Port Aransas Big Sit 2017-04-30

Yesterday I participated in the Big Sit division of the Great Texas Birding Classic in my hometown Port Aransas, Texas. The Port Aransas Spoonbills' team site is the observation tower at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. We had good luck with the weather -- after days of strong south winds, the night before our Big Sit the wind turned around and blew from the north all day long.

Watching a day go by from a single spot is an amazing experience that I didn't know about before participatingin a Big Sit. It's surprising how many species of birds you see. (Almost every year we see over 100.) We were treated to multiple waves of north-bound migrating birds flying over our brackish marsh site. Franklin's Gulls, Baltimore Orioles, and five kinds of swallows were the most numerous. But there were also kingbirds, buntings, Chimney Swifts, and many small songbirds we couldn't identify as they whizzed by on their way to their breeding grounds.

Here's one of the groups of Franklin's Gulls that we got to see go by. This was the only group that actually came down for a drink, and the only group that I noticed had their pinkish breeding color.
Franklin's Gulls - 2

Here are more photos on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikael_behrens/albums/72157681436308860/

And attached are the same photos as observations.

Posted on May 1, 2017 11:54 PM by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 06:41 PM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 06:10 PM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

This first-year Little Blue Heron was transitioning from white to blue.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 03:43 PM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 03:19 PM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 02:39 PM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 12:15 PM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 09:39 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 09:40 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Photos / Sounds

What

Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 30, 2017 07:48 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the Great Texas Birding Classing Big Sit on the Port Aransas Spoonbills team.

Several groups of Franklin's Gulls flew by us during the morning. This was one of the larger groups and they flew low over the pond to drink.

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