Quinta Mazatlan, 12/17/25

Well I haven't been posting on the blog lately.  The fall butterfly season here in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas has been pretty incredible so that has taken most of my attention.  The National Butterfly Center in Mission recorded 141 species in November!  But good birds have been around with Crimson-collared Grosbeaks at both Edinberg Scenic Wetlands and Quinta Mazatla, not to mention all the incredible stuff in the Corpus Christi area.  So I wandered over to Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen to look for the grosbeak and check out the butterfly situation.  It took me five hours, hearing the bird call several times, before finally getting some crappy photos.  Could it be a good winter for Mexican vagrants?

While searching for the Crimson-collared Grosbeak I found two Western Tanagers.  It was a cloudy pleasant day but poor photography weather.

A Summer Tanager fed on wasps as they often do at Quinta.

Warblers were in short supply with just a few Orange-crowns.

But then I met a couple of ladies looking for the grosbeak and one of them asked if Black-throated Gray Warbler was around.  "Because Merlin is picking one up."  I laughed and said there's been no reports.  I quipped "Sometimes Merlin is a little over exhuberant."  Then the lady pointed at one over my head.  Woops.

Hooded Orioles are always a nice find in winter.

Clay-colored Thrushes were all over the place.

Apparently this one can read.

I think this is a young Black-chinned Hummingbird despite the fact that iNaturalist gave that as a fourth ID choice.  I don't have a lot of faith in AI even though it's right sometimes.

It's shaping up to be a good winter.