Upper Texas Coast and Cape May Trip List

Upper Texas Coast / Houston Trip List

A highly productive trip. Although on reflection I might have done better on the Warblers in Canada, the UTC has it all. When the woodland passerines aren't happening then the shore and the marshes are right next door. It was here that I took my most pleasing photos. This was a birding trip though, and so the all-important list is below. Nearly made it to 200, with a little less time at Anahuac and a bit more time at other places I think I would have got there. Of the 192, 31 were ABA ticks.

Cape May Trip List (extension)

#112

Texas - Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Back when I was last in Texas with Henry we had planned to try for Red-cockaded Woodpecker at WG Jones State Forest on the north side of Houston but had run out of time. This is a properly hard species to catch up with, with a very limited distribution and range. They like a particular type of pine forest, and are very very fussy. WG Jones State Forest is just right it seems, and is probably the place most people see this bird. We arrived early morning, with about two hours to try and fine one. EBird news suggested that there were at least two pairs in the smaller part of the forest north of the road that bisects it, but beyond that I had no idea where to look. Happily the management had taken the guesswork out by closing a loop of path, which was strongly suggestive of birds that they didn't want disturbed. We took up position but the ropes but saw absolutely nothing and wandered off to do some actual birding. Brown-headed Nuthatch were numerous and vocal, but steadfastly at the top of very tall trees. Easier were Eastern Bluebird in purpose-built nest boxes, and Pine Siskin and Cedar Waxwing were everywhere. We found several Red-cockaded nest boxes within the trees - cleverly done - but they did not appear occupied.

It took a visiting birder to help us out, who immediately on arrival had seen a female Woodpecker from exactly where we had been standing. Naturally, I wouldn't have it any other way. We went back there and eventually saw it through a precise gap between numerous trees. It was relatively obvious where the nest hole probably was, but of course we couldn't go any closer. Eventually Mick spotted the bird, not sure if the same one, behind us and towards the parking area, but we didn't get much on it before it flew back into the closed area. Still, probably the best views we could have hoped for in the circumstances. There are more pairs south of the road, but that is a much larger area and it would have been a lot harder I suspect. Still, on the list.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker - best I got

By now it was mid-morning, and we had a mid-morning flight to Philadelphia for the next part of the adventure - Cape May, New Jersey. The trip list stood at 163.

Upper Texas Coast - Day 3

We tried Yellow Rail Prairie just before dawn to see if we might find its namesake but drew a blank. We did however treat a selection of the UTC mosquito population to a fine breakfast, so for some at least it was a profitable start to the day. As the day dawned we returned once more to the Shoveler Pond Loop, and were pleased to find both Sora and a King Rail at the first corner, the lateter giving exceptionally unexpected views. From the boardwalk on the western side of the pond the light was phenomenal, and I enjoyed some low shots of Stilt Sandpiper, Blue-winged Teal and various other birds. Soon however the loop began to fill with other cars, and so as not to get stuck behind a massive queue of people simply birding from vehicles on a single-track road we moved back to the favoured eastern edge for some more flight photography as the herons and egrets began to head out of roost and off to feed in the nearby fields and ditches. In this way the first couple of hours of the morning passed most satisfactorily.

Blue-winged Teal

Stilt Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher (I think!)

King Rail

Yellow-crowned Nigh Heron

Purple Gallinule

Cattle Egret

Tricoloured Heron

Little Blue Heron - a nice blue version

Great White Egret

American White Ibis

Back at High Island we spent a little more time seeing if anything new was at Boy Scout, and on the point of leaving bumped into a very nice man called Victor Emanuel. Now obviously I don't like to name drop, but I'd actually had a nice chat with him on my flight over from the UK. Long story, but my immediate neighbour on the plane was returning from participating in a VENT trip in Spain, and had told me that Mr. Emanuel was also on the plane and went to find him. Gratifyingly he had then come along and said hi, and we had proceeded to have a very long chat about bird in Spain as well as his special subject, birding the Upper Texas Coast. He was exceedingly kind and helpful, and my eBird printouts were soon covered with copious notes and hand-drawn maps. I still have his pen in fact. He had suggested meeting up at High Island later in the week to go birding, an amazing proposition, but I declined as I was with Mick and I didn't know what our movements were going to be. Anyhow, we recognised each other and picked up where we had left off, albeit that I forgot to give him his pen back once again. So a lot more gen and then we did a spot of birding in the garden opposite Boy Scout. It was pretty fabulous to have his insightful commentary as we were going through the birds, but I suppose this is a man who has spent a lifetime guiding numpties....

Gradually other people nearby became aware that this was THE Victor Emanuel and starting fawning, at which point we took our leave, but with a list enriched by Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoo in the same tree. Some of the new gen concerned a pair of Whooping Crane that had not moved north with the rest of the flock, and were instead frequenting the fields around Winnie. This is a seriously rare bird in a global context, and I had not seen them at Aransas NR on the coast on a previous visit. In other words this was a must see and the twitch was on, so even though this was somewhat in the wrong direction versus our plans we went back north and sure enough found them feeding in a large field. Too distant for photography even with birds of this impressive size, but it was a real treat to see this highly endangered species. There are fewer than 1000 birds in total, and at one point the population had declined to 20 before conservationists stepped in.

Swainson's Thrush

Grey Catbird were omnipresent

Black-and-White Warbler

We stopped at Hooks Wood briefly back on High Island, but our actual destination was Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. A happy hour was spent at Rollover Pass, where we upped the list significantly with heaps of new waders and terns, before heading to the Flats. This was amazing - vast numbers of birds on the beach and in the shallows. Waders included Semipalmated Plover, Wilson's Plover, Grey Plover, Willet, Sanderling and Turnstone, whilst on the laridlike front there were Least Tern, Forster's Tern, Black Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern and Caspian Tern, along with Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull and American Herring Gull. Flat on my stomach I enjoyed one of my favourite types of photography, although my clothes enjoyed it less and I nearly had to throw my trousers away. We also saw a thoughtless couple stroll straight out into the roped-off protected area with an enormous unleashed dog, totally ignoring all the signs, so it isn't just in Wanstead that people believe that they can with impunity.

Least Tern

Least Tern

Wilson's Plover

Laugher

We finished the day back at Boy Scout trying for a few more photos around the drips but this was only moderately successful and involved more of the same fare, that is to say endless Catbird and Swainson's Thrushes, and it was then time to head back to Houston for a new phase of the trip, and to put right another ancient miss. 

Upper Texas Coast - Day 2

Now that we knew that the best warbler action occurred in the afternoon, we could devote our morning to something different. Anahuac NWR is between Winnie and High Island, and by all accounts was very birdy. We made it our first destination of the day, and with the sun gently creeping up drove the Shoveler Pond loop, a one way road about two miles long with a large shallow lake in the middle. There is an huge reedbed stuffed full of breeding herons and egrets, and all around the vast flat expanse of Anahuac. It did not disappoint, it was completely stuffed with birds. Hundreds of Cattle Egrets, Great White Egrets, Tricoloured Herons and Roseate Spoonbills. Least Bitterns hunted at the base of the reeds and Purple Gallinule squabbled in the ditches. The churrs, squeaks and whistles of Red-winged Blackbirds were a constant backdrop, and Orchard Oriole and Eastern Kingbirds sat atop the reeds. In the shallows Blue-winged Teal dabbled, Short-billed Dowitchers drilled, Black-necked Stilts swished and Stilt Sandpipers and Glossy Ibis probed, whilst flights of both Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks zoomed overhead. There were so many birds we did not know where to turn. We placed ourselves on the eastern edge adjacent to the heronry (known in the US as a rookery) and had a blast.

Cattle Egret

Roseate Spoonbill

Tricoloured Heron

Snowy Egret

Tricoloured Heron

Red-winged Blackbird

Eastern Kingbird

As mid-morning approached we explored the coastal swamp based on an eBird tip-off for Seaside Sparrow, and then birded the area near the reserve headquarters. Another shallow pool here had a Solitary Sandpiper and an unexpected Wilson's Phalarope, albeit rather distant. Black Duck paddled by, and the surface of the water mirrored numerous Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. A small stand of trees known as Jackson Woodlot held a Golden-winged Warbler and several Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher hunted along a fenceline. Back at the buildings at least three Common Nighthawk were roosting in the trees and Cliff Swallows nesting under the pillars.

Neotropic Cormorant

Seaside Sparrow

Scissortail Flycatcher

Golden-winged Warbler

Common Nighthawk

Rather than spend the afternoon at High Island we went a little further and drove around to Sabine Woods. As the crow flies this is barely any distance from High Island, but you cannot get into McFaddin NWR from the western side. Instead it is about an hour around via the rather desolate and post-dystopian Port Arthur. Despite seemingly close to ideal conditions, there was no large fall of songbirds at Sabine, but we did see a load more warblers - Blue-winged, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian and more. Philadelphia Vireo was seen in the trees, and at the drips we were entertained by Wood Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Brown Thrasher. 

Blue-winged Warbler

Rabbit Warbler

Wood Thrush

Brown Thrasher

Whilst over on this side we also checked out Sea Rim State Park beach, which had Least Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin, Sandwich and Royal Terns amongst others, before returning for dusk to the woods. As had been the case in High Island the activity really picked up as the day ended, and birds that had previously remained hidden came out for a pre-roost bathe and drink, including a Great Crested Flycatcher. It had been a good day, improved even more by a nice meal and a beer on the way back to Winnie.

Least Sandpiper

Sanderling

Upper Texas Coast - Day 1

After a quick breakfast at the 24h Waffle House over the road from our hotel in Winnie we made the 20 minute drive south to High Island. First stop was the much-lauded Smith Oaks Sanctuary. This is actually quite a large reserve, with a big heronry as well as woodland and drips. Despite the southerly winds it was not exactly heaving with birds, but we had excellent views of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Cedar Waxwing and a smart male Scarlet Tanager before we had even left the car park. We paid the small entrance fee which covered us for all of the Audubon reserves for the day, and eagerly headed out into the woods. It was surprisingly quiet under the tree cover, but I picked out my first Blackpoll Warbler quite quickly. Catbirds were everywhere, easily the dominant bird – very pleased I did not schlep to Cornwall last year to see the vagrant!

Blackpoll Warbler

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

We spent a pleasant morning here walking around, including looking at the heronry which was heaving with Snowy and Great White Egrets, Ibises and Roseate Spoonbill. A Green Heron flew across the lake, but the photography opportunities were slim due to the orientation of the raised bund. It would be better in the late afternoon but it also appeared that the golden hour wouldn’t happen here due to the height of the trees alongside the water. We continued to rack up bird species everywhere we looked – Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, various hirudines and warblers, and then Indigo Buntings out in the field near the car park. Mostly however it was a massive warblerfest.

Ovenbird

Black-throated Green Warbler

Wanting to see what other options existed, we relocated the short distance to Boy Scout Woods mid morning. This was a lot busier with people, but also had a lot more birds. Here we racked up Black and White Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Swainson’s Thrush and Blue Grosbeak. We ended up spending the rest of the day here. As we left I was lucky enough to see a Mississippi Kite flying north. It had been a shattering day, and very hard work behind the camera, but we had really sussed out the location and knew better how to approach it in the following days. High ISO basically!!

Magnolia Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

American Redstart

Swainson's Thrush drunk on Mulberries