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.