Texas Times: The Great Sample

During our drives through Texas, we saw 158 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers.  In the next state over in Louisiana, we saw 6 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers.  The striking bird was one of the birds I was looking forward to the most on our trip, and by the end of the trip I concluded that I did get to see my fill of them.  And of course, it would be awesome to see more.  Scissor-tailed Flycatchers commonly lined the fences, telephone pole wires, and exposed perches of Texas, and some 164 times on the trip, one of the four of us said, "STFL".  I'd say ninety percent of those observations came from Josh's incidental checklists as we went from one destination to another over a twelve day span.  And in that twelve day span, we covered an incredible distance.

This is the final and sixteenth post of the Texas Times series here on my blog.  The previous fifteen posts have been:

1.  The Plan and The Go
2.  Among The Oaks and Cottonwoods
3.  A Warbler Blitz
4.  Birds From The Hills
5.  Meeting The Lower Rio Grande
6.  Pigeons to Pauraques
7.  Santa Ana
8.  A Strikeout And A Strike
9.  The Island called South Padre
10.  Remnants of Rio Grande
11.  Anahuac and High Island
12.  A Shorebird Sanctuary
13.  Thrilling Landmarks
14.  Stepping Into Louisiana
15.  Redemption And A Concluding Death March

Everyday of the trip was fun, and everyday was busy for birding.  It took fifteen posts to describe it all the way I wanted to.  On this post, I'm going to talk about the impact the trip had on all of us, the many birds we saw, the ground we covered, and the trip favorites.  While we birded along the southern stretch of Texas, the thing is we covered that southern stretch from the west side of the state all the way to the east side of the state.  And that...is a long way!  It represented much of the great state in what was really on a small scale in comparison to the grand scheme of it all.  In the time we spent, we saw as much of something as we possibly could have.

Josh Smith's visual itinerary, pretty dang clever..

A draft of Josh Smith's written itinerary:

Caleb owns a Subaru Forester, and that is the car we took on the trip thanks to Caleb.  We crammed a lot of supplies in the car, and the Subaru got the job done.  In the twelve days of the trip, I recorded the mileage he drove on the car.  Here is what that was like at the start of each day, when I would record things from where we were on the map:

Starting mileage of Day 1 at Caleb's house (April 27th):  108,218

Day 2 (April 28th)-Los Cruces, NM:  108,698

Day 3 (April 29th)-Davis Mountains, Texas:  109,029

Day 4 (April 30th)-Big Bend National Park:  109,245

Day 5 (May 1st)-Lost Maples State Natural Area:  109,584

Day 6 (May 2nd)-Salineno Wildlife Preserve:  109,980

Day 7 (May 3rd)-Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge:  110,090

Day 8 (May 4th)-South Padre Island:  110,211

Day 9 (May 5th)-Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge:  110,685

Day 10 (May 6th)-Boykin Springs, Texas:  110,939

Day 11 (May 7th)-Llano River State Park:  111,699

Day 12 (May 8th)-Guadalupe Mountains National Park:  112,055

Ending mileage at Caleb's house:  112,622

Total mileage driven on trip:  4,404 miles.

During the trip, we submitted 507 eBird checklists from Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, and mostly Texas.  Texas filled up 357 of those lists and Louisiana struck 64.

We saw one Gray-crowned Yellowthroat.  It was the rarest bird of the trip.  David and Josh found it.

Biggest stops per day:

Day 1:  Probably Willcox, Arizona

Day 2:  Balmorea Lake, Texas

Day 3:  Davis and Chiso Mountains

Day 4:  Chiso Mountains again

Day 5:  Lost Maples State Natural Area and Salineno Reserve

Day 6:  Salineno, Quinta Mazatlan, Bentson-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Day 7:  Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Quinta Mazatlan

Day 8:  South Padre Island

Day 9:  Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, High Island, Bolivar Flats, Whooping Cranes, Gore Store Road

Day 10:  Boykin Springs, Texas, west Louisiana south to Holly Beach

Day 11:  Llano River State Park to Guadalupe Mountains

Day 12:  Guadalupe Mountains

Lost Maples State Natural Area

My favorite location birded on trip:  Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Most challenging hike of the trip:  The hike up into the Guadalupe Mountain's coniferous forests.  But it was worth it!

The lifer impact....Lifers gained on trip per person:

David: 36

Caleb: 49

Josh: 65

Me: 50

Days with lifers/Lifers per day

Day 2

Me:  Cave Swallow, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Day 3

Caleb: Black-crested Titmouse, Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Josh:  Black-crested Titmouse, Golden-fronted Woodpecker

David:  Same as Caleb and Josh

Me:  Same as Caleb, Josh, and David

Day 4

Caleb:  Colima Warbler

Josh:  Same as Caleb

David:  Colima Warbler, Slate-throated Redstart

Me:  Same as Josh and Caleb

Day 5

Caleb:  White-tipped Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Olive Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Golden-cheeked Warbler, White-tailed Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Groove-billed Ani, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Morelet's Seedeater

Josh:  White-tipped Dove, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Olive Sparrow, Yellow-throated Warbler, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, White-tailed Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Red-billed Pigeon, Groove-billed Ani, Tricolored Heron, Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Morelet's Seedeater

David:  White-tipped Dove, Olive Sparrow, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, White-tailed Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Red-billed Pigeon, Groove-billed Ani, Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Green Jay, Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Morelet's Seedeater

Me:  Black-capped Vireo, White-tipped Dove, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Olive Sparrow, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Northern Bobwhite, White-tailed Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Red-billed Pigeon, Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Green Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Morelet's Seedeater

Day 6

Caleb:  Common Pauraque, Red-billed Pigeon, Ringed Kingfisher, Audubon's Oriole, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Ovenbird, Golden-winged Warbler

Josh:  Common Pauraque, Ringed Kingfisher, Audubon's Oriole, Ovenbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Golden-winged Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

David:  Common Pauraque, Ringed Kingfisher, Clay-colored Thrush, Audubon's Oriole, Gull-billed Tern, Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Me:  Common Pauraque, Ringed Kingfisher, Audubon's Oriole, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Gray-cheeked Thrush

Day 7

Caleb:  Green Parakeet, Mottled Duck, Least Grebe, White Ibis, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Blackburnian Warbler, Aplomado Falcon

Josh:  Green Parakeet, Mottled Duck, Least Grebe, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Canada Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Aplomado Falcon

David:  Green Parakeet, Least Grebe, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Aplomado Falcon

Me:  Green Parakeet, Mottled Duck, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Aplomado Falcon

Day 8

Caleb:  Clapper Rail, Sandwich Tern, Veery, Philadelphia Vireo, Bay-breasted Warbler, Scarlet Tanager

Josh:  Clapper Rail, Sandwich Tern, Veery, Philadelphia Vireo, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Tropical Parula

David:  Clapper Rail, Philadelphia Vireo, Tropical Parula

Me:  Clapper Rail, Sandwich Tern, Philadelphia Vireo, Kentucky Warbler

Day 9

Caleb:  Purple Gallinule, Boat-tailed Grackle, Seaside Sparrow, Acadian Flycatcher, Wilson's Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Whooping Crane, Swainson's Warbler, Swallow-tailed Kite

Josh:  Roseate Spoonbill, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Purple Gallinule, Seaside Sparrow, Bobolink, Boat-tailed Grackle, Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, American Oystercatcher, Wilson's Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Whooping Crane, Swainson's Warbler

David:  Fulvous Whistling Duck, Seaside Sparrow, Acadian Flycatcher, American Oystercatcher, Whooping Crane, Swainson's Warbler

Me:  King Rail, Seaside Sparrow, Boat-tailed Grackle, Wilson's Plover, Piping Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tufted Titmouse, Swainson's Warbler, Swallow-tailed Kite, Chuck-will's-widow

Day 10

Caleb:  Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Eastern Towhee

Josh:  Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Eastern Towhee, Black Scoter

Me:  Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Bachman's Sparrow, Fish Crow

-David was done lifering

Quadruple effect-The 25 shared lifers we all got for the first time:

Black-crested Titmouse, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Colima Warbler, White-tipped Dove, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Olive Sparrow, White-tailed Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Great Kiskadee, Clay-colored Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Morelet's Seedeater, Red-billed Pigeon, Common Pauraque, Ringed Kingfisher, Audubon's Oriole, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Parakeet, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Aplomado Falcon, Clapper Rail, Philadelphia Vireo, Seaside Sparrow, Swainson's Warbler.

The Colima Death March.  We all got Colima Warbler, one of 25 lifers the four of us all got

The Effect of A Texas Trip

In going to Texas, not only had I never reached the species of the Rio Grande Valley, but I also hadn't birded in the settings and environments of the southeastern United States, as well as the Gulf of Mexico.  The trip gave me the chance to see the Rio Grande superstar birds, as well as those species who reside in the southeastern United States.  To make things more fun, migrants on the move gave me the chance to hit home runs on the life list.  Speaking of my life list, and as I mentioned earlier, I got 50 life birds on the trip.  My life list went from 552 species to pass the 600 mark, and end up with 602 species by the end of the trip.  All of this resulted by taking my first trip to the key parts of Texas, which is a state that will make a major impact for every serious birder.  Here's what it did for me and the things that were really fun to celebrate:

-Seeing my first Plain Chachalaca wasn't only a life bird, but it was the first species of it's world family that I got to see.

-The addition of Northern Bobwhite onto my life list gave me all of the quail species for the United States.

-Clapper and King Rails pretty much filled out my rail needs for the United States (unless I get too concerned about seeing a Purple Swamphen....)

-Seeing representatives of the original self-sustaining Whooping Crane population was incredible.

-Buff-bellied Hummingbird was the last regularly occurring hummingbird I got for the United States.

-Golden-fronted Woodpecker and Red-cockaded Woodpecker lifers were the last two breeding woodpeckers I needed for the United States, and now I have all 22.

-Cave Swallow was the last regularly occurring swallow I needed for the United States. 

-Black-capped, Blue-headed, Philadelphia, and White-eyed Vireos gave my vireo department a huge boost.  I managed to strike out on Yellow-green Vireo for a fourth time.

-Brown-headed Nuthatch completed the Nuthatch list for North America.  Texas is the one state where one can see all 4 Nuthatch species.  The Pygmy Nuthatch is scarcer than the rest, and we missed it in our jaunt up into the Guadalupe Mountains.  Also, the Brown-headed Nuthatch was my milestone 600th life bird.

-Long-billed Thrasher was the final regularly occurring mimid I would get for the United States.

-Warbler wise, I was thrilled.  I got lifers of Kentucky, Colima, Swainson's, and Golden-cheeked Warblers, as well as a Josh and David-discovered-ABA-rare Gray-crowned Yellowthroat.  Those five warbler lifers gave me fifty Wood Warbler species (not including Olive Warbler or Yellow-breasted Chat), and it was fun to reach that number.  The three regularly occurring warblers I need for the United States are Connecticut, Cape May, and Worm-eating Warblers while the other two are vagrants in Crescent-chested and Golden-crowned Warblers.  

-I lifered on Morelet's Seedeater, Olive Sparrow, Bachman's Sparrow, and Seaside Sparrow.  After getting the four of them, the endangered and rapidly declining Saltmarsh Sparrow is the last regularly occurring species from the sparrow family that I need for the United States.  

While I just described filling out needs for different bird families, the other lifers on the trip were just as important.

Biggest miss of the trip:  Anhinga.  David saw one briefly, but for Caleb, Josh, and I we really wanted to see it as a lifebird and thought we wouldn't have a problem of seeing it before the trip began.  Turns out the Anhinga had other ideas...

Trip Favorites for the Buddies

I asked the dudes what their favorite bird of the trip was, as well as their favorite location we birded at.  As I mentioned earlier, my favorite place that we birded at was Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.  Here are the answers from David, Josh, and Caleb.

David:  "The warblers, duh.  Slate-throated Redstart, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Tropical Parula, Swainson's Warbler.  If forced to pick a favorite bird in itself (personality, appearance, etc), I might choose Great Kiskadee.  I will choose Santa Ana for my favorite spot".

Josh:  "My favorite bird was Red-billed Pigeon; I love seeing species at the edge of their ranges (especially tropical ones at their northernmost limits) and the Patagioenas genus is a favorite of mine anyways.  My favorite spot was Salineno.  Although we had more diversity and ground to cover at Santa Ana and Anahuac, the clear view into Mexico we had along with the specialties found at Salineno made it my favorite stop of the trip.  If we chose to drive from Salineno into Mexico, in three hours we would reach a mountainous region of Nuevo Leon home to tinamous, motmots, tropical warblers and more.  It was crazy to be at the northern border of a country with so much diversity of species and habitats!  Tantalizing to say the least..."

Caleb:  "My favorite spot was Anahuac, cuz I got to see lots of ibis.  I like ibis"

My Trip Top Ten Birds

Top Tens for trips is something I usually don't do, but this trip was that epic that it deserves a top ten.  As fifty lifers were seen, I enjoyed almost all of those lifers to a full extent.  I narrowed it down to twenty birds and then had to pick a top ten.  It wasn't easy to do, and I thought more Rio Grande birds would be in the top ten.  At the end of 2019, my year recap will be interesting to write.  Here's my top ten for Texas Times...

10.  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher:  Long overdue as a lifer, but freaking awesome to finally see in quantity.  All 164 of them..

9.  Golden-cheeked Warbler:  My trek up into the Lost Maples higher trails was worth it to see one of many birds that we heard singing.  Texas is the only place this endangered species breeds.

8.  Green Jay:  All about looks.  Freaking awesome bird.  

7.  Ringed Kingfisher: A classic Rio Grande sight I had always wanted a glimpse of, and I got it.

6.  Gray-crowned Yellowthroat:  The rarest bird of the trip, and a great find by David and Josh.  We got to see it fly from Mexico into the United States.

5.  Aplomado Falcon:  A stunning raptor.  Two Aplomados came out of nowhere to entertain us as they chased off and attacked a Harris's Hawk who was passing through.  After getting scope views, one of the Aplomados perched low on a fence and gave me a close up show.

4.  Colima Warbler:  The famous hike and Colima Warbler combo gave this bird a huge impact.

3.  Swallow-tailed Kite:  My most anticipated bird coming into the trip, and seeing three of them flying overhead to close out a day was epic.  The views were limited and if they had been longer, more extensive, and in better lighting conditions, maybe this bird would be higher in the top ten.

2.  Black-capped Vireo:  This is one of North America's coolest-looking birds, it is rad.  It's also a reclusive little bird who will stop at nothing to irritate birders with quick glimpses and the desire for more.  My first day of looking was no different.  After thinking that was my only chance on the trip, we did encounter one more Black-capped Vireo, and he chose to be a buddy!

1.  Swainson's Warbler:  A rather plain-looking warbler, yes.  But it's an awesome one, and is another bird that is reclusive and hard to see.  Towards the end of our trip, our group climbed down into the thick habitat of a Swainson's Warbler and were rewarded with a cooperator.  The Swainson's Warbler is a "birder's bird".

I want to give Caleb, David, and Josh a huge thank you for the trip.  You guys are awesome!  Thanks also to Ryan, Leah, and Liam for your company on the trip.  You guys are awesome too!

Texas is a massive state, as we all know.  It has ten different regions in it that consist of select environments that are made up of specific habitats.  In the eleven days of birding that we had in Texas, we birded in locations of seven of those regions:  the Trans-Pecos, Edwards Plateau, Brush Country, Rio Grande Valley, Coastal Bend, Upper Coast, and Pineywoods.  We would probably need another eleven days to bird in sections of the rest of the state.  What we did get was a "sample" of Texas.  It was a selection of spots we chose to bird at to try and see as much as we could have in the amount of time that we had.  We got the species of western Texas, the meeting grounds of Eastern and Western North America in the Edwards Plateau, the Rio Grande Valley specialties, species typical of the Gulf of Mexico, and species that inhabit the southeastern United States in pine and deciduous forests.  Our efforts gave each of us more than 350 species on the trip.   Even though the trip was really a pass through sample of the great state of Texas and there's a massive load of birding we can still do in the state, it was strong sample and one that left a huge impact on every birder in our party.  I don't think any other state would produce numbers like Texas...no way...

The Rio Grande Valley is a place I'd like to spend eleven days at in itself.  After all, I'd love to see a Hook-billed Kite and wild Muscovey.  There's more birding I'd like to do there someday.  I framed the souvenir I got to remind myself of that wanted return of mine.