All photographs ©2007 - 2008
Selected Birds from the Lower Rio Grande Valley
A juvenile Carolina Wren poses at the Sabal Palm Grove.
Lesser Nighthawk, Bentsen Rio Grande SP
Botteri's Sparrow, Laguna Atascosa NWR
White-tipped Dove, Laguna Atascosa NWR
Green Jay, Laguna Atascosa NWR
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher found by John Brush (JUN 08) at Quinta Mazatlan
Reddish Egrets at South Padre Island (normal morph above, white morph below)
Sunning Plain Chachalaca, Laguna Atascosa NWR
One of three Black-throated Sparrows found in the La Sal Del Rey tracts of the Lower Rio Grande NWR, well east of their normal range in the Valley. (MAY 08)
Bell's Vireo, Santa Ana NWR (MAY 08)
Recently fledged Northern Rough-winged Swallows (with parent on left) at Anzalduas County Park
A few spring migrants at Laguna Atascosa:
Indigo Bunting Baltimore Oriole flock Empidonax sp.--any ideas?
American Redstart Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bronzed Cowbird
"Ah! Photographers!" "Guess I'd better get out there and give 'em a show..."
Very cooperative Least Bittern along the Laguna Madre Trail, South Padre Island
Glossy Great-tailed Grackle, South Padre Island
Prairie Warbler at Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen (considered rare away from the coast)
Plain Chachalaca voicing forth, Santa Ana NWR
Curve-billed Thrasher, same location
Northern Bobwhite, same location
Cactus Wren, same location
Long-billed Thrasher inventing a new dance step (same location)
Upland Sandpiper, also along Weaver Road
Shorebirds at the La Sal del Rey: Least Sandpiper (left) and with a group of Snowy Plovers (right)
"Oh, don't pay any attention to me--I really don't want your fish--honest I don't..."
"So what'ja find?"
Green Heron, Brownsville Fisheries Ponds
Merlin, Brownsville Dump Wetlands
First-year American Herring Gull with deformed bill, Highway 48 Boat Launch
Texas hosted two Fork-tailed Flycatchers during March of 2008; this one showed up on the Nature Conservancy's Southmost Preserve near Brownsville!
Tricolored Heron South Padre Island Convention Center
Clapper Rails, same location
Swamp Sparrow, same location
White-tailed Hawk, La Sal del Rey Tract of the LRGV NWR
Greater Roadrunner, same location
Purple Martins along the road to Boca Chica Beach (SR 4)
Crested Caracara, same location
I strongly suspect this is a hybrid Myrtle x Audubon's Warbler: while the yellow throat suggests Audubon's, the hint of the mask and "conventional" wingbars suggest Myrtle (same location)
Olive Sparrow, Falcon State Park
Not the best shot, but Green-tailed Towhees show up only occasionally here (same location)
Pyrrhuloxia, same location
"The Mad Mockingbird" (same location)
Comparative shot of a female Bronzed Cowbird (above) next to a female Brown-headed Cowbird (below)
Immature White-tailed Hawk, Santa Monica Wetlands levee
Zone-tailed Hawk, Anzalduas County Park
Northern Cardinals (female left, male right), Laguna Atascosa NWR
Long-billed Thrashers, same location
This Dusky-capped Flycatcher (accidental in south Texas) hung around the Sabal Palm Grove the winter of 2007-2008!
The blind at Sabal Palms is a great place to get close to Least Grebes!
Olive Sparrow giving his opinion of the rotted orange...
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
An early (or possibly wintering) Pectoral Sandpiper (right) keeping company with a Lesser Yellowlegs at the wetlands next to the Brownsville Dump (15 FEB 08)
Cattle Egret with breakfast at the "Brownsville Dump Wetlands"
Several views of the White-crested Elaenia that showed up at the Sheepshead Lot on South Padre Island, 10 FEB 08
Believe it or not, the House Finch is accidental in the LRGV! This individual was at Estero Llano Grande State Park, 19 NOV 07.
Great Kiskadee, Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
Juvenile Gray Hawk, same location
Thermalling Anhingas, Monte Cristo Tract, LRGV NWR
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Roma Bluffs
Laughing Gull, South Padre Island
Ring-billed Gull, same location
Tailless Eastern Phoebe, Santa Ana NWR
Groove-billed Ani along the wildlife drive at Laguna
Atascosa NWR
Short-billed Dowitcher and Ruddy Turnstones at Fred Stone County Park, Port Mansfield