Crimson-collared Grosbeak at Frontera, 5/10/14

Well....uhm... Gee, too bad I don't have a photo.  Yesterday morning I was over at Frontera Audubon Thicket in Weslaco working on my county year list, when this dark, cardinal sized bird flew up into one the tepehuaje trees.  I picked up my binoculars figuring I should see which species of cowbird I was looking at only to see a black bird with a red chest and black head with a stubby beak.  Holy smokes!  Crimson-collared Grosbeak.  I dropped the binos and raised the camera but I was too slow.  I thought I had heard one last week so it was good to know I was right.  Today Mary and I looked for it and heard it call "seeooo"  numerous times but never got a look.  Don't know how long this probably amorous bachelor will hang around.  Hope a lady friend drops by for him.  There is sure plenty of potato trees, their favorite food, in the Thicket.

So instead of a black and red bird, here's a red and black bird, Scarlet Tanager.

Empidonax flycatchers are among the latest of our spring migrants.  Today I saw Alder and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers.  Yesterday I saw this Least Flycatcher.

Here's a Yellow-crowned Night-heron on the boardwalk.

White-tipped Doves are usually on the ground making their "blowing on a pop bottle" sound.  This one got up high for better projection.

With babies on the way, it's time for the Clay-colored Thrushes to think about housekeeping.

Here's yesterday's list.

Frontera Audubon Center, Hidalgo, US-TX
May 10, 2014 8:10 AM - 12:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
62 species (+2 other taxa)

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  6
Plain Chachalaca  12
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  3
Gray Hawk  1
White-winged Dove  15
Mourning Dove  1
Inca Dove  4
White-tipped Dove  10
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  4
Groove-billed Ani  1
Chimney Swift  3
Black-chinned Hummingbird  2
Buff-bellied Hummingbird  4
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker  1
Red-crowned Parrot  1
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)  1
Least Flycatcher  1
Brown-crested Flycatcher  4
Great Kiskadee  2
Couch's Kingbird  1
White-eyed Vireo  1
Blue-headed Vireo  1
Warbling Vireo  3
Red-eyed Vireo  1
Green Jay  2
Purple Martin  2
Barn Swallow  2
Cliff Swallow  1
swallow sp.  10
Black-crested Titmouse  3
Carolina Wren  2
Swainson's Thrush  2
Clay-colored Thrush  1
Gray Catbird  4
Long-billed Thrasher  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Tennessee Warbler  2
Nashville Warbler  1
Mourning Warbler  3
Common Yellowthroat  1
American Redstart  4
Magnolia Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  2
Chestnut-sided Warbler  1
Black-throated Green Warbler  1
Canada Warbler  2
Wilson's Warbler  2
Olive Sparrow  1
Summer Tanager  1
Scarlet Tanager  1
Crimson-collared Grosbeak  1
Northern Cardinal  4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  2
Indigo Bunting  1
Painted Bunting  1
Great-tailed Grackle  5
Bronzed Cowbird  1
Baltimore Oriole  1
Lesser Goldfinch  3
House Sparrow  5