La Puerta Tract Migrants, 5/5/25

This morning my goal was to head west to Salineno and Falcon State Park to look for spring migrants for Starr County.  But I got started a little later than I wanted to so as I approached Rio Grande City I thought why not just try the La Puerta Tract?  I had only been there once and that was years ago.  The La Puerta Tract, located on US 83 just east of Rio Grande City, is one of the native habitat tracts managed by the Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR.  And being on the eastern side of Starr County maybe there would be a few more migrants.

I pulled into the parking lot and stepped out and immediately heard a singing House Finch.  I don't get those every day.  Then a short way down the gravelly trail I found my first warblers.  First a couple of Yellow Warblers and then a brilliant Blackburnian Warbler.  First of the year for me.

It was a day for Yellow Warblers.  My eBird total was 25 but an overcast sky made for poor photography.

Painted Buntings were singing but the only one I photographed was a young green male.

I also got a couple of Varied Buntings.  Being back lit, I really had to over expose the image to get any color.

More Warblers included a scruffy male Magnolia who had grabbed a caterpillar.

I missed the shot of the Tennessee Warbler and got a poor one of a Nashville Warbler.

And an American Redstart with a caterpillar.

Calling Dickcissels were scattered along the trail.

A black-throated Green Warbler was cooperative but once again poor lighting.

So for a late start it turned out to be a pretty good day.  And I picked up four Starr County lifers!

LRGV NWR--La Puerta Tract, Starr, Texas, US

May 5, 2025 9:28 AM - 1:55 PM

Protocol: Traveling

1.5 mile(s)

40 species (+2 other taxa)

Northern Bobwhite  2

White-winged Dove  20

Mourning Dove  6

Groove-billed Ani  1

Greater Roadrunner  1

Yellow-billed Cuckoo  2

Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Hummingbird  2

Black Vulture  3

Turkey Vulture  12

Broad-winged Hawk  1

Swainson's Hawk  2

Crested Caracara  1

Eastern Wood-Pewee  2

Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)  1

Ash-throated Flycatcher  1

Great Crested Flycatcher  2

Brown-crested Flycatcher  1

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher  1

White-eyed Vireo  2

Green Jay  2

Verdin  1

Bewick's Wren  3

Northern Mockingbird  3

House Finch  1    Singing on wire

Olive Sparrow  2

Black-throated Sparrow  1

Orchard Oriole  5

Great-tailed Grackle  12

Tennessee Warbler  1

Nashville Warbler  3

Common Yellowthroat  1

American Redstart  2

Magnolia Warbler  3

Blackburnian Warbler  5    Three males and two females

Yellow Warbler  25    At one point I counted five together with a Magnolia.  I took a couple of steps and flushed them.  Twelve warblers flew across the road in front of me.

Black-throated Green Warbler  2

Northern Cardinal  12

Pyrrhuloxia  2

Blue Grosbeak  2

Varied Bunting  2

Painted Bunting  8

Dickcissel  10