Bulletin 260 - Spring Migration

After last years pretty dismal migration, this year was spectacular. I actually was at LaFitte's Cove in Galveston for 2 days when we had fall outs and the trees were teeming with birds. These were Monday April 18 and Saturday April 30. What fun! 

I still had 2 birds to photograph despite 10 years of spring migrations. These were a male Golden-winged Warbler, and an adult Black-billed Cuckoo.

Here are a few highlights from 1/2 dozen trips to the coast.

The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is a beautiful bright yellow with blue-gray wings. This is the only 1 I saw this year and it was on the 18th.

Prothonotary Warbler

A Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) was practically at my feet in the open. This is unusual for this normally shy bird. The bold spots on his breast can be seen to be individual feathers.

Wood Thrush

My friend Martin Jackson from New York and his son Thomas from LA flew in for a day of birding and they hit the jackpot on the 30th. Martin especially wanted to see a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Well as you know, that is a western species and is rare here. Well as luck would have it we found a pair at Anahuac NWR. I didn't get any photos, but Martin saw both the male and female!

There were a pair of King Rails (Rallus elegans) in the open at Anahuac as well.

King Rail

We headed to High Island after lunch and on the way to the famous rookery, I found my Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) right overhead. He is gray with gold wing patch, gold cap and black facial pattern.

Golden-winged Warbler - male

Next we went to LaFitte's Cove to see if there were any late afternoon arrivals as a strong front with rain had come through and that may bring in a fall out. Well it sure did. When we arrived, we were told that both golden-winged and the cuckoo were in the woods.

Martin spotted the Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) in the canopy. It is IDed by the red eye, black bill, and long tail. This was the first one I had seen in the 10 years of doing photography.

Black-billed Cuckoo - adult

A short time later, another male Golden-winged Warbler flew into the drip. So 2 of them in one day. Most years, I don't see a single bird.

Golden-winged Warbler - male

At LaFitte's Cove on April 10th I had some interesting photos of a Great Egret hunting. This long legged wader can be found walking the trails in the woods and I always wondered what he was eating. Well that day I found out.

First he caught several lizards.

Great Egret with lizard

Later he tackled an 18" garter snake.

Great Egret with Garter Snake1

The snake wasn't excited about what the egret had in mind and he tried to grab onto a stick or anything when he was dropped. This stick however was broken and didn't help.

Great Egret with Garter Snake2

On a couple of occasions, the snake was able to get wrapped around the bill of the egret and he had to drop it once again.

Great Egret with Garter Snake3

Finally, the egret is making progress and gets the snakes head in his mouth and starts to swallow it, but the tail is flailing around and wraps around the neck of the egret and starts to choke him, so again he lets go and drops the snake.

Great Egret with Garter Snake4

After once more wrapping itself around the beak of the egret, the snake itself ends up tied up in knots, and the end is near as he can swallow it now.

Great Egret with Garter Snake5

And after more than 6 minutes, the egret completed the task.

Great Egret with Garter Snake6

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2016 David McDonald

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Bulletin #126 – Misc local birds

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas

November 27, 2010



Bulletin #126 – Misc local birds

This fall has found me with an overload of chores and family obligations and almost no time for birding. However, I have managed a few hours here and there to get into the field.

I did find a few interesting birds in those trips.



The first is a Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus). This bird was found at LaFitte's Cove on Galveston Island Sept 12, 2010. This is a very rare bird here in eastern Texas. I have only seen it twice before in 20 years, both times in the spring.



This particular bird is a juvenile as can be IDed by the yellowish eye ring and the faint gray tips on the tail feathers. Notice the scientific name means red eye. The adult has the red eye ring.

The next bird is a Merlin (Falco columbarius) I saw at Anahuac NWR on October 2, 2010. This 10" falcon is a very strong flier, taking birds and insects on the wing. This is my first photo of this species. It isn't uncommon, but usually I see them in the flying and thus cannot get a photo.


The brown plumage is either a female or immature bird. The male is gray.

Next we have an old friend of mine. This female Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) at LaFitte's Cove in Galveston was found again on November 20. These birds are non- migratory, but this bird is about 75 miles east of their normal range and is likely the only one of her species on the upper Texas coast. I first found and photographed her Oct 29, 2006. This was my first time to see her since last spring.

I went to Brazoria NWR on Thanksgiving and found several Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus). The majority of the birds we have here are the brown females. So finding this gray male was a treat. This bird is easily IDed by the white rump as it flies low across fields and marshes. 

I followed the bird as it flew, but lost it as it soared upwards into the sun. I looked back where it had been and this brown female glided along the same path just taken by the male. 

She also soared upwards and as I continued to follow her and snap photos, I saw a second bird enter the scene. This was the male dive bombing her from above. She saw him and banked sharply upwards to meet the challenge.

The next frame has them almost talon to talon. I don't know whether they actually touched or collided as it happened so quickly. 

The last photo with both in the field has him continuing down and her up and away to the right. 

My camera shoots 8 frames per second, so the time interval of the 3 photos was only 1/4 second. We see these confrontations fairly often, but only with luck are we filming a single bird when it gets challenged and are able to capture the action.


This morning it was 36 degrees at my house. Winter is here and with it the first of the usual winter birds. I have heard Eastern Pewees and a Northern Flicker in the area. I have had several Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the yard.



And my favorite winter guests have arrived early this year. I have had a Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) at the feeder for the last 2 weeks and this morning saw what I think is a male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus). Both these birds were present last year and the Buff-bellied has been here for 3 winters now.

I finally tracked down the Buff-bellied yesterday to see where he roosts, when not at the feeder and got a confirmatory photo. He is identified by the red bill, green back and throat and buff belly (of course). He is usually quite vocal, and that is how I can find him roosting in the bushes.

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.


Happy birding and photography,



David McDonald

email: davidkmcd@comcast.net



photos copyright 2010 David McDonald



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