2024-04-17 South Padre Island

Townsend's Warbler - Setophaga townsendi — *Mostly a bird of western North America, when Townsend’s Warblers pass through Texas in migration, they sometimes attract a lot of attention.*

Mangrove Warbler - Setophaga petechia oraria — *Mangrove Warblers are at the time of this writing, considered a subspecies of Yellow Warbler. Their songs seem the same, but they look quite different.*

I took a little over 1000 pics on my Wednesday visit. The morning was underwhelming, but It turned out to be a pretty good afternoon. At the Convention Centre, I got the Black-Throated Green and the Townsend’s Warbler everyone here had been seeing.

When I had enough of the Convention Centre, I rode next door to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center (SPI-BNC), where the subjects were plentiful. There had been a Blackpoll Warbler on site that eluded my attempts at image capture, but I finally got on the Mangrove Warbler.

Waders and marsh loving birds are constant fixtures at the SPI-BNC. Perhaps the most fun I had was watching a foraging Reddish Egret. Some herons and egrets have a wait-and-see ambush style of foraging. Others have what observers describe as an active hunting style. Snowy Egrets are typical of these active foragers. But Reddish Egrets elevate this style to stratospheric levels. They dance to an unheard symphony, acrobatically leaping from their shallow watery hunting arena, flaring their wings, while fluffing and showing off their elaborate plumage.

As I reviewed my images of this remarkable bird feeding, I noticed it flared its neck and head feathers when it spotted its prey and began its ‘pounce’. I believe there is a purpose to all things in nature. I tried imagining how the raising of feathers might serve a purpose. It occurred to me that this practice may alter their silhouette and make it more difficult for creatures under the water surface to see the threat coming. Perhaps by breaking their profile, it allows them a closer approach before securing their prey.

When I finished my day on the island, I had captured images of American White Ibis, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Great Egret, Green Heron, Lesser Yellowlegs, Mangrove Warbler, Mottled Duck, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Sora, Stilt Sandpiper, Townsend’s Warbler, and Tricolored Heron.

Yesterday, I extended my stay at Andy Bowie Park for another three days. If the storms come in this weekend, it may bring the high-flying migrating warblers down to our level for a few days. I have seen it here in the past, and it is quite an experience. I looked at the weather predictions, and the forecast shows rain late Saturday, throughout Sunday, and for part of Monday. Tuesday promises partly cloudy weather. Now I can only hope that an epic event will occur, even though I know nothing is promised.