Golden-cheeked Warbler at SPI Convention Center, 4/19/26

I arrived at the South Pade Island Convention Center at about 1 PM.  There were a lot fewer birders than at Sheepshead.  I checked the water feature and found nothing so I wandered back behind the center to check the Huisache trees.  I found another more cooperative Acadian Flycatcher, the second of an amazing five on the day.  Green, pale breasted, narrow eye ring, big billed with long primary extensions, this is one of the easier Empidonax to identify.

 

I noticed Sarkozi's group was photographing something near the coma tree on the west end of the water feature habitat island.  Turns out they had a bright male Cerulean Warbler.  Unfortunately it was wet like all the birds on this soggy day.

And a couple of brilliant but wet Scarlet Tanagers.

And another Black-throated Green Warbler.

I walked back behind the Convention Center again and found another Summer Tanager.

Then I got a shocking text from David Sarkozi.  He and his group had gone down the boardwalk through the mangroves hoping to add birds to their day list.  One of his group had just photographed a Golden-cheeked Warbler!  Damn that's a species I've wanted to see in the Valley for over thirty years.  David is not in our local WhatsApp group and I was his only contact so I got the text.

Every few years some birder will report a Golden-cheeked Warbler in the Valley.  There is never a photo and they are never refound.  This endanged species nests in juniper and ash trees in the Texas Hill Country and winters in the mountains of Mexico.  I have only seen them on their breeding grounds.  I went runing.

I found the group near the end of the north boardwalk.  David showed me where they had last seen the bird in the mangroves.  Then I got a look at the back of the photographer's camera.  Sure enough it looked like a Golden-cheeked Warbler.  I started searching while David's happy group departed.  

I put the word out on Whatsapp and soon eager birders started arriving.  Michele and Horatio were first to arrive.  She's good at finding stuff in the mangroves.  We had glimpses of birds and found a couple of Hooded Warblers.  More people arrived and we searched and then Isidro Montemayor yells "There it is!"  Fortunately it stayed high in the mangroves.  Between the dark cloudy skies and my poor camera being on its last legs it was hard to get shots of this active little warbler but I managed a few.  The black back and crown differentiates this species from the similar Black-throated Green Warbler.

The bird drifted to the south into the SPI Birding and Nature Center.  I have not heard of it being refound though high powered birders like Ryan and Nolan went running down the boardwalk for it.  This much wanted Golden-cheecked Warbler was my 442nd species for Cameron County.  It started raining so I decided that was enough.  I passed another Kentucky Warbler on the way out.

Not nearly the number of migrants I expected on the cool, wet day.  But I'll take quality over quantity.

South Padre Is.--WBC/Conv. Center/Laguna Madre Trail (LTC 035), Cameron, Texas, US

Apr 19, 2026 1:17 PM - 4:09 PM

Protocol: Traveling

0.326 mile(s)

30 species

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  14

Mottled Duck  2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  12

White Ibis  2

Eastern Wood-Pewee  2

Acadian Flycatcher  4

Great Crested Flycatcher  1

Great Kiskadee  1

Red-eyed Vireo  1

Gray Catbird  4

Northern Mockingbird  1

Swainson's Thrush  2

Lincoln's Sparrow  1

Orchard Oriole  5

Hooded Oriole  1

Altamira Oriole  2

Baltimore Oriole  5

Great-tailed Grackle  15

Northern Waterthrush  1

Black-and-white Warbler  2

Tennessee Warbler  6

Nashville Warbler  1

Kentucky Warbler  1

Hooded Warbler  3

Cerulean Warbler  1

Golden-cheeked Warbler  1

Black-throated Green Warbler  1

Summer Tanager  2

Scarlet Tanager  2

Indigo Bunting  1

Sheepshead South Padre Island, 4/19/26

As a birder I always have an eye on the weather forecast.  And for the past several days a late cold front with rain has been forecast to hit the Lower Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night during the height of spring migration.  I got up Sunday morning and it was cold and rainy and I was expecting a major bird fallout at South Padre Island.  

As I drove out to SPI not much was happening.  No migrants along the roadside.  And the only report on Whatsapp was the refinding of yesterday's Prairie Warbler at Sheepshead.  A stop at the ecotourism center in Laguna Vista yielded absolutely nothing except some fly over Franklin's Gulls.  A brief stop at the base of the cuaseway on SPI was also surprisingly quiet.  But other birders were thinking the same as I because 15-20 car were parked along the muddy streetside at the Valley Land Fund's Sheephead habitat lot.  I wedged my jeep into a vacant slot and headed to the south side.  Not much happening except this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on an orange.

Most of the birders were on the north side and I soon saw the friendly faces of Tammy and Lizzy.  They were all agrin and pointed out the Prairie Warbler over our heads.  It dropped down for a decent shot.  With the dark wet conditions, photography was a challenge.  I bumped the ISO up to 1600 and even 3200 sometimes.

And then there was David Sarkozi who I have known for close to thirty years.  The "father of Texbirds" was leading a prefestival tour for the Corpus Cristi birding festival.  We discussed the waterthrush at the water feature and concurred it was a Northern Waterthrush.

My first Swainson's Thrush for 2026.

Several Eastern Wood-Pewees.  For some reason the eBird filter limit was only two.  Doesn't seem early to me.  Look at that long primary projection.

Back on the south side of the street, birders were happy to see this Yellow-throated Vireo.

There were at least three Summer Tanagers.

The rain picked up and I jumped back in the jeep for some lunch.  I was oriented so I could have an open window without rain entering.  A couple of wet Black-throated Green Warblers popped in.

I had to put down my sandwich and hop outside when I glimpsed a Blue-winged Warbler.  It seemed birds were landing with this latest shower.  I coudn't get a shot of the Blue-wing but dug out this Kentucky Warbler.

And here's the newly split Eastern Warbling Vireo.  I guess we just assume this is Eastern because of our location.  They pretty much look the same.  I guess the songs are supposed to be different.  I have seen what I guess is Western on its breeding gounds in the Davis Mountains.  This split will be a thorn in the sides of records committes across the country.

Rain increased so I left and headed up to the Convention Center.  Little did I know what would be in store.  Stay tuned!

South Padre Is.--Valley Land Fund lots (LTC 036), Cameron, Texas, US

Apr 19, 2026 10:56 AM - 11:55 AM

Protocol: Traveling

0.112 mile(s)

26 species

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1

Eastern Wood-Pewee  3

Acadian Flycatcher  1

White-eyed Vireo  1

Yellow-throated Vireo  1

Blue-headed Vireo  1

Eastern Warbling Vireo  1

Red-eyed Vireo  1

Gray Catbird  1

Swainson's Thrush  3

Baltimore Oriole  3

Red-winged Blackbird  15

Great-tailed Grackle  10

Northern Waterthrush  1

Blue-winged Warbler  1

Black-and-white Warbler  3

Tennessee Warbler  1

Kentucky Warbler  1

Common Yellowthroat  1

Hooded Warbler  3

Prairie Warbler  1

Black-throated Green Warbler  2

Summer Tanager  3

Indigo Bunting  3