Sizzlin' Estero, 2/4/15

I was going to do something good today.  Maybe a Willacy County big day or Sabal Palm and Boca Chica or maybe go to McCook and wait for the Goden Eagle.  But it was cold, damp and windy this morning so I just ran over to Estero Lllano Grande State Park here in Weslaco.  I figured if I didn't see anything, I could always go home and take a nap.  Well, it turned out to be a darn good morning.  The Gray-crowned Yellowthroat continues to show nicely.  I thought I was only going to get hidden grass views.

But then it popped up several times and always called to show where it was.

With a good dose of yellowthroat, I walked towards the Tropical Area and heard an off key "peeyerp". And there was a Northern Beardless Tyrannulet.

My goal in the Tropical Area was to find some county year birds that the other Hidalgo County year birders have been seeing.  The south end near the gate was swarming with Turdus thrushes feeding on anacua berries and digging in the dirt.  There were at least eight and maybe a dozen Clay-colored Thrushes and three American Robins.

And one of my target birds, first county Gray Catbird for the year.

I ran into a German couple I had met the other day at Salineno and they had just seen a Cedar Waxing. Only one of them, but I'll take it.

The south end of the Green Jay trail delivered my first Hermit Thrush for the year, but unfortunately no photo.  Despite the morning being dark and gray, this Black-and-White Warbler turned out pretty good. Love the new camera!

A return to the south gate gave me brief views and bad photos of the wintering Western Tanager.

I missed the Orchard and Hooded Orioles but I did get this young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird on the way out by Rick and May's trailer.  A very nice morning!

Woops, I forgot the obligatory Common Pauraque photo.

Estero Llano Grande SP, Hidalgo, US-TX
Feb 4, 2015 8:00 AM - 12:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
56 species

Gadwall  6
Blue-winged Teal  10
Cinnamon Teal  8
Northern Shoveler  10
Northern Pintail  2
Green-winged Teal (American)  20
Canvasback  1
Ring-necked Duck  4
Ruddy Duck  2
Plain Chachalaca  8
Least Grebe  1
Pied-billed Grebe  1
White-faced Ibis  1
Turkey Vulture  6
Common Gallinule  3
American Coot  30
Killdeer  1
Inca Dove  5
Common Ground-Dove  1
White-tipped Dove  7
Common Pauraque  1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Black-chinned Hummingbird  1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird  1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  6
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet  1
Great Kiskadee  8
Tropical Kingbird  1
Couch's Kingbird  2
White-eyed Vireo  1
Green Jay  5
Black-crested Titmouse  2
Carolina Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Hermit Thrush  1
Clay-colored Thrush  6
American Robin  3
Gray Catbird  1
Curve-billed Thrasher  1
Long-billed Thrasher  2
Northern Mockingbird  6
European Starling  10
Cedar Waxwing  1
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Orange-crowned Warbler  5
Nashville Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1
Olive Sparrow  2
Lincoln's Sparrow  5
Western Tanager  1
Northern Cardinal  5
Red-winged Blackbird  100
Great-tailed Grackle  5
Altamira Oriole  2
House Sparrow  30