A person can only endure so many Yellow-rumped Warblers before they break, and I am about 11 Yellow-rumped Warblers away from breaking. Time for some Chestnut-sided Warblers to make everything better. Photographed at South Padre Island, Texas.
Yard birding, 5MRs and county listing are well and good...but sometimes you need to get the fuck out of Dodge, know what I mean? And I have been spending a lot of time in Dodge lately, being very loyal to a small territory, much like a California Towhee.
Despite my resemblance to a California Towhee, I am no more of a California Towhee than you are. I am not confined to the same patch of oak woodland-coastal scrub-suburbia for my entire life..always looking down at my feet, shunning mixed flocks, knowing not what lies beyond a particular bay laurel shrub or fenceline. I am not a California Towhee, but a neotropical migrant...and so my instincts tell me it is time to descend from upon a life-giving migrant trap, and a few in particular come to mind this time of year.
Spring has been very kind to me so far, mostly in the form of a lot of county birds and wildflowers. No complaints about what Santa Clara County has produced in the last few weeks, and I'm sure I'll be paying the price and missing some other county birds while I'm gone...but these are prices I am willing to pay! For most often the truly great birding does not come to you, you must seek it out.
With that in mind, I have been asked to once again lead a trip for MAX REBO BIRDING TOURS, this time to that bastion of geri birding, the Upper Texas Coast! I have even been told that MAX REBO himself may join our group as a coleader for a couple of days...wow, our participants will be in for a treat! He could even bring out the famous red ball jet organ, but you may have to buy him a couple of drinks to get him to play, ho ho! MAX will leave most of the scouting and leading to me though, and I am happy to oblige.
With that in mind, I have been asked to once again lead a trip for MAX REBO BIRDING TOURS, this time to that bastion of geri birding, the Upper Texas Coast! I have even been told that MAX REBO himself may join our group as a coleader for a couple of days...wow, our participants will be in for a treat! He could even bring out the famous red ball jet organ, but you may have to buy him a couple of drinks to get him to play, ho ho! MAX will leave most of the scouting and leading to me though, and I am happy to oblige.
Check right here for more details, in case you missed it. BB&B will be back in May with a full trip report! Happy April!
This is exciting, though I still feel I’m missing a reference or two.
ReplyDelete“These aren’t the dendroica we’re looking for. Move along.”
—to be uttered every time someone call out a YRWA
Good luck crushing Swainson’s Warbler. Maybe another weird ass Plover will blow in too.
I think you are as caught up as anyone Laurence. No disintegrations!
DeleteIf I recall correctly, YRWA are pretty uncommon that far south by the time I will be there, so if I see one I will probably be mildly excited. Love me some trip birds! But yeah Swainson's Warbler is the brown grail.
Add Ruby Crowned Kinglet to that list.
ReplyDeleteAdded, with relish.
DeleteI read "coleader" as "colander" and spent awhile imagining what that might mean.
ReplyDeleteAh, to be a colander. That's the good life.
Delete"For most often the truly great birding does not come to you, you must seek it out." I concur! Look forward to your Texas tales!
ReplyDeleteFirst post coming up tomorrow!
Delete