I ran over to Anzalduas County Park south of Mission this drippy, windy morning in hopes of finally seeing the male Hooded Merganser that I have missed on several previous tries. Here he is!

I also scored a number of of county year birds like this Zone-tailed hawk that made numerous passes over the treetops. The barred tail indicates it is a young bird.



Most birders assume that all dark Mallard type birds are automatically Mottled Ducks. However Mexican Mallards also occur in the RGV. I think these birds below the dam are Mottleds based on the buffy face coloration and thin white line on the speculum.


This Rock Wren has become the unofficial park sentry.

Rose-breasted (and Black-headed) Grosbeak used to be considered as a rare bird during winter in the RGV but they now occur every winter and are expected.

Gadwall 75
American Wigeon 75
Mottled Duck 10
Blue-winged Teal 25
Hooded Merganser 1
American White Pelican 3
Neotropic Cormorant 5
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 2
Little Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 10
Turkey Vulture 20
Zone-tailed Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 4
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Ring-billed Gull 2
Rock Pigeon 25
Mourning Dove 30
White-tipped Dove 1
Great Horned Owl 1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 6
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 2
Great Kiskadee 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Green Jay 10
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallow 15
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Black-crested Titmouse 3
Rock Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
Eastern Bluebird 2
Northern Mockingbird 6
European Starling 5
Orange-crowned Warbler 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Chipping Sparrow 15
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 4
Pyrrhuloxia 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Great-tailed Grackle 10
Lesser Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 1