19 April 2010

Warbler Wonderland...(High Island, Texas): 19 April



Once again warblers were out in force today in High Island. I took a group around the woods at Boy Scout, and it was immediately obvious that yesterdays high numbers of warblers were well down and there clearly had been a lift off overnight. While numbers of individual warblers were down though a good variety were still around (25 species reported today). I saw well under that as I only spent time in Boy Scout, and the greater diversity today was at Smith. My best were Kentucky Warblers at both the Grandstand drip and by the photo blind (top photo), a pair of singing Tennessee Warblers in a Live Oak, and several Worm-eating Warblers.

My brief stint in the photo blind saw me nail this Indigo Bunting (bottom photo), and teased by a Blue-winged Warbler that just would not come down and play, along with several Swainson's Thrushes that bathed in the small pools. It also cost me, as I missed the pair of Mississippi Kites that glided over the Grandstand while I was focusing on the Kentucky! There was also a good bounty of Scarlet Tanagers that munched ripening mulberries just above people's heads late in the afternoon by the Houston Audubon kiosk.

3 comments:

Rebecca Lewis said...

Stunning.

Fernanda said...

Beautiful shots. Thanks for the tweets on High Island.

I was at Smith Oaks this weekend with my young kids and we had a great time. We stayed by Rookery where you can't miss the egrets and spoonbills, though.

Penny said...

My husband and I had an awesome time Sunday afternoon at the drip. We were a little disappointed that we didnt see a Painted Bunting, but went home with quite a list. Monday morning I was checking out the Indigo Bunting activity in my backyard feeders, when low and behold.....a Painted Bunting in my very own backyard!! My first ever sighting!