The Jaeger Hunt
For about a week, I had been reading reports from the Bolivar Peninsula of a lone Pomarine Jaeger that had been sitting on the beach. I hadn’t had the opportunity to chase it with school ending and trying to actually adult.
After taking care of some adultish type things in the morning, I decided to make my chase. It would be a five hour drive there on the off chance that the bird was even still there. I plugged in my iPhone, put on some podcasts, and hit the road.
On my way out of the DFW Metroplex, I got to see some of the floodwaters that hadn’t yet receded. Rivers were swollen larger than anyone can remember due to the month of torrential rains. That also explains why May was my slowest month of birding this year. My parent’s home town of Gainesville received 28 inches of rain in May alone.
After several hours of driving, where I exhausted all my cache of podcasts (which I, oddly, always listen to at 2x speed), I got to the Galveston Ferry. My hope here was to try and see a Magnificent Frigatebird, but luck wasn’t in my favor.
In fact, luck wasn’t in my favor at all. I scoured the Bolivar Flats shorebird area where the Jaeger had been reported, but the flats were as void of birds as I could remember. Granted, I had never birded here in summer before either. I did manage 22 species before I left. Only one was a new year bird: a Barn Owl sitting in a nesting box.
#334 Barn Owl
The Jaeger, it turns out, had been spotted the previous day some 20 miles further east just south of High Island. I knew that this was my only other shot at the bird, and had planned on trying here as well. Again, no luck. I didn’t get the Jaeger.
The trip wouldn’t be wasted though. For some time, I had been meaning to get to Boykin Springs campground in the Angelina National Forest. I would drive two hours nearly due north, camp out, and try in the morning for the East Texas specialties.
On the way in, I noticed a lone crow by the side of the road. I knew that in this area, Fish Crows were a possibility. This crow did look a little odd. It seemed small and had a rounded head. All good signs for a Fish Crow
#335 Fish Crow
I write this first part under the chorus of night insects and frogs and a distant Chuck-Wills-Widow at Boykin Springs hoping tomorrow will be lucky.
The Piney Woods Specialties
Children suck. One reason I don’t think I’ll ever go back to teaching. Curfew at camp grounds is usually 10 PM. There was one other group there. From the sounds of it, all teenage girls who whooped and hollered well past midnight. Made sleeping difficult.
I awoke, well, I use the term awoke loosely, at about 5:30 to a chorus of Pine Warblers. I tried to go back (again, loose) to sleep, but couldn’t. By 6:00, my camp site was packed up, and I was ready to get some birds.
This was a lot of ear birding. I had studied the calls of the needed birds prior, so I knew what to listen for. The main target was the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. This is the rarest woodpecker in North America and reliably found in Texas in only a handful of spots. Boykin Springs has the largest stable colony in the state.
That said, I have stuck out here 3 times in the past. It wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t four hours of driving one way to get the bird.
Luckily, this time I didn’t strike out. I got in my car and slowly drove around the site listening for the call.
Then, I heard it. I got out, and listened. They were off in the distance. The hard part of this site is that there are regularly 6 species of woodpeckers found here in June. But, their call is distinct. I saw at least three Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, but was not able to get photos of any of them. They were too far in the woods to get the camera on.
#336 Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
This wasn’t the only target bird. There are two other specialties of the Piney Woods, the Bachman’s Sparrow and the Brown-Headed Nuthatch.
Then, I heard something unexpected calling off in the distance. Two calling Northern Bobwhites. These drastically declining birds are never predictable.
#337 Northern Bobwhite
I get back in my car after about 45 minutes of scanning and listening for the sparrow and the nuthatch. I have my doubts as to whether or not I’ll get them. Then, I spot a small sparrow flitting about in the brush by the side of the road. There is only one possibility here, the Bachman’s Sparrow. I get a few good looks at it, but mostly from the backside.
#338 Bachman’s Sparrow (Lifer #471)
Now, I’m feeling pretty good about the trip. I can live without the nuthatch. I can always get it a Tyler State Park, which is much closer. I’m thinking about heading out to a spot near the lake where I’ve reliably gotten Red-Headed Woodpecker, when magically, one appears on a stump near the road. This is the only year bird of the day I’m able to get photos of.
#339 Red-Headed Woodpecker
I still keep my ear open for the nuthatch, but it never comes. I do hear an odd hollow call that I can’t recognize that I’ll have to ID later. Maybe it’ll turn out to be a new bird.
I head back home.
Just before I get home, I decide to make a quick stop at the UT Southwestern Rookery. I can easily pick up an Anhinga here.
#340 Anhinga
And with that, I decide I’m done birding for the day when a flycatcher appears. Medium size. Not an empid. No tail bob. Orangish bill. Eastern Wood-Pewee.
#341 Eastern Wood-Pewee
Not too bad of a trip. I missed the Pomerine Jaeger and the Brown-Headed Nuthatch, but at least one of those I can pick up later.
Total figures.
Year Total
- 341 (+8)
Life Total
- 471 (+1)
Texas Year Total
- 313 (+8)
I also added birds in a few new counties via highway birding (Henderson and Cherokee Counties) including a highway Pileated Woodpecker.
Bret's Birding Blog 