Birding trip to High Island - Part2

On Sunday morning decided to check out the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge before heading towards Boy Scout Wood Sanctuary. But lost my way and instead did birding just around the fields. But still the birding was amazing. Got to see my first Swainson's Hawk, Black-bellied Whistling ducks and Cave Swallows. Also saw some Dowitchers, Black-winged Stilts, Mottled Ducks and White-faces Ibises. And there were lot of singing Dickcissels in the fields. There was a lone Crested Caracara on the road feeding on a road kill.

Western Kingbird

Swainson's Hawk

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

White-faced Ibis

Black-winged Stilt

Cliff Swallow

Cave Swallow

Dickcissel

At 8:30 joined the morning walk at Boys Scout Wood Sanctuary. Saw the regulars like Tennessee Warblers, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles along with Indigo Bunting and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The new arrival were Nashville Warbler. And on the trail we saw Red-tailed Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, couple of Green Herons, Crested Caracara, Loggerhead Shrike and a Veery.

Tennessee Warbler

Orchard Oriole

Rose-breasted Grosbeak(Female)

Nashville Warbler

Red-tailed Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Veery

After the walk with the group decided to head towards the prothonotary pond to check for water thrushes again. We see 2 different waterthrushes around Northern Waterthrush and Lousiana Waterthrush. But did not have luck the previous day and the morning as well. So wanted to try my luck again since this being my last day at the place. Luckily just when we arrived at the pond we saw a lone Northern Waterthrush feeding at the pond edge. Could not believe our luck and we had another surprise visitor at the pond, the Kentucky Warbler. There were lot of Catbirds and the thrushes(Swainsons and Wood) flying around the area. Another interesting find of the morning was a Worm-eating Warbler. 

Northern Waterthrush

Kentucky Warbler

Worm-eating Warbler

For the afternoon walk we went to Rollover pass first to try our luck and there again we saw lot of people presence because of which the bird activity was very less. But there was one Clapper Rail which was taking bath out in the open. Did not seem worried with lot of people around. After spending about 15 min at the place we decided to head towards Bolivar flats. Its another Audubon bird sanctuary on the shores. We saw lot of Terns, Gulls and Sanderlings around. We also saw a lone Snowy Plover and couple of Piping Plovers. We also saw a Reddish Egret doing its drunken dance and successfully catching its morning meals. There were lot of Sanderlings and Wilsons plovers around. We saw lot of terns which included lone Caspian , Sandwiched, Black, Common, Least, Forsters and Royal terns. We also saw few Ring-billed Gulls and a lone Lesser-backed Gull.

Clapper Rail

Piping Plover

Snowy Plover

Reddish Egret

Common Tern

Least Tern

Black Tern

Sandwich tern

Royal Terns dancing :-)

Lesser-backed Gull

Sanderling

Savannah Sparrow

For evening walk headed back towards Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary. Had to bird in the rain the whole evening.  We did not see lot of birds when we started but batches of birds kept flying in. At one point all we could see were thrushes(Wood, Swainsons and Veery). There were lot of Blackburnian and Black-throated Green Warblers. We also saw couple of Ovenbirds. Since I had to be home by night had to end the evening walk a little earlier than planned. But on the whole the weekend couldn't have gone any better. It was once in a lifetime experience and hopefully I will get a chance to visit this place again(Hopefully next spring).

Scarlet Tanager

Blackburnian Warbler

Ovenbird

Swainson's Thrush

ebird :

Anahuac : http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29208584

Boys Scout Wood Sanctuary : http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29208395

Bolivar Flats : http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29208739

Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary : http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29208848

Birds seen during the day :

1	Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
2	Gadwall
3	Blue-winged Teal
4	Double-crested Cormorant
5	Brown Pelican
6	Great Blue Heron
7	Great Egret
8	Snowy Egret
9	Tricolored Heron
10	Cattle Egret
11	White Ibis
12	White-faced Ibis
13	Roseate Spoonbill
14	Black Vulture
15	Turkey Vulture
16	Swainson's Hawk
17	Black-necked Stilt
18	Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs
19	Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher
20	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
21	White-winged Dove
22	Mourning Dove
23	Crested Caracara
24	Blue Jay
25	American Crow
26	Cliff Swallow
27	Northern Mockingbird
28	European Starling
29	Dickcissel
30	Western/Eastern Meadowlark
31	House Sparrow
32	Pied-billed Grebe
33	Green Heron
34	Broad-winged Hawk
35	Red-tailed Hawk
36	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
37	Loggerhead Shrike
38	White-eyed Vireo
39	Barn Swallow
40	Veery
41	Swainson's Thrush
42	Wood Thrush
43	Gray Catbird
44	Cedar Waxwing
45	Worm-eating Warbler
46	Northern Waterthrush
47	Black-and-white Warbler
48	Tennessee Warbler
49	Nashville Warbler
50	Kentucky Warbler
51	Blackburnian Warbler
52	Chestnut-sided Warbler
53	Summer Tanager
54	Scarlet Tanager
55	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
56	Blue Grosbeak
57	Indigo Bunting
58	Reddish Egret
59	Clapper Rail
60	American Avocet
61	Black-bellied Plover
62	American Golden-Plover
63	Snowy Plover
64	Wilson's Plover
65	Semipalmated Plover
66	Piping Plover
67	Killdeer
68	Greater Yellowlegs
69	Willet
70	Whimbrel
71	Ruddy Turnstone
72	Sanderling
73	Laughing Gull
74	Franklin's Gull
75	Ring-billed Gull
76	Herring Gull
77	Lesser Black-backed Gull
78	Least Tern
79	Caspian Tern
80	Black Tern
81	Common Tern
82	Forster's Tern
83	Royal Tern
84	Sandwich Tern
85	Belted Kingfisher
86	Western Kingbird
87	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
88	Red-eyed Vireo
89	Carolina Wren
90	Ruby-crowned Kinglet
91	Brown Thrasher
92	Ovenbird
93	Cerulean Warbler
94	Blackpoll Warbler
95	Black-throated Green Warbler
96	Northern Cardinal