Northern Jacana at Santa Ana NWR, 10/18/16

Last winter was good for Northern Jacanas in the RGV and It looks like we're off to a good start for this winter with one present the past few days at Santa Ana NWR.  I decided I would try to get some photos this morning and got word from Raul in the visitor's center that it was still hanging around Pintail Lakes.  A few other birders were gathered when I arrived and after a bit of searching, there it was in the far east pond. After everyone had gotten sufficient views and left, I wandered back to the east side of the pond and waited a while.  And sure enough, the Northern Jacana popped out right in front of me.  I love those ultra long toes!

I lost it as walked behind some tall vegetation and I got distracted by other birds.  And then, there it was again on the log with the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks.

Speaking of Black-bellied Whistling -Ducks, I counted 350 of them.

Pond #2, as it's called, had plenty of other stuff.  Like Black-necked Stilts, Long-billed Dowitchers and a couple of Roseate Spoonbills.

There's no confusing Least and Pied-billed Grebes when they're side by side.

Red eyes and facial skin mean these guys are the common White-faced Ibises.

A pretty Green Kingfisher.

I could not get a good angle on the young male Vermillion Flycatcher.

Here's the list from Pintail Lakes.

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (fulgens) 350
Mottled Duck 10
Blue-winged Teal 3
Green-winged Teal (American) 1
Least Grebe 8
Pied-billed Grebe 4
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Tricolored Heron 2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2
White Ibis 1
White-faced Ibis 4
Roseate Spoonbill 3
Sora 1
Common Gallinule (American) 1
Black-necked Stilt (Black-necked) 71
American Avocet 2
Northern Jacana 1
Least Sandpiper 12
Long-billed Dowitcher 41
Greater Yellowlegs 6
White-winged Dove 2
Groove-billed Ani 2
Green Kingfisher 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Vermilion Flycatcher 1
Great Kiskadee 3
Couch's Kingbird 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Bank Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 120
Marsh Wren 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Great-tailed Grackle 80