Author Archives: Laura Erickson

February 16–23: Texas Trip!

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In February, I attended Kim Eckert’s “Minnesota Birding Week” trip to Texas. My drive to the Duluth Airport was about 20 miles, and my roundtrip flights were Duluth–Minneapolis 288 miles and Minneapolis–San Antonio 2784 miles. The rental car mileage there was 1417 miles. So this trip involved a total of 4,509 miles. I saw 199 species, ending up with a total of 282 species for the year.

Kim Eckert’s trip report included this official list:

BIRD LIST (201 species + 2 leader-onlys + 4 “non-countable” exotics + 3 probables)

(boldfaced species = “non-Minnesota” species (i.e., absent, accidental, or casual in MN)
  1. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (maybe 5,000 or more at Progreso Lakes?!)

    2. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
    Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

  2. Snow Goose (plus probable Ross’s over Hwy 106) (I didn’t count Ross’s because the neck didn’t seem proportionally short) (photo from 2009, Montezuma NWR)

    3. Snow Goose
    (Not countable Muscovy Duck)
    Muscovy Duck (domesticated)

  3. Gadwall

    4. Gadwall
    Gadwall

  4. American Wigeon (photo from 2011)

    5. American Wigeon

  5. Mallard (photo from 2012)

    6. Mallard

  6. Mottled Duck (photo from 2013, in Florida)

    7. Mottled Duck

  7. Blue-winged Teal (photo from 2013, in Florida)

    8. Blue-winged Teal

  8. Cinnamon Teal

    9. Cinnamon Teal

  9. Northern Shoveler

    10. Northern Shoveler
    Northern Shoveler

  10. Northern Pintail (photo from 2013 in Florida)

    11. Northern Pintail

  11. Green-winged Teal

    12. Green-winged Teal
    Green-winged Teal
    Green-winged Teal

  12. Canvasback (photo from 2009, Ithaca)

    13. Canvasback

  13. Redhead

    14. Redhead

  14. Ring-necked Duck (photo from 2012)

    15. Ring-necked Duck

  15. Greater Scaup (from the Skimmer and at Atascosa Lake) (photo from 2012, Florida)

    16. Greater Scaup

  16. Lesser Scaup (from 2011, Florida)

    17. Lesser Scaup

  17. Bufflehead (photo from 2009, Montezuma NWR)

    18. Bufflehead

  18. Red-breasted Merganser (photo from 2010, Wisconsin)

    19. Red-breasted Merganser

  19. Ruddy Duck

    20. Ruddy Duck

  20. Plain Chachalaca (fewer than usual)

    21. Plain Chachalacas
    Plain Chachalaca

  21. Northern Bobwhite (more than usual at 4 locations)
  22. Common Loon (from 2009, Florida)

    23. Common Loon

  23. Least Grebe (fewer than usual)
  24. Pied-billed Grebe (from 2013, Florida)

    25. Pied-billed Grebe eating a crayfish

  25. Eared Grebe
  26. Northern Gannet (juvenile out from Isla Blanca Park) (photo taken in 2013, Florida)

    27. Northern Gannet

  27. Neotropic Cormorant

    28. Neotropic Cormorant

  28. Double-crested Cormorant (from 2013, Florida)

    29. Double-crested Cormorant

  29. Anhinga (only at Estero Llano Grande?) (from 2013, Florida)

    30. Anhinga

  30. American White Pelican

    31. American White Pelican

  31. Brown Pelican (from 2013, Florida)

    32. Brown Pelican

  32. American Bittern (South Padre’s boardwalk)

    33. American Bittern
    American Bittern

  33. Great Blue Heron

    34. Great Blue Heron
    Great Blue Heron

  34. Great Egret (from 2010)

    35. Great Egret

  35. Snowy Egret (from 2011, Florida)

    36. Snowy Egret

  36. Little Blue Heron (from 2013, Florida)

    37. Little Blue Heron

  37. Tricolored Heron (from 2013, Florida)

    38. Tricolored Heron

  38. Reddish Egret (from 2012, Florida)

    39. Reddish Egret

  39. Cattle Egret (only seen once?)

    40. Cattle Egret

  40. Black-crowned Night-Heron

    41. Black-crowned Night-Heron

  41. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Bahia Grande and Estero Llano Grande)

    42. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

  42. White Ibis (photo from 2011, Florida)

    43. White Ibises in flight

  43. White-faced Ibis
  44. Roseate Spoonbill

    45. Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret, and Snowy Egret

  45. Black Vulture (photo from 2013, Florida)

    46. Black Vulture

  46. Turkey Vulture (photo from 2013, Florida)

    47. Turkey Vulture

  47. Osprey (photo from 2013, Florida)

    48. Osprey

  48. White-tailed Kite

    49. White-tailed Kite
    White-tailed Kite

  49. Northern Harrier (photo from 2013, Florida)

    50. Northern Harrier

  50. Sharp-shinned Hawk (photo from 2013, Duluth)

    51. Sharp-shinned Hawk attacking Common Raven

  51. Cooper’s Hawk (photo from 2013, Pheasant Branch)

    52. Cooper's Hawk

  52. Harris’s Hawk

    53. Harris's Hawk
    Harris's Hawk

  53. Red-shouldered Hawk (photo from 2012, Florida)

    54. Red-shouldered Hawk

  54. Gray Hawk (briefly at Azalduas; better views at Salineño)
  55. White-tailed Hawk

    56. White-tailed Hawk
    White-tailed Hawk
    White-tailed Hawk
    White-tailed Hawk

  56. Zone-tailed Hawk (roosting at Frontera)

    57. Zone-tailed Hawk

  57. Red-tailed Hawk

    58. Red-tailed Hawk with prey, an American Coot

  58. Crested Caracara

    59. Crested Caracara
    Crested Caracara

  59. American Kestrel (photo from 2007)

    60. American Kestrel

  60. Merlin (from 2012, Hawk Ridge)

    61. Doesn't the Merlin have a lovely face?

  61. Aplomado Falcon (again along Old Port Isabel Rd)

    62. Aplomado Falcon

  62. Peregrine Falcon (photo from 2006)

    63. Peregrine Falcon

  63. Prairie Falcon (a surprise at Peñitas!)

    64. Prairie Falcon
    Prairie Falcon

  64. Clapper Rail (visible again at Indian Point)

    65. Clapper Rail
    Clapper Rail

  65. Sora (photo from 2010)

    66. Sora

  66. Common Gallinule (photo from 2013, Florida)

    67. Common Gallinule

  67. American Coot

    68. American Coot
    American Coot's lobed toes

  68. Sandhill Crane

    69. Sandhill Crane

  69. Whooping Crane (about 30 from the Skimmer and again in the Lamar Peninsula)

    70. Whooping Crane

  70. Black-bellied Plover

    71. Black-bellied Plover

  71. Snowy Plover (Sunset Lake Park) (photo taken in 2005 in Santa Barbara)

    72. Snowy Plover

  72. Semipalmated Plover (photo taken in 2012, in NH)

    73. Semipalmated Plover

  73. Piping Plover (only at South Padre)
  74. Killdeer (photo taken in 2011 in Florida)

    75. Killdeer

  75. American Oystercatcher (photo taken in 2011 in Texas)

    76. American Oystercatcher

  76. Black-necked Stilt

    77. Black-necked Stilt

  77. American Avocet (photo from 2012, California)

    78. American Avocet

  78. Spotted Sandpiper (photo from 2012, California)

    79. Spotted Sandpiper

  79. Solitary Sandpiper
  80. Greater Yellowlegs (photo from 2012, NH)

    81. Greater Yellowlegs

  81. Willet (photo from 2013, Florida)

    82. Willet

  82. Lesser Yellowlegs
  83. Long-billed Curlew
  84. Marbled Godwit (photo from 2012, California)

    85. Marbled Godwits and Willet

  85. Ruddy Turnstone (photo from 2013, Florida)

    86. Ruddy Turnstone

  86. Sanderling (photo from 2013, Florida)

    87. Sanderling

  87. Western Sandpiper
  88. Least Sandpiper (photo from 2012, NH)

    89. Least Sandpiper

  89. Dunlin (from 2012, NH)

    90. Dunlin

  90. Long-billed Dowitcher (plus probable Short-billeds at Sunset Lake) (photo taken in 2012, in California)

    91. Long-billed Dowitcher

  91. Black-legged Kittiwake (on the pier at Port Aransas)
  92. Bonaparte’s Gull (photo taken in 2010 in Duluth)

    93. Bonaparte's Gull

  93. Laughing Gull

    94. Laughing Gull
    Laughing Gull

  94. Ring-billed Gull (photo from 2013, Duluth)

    95. Ring-billed Gull

  95. Herring Gull (photo from 2013, Duluth)

    96. Herring Gull

  96. Gull-billed Tern (best along Hwy 106)
  97. Caspian Tern
  98. Common Tern (again at Mustang Island)
  99. Forster’s Tern (Photo from 2011, Florida)

    100. Forster's Tern

  100. Royal Tern (photo from 2013, Florida)

    101. Royal Tern

  101. Sandwich Tern (seen by Donn at Port Aransas) (photo from 2013, Florida)

    102. Sandwich Tern

  102. Black Skimmer (photo from 2010, Florida)

    103. Black Skimmer

  103. jaeger, sp. (probably a Pomarine seen distantly by a few at South Padre)
  104. Rock Pigeon (photo from 2013, Duluth)

    105. Rock Pigeon

  105. Red-billed Pigeon (again on the island at Salineño)
  106. Eurasian Collared-Dove (photo from 2003)

    107. Eurasian Collared-Dove

  107. White-winged Dove

    108. White-winged Dove

  108. Mourning Dove

    109. Mourning Dove

  109. Inca Dove

    110. Inca Dove

  110. Common Ground-Dove (fewer than usual) (photo from 2011, Florida)

    111. Common Ground-Dove

  111. White-tipped Dove

    112. White-tipped Dove
    White-tipped Dove

  112. Monk Parakeet (now apparently “countable”)

    113. Monk Parakeet

  113. Green Parakeet (especially at 10th & Dove in McAllen)

    114. Green Parakeet

  114. Red-crowned Parrot (plus White-fronteds, Red-loreds, Yellow-headeds, and Lilac-crowneds)

    115. Red-crowned Parrot

  115. Greater Roadrunner (Falcon State Park)

    116. Greater Roadrunner
    Greater Roadrunner
    Greater Roadrunner

  116. Flammulated Owl (amazing stake-out at South Padre)

    117. Flammulated Owl

  117. Eastern Screech-Owl (at least 3 roosting mccallii individuals)

    118. Eastern Screech-Owl
    Eastern Screech-Owl

  118. Burrowing Owl (thanks to a tip from Pat DeWenter)

    119. Burrowing Owl

  119. Common Pauraque (Estero Llano Grande)

    120. Common Pauraque
    Common Pauraque

  120. Buff-bellied Hummingbird (fewer than usual)

    121. Buff-bellied Hummingbird

  121. Black-chinned Hummingbird (female at Quinta Mazatlan)
  122. Ringed Kingfisher (Anzalduas, Salineño, and Laredo)

    123. Ringed Kingfisher

  123. Belted Kingfisher (photo from 2011)

    124. Belted Kingfisher

  124. Green Kingfisher (Estero Llano Grande, Frontera, and Salineño)

    125. Green Kingfisher
    Green Kingfisher

  125. Golden-fronted Woodpecker

    126. Golden-fronted Woodpecker

  126. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

    127. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

  127. Ladder-backed Woodpecker

    128. Ladder-backed Woodpecker

  128. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Santa Ana and Anzalduas)

    129. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet

  129. Black Phoebe (photo from 2012, California)

    130. Black Phoebe

  130. Eastern Phoebe (photo from 2013, Florida)

    131. Eastern Phoebe

  131. Vermilion Flycatcher

    132. Vermilion Flycatcher

  132. Ash-throated Flycatcher (species #200 at the gnatcatcher spot)

    133. Ash-throated Flycatcher

  133. Great Kiskadee

    134. Great Kiskadee
    Great Kiskadee

  134. Tropical Kingbird (by the Harlingen library)
  135. Couch’s Kingbird (best at Sarita)
  136. Loggerhead Shrike

    137. Loggerhead Shrike

  137. White-eyed Vireo (incl one building a nest)

    138. White-eyed Vireo building a nest
    White-eyed Vireo building a nest

  138. Blue-headed Vireo (photo from 2012, Wisconsin)

    139. Blue-headed Vireo

  139. Green Jay (seen 6 days in a row!)

    140. Green Jay
    Green Jay

  140. Chihuahuan Raven (several between Zapata and Laredo)
  141. Purple Martin (photo from 2008)

    142. Purple Martin

  142. Tree Swallow (photo from 2013, Florida)

    143. Tree Swallows

  143. Northern Rough-winged Swallow (photo from 2011, Wisconsin)

    144. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

  144. Cliff Swallow (building nests in Laredo) (photo from 2007, Wisconsin)

    145. Cliff Swallow

  145. (Cave Swallow / leader-only at Estero Llano Grande)
  146. Barn Swallow (From 2009, Ithaca)

    147. Barn Swallow

  147. Carolina Chickadee (quite unexpected by the Big Tree!)

    148. Carolina Chickadee
    Carolina Chickadee

  148. Black-crested Titmouse

    149. Black-crested Titmouse

  149. Verdin (more than usual, for a change) (photo from 2011)

    150. Verdin

  150. House Wren (from 2012, California)

    151. House Wren

  151. Marsh Wren (photo from 2011, Florida)

    152. Marsh Wren

  152. Carolina Wren (photo from 2010, Georgia)

    153. Carolina Wren

  153. Bewick’s Wren
  154. Cactus Wren (photo from 2011, AZ)

    155. Cactus Wren

  155. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (photo from 2010, GA)

    156. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

  156. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (again along the “gnatcatcher road”)
  157. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

    158. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

  158. Hermit Thrush (photo from 2012, Wisconsin)

    159. Hermit Thrush

  159. Clay-colored Thrush (at least 14 individuals seen!)

    160. Clay-colored Thrush
    Clay-colored Thrush
    Clay-colored Thrush

  160. Gray Catbird (photo from 2013, Florida)

    161. Gray Catbird

  161. Northern Mockingbird

    162. Northern Mockingbird
    Northern Mockingbird

  162. Long-billed Thrasher

    163. Long-billed Thrasher
    Long-billed Thrasher

  163. Curve-billed Thrasher

    164. Curve-billed Thrasher

  164. European Starling (photo from 2013, Florida)

    165. European Starling

  165. Cedar Waxwing (photo from 2012, MN)

    166. Cedar Waxwing in mountain ash

  166. Black-and-white Warbler (fewer than usual) (photo from 2011, WI)

    167. Black-and-white Warbler

  167. Orange-crowned Warbler (ditto)
  168. Common Yellowthroat (photo from 2012, NH)

    169. Common Yellowthroat

  169. Northern Parula (seen by Laura at Anzalduas) (Photo from 2011, WI)

    170. Northern Parula

  170. Pine Warbler (singing at Anzalduas) (photo from 2013, Florida)

    171. Pine Warbler

  171. Yellow-rumped Warbler (photo from 2011)

    172. Yellow-rumped Warbler

  172. Yellow-throated Warbler (Progreso Lakes) (photo from 2013, Florida)

    173. Yellow-throated Warbler

  173. Black-throated Gray Warbler (Anzalduas)
  174. Wilson’s Warbler (from 2011, Wisconsin)

    175. Wilson's Warbler

  175. White-collared Seedeater (including a singing male in Laredo!; also mostly heard in San Ygnacio)

    176. White-collared Seedeater
    White-collared Seedeater

  176. Olive Sparrow

    177. Olive Sparrow

  177. Cassin’s Sparrow (eventually posed for all on a fence wire)

    178. Cassin's Sparrow

  178. Chipping Sparrow (photo from 2011, home)

    179. Chipping Sparrow

  179. Black-throated Sparrow (fewer than normal) (photo from 2011, AZ)

    180. Black-throated Sparrow

  180. Savannah Sparrow (photo from 2013, Florida)

    181. Savannah Sparrow

  181. Seaside Sparrow (eventually very cooperative at Old Port Bay Club Rd)

    182. Seaside Sparrow
    Seaside Sparrow

  182. Lincoln’s Sparrow (photo from 2011, home)

    183. Lincoln's Sparrow

  183. (Swamp Sparrow / leader-only, heard-only) (from 2009)

    184. Swamp Sparrow

  184. Summer Tanager (female at Quinta Mazatlan) (photo from 2010, GA)

    185. Summer Tanager

  185. Western Tanager (ditto)
  186. Crimson-collared Grosbeak (no waiting at Sabal Palm Grove)

    187. Crimson-collared Grosbeak

  187. Northern Cardinal (photo from 2013)

    188. Northern Cardinal

  188. Pyrrhuloxia

    189. Pyrrhuloxia
    Pyrrhuloxia

  189. Red-winged Blackbird (photo from 2010, Ithaca)

    190. Red-winged Blackbird - detail

  190. Eastern Meadowlark

    191. Eastern Meadowlark

  191. Western Meadowlark
  192. Yellow-headed Blackbird (Progreso Lakes) (photo from 2011, AZ)

    193. Yellow-headed Blackbird with Red-winged Blackbirds

  193. Brewer’s Blackbird (as usual at the Sarita rest stop) (from 2005, Santa Barbara)

    194. Brewer's Blackbird

  194. Boat-tailed Grackle (along Hwy 35 N of Fulton) (photo taken in 2013, Florida)

    195. Boat-tailed Grackle

  195. Great-tailed Grackle

    196. Great-tailed Grackle
    Great-tailed Grackle

  196. Bronzed Cowbird
  197. Brown-headed Cowbird (photo from 2010)

    198. Brown-headed Cowbird

  198. Altamira Oriole (fewer than usual)

    199. Altamira Oriole
    Altamira Oriole

  199. Audubon’s Oriole (only at Zapata, but two days, one heard only)

    200. Audubon's Oriole (well, parts of him, anyway)

  200. House Finch (photo from 2010)

    201. House Finch

  201. Lesser Goldfinch

    202. Lesser Goldfinch

  202. American Goldfinch (photo from 2013, MN)

    203. A Fringillid Kind of Day

  203. House Sparrow (photo taken in 2012, NYC)

    204. Central Park House Sparrow

    American Alligator

    Red Ants!
    Red ants

    The Yellow Rose of Texas
    Yellow Rose of Texas

February 4–15: Birding around home

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There have been some wonderful birds turning up in my area since I arrived home from Florida. Unfortunately, I’ve been swamped with deadlines and catching up around the house, so haven’t spent any time at all searching for good birds. I did take a run up a few blocks on February 10 to see the Townsend’s Solitaire that was hanging out where my December Varied Thrush had been. I’m still missing the thrush for 2013, but even in crappy light the solitaire, #189 for the year, was lovely.

Townsend's Solitaire

My son Tom had a short window of time on February 12—not enough to stop and actually search the trees for Boreal Owls, but we took a shot at trying to spot one from the car and at least got a few photos of Bohemian Waxwings. Unfortunately, I neglected to double-check how the photos were turning out, and for some unfathomable reason the exposure was set two stops under, so the pictures are too dark, which is extra sad because I had beautiful light.

Bohemian Waxwing

Oh, well. I had an amazing albeit momentary look at a female White-winged Crossbill on February 4—she had come close to my window to investigate when I was feeding my chickadees mealworms. At the very moment I thought to grab my camera, poof! She was gone.

Tom and my drive up the shore added 52 miles, and my drive to see the Solitaire rounded up to 2 miles. I need to tally up the totals of miles driven so far. I’m donating 1 cent for every mile I travel this year (including plane trips), at least half to the American Bird Conservancy and the remainder to one or more small organizations that are doing important work to help vulnerable species. Starting tomorrow when I fly to Texas, my species count (right now 189) will start jumping again.