On Thursday, I paid a visit to South Padre Island in search of migrating warblers, thrushes, and other birds. I wasn’t disappointed and had good numbers of migrants throughout the morning along with nice looks at various waterbirds.
This Wood Stork was one of the nicest waterbirds seen that day.
The following tally gives an idea of that birdy morning:
1 Canada Warbler
6 Yellow Warblers
2 Gray Catbirds
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Bell’s Vireo
1 Hooded Warbler
2 Wilson’s Warblers
4 Louisiana Waterthrushes
1 Black-throated green Warbler
2 Black-and-white Warblers
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Swainson’s Thrush
6 or 7 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
1 Wood Stork
plus several of the more regular avian customers.
The Canada Warbler was especially nice because it was a beautifully marked male and not one of the many duller plumaged immatures that are seen at this time of the year.
A beautiful male Canada Warbler from South Texas.
These beautiful birds breed in the mixed hardwood forests of the northern USA and southern Canada but winter in South America.
Another look at this striking warbler species.
In a matter of weeks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets will be one of the more common migrants in South Texas. Seeing this bird tells you that winter is just around the corner.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are undeniably cute.
Waterthrushes are fairly common migrants.
Waterthrushes are actually wood warblers.
I had at least 6 or 7 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and there might have been more in the area.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
One of the other “good” waterbirds from Thursday was a Clapper Rail out in the open and taking a bath. This rail species is a common resident of salt water marshes but rarely comes out into the open.
Clapper Rail taking a bath!
With migration going on, numbers and types of birds change from one day to the next. I can’t wait to see what shows up on my next visit to South Padre Island!