High Island Report...(Texas): 26 April

My morning amble around the woods at Boy Scout, saw me alerted to an ashy gray form sitting quietly in a tree behind the Houston Audubon kiosk: Mississipi Kite, (bottom photo), my first of the spring season, and not a bad opener to our walk. A bounty of buntings graced the woods with some prominent mulberry bushes attracting the usual assortment of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, Cedar Waxwings, and a bunch of Painted Buntings too, with a mix of females and males competing for these juicy fruits. A Black-throated Green Warbler was found gleaning in an oak, and a Warbling Vireo was seen perched in a pecan tree. Most outstanding performance by a warbler this morning could have been Chestnut-sided Warbler, as it flitted around just in front of us (top photo), although was beaten to the punch 10 minutes later when Charley (Hesse) spotted a Swainson's Warbler trying to sneak into the drip in front of the Grandstand. It may have only been there for a few minutes but the looks were stellar as it surveyed the scene from a dead branch giving full scope views! An exciting few hours in the field.