More Great Migrants on South Padre Island, 4/25/26

After fun on the SPI flats, I ran over to the nearby Convention Center just in time for lunch.  Parking spots were filled by participants of some even at the Center but I still managed a close one just in time for lunch by the water feature.  My peaceful lunch was soon interruped by a loud ringing warbler chip.  I was expecting a Hooded Warbler or a waterthrush but instead found this Kentucky Warbler.

  Back to work after lunch.  I like the screwy plumage on this young male Baltimore Oriole.

Common Yellowthroat at the water.

A couple of birders joined me by the water feature as this Yellow Warbler came in.

One of them told me he had just seen a Worm-eating Warbler.  Dang!  I would like to see that.  A perky Ovenbird stole my attention.

Then something small and brown was digging around for bugs in the leaves.  I was expecting the Worm-eating Warbler, but saw someting better.  It was a Swainson's Warbler!  I suggested to the birder next to me that this may have been his Worm-eater.  He concurred.  We stayed on it and eventually got nice shots.  Pretty fantastic!

My other goal for the day was to see the Cape May Warbler.  A couple reported seeing it earlier in the morning but i couldn't find it.  So here's a couple of Tennessee Warblers.

Nothing new was happening so I mosied on down to Sheepshead.  As soon as I got out of the jeep I heard "Black-troated Blue Warbler."  It was a real skulker in the SW corner that refused good photographs despite a bunch of us looking for it.  These trans-Gulf migrants are hard to get in the RGV.

Meanwhile the Chestnut-sided Warbler was posing for photos.

It's been a good spring for Prothonotary Wrblers.

Finally got a Worm-eating Warbler on the day.  This one is an orange eater.

Friendly Hooded Warbler.

First Veery for the year.

Sixteen species on warblers on the day including Swainson's and Black-throated Blue along with a Parasitic Jaeger makes  for a pretty good day.