Stepping out of the car into the cool, damp morning, our hopes were set on Barred Owl and Chuck-will's Widow, but our attempts in the pre-dawn gloaming netted only a responsive, but essentially unseen, Eastern Screech-Owl and a snuffling skunk. The owl flew in over Libby's head, and then simply disappeared in the dense understory.
And so began our morning of birding in the Big Thicket area of eastern Texas. This region is full of southern pinewoods and humid bayous, and our primary goal was to find a Swainson's Warbler. We were acting on the advice of a local, and it was perfect. Soon after dawn, we had our first look at this skulky brown southern specialty.
Libby at Gore Store Road
We continued on down a road called Gore Store, finding Yellow-breasted Chat, and our only Prairie and Hooded Warblers of the trip. We didn't know that there had been a fire in the area immediately before we arrived, and that they were still mopping up the after-effects. We found out soon enough, as the road turned into a muddy quagmire. We somehow navigated through the sludge in our little economy rental.
On the other side, we stopped at the headquarters of the Big Thicket National Preserve for a stroll down the Kirby Nature Trail. I was hoping for some more southern-style birds, but it was very quiet in the middle of the morning. Still, we enjoyed the lizards and trees of the walk. There were, of course, a few birds. Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos sang unseen in the high canopy, an Ovenbird charmed us in the undergrowth, a Northern Parula sang circles around us when we entered his territory, and most exciting of all, a Red-headed Woodpecker flew into some snags near a Cypress swamp! That was a much-anticipated lifer, and we had fairly good , if neck-craning, views of the bird.
As we made our way back to the parking lot, a cool breeze from the north began whispering in the still humid air, rustling the oak leaves and pine needles. We set the wind to our back and made for High Island.
Hours later, when we arrived, we knew to expect good things. The parking lots and streets were packed with people. This was the first good weather for birding that season, and as it was right at the peak of migration, crowds of traveling and local birders had settled in to meet the birds. Before we even entered Boy Scout Woods, we were seeing warblers: multiple Northern Parulas and Black-throated Green Warblers were working the edges of the lot. After entering and paying, we soon picked up the first of several Blackburnian Warblers for the day. Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos and Philadelphia Vireos - the latter a lifer - also moved through on their way north.
After so many days of waiting, it was sweet to enjoy this parade of colorful neotropical migrants. Finally the birding was easy and the pickings good!
Our camera's not too good to take pictures of any of these birds, and it's hard to describe the joy of such a visual experience without images, but I can say it was a fantastic afternoon and evening! Here are a few pictures we took during the day, but no bird pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/sets/72157627019081679/
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