[Tweeters] Birding in southeast Texas

[Scott Ramos via Tweeters]

Earlier this month, Dave Swayne and I made a trip to Texas with the hope of
catching an early wave of migrants. While the weather did not cooperate,
providing only southerly winds, and we missed the charm of a fallout, by
visiting a variety of habitats in the southeast part of the state we were
able to have a productive trip. We were able to see over 200 species of
birds, many of them lifers for both of us. Here is a flickr link with
photos of many favorites.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farpost/albums/72177720316399297/

We camped most of the trip which added a little complexity to travel
arrangements but gave us some flexibility to be in good places when we
wanted. Most locations we visited are well-known eBird hotspots and we
chose them for the possible collection of birds we might see. Some spots
were from suggestions by local birders we met on the trip (Hazel Bazemore
Park is a must!) while others we stumbled upon when en route and in need of
a break from driving (Sikes Road Catfish Ponds, but beware the skeeters!).
The trip report below gives detail on the itinerary and links to the
hotspots should you want to visit.

https://ebird.org/tripreport/218231

Oh, and not entirely unplanned, we had a chance to witness a total eclipse.
Many of the popular parks were closed to entry the days before and of the
eclipse but we didn't intend to be part of a crowd. Instead, we found a
backroad that borders the Balcones Canyonlands NWR, didn't have that much
traffic and had plenty of sky view for watching the event. Sadly, as time
approached the clouds which had been with us all morning seemed to grow
denser. We despaired that the effort was not going to pay off. While laying
on the edge of the road, we could occasionally see the sun being encroached
upon by the moon (eclipse glasses!) then more clouds passed overhead,
obscuring the sun entirely. As time neared, so did an even larger black
cloud. Sigh. But serendipity prevailed and at the last moment when totality
started, the skies cleared and we enjoyed a full 4+ minutes of the awesome
phenomenon. It was spectacular!

As is often reported, when totality approached and the whole scene moved to
darkness, all bird song ceased, with the exception of a pair of Mourning
Doves. And when the event ended, the birds returned to their singing and
calling as if nothing had happened. And we continued on our way to more
birding.

In the end, the trip was successful in many ways. Hope you enjoy the report.
Scott Ramos
Seattle
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