There have been a lot of interesting birds found in the Rio Grande Valley the past couple of weeks but I have been missing out on them because of chores at home and spending time looking for birds and butterflies in our Progreso Lakes yard. Today I decided to make the short drive over to Estero Llano Grande State Park to look for some of their recent good birds. I missed out on the Summer Tanager and Dusky-capped Flycatcher but got fantastic looks at the Hammond's Flycatcher as it bathed in the mister at the Indigo Blind. This Rocky Mountain empid is just another of the western birds that have strayed to the Valley this fall. A Hammond's visited Estero several years ago so this wasn't a new county bird for me. I think the first photo is catching some green reflection for the pool at the blind.
Right after the Hammond's Flycatcher left, a Tropical parula dropped in for a bath. I'm guessing this is a young male. It seems to have a bit of an eye ring so there may be a few Northern Parula genes in the pool.
Brad McKinney was in the blind with me as I took these photos and we decided to make a try for the Red-naped Sapsucker at the San Juan Wetlands. When we arrived my birding buddies Bert Wessling and John Heaney had the sapsucker staked out for us. I've seen several of these in the RGV through the years but it's interesting that we have one while other western birds are present.
Then as we watched the Red-naped Sabsucker we heard a very flicker-like "skew" call in the distance. Another western bird, a "Red-shafted" Northern Flicker had been seen in the area the past few days. We chased it down and John spied it in a distant tree on private property. But it promptly flew into the park where we were able to get some poor views of it.
We also saw a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and our usual Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers to make this a rare five woodpecker day, a first for me in the Valley.
Another rare bird in the Rio Grande Valley is this Ruddy Ground Dove which has been present for about ten days at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park. This is only the second I've seen in Texas. The other was at Estero years ago. East Mexican Ruddies are much more brightly colored than their West Mexican counterparts.
Meanwhile I just got word that Troy Hibbetts has just found an Elegant Trogon at Estero. There's the Dusky-capped Flycather at Estero and a Rose-throated Becard at Santa Ana NWR so not only is the Valley being invaded by western birds but Mexican strays are starting to show up. Looks like it's going to be a great winter.
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