To reach Laredo today, I biked 78 miles south from Carrizo Springs. This ride was complicated by a SSE headwind that blew at 8-13 MPH for most of the day. There were some significant periods of frustration, but I managed to avoid the sorts of wind-induced meltdowns that have on occasion got the better of me this year. I guess that's a small victory! I did manage to sneak in a bit of birding at the end of the day. I was met by several local birders in a local park where we made a half-baked attempt to locate seedeater. It was really more of a social call than anything else. It was actually a very welcomed chance for personal interaction after a long stretch alone. I also gave a short interview that will be shown on the local Laredo News tonight at 10pm! Local celebrity - woot woot! All was not lost on the bird front this afternoon as I was able to add Couch's kingbird in the park for species #592. I'll surely see many more of these in the next few weeks.
78 windy, rough ones today
Laredo birders, Danny, Glenda, Nikki, and Holly
While the best birding is another 100+ miles downstream from Laredo, White-collared seedeater is a bird that can be found only at the upper end of the the Rio Grande Valley. The bird is frequently seen along the river right in downtown Laredo. There are an additional half dozen or so spots for the bird as one moves the 50 miles south from Laredo to Zapata. As I need a day off, as I have a host willing to host me for 2 nights, and as there is supposed to be some very dangerous weather around Laredo tomorrow afternoon, I am going to use tomorrow morning to check a few local spots for seedeaters. I will then spend the afternoon on the sofa watching college football. I have earned that much! I should have a decent shot at finding the bird, and more importantly, a nice short day of riding to let my legs at least partially recover. On Sunday, I will ride south from Laredo towards the additional seedeater spots. The most notable of these will be the private La Laja Ranch to which I have been granted access. This property is supposed to be a bird goldmine. There is a distinct possibility I could walk out of it with both the seedeater and Red-billed pigeon. Should I still need the seedeater after Sunday, I'll set up shop in Zapata and comb local spots in that vicinity until I find the bird. From Zapata, it will be just 30 miles to reach Salineno for a day or two before I head to Mission for a few days. From Mission, I can bird any number of very productive Lower Rio Grande Valley. It is going to be super exciting the next few days! 6-Hundo is just around the corner! I gots 99 problems but a new birds ain't one!
Did the Couch's vocalize?
ReplyDeleteThe trolls never quit.
DeleteNeither do the stringers! Fortunately, it sounds like Dorian heard several of them call to lock them in.
DeleteSo are you calling Dorian a stringer? I mean what a petty comment to ask if it vocalized. It's amazing the armchair birders that troll here to take shots...
DeleteAsking if it vocalized was a very reasonable question, given 1) the species overlaps with Tropical in southern Texas, 2) the two species are not safely separable except by voice, and 3) Dorian didn't mention it vocalizing in his post.
DeleteI'm not calling Dorian a stringer, but if you think you can safely identify Couch's without hearing it call, I might be calling YOU one.
I strongly support Dorian's big year and merely think it would strengthen his Big Year if he had mentioned locking in Couch's by voice. That's all. We don't need any self-appointed blog police here; Dorian has shown himself readily able to answer ID questions like this that come up in the blog comments.
Just like he doesn't need the "bird police". I'm sure quite a few readers are sick of these anonymous nit picking and I'd questionings. Back to your armchair chief.
DeleteCovered all I needed to cover in my most recent comment. This discussion is over.
DeleteIf the seedeater becomes a problem, I can give you directions to where I have never failed to find them at San Ygnacio. And I'm NOT referring to the seedeater sanctuary that it right below town.
ReplyDeleteHey Alan
DeleteYeah, that would be great. You can send me an email at bikingforbirds@gmail.com Thanks!
True contrats to you. Your accomplishments continue to amaze. I feel like the eastbound west-Texas leg was with less drama than the westbound? (perhaps you just focused less on it in the blog.) Question re Couch's Kingbird: while I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of in Laguna Atascosa a couple of years ago, it still remains off my life list as I was just not confident enough separating it out from Tropical. Did you call it a Couch's due to range, habitat, field marks, vocalizations or just jizz? Since I'm headed back down to RGV next month in part to try to find and ID Couch's, your thinking would be real helpful. Keep rockin!
ReplyDeleteHey Ethan
DeleteCouch's is much more common in Laredo that Tropical. Around here I think it's assumes Couch's until proven otherwise, so range was certainly a factor. Lower in the valley where Tropical becomes more common it's a different story. The Tropicals that I saw in AZ earlier in the year had much longer beaks than the Couch's form yesterday. Several of the half dozen or so called which heaped as well!
Couch's and Tropical are reliably separated only by call. Glad some of them vocalized.
Delete