2024-04-22 SPI Convention Centre

Veery - Catharus fuscescens — *This Veery passing through Texas, will find its way to the northern USA and Southern Canada and raise the next generation there.*

Near mid-day the sky began a light rain at Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary. So, having already captured so many birds my head was spinning, I collected my gear and headed back toward camp at Andy Bowie Park. But before getting there, I stopped by the SPI Convention Centre to see what was going on there.

When I arrived at the Convention Centre, the rain was getting more intense. I walked out to investigate with only my rain gear and binoculars. The birds had landed here as well. Still, having already collected 1500 images, I had my work cutout and planned to settle in at camp and work on the images I’d already collected. Then someone showed me a Chuck-Will’s Widow hiding on the ground under the thick canopy and understory. Such a bird demanded I get my gear and capture images. I’d seen this species here on a visit in 2021, but I found it tucked deeply away in the thickets, and not ideal for image captures. This bird was nicely situated where I could see it quite well. It was rather dark where it was, and made for slow (1/30th of a second) shutter speeds. So I took 25 shots, believing some would be sharp enough to suffice.

Of course, with my camera gear now poised for action, I felt obligated to chase the other species haunting these grounds. And there were many. But the rain began to pour in earnest, so after an hour, I packed up and headed across the street to my camp, and started working on the morning’s image collection.

When I looked through the images I had captured, I did not find the Chuck-Will’s Widow set. (After several hours of frustration, I found that the Chuck-Will’s Widow set was on the memory card in Slot-2.) But, at that moment, I thought I may have missed out on an opportunity. By this time, the rain passed by and I thought I should drive back across the street to capture the nightjar. I hoped the bird would remain settled in its thicket and wait for me. But when I arrived and looked, this bird had flown.

With still several hours of light, and a wealth of birds about, I remained and collected another 1700 images. Old birding friends showed up during the afternoon, and I enjoyed catching up with them, as well as the birds we all were there to meet.

By the end of the day, I had met and photographed American Redstarts, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, a Chuck-Will’s Widow, Dickcissels, Eastern Kingbirds, Gray-Cheeked Thrushes, Hooded Warblers, Indigo Buntings, Lark Sparrows, Ovenbirds, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, Summer Tanagers, Veerys, and a Wood Thrush.