High Island April 2009

Sorry about the poor quality of some of these, I couldn't get any closer. 

So I went to High Island twice the past two Fridays.  The first time I was impressed.  I went with my friend Dick Lee.  We saw a number of birds and got a number of pictures.  I returned the following week and things had changed drastically.  It was amazing to me that the population had really moved on.  The first week, we had more Hooded Warblers than we could deal with.  There were also BlueGray Gnatcatchers, Black and White Warblers and Great Crested Flycatchers all over the place.  This week they were mostly gone and were replaced with tons of Orioles, Buntings and Grosbeaks, Great Crested Flycatchers,and a number of other warblers. The second friday was truly the best day of birding that I have ever had (My first day at Hornsby Bend runs a very close second though).

  It started out with a two hour drive starting at 5 am.  I arrived and checked things out and I was alerted to a Hooded Oriole that shouldn't have been there.  It is a western bird.  He was very good about being seen and I took some realy bad pictures of it (it was early and the light was bad).  After a while I returned and walked around Boyscout woods and saw a few birds, but it was pretty quiet.  There was a Swamp wren in the back that was making a nest and calling like there was no tomorrow.  He sounded like a tape recorder rewinding (for those of you old enough to remember that sound):

 On the way back towards the drip at the front a pair of Rosebreasted Grosbeaks were sitting in the top of a tree.  They flew off and as I was following them with my eyes I came upon a beautiful male in full color.  He let me walk a little closer before flying off:

 As I continued walking back to the front I saw this bird with a striking Rufous crown that I didn't even recognize as a Swamp Sparrow because I had never seen one in full color.  This picture doesn't do him justice.

 I decided to try to get a better picture of the Hooded Oriole when the owner of the house whose back yard the bird was in came out.  When she asked what I saw I pointed out the bird and told her that she has a famous visitor.  I showed her the bird in the Sibleys Guide and she was very receptive.  I pointed out a Orchard Oriole in her yard and explained that this is the bird that you would expect and then showed her the Hooded Oriole and explained that he should have gone west.  I told her that I would send her a picture in an email and she asked me if I would like to get closer to the bird and invited me to go into her backyard for a better picture.  Here is the result.  By the way they published one of my pictures of this bird on Birding High Island 

 Here is the Orchard Oriole:

And here is a Baltimore Oriole to round out the Orioles that I saw that day: 

I decided to go on a guided trip given by Sam Woods of  the shorebirds on the Bolivar Penninsula, first to see some shorebirds that I haven't seen, but second because it was a little slow and I was waiting to see what would happen that afternoon.  I saw several Plovers that I hadn't seen before.  There were hundreds of Avocetsand a flock of White Pelicans too far to really see and no way of getting a picture with my camera and lens.  I got really antsy about missing the birds at High Island that I finally left a little early.

I got to The Boyscout Woods and the birds got there before me.  The Orioles were using the drip up front as well as some of the warblers.  Then the Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks started showing up in numbers followed by Summer Tanagers.  Things were going crazy.  At one point we had a rainbow of colors from in the drip pond where we had this point where there were at least six species there at the same time: Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak hiding behind the log, a Cardinal and Eastern Kingbird:

 It was amazing!  I couldn't believe that I was seeing so many life birds, some at the same time.  And what color!  Of course when you talk about color, you have to mention Painted Buntings.  And you know that they have to show up fashionably late.  But they showed up!

 In two days I saw 111 species and 18  Lifers!  How can you not get excited about something like that?  I recommend that you make a trip to High Island this month if you can.  If not come next year for sure.  I am planning on going back again this friday!

1:22 AM - April 14, 2009 - post comment

Most beautiful bird pics....

You've taken the most beautiful assembled pics of birds I've ever seen! What an awesome place to be this time of year. Your pics surely will inspire everyone possible to get to High Island and enjoy the great outdoors, and the beauty of birding.

Doug in Clear Lake City - 8:19 PM - April 14, 2009

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Great photos! You were lucky to see so many birds. We might head there this weekend but I very much doubt we'll be as lucky as you.

jeffmoh - 11:57 AM - April 15, 2009

Wow!

Hi Dave,
This is my first visit to your blog - wow! I live in Texas but have never been to High Island. OMG...I've GOT to go. Beautiful bird pics - such great color! Bravo!

Anonymous - 2:26 PM - April 17, 2009