Gator friend at the Birding center
 

The Leonabelle Turnbull Birding center was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Harvey, but they've rebuilt a really nice little boardwalk with a birding tower that looks out over the marsh, and cleaned out a bunch of the debris in the area. In the trees next to the parking lot there were a MAGNOLIA WARBLER, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO, an EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, and an empid species I didn't identify, but which I suspect was either an Acadian, Willow, or Alder Flycatcher. Out on the boardwalk I saw lots of STILT SANDPIPERS, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPERS, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS and BLUE-WINGED TEAL. I spotted a couple ROSEATE SPOONBILL flying by in the distance and a SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER catching bugs along a fence line. Before leaving the boardwalk another birder pointed out a very large alligator swimming slowly away in the marsh. Apparently he'd gotten in a fight with a crab over a fish and the crab had actually won so the gator was swimming off to sulk.

After returning to the hotel and collecting my husband we stopped at the best little German Bakery on Padre Island for sweet and savory strudel (highly recommend if you’re in the area) and then we headed to the Rose Hill Cemetery in Corpus Christi for one last birding stop before heading back to San Antonio. Both times I’ve been to Rose Hill Cemetery have been in late April/first week in May and that seems to be the best time to visit. It’s always hopping with an amazing diversity of migrating warblers (and birders). This time around I was not disappointed.

       by Dennis Shirley

Rather than keynote a bird for the month, or a group of birds, I thought it would be fun to mention some funny mispronunciations of birds. We’ve all witnessed the exciting moment when maybe we’re in a group of birders when suddenly a bird appears and in our anxiousness to spill out the identification, we make what might be called “birding bloopers.” It’s one thing to miss identify a bird, and we’ve all done that, but it’s another thing to mix up its name or pronunciation.

One of the most classic examples we think of is the lazuli bunting. Is it pronounced “laz-u-lie” or la-zu-lee”? I’ve been told that if you are from the East, it is “lee” and if you are from the West, it’s “lie.” Of course, we think it’s “lie,” but who’s to say what’s correct?  Another example might be, is it “Ploo-ver” or “Plov-er“ (lover)? These are really not the birding bloopers I am thinking about, but they are interesting anyway.

 Last night a neighbor came over to the house to sit and watch birds at our feeders as he often does. While we were watching the birds, he mentioned that he had had a “white-capped sparrow” at his feeder the day before. He was really excited because he had never had one in his yard and had never seen one before. I didn’t want to pop his balloon, because he’s an enthusiastic new birder who is excited about seeing anything, so I just let it go, knowing that he had really seen a “white-crowned sparrow” with it’s black and white striped head. This is really another kind of blooper, but again not the real funny kind.

 A classic birding blooper happened at my DWR office several years ago before I retired. An older gentleman came inwho lived in the East and was on a birding trip to Utah. He had a target list of birds he wanted to see while here, and since everyone in the office knew my passion for birding, I was called down to the counter from my office. His target list included such species as a Red-naped Sapsucker, Lewis’ Woodpecker, and Pinyon Jay. After visiting with him for a few minutes and giving him directions as to where I thought he could find his target birds, I was about to leave when he emphatically stated that his number one bird he wanted to see in the West was a “Ferry-a-gynis Hawk.” It was everything I could do to not chuckle out loud, because I knew he really meant “Ferruginous Hawk.” I gave him some instructions as to where I knew a possible nesting pair might be, and then he left. That’s when I broke up and had a good laugh. My counter secretaries didn’t know what to think until I told them the correct name of the bird and that I thought a “Ferry-a-gynis Hawk” sounded more like a serious female disease. This was a common joke around the office for many weeks.

Another birding blooper happened in Costa Rica on my first trip there with my sons Darren and Bryan many years ago. We were celebrating Darren’s graduation from medical school with a quick trip to Costa Rica. It was my first experience with birding outside the United States. Unlike Bryan and Darren, I had hardly cracked the field guide to the birds of Costa Rica. For me, it was a humbling birding trip because I didn’t even know what part of the field guide to open to find the bird I was trying to identify, and I swore at the time that it would never happen again, but that’s another story. One day as we were birding along a suspended canopy walkway from tower to tower, we ran into two women birders who appeared to me to be knowledgeable experts of the birds of the area. As we visited and asked them what they’d seen, one bird they were excited about seeing was the “Golden-browed Cornucopia.” Of course, being the novice I was, I had not a clue of what this bird looked like, but after we walked a short distance away, with me trying to #nd the bird in the field guide, Darren and Bryan started to chuckle and informed me that there was no such bird as a “Golden-browed Cornucopia.” They had mixed up the name. The bird was actually a bright green and yellow tanager relative called the “Golden-browed Chlorophonia.” (Wikipedia) Later that morning we were fortunate enough to see this beautiful little bird. To this day, I chuckle every time I see it because of the memory I have.

Probably without exception, I could go on and tell a funny birding blooper for everyone in our club, certainly including myself. It’s just part of the fun we have and the game we play.

Field Trip Reports
 

31 May - 1 Jun 2019

Washington County Field Trip
 
Report and Photos by Suzi Holt

We started off early in Lytle our hightlights were the Long-eared Owls! We also love seeing the Phainopepla, Brown-crested and Ash-throated Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Bell's Vireo!

In Snow canyon we got Black-chinned, Black-throated and Rufous-crowned Sparrows. We did a drive by to see the notorious Vermillion Flycatcher and they have little ones!
 

Black-throated Sparrow
  

Saturday we met at 7 am and headed up Kolob Terrace. The Lava Point lookout had just opened up and we were able to see the California Condor from afar! We also saw the beautiful Grace's Warbler and enjoyed a Cordilleran Flycatcher. From there we went to Whispering Pines. We found a beautiful Red-naped Sapsucker and Mountain Bluebirds and a cooperative Dusky Flycatcher.

We went up to Kolob Reservoir and it is filled to overflowing with all the snow this year. But we were able to access the north end where we were happy to find the Lewis's and ACORN Woodpeckers.

After the reservoir we stopped at Wildcat Csnyon trail and hiked down to see the Pygmy Nuthatches...no Pygmy's, but we did find a White-breasted Nuthatch and Western Bluebird.  We then stopped at Confluence Park and saw the great horned owl, Verdin and Summer Tanager.

 It was a beautiful 2 days down south and we missed everyone. We tallied 100 Species in those 2 days so it was a success!

  
13 May 2019

Utah County Hotspots Field Trip
 
Report and Photos by Suzi Holt
   

Seventeen Utah County Birders met at Walmart at 7 am that is one hour before my usual wake up time :) We headed to Warm Springs WMA and got 27 species right of the bat. Highlights were the calling Long-eared Owl and the Common Yellowthroat. We also saw Canada Goose, Gadwall, Cinnamon Teal, California Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant, Mourning Doves, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Virginia Rail, Sandhill Crane, a Willet putting on a great show, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Western Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, European Starling, Lesser Goldfinch, Yellow Warbler, Western Meadowlark, Bullock's Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Robin and House Sparrow,

From there we stopped at the Goshen Ocean. We saw a Sanderling, a peep, Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Gadwall, Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal, Red-necked and Wilson's Phalarope, Mallard, Killdeer and babies, Caspian Tern, Pied-billed Grebe, Long-billed Curlew, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and a Northern Harrier.

In Goshen Canyon there were 2 Golden Eagles, American Kestral, Cliff Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-billed Magpie, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting, Rock Wren, Song Sparrow, Ring-billed and California Gulls. In the Elberta fields we saw Lark Sparrow, Western Kingbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Eurasian Collared Dove, and Turkey Vultures.
 

Yellow-breasted Chat   

Our favorites were along the Elberta Slant Road. We saw "8" Burrowing Owls, "3" Gray Vireos, Say's Phoebe, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, and Horned Lark.

Burrowing Owl

In the Tintics around Eureka we saw Warbling Vireo, Virginia's Warbler, Green-tailed Towhee, Spotted Tpwhee, Bushtit, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Dusky Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Orang-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Mountain Bluebird, Juniper Titmouse, Western Tanager, Bewick's Wren, House Finch, and Rock Pigeon!!!

Wow I think we hit 81 species with the unidentified peep! It was hot and I got sunburned but what a great day!!! Thanks to all who joined, it is so much fun to share such a fun passion!!!