High Island Week 5

     After reading the emails from Tropical Birds over the past week, I knew that things would be slow.  Boy was I spoiled the first weeks of migration.  I just assumed that it would be busy like that all of the time.  I am hooked anyways.  The plan for next year is that I will make the trips on Fridays, like I did this year, but if it was a good day, I will plan on making it a two day trip and find a place to stay overnight.  Today was not one of the better days for birding High Island, but a bad day at High Island is still good compared to most other places. 

      One winged species that I did see a LOT of was from the genus Culex... Mosquitos were in full force during the morning and evening hours.  Even with DEET, I had to reapply multiple times.   They had been so bad, that all of the birding was done on the leevy next to the Rookery because the breeze kept the mosquitos away.  It seemed that the birds liked it up there too because there were a higher concentration of birds there than even in Smith Oaks.  I did suck it up and make a few passes in Smith Oaks, but still spent most of my time up top.  The funny thing is that the mosquitos disappeared from around noon till about 5pm.  Then they came out in full force again! 

     Anyways, back to our feathered friends.   The birding at the Boy Scout Woods that morning was still horrendous.  The day started out with a bird calling from the top of a tree across the street.  I wasn't sure what it was, thinking that it looked similar in profile to a Meadowlark.  Needles to say, I was ashamed to find out that it was a Carolina Wren.  I have a pair of Carolinas nesting in my attic (thta will be another post) and so I should recognize them, especially by their call, but it wasn't what I hear at home.  

 There were a few Ruby Throat Hummingbirds who flew by, as well as the Great Tailed Grackles, who were everywhere.  The Purple Gallinule was at the pond as well as a few Indigo Buntings.  Black Bellied Whistling Ducks flew in ad around and then the wierdest thing happened, they started chasing a Grackel and continued for several hundred yards!  I left for Smith Oaks and went straight to the Rookery.  The Spoonbills, herons and egrets were in breeding plumage.  The Great Egrets were either still sitting on eggs or had hatchlings in the nests.  The Tricolored Herons were definitely showing off too.

On the leevy a male Blackburnian Warbler made his presence known and seemed to love the cameras

Several female  Cape May Warblers were there too. 

They seemed hard too distinguish from the female Blackpoll Warblers that were around but once you look at the pictures the differences are more obvous (Note the orange legs)

Here is a male Blackpoll Warbler

The Prothonotary Warbler was calling and I was able to get a decent shot of him.

The Grosbeaks were here in lower numbers.  This female shows why they got their names.  Look at that beak!

There were a few Indigo Buntings:

Eastern Wood Peewees were also being seen

Towards the end of the day, a flight of White Ibis came in to roost.  I was amazed by the numbers

9:54 PM - May 22, 2009 - post comment

Untitled Comment

Dave,
Thanks for another great day of pictures! You've got a few lifers for me here, and wish I was there. I think I'm taking a weeks vacation next year at High Island!

Doug - 11:22 AM - May 24, 2009

Untitled Comment

those tricoloureds are crazy!

Dale
http://alpinebirds.blogspot.com

Dale - 4:20 PM - May 24, 2009