Frontera Audubon Thicket, 8/24/15

I spent the morning at Frontera Audubon Thicket hoping to find something for my Hidalgo County year list. It was warm, humid and muddy after heavy rain a few days ago but a few migrants made things interesting. I had to get past the sentinel Buff-bellied Hummingbirds before I could enter the park.

This bright Painted Bunting was behind the Skaggs House.

I followed a flock of Clay-colored Thrushes along the fence west of the entrance gate and eventually settled on a count of six.

First warbler  was the common Yellow Warbler but a bit later I ran into a male Mourning Warbler.  Birders often tell me they rarely see Mournings but I find them to be pretty common this time of year.  I saw a juvenal later.  

Past the pond as I ran into a calling Alder Flycatcher making its "perp" call.  The similar Willow Flycatcher makes a "whit" call.

A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and five Black-bellied Whistling Ducks had commandeered the boardwalk.

Following the south fence to the flooded SE corner and then along the east ditch I found  a Louisiana Waterthrush and then got photos of a Northern Waterthrush.

Olive-sided Flycatchers always seem to be found on a bare snag.

I sat a spell at the water feature but the only takes were a pair of Lesser Goldfinches.

One last look at the Buff-bellies and I was done for the morning.  I finished with 40 species.

Frontera Audubon Center, Hidalgo, Texas, US
Aug 24, 2015 8:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
40 species

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 6
Plain Chachalaca  6
Great Egret  1
Green Heron  1
Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron  1
Gray Hawk  1
Solitary Sandpiper  1
Common Ground-Dove 5
White-tipped Dove  5
White-winged Dove  100
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift  2
Buff-bellied Hummingbird  8
Green Kingfisher 1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  6
Ladder-backed Woodpecker  2
Olive-sided
Flycatcher  1
Alder Flycatcher  3
Great Kiskadee  6
Couch's Kingbird 6
Eastern Kingbird  1
White-eyed Vireo  5
Green Jay  2
Black-crested
Titmouse  6
Carolina Wren  5
Clay-colored Thrush  6
Curve-billed Thrasher 1
Long-billed Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Northern Waterthrush  1
Mourning Warbler  2
Yellow Warbler 1
Yellow-breasted Chat  2
Olive Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  4
Painted Bunting  1
Great-tailed Grackle  4
Lesser Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow 6