Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Bulletin 171 - First week of April migrants

Migration is off to a great start in the first week of April.

The best bird was this male Cerulean Warbler. This species is a target in Texas migration. There were several this past week at LaFitte's Cove. He is blue with white underparts and a black chest band.

Cerulean warbler - male
Another good bird was a Worm-eating Warbler. He is IDed by the brown color and striped head.

Worm-eating Warbler
A male Tennessee Warbler put in an appearance. This is a common species in migration. It is green backed, gray headed witrh a prominent white eye stripe. Of interest to me was the yellow face. It doesn't show in the guide books, so he may be a first year bird molting from juvenile plumage?

Tennessee Warbler - male
I said in the previous journal the Yellow-throated Warbler was a nemesis bird for me. Well the jinx has been broken this spring as I have seen 3 of them already. I had only seen 3 in the previous 20 years of birding!

Yellow-throated Warbler
Other birds were my first Summer Tanager. The male is all red with a large yellowish bill.

Summer Tanager - male
A beautiful Chipping Sparrow in breeding plumage with his bright rusty cap, unstreaked breast, and black line through the eye.

Chipping Sparrow - breeding
Elsewhere on Galveston Island I was lucky to get close to a Wilson's Snipe in a roadside puddle. I took the photo out of the car window to prevent spooking the bird.

Wilson's Snipe
Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2013 David McDonald
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