We began our Thursday morning at Salineno along the Rio Grande. Gray Hawks were flying back and forth across the river. Our two target birds were seen, with a flock of Red-billed Pigeons on an island upriver and a fly-by of a couple of Muscovy Ducks. We walked up the road to the feeders currently maintained by Cheryl Longton. She had seats for all of us and we were treated to an overwhelming spectacle of birds. After tearing ourselves away, we headed over to Falcon SP. We encountered a different community of birds, including Cactus Wren, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Black-throated Sparrow. It was then on to Zapata to search for the White-collared Seedeater in the city park. We had at least one bird singing, but satisfying looks were elusive. Some of us pressed on as the temperature climbed well into the 90’s, while others called it a day.
Thursday
The Rio Grande at Salineno
Watching the Red-billed Pigeons
Red-billed Pigeon
Gray Hawk
Don photographing a Green Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Feeders at Salineno
Green Jay
Long-billed Thrasher
Audubon’s Oriole
White-winged Doves
White-tipped Dove
Olive Sparrow
Audubon's Oriole
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Century Plant
Blooming blackbrush acacia at Falcon State Park
Huisache
Julia Hoppes
Long-billed Thrasher
A tree full of Mockingbirds
Black-throated Sparrow
Verdin nesting in a blackbrush acacia
Verdin's Nest
Pyrrhuloxia
Our last dinner
