Field Notes

After a crazy day at Santa Margarita, we are about to head back, but we still have a bird that we missed: the Clay-colored Thrush (which is also the National Bird of Costa Rica!).  After browsing eBird, we decided to try our luck at the National Butterfly Center after enjoying the feeders at Rancho Lomitas, […]

Day nine of our trip, we joined the day tour at Santa Margarita Ranch. The trip started at seven and we started to drive in the pitch dark night. When we arrive, the trip leader Simon and Zac are already waiting for everyone at the meeting spot by the border wall. The first surprise comes

On day eight, we arrived at Santa Ana NWR early in the morning, and soon after checking with a ranger for the location of the Gray Hawk, we were on the way to the East Lake.  On the way, a kingfisher zoomed across in front of us as Olive Sparrow called in the background. As

Day 7 of the trip, we spent the whole day in the Rio Grande Valley and South Padre Island.  Early in the morning, we drove to a wetland on South Padre Island north of a place called KOA, where Mangrove Yellow Warblers have been seen.  Mangrove Yellow Warbler, just recently split from the Yellow Warbler,

Getting to day six, we are finally ready to go real south, to the Rio Grande Valley. But before we head down, we still have two important birds to find in Corpus Christi: The long-continuing Red-footed Booby, and a pair of Aplomado Falcons nesting at Mustang SP.  Early in the morning, we headed towards the

Day five of the trip, we are finally feeling some tropical warmth. At Kendall, we got our lifer Field Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, and Crested Caracara. Then we drove to Corpus Christi and got American Flemingo, Whooping Crane, and Seaside Sparrow. This is Texas! eBird Checklist:

Finally, on day four of our trip, we are birding in TEXAS, at the feeders near the interpretive center at Davis Mountain State Park.  The past two days, we have stayed in two different ranches. As we arrive late in the night and leave early, we have not seen a single person! Today, at Davis

Day three of the trip, we have already reached Portal, near the border of Arizona and New Mexico. This magical village in the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains is the best spot in the entire ABA area to see the stunning Blue-throated Mountain-gem.  In the village, one of the best spot is the Cave Creak

South Texas, one of the southernmost parts of the United States, with tropical birds filling the valleys, distinctive songbirds singing in the mangrove, and magnificent raptors soaring above the grasslands, has become our destination for this year’s Winter Break birding trip. Today, the second day of the trip, was an amazing start!  Early in the