Backyard Visitor at Progreso Lakes, 8/16/23

Fall migration has been really great over the past week.  I spent five hours in our back yard at Progreso Lakes today and recorded 60 species.  But I found the bird of the day while I was watching the evening news on TV.  I looked out the window and saw what appeared to be a tall, long necked dove.  I knew what it was and couldn't believe it.  An Upland Sandpiper was foraging in our yard.

Upland Sandpipers nest is open grassy fields from the midwest up to Alaska.  They winter in Argentina.  During fall and spring migration they are often found at area turf farms and are referred to as grasspipers along with American Golden Plovers and Buff-breasted Sandpipers which also prefer similar habitat.

Anyway here's the list for the day.

Jones yard, Progreso Lakes, Hidalgo, Texas, US

Aug 16, 2023 7:00 AM - 11:48 AM

Protocol: Stationary

60 species (+3 other taxa)

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  15

Muscovy Duck (Domestic type)  1

Mallard x Mottled Duck (hybrid)  6    Continuing adult male and five offspring

Plain Chachalaca  2

Eurasian Collared-Dove  2

Inca Dove  2

White-tipped Dove  1

White-winged Dove  150

Mourning Dove  50

Groove-billed Ani  1

Chimney Swift  1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  2

Black-chinned Hummingbird  1

Buff-bellied Hummingbird  3

Common Gallinule  1

Black-necked Stilt  1

Killdeer  1

Upland Sandpiper  3

Stilt Sandpiper  1

peep sp.  2

Spotted Sandpiper  2

Neotropic Cormorant  5

Great Blue Heron  1

Snowy Egret  4

Tricolored Heron  1

Cattle Egret  6

Green Heron  8

Black-crowned Night-Heron  7

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  1

Turkey Vulture  1

Osprey  1

Green Kingfisher  1

Golden-fronted Woodpecker  3

Ladder-backed Woodpecker  1

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  1

Great Kiskadee  2

Couch's Kingbird  1

Tropical/Couch's Kingbird  3

Eastern Kingbird  1    Dark grey medium sized passerine with white tip of tail flying south across water

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher  1

White-eyed Vireo  1

Green Jay  1

Verdin  1

Purple Martin  40

Barn Swallow  6

Cliff Swallow  2

Cave Swallow  2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1

Carolina Wren  1

European Starling  40

Northern Mockingbird  4

Clay-colored Thrush  1

House Sparrow  40

Lesser Goldfinch  3

Hooded Oriole  2

Altamira Oriole  1

Red-winged Blackbird  8

Bronzed Cowbird  100

Great-tailed Grackle  10

Yellow Warbler  3

Painted Bunting  4

Dickcissel  1