Bulletin 292 - miscellaneous local birds from winter and spring

I did not get out as much recently due to work requirements and I guess some degree of boredom, as I already have pretty good photos of most local birds. I do take photos when a good opportunity pops up to improve my existing photos of various species. And also, having been to Ecuador and Colombia, it does not seem nearly as exciting here. So here are my interesting photos since the New Year.

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)  returned to the same place at Anahuac NWR for a second winter.

Burrowing Owl

A funny looking leucistic American Coot (Fulica americana). A leucistic bird is one with some white feathers, but is not an albino.

American Coot - leucistic

I had a Buff-bellied Hummngbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) once again in my yard this winter, but he was not there regularly. I saw or heard him maybe a half dozen times, but at least I got a nice photo. Such a treat to have this bird as a winter visitor.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

The cute 13" Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is our smallest duck in North America. The male appears almost all white with just some purple on his head. The female is all brown with a white stripe across her cheek. This pair was at LaFitte's Cove in Galveston.

Bufflehead - pair

This spring I got several good photos of various birds. Photographers are told to get the best photos, it is necessary to be at eye level with the subject. So a bird on a fence is a better photo than one on the ground or way up in a tree.

Here is a beautiful male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyranus forficatus).

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - male

I also got a nice 13" Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) on a fence post. The small size and bicolored bill is the ID for this bird.

Forster's Tern - breeding

There were 2 birds that I saw in the ponds at LaFitte's Cove in Galveston this spring, that I do not recall having ever seen there before. The first was a 30" Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens). This bird is normally in salt water rather than fresh water ponds. It is IDed by the gray body, shaggy reddish neck and pink bill with black tip.

Reddish Egret

Also, last weekend I saw Wilson's Phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor) in the ponds at LaFitte's Cove for the first time. Phalaropes are sandpipers that swim. They are unusual for birds in that the female is more colorful and the male looks after the eggs and raising the babies.

Wilson's Phalarope - female

A 23" Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) was found at LaFitte's Cove last weekend as well. This bird has raised considerable discussion on Texbirds as to whether it is a Glossy Ibis or aberrant White-faced Ibis or possibly a hybrid. The discussion is still ongoing, but it sure looks classic to me for a Glossy and a number of other experts who saw it. It has classic Glossy field marks with the dark face and eye, pale blue lines above and below the face and dark legs.

Glossy Ibis

And a second photo.

Glossy Ibis

I also got photos of a new turtle at High Island this year. This large turtle (estimated 10-12") had a very long neck with a streaking. I looked in my guide book and came up with the ID of a Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia). I confirmed the ID with a Texas reptile expert.

Chicken Turtle

And a close up of the head.

Chicken Turtle

Overall, spring migration was very quiet for the second year in a row. The most warbler species I saw in a day was 8. Normally mid teens is average and 20 or more is possible in a good day. I hope this is not indicative of a severe decline in the bird populations.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2017 David McDonald

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Bulletin #131 – Mexican Visitors and GBBC

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas

February 14, 2011

Bulletin #131 – Mexican Visitors and GBBC

There have been a couple of Mexican vagrants in my area of Texas recently.

The first was a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana). This handsome bird looks like a cross between an Eastern Kingbird and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. It normally occurs from Mexico to South America. However, it turns up regularly in the USA along the Texas coast and east coast. This was the first one I had an opportunity to see in the USA and photograph. It was in Galveston Island State Park in January and it may still be there.

In this photo he landed with his back to the strong wind that day and his tail feathers blew over his back.  

The second bird was a Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivacea). This is another bird that has an extensive range from Mexico to South America. It was at Goose Island State Park near Rockport TX. It is a small (4")sparrow like bird. The only US Field Guide that shows it, that I have, is National Geographic. In that field guide, it is listed in the same family as sparrows. However, the IOU (International Ornithologists Union) include it in Thraupidae family (Tanagers). This bird is a male. He IDed by the olive body and black face and breast with yellow stripes on the face.In the sunlight, he was beautiful and the book illustrations don't do him justice.

While waiting for the grassquit to appear, I photographed this Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). It is IDed by the reddish crown, plain face with distinct white eye-ring. The breast is unstreaked.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual event in February, sponsored by National Audubon and Cornell University Ornithology to get people everywhere in North America to count the birds in their yards, local parks or anywhere else desired. The dates are Feb 18-21, 2011. All you have to do is count the most number of birds of each species that you see at any one time. Plan to spend at least 15 minutes in a location. Then you enter your data online. You can pick any time during those 4 days. Also, you can do several sightings in different locations or the same location on different days over those 4 days.

Hummingbirds are unusual in winter here in Houston, but I have been blessed to have several of these jewels in my yard, the last 3 winters. When I entered 3 different hummer species last year in the GBBC, I was queried by a screener to make sure I had identified them correctly. Currently I have just 3 of them, a female Black-chinned and this stunning Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis). I showed his photo before Christmas when he first showed up. But he is still here and I took this photo of him last week hunkered down near the house to avoid the wind and 30 degree temperature. For a tropical species, he is quite cold tolerant. 

This 1st winter male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) showed up this weekend. 

Other birds at my feeders that I hope to find and enter on the GBBC next weekend are the Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata). This drab olive bird has grayish head and no distinguishing features other than the faintly streaked breast shown here. All these photos are taken out my kitchen window. 

The male Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus) is the brightest winter warbler I have at my house. I have several pine trees to attract them and they readily come to the peanut butter mix on this feeder.

The female is less brightly colored with the yellow just on the breast. 

The peanut butter mix even attracts the Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula) in my yard. This is the only feeder I have found that will attract the kinglets that normally eat insects. 

So, if the Great Backyard Bird Count interests you, I hope that you will participate next weekend and survey your yard or a local park etc.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

email: davidkmcdmd@yahoo.com

photos copyright 2011 David McDonald

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For complete instructions, follow the GBBC link above. Last year, there were almost 100,000 lists submitted totaling 603 species and 11.2 million individual birds reported.

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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