This website will cover bird related activities of the Ortego Family living within Texas. Banding activities with The Texas Bird Banding Team, Christmas Bird Counts and Breeding Bird Surveys will make up most of the activities.

KENEDY COUNTY – WIND TURBINES

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

4 January 2012

The 2^nd running of this CBC produced 1/3 of the waterbirds and about the same number of species as the previous year.  The Best Birds of the count were LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and JAEGER.  The two years were one of contrast in the upper Laguna Madre.  The 2011 survey occurred after major freshening of Laguna by a hurricane during 2010, and the 2012 survey occurred after the driest year in Texas history.  Both winters were much drier than normal.  Interacting with all of this hydrology was an 80 day fall red tide along the national seashore that killed millions of fish and depleted food resources for many birds.

 

                This CBC covers one of the most important waterbird areas in Texas and is unique for the State because of the long distance needed to travel to the survey area: 18 miles down the beach from the nearest road, or 25 miles by boat from the nearest dock.  We had 2 hardy crews camp on the beach at the count circle edge the night before to get an early start.  While the rest of us, departed at daybreak for safety reasons.

 

Land based crews drove the beach and scoped from on top of dunes, drove extensive grasslands between the dunes and the wind tidal flats, and 1 crew walked the flats. 

 

Water based crews dropped off 3 teams to walk the very shallow flats, and then the two boats surveyed waterbirds from deeper water.

 

RESULTS

We counted 105,000 birds from 100 species.  We reported 350,000 birds from 101 species in 2011.  Major decreases in Am. Coot 21,000 to 0, puddle ducks from 75,000 to 8,000, diving ducks 15,000 to 4,000, and shorebirds 238,000 to 92,000 were noted.  Some of the differences in bird abundance might be related to salinities between the surveys.  It was 20 ppt in 2011 and 46 ppt in 2012.  More surveys will be needed to determine if this is the driving factor for the area.

                Sanderling, turnstone, gull and tern numbers were essentially the same between years even though the beach crew noted scarcity of birds on the beaches.  Many of these “beach” birds have the option to forage over the flats when conditions are harsh on the beach. 

 

Photo by Cullen Hanks

                Passerine numbers between years were very similar, and fish eating birds were somewhat higher.  Even with the drop in overall abundance from last year, the numbers from this survey for Reddish Egret, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Willet, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, and Dunlin will likely be some of the highest in the Nation.

 

As the sun set we were treated by views of massive flocks of waterfowl outside of our count circle and a coyote who claimed to rule the dunes.

 

This Christmas Bird Count is an important survey of the birds using the Texas Coast and requires extensive efforts to complete.  The count is a cooperative effort between the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, and our volunteers.  We will likely be conducting our next CBC at this site on Thursday, 3 January 2013.

Brent Ortego

brent.ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us

Wade Stablein

Wade_stablein@nps.gov

MATAGORDA COUNTY – MAD ISLAND MARSH

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

19 December 2011

 

The 19^th running of the Matagorda County – Mad Island Marsh CBC occurred with strong warm winds all day and occasional light showers.  Tides were high and there were few shallow mud flats.  We were able to put a record 138 people in the field along with 4 boats to produce 244 species which was our 3^rd highest tally.  Even though this count has been able to record 334 species over its history, we still managed to add 5 new species, but we also missed 5 species which occur regularly on the CBC.  The MANX SHEARWATER reported by Petra Hockey flying over the Gulf was voted by an overwhelming number of section leaders as the BEST BIRD of the Count.

[This photo is from the British Trust for Ornithology] 

The Nature Conservancy led all sections with people (50) and species (158).  The Wildlife Management Area reported 152 species and STP had 147.  The Peninsula Section led the CBC with 7 exclusive species, Matagorda-West and TNC had 5 each and Matagorda-East 4.

The theme of this count was determining the effect of The Drought.  We expected lower than normal resident populations, marsh dependent species and insectivores.  We did not expect that other areas were worst than us and there would be a major eastward and southward movement by many species that did not normally winter on the Coast.  See what we found below.

 

RARITIES

The MANX  SHEARWATER is mostly a pelagic seabird of the Atlantic Ocean.  It is not expected at all in our area.  Petra Hockey loves doing Sea Watches and she is one of the better birders in Texas at identifying pelagic species.  We were fortunate when the shearwater being pushed by strong onshore winds flew along the beach in sight. 

 The ZONE-TAILED HAWK is a vulture mimic and typically breeds in the Hill Country and the Trans Pecos with most birds wintering in the Tropics.  A few are found each winter in the Hill Country and South Texas.  Mark Elwonger & Dale Friedrichs were able to obtain our 2^nd record for this species at Lyondell.

The ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK is a bird of the Great Plains which typically does not winter south of the Pan Handle in Texas.  This winter an unprecedented number of sightings have occurred along the Coast.  Dennis Haessly was able to obtain a lengthy view of one on the Von Gonten Ranch.

The PRAIRIE FALCON is more of a northern Great Plains species.  This season with extensive droughts in the state, a few have been reported along the Coast.   Steve & Laura Gast, and Jim Stewart spotted one flying over the reservoir at STP.

 

[Photo by Charlie Brower elsewhere]

YELLOW and BLACK RAILS occur in small numbers each winter along the Coast.  They are difficult to survey because of their secretive habits in densely vegetated wetlands and propensity to not call.  Several teams attempted to locate them during the day with no luck until Julie Sullivan and Adam Hickl started dragging a chain between two vehicles in a field of flooded unharvested rice on TNC.  They were able to flush 2 Yellow and 1 Black.

WILSON’S PLOVER occur in very small numbers along the Coast during winter.  We started  noticing them roosting at the mouth of the Colorado River 3 years and we have been able to consistently find them on the CBC since then.  Our Peninsula team was able to find a record # of 8 this season.

 

[Photo taken during an earlier time.]

We first discovered MOUNTAIN PLOVER in the count circle last winter.  I was able to locate it again during scouting, and Clay Taylor & Dane Ferrell were able to locate 24 during count day. 

 

[Photo by Clay Taylor]

PARASITIC JAEGERs occur in small numbers in the Gulf each winter.  It is not common for one to be near land in order for it to be observed.

 Young LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL’s are challenging to identify.  They can easily be confused with young Herring Gulls.  Petra is an expert on gull identification and she was able to photograph the one below.

 

[Photo by Petra Hockey]

The GREEN KINGFISHER is a tropical kingfisher of small streams.  They winter regularly in small numbers from San Antonio to the south.  There appears to be a small movement of them up the Coast this season.   Michael Kennedy & John Tharp were able to locate one for our 2^nd record on Lyondell property.

 The HAIRY WOODPECKER is an uncommon species of East Texas forests that challenges many birders to identify it since it appears very similar to the smaller Downy Woodpecker.  All Coastal reports are typically challenged by editors.  Michael Kennedy was able to get our 6^th report by seeing the bird side by side with a Downy.

The BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER is another South Texas species that typically winters in the tropics, but a few birds occasionally get lost and end up going the wrong way.  We have managed to find this species 5 times and this season Bill Baker with the STP group in their quest for 150 species managed to locate one.

The W. KINGBIRD is a strange bird.  Although it is a common breeder in Texas, more of them over winter in Florida than they do in Texas.  We have been able to find this species in coastal scrub 4 times.  This year Bea Ann Kelly photographed one in the Peninsula Section.

 The NORTHERN PARULA is a regular lingering neotropical warbler along the lower Coast, but we have always had difficulty in locating them.  The STP team of Steve & Laura Gast and Jim Stewart obtained our 4^th record of the species.

The YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER is one of those canopy foraging small warblers that lingers in small numbers along the river.  It can be challenging to find in the tree tops.  While we think it winters every year, we have only reported it 6 out of 19 years.  This year it was found in the Selkirk area by John Faragher and Ron Weeks.

 

[Photo taken during an earlier time]

We have had only 2 GREEN-TAILED TOWHEEs in previous years.  This season we had 16 during an unprecedented invasion by this species on the Coast.  This species can typically be found in scrub enivornments of South Texas and further west.

 

Photographed by Sumita Prasad.

The BREWER’S SPARROW is a bird of desert scrub that does not winter near the Coast.  Chet Burrier again came through with a spectacular find by picking this bird out of a group of Clay-colored and Field Sparrows near Matagorda.

The HENSLOW’S SPARROW probably occurs in the CBC area every year in small numbers, but it is one of those mouse birds that are very difficult to locate.  We have reported it 5 previous times.  The species is known to have strong winter site fidelity and David Shackelford was able to locate one at the exact site where he had photographed one previously on the private ranches along the river.

We found our 1^st LARK BUNTING last season with 1 bird at Selkirk.  This year we had 26 with most being at Old Gulf.  This is a bird that periodically occurs in large numbers in the brush country.  This year they appear to be invading the Coast.

 

[Photographed by Sumita Prasad]

                TRENDS

Marsh birds and insectivores occurred in much lower numbers than normal.  Countering this raptors and sparrows occurred in above average numbers.  Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Red-tailed Hawk, Wilson’s Plover, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Eur. Collared-Dove, N. Flicker, Spotted Towhee, Green-tailed Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris’s Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow occurred in Record Numbers.  In contrast, we missed Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Ferruginous Hawk, Barn Swallow and Nelson’s Sparrow.  The drought had both negative and positive impacts on the avian community using the area.  It did add to diversity for species which we seldom see, but personally I could do without those western and northern birds if we had healthy and moist natural habitats in our area which would support some of the highest waterbird concentrations in Texas.  I love the sounds of thousands of cranes and geese coming to roost in the evening.

 

 

HIGHS ( 43  species) Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Brown Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, White-tailed Kite, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Peregrine Falcon, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Eur. Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Say’s Phoebe, Great Kiskadee, Brown Creeper, Brown Thrasher, Long-billed Thrasher, N. Waterthrush, Spotted Towhee, E. Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Harris’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, W. Meadowlark, Brewer’s Blackbird.

 

 

LOWS (32   species) G. White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Greater Scaup, Am. Bittern, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Clapper Rail, King Rail, Sora, Sandhill Crane, Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Curlew, W. Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Mourning Dove, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Sedge Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-and-White Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Com. Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle.

 

TEAM WORK

Much of the results from this CBC are the direct results of the planning, leadership, coordination, and skills of our Section Leaders:  Tom Morris, Sumita Prasad, Charlie Brower, Ron Weeks, Michael Kennedy, Bill Baker, Breck Sacra, Clay Taylor, Rich Kosteche, Julie Sullivan, Jim Renfro, Marc Ealy, Bron Rorex, James Arnold and Karen McBride.

This Christmas Bird Count is The Number One in the Nation from our Team’s perspective.  It has shown national leadership in cooperative efforts between the birders, the landowners, the boat operators and the people of Matagorda County.  It takes every body’s efforts focused on the end result to achieve our goals.  Yes, we have a very diverse avifauna that is the product of a narrow forested corridor extending all of the way down the Colorado River to the Gulf that is bordered by an abundance of native prairies, brushlands and wetlands. An added factor is geography creates diverse ecosystems being in close proximity.  This diversity would not be possible unless the landowners managed their land to maintain the productivity of the habitats, and it would not be possible to survey them unless they liked our project and permitted us access.  All the birds in the world would not mean anything unless the interest, skills and cooperation of the Texas birders would not show up to conduct the count.  We would count very few water birds unless our boat operators would not donate a day from their busy schedule as well as the use of their boats.  We get great support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Nature Conservancy, the South Texas Nuclear Project, Lower Colorado River Authority and Lyondell-Basell for use of equipment, land and staff.  Lastly, we could not afford to pay for the Great Supper at the Wadsworth Community Center, provide counters with t-shirts and pay their CBC activity fees without the generosity of the sponsors.  We also thank Jim Harrison  for the great art work for our T-shirt.

LEADERS:  David and Marilyn Sitz.  David has developed a great relationship with the landowners of Matagorda County and he is the person who obtains permission for the birders to access the private property.  Marilyn does the fund raising, and the catering at the banquet.  She also recruits volunteers to work at the banquet.  This count would not be near as special without the leadership of Marilyn and her volunteers. 

SPONSORS: Betty Clark, Matagorda County Birding & Nature Center,  Bay City Nature Club, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., Lower Colorado River Authority, The Nature Conservancy, South Texas Nuclear Project Operating Co., Lyondell-Basell, Oxea Chemicals, A & A Bar-B-Que, All Star Real Estate, Bay City Abstract & Title, Conoco Phillips Sweeney Refinery, County Judge Nate McDonald, First State Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank.

LANDOWNERS:  Lower Colorado River Authority, George Harrison, PCS Phosphate, Inc., Jack Miller, Carl Anderson family, Charlie Brower’s family, Roy Poinsett, Eugene Welfel, Barbara Holloway, Lyondell-Basell, South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company, Julius Ledwig, Linda Joy Stovall, Bill Von Gonten, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Grover Ryman, Bill Doss, Ray Culver, and  Becca Sitz.

BOAT OPERATORS:  We appreciate the services and the boats provided by James Arnold, Bill Issacson, Jerry West and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

 

NEXT YEAR

This was another amazing CBC at Mad Island.  We thank all of you who helped.  Next year will likely be better.  Come join us to check it out and bring a friend on Monday, 17 December 2012.  

 

 

Photo by Jimmy Jackson

Brent Ortego

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

2805 N. Navarro, Suite 600B

Victoria, TX 77901

brent.ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us

361/827-4691

                                                      Excel spreadsheet of data available upon request.

 

GUADALUPE RIVER DELTA – MCFADDIN FAMILY RANCHES

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

14 December 2011

 

Impact of the worst drought in Texas history was the major theme of this years’ count.  The day was warm with numerous mosquitoes and very windy.  All natural shallow freshwater sites were dry, the tidal marshes were very salty, and Green Lake was extremely shallow.  Fifty four birders worked in 22 teams to survey private and public properties and reported 225 species which ties our All-Time High Species Count.  Wilson’s Plover, Piping Plover, Sandwich Tern and Wood Thrush were new species for the count and we missed Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, N. Bobwhite, Burrowing Owl, Least Flycatcher, Horned Lark, and Clay-colored Sparrow.  Wood Thrush was voted as Best Bird of the Count by section leaders, and was photographed along River Road by Petra Hockey, Brush Freeman and Dennis Shepler.

RESULTS

The major local story was the nearly dry Green Lake.  Back during the droughts of the 50’s Green Lake was reported to have completed dried, and was used to grow cotton.  This is the driest it has been since.  There were very few waterbirds in the count area outside of managed freshwater impoundments on the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area and tidal marshes.  Green Lake is normally deep and muddy and holds only small numbers of birds.  However, with the prolonged dry conditions associated with the drought, Green Lake dried out to only a few inches deep over thousands of acres.  The result was site was inundated by over 100,000 shorebirds and ducks taking advantage of the food exposed within the very shallow water.

            In association with the drought, most insectivorous birds were in below average numbers, but there were above average number of raptors and sparrows.  There was a major invasion of coastal areas by Green-tailed Towhees who typically occupy semi-arid scrub and Harris’s Sparrows which normally winter further to the north in the Blackland Prairie. 

RARE BIRDS

 

Charlie Brower found Black Rail and Nelson’s Sparrow wintering in brackish habitat in an atypical setting bordering the barge canal.  When his Black Rail tape did not work, a passing barge made enough noise to excite the local Black’s into calling.  This photo was taken by Diane Nunley in 2007 at a different site.

 

            Whooping Crane populations are increasing and with high salinities in the bays cranes are moving away from tidal waters more than normal.  A total of 14 Whooper’s were reported by 4 teams.  A pair was observed flying NE of Green Lake, 4 were observed flying over Hog Bayou on the wildlife management area, 4 were also observed flying near the salt water barrier on the river and 4 were observed briefly landing near river road.  All sightings were at least 2 miles apart.

 

Wilson’s Plover, Piping Plovers and Snowy Plovers were found foraging with 80,000 shorebirds on Green Lake.  Most of the plovers occurred on an exposed road bed in the lake.

Another new species for the count was a Sandwich Tern.  It was found by Jamie Ferguson and Bob Creglow along the shores of Hynes Bay. 

Yellow-throated Vireo was totally unexpected when found along Hog Bayou by Dennis Haessley.  Another unexpected find was a Tropical Parula located by David True and Bron Rorex in the same area.  [The photo below was taken elsewhere.]

 

Another good find was an Am. Redstart photographed by Petra Hockey and Brush Freeman at the boat ramp on Hwy. 35.  A few winter each year in riparian areas, but they are not easy to locate.  It was found the day before during scouting and they returned during the count to tally the bird.

 

Western Tanagers are regular, but very rare during winters along the Coast.  Most of their population winters in the tropics. The bird below is typical of most winter birds.  Two young males were found on the count by Scott Holt and Beau Hardegree at the Hynes Bay Unit.

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak are rare anywhere in the United States because this species mostly winters in the tropics.  On a typical year, only 3 are found nationally.  Dale Friedrichs found an adult male as the 3^rd record for the CBC.

 

Rusty Blackbird photographed by Chet Burrier on the Womack Ranch.

We are at the edge of the range of the Rusty Blackbird and their occurrence is fairly rare.  This species’ population is declining nationally.  The birds found by Chet was the 2^nd record for the CBC.

TRENDS

            HIGHS (68 species): Cinnamon Teal, N. Shoveler, Am. Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Least Grebe, Eared Grebe, Am. White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, White-tailed Kite, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Black Rail, Whooping Crane, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Am. Avocet, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, W. Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Herrin Gull, Royal Tern, Inca Dove, Com. Ground-Dove, Short-eared Owl, Com. Pauraque, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Great Kiskadee, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Green Jay, Brown Creeper, N. Mockingbird, Long-billed Thrasher, W. Tanager, Green-tailed Tohee, Spotted Towhee, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow,  Harris’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, N. Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, E. Meadowlark, W. Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, Bronzed Cowbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Lesser Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

            LOWS (56 species):  Wood Duck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Red-breasted Merganser, Anhinga, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Am. Kestrel, Clapper Rail, King Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Com. Gallinule, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Wison’s Snipe, Rock Pigeon, Eur. Collared-Dove, Barrd Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker, E. Phoebe, Vermillion Flycather, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Am. Crow, Tree Swallow, N. Rough-winged Swallow, Cave Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Bewick’s Wren, House Wren, Sedge Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Gray Catbird, Sprague’s Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Myrtle Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, N. Waterthrush, Olive Sparrow, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Com Grackle.

Waterfowl numbers were about normal with most marsh birds like herons, egrets, ibises and rails being much below average with much of the marsh either dry or salty.  Hawks occurred in above average densities

 

Shorebird numbers were extremely low everywhere because of high tides, except for the birds on Green Lake which were spectacular.  Densities like in the photo below were spread over thousands of acres.

 

Woodpeckers occurred at normal levels, but insect eaters like the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher photographed by Petra Hockey were in below average densities.  Swallows, wrens, and warblers were in below average numbers.

 

However, sparrows occurred in much higher numbers than normal.  This was a major invasion year for Green-tailed Towhees.  This species was found only once before on the count and we had 17 this year.  Spotted Towhees typically average about 3 on this survey and we had 61!  Field, Vesper, Lark and White-crowned occurred at twice their average.  The Harris’s Sparrow below photographed by Diane Nunley normally only average 1 per year, and we had 69!

 

All participants enjoyed the count this year.  Windy and warm conditions made it challenging finding birds amongst all of the mosquitoes.  Even though resident bird numbers were generally low, there was anticipation all day of finding some western birds displaced by the drought.  Just about every birding team found something unusual.

THANKS

This is a very special count because of the habitats it covers where 3 ecoregions merge.  It is successful because of the large amount of cooperation we get from the landowners who generally provide us access and as in the case with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Dow, Jess and Walter Womack, and Beverly Fletcher.  They also provide staff and equipment to help us with the count.  We would also like to thank John Hubbard, Larry Seydler, Frank Pagel, Gene Colville, Don Walden, Dan Kaspar, the Negley Ranch, and the Landgraf, Spandau and Joe Hawes families for providing us access to their lands.  Lastly, we thank the 54 birders who spent their day and huge amount of energy in searching the landscape for every species which we could locate. 

At the end of the day, our tired, wet and excited birders gathered under the oaks in the river bottom at the Weed Prairie Hunting Camp on the Jess Womack Ranch.  We were treated to an excellent meal cooked by A.D. Blackmon, David, and CB.  Lyondell-Basell Corporation provided funding for most of the food and activity fees.

THANKS TO ALL FOR A GREAT JOB!!

Data from the CBC is available upon request.

Hope to see you at our next Christmas Bird Count in 2012.

 

Sunset photo by Petra Hockey

Our Teams of avid birders did exceptionally well during the 2010-2011 Christmas Bird Count Season.  Matagorda County – Mad Island Marsh regained its title as the Number One count for total species and also the most highest counts for individual species. 

 

Guadalupe River Delta – McFaddin Family Ranches had another banner year and placed 2nd for total species nationally.  It also had the highest counts on 9 species.

 

Kenedy County Wind Turbes was a new CBC for our teams and we were able to display the massive amounts of waterbirds for this CBC.

 

Pasted below are the top 10 national ranks for species reported on our 3 CBCs

 

NATIONAL	SPECIES	TOTAL
RANK		BIRDS
	MATAGORDA COUNTY MAD ISLAND MARSH
1	Barred Owl	54
1	Barn Owl	31
1	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	403
1	Crested Caracara	166
1	Eastern Phoebe	1172
1	Forster’s Tern	1070
1	Great Blue Heron (Blue form)	725
1	House Wren	452
1	Least Flycatcher	5
1	Lesser Scaup	85438
1	MacGillivray’s Warbler	1
1	nighthawk sp.	1
1	Northern Harrier	278
1	Roseate Spoonbill	274
1	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1028
1	Savannah Sparrow	3626
1	Snowy Egret	1705
1	Solitary Sandpiper	5
1	Yellow-breasted Chat	8
2	Belted Kingfisher	112
2	Boat-tailed Grackle	4340
2	Caspian Tern	143
2	Cave Swallow	226
2	Common Poorwill	1
2	Eastern Meadowlark	613
2	Great Egret	1169
2	Great Horned Owl	55
2	Gull-billed Tern	29
2	Sedge Wren	186
2	Sprague’s Pipit	18
2	White-tailed Hawk	25
3	American Kestrel	161
3	American Woodcock	68
3	Black Rail	1
3	Black Vulture	1029
3	Common Tern	3
3	Common Yellowthroat	308
3	Killdeer	2184
3	Loggerhead Shrike	151
3	Northern Mockingbird	522
3	Orange-crowned Warbler	440
3	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	7
3	Short-billed Dowitcher	1079
3	White-eyed Vireo	70
4	Blue-headed Vireo	44
4	Eastern Whip-poor-will	1
4	Groove-billed Ani	3
4	Lesser Yellowlegs	146
4	Pied-billed Grebe	332
4	Stilt Sandpiper	48
4	Turkey Vulture	1375
4	Wilson’s Snipe	353
5	American Green-winged Teal	3828
5	Brown-headed Cowbird	20752
5	Broad-winged Hawk	1
5	Franklin’s Gull	2
5	Greater White-fronted Goose	10419
5	Least Sandpiper	2455
5	Merlin	13
5	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	71
5	Sora	62
5	Spotted Sandpiper	42
5	Virginia Rail	45
5	White Ibis	2871
6	Black-chinned Hummingbird	1
6	Grasshopper Sparrow	27
6	Le Conte’s Sparrow	26
6	Western Sandpiper	2677
7	Hermit Thrush	118
7	Northern Bobwhite	76
7	Red-winged Blackbird	317446
7	Sandwich Tern	33
7	Vermilion Flycatcher	25
8	American Pipit	926
8	King Rail	17
8	Least Bittern	4
8	Marsh Wren	140
8	Osprey	141
8	Reddish Egret	34
8	Short-eared Owl	9
8	White-faced Ibis	1513
8	Wilson’s Warbler	6
9	Ash-throated Flycatcher	4
9	Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	621
9	Bronzed Cowbird	51
9	Neotropic Cormorant	273
10	American Avocet	871
10	Carolina Wren	284
10	Greater Yellowlegs	156
10	Indigo Bunting	6
10	Piping Plover	16
10	Swamp Sparrow	514
	GUADALUPE RIVER DELTA MCFADDIN FAMILY RANCHES
1	Common Yellowthroat	445
1	Couch’s Kingbird	78
1	Least Flycatcher	5
1	Marsh Wren	500
1	Orange-crowned Warbler	736
1	Red-eyed Vireo	1
1	Sedge Wren	265
1	Tropical Parula	2
1	White-eyed Vireo	163
2	Black-and-white Warbler	43
2	Black Rail	2
2	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	329
2	Blue-headed Vireo	58
2	blue morph Ross’s Goose	2
2	Eastern Phoebe	1101
2	Savannah Sparrow	2736
2	Sora	84
2	Summer Tanager	3
2	Vermilion Flycatcher	69
3	Dickcissel	1
3	House Wren	297
3	Lincoln’s Sparrow	419
3	Roseate Spoonbill	205
3	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	900
3	Sprague’s Pipit	14
3	White-winged Dove	1782
3	Wilson’s Warbler	12
3	Zone-tailed Hawk	1
4	Crested Caracara	123
4	Eastern Meadowlark	556
4	Greater Yellowlegs	206
4	King Rail	19
5	Carolina Wren	380
5	Winter Wren	34
5	Groove-billed Ani	2
5	Indigo Bunting	13
5	Nashville Warbler	3
5	Nelson’s Sparrow	20
5	Red-shouldered Hawk	121
6	Common Pauraque	2
6	Henslow’s Sparrow	1
6	Hermit Thrush	121
6	Northern Cardinal	1140
6	Northern Waterthrush	7
6	Wilson’s Snipe	328
7	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	4
7	Swamp Sparrow	536
7	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	79
8	Gull-billed Tern	11
8	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	38
8	White-tipped Dove	6
8	White-tailed Hawk	15
9	Black Vulture	809
9	Cave Swallow	28
9	Common Moorhen	334
9	Long-billed Thrasher	19
9	Pine Warbler	226
9	Spotted Sandpiper	30
10	Grasshopper Sparrow	16
10	Green Kingfisher	3
10	Northern Mockingbird	377
	KENEDY COUNTY WIND TURBINES
1	Dunlin	46840
1	Greater Yellowlegs	1008
1	Least Sandpiper	25060
1	Reddish Egret	83
1	Snowy Plover	291
1	Western Sandpiper	159000
2	Forster’s Tern	879
2	Least Tern	1
2	Northern Pintail	62762
2	Redhead	15080
2	Red Knot	154
3	Black-bellied Plover	1395
4	Gadwall	5697
4	Gull-billed Tern	23
7	American Coot	21000
7	American Wigeon	5925
7	Sprague’s Pipit	9
8	Sanderling	943
9	Willet	1213
10	Long-billed Dowitcher	950
10	Yellow-breasted Chat	1