Author Archives: Richard

A Fallout Tomorrow?

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After a muggy night at Goose Island in Rockport, TX, we are up early having coffee in the Airstream. The air conditioner quit last night, probably from over-heating. There are strong thunderstorms forecast all day and one cell just hit, as I was planning to take the dog for a walk.
So we are lying here with the rain hammering the aluminum cylinder we call home and our dog has her anxiety-easing Thundershirt on – lying at the foot of the bed in spite of thunder and lightening. And I’m thinking about migrating birds.

As birders, we were talking yesterday about the forecast with hopes that tomorrow would deposit some tired migrants here – a so-called fallout where tired birds stop and rest after crossing the Gulf. Here’s a description from Houston Audubon:
Many species of birds, called neotropical migrants, nest in North America and spend the winter in Latin America. Twice each year these birds migrate the long distances between wintering grounds and spring nesting locations. Each spring millions of birds that wintered in Central and South America are driven north by the urge to establish breeding territories and select mates. They first push north to the Yucatan Peninsula and the adjacent Mexican coast.
Beginning in early March, migrants reach the tip of the peninsula and if the weather conditions are favorable, just after sunset, migrants leave Mexico and head north across the Gulf of Mexico. The trip across the Gulf is 600 miles and with good weather takes about 18 hours. Arriving on the Texas coast midday, some of these birds stop on the coast; but most will fly inland until nightfall.

During the spring migration period from early March to mid May conditions occasionally exist where strong, turbulent north winds and rain trigger a phenomenon called a “fallout.” This usually happens when a strong, fast-moving cold front crosses the Texas coast and moves into the Gulf of Mexico during the middle of the day. The wind and rain slows the migrating birds down causing them to rapidly use up their stored energy reserves. Thousands of extremely tired migrants are forced to seek shelter and food as soon as they reach the coast. At these times, good-quality habitat along the coast is vitally important to the survival of tens and thousands of birds.
The folks at Woodcreeper.com, who track migration radar images, posted the one above saying that “Birds are slamming right into the storm.”
So, as I lie here listening to heavy rain and feel the wind, I’m thinking about those thousands of warblers flying in the dark, getting hammered by this violent series of storms. While it would be great to see a bunch here in the morning there’s a side of me that hopes they waited a day or two – and can make it in easier flying condtions.
It will make me appreciate the Black & White Warblers and their friends when I see them in New England later this Spring.
Cerulean Warber by Greg Lavaty

Adios, Falcon State Park

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We leave windy, arid Falcon State Park in the morning after two weeks of nearly-constant wind and temperatures in the mid-to-high eighties. All in all, it has been a nice stay here and a chance to see some friends and make a few new ones. This is a unique state park: there is an active community here many of whom have been coming here for years and in many cases, decades. There is a rather active social calendar around the recreation center and while that’s not our cup of tea, we do drop in periodically to say hello and pick up a book.
Sunset over Falcon Lake

We said goodbye this morning two our Oklahoma friends, Bud (87) and Charlotte (85) who we first met three years ago. Bud, a former trucker and mechanic, helped me with some big problems with the Airstream – and this time helped me (well, he did most of it) fix a faulty switch on a motor that raises the trailer tongue. Last night, we went over at dusk to talk and in the warm Texas evening, a number of couples came by to say goodbye. It was very poignant since with their age, you never know if they’ll be back. They are traveling home with some Vermont honey from our bees – and our hopes to see them again.
Being right on the Mexican border, there are some challenges. First of all, a Mexican phone company, TELCEL, grabs your signal much of the time and phones therefore are pretty unreliable. The radio stations are nearly all Spanish language and the few in English seem to be right-wing talk shows. It’s fifteen miles for decent wifi and 35 miles for decent groceries. Don’t even look for skim milk in a thirty mile radius; Chips and beer and fishing gear, yes.
And yet, this place grows on you. We are on the western edge of the Central Time Zone so it doesn’t get light until nearly 8 AM. Early morning walks with the dog are cool and filled with bird songs. Roadrunners and rabbits tease the Vizsla with their run, wait, run movements. Double-crested Cormorants fly over in large formations, heading for a day of fishing. Likewise, White Pelicans cruise out to Lake Falcon as we walk along. The breeze is almost always constant and picks up big time during the day.
Roadrunners drive our Vizsla nuts
Spring flowers have been popping everywhere and some of the ugliest plants have the prettiest flowers. Butterflies are everywhere but the wind makes it a challenge. Red Admirals come reliably to the orange halves we stick on trees.
Flower of a Thistle Plant
Prickly Pear Flowers

I had a chance to do some kayaking here although the wind kept the boat on the truck most days. The first morning I launched, a little Eared Grebe surface right in front of the kayak, dove and came back up alongside. I got pretty close to egrets, and Osprey, and other water birds. They seemed to not be afraid of the quiet boat — particularly with many bass boats roaring by.

We can’t get away from the drug war. Border Patrol vehicles cruise the park and and are common along the highways. A tethered observation ballon often flies to the north of here — sort of an ominous sight in a clear blue sky. But there have been no issues for several years here — even though Mexican drug activity goes on in Roma and Rio Grande City.
But as the Winter Texans like us leave, it’s hard to imagine living here. We’ve had a taste of the temperatures and the constant wind and one can see why siestas are popular. It’s deadly in mid-day. The decrepit homes, mongrel dogs, and trash get to you after a while.
But what a place for birds. I picked up nine new life birds and both Mary and I saw a wonderful array of Texas birds. Just on our little camp road we have Scaled Quail, Northern Bobwhites, Inca Doves, Northern Mockingbirds, Orange-crowned Warblers, Long-billed and Curved-bill Thrashers, Olive Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, White-Crowned Sparrows, and the ubiquitous Turkey Vultures, Northern Cardinals, and Red-winged Blackbirds.
So, we are trading wind for mosquitoes and returning to another favorite place, Goose Island State Park where Penny has a vet appointment to check her progress and remove the last two stitches. It will be nice to kiss TELCEL goodbye. Never thought AT&T would look so good.

Adios, Falcon State Park

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We leave windy, arid Falcon State Park in the morning after two weeks of nearly-constant wind and temperatures in the mid-to-high eighties. All in all, it has been a nice stay here and a chance to see some friends and make a few new ones. This is a unique state park: there is an active community here many of whom have been coming here for years and in many cases, decades. There is a rather active social calendar around the recreation center and while that’s not our cup of tea, we do drop in periodically to say hello and pick up a book.

Sunset over Falcon Lake

We said goodbye this morning two our Oklahoma friends, Bud (87) and Charlotte (85) who we first met three years ago. Bud, a former trucker and mechanic, helped me with some big problems with the Airstream – and this time helped me (well, he did most of it) fix a faulty switch on a motor that raises the trailer tongue. Last night, we went over at dusk to talk and in the warm Texas evening, a number of couples came by to say goodbye. It was very poignant since with their age, you never know if they’ll be back. They are traveling home with some Vermont honey from our bees – and our hopes to see them again.

Being right on the Mexican border, there are some challenges. First of all, a Mexican phone company, TELCEL, grabs your signal much of the time and phones therefore are pretty unreliable. The radio stations are nearly all Spanish language and the few in English seem to be right-wing talk shows. It’s fifteen miles for decent wifi and 35 miles for decent groceries. Don’t even look for skim milk in a thirty mile radius; Chips and beer and fishing gear, yes.

And yet, this place grows on you. We are on the western edge of the Central Time Zone so it doesn’t get light until nearly 8 AM. Early morning walks with the dog are cool and filled with bird songs. Roadrunners and rabbits tease the Vizsla with their run, wait, run movements. Double-crested Cormorants fly over in large formations, heading for a day of fishing. Likewise, White Pelicans cruise out to Lake Falcon as we walk along. The breeze is almost always constant and picks up big time during the day.

Roadrunners drive our Vizsla nuts

Spring flowers have been popping everywhere and some of the ugliest plants have the prettiest flowers. Butterflies are everywhere but the wind makes it a challenge. Red Admirals come reliably to the orange halves we stick on trees.

Flower of a Thistle Plant

Prickly Pear Flowers

I had a chance to do some kayaking here although the wind kept the boat on the truck most days. The first morning I launched, a little Eared Grebe surface right in front of the kayak, dove and came back up alongside. I got pretty close to egrets, and Osprey, and other water birds. They seemed to not be afraid of the quiet boat — particularly with many bass boats roaring by.

We can’t get away from the drug war. Border Patrol vehicles cruise the park and and are common along the highways. A tethered observation ballon often flies to the north of here — sort of an ominous sight in a clear blue sky. But there have been no issues for several years here — even though Mexican drug activity goes on in Roma and Rio Grande City.

But as the Winter Texans like us leave, it’s hard to imagine living here. We’ve had a taste of the temperatures and the constant wind and one can see why siestas are popular. It’s deadly in mid-day. The decrepit homes, mongrel dogs, and trash get to you after a while.

But what a place for birds. I picked up nine new life birds and both Mary and I saw a wonderful array of Texas birds. Just on our little camp road we have Scaled Quail, Northern Bobwhites, Inca Doves, Northern Mockingbirds, Orange-crowned Warblers, Long-billed and Curved-bill Thrashers, Olive Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, White-Crowned Sparrows, and the ubiquitous Turkey Vultures, Northern Cardinals, and Red-winged Blackbirds.

So, we are trading wind for mosquitoes and returning to another favorite place, Goose Island State Park where Penny has a vet appointment to check her progress and remove the last two stitches. It will be nice to kiss TELCEL goodbye. Never thought AT&T would look so good.

Central Park Effect – new movie on birds

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Birders and others got to see a screening of the “Central Park Effect,” a movie about birds in New York’s Central Park at South by Southwest conference. Birder Jane Tillman wrote on TexBirds:
Jeffrey Kimball, the director, is a birder and it showed. The movie is not yet out on DVD, as he hopes it will hit prime time, but watch this Youtube video to get a taste.

The movie played to a full house, unlike The Big Year. It is a lot better too. Maybe it will recruit some new birders.
“The Central Park Effect” reveals the extraordinary array of wild birds who grace Manhattan’s celebrated patch of green and the equally colorful, full-of-attitude New Yorkers who schedule their lives around the rhythms of migration. Acclaimed author Jonathan Franzen, an idiosyncratic trombone technician, a charming fashion-averse teenager, and a bird-tour leader who’s recorded every sighting she’s made since the 1940s are among the film’s cast of characters. Featuring spectacular wildlife footage capturing the changing seasons, this lyrical documentary transports the viewer to a dazzling world that goes all but unnoticed by the 38 million people who visit the park each year.

Birds of Falcon State Park

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While the Texas drought has cut back the number of birds, there is still a wide variety here and down at Salineno. Here are some photos I’ve taken in the last week.
Altimira Oriole
Long-billed Thrasher across the street sounding like a Northern Mockingbird
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Great Kiskadee
Green Jays are hard to beat for color and personality
Hooded Oriole

Birds of Falcon State Park

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While the Texas drought has cut back the number of birds, there is still a wide variety here and down at Salineno. Here are some photos I’ve taken in the last week.

Altimira Oriole

Long-billed Thrasher across the street sounding like a Northern Mockingbird

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Great Kiskadee

Green Jays are hard to beat for color and personality

Hooded Oriole

Hot & Dusty

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We have been at one of our favorite parks -Falcon State Park – which sits on Falcon Lake, perhaps the best bass fishing lake in the U.S. each morning, dozens of trucks hauling big bass rigs come rolling in with their sun-burned anglers ready for another day. This weekend, the Bassmasters tournament is here and the big names and big money will also.

Today we drove north to Zapata to look for a special bird – a White-collared Seedeater – which I got a look at – and traversed some really rough country. Hot, flat, dry, with nothing but a few horses or scrub cows here and there. This part of Texas makes us often wonder: How did the first settlers (or the natives) make it? The temperatures in early March about 90 with a stiff wind and a drought that has lasted over a year.
The evenings are spectacular with the recent full moon and the close approach of Mars. Coyotes yip and howl each night and the Common Pauraques send forth their unique call.

We awake to Northern Cardinals and the western cousins, Pyrrhuloxias, singing away and Northern Mockingbirds run through their whole routine as I walk by with Penny.

The recent rains, while doing nothing to break the drought, have greened up things a bit and many spring flowers are starting to pop. Likewise, a number of butterflies have emerged but good luck identifying them in 30 mph winds. One of the most common species is Red Admiral.

The dry air certainly clears our New England sinuses. No sniffles for weeks. It’s about the only place I’ve been where rest room hand driers actally work – no more wiping the moisture off on trousers.
Penny’s operation wound is healing slowly. Our bandaging has gone from Keystone Cops with warm water spraying everywhere and lots of swearing to a rather restrained procedure. Still gave a couple of stitches to get removed.
We have a weather system coming in which will move temps from today’s 90 degrees to 60 tomorrow. We are looking forward to it.
Vermont had 60’s yesterday but I suspect that there are a few surprises yet back home. We are missing friends and family but going to wait until we are sure we don’t get caught in snow like last year.

Finally — the Brown Jay

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Since December, a Brown Jay has been regularly visiting the feeders at the Salenino, Texas bird sanctuary where Cheryl Longton and other volunteers continue a long tradition of taking care of the birds of the area.  The site is famous for the three orioles (Audobon’s, Altimira, and Hooded) as well as Green Jays and Greater Kiskadees.

So, as we planned our trip last winter, I watched the listserve and saw steady sightings of the Brown Jay, a Mexican bird that rarely strays north these days.   We were delayed at Goose Island for several weeks with our dog’s operation but the reports continued.

We arrived at Falcon State Park Thursday night and Friday morning, loaded up and made the short drive down to Salenino — to learn that the jay had not been seen there for three days.  The story of my birding life but not the end of the world — the orioles were there and it was a great to once again see the wonderful variety of birds there.

A large birding group from Austin came in and I learned from their tour leader that a Brown Jay had been seen just upriver at an old RV park at Chapena.  They were going up to check it out but we decided, since the dog’s foot was bothering her, to head back and try the following day.  (I read that night that all 14 of the group had seen the Jay at the RV park.)

So, Saturday morning, we drove the 15 minutes down to the park by the river.  It is pretty rundown and sort-of third world looking with stray dogs here and there, hand-lettered signs, a modest entrance fee, and no Brown Jay.  We did have a nice outing down by the Rio Grande and went back to Falcon figuring this quest was over … until I heard from a birding friend that the Jay had returned to Salenino.

This morning, with modest expectations, we drove down to Salenino again and walking in, learned that the Brown Jay had come in about 8:30 but had left.  We sat around, watched Greater Kiskadees and Altimira Orioles along with all the other visitors when suddenly Cheryl said, “There he is, over by that feeder.”  Well, once it showed it was hard to miss — nearly the size of a crow and perched there, munching on an orange, to the accompaniment of camera shutters and birders oohing and aahing.  The Jay left after 10 minutes or so but likely was back later in the morning for some chicken leftovers put out for him.

We didn’t come to Falcon for this bird — we’ve been here three years in a row — however, it makes it nice to have a life bird so close (10 to 20 minutes away) and to finally get to see it.  Given the fact that Brown Jays, once fairly reliable here, have not been seen for a couple of years — and that this year there was only one steady one — make this feel like a solid lifer.

Trash Talk

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One of the big disappointments about Texas birding is the amount of trash you encounter along roadways – about anywhere. Many times I’ve spotted a Crested Caracara up ahead to find it’s only one more Walmart plastic bag tangled on a fence post. Of course, with no recycling, no returnable deposit, and a “toss it out the window” mentality, what can you expect?
Recycling is about non-existent throughout the South. It hurts to crush plastic milk cartons and toss them with the cardboard, cans, and other recyclables. State parks are pretty lame, with only aluminum cans collected. Since we drink no soda or beer from cans, well you get the picture.
The other day I drove over to a large wildlife management area for some birding. It is used for grazing as well and some of the residents didn’t seem too impressed by the Vermont plates and kayak on the red truck.



It was a foggy morning and on the way on the access road, I saw a life bird – a White-tailed Kite perched in a dead tree. I took a photo through my scope which was pretty fuzzy but ok for documentation.



Once I left the truck and began birding alongside the Guadeloupe River, I was shocked by the debris. Some was from recent high water but much was crap left by hunters and fishermen. Beer cans galore, fishing line in trees, it was really depressing. But some great birds helped make up for it. Red-bellied woodpeckers made a racket while dozens of yellow-rumps did their flycatchers act.
The highlight was a big bird that flew off and perched in a tree up ahead. Thankful that I didn’t have the dog with me, I got right underneath a Great Horned Owl who watched me through the branches but stayed perched as I photographed it and then quietly moved on.



It was a good birding outing but I could not help but contrast it with my trips to new England WMA’s. Sure, you’ll always run into idiots who litter, but in Texas, it seems to be genetically imprinted. .

We certainly haven’t been impressed by recycling efforts in Tennessee, Missssippi, Louisiana, or Texas. We’ll be hauling a lot of stuff home but can’t start collecting quite yet. Mary and I are far from alone at our disgust for the situation – many from Canada and the upper mid-West share our opinion – as I’m sure do many Texans

Owl, Kite, and Trash

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One of the big disappointments about Texas birding is the amount of trash you encounter along roadways – about anywhere. Many times I’ve spotted a Crested Caracara up ahead to find it’s only one more Walmart plastic bag tangled on a fence post. Of course, with no recycling, no returnable deposit, and a “toss it out the window” mentality, what can you expect?
Recycling is about non-existent throughout the South. It hurts to crush plastic milk cartons and toss them with the cardboard, cans, and other recyclables. State parks are pretty lame, with only aluminum cans collected. Since we drink no soda or beer from cans, well you get the picture.
The other day I drove over to a large wildlife management area for some birding. It is used for grazing as well and some of the residents didn’t seem too impressed by the Vermont plates and kayak on the red truck.

It was a foggy morning and on the way on the access road, I saw a life bird – a White-tailed Kite perched in a dead tree. I took a photo through my scope which was pretty fuzzy but ok for documentation.

Once I left the truck and began birding alongside the Guadeloupe River, I was shocked by the debris. Some was from recent high water but much was crap left by hunters and fishermen. Beer cans galore, fishing line in trees, it was really depressing. But some great birds helped make up for it. Red-bellied woodpeckers made a racket while dozens of yellow-rumps did their flycatchers act.
The highlight was a big bird that flew off and perched in a tree up ahead. Thankful that I didn’t have the dog with me, I got right underneath a Great Horned Owl who watched me through the branches but stayed perched as I photographed it and then quietly moved on.

It was a good birding outing but I could not help but contrast it with my trips to new England WMA’s. Sure, you’ll always run into idiots who litter, but in Texas, it seems to be genetically imprinted. Mary and I are far from alone at our disgust for the situation – many from Canada and the upper mid-West share our opinion – as I’m sure do many Texans.