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October 13, 2007
Three participants came out and joined me for a nice day of birding on the west end of Galveston Island and at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. It was a fairly slow day of birding but the gorgeous weather more then made up for the lack of migrant passerines. It was one of those days where you couldn't help but be outside enjoying the day. We started out at Laffitte's Cove where the only activity was up front at the boardwalk where we found a few Nashville Warblers, a few Indigo Buntings, a couple Common Yellowthroats and at least two first of season Swamp Sparrows. On the way out we checked out the pond across from the parking area and found juvenile Black-bellied Whistling Ducks as well as a few Blue-winged Teal still in basic plumage. After that we went over to Dos Vacas where there was a little bit more activity. There we found White-tailed Kite, Brown Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a first of season Blue-headed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, a female American Redstart and a Blue-winged Warbler. We decided to finish the day up at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge in search of the Say's Phoebe (a rare winter visitor to the Upper Texas Coast in the winter) and the Lesser Black-backed Gull that had been reported there a few days earlier. We drove the auto loop and walked around the board walk at the education center in search of the two birds but were unable to find them. We did see more Blue-winged Teal most of which were still in their basic plumage, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, a couple of Red-tailed Hawks, an American Avocet, Marbled Godwits and Savannah Sparrows.
It was a good trip but I was a little disappointed with the turn out. I am planning on continuing these trips next year but if the turn out doesn't improve I will probably stop doing these trips. So if you are a new member or are a beginning birder I encourage you to go on these trips or if you are not a new birder or member but know somebody who is who may be looking for a group to get involved with please encourage them to look into these trips. I know there are other people that are offering beginning birder trips and classes but those cost money and I am offering these for free.
~ Adam Wood, OG Field Trip Coordinator, birdsondabrain@earthlink.net, 713-515-1692
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