Bulletin 168 - South Padre Island area

There was an exceptionl find of a rare bird on South Padre Island in January. This was a Flammulated Owl (Megascops flammeus). This small (6.75") migratory owl is likely the most difficult owl in North America for birders to find and see. One was located in a clump of bushes and trees at the South Padre Island Convention Center.

Lisa and I flew down for a weekend to try and see and photograph this bird that would be a lifer for both of us.

We did see the bird, but unfortunately, he kept himself very well hidden in the middle of the thicket and was almost totally obscurred by leaves.

Occasionally you could see the outline of the bird and perhaps 1/2 the body.  He is identified by the gray color with reddish streaks on his face and body. I did catch some red streaking a couple of times, so I know this was the bird. Also, there were dozens of other birders there, as this was only the second winter record for Texas of this species.

So here is the best of my photos which shows about 1/2 the bird. If you look at the blue sky in the middle, the gray feathers of the bird can be seen immediately to the left of the blue and below.

Flammulated Owl - South Padre Island

While we were waiting and hoping for the Flammulted Owl to come out of hiding, a female Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) foraged in the thicket as well. This bird is yellow with 2 white wing bars. It was my first photo of a female. It was quite an unexpected find as this species normally winters in Central America.

Western Tanager - female

There is a very nice nature and birding center adjacent to the SP convention center. Lisa and I saw an American Bittern right under the boardwalk and too close to photograph. We watched it skulk through the reeds for at least 15 minutes. It was another lifer for her and so close too!

Here is a cute Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) in the marsh at the nature center. It is in the winter plumage and has lost the ring around his bill.

Pied-billed Grebe - winter

Redheads (Aythya americana) are colorful ducks with the male exhibiting a very rounded red head. The similar Canvasback has a reddish brown head and a very sloped forehead . 90% of the North American population of Redheads winter in the Laguna Madre, the bay between South Padre Island and the mainland. Thus, large rafts of these birds can be seen in this area. Here were a few at the nature center on SPI.

Redheads

Northern Caracaras (Caracara cheriway) are distinctive raptors tha belong to the falcon family. Even though I have photgraphed them numerous times, their coloration, bare facial skin, and huge beak always make them an ideal subject.

The adult has a black head and body, with orange face and yellow feet.

Northern Caracara - adult

He allowed me to approach in my car, right beside him, for an extreme close-up portrait. Notice the fluffy neck feathers and shaggy crest.

Northern Caracara - adult

A while later I found this juvenile. He has a pink face, brown body and gray legs. Sibley shows the first year juvenile with a black head. I guess this might be a very young bird, as the head is obviously brown.

Northern Caracara - juvenile

 There was a butterfly enjoying some flowers while we were looking for the Flammulated Owl, so I had to photograph it as well. It superficially looked like a Monarch, but I knew the wing shape wasn't quite right. Here it is on a flower.



Queen - male

And here it is with his wings spread out.

Queen - male

I looked in my butterfly book and it is a Queen (Danaus gilippus). This is the same genus as the Monarch. Notice there are no black veins in the top of the wings above. Also, the 2 black dots in the hind wing seen in the second photo identify it as a male!

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2013 David McDonald

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Bulletin #158 - SE Arizona birds

Lisa and I went to Arizona to photo some of the remaining birds that I missed on 4 previous visits. There were 2 birds in particular that I was searching for, and of course any other that we could find and improve on. Once again I hired guide Melody Kehl in Tucson. Melody had located nests for both these birds and the first morning we nailed both of them!

The first is the only regular trogon in the USA, the Elegant Trogon (Trogon elegans). If you have birded the tropics at all, you are familiar with this family of large (13") long-tailed slow moving birds. The males have green backs and red bellies. Also notice the gray wing patches. This was not a lifer as I had seen a female in Mexico in the 90's.

Elegant Trogon - male

The female is browner, with a white breast, coppery tail, and white line behind the eye. She also has a red belly, but it doesn't show in this photo.

Elegant Trogon - female

The second target bird was only about 50 yards away, also at a nest hole in a tree. This was the Northern Pygmy-Owl. Melody pointed out to us that their are 2 populations of this species that differ by voice. This bird was the Mountain Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma). It is listed as such in the National Geographic field guide. Sibley uses the Mexican race for this one. The ABA has not split this species yet, but the IOU already has in their 2012 list of world bird names. So I will conform to the IOU listing and call this a full species of Mountain Pygmy-Owl. So I now have to find the Northern Pygmy-Owl somewhere else! This is a diurnal owl that hunts small birds. Either one was a lifer.
We saw a male come to the nest and feed the female inside. The sexes are similar in this small (7"0 brown owl with spots on back and streaked breast.

Mountain Pygmy-Owl

Next he flew to a branch and perched for about 5 minutes before flying off to hunt.

Mountain Pygmy-Owl

A common bird but with an interesting story is the local race of Purple Martins (Progne subis). Everyone is familiar with our largest swallow. The male is dark purple and the female has a purplish back, but gray breast. In the eastern part of the country, they almost always nest in man-made martin houses. However, the Sonoran Desert race in southeast Arizona nest exclusively in Saguaro cacti. Here is the male.

Purple Martin - Sonoran race - male

The female is paler and has a prominent white forehead and nape of neck compared to the eastern birds that I am familiar with.

Purple Martin - Sonoran race - female

Here is a male at a nest hole in a Saguaro cactus.

Purple Martin - Sonoran race - male

Another bird that I managed to get improved photos was the male Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana). As you may remember from a bulletin last year, there was talk of moving the piranga genus of tanagers to the cardinal family of birds. So far, neither the ABA nor the IOU has done so. It is still a tanager. The breeding male has a yellow body, red head, black tail and wings with 2 wing bars - one yellow and one white. I caught this bird on a feeder in Madera Canyon. I had seen one of these birds at High Island during spring migration, where it is a real rarity, but didn't get a photo before it flew away.

Western Tanager - breeding male

He then flew to a branch and allowed me to photograph his other side.

Western Tanager - breeding male

On an evening trip to California Gulch along the Mexican brder, we found a family of Canyon Wrens (Catherpes mexicanus). At first we just saw 6 babies making their way across the rock face. No adults were to be seen.

Canyon Wrens - 6 babies

As they moved to the right, they came to a small hole in the rock and the parents were there calling to the little ones. Here is an adult with the brown belly and 2 babies. The opening is just above the blades of grass on the left of the photo. At dusk when we were there, the opening just looked black, but the flash illuminated the interior. The babies started going into the small cavity in the rock.

Canyon Wren adult and 2 babies beside nest cavity in rock face

Once the babies were all in, the parents also went in. Here is a photo showing an adult just above and several babies inside, their eyes bright from the flash. It was fascinating to see this whole scene. Nature is so interesting if one just takes the time to stop and watch life unfold before your eyes.

Canyon Wren nest cavity in rock with several babies seen inside

Lastly, I have a Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre). The Arizona race of this bird have very indistinct breast spots and a yellow eye. The south Texas birds in contrast have distinct spots and a red or orange eye.

Curve-billed Thrasher - Arizona

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2012 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask for subscribe.