Painted Redstart at Falfurrias Rest Area, 2/1/15

This morning I ran up to the Falfurrias Rest Area on US 281 to get some photos of the wintering Painted Redstart.  For the third consecutive winter this little warbler has found the large live oaks with night lights that attract insects much to its liking.  Where it goes over the summer is anyone's guess, but the nearest breeding population is in the Sierra de Picacho about 150 miles to the southwest in Mexico.  When I arrived Richard Liebler and his wife were there looking for it and they soon found it on the south end of the rest area.  Here's some shots of the little beauty.

Eastern Bluebirds do not breed in the Rio Grande Valley but they always seem to be present at the Falfurrias Rest Area which is about 60 miles north of McAllen.  I need to spend some time up here in the summer to see what's going on.

Most winters a Yellow-throated Warbler can be found with the Orange-crowns and Yellow-rumps.

A couple of Blue-headed Vireos turned out to be my first in Brooks County.  Not sure how I've missed them in the past.

Audubon's Warbler seems to be regular here in winter.

On the way up I stopped at the old picnic area on US 281 right before the Brooks County line.  I found a few sparrows, including this Grasshopper Sparrow, but not the Field Sparrows I had hoped for.

And a nice female Pyrrhuloxia.

Falfurrias Rest Area (LTC 004), Brooks, US-TX
Feb 1, 2015 9:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
24 species (+1 other taxa)

Black Vulture  6
Turkey Vulture  1
Eurasian Collared-Dove  3
Mourning Dove  1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  2
American Kestrel  1
Eastern Phoebe  3
Great Kiskadee  1
Blue-headed Vireo  2
Green Jay  2
Black-crested Titmouse  3
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Eastern Bluebird  3
Northern Mockingbird  1
Orange-crowned Warbler  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  2
Yellow-throated Warbler  1
Painted Redstart  1
Eastern Meadowlark  2
Lesser Goldfinch  5
House Sparrow  20