Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count 2016-2017
I was fortunate again this winter to be able to participate in the Guadalupe River Delta Christmas Bird Count on December 15. Like last year I covered a stretch of the Guadalupe River by boat, generously provided by the Womack Ranch and expertly piloted by Joshua McIntyre. In the morning we covered about 8 miles of river upstream (north), frequently stopping for me to get out and find birds. In the afternoon we were only able to go about 2 miles downstream (south) before encountering a log jam we couldn't get past. Here are a few shots from the boat.
Glassy lake water first thing in the morning:
The Guadalupe River:
Dense woods along the banks:
My goal was to find lingering neotropical migrant songbirds in the dense riparian woods. The ones I found were expected species: Wilson's Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Least Flycatcher, and Ovenbird. Here's the Ovenbird:
I ended up finding 61 species of birds. A notable miss for me this year was Green Kingfisher. We think higher-than-normal and more turbid water made this stretch of the river less appealing to them this season.
Here are my eBird lists:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33078652
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33079057
Here are a few more photos on Flicker.
And attached are my iNaturalist observations.
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Common Reed (Phragmites australis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Could this be the native species similar to giant cane?
Photos / Sounds
What
Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
This was my best bird of the count. It's one of the less usual lingering neotropical migrants. But this year quite a few were found by other teams. (I only found this one.)
Photos / Sounds
What
Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Dorantes Longtail (Thorybes dorantes)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken on the Guadalupe River during the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count. This year I again rode on a flat-bottom boat operated by the Womack Ranch to look for birds on about 10 miles of the river.
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