winged Dove

2-20 at various spots

Mourning Dove

Plenty

Inca Dove

from Salineno to Frontera, most numerous at Frontera

Common Ground-Dove

Salineno, Bentsen, and Llano Grande

White-tipped Dove

Couple at most valley sites and Laguna Atascosa

Greater Roadrunner

5 at Laguna Atascosa

Common Pauraque

2 staked out at Llano Grande

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

2-3 each at Llano Grande, Valley Nature Center, and Frontera

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Singles at Llano Grande and Frontera

Ringed Kingfisher

2 over Zacate Creek, 1 over Military Highway in Mission

Belted Kingfisher

1 on the highway near Falcon, 1 at Aransas, 1 in Rockport

Green Kingfisher

Singles at Santa Ana and Frontera

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Everywhere

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Few from Falcon to Quinta Mazatlan including 8 at Bentsen

Eastern Phoebe

at most sites

Great Kiskadee

Numerous from Zacate Creek to Frontera

Tropical Kingbird

3 (presumed) at Llano Grande

Couch’s Kingbird

Single at South Padre, 4 along the road in at Laguna Atascosa

Rose-throated Becard

The young male coming to the peanut butter feeder at the gatehouse at Bentsen was easy to see as the park opened

Loggerhead Shrike

Single at Falcon, few near Laguna Atascosa, 1 at Goose Island

White-eyed Vireo

Single at Falcon, 3 heard at Laguna Atascosa

Blue-headed Vireo

Single at Bentsen

Blue Jay

3 in San Antonio

Green Jay

Most valley sites, up to Choke Canyon

Chihuahuan Raven

handful along the highway near Zapata

Tree Swallow

Few at Santa Ana

Cave Swallow

Single at Santa Ana

Black-crested Titmouse

At most places in the valley

Verdin

2 at Falcon

Carolina Wren

One in San Antonio and Santa Ana

Bewick’s Wren

One at Salineno

House Wren

Single at Bentsen

Marsh Wren

Couple calling at South Padre

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

All over the valley

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

At most sites in the valley

Northern Wheatear

Wintering bird was easy to see in Beeville

Clay-colored Thrush

Single at the gatehouse at Bentsen

American Robin

San Antonio and Zacate Creek

Northern Mockingbird

All over but especially abundant at Falcon and Laguna Atascosa

Long-billed Thrasher

At most valley sites, good numbers at Laguna Atascosa

Curve-billed Thrasher

2 at Quinta Mazatlan, single at Laguna Atascosa

European Starling

few

American Pipit

Few along the roads, single at Llano Grande, and a handful at Choke Canyon

Sprague’s Pipit

Single at Laguna Atascosa near Pelican Lake

Cedar Waxwing

Few in San Antonio, single at Quinta Mazatlan, about 20 at Llano Grande

Orange-crowned Warbler

Everywhere

Tropical Parula

Both staked out birds (Quinta Mazatlan and Frontera) were seen

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Everywhere, all appeared to be Myrtle

Black-and-white Warbler

Single at Valley Nature Center

Ovenbird

Single at Frontera

Common Yellowthroat

At most wet spots

Olive Sparrow

From Salineno to Laguna Atascosa

Cassin’s Sparrow

One at the start of the nature trail at Falcon

Chipping Sparrow

Couple in San Antonio and Aransas

Savannah Sparrow

Handful at Llano Grande, Laguna Atascosa, and the wheatear site

Grasshopper Sparrow

One at Llano Grande, 2 (1 incredibly cooperative) at Laguna Atascosa

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Falcon, Bentsen, and Llano Grande

Swamp Sparrow

Single at Aransas

White-crowned Sparrow

1 at Falcon

Crimson-collared Grosbeak

The Quinta Mazatlan bird was fairly easy to see once we got to the right spot

Northern Cardinal

All over

Pyrrhuloxia

Couple at Zacate Creek, 10+ at Falcon

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

One at Bentsen

Indigo Bunting

Few at Bentsen

Red-winged Blackbird

All over

Eastern Meadowlark

Many singing at Laguna Atascosa

Western Meadowlark

Presuming most of the meadowlarks from San Antonio to Zapata and in Beeville were Western (several heard)

Brewer’s Blackbird

Sarita rest stop and elsewhere along 77

Great-tailed Grackle

Everywhere

Bronzed Cowbird

4+ at the Best Western in Weslaco

Brown-headed Cowbird

Few at Falcon and Sarita

Hooded Oriole

3 at Salineno and 1 likely at Falcon

Altamira Oriole

Falcon, Salineno, and Bentsen

Audubon’s Oriole

1 at Salineno

American Goldfinch

2 at Zacate Creek, 5 at Frontera

House Sparrow

Many

The cool and cloudy weather wasn’t very good for bugs, which were in low numbers after cold weather before we arrived.

Butterflies (6+)

Funeral Duskywing

Presumably the duskywing at Falcon.

Tropical Checkered-Skipper

Several at Valley Nature Center

Skipper sp

Falcon, still working on it

Little Yellow

Falcon

Reakirt’s Blue

Falcon

Fritillary sp

Presumably Variegated but very poorly seen at Falcon

American Snout

1 at Santa Ana

Mestra

1 at Santa Ana

Odes (3)

Familiar Bluet

1 female at Falcon was presumably Familiar

Common Green Darner

Several at Santa Ana

Red Saddlebags

Several at Santa Ana

February 13

Today was a travel day as we headed back to San Antonio. Of course, with 2 very good birds on the way, it was also a good birding day.

We left Rockport and started towards Beeville. On the way, we found a couple Sandhill Cranes in a field and had an Avocet and other stuff fly over.

Reaching Beeville, we worked our way to the outskirts where a Northern Wheatear spent the winter at a farm. The farm was easy to find (a bit closer to the road than the directions implied). Getting out of the car, we were almost immediately joined by a Canadian couple. Seconds later, the wheatear popped up and gave us pretty good views (which was doubly nice as other people reported having long waits and only distant views).

After stocking up on peanut brittle for gifts, we headed on to the next stop, Choke Canyon State Park. Not surprisingly, the other people were heading that way too and we arrived at the same time. Checking in, we got directions to the pond hosting the Jacana and headed that way. Almost immediately, we located the bird walking out in the open along the edge of the lake.

We spent close to an hour watching it walk and fly along the edge of the pond, getting great views.

We drove around the park a bit and eventually stopped at one of the picnic areas for lunch. This was near the fishing area and we enjoyed a flock of Snowy Egrets waiting for leftovers.

From here, we headed back to San Antonio, arriving at Jack’s midafternoon. We went out to Red Lobster for dinner (again with a wait from rodeo crowds). It was fairly good (especially considering we already had excellent seafood the last few nights). We then packed and got ready for our early flight.

The return trip was easy with flights right on time (not having to get off the plane in Chicago was very nice) and we were home by midafternoon with Harry waiting.