More Fall Warblers at Progreso Lakes, 9/13/21

Tropical storm Nicholas has been churning along the south Texas coast today, bringing us some rain and northerly wind.  The upshot is more fall warblers are being seen here in our Progreso Lakes yard.  This morning I was pleased to find this Blackburnian Warbler which is very uncommon in the Valley during fall migration.  I missed seeing one in the spring so it was 2021 yard bird #197.

Yesterday I got poor shots of an equally uncommon Chestnut-sided Warbler.  It popped in again this morning in response to my whistled pygmy owl call and was much more cooperative.

And the day before that I managed to call an American Redstart out of the neighbor's yard.

Last week another Yellow-throated Warbler stopped by.

And we also had a Canada Warbler which is pretty regular in fall.

As is Nashville Warbler.

We have Yellow Warbler daily in fall.

In my last post I mentioned our Mourning Warbler so that brings our  total for September to eight species or warblers with lots of migration still to come.

New Bird at Progreso Lakes, 9/4/21

There are about a dozen species of birds that are resident or regular migrants in Hidalgo County that I have yet to see in our yard at Progreso Lakes.  The one I thought most likely to drop by was Yellow-throated Vireo.  Well a couple of days ago I looked out the bedroom window at our brush patch that was being sprayed by our irrigation system, when I noticed a passerine ejoying the afternoon shower.  I got got my binoculars on it and saw a bight green back outlined by dark gray wings with white wing bars.  First thing I thought was Blue-winged Warbler.  Then it turned around and I saw big yellow spectacles abound a dark eye and a lemon yellow throat.  Our first Yellow-throated Vireo.  I ran out with the camera but got a terrible shot.  Two days later it appeared again and I got more bad photos.  Finally today I was able to get some OK pictures.  Yellow-throated Vireo is yard bird #241.

Later I was sitting on the back porch watching our bird bath when I heard a repeated "chek" call.  I was hoping it wasn't the Red-winged Blackbird that had just left the feeder.  The call was a little "sweet" for a Redwing.  My guess was Mourning Warbler.  Anyway I pished and did my vireo scold call and the bird kept calling but wouldn't come our.  Finally I went around behind the brush patch and tried to sneak up on the bird.  There was something on the back side of the Tenaza.... a wet bird preening.  It was a young Mourning Warbler.  I got a tough photo.  Had I stayed on the porch I probably could have gotten it in the bird bath.

Eastern Kingbirds have been passing through.

And we've had a couple of Olive-sided Flycatchers.

This afternoon the dove hunters are out and blasting away.  Hopefully they will stir things up and there will be new stuff in the yard tomorrow.