High Island Spring Migration Breakdown

So after making 6 trips to High Island with one trip to the Bolivar Flats, I have a preliminary species count of 145 species.  This includes most of the Herons and Egrets that I have seen regularly, a number of shorebirds including a couple of lifer shorebirds, and the usual Terns and Gulls (although I did not spend much time looking for new species as it was a quick side trip).  What was really funny was that I saw almost no Raptors, an Osprey and a Broad-winged Hawk plus both vultures were it!  There were 5 species of Flycatchers, 6 species of Vireos, 4 species of Thrush, 29 species of Warblers, 2 Tanagers, 3 sparrows, 2 Buntings, 2 Grosbeaks, and 3 Orioles!  What a month!  I cannot believe that more people didn't just line up for the chance to have such a feast for the eyes!  Maybe next year...

I had 36 lifers, including 5 shorebirds, 19 Warblers, and various and sundry other species.  Here are the Warblers that I saw with pictures if I had them.  I also have when I saw them so that I could get a feeling for who migrated at the same times and when they were seen.

Orange-crowned Warbler (4/3 -5/7) mostly early April  (Nondescript green bird with no wingbars)

Nashville Warbler (4/3 -4/10)  (Gray head with very distinct white eyering, olive body, and yellow underparts.  Sometimes see a rufous crest )

Blue-winged Warbler ( 4/3 - 4/24)  (Yellow body with bluegreen wings yellow head with black eyeline)

Northern Parula  (4/3- 4/24)  (Blue gray body and head white eyerings and large olive scapular patch, bright yellow throat, white belly, and 2 wingbars.)

Yellow-throated Warbler (4/3 -4/17)  (Yellow throat, white breast with streaks, grey back and black mask with white eyebrow- compare to  Yellow Rumped Warbler)

Tennessee Warbler  (4/10 - 5/1) ( Grey head with Green/ olive body  and yellow or white below.  White eyebrow

Yellow-rumped Warbler (4/3-4/17) (Many variations, but yellow spot on base of tail and on sides at wrist, yellow spot on crown, white abdomen.  Compare to Yellow Throat Warbler)

Black-and-white Warbler (4/3 - 5/7)  What more can I say?

Worm-eating Warbler (4/3 -4/25)Brownish olive body with buff head and bold dark stripes

Ovenbird (4/3 - 4/17)

(No viable Pictures taken)  Look for olive bird above with white streaked breast and bold eyerings with a Reddish Crown bordered with darker outlines

Common yellowthroat  (4/3- 5/7) Olive above and bright yellow throat and belly, black mask with white border above

Hooded Warbler (4/3 -4/24)  (Olive above and yellow below with black head and yellow mask on males and olive replacing the black on females)(make and female shown)

Louisiana Waterthrush (4/3)  (White Eyebrow much broader caudally  and pink legs and possibly salmon/buff flanks differentiate this from Northern)

Northern Waterthrush (4/10- 5/7) ( Buffy eyebrow even in width, Drabber leg color, maybe buffy or white underparts compared to Louisiana)

Swainsons's Warbler (4/10) (Brown Olive above with grayish color below.  Brown crown and Grey eyeline similar to Waterthrushes but no streaking of breast)

(No pictures taken)

Kentucky Warbler (4/10-4/17)  (Similar to look of Hooded except throat is yellow and lower cutoff of black is along eyeline with yellow being narrowed along eyes.  Similar to Canada but no streaking of breast and no eyering)

Yellow-breasted Chat (4/10 - 4/17)(Large warbler Olive back and yellow throat and breast with white undertail coverts.  Thick bill and white eyering/ spectacles)

Yellow Warbler  (4/17 - 5/7) (Yellow body wings and tail some streaking of breast in males.  Dark eye.  Face similar to Prothonotary but shorter bill.)

Chestnut-sided Warbler  (4/17- 5/7) (Yellow crown, black eyeline and whisker stripe.  Chestnut on sides.  Wingbars)  (male and female shown)

Black-throated Green Warbler (4/17-5/7) (Olive upper back, dark wings with wing bars, yellow face wih greenish ear patch.  Underparts white with conspicuous black throat and black streaks on side) (male and female shown)

Blackburnian Warbler  (4/17-5/1) (Fiery orange throat on male. large white wing patch, triangulat dark ear patch.  Can't miss this male!)

Blackpoll Warbler (4/17 -5/1) ( Red legs, Black cap on male, wing bars streaked sides of breast sometimes confused with Black and White.  Female sometimes comparable to Cape May) (Male and Female shown)

American Redstart (4/17- 5/7)  (Watch for the tail, they flag them all of the time.  Yellow patches on tail and sides.  Male is black and orange and behaves similarly) (Female and male shown)

Prothonotary Warbler (4/17 - 5/7) (One of my favorites!  Green back, bluegray wings without wingbars, yellow neck and breast and white vent short tail.  Very long dark bill and dark eyes on a bright yellow head.  Similar to Blue-winged but no eyeline and no wingbars)

Canada Warbler  (4/17) (Very similar to Kentucky but has eye ring and streaked breast)

Prairie Warbler  (4/24) (Olive with faint shestnut marks on back,faint wingbars,  yellow breast and vent with streaks on sides, yellow eyebrow and yellow patch below eye) Female shown

Bay-breasted Warbler  (4/24 -5/7) (Chestnut crown, throat and sides, black face, cream patch on sides of neck.  Greenish back with thick wingbars creamy underparts.  Dark legs.  Comparable to Pine and Blackpoll in fall)

Magnolia Warbler (4/24 -5/7) (Blackish above with white wing patch, white eyebrowand partial white eyering, yellow rump.  Underparts yellow with heavy black streaking of breast and sidesand white undertail coverts. Compare to Canada with yellow spectacles and plain wings)

Cape May Warbler (5/1- 5/7) (  Bland yellow throat and eyebrow. Cheek patch is brownish to chstnut, downcurved thin bill.  Lighter colored breast with diffuse streaking.  Dark legs) (Females shown)

3:17 PM - July 22, 2009 - post comment

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These are gorgeous!
The b&w warbler is my Fav I think.
Thanks also for all the ID tips!
Nicole
http://nicoleb.org/b2/index.php?blog=10

Anonymous - 3:00 AM - July 23, 2009

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It's nice to see all your warbler photos together.
You mention the lack of raptors. That's pretty normal for the High Island area in April. The most common seem to be Northern Harrier, White-tailed Kite, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk and Broadwinged Hawk, but even these are not very common there.

jeffmoh - 6:54 AM - July 23, 2009

Jackpot!

You hit a goldmine with the multitude of sightings

Andy - 1:47 PM - July 24, 2009

High Island is the BEST!!!

Dave,
Thanks for all the memories of my best spring ever this past year at High Island. I'll be taking vacation days there for sure next year ... can't wait! Thanks for sharing all of the great pics you have taken; greatly appreciated.

Doug in Clear Lake City - 6:37 PM - July 24, 2009

Beautiful shots!

Those are really some gorgeous photos. Wonderful job!

-Karen
http://rurality.blogspot.com

Anonymous - 9:09 AM - August 6, 2009