lgonz1008
Well-known member
I'm guessing that Nine-banded Armadillo was split? Can't think of any other armadillo in the US. Do you know if it's the same armadillo species all over the US?
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Road Trip USA, Birding the Southern Border. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Jos Stratford
- Start date
Correct, a result of a split, the former Nine-banded is now four species. Only one on the US, the others further south.
lgonz1008
Well-known member
Interesting, I'm not too familiar with mammal splits, so this is good info!
raymie
Well-known member
It's not universally accepted though.
Will post soon 👍
25 December. Salineño Wildlife Preserve, Bentsen-Rio Grande , Edinburg Park (McAllen)
Christmas Day, and what better way to mark the day than with Texan-style ‘baubles’ - basking in the almost tropical warmth of the Rio Grande, it would be colour on overdrive, hopefully the almost fluorescent shades of Green Jays clashing with vivid oranges of Altamira and Audubon's Orioles. All these should be possible at the Salineño Wildlife Preserve, a pocket-sized reserve packing a punch right on the banks of the Rio Grande.
Renowned for its feeders, this place is second to none in the Lower Rio Grande, but before rudely interrupting Christmas morning for the couple of volunteer wardens, I decided to first have a quick look along the Rio Grande itself, the first birds of the day being a couple of Ospreys roosting on mid-river snags and three Crested Caracaras hanging out on the banks. Next up, a Pied-billed Grebe just down channel, four White Pelicans sailing over, then two resplendent Green Kingfishers in hot pursuit of each other, chasing each other up and down the river. Their bigger cousin, one Belted Kingfisher present too. Dry arid land nearby added three Black-throated Sparrows to the rapidly growing day tally.
A handful of steps up the slope, a warm ‘Merry Christmas’ from the wardens, it was 7.00 am and the little reserve was open. And what a superb spectacle it was, a visual and audio show of birds at the many feeders, the soundscape dominated by the nonstop chatter of 150 or so Red-winged Blackbirds and the loud piercing calls of abundant Great Kiskadees. Seats were arranged directly in front of the feeders, the birds didn't care, a minimum of 40 Green Jays constantly in and out, frequently hogging the feeders, equally happy to stuff down both the offered seed and peanut butter. Alongside them, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, several Northern Mockingbirds and a few Northern Cardinals. On the ground below, White-tipped and White-winged Doves frequent, as well as one Common Ground Dove, plus the very nice prehistoric-looking Plain Chachalacas stalking the rear - little T Rexes, albeit rather friendlier. And then there were the small birds - Black-crested Titmice at the feeders, a House Wren on a couple of occasions, one Long-billed Thrasher gingerly approaching from vegetation (6th thrasher species of the trip), a very nice Clay-coloured Robin (one of only two recorded on the trip), a single Brown-headed Cowbird (only one of trip) and my first Olive Sparrow of the trip.
For all these birds, however, the stars were the visiting orioles - in the most vivid orange imaginable, no less than five Altamira Orioles gracing the feeders with regularity and, even more special, three of the black-hooded Audubon's Orioles. It is for these that birders regularly visit this site and they certainly did not disappoint, one of the Altamira Orioles happily using a feeder a mere couple of yards from the seats.
I noted no less than 43 species at this site this morning - a nice present from Santa. A shadow hangs over this site unfortunately - already completed to both the immediate west and east, there is a chance the Border Wall will cut through this point, the unfortunate result being the total loss of the reserve. For now, after some initial moves a year back, further construction is suspended, the wardens moderately confident this section will remain as an unfenced gap.
Sixty miles further down the Rio Grande Valley, next stop was Bentson-Rio Grande State Park. This is a very nice area of semi-tropical woodland, riverine scrub and wetland habitat around an old oxbow of the Rio Grande. On arrival, immediately notched up a Buff-bellied Hummingbird at a feeder near the entrance, then began a fairly productive wander around the fairly extensive trails - among the many birds, more Plain Chachalaca, lots of Great Kiskadees, and Green Jays, both Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, plus a Long-billed Thrasher, an Olive Sparrow, two Altamira Orioles, a posse of eight Wild Turkeys and, my only ones of the trip, four Inca Doves.
No shortage of birds at the oxbow too, including a couple of Anhinga, both cormorants, a Tricoloured Heron and, perhaps less expected at this location, three White-fronted Geese and four Sandhill Cranes. In skies above, both Black and Turkey Vultures were abundant, rather nice were two Gray Hawks that joined them.
Discovering pools at the far side of Rio Benson were all dry, I departed the State Park mid-afternoon, adding Couch’s Kingbird at the exit. After checking into a hotel in McAllen, I then zipped across town to Edinburg Park to complete the day's action. A wildlife trail that had been harbouring various warblers was closed due to Christmas, but the area was still pretty good. Essentially a popular park full of folk doing sport and taking a Christmas stroll, there were two main pools of interest, a large circular pool with a walkway all the way round and a smaller heavily vegetated pool that had a certain aroma due to its inhabitants. Walked the big pool first, not only a nice selection of ducks seen (primarily Blue-winged Teal and Ruddy Ducks, plus a few Lesser Scaup et al), but also six Least Grebes, 20+ White Pelicans and one very vocal Ringed Kingfisher, my third kingfisher of the day. Moving to the second pool, the reason for the aroma was quickly apparent - it was home to a big breeding colony of cormorants and herons, the vast bulk being at least 150 Neotropical Cormorants and several hundred Cattle Egrets. Amongst them, two Tricoloured Herons, two Black-crowned Night Herons, several Great Egrets, a number of Great Blue Herons and a good scattering of Snowy Egrets.
The sun was now beginning to set, a Curve-billed Thrasher darted along scrub edge, two Ospreys arrived to roost on high poles in the park's car park and, rounding the day off, one very wild type looking Muscovy Duck sat on a small third pool in a fenced off area, a Spotted Sandpiper strutting next to it.
So Christmas Day over, a total 74 species seen without much trying, a quite satisfying way to celebrate this day.
Christmas Day, and what better way to mark the day than with Texan-style ‘baubles’ - basking in the almost tropical warmth of the Rio Grande, it would be colour on overdrive, hopefully the almost fluorescent shades of Green Jays clashing with vivid oranges of Altamira and Audubon's Orioles. All these should be possible at the Salineño Wildlife Preserve, a pocket-sized reserve packing a punch right on the banks of the Rio Grande.
Renowned for its feeders, this place is second to none in the Lower Rio Grande, but before rudely interrupting Christmas morning for the couple of volunteer wardens, I decided to first have a quick look along the Rio Grande itself, the first birds of the day being a couple of Ospreys roosting on mid-river snags and three Crested Caracaras hanging out on the banks. Next up, a Pied-billed Grebe just down channel, four White Pelicans sailing over, then two resplendent Green Kingfishers in hot pursuit of each other, chasing each other up and down the river. Their bigger cousin, one Belted Kingfisher present too. Dry arid land nearby added three Black-throated Sparrows to the rapidly growing day tally.
A handful of steps up the slope, a warm ‘Merry Christmas’ from the wardens, it was 7.00 am and the little reserve was open. And what a superb spectacle it was, a visual and audio show of birds at the many feeders, the soundscape dominated by the nonstop chatter of 150 or so Red-winged Blackbirds and the loud piercing calls of abundant Great Kiskadees. Seats were arranged directly in front of the feeders, the birds didn't care, a minimum of 40 Green Jays constantly in and out, frequently hogging the feeders, equally happy to stuff down both the offered seed and peanut butter. Alongside them, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, several Northern Mockingbirds and a few Northern Cardinals. On the ground below, White-tipped and White-winged Doves frequent, as well as one Common Ground Dove, plus the very nice prehistoric-looking Plain Chachalacas stalking the rear - little T Rexes, albeit rather friendlier. And then there were the small birds - Black-crested Titmice at the feeders, a House Wren on a couple of occasions, one Long-billed Thrasher gingerly approaching from vegetation (6th thrasher species of the trip), a very nice Clay-coloured Robin (one of only two recorded on the trip), a single Brown-headed Cowbird (only one of trip) and my first Olive Sparrow of the trip.
For all these birds, however, the stars were the visiting orioles - in the most vivid orange imaginable, no less than five Altamira Orioles gracing the feeders with regularity and, even more special, three of the black-hooded Audubon's Orioles. It is for these that birders regularly visit this site and they certainly did not disappoint, one of the Altamira Orioles happily using a feeder a mere couple of yards from the seats.
I noted no less than 43 species at this site this morning - a nice present from Santa. A shadow hangs over this site unfortunately - already completed to both the immediate west and east, there is a chance the Border Wall will cut through this point, the unfortunate result being the total loss of the reserve. For now, after some initial moves a year back, further construction is suspended, the wardens moderately confident this section will remain as an unfenced gap.
Sixty miles further down the Rio Grande Valley, next stop was Bentson-Rio Grande State Park. This is a very nice area of semi-tropical woodland, riverine scrub and wetland habitat around an old oxbow of the Rio Grande. On arrival, immediately notched up a Buff-bellied Hummingbird at a feeder near the entrance, then began a fairly productive wander around the fairly extensive trails - among the many birds, more Plain Chachalaca, lots of Great Kiskadees, and Green Jays, both Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, plus a Long-billed Thrasher, an Olive Sparrow, two Altamira Orioles, a posse of eight Wild Turkeys and, my only ones of the trip, four Inca Doves.
No shortage of birds at the oxbow too, including a couple of Anhinga, both cormorants, a Tricoloured Heron and, perhaps less expected at this location, three White-fronted Geese and four Sandhill Cranes. In skies above, both Black and Turkey Vultures were abundant, rather nice were two Gray Hawks that joined them.
Discovering pools at the far side of Rio Benson were all dry, I departed the State Park mid-afternoon, adding Couch’s Kingbird at the exit. After checking into a hotel in McAllen, I then zipped across town to Edinburg Park to complete the day's action. A wildlife trail that had been harbouring various warblers was closed due to Christmas, but the area was still pretty good. Essentially a popular park full of folk doing sport and taking a Christmas stroll, there were two main pools of interest, a large circular pool with a walkway all the way round and a smaller heavily vegetated pool that had a certain aroma due to its inhabitants. Walked the big pool first, not only a nice selection of ducks seen (primarily Blue-winged Teal and Ruddy Ducks, plus a few Lesser Scaup et al), but also six Least Grebes, 20+ White Pelicans and one very vocal Ringed Kingfisher, my third kingfisher of the day. Moving to the second pool, the reason for the aroma was quickly apparent - it was home to a big breeding colony of cormorants and herons, the vast bulk being at least 150 Neotropical Cormorants and several hundred Cattle Egrets. Amongst them, two Tricoloured Herons, two Black-crowned Night Herons, several Great Egrets, a number of Great Blue Herons and a good scattering of Snowy Egrets.
The sun was now beginning to set, a Curve-billed Thrasher darted along scrub edge, two Ospreys arrived to roost on high poles in the park's car park and, rounding the day off, one very wild type looking Muscovy Duck sat on a small third pool in a fenced off area, a Spotted Sandpiper strutting next to it.
So Christmas Day over, a total 74 species seen without much trying, a quite satisfying way to celebrate this day.
26 December. Bentsen-Rio Grande, Estelo Grande, South Padre Island.
Pre-breakfast return to Benson-Rio Grande, not a lot seen additional to the day before, but I concentrated more on the bush country this day, adding a single Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and a Hooded Oriole (8th oriole species of the trip). Also seen here, an Altamira Oriole, my first White-eyed Vireo of the trip and a very butch-looking Cooper’s Hawk sitting nonchalantly above the path.
Next stop was on a whim, a nearby very nondescript pair of small pools sandwiched between housing. Though named Lakeview, they could hardly be described as attractive, one semi-drained with exposed mud, they other rather grimy. But packed with birds they were - the muddy one holding a whole bunch of ducks, plus a nice assortment of waders (40+ Black-necked Stilts , 15 American Avocets, 25+ Stilt Sandpipers, 30 Least Sandpipers, 20 Long-billed Dowitchers). One wild-type Muscovy Duck here too and, looking rather out of place, a single Ross’s Goose. Looking at the other pool, it was a bonanza of big legs and big bills - three very smart Roseate Spoonbills, three White Pelicans and a full bevy of herons and egrets - one Little Blue Heron, three Tricoloured Heron one Green Heron, two Black-crowned Night Herons, three Great Blue Herons and quite a few Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets.
Then back to the hotel for breakfast before a short drive to Estelo Grande - an area of wetland ten miles east of McAllen. This is a fantastic little reserve with trails meandering around a few pools and a river embankment. I have seen a family of Bobcats here on a previous visit - no such luck this time, but very nice it was regardless. As well as all the usual herons and egrets, as well as White Ibis and White-faced Ibis, there was also a single Roseate Spoonbill here, plus six Mottled Ducks among the assorted ducks and three exquisite Least Grebes.
Mini-twitch time - reported several times in the previous couple of weeks, there was a certain small warbler hanging out in the base of reeds and vegetation on a small pool. Despite numerous visits to the US, this would also be a new species for me, so to the pool I went. Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting about, but nothing initially on the mud. Didn't take long however, strutting out onto the open mud, flicking its tail as it went, my very first Louisiana Waterthrush. This was a pleasing bird, but having watched it no more than 15 minutes, my attention was distracted … ‘Have you seen the Common Pauraques?’ someone asked. Well I hadn't, I didn't even know a pair was on show. It turns out that a pair were roosting mere five minutes along the trail. It would have been rude to decline the offer to be shown them, so off I traipsed.
Stunning birds, two Common Pauraques roosting under bushes literally a metre from the path, not fussed at all by the regular foot traffic, at best occasionally opening their eyes to a slit, but dozing off again.
To conclude my visit to Estelo Grande, I paused a while at their feeders near the visitor centre - the now familiar pack of Rio Grande regulars, Plain Chachalacas, White-tipped Doves, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Great Kiskadees and Green Jays predominated, but also here four Black-crested Titmice, a Clay-coloured Robin and an Altamira Oriole.
With that, eastward to the Gulf of Mexico, a pause just west of Port Isabel to scan for Aplomado Falcon on its traditional perching pole (tall radio mask) failed to produce the bird, so continued over the 2.5 mile long bridge to South Padre Island. Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans two-a-penny, a few flights of White Pelicans too. South Padre itself however is not of great interest to me - a hotel strip along the Gulf of Mexico, good beaches apparently and little to offer the birder. I was too stingy to pay ten dollars to walk the trails at a wetland at the northern end of the spit (these could have produced Swamphen), but the nearby beach was pretty good - full of roosting Black Skimmers and gulls and an assortment of waders.
Soon got bored of South Padre and crossed back over the bridge and randomly headed south, stopping at channel bridge about 15 miles along. This was an excellent decision - a small neck of water dividing a large inland bay and a coastal lagoon, it was crammed with birds. An Osprey devouring a fish, Forster's Terns and Royal Terns in constant back and fro, plenty of Gull-billed Terns too, plus four Caspian Terns. On the mangrove edge, eight Yellow-crowned Night Herons, 40+ White Ibis, 12 White-faced Ibis and a Roseate Spoonbill, while sand banks and shallows all around supported many more long legs - four Little Blue Herons, six Reddish Egrets, 40+ Tricoloured Herons and 15 Great Blue Herons, plus abundant Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets
Also at least 150 Black Skimmers and, mostly roosting on a single shingle bank, an abundance of waders - 150+ Black necked Stilts, 70+ American Avocets, 250+ Willets, three American Oystercatchers, two Black-bellied Plovers, one Long-billed Curlew, two Marbled Godwits, 25 Ruddy Turnstones, 20 Stilt Sandpipers, 40 Sanderling, 60 Western Sandpipers, 40 Long-billed Dowitchers, eight Lesser Yellowlegs and a single Greater Yellowlegs.
Just to complete the setting, also good for raptors - as well as 20+ Ospreys drifting around, also one Northern Harrier, one Harris Hawk, three White-tailed Hawks, two Crested Caracaras and an American Kestrel. Many Turkey Vultures too, plus five Black Vultures.
With afternoon nearing its end, I then decided to return to the Aplomado Falcon site. Nothing on the pole when I arrived, so waited to see if it returned to roost. Abundant Red-winged Blackbirds decided it a good place to overnight, so too lots of Turkey Vultures on power lines. Then 5.15 pm, in flew one Aplomado Falcon to thereafter sit and peer down at me. For a bonus, one White-tailed Kite did a fly-by too, my only one of the trip.
I thought the Aplomado Falcon would now stay the night, but after ten minutes or so, it flew down to a fence post, then moments later went streaking off after the gathering Red-winged Blackbirds. Perhaps returned later, but with that I departed, back to South Padre Island.
With little effort, I had seen 97 species this day, one of the highest totals of the trip.
Pre-breakfast return to Benson-Rio Grande, not a lot seen additional to the day before, but I concentrated more on the bush country this day, adding a single Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and a Hooded Oriole (8th oriole species of the trip). Also seen here, an Altamira Oriole, my first White-eyed Vireo of the trip and a very butch-looking Cooper’s Hawk sitting nonchalantly above the path.
Next stop was on a whim, a nearby very nondescript pair of small pools sandwiched between housing. Though named Lakeview, they could hardly be described as attractive, one semi-drained with exposed mud, they other rather grimy. But packed with birds they were - the muddy one holding a whole bunch of ducks, plus a nice assortment of waders (40+ Black-necked Stilts , 15 American Avocets, 25+ Stilt Sandpipers, 30 Least Sandpipers, 20 Long-billed Dowitchers). One wild-type Muscovy Duck here too and, looking rather out of place, a single Ross’s Goose. Looking at the other pool, it was a bonanza of big legs and big bills - three very smart Roseate Spoonbills, three White Pelicans and a full bevy of herons and egrets - one Little Blue Heron, three Tricoloured Heron one Green Heron, two Black-crowned Night Herons, three Great Blue Herons and quite a few Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets.
Then back to the hotel for breakfast before a short drive to Estelo Grande - an area of wetland ten miles east of McAllen. This is a fantastic little reserve with trails meandering around a few pools and a river embankment. I have seen a family of Bobcats here on a previous visit - no such luck this time, but very nice it was regardless. As well as all the usual herons and egrets, as well as White Ibis and White-faced Ibis, there was also a single Roseate Spoonbill here, plus six Mottled Ducks among the assorted ducks and three exquisite Least Grebes.
Mini-twitch time - reported several times in the previous couple of weeks, there was a certain small warbler hanging out in the base of reeds and vegetation on a small pool. Despite numerous visits to the US, this would also be a new species for me, so to the pool I went. Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting about, but nothing initially on the mud. Didn't take long however, strutting out onto the open mud, flicking its tail as it went, my very first Louisiana Waterthrush. This was a pleasing bird, but having watched it no more than 15 minutes, my attention was distracted … ‘Have you seen the Common Pauraques?’ someone asked. Well I hadn't, I didn't even know a pair was on show. It turns out that a pair were roosting mere five minutes along the trail. It would have been rude to decline the offer to be shown them, so off I traipsed.
Stunning birds, two Common Pauraques roosting under bushes literally a metre from the path, not fussed at all by the regular foot traffic, at best occasionally opening their eyes to a slit, but dozing off again.
To conclude my visit to Estelo Grande, I paused a while at their feeders near the visitor centre - the now familiar pack of Rio Grande regulars, Plain Chachalacas, White-tipped Doves, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Great Kiskadees and Green Jays predominated, but also here four Black-crested Titmice, a Clay-coloured Robin and an Altamira Oriole.
With that, eastward to the Gulf of Mexico, a pause just west of Port Isabel to scan for Aplomado Falcon on its traditional perching pole (tall radio mask) failed to produce the bird, so continued over the 2.5 mile long bridge to South Padre Island. Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans two-a-penny, a few flights of White Pelicans too. South Padre itself however is not of great interest to me - a hotel strip along the Gulf of Mexico, good beaches apparently and little to offer the birder. I was too stingy to pay ten dollars to walk the trails at a wetland at the northern end of the spit (these could have produced Swamphen), but the nearby beach was pretty good - full of roosting Black Skimmers and gulls and an assortment of waders.
Soon got bored of South Padre and crossed back over the bridge and randomly headed south, stopping at channel bridge about 15 miles along. This was an excellent decision - a small neck of water dividing a large inland bay and a coastal lagoon, it was crammed with birds. An Osprey devouring a fish, Forster's Terns and Royal Terns in constant back and fro, plenty of Gull-billed Terns too, plus four Caspian Terns. On the mangrove edge, eight Yellow-crowned Night Herons, 40+ White Ibis, 12 White-faced Ibis and a Roseate Spoonbill, while sand banks and shallows all around supported many more long legs - four Little Blue Herons, six Reddish Egrets, 40+ Tricoloured Herons and 15 Great Blue Herons, plus abundant Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets
Also at least 150 Black Skimmers and, mostly roosting on a single shingle bank, an abundance of waders - 150+ Black necked Stilts, 70+ American Avocets, 250+ Willets, three American Oystercatchers, two Black-bellied Plovers, one Long-billed Curlew, two Marbled Godwits, 25 Ruddy Turnstones, 20 Stilt Sandpipers, 40 Sanderling, 60 Western Sandpipers, 40 Long-billed Dowitchers, eight Lesser Yellowlegs and a single Greater Yellowlegs.
Just to complete the setting, also good for raptors - as well as 20+ Ospreys drifting around, also one Northern Harrier, one Harris Hawk, three White-tailed Hawks, two Crested Caracaras and an American Kestrel. Many Turkey Vultures too, plus five Black Vultures.
With afternoon nearing its end, I then decided to return to the Aplomado Falcon site. Nothing on the pole when I arrived, so waited to see if it returned to roost. Abundant Red-winged Blackbirds decided it a good place to overnight, so too lots of Turkey Vultures on power lines. Then 5.15 pm, in flew one Aplomado Falcon to thereafter sit and peer down at me. For a bonus, one White-tailed Kite did a fly-by too, my only one of the trip.
I thought the Aplomado Falcon would now stay the night, but after ten minutes or so, it flew down to a fence post, then moments later went streaking off after the gathering Red-winged Blackbirds. Perhaps returned later, but with that I departed, back to South Padre Island.
With little effort, I had seen 97 species this day, one of the highest totals of the trip.
