Late yesterday afternoon Evan Farese made another great find. He had photos of a Cassin's Kingbird at the Convention Center on South Padre Island. Every few years some birder claims to find one on SPI and either there is no photo or it turns out to be a dark Western Kingbird. Cassin's Kingbird, pretty common in summer in the Southwest in middle elevations, is a species I've been wanting to see in the Valley for a long time but I had stuff going on and the trip would have to wait till today.
So I got up early and made my way to the Convention Center where I found Brad McKinney was already on the bird. I like it when they are easy like that. It was perched on a treetop and calling "brrr". I shot a lot of photos but the lighting was crappy. Then the bird took off. We refound it in a bit out in from of the loop drive in front of the Convention Center. It was making sallies to the Brazilian peppers where it was grabbing berries. Brad and I were pretty shocked when this rare for the Valley Cassin's Kingbird was joing by a second.
Later I wandered off on my own and got some better photos of my 427th species for Cameron County.
Well this was just the start of what would prove to be one of the most amazing birding days I've ever experienced on SPI. Someone had just found a Spotted Towhee. Another southwestern species, this is only the second I have ever seen in Cameron County.
Then Bob Berstock who is down to guide for the Texas Butterfly Festival found a Brown Creeper. I've seen this species in the Valley just a handful of times.
There were rumors of both White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows and a Green-tailed Towhee but I couldn't find them. My original plan was to get the Cassin's and then drive the beach and find something good. So I took off for the beach.
The beach was wide open with very few people and good for driving. I headed north seeing only a few common shorebirds and terns. After thirteen miles and not seeing a single gull or anything offshore other than Brown Pelicans, I decided to head back to the Convention Center where things were more interesting. As I got closer and withing cell range, my What'sApp dinged. Simon Kiacz had just found an Eastern Whip-poor-will on the boardwalk at the Convention Center. Dang! I've been needing one of those for the county for a loong time. It was still there when I arrived. Cameron County bird #428!
So I decided it was time to find some of that other stuff. I posted myself by the water feather. Common Ground Doves are uncommon on the Island.
I was hoping this empid was something good but the sloppy eyering and short primay extensions say Least Flycatcher.
All of the good birds being seen were the result of a strong cold front that passed a couple of days ago. There were at least twenty Ruby-cowned Kinglets, maybe twice that many.
I wandered to the loop in front hoping to find the kingbirds. I was rewared with this very uncommon Winter Wren. Just a few minutes later a second was found at Sheepshead.
Back by the water feature the immature White-throated Sparrow finally showed. Not rare but pretty uncommon in the Valley.
I got a bad shot of the immature White-crowned Sparrow also.
Common Sparrows included Lincoln's and Savannah.
For the day, eight species that are rare enough to be flagged on eBird were found by birders at the Convention Center. I was able to see six of them. I missed the Green-tailed Towhee and the Golden-crowned Kinglet. A pretty damn fantastic day!
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