Birding on a Windy Day

I didn't expect much when I went down into the woods today because of the high wind. I watched on the Nexrad radar last night a spectacular lift off of migrating birds that had been waiting for the south wind to return. Usually the birds migrate at night, so if you're watching the radar shortly after sunset and see an explosion of color, it's probably songbirds taking to the sky. (You can also see incoming migrants as they come across the Gulf and head inland.) So, I was expecting things to be a little slow today. And the way things started off, I thought my expectation would turn into reality.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglets were putting on a show chasing each other and flashing their ruby crowns. Cardinals and Carolina Wrens were singing everywhere. I watched a Tufted Titmouse carry a caterpillar in his beak for a while, but I never saw him go into a cavity. The Northern Parula called a few times from one of the trees covered in Spanish moss. There are still a couple of Hermit Thrushes and Brown Thrashers hanging around. It won't be long before they head north to their breeding grounds.

Suddenly, the spring migrants came out of the woodwork! The first two I saw were an Eastern Wood-Pewee and a Great Crested Flycatcher. Both were sitting on dead branches flying out after flying insects and returning to the branch. The pewee started calling some. A Red-eyed Vireo began calling from high in one of the oaks. It took a long time to find him, but he finally came out in the open giving a great look at him. A Black-throated Green Warbler hopped around in the oaks along with Yellow-rumped Warblers that were in various stages of molting into their breeding plumage. On my way out of the woods, I saw a Worm-eating Warbler in a thick tangle of vines. A Blue Headed Vireo hopped around right behind the Worm-eating Warbler.

Just before entering the woods, I saw a shadow on the ground of a rather large bird. I looked up and saw a hawk that I wasn't familiar with. After watching it until it flew out of sight, I pulled out my book and identified it as a White-tailed Hawk - property bird #175! Fortunately White-tailed Hawks are becoming more populous on the Upper Texas Coast. I had wondered when I was going to see one here.

Birds seen (30 species): Cattle Egret, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee (FOS), Great Crested Flycatcher (FOS), White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo (FOS), Red-eyed Vireo (FOS), Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Northern Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler (FOS), Worm-eating Warbler (FOS), White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Other wildlife seen:
Butterflies: Question Mark, Giant Swallowtail, Little Wood-Nymph, Monarch

Reptiles: Western Cottonmouth