I'd Rather B Birdin': Yellow Rumped Warbler

Showing posts with label Yellow Rumped Warbler. Show all posts

§ Winter is NOT Over Yet...

This week it's been showing signs of winter for the Texas Coast! High tides, coastal flooding, temperatures dropping into the high 40s overnight, not reaching much above 60!! And rain! Altho, I am enjoying the respite of weather change, I will be happy again to feel the Spring warmth and be able to go back to "my islands"! lol

Top to Bottom [with habitat map links]:
WHITE TIPPED DOVE
WHITE WINGED DOVE
ROSEATE SPOONBILL
SORA
YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER
RED HEADED DUCK

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§ Ranch Birding...

Recently I took a drive through the ranch land southwest of Corpus Christi. Chapman Ranch to be exact...between my home and Kingsville, Texas. Here there are cotton fields, oil fields, cattle ranches, sorghum farms and wind farms. From season to season, the landscape continually changes and so do the different species of birds at times. It's always a fair chance of seeing something different. Early in the morning hours, the area is abundant most times with raptors and birds that frequent crops and open pastures. Occasionally a Burrowing Owl may be spotted, but even tho other birders have reported seeing them, I haven't this Spring. Maybe if I keep going to the area, I might get lucky. It's all about timing. I did happen to see a Crested Caracara couple courting [the male was carrying nesting material while taking a "come hither" stance and chortling to his mate]. Then, while all this was going on, and the female wasn't all that impressed, a juvenile Caracara flew in to break up the romance! If there was any. :-) Off another county road several Whimbrels were in the ditches flying off in front of the car. ...the Whimbrel has a dark eye line. Whimbrels usually flock and migrate in groups during the early Spring/late winter months. With my experiences, the curlews, which are similar, are not much seen in large flocks; loners or VERY few in one area. Now, when it comes to getting an ID for the field sparrows, that's a whole 'nother story for me [see below]. Oh, and juvenile hawks. They both continue to be a challenge and more times than none, I'm wrong. Thanks to Ken, last week, when he helped me with the hawk ID.

After the dense fog lifted [I posted the fiery sunrise, ranchland and fog photos HERE], as the sun appeared to the east, I spotted some birds busying with finding their catch of the day; their breakfast. I'll share a few:

YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER [Myrtle]
Habitat map: Warbler

MEADOWLARK [eastern with lack of yellow farther on the cheek]
Habitat map: Meadowlark

RED-TAILED HAWK [when it flew the red tail was visible]
Habitat map: Hawk

WHIMBREL?
Habitat map: Whimbrel

SAVANNAH SPARROW? BAIRD'S SPARROW?
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§ During the New Strain of Covid...

Once again, we are discouraged of being out and about due to a new strain of Covid. When I do venture outdoors, birding, I tend to keep more than six feet distance, and am now wearing TWO face masks in public. The state of Texas discourages being anywhere but home and grocery stores, but is NOT banning anyone from being outdoors, walking. So far. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? So, tho not going out everyday as I used to do, I did go on Monday to the islands. This is part of what I sighted in on....

NORTHERN SHOVELER [male]
Habitat map: Shoveler

BLUE WINGED TEAL [male]
Habitat map: Teal

MYRTLE WARBLER [aka Yellow Rumped]
Habitat map: Warbler

BROWN PELICAN[s]
Habitat map: Pelican

RED SHOULDERED HAWK
Habitat map: Hawk

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT [immature]
Habitat map: Yellowthroat

REDDISH EGRET [white morph]
Habitat map: Egret

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§ Long Saught After...

It's been since Springtime just before Hurricane Harvey [3-4 years already?] that I've seen this one! I've been diligent each time I go where there would be a possible sighting, but to no avail. Until this week. We have had frosty days where I haven't gone out to do any walking or birding. And then, one day, thinking I'd go on a walk about on the islands, I took off only to have the engine light come on on the dashboard of my car. I wasn't about to get out in the 'boonies' and have no way of getting back home without roadside assistance. I turned around, dropped the car off at the mechanics and walked home. They did a computer analysis and called me some hours later, had it fixed, and the very next day I was out enjoying the sunny day and mild temperature. And, to top it off, I finally sighted in on the elusive bird. According to my guide books, they are commonly seen, but I can't agree to this. At least not in MY area of Texas. I was happy about seeing it tho! And here he is. He was busy preening, and I took several photos, showing one with his beautiful wings visible:

CINNAMON TEAL [male]
Habitat map: Teal

Other birds seen in the same area of Port Aransas on this day; some in photos below while others counted and recorded were Avocets, Green Winged Teals, Grackles, Mockingbirds, Blue Winged Teals, Ladder Backed Woodpecker, White and Brown Pelicans, Coots, Gulls, Cormorants, Gallinules, Egrets, Killdeer, Robins [continuing winter based this year], White winged Doves, Terns, and probably more that I can't recall just now...

AMERICAN KESTREL
Habitat map: Kestrel

OSPREY
Habitat map: Osprey

YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER [aka Myrtle]
Habitat map: Warbler

REDHEAD DUCK
Habitat map: Duck

TRI-COLORED HERON
Habitat map: Heron

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§ This Month in South Texas...

It's been a wet week. But, we didn't get the full strength of Tropical Storm Beta afterall. We did get angry seas [I went out Sunday early to check the surf...see some of my photos taken. here if you'd like]. By Monday morning, the winds picked up and rain fell. Only a couple days of coastal flooding. We here in Corpus Christi, let out a deep sigh of relief!! Even, tho, we all who live along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts know the season isn't over yet. Here are some more September birds seen in my neck of the woods...

WHITE EYED VIREO
photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Vireo

SCISSOR TAILED FLYCATCHER
photo taken: Chapman's Ranch
habitat map: Flycatcher

YELLOW WARBLER
Port Aransas Texas
habitat map: Warbler

COOPER'S HAWK
photo taken: County Road, Corpus Christi
habitat map: Hawk

SPOTTED SANDPIPER
photo taken: South Bay Park
habitat map: Sandpiper

GREAT KISKADEE
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Kiskadee
NOTE: I subscribe to the magazine Birds and Blooms, and the latest issue [October/November issue] delivered to my mailbox, I learned something about the Kiskadee I thought may be of interest to others. And that is that the Kiskadee used to have a different name: Derby Flycatcher

MYRTLE WARBLER*
photo taken: Packery Channel
habitat map: Warbler

TRI-COLORED HERON
photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Heron

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* Also known as Yellow Rumped Warbler & Butter Butt Warbler

§ Channel Birds....

I begin by apologizing for the many photos! I hope they will all load in minimal time!!! And I may be delayed with visiting your sites, Sunday is my day for perusing your links, and it happens to be my birthday this year...we'll be celebrating.

As I mentioned on my personal blog, I spent a few hours along the ship channel, just to watch the ships, fishermen, recreational boats on a beautiful Sunday morning [if you use the link to my personal blog you'll see the many different ships and boats]. Not only a lot of activity with the humans, but the water fowl was numerous. I stopped at a wildlife refuge first...

BLUE WINGED TEAL
habitat map: Teal
length: 15 inches
wingspan: 27 inches

MYRTLE WARBLER
habitat map: Warbler
length: 5.5 inches
wingspan: 8.5 inches

GREAT EGRET
habitat map: Egret
length: 37-41 inches
wingspan: 56 inches

GREAT BLUE HERON
habitat map: Heron
length: 48 inches
wingspan: 80 inches

TRI-COLORED HERON [middle image also: Blue Winged Teal *two-male and female, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, and Common Gallinule]
habitat map: Heron
length: 25-28 inches
wingspan: 36 inches

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON
habitat map: Heron
length: 25 inches
wingspan: 45 inches

GREATER YELLOWLEGS
habitat map: Yellowlegs
length: 14 inches
wingspan: 25 inches

KILLDEER
habitat map: Killdeer
length: 9-10 inches
wingspan: 19-21 inches

BLACK NECKED STILT [and American alligator]
habitat map: Stilt
length: 14-15 inches
wingspan: 26 inches

COMMON GALLINULE [aka moorhen]
habitat map: Gallinule
length: 14 inches
wingspan: 20-22 inches

LEAST GREBE
habitat map: Grebe
length: 9.5 inches
wingspan: 11 inches

Then I drove to Robert's Community Park along the ship channel and watched the ferry boats that take vehicles across the channel. As I sat on a park bench in front of me...ships, fishermen, boaters, and birds, I saw White and Brown Pelicans, Avocets, Cormorants, and seagulls galore. I almost felt it was like a National Geographic moment...