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08 Mar 2001 Texas Birdwatching BonanzaThe Lower Rio Grande Valley
Fermata spent late January in South Texas, spiriting the winner of the Texas Birdwatching Bonanza (Bonanza) around the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) on a whirlwind birding tour. The Bonanza, sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW), has been organized to solicit support for the nongame efforts by the Department. The Great Texas Nature Trails (including the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail), the Great Texas Birding Classic, and the World Birding Center are all examples of the progressive work of this agency. Linda Campbell of TPW conceived and planned this contest, and Fermata volunteered to lead two of the tours (the LRGV and the Upper Texas Coast). Contestants, upon purchasing a $10 ticket, vied for a chance to win three guided birding trips (LRGV, the Upper Texas Coast, and the Trans-Pecos) in Texas in 2001. Sue Schulman of Denver bought ten tickets and emerged the fortunate winner. Fermata, represented by me (Ted Eubanks), met Sue and her friend Jim Sandor in Harlingen on January 27, 2001, and immediately set out to scour the LRGV for bird and beast. The journey began at the Texas Coastal Fishery Field Station in Olmitos (LTC Site #044). Waiting for Sue’s flight to arrive, Jim and I searched the resaca for waterbirds. We would not be disappointed, and Roseate Spoonbill, Spotted Sandpiper, and Black-necked Stilt were among the birds found in and around the old fish hatchery. Here we found the first of the "Valley Birds" such as Great Kiskadee and Green Jay. Before departing, I checked an old Rio Grande Ash near the headquarters for the Eastern Screech-Owl that has lived at this location for several years, and, as usual, the owl’s curiosity brought him to the edge of his (or her) roost hole. Although not exactly on the way to Valley International Airport (in fact, in the opposite direction), we decided to zip through Brownsville and check Resaca Blvd. (LTC Site #047) for additional ducks, herons, and egrets. Anhinga, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Ring-necked Duck, and Common Moorhen were among the birds crowded into this urban waterway. Yet Sue’s flight beckoned, and we decided that it would be "poor form" to be late to retrieve the winner! Harlingen, therefore, would be the next stop. After Sue joined us, we traveled east to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LTC Site #024). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has transformed the headquarter grounds into a splendid wildlife viewing facility, complete with butterfly gardens, native plantings, and a shaded stream. The garden there attracted Valley specialties such as Long-billed Thrasher, Green Jay, and Olive Sparrow. Next we drove the 15-mile Bayside Drive, and soon we were treated to rafts of Redheads on the Laguna Madre that blackened the surface like an animated oil slick. We began the drive with a male Merlin perched atop an old yucca bloom stalk, and we completed the cruise with an Aplomado Falcon streaking from behind the dense loma vegetation. We exited the refuge to the sound of Sandhill Cranes coming from the fields to roost, and watched perched Ospreys finishing their last finny morsel for the day. Our pace through the refuge left us in the dark (literally), so we high-tailed it to the El Canelo Ranch (LTC #010). Proprietress Monica Burdette knew how late I can be, so supper patiently awaited our delayed arrival. After dinner we shifted outside, and relaxed to the sound of roosting Wild Turkeys jostling for position in their rooftop roost. Sue and I awoke early, and walked the caliche road that fronts the Inn. Great Horned Owls barked from every mesquite (or so it seemed), and Pauraques soon joined them in the serenade. Northern Bobwhites added their odd morning calls to the cacophony, and soon we were bathed in the sounds of the Texas Brush Country. The quest bird at El Canelo is the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. Found only in far South Texas and southeast Arizona, this tiny owl is easier to find at El Canelo than just about any spot in the U.S. A pair appeared immediately after sunrise, with the apparent male delivering a moth to an eagerly awaiting female. For the remainder of the morning, the owls graced us as they darted around the courtyard. Ray Burdette graciously volunteered to cart us around the ranch, and we were able to see impressive numbers of brush country birds such as Pyrrhuloxia, Harris’ Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, and Olive Sparrow. Near the entrance to the ranch we walked a closely cropped pasture, and soon startled a small flock of Sprague’s Pipits. After waiting for these rockets to dip back to earth, we were blessed with leisurely views of one perched on a small clod. The morning had drifted away, and we need to continue on with our whirlwind trip. Departing El Canelo, we decided to head due south toward Brownsville and the Audubon Sabal Palm Sanctuary (LTC #042). One of the last remaining groves of native sabal palms in the state, this sanctuary also offers refuge to a staggering array of plants, bugs, snakes, birds, and mammals. The wind had steadily increased during the day to a dull roar (at times, not so dull). Despite the gale, White-tipped Doves, Altamira Orioles, and Green Jays bathed at the pool near the visitor center. Least Grebes were among the waterfowl packed into the resaca, and among the various ducks there we found one Greater Scaup (an interesting bird for the Valley). As the day ended, we decided to continue straight to South Padre Island and the Convention Center wetlands (LTC #035). A late evening walk there yielded Marsh Wrens, Swamp Sparrows, an impressive selection of waterbirds near the outflow (including white-morph Reddish Egret), and a Laguna Madre sunset that belies description. Darkness descended, and we straggled to the Brown Pelican Inn for the evening. The Brown Pelican Inn is perched on the shore of Padre Island, bordered by mangroves that frame an incomparable view of the Laguna Madre. Owners Chris and Yves de Diesbach smothered our group in hospitality and crepes (a breakfast specialty from Chris). A sunrise stroll on the boardwalk at the Laguna Madre Nature Trail (LTC #035) uncovered a stolid American Bittern hidden in the cattails, as well as several Clapper Rails clacking to our approach. After bidding Chris and Yves goodbye, we headed west off the island and toward Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (LTC #059). The trip’s schedule left little time to bird west along the Rio Grande, yet we decided to invest a few hours at Santa Ana. Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Plain Chachalaca, Altamira Oriole, Olive Sparrow, and Golden-fronted Woodpecker were among the birds that accompanied us during our jaunt. Rose-bellied Lizards and a pair a mating Red Saddlebags rounded out our stroll. Although the butterfly garden that fronts the visitor center had yet to burst into bloom, there were several species (such as Funeral Duskywing, Lyside Sulphur, and Red Admiral) nectaring on the few splotches of Eupatorium that remained. The heat got the best of us, however, and we chose to continue on to our last night’s destination — the Inn at Chachalaca Bend. Approximately 95% of the native vegetation in the LRGV has been cleared for agriculture and urban expansion. The Inn at Chachalaca Bend offers a glimpse into the past, a glance back at the Valley that was, not is. Balanced along the edge of one of the many resacas that scale the delta, the Inn at Chachalaca Bend encompasses a sliver of the Valley’s legacy. The acreage that surrounds the Inn has apparently never been cleared, and the shear dimension of the plants testifies to that fact. Chachalacas marched along with our truck as we entered the grounds, and by sunset the resident Eastern Screech-Owl had moved to its perch at the entrance hole of the nest box. The view from the top of the observation tower included Osprey, Couch’s Kingbird, and a small flock of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons (along with the more common Black-crowned) roosting in the dense vegetation along the resaca. Gray Catbirds mewing from the dense tropical foliage, and a young male Vermilion Flycatcher sallying forth from its perch punctuated a hike through the restored prairie tract. A banana yellow orb weaver had fabricated her web within the spines of a nopal along a walking path. Our hosts’ (Rosemary and Cleve Breedlove) generous hospitability, incomparable natural resources, and the splendid accommodations combined for an unforgettable Valley birding experience. So thus ended our trip. The next morning we sped to Valley International Airport, and Jim and Sue returned to reality. In May, however, Sue will return to the Texas coast and a weekend of migrants at High Island. No doubt 2001 will be a memorable year for Sue Schulman, and we at Fermata are honored to be a part of her celebration. Trip du Jour, March 8, 2001 Texas Birdwatching Bonanza The Lower Rio Grande Valley by Ted Eubanks
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