The plan for my third day of the trip was to experience the spring migration first hand at South Padre Island. I had been reading ebird reports for the past few days before my trip and they had been having bountiful of birds coming in. I hoped to experience the same. I have another trip planned to High Island for birding on April 21 and 22.
I reached South Padre Island Birding center pretty early in the morning. Couple of birders were already there looking at the birds near the water fountain area. There were lot of birds in the parking lot and near the fountain area. I could see "Indigo Buntings", "Painted Buntings", "Orchard Oriole" and "Baltimore Oriole" and a lone "Lark Sparrow". I also saw a "Great Kiskadee" giving us a brief visit and then there was Waterthrush walking along the fountain edge.
I did walk the boardwalk for a while. There were "Common Moorehen", "Tri-colored Herons", "Great Blue Heron" and "Barn Swallows". There was a "Northern Parula" feeding on the Bottle brush tree which was eventually chased away by the "Orchard Orioles".
After this I headed towards the Valley fund lots which was the best place to see the warblers on the Island. The birds come down to feast on the fruits placed on different trees and to the watering stations. There was a "Swainsons warbler" which was being reported from this location for last few days. When I reached people were already looking at the bird and it gave us good pictures before flying away. Here we saw lot of "Northern Parulas", "Tennesse Warblers", "Hooded Warblers", "Nashville Warblers", "Indigo Buntings" and "Painted Buntings".
There were other birds which were playing hide and seek here, the "Yellow-breasted Chat", "Common Yellowthroat", "Swainsons Thrush" and "Wood Thrush". There was a "Louisiana Waterthrush" as well at the feeding station. We also saw "Summer Tanager", "Yellow-throated Vireo", "White-eyed Vireo" and "Warbling Vireo".
While talking to the fellow birders I was told there was a "Cerulean Warbler" being reported at the Convention Center. Since it was close by I decided to try my luck for the bird. After parking my car and walking down towards the boardwalk I saw a "Yellow-throated Warbler" working the palm trees. There were "Orchard Orioles", "Summer Tanagers" and "Tennesse warblers" around the water fountain area near the convention center. In the lawn behind the convention center I saw my first "Yellow-headed Blackbirds" which were foraging along with "Red-winged Blackbirds". On my way back we saw very tired "Hooded Oriole" near the water fountain area. We did get a good look at "Black and White Warbler" here as well. On the boardwalk where "Cerulean Warbler" was reported we could not be found anything. Infact it was very quiet around the boardwalk area. We waited for sometime but with no luck. Then I decided to head back to the Valley fund lots one more time before retiring for the day.
Back at the valley fund lots there were same birds which I had seen earlier. But I did learn from a fellow birder that they got to see a "Groove-billed Ani" at the site. I had seen it at Estero the previous day but it was from afar. It would have been good to see the bird again. The only different bird that I saw for the day here was a "Blue Grosbeak" which was enjoying the sun. The day ended with watching the birds leisurely sitting on the bench in the park. Amazing experience to see so many colorful birds at close to 2-3 ft distance from you sometimes. Another day of my trip ended which was again very eventful.
Ebird :
SPI Birding and Nature Center : https://ebird.org/view/
SPI Valley Fund lots : https://ebird.org/view/
SPI Convention Center : https://ebird.org/view/
Birds seen during the day :
I reached South Padre Island Birding center pretty early in the morning. Couple of birders were already there looking at the birds near the water fountain area. There were lot of birds in the parking lot and near the fountain area. I could see "Indigo Buntings", "Painted Buntings", "Orchard Oriole" and "Baltimore Oriole" and a lone "Lark Sparrow". I also saw a "Great Kiskadee" giving us a brief visit and then there was Waterthrush walking along the fountain edge.
 |
| Tennesse Warbler |
 |
| Summer Tanager |
 |
| Orchard Oriole |
 |
| Baltimore Oriole |
 |
| Grey Catbird |
 |
| Northen Waterthrush |
 |
| Orhcard Oriole |
 |
| Great Kiskadee |
I did walk the boardwalk for a while. There were "Common Moorehen", "Tri-colored Herons", "Great Blue Heron" and "Barn Swallows". There was a "Northern Parula" feeding on the Bottle brush tree which was eventually chased away by the "Orchard Orioles".
 |
| Northern Parula |
 |
| Indigo Bunting |
 |
| Tri-colored Heron |
 |
| Summer Tanager |
After this I headed towards the Valley fund lots which was the best place to see the warblers on the Island. The birds come down to feast on the fruits placed on different trees and to the watering stations. There was a "Swainsons warbler" which was being reported from this location for last few days. When I reached people were already looking at the bird and it gave us good pictures before flying away. Here we saw lot of "Northern Parulas", "Tennesse Warblers", "Hooded Warblers", "Nashville Warblers", "Indigo Buntings" and "Painted Buntings".
There were other birds which were playing hide and seek here, the "Yellow-breasted Chat", "Common Yellowthroat", "Swainsons Thrush" and "Wood Thrush". There was a "Louisiana Waterthrush" as well at the feeding station. We also saw "Summer Tanager", "Yellow-throated Vireo", "White-eyed Vireo" and "Warbling Vireo".
 |
| Swainsons Warbler |
 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush |
 |
| Acadian Flycatcher |
 |
| Hooded Warbler |
 |
| Tennesse Warbler |
 |
| Hooded Warbler |
 |
| Painted Bunting |
 |
| Nashville Warbler |
 |
| Painted Bunting |
 |
| Black-throated Green warbler |
 |
| Eastern Wood-pewee |
 |
| Eurasian Collared-dove |
 |
| Yellow-breasted Chat |
 |
| Wood Thrush |
 |
| Tennesse Warbler |
 |
| Lousiana Waterthrush |
 |
| Swainson's Thrush |
While talking to the fellow birders I was told there was a "Cerulean Warbler" being reported at the Convention Center. Since it was close by I decided to try my luck for the bird. After parking my car and walking down towards the boardwalk I saw a "Yellow-throated Warbler" working the palm trees. There were "Orchard Orioles", "Summer Tanagers" and "Tennesse warblers" around the water fountain area near the convention center. In the lawn behind the convention center I saw my first "Yellow-headed Blackbirds" which were foraging along with "Red-winged Blackbirds". On my way back we saw very tired "Hooded Oriole" near the water fountain area. We did get a good look at "Black and White Warbler" here as well. On the boardwalk where "Cerulean Warbler" was reported we could not be found anything. Infact it was very quiet around the boardwalk area. We waited for sometime but with no luck. Then I decided to head back to the Valley fund lots one more time before retiring for the day.
 |
| Yellow-throated Warbler |
 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird |
 |
| Black and White Warbler |
 |
| Black and White Warbler |
 |
| Hooded Warbler |
Back at the valley fund lots there were same birds which I had seen earlier. But I did learn from a fellow birder that they got to see a "Groove-billed Ani" at the site. I had seen it at Estero the previous day but it was from afar. It would have been good to see the bird again. The only different bird that I saw for the day here was a "Blue Grosbeak" which was enjoying the sun. The day ended with watching the birds leisurely sitting on the bench in the park. Amazing experience to see so many colorful birds at close to 2-3 ft distance from you sometimes. Another day of my trip ended which was again very eventful.
 |
| Record photograph of Blue-winged Warbler |
 |
| Nashville Warbler |
 |
| Summer Tanager |
 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo |
 |
| Northern Parula |
 |
| Eastern Wood-pewee |
 |
| Swainsons Warbler |
 |
| Warbling Vireo |
 |
| Painted Bunting |
 |
| Black-throated Green Warbler |
 |
| Yellow-breasted Chat |
 |
| Painted Bunting |
 |
| Nashville Warbler |
 |
| Northern Parula |
 |
| Blue Grosbeak |
 |
| Black and White Warbler |
 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
 |
| Wood Thrush |
 |
| Orchard Oriole |
 |
| Common Yellowthroat |
 |
| Northern Parula |
Ebird :
SPI Birding and Nature Center : https://ebird.org/view/
SPI Valley Fund lots : https://ebird.org/view/
SPI Convention Center : https://ebird.org/view/
Birds seen during the day :
| 1 | American Coot |
| 2 | Baltimore Oriole |
| 3 | Barn Swallow |
| 4 | Black-and-white Warbler |
| 5 | Black-throated Green Warbler |
| 6 | Common Gallinule |
| 7 | Common Yellowthroat |
| 8 | Couch's Kingbird |
| 9 | Gray Catbird |
| 10 | Great Blue Heron |
| 11 | Great Kiskadee |
| 12 | Great-tailed Grackle |
| 13 | Indigo Bunting |
| 14 | Mourning Dove |
| 15 | Nashville Warbler |
| 16 | Northern Cardinal |
| 17 | Northern Rough-winged Swallow |
| 18 | Orchard Oriole |
| 19 | Painted Bunting |
| 20 | Red-winged Blackbird |
| 21 | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| 22 | Summer Tanager |
| 23 | Tennessee Warbler |
| 24 | Tricolored Heron |
| 25 | White-eyed Vireo |
| 26 | White-winged Dove |
| 27 | Northern Waterthrush |
| 28 | Northern Parula |
| 29 | Eurasian Collared-Dove |
| 30 | Eastern Wood-Pewee |
| 31 | Acadian Flycatcher |
| 32 | Yellow-throated Vireo |
| 33 | Swainson's Thrush |
| 34 | Wood Thrush |
| 35 | Louisiana Waterthrush |
| 36 | Blue-winged Warbler |
| 37 | Swainson's Warbler |
| 38 | Orange-crowned Warbler |
| 39 | Hooded Warbler |
| 40 | Yellow-breasted Chat |
| 41 | Blue Grosbeak |
| 42 | Least Bittern |
| 43 | Yellow-throated Warbler |
| 44 | Yellow-headed Blackbird |
| 45 | Warbling Vireo |
