April in South Texas is teeming with wildlife activity. The coast’s sandy beaches and lagoons quickly transition into brushy savannah and subtropical woodlands, eventually giving way to arid scrubland of the Chihuahuan Desert further up the Rio Grande Valley. There are countless, small nature reserves and a few more spacious wildlife refuges along the winding Rio Grande helping to protect and preserve these unique habitats, but this area has one of the fastest-growing human populations in the country, and the associated urban sprawl and extensive agricultural land is also quite prevalent. This diversity of habitats combined with the positioning of this region to bring together species from the East, West, desert Southwest, and subtropics provides amble opportunities to encounter a large assortment of birds – and there’s no better time to be there then during the peak of spring migration.

Shorebirds, gulls, terns, and raptors who have just spent the winter in Central and South America are beginning to make their journey back to their breeding grounds, many using the coastline as a guide northward. Songbird migrants trying to make a faster, but more dangerous, shortcut across the Gulf of Mexico are often pushed westward and take shelter on South Padre Island’s small patches of trees. Many other species that spent the winter in this area are still lingering in smaller numbers, perhaps not quite ready to give up the local Spanish cuisine. Besides the migrants, there are an astounding 25 species of birds found only in southern Texas and nowhere else in the country, in addition to a handful of regionally endemic subspecies. The goal of this Nemesis Bird Nature Tour was to make the most of springtime birding in south Texas, and enjoy both the region’s specialties and propensity for migrants.

We began the tour on the afternoon of April 16^th along Lamar Beach Rd north of Rockport, looking out over the southern reaches of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and the Gulf. This is often a great location for viewing Whooping Cranes, but there hadn’t been a sighting since April 10^th. A large percentage of the roughly 400 remaining Whooping Cranes use the Aransas NWR as their wintering grounds; migrating north to central Canada for the summer. The lack of cranes combined with the projected weather predictions for the days ahead – all rain, all the time – had us a bit apprehensive towards birding conditions for the tour, but luckily the birds at hand got our minds focused on making the best of the stormy circumstances. Driving south through Fulton and Rockport provided our first introductions to a number of the region’s common waterbirds – Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Brown Pelicans, a wide assortment of herons and egrets, Royal and Sandwich Terns, Black-necked Stilts, Ruddy Turnstones, and Loggerhead Shrikes were very active along the coast. Our excitement over distant views of a colony of bright pink Roseate Spoonbills was quickly outdone by the surprising sight of two adult female Magnificent Frigatebirds gliding very low over our heads, and up the shoreline at Rockport Beach Park. Frigatebirds breed on islands throughout the Caribbean, and spend long hours out foraging throughout the Gulf. Storms and strong east winds will oftentimes push them towards the Texas coast, and this was our first sign that we didn’t need to worry about the weather because the birds were going to be unstoppable. A quick trip to the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary produced our first Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Purple Martins, and a rather large flock of mostly male Indigo Buntings! We finished the day by eating dinner at the Paradise Key Bar & Grill, but not without pulling over briefly to view two Gull-billed Terns sitting together in a marsh near the restaurant. We stayed at a hotel in Rockport that night.

April 17^th started off with a quick walk around Aransas Woods, where White-eyed Vireos and Marsh Wrens were singing, and we had our first views of a Black-crested Titmouse. From there we began to wind our way further south, passing multiple Scissor-tailed Flycatchers perched along roadside fences. The Port Bay area held Neotropic Cormorants, American Avocets, Long-billed Dowitchers, and Lesser Yellowlegs. A quick drive down Copano Retreat Rd gave us looks at a few more shorebird species, but the tide was higher than normal so potential foraging habitat for the birds was limited. The water levels were, however, productive for waders and we had 9 species of herons and egrets at this location. The first White-tailed Hawk of our trip was kiting alongside the road on our drive back out. These large raptors have distinctly broad wings that quickly tapper to rather pointed wingtips, and remind me of a mixture of Swainson’s and Red-tailed Hawks in overall structure. White-tailed Hawks can be found throughout savannah habitats in extreme south Texas, and often perch on short yucca plants or kite low above the open ground, scanning for their rodent prey.

Our next stop was to Indian Point along the causeway across Corpus Christi Bay. Here we compared the locally-breeding ‘Eastern’ Willets to the overwintering ‘Western’ Willets, and enjoyed close views of Gull-billed, Sandwich, and Least Terns. After that we had a 1.5 hour drive south along TX77, where various raptors kept our interest. Swainson’s Hawks, White-tailed Hawks, Harris’s Hawks, Crested Caracaras, a White-tailed Kite, and the uniquely pale-breasted Red-tailed Hawks (of which many likely represent the Fuerte’s subspecies) were roadside highlights, in addition to a small colony of Cave Swallows nesting under an overpass, and numerous Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. We stopped at the Sarita Rest Area for a picnic lunch, and there were Brewer’s Blackbirds strutting around the parking area and a pair of Hooded Orioles nest-building in a palm. The Las Majadas roadside ponds were extremely productive for shorebirds, with 15 species represented. We picked out two uncommon White-rumped Sandpipers among the more numerous Stilt, Least, Pectoral, and Baird’s Sandpipers. There was also a colorful group of 8 Wilson’s Phalaropes spinning around in the shallow water at the far end of the pond.  From there we started to make our way southeast through expansive agricultural land, devoid of trees but chock full of wind turbines. Lark Sparrows, Western Kingbirds, and Horned Larks were common along the roads and we had fantastic views of a very cooperative Upland Sandpiper – a migrant fresh from South America, in route to the vast grasslands of the Midwest.

Our last major stop of the day was to the headquarters area of Laguna Atascosa NWR. This vast refuge is one of the last homes for Aplomado Falcons and Ocelots in the United States, but our sights were set on hunting down a visiting rarity – an immature male Crimson-collared Grosbeak. Along with a few other birders, we staked out the area that the grosbeak is typically found in. While we waited for the bird to show, a variety of other South Texas specialties put in their first appearances of the trip. A pair of Altamira Orioles were busy building a nest, a male White-tipped Dove was showing off to a female along one of the trails, and Ladder-backed and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers called loudly from the trees around us. Brown-crested Flycatchers and Couch’s Kingbirds also put in good showings – both also heard calling to further confirm their tricky identifications. A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak popped up into view, just to taunt us for not finding the Crimson-collared yet! Luckily we only had a few more minutes to wait, and then our target creeped into view in the tangles of the potato trees near the refuge office. Crimson-collared Grosbeaks are endemic to northeast Mexico and the adult males have stunning dark-red and black plumage, but almost all of the 20 sightings in the US have been immatures or females. This bird was no different – an immature male with a dark-green body, full black hood, and a chunky, gunmetal-gray bill…not yet in its flashy ‘crimson’ plumage, but still uniquely different from any other songbird in the US. On the drive out of the refuge, we had great views of a female Greater Roadrunner standing along the side of the road.

We ended the evening at the Atascosa Outlook Bed & Breakfast, watching over the Arroyo Colorado as hundreds of gulls used the river to make their way back to the coast for the night. This was an excellent opportunity to view the structural and plumage differences of Laughing and Franklin’s Gulls side-by-side. We counted nearly 3000 Laughing Gulls and 800 Franklin’s moving past, plus at least 70 Ring-billed Gulls and a few species of terns. Other notable sightings around the yard were a distant Green Kingfisher, a pair of Inca Doves, and flyovers from both Lesser and Common Nighthawks. After dark, a Black-crowned Night-Heron was fishing under the lights near the dock and a few Common Pauraques were calling across the river.

On the morning of the 18^th, we spent a few minutes poking around the yard before heading out. Both species of night-herons were present plus a Ringed Kingfisher, Yellow Warbler, Orchard Oriole, and a stunning adult male Painted Bunting. Our first birding stop of the day was to the Fisheries Field Station near Brownsville. This former fish hatchery is now essentially a nature preserve, with numerous ponds and a nice hedgerow for songbirds. We had very close views of a Muscovy Duck, and although this species formally bred here, they are now almost entirely domestic forms with some amount of white feathering and have lost their natural instincts. Other sightings included Mottled Ducks, Plain Chachalacas, six Anhingas, and a singing Olive Sparrow.

We spent the middle of the day exploring the savannah and marshland along Old Port Isabel Rd adjacent to the southern border of Laguna Atascosa NWR, and which altogether provides a vast area of critically-threatened habitat that provides a home to one of the rarest raptors in the country. The colorful Aplomado Falcon was our main target here, and we were quickly able to enjoy spotting scope views of a pair that is currently incubating eggs. These lanky falcons were extirpated from the wild in the US in the mid-1950’s, but a widespread reintroduction effort has resulted in their being a somewhat stable population here in southern Texas. While we watched, the female sat motionless on their nest while the male perched nearby and scanned their domain. We were soon joined by two other passing birders, and were able to see the male grab a small sparrow of some sort and take it to the female, who came out of her nesting structure momentarily.

Various ducks and over 300 American Coots were floating on the nearby Loma Alta Lake, and we found over a dozen Least Grebes and one Eared Grebe in a small resaca. There was a handful of lingering Redhead on the lake too, leftovers from when close to 90% of the country’s Redhead population was overwintering in the region. Good numbers of Whimbrel flew in to forage in the short grass of the savannah, joined by smaller numbers of the much larger Long-billed Curlew. Adult Gull-billed Terns flew back and forth, collecting small crabs for their young. Horned Larks, Savannah Sparrows, and one Cassin’s Sparrow were heard singing nearby, in addition to the boisterous calls of a few Northern Bobwhites.

After a picnic lunch we made a quick stop at the Brownsville landfill to fruitlessly search for Tamaulipas Crow, but did get some great close-ups of Chihuahuan Ravens and Crested Caracaras before we retreated from the smell and dust.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent along Boca Chica Rd, working our way out through coastal lagoons to the beach. The extensive sandflats in this area provide ideal foraging opportunities for shorebirds, and we saw 20 different species including Snowy and Wilson’s Plovers. Two Northern Bobwhites flushed from the roadside, and we noted a few leg-banded Harris’s Hawks which were part of a study done by raptor expert Bill Clark on the species’ tendency for living together and hunting in small family groups. Other highlights included many Least Terns and a few Black Terns, over 150 Reddish Egrets, and Marbled Godwits. We also had amble time to study the smaller shorebirds in a scope, and compare the structural and plumage differences between Least, Semipalmated, and Western Sandpipers side-by-side.

We ended the day at Oliveira Park in Brownsville. Although it may just seem like a bustling city park full of 100s of children playing soccer upon first arriving, by sunset the park turns into one of the largest and most diverse parrot roosts in the country. Each evening over 100 parrots gather in the large eucalyptus trees at the center of the park to sleep under the safety of scattered streetlights. Obviously these parrots are not native to southern Texas, but most metropolitan areas in the subtropical US are now hosting large populations of escaped and naturalized parrots. We stood along an elevated railroad bed along the back edge of the park, and patiently waited for the parrots to return for the night. Five different species of the loud and disorderly Amazona parrots make up the bulk of the parrots that roost here; all of which are large, mostly green parrots with short, square tails. However, before any Amazona made an appearance we spotted a small group of smaller, and longer-tailed Green Parakeets heading off to a roost location of their own, and a single Merlin was a surprise flyover. Finally, just after 7:30pm we could hear larger parrots making their way to the park. Soon we were surrounded by Red-crowned Parrots perching on the powerlines and trees all around us, with smaller numbers of Red-lored and Yellow-headed Parrots mixed in. We missed seeing any White-fronted Parrots on this visit, but did notice an unusual individual which was likely a hybrid Red-crowned X Yellow-headed Parrot. Our suspicions were later confirmed when we found out that those two species had been documented breeding in the nearby town of Pharr.

We had an hour drive that evening to South Padre Island, which was made even longer by the fact that we were driving straight into a massive storm coming in off the ocean. As we crossed the Port Isabel causeway, the driving rain was so heavy it was difficult to see the road ahead of us. Countless lighting strikes illuminated the skyline of South Padre ahead of us, and as we came off the bridge there was almost a foot of water on the streets. Some much needed shelter, food, and craft beers were had at the Padre Island Brewing Company before heading to our hotel for the night, where we lost power for a few hours. Overall quite the exciting end to a full day of birding!

April 19^th started off with a Yellow Warbler in the only [palm] tree in the parking lot of the hotel, so we were very excited for what might be at the barrier island’s main two migrant traps. We spent the first five hours of the day after sunrise at the convention center, and racked up an impressive list of 101 species in just an acre of land sandwiched between the Gulf and the Laguna Madre. As soon as we got out of the car we were greeted by Nashville and Tennessee Warblers, and orioles of various species were numerous. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds zipped around as birders slowly wandered the paths through the brush and trees behind the convention center, and we found 11 species of warblers including a handsome male Wilson’s and the typically-secretive Northern Waterthrush out strolling in the grass. Veery, Gray-cheeked, Swainson’s, and Wood Thrush put in great showings as well as Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos. The various migrants also perfectly displayed this region’s mixing of East and West – with Summer and Western Tanagers, Baltimore and Bullock’s Orioles, Bobolink and Dickcissel, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows nicely complimenting each other. The short boardwalk trail yielded a single Fulvous Whistling-Duck, great views of two Sora, and Clapper Rails called from the nearby saltmarsh. An adult Peregrine Falcon was perched on a water tower, watching over all the all the colorful action below.

An additional two hours spent scouring the Sheepshead Rd natural area snagged us seven new warbler species for the day, including Blue-winged and Cape May. A Worm-eating and Kentucky Warbler were also present but acting particularly shy, as usual. Vesper Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Yellow-breasted Chat were new addition to the day’s tally as well. A quick stop by Pier 19 produced the first Belted Kingfisher of the trip, but failed to have many shorebirds, besides a small group of Short-billed Dowitchers, since the tide was still very high after the previous night’s storm.

We then drove inland towards our lodging for the final three nights of the trip. Along the way we had quick drive-by views of three more Aplomado Falcons along highway 100. We checked in to the rustic El Rocio Retreat’s Casa Luna, and then set out for dinner in Mission but not before having to pull off to the side of the road to better view a swirling kettle of over 150 Mississippi Kites!

The day ended with a leisurely walk around the headquarters of Bentsen State Park, and then a stake-out for an Elf Owl which is presumably nesting in a telephone pole in the park. Another 16 Mississippi Kites were seen coming into Bentsen to roost, and the flurry of swallow activity above the canal soon switched to 100% Cave Swallows after sunset – our best views of the trip. As we waited for the Elf Owl to poke its head out of telephone pole, good numbers of Lesser Nighthawks glided through the sky above us. We were very surprised to pick out one nighthawk with a mostly white belly and back, but normally-colored wings, head, and tail. At 8:07pm the owl peaked its head out, and we enjoyed wonderful scope-views of this diminutive owl…the smallest owl in the country; weighing in at 1.4 ounces!

An Eastern Wood-Pewee was the first notable bird of April 20^th, calling above our car at El Rocio Retreat. We quickly made our way over to Santa Ana NWR and rushed towards the Tree Tower to get a bird’s eye view of the expansive subtropical woodlands that the refuge protects, and to hopefully observe migrant raptors lifting off for the day. Despite our best efforts, the raptors had other plans, and when we were still 5 minutes from climbing up the tower there were already a solid 400 Mississippi Kites soaring low over the canopy – no doubt eager to continue on their journey northward. Happily, whether we were on the ground or 40 feet up a tower, the sight was still remarkable. After the kites drifted off, we climbed up the Tree Tower and enjoyed the morning chorus of Plain Chachalacas, Curve-billed Thrashers, Couch’s Kingbirds, Olive Sparrows, Altamira Orioles, and various other woodland birds. An adult Cooper’s Hawk was doing its labored display flight nearby, and an immature Gray Hawk made a nice flyby. We had nice views of a male Blue Grosbeak and multiple wading birds around the Pintail Lakes portion of the refuge, and then started to make our way back to El Rocio for lunch. Along the way we made a slight detour through the southeast portion of the town of Hidalgo where Monk Parakeets have established a large colony since 2010. The parakeets were cooperative for photos, and we spotted another mega-flock of 1200 Mississippi Kites overhead!

During the early afternoon, we spent an hour or so wandering around the gardens at the National Butterfly Center just down the road from El Rocio, and although the birding was very slow in the mid-day heat, we were happy to find 25 species of butterflies – many that are regional specialties. Yet another kettle of 300 Mississippi Kites passed overhead, and Turkey Vultures and Swainson’s Hawks were also streaming north. After another evening walk around Bentsen SPT, we ate dinner in Mission that night and then fell asleep to the calls of Common Pauraques at El Rocio.

On April 21^st we were up early to drive an hour west to the Salineno boat launch along the Rio Grande by sunrise. During the drive out of the McAllen area, there is a clear shift in habitat and the short, shrubby landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert is apparent. We drove down the bumpy, dusty road to the boat launch, and through the lovely town of Salineno, just as there was enough light to start using our binoculars. The river was much higher than normal, but there was still a small area of open grass to stand on and view nicely upriver from the now-sunken boat launch. Great-tailed Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, and small groups of Blue-winged Teal were flying downriver while larger groups of Neotropic Cormorants were flying upriver. Multiple Yellow-billed Cuckoos and a Great Horned Owl called from nearby. Birdsong was abundant, and a particularly peaceful song nearby alerted us to a Clay-colored Thrush perched nicely out in the open. Throughout the morning we saw three species of orioles, including a pair of Audubon’s Orioles – a species that can only be found along the upper river valley. It was hard to pull away from scanning the river from the boat launch, but the sweet song of a White-collared Seedeater prompted us to take a short walk and hopefully turn it up. After a few minutes of tracking the song down, we had nice scope views of the immature male seedeater. Soon the sun began to burn off the layer of fog enshrouding the river, and raptors began to lift off for their day’s northward travels.

The nearby Salineno City Park hosted our first Cactus Wren and House Finches of the trip. From there we slowly drown through Falcon Heights and down Chapeno Rd, scanning the desert shrubs for birdlife. Highlights included Ash-throated Flycatchers, Greater Roadrunner, singing Black-throated Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxia, Blue Grosbeaks, and a single Dickcissel. We also checked Starr County Park for Red-billed Pigeons, but only turned up another (more cooperative) Cactus Wren. On the drive back east, we passed lots of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Crested Caracaras.

The plan for the afternoon was to visit the Progresso Sod Farms and Estero Llano State Park. The sod farms were fairly active, but many of the shorebirds stayed rather distant. There were 4 Upland Sandpipers, 12 American Golden-Plovers, and multiple Baird’s Sandpipers among the more common Least and Pectoral Sandpipers, Killdeer, and Long-billed Dowitchers.

Estero Llano Grande State Park is one of the premier birding destinations in the valley. There is an expansive forested portion, in addition to multiple large wetland impoundments surrounded by mesquite brushland. Three Fulvous Whistling-Ducks and multiple other duck species were scattered among the shorebirds frantically foraging in the shallow water, and a Sora quietly poked around the edge of some cattails. Just before sunset we spotted a Common Pauraque resting on a log under some dense trees at the back of the park.

For the final morning of the tour, we were back at the convention center on South Padre Island in hopes of turning up a few new migrants that we hadn’t seen yet. An adult male Blackpoll Warbler was the highlight, but overall bird activity seemed much slower than our previous visit – there were many fewer orioles in particular. On the drive down to the Sheepshead St natural area, we spotted an adult male Brewer’s Blackbird drinking from a small puddle in the road.

From there we drove back north to the Corpus Christi airport, but not before spontaneously hearing a singing male Tropical Parula at the Sarita Rest Area north of King Ranch. The perfect end to a great tour through the Lower Rio Grande Valley! We saw or heard a total of 225 species of birds during this trip, including 21 of the 25 regional specialties.

– Alex Lamoreaux

Nemesis Bird Nature Tours, LLC -- 'Spring in South Texas' 2016
April 16 to 22, 2016
Total # species: 225 birds and 59 other
Guide: Alex Lamoreaux
	16-Apr	17-Apr	18-Apr	19-Apr	20-Apr	21-Apr	22-Apr
Number of Bird Species per Day	61	113	130	124	66	115	82
Bird Species	16-Apr	17-Apr	18-Apr	19-Apr	20-Apr	21-Apr	22-Apr
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	70	32	69	50	21	12	32
Fulvous Whistling-Duck	--	--	--	1	--	3	--
Muscovy Duck (Domestic type)	2	--	2	--	--	--	--
Gadwall	--	--	--	--	10	1	--
Mexican Mallard	--	--	--	--	--	1	--
Mottled Duck	--	13	4	4	14	18	4
Blue-winged Teal	84	20	16	2	2	48	6
Northern Shoveler	--	--	20	--	--	20	--
Green-winged Teal	--	--	--	--	--	2	--
Redhead	4	--	2	--	--	1	--
Red-breasted Merganser	1	--	--	1	--	--	--
Ruddy Duck	--	8	90	--	--	--	--
Plain Chachalaca	--	--	11	8	50	10	--
Northern Bobwhite	--	2	8	--	--	--	--
Wild Turkey	--	2	--	--	--	--	--
Least Grebe	--	--	14	--	6	--	--
Pied-billed Grebe	1	--	12	1	--	--	--
Eared Grebe	--	--	1	--	--	--	--
Magnificent Frigatebird	2	--	--	--	--	--	--
Neotropic Cormorant	--	72	29	1	6	61	1
Double-crested Cormorant	35	8	--	4	--	3	--
cormorant sp.	--	--	14	--	--	--	--
Anhinga	--	--	6	--	6	--	--
American White Pelican	--	--	45	--	--	--	--
Brown Pelican	134	38	20	13	--	--	3
Great Blue Heron	35	24	33	7	1	1	7
Great Egret	35	31	45	11	4	11	12
Snowy Egret	9	19	18	2	2	13	7
Little Blue Heron	--	2	10	1	2	1	1
Tricolored Heron	17	10	9	3	--	1	2
Reddish Egret	2	1	31	--	--	--	1
Cattle Egret	--	64	29	8	46	36	4
white egret sp.	--	--	8	--	--	--	10
Green Heron	2	1	2	1	--	3	--
Black-crowned Night-Heron	--	1	1	--	--	--	--
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	2	--	3	1	--	4	--
White Ibis	11	42	--	6	--	5	50
White-faced Ibis	--	9	67	--	3	5	3
Roseate Spoonbill	20	32	--	--	--	4	--
Black Vulture	36	13	40	--	1	4	2
Turkey Vulture	26	61	59	2	210	39	24
Osprey	3	7	5	1	--	4	--
White-tailed Kite	--	1	3	--	--	1	1
Mississippi Kite	--	--	--	190	2,060	--	--
Cooper's Hawk	--	--	--	--	1	--	--
Harris's Hawk	--	2	12	5	13	2	9
White-tailed Hawk	--	4	5	--	--	1	1
Gray Hawk	--	--	1	--	2	1	--
Broad-winged Hawk	--	--	--	--	72	1	--
Swainson's Hawk	--	21	6	--	14	12	3
Red-tailed Hawk	--	--	--	--	--	--	2
Clapper Rail	--	--	--	3	--	--	2
Sora	--	--	--	2	--	1	--
Common Gallinule	--	--	2	4	3	2	1
American Coot	25	14	325	4	80	30	42
Black-necked Stilt	4	21	2	2	12	28	4
American Avocet	--	32	6	--	--	2	--
American Oystercatcher	--	4	--	--	--	--	--
Black-bellied Plover	--	1	30	--	--	--	--
American Golden-Plover	2	--	--	--	--	12	--
Snowy Plover	--	--	10	--	--	--	--
Wilson's Plover	--	--	2	--	--	--	--
Semipalmated Plover	--	--	5	--	--	--	--
Killdeer	2	9	14	--	3	52	5
Spotted Sandpiper	6	5	6	--	--	5	--
Solitary Sandpiper	--	1	2	--	--	--	--
Greater Yellowlegs	--	17	24	--	--	2	--
Willet	24	23	40	10	--	--	23
Lesser Yellowlegs	--	13	10	4	--	--	--
Upland Sandpiper	--	1	--	--	--	4	--
Whimbrel	--	3	52	--	--	--	2
Long-billed Curlew	--	2	4	--	--	--	2
Marbled Godwit	--	--	5	--	--	--	--
Ruddy Turnstone	19	10	21	--	--	--	--
Stilt Sandpiper	--	55	2	--	--	70	--
Sanderling	2	4	116	--	--	--	--
Dunlin	3	--	68	--	--	--	--
Baird's Sandpiper	--	3	--	--	--	20	--
Least Sandpiper	--	34	96	5	--	55	8
White-rumped Sandpiper	--	2	--	--	--	--	--
Pectoral Sandpiper	--	3	--	--	--	16	--
Semipalmated Sandpiper	--	4	39	--	--	4	--
Western Sandpiper	--	--	2	--	--	3	--
peep sp.	--	--	220	--	--	20	30
Short-billed Dowitcher	--	8	--	8	--	--	--
Long-billed Dowitcher	--	23	4	--	14	81	18
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher	--	5	--	16	--	--	30
Wilson's Phalarope	--	8	1	--	--	6	3
shorebird sp.	--	14	206	--	--	10	120
Laughing Gull	615	3,369	871	116	3	15	126
Franklin's Gull	--	840	75	504	--	--	--
Ring-billed Gull	3	70	3	--	--	--	--
Herring Gull	--	--	14	--	--	--	--
Least Tern	--	4	22	4	2	--	7
Gull-billed Tern	2	26	10	--	--	--	--
Caspian Tern	10	5	15	8	--	3	13
Black Tern	--	--	1	--	--	--	--
Forster's Tern	32	16	19	--	--	2	1
Royal Tern	24	10	81	68	--	--	37
Sandwich Tern	13	2	4	8	--	--	22
tern sp.	6	22	20	20	--	--	72
Black Skimmer	2	2	--	125	--	--	60
Rock Pigeon	31	42	19	30	50	228	29
Eurasian Collared-Dove	47	77	35	43	22	21	35
Inca Dove	--	2	6	3	2	8	1
Common Ground-Dove	--	--	--	--	--	1	1
White-tipped Dove	--	4	4	1	7	4	--
White-winged Dove	--	4	39	20	192	77	10
Mourning Dove	26	139	108	20	34	46	8
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	--	--	--	--	--	4	--
Greater Roadrunner	--	2	--	--	--	1	--
Great Horned Owl	--	--	--	1	--	1	--
Elf Owl	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Lesser Nighthawk	--	4	--	15	1	--	--
Common Nighthawk	--	2	10	2	--	--	--
Common Pauraque	--	1	--	3	2	2	--
Chimney Swift	--	--	20	36	7	8	3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	1	6	3	17	3	5	9
Buff-bellied Hummingbird	--	--	--	1	--	1	--
hummingbird sp.	--	2	--	--	--	--	--
Ringed Kingfisher	--	--	2	--	--	1	--
Belted Kingfisher	--	--	--	2	--	1	--
Green Kingfisher	--	1	--	--	1	2	--
Golden-fronted Woodpecker	2	8	24	5	23	30	2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker	--	4	1	4	3	7	--
Crested Caracara	--	8	10	1	2	8	7
American Kestrel	--	--	--	--	--	5	--
Merlin	--	--	1	--	--	--	--
Aplomado Falcon	--	--	2	3	--	--	2
Peregrine Falcon	--	--	--	1	--	--	1
Monk Parakeet	--	--	--	--	10	--	--
Red-crowned Parrot	--	--	50	--	--	4	--
Red-lored Parrot	--	--	2	--	--	--	--
Yellow-headed Parrot	--	--	4	--	--	--	--
Amazona sp.	--	--	20	--	--	--	--
Green Parakeet	--	--	5	--	--	--	--
Eastern Wood-Pewee	--	--	--	--	2	1	2
Ash-throated Flycatcher	--	--	--	--	--	8	--
Brown-crested Flycatcher	--	2	1	2	3	6	--
Myiarchus sp.	--	--	1	--	--	--	--
Great Kiskadee	--	4	12	6	14	14	--
Couch's Kingbird	--	6	13	3	23	17	3
Tropical/Couch's Kingbird	--	4	14	--	10	9	1
Western Kingbird	--	7	2	1	6	13	--
Eastern Kingbird	--	--	1	1	--	--	--
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	1	24	24	20	24	22	17
Loggerhead Shrike	2	16	11	--	3	6	4
White-eyed Vireo	--	7	4	--	5	4	--
Warbling Vireo	--	--	--	2	1	--	1
Red-eyed Vireo	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Green Jay	--	13	6	2	18	6	--
Chihuahuan Raven	--	--	15	2	--	--	1
Horned Lark	--	7	34	--	--	--	--
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	--	12	24	4	--	18	--
Purple Martin	2	25	28	12	4	29	3
Tree Swallow	--	4	1	2	4	2	--
Bank Swallow	--	2	1	4	--	6	--
Barn Swallow	41	158	58	76	32	86	18
Cliff Swallow	--	4	--	18	--	23	--
Cave Swallow	--	31	3	50	57	14	--
Cliff/Cave Swallow	--	4	8	--	--	14	--
swallow sp.	23	177	89	59	48	74	6
Black-crested Titmouse	--	2	--	--	3	--	--
Marsh Wren	--	6	2	8	2	--	--
Bewick's Wren	--	--	--	--	--	2	--
Cactus Wren	--	--	--	--	--	3	--
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	--	--	1	1	4	--	--
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Veery	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Gray-cheeked Thrush	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Swainson's Thrush	--	--	--	5	--	--	--
Wood Thrush	--	--	--	2	--	--	--
Clay-colored Thrush	--	--	--	2	4	5	--
Gray Catbird	1	--	--	7	--	1	1
Curve-billed Thrasher	--	2	14	2	6	12	--
Long-billed Thrasher	--	4	1	1	1	4	--
Northern Mockingbird	19	22	39	14	34	44	6
European Starling	39	22	71	6	37	23	1
Cedar Waxwing	--	--	--	--	--	32	--
Worm-eating Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Northern Waterthrush	--	--	--	5	--	--	1
Blue-winged Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Black-and-white Warbler	--	--	--	5	--	--	2
Tennessee Warbler	--	--	--	8	--	--	7
Orange-crowned Warbler	--	--	--	2	--	--	--
Nashville Warbler	--	--	--	4	--	--	1
Kentucky Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Common Yellowthroat	--	--	1	5	4	5	3
Hooded Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Cape May Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	1
Northern Parula	--	--	--	4	--	--	1
Tropical Parula	--	--	--	--	--	--	1
Blackburnian Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Yellow Warbler	--	--	1	5	--	--	--
Chestnut-sided Warbler	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Blackpoll Warbler	--	--	--	--	--	--	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler	--	--	--	5	--	--	--
Black-throated Green Warbler	--	--	--	5	--	--	1
Wilson's Warbler	--	--	--	2	--	--	--
Yellow-breasted Chat	--	1	--	1	--	--	--
White-collared Seedeater	--	--	--	--	--	1	--
Cassin's Sparrow	--	--	2	--	--	--	--
Olive Sparrow	--	--	5	--	1	5	--
Chipping Sparrow	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Clay-colored Sparrow	--	--	--	4	--	--	--
Black-throated Sparrow	--	--	--	--	--	7	--
Lark Sparrow	--	22	5	2	--	4	--
Vesper Sparrow	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Savannah Sparrow	--	10	10	6	--	2	--
Lincoln's Sparrow	--	--	--	5	--	--	1
Summer Tanager	--	--	--	5	--	--	1
Western Tanager	--	--	--	4	--	--	3
Crimson-collared Grosbeak	--	1	--	--	--	--	--
Northern Cardinal	9	15	12	3	19	24	--
Pyrrhuloxia	--	--	--	1	--	3	--
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	--	1	--	3	--	--	--
Blue Grosbeak	--	--	--	1	1	1	--
Indigo Bunting	14	4	--	34	--	--	9
Painted Bunting	--	--	1	2	--	--	--
Dickcissel	--	--	--	30	--	3	8
Bobolink	--	--	--	1	--	--	--
Red-winged Blackbird	13	186	150	56	161	144	45
Eastern Meadowlark	--	2	44	1	--	10	3
Yellow-headed Blackbird	--	--	--	16	--	--	2
Brewer's Blackbird	--	40	--	--	--	--	13
Great-tailed Grackle	142	783	492	484	611	399	232
Bronzed Cowbird	5	14	1	4	14	15	6
Brown-headed Cowbird	28	8	4	220	4	32	107
Orchard Oriole	--	--	2	9	--	--	2
Hooded Oriole	--	2	--	1	--	4	1
Bullock's Oriole	--	--	--	1	--	5	--
Altamira Oriole	--	4	4	--	11	2	--
Audubon's Oriole	--	--	--	--	--	2	--
Baltimore Oriole	--	3	1	30	--	--	9
House Finch	1	--	--	--	--	2	--
Lesser Goldfinch	--	--	--	--	7	3	--
American Goldfinch	2	--	--	--	--	--	--
House Sparrow	28	18	22	32	44	46	17
Mammal Species (16)
Eastern Cottontail
Swamp Rabbit
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Mexican Ground Squirrel
Northern Raccoon
Coyote
Feral Dog
Feral Pig
Hispid Cotton Rat
mouse sp
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
large bat sp
small bat sp
Bottlenose Dolphin
Herp Species (10)
Giant Toad
Rio Grande Chirping Frog
American Alligator
Green Anole
Brown Anole
Six-lined Racerunner
Texas Spotted Whiptail
Southern Prairie Lizard
Texas Spiny Softshell
Red-eared Slider
Butterfly Species (33)
Black Swallowtail
Pipevine Swallowtail
Palamedes Swallowtail
Polydamas Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail
Queen
Lyside Sulphur
Red Admiral
American Snout
Celia's Roadside-Skipper
Tawny Emperor
Mexican Bluewing
Laviana White Skipper
Turk's-cap White Skipper
Bordered Patch
Whirlabout
Little Yellow
Fiery Skipper
Common or White Checkered-Skipper
Texan Crescent
Reakirt's Blue
Brown Longtail
Checkered White
Great Southern White
Large Orange Sulphur
Variegated Fritillary
Sleepy Orange
Tailed Orange
Cloudless Sulphur
Gulf Fritillary
Pearl Crescent
duskywing sp
skipper sp