UPDATED! Rio Grande Valley, Birding Day 1, Report 3: Sparrow School!

Thanks to comments confirming IDs, I can now add some to this post. Thanks, John, Felicia, and Elizabeth!

I don't know if I've mentioned it, but for a while during my time at the Marsh House, I got really into sparrows. I was reading Mike McDowell's blog on a daily basis, soaking up every bit of knowledge I could on the various sparrows I saw on the marsh and at my feeders. I racked up a pretty impressive yardlist of sparrows, with Chipping, Field, White-crowned, White-throated, Swamp, Fox, Song, and American Tree sparrows all making regular appearances.

It's been a while since I was studying sparrows intensively, however, as it's been a while since I left the Marsh House. Besides, I'm now waaaaay farther south than Pennsylvania, so some of those sparrows that were so familiar to me up there don't even come down this far (I'm talking to you, Fox and Tree sparrows). So I'm hoping you'll all help me out with this new crop of sparrows, all seen at Estero Llano Grande State Park. I'll just put up the photos and my best guesses, and you guys can just set me right with your bird-braininess. (I meant that as a compliment!)

Late in the day, Estero Llano Grande State Park

First, I'll list the species that can be found in the RGV at this time of year; no sense talking myself into thinking I'm seeing a Baird's Sparrow or something when they don't even come down here. I'm at least realistic enough to check the range maps first! This list was compiled from RTP's Field Guide to the Birds of Texas and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America (which I really like because it has the range maps right next to the descriptions and illustrations of the birds). Here's our list of choices:
Field
Cassin's
Chipping
Clay-colored
Lark
Grasshopper
Nelson's Sharp-tailed
Seaside (we were about five miles north of the Rio Grande River and about thirty miles inland)
Savannah
Lincoln's
Song (though this is too far south, according to Ntl Geo guide)
Swamp
Vesper
White-throated
White-crowned

Here we go!

1. Please just tell me these aren't female Red-winged Blackbirds. I thought so at first, but these birds looked too dark to me.UPDATE: They are indeed lady RWBL. I should've gone with the first instinct instead of trying to overthink it.



And is it just me, or do they have the two-color bill (pink on bottom, black on top) of the... no, this is certainly not an American Tree Sparrow. Never mind. I'll just be quiet now.

On the chance that you'll see more than I did in the "group" photos I took of these birds, here's an uncropped shot to make huge and look at (because I know you've got nothing better to do than geek out over sparrows!)--
Are these just lady RWBL or what? I've seen those before, but these looked different somehow. Now I'm starting to think I'm a fool. I know what the problem is, though: I saw the list the rangers were keeping at the first big observation deck; they had Lincoln's, Savannah, Swamp, and even American Pipits--you name it. Now I'm trying to make every brown streaky bird into something exotic!

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

2. Moving on! UPDATE! Song Sparrow!


Look at that bird; couldn't you just scream Clay-colored Sparrow!? Okay, maybe not. I found it interesting that he sat on his haunches like that the whole time I watched him. Is he a juvenile? At this time of year? I wouldn't put it past those booger house sparrows to be breeding in the winter, you know.

3. Look at this little bird:Song Sparrow? But where's his hatpin spot?
UPDATE--Savannah Sparrow--John pointed out the pink bill and short tail. Nice! I'd heard them before and seen them from a distance, but now I feel like I'll know them right off. I hope.
I know you're saying, "didn't you get a picture of his back?" Yes, I did! I wish these birds had sung a little bit--NONE of them were singing when I watched them. That sure would've helped.
How are you feeling about this one?


4. The one with the long flat forehead:
It's the Lincoln's, isn't it?! Yeah, just kidding. It can't be. But what the heck is it? UPDATE! I had suspected a Pipit, especially because that weird head shape didn't match any sparrows. I knew they'd seen American Pipits from that big observation deck across the pond, so I should've known. Don't know that I'll count this as a lifer, however, as I was not able to make the ID myself. I even took the Lincoln's Sparrow off the lifer update list to the right, because I didn't have a pic and I couldn't for the life of me remember which bird it was. So the American Pipit remains a potential lifer for me, but having this photo to study will make my next sighting a good one!

5. Finally, what I thought was a sparrow but is a Yellow-rumped Warbler, I think:
I see the hint of the yellow on his sides and on his rump (though it may just be a pixel-illusion), and his warbler beak. It's a YRWA, isn't it? UPDATE: John and Elizabeth confirmed that it's a YRWA. He looks so smooth, though, don't you think? Almost phoebe-ish in his shapeliness. Usually they look like little blurs flitting through the trees, but this guy stopped and posed for me. America's Top Yellow-rumped Model!

I sure hope you sparrow buffs show me some love and help me with these. At this point, I don't even want them for the lifelist--if I can't ID them with surety even after staring at their photos, I don't feel like they belong on the list. I learned a lot about shorebirds by studying photos and noticing general types and shapes. Sparrows just seem to defeat me sometimes. I like the easy ones--Fox, Field ID'd by his call, Chipping, Tree -- those are gimmes. Too many times I've stared at the same streaky-breasted head-stripy birds and been lost.

I know some people are "naturals" at remembering bird songs or field marks. I have trouble remembering my phone number. I may not be a natural, and my list may be meager after four years of effort--but, as they say, it is what it is. I am what a am: a beginning birder.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Encyclopedia Brown

Judging by what I read as a kid, I can pretty much say I was born a mystery fan.  Between Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, my early love of Agatha Christie, and Encylopedia Brown I was hooked at a young age.

Encylopedia Brown was a young boy who lived in the fictional town of Idaville and solved mysteries either on his own or helping his dad who was the local police chief.  The books I read tended to be a series of short mysteries where Encylcopedia would gather the clues and ask the right questions in order to solve the case.  Sometimes he was helped by his friend Sally Kimball who was the one kid in town who was able to stand up to the town bully.

For some reason the one story I still remember to this day involved Chineses fighting kites and how one of them was purposefuly attacked by another.  What really sticks out in my head is how Encyclopedia figured out which of the suspects was lying to him.  When he was interviewing a young girl who claimed she just got out of the shower and was filing her nails, Encyclopedia explained to her that he knew she was lying because someone as fashionable as her would never file her nails after leaving the shower because the nails are too fragile after being wet for so long and they would tear up.

He was a brilliant boy and I thank him for all the memories.

Rio Grande Valley, Birding Day 1, Report 2

After our brief but productive time in the windstorm of South Padre, our guide Tim recommended that we head inland for warmer temps and lower wind speeds. He said his favorite place was one I hadn't noticed in my pre-trip research, Estero Llano Grande State Park. He gave us directions and we were off.

First, however, let me show you some of the delicacies on display at the place we breakfasted, Ted's Restaurant, a quality joint for a solid meal at a great price:


I stuck with the more traditional eggs over-medium, homefries, and wheat toast. We passed the famous water tower of San Benito:Wow.

Estero Llano apparently means something like prairie (llano) with water from a spring (estero), though my parents argued back and forth about the precise meanings (dictionaries were also pulled out) for several minutes until I finally told them I really didn't care what it meant, other than BIRDS! (There was some definite "hmph"-ing heard at that point.)

A photo tour, including the many lifers I saw:

Isn't this prairie-like place beautiful? It made me a little sad to think of how the Valley must've looked before all the roads, farm fields, and development took over. It's wonderful to know a place like this still exists; it felt like we were in another country, Africa or someplace, standing on the veldt, watching for colorful birds like this one:a Vermilion Flycatcher, still working on that ridiculously vibrant red breeding plumage. What a beautiful bird! I've wanted to see one of these guys ever since I became a birder up in PA, and it's so wonderful to have finally seen one!

Fulvous Whistling Duck, anyone? I heard no whistling, but everyone in the park was buzzing about this rare visitor. What a find!

Most of the time, however, the ducks pretty much all looked like this, and my pictures were of butts and blurs. You'll see what I mean as I continue with the tour.


a Buff-bellied Hummingbird gets the best of me, shutter-speed wise. That sucker was fast, and I KNOW I heard him giggling at my frustration.

Long-time readers of the bloggy might recall that I once named the Cinnamon Teal one of the top ten birds I'd most like to see:OMG it's a Cinnamon Teal! Let me get a picture! D'oh! He went under!
D'OH!
SHEESH! He WAS a Cinnamon Teal, really! I confirmed it with that Northern Shoveler on the left! I took TEN PICTURES of that darned teal, and all of them were of his butt. I began to take his obvious snubbing of me personally around shot #8. But there was no mistaking that cinnamon-colored plumage; I think Mary actually got some video which I'll be posting at some point. Meanwhile...

Really, Mr. Dove? You think I came here to see your tocks? Seriously? Come on! Help me out here!
Okay--blurry but better than your butt. Now, listen here, Mr. Common Ground Dove; I'm adding you to my lifelist and there's nothing you can do about it! How I've longed to see that pinkish-red at the base of your tiny bill, the reddish wings, the scalloping on your breast! Be still, my birdy heart, for there were many more lifers to be had that day.

a Common Pauraque, looking cute as a button asleep (?) in the leaf litter. I wanted to scoop him up and take him home! Thank you to the unnamed birder who directed me precisely to the exact tree where our little Pauraque could be found!

a little darter action for you, as an Anhinga shows off the white wing streaks that made the ID easier for me, as if that crazy neck and head weren't enough

a terrible picture, but through my binocs I could see the distinct white tail and the kite-head on this White-tailed Kite (the park ranger's ID also helped me not call it a White-tailed Hawk)

I also got close-up views (like from four feet away) of this darling little Least Grebe, whom I definitely wanted to put in my pocket and take home:When I saw one of these in Austin at Hornsby Bend, I knew it was a Least because he was swimming next to a comparatively larger Pied-billed. Now I got to see that these little cuties are the size of baby ducklings! WANT ONE!

the Great Kiskadees were all over the place

here's another photo of our overly ambitious Great Egret, who caught himself a trophy perch but couldn't swallow him. I guess every fisherman's gotta have a "the one that got away" story to tell the kids.

I even got to see one of Niblet's southern cousins. Howdy!

It's past midnight now, and there's still more from Estero Llano--but it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Hasta luego from the butts of all the ducks in the Rio Grande Valley!

Coming up tomorrow: a sparrow quiz!