North American Big Day Record Broken

The teams quest began last year, with an exploratory attempt that came very near the record. Unfortunately, their parked vehicle was hit at 8pm along a rural Texas road, ending  the day.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and the vehicle was a rental!

The April 19th day almost had similar results.  The low point of the day was in the wee hours of the morning when a deer jumped in front of the vehicle.  Missing it was not an option, but the driver saw it and slowed enough so that it only took out a headlight.  The vehicle received only minor damage but tragically, the team’s cheap cooler was less lucky, shattering upon impact dousing the two occupants of the backseat with icy water and filling the air with the smell of old cheese.

Highlights of the day included beautiful turquoise blue rivers and the numerous birds of the Hill Country at the western edge of their range, such as Western Scrub-Jay, Bushtit, and Canyon Towhee, as well as lingering  winter residents that had already cleared out of the coast.  Then came a long race across the brush country, picking up most of the birds (like Pyrroluxia, Bullock’s Oriole, and Roadrunner) without even leaving the car.  After a few brief stops to clean up south Texas specialties that reach their northern limit in the Corpus Christi area (Great Kiskadee, Buff-bellied Hummingbird) it was on to migrants and shorebirds, which would “make or break” the day.  While Texas has lots of publicity for migrant songbirds, actual good days are sporadic and depend on cold fronts.  One had past the day before, and there was hope for lingerers.

Tule lake added Snowy Plover, Marbled Godwit, and dozens of others in one stop, including a late Swamp Sparrow.  Blucher Park had great understory warblers (Kentucky, Swainsons, Worm-eating, Hooded), but where were the Dendriocas?  South winds produced an overall slow migration day, with only a single Dendroica warbler (Black-throated Green), zero Empidonax flycatchers (which on the bright side alleviates concerns about their identification), and a dip on Scarlet Tanager.

As it was a Saturday, the beaches were packed, especially at there was a “Sand-castle Festival” on Mustang Island Crossing the ferry from Port Aransas to Aransas pass would have been fatal, except a car had been dropped on the other side so the team could walk on.

Crusing up through Rockport the team added ducks (including a surprise late Bufflehead), a late Brown Thrasher at Goose Island, and a LeConte’s Sparrow while kicking up other birds on the edge of a saltmarsh.  Before dusk the team found Red-bellied Woodpecker and American Crow at the southern ends of their ranges before hitting the rice fields in Calhoun County.  A last-second Wilson’s Snipe that flew by at dusk (a relief after missing the bird at two stakeout spots). The team tied the old record at 9pm with a calling Black Rail, and then picked up Barn Owl before heading down to Rockport to pick up our last bird of the day, Black Skimmer.  All the people on the beaches during the day had apparently frightened every Black Skimmer off of Mustang Island and the causeways, but fortunately there is an accessible breeding colony in Rockport to hear foraging birds calling as they return to their nests.

The total of 260 species in a single day highlights the diversity of habitat in Texas and the need for a strong conservation effort to protect this diversity.  The EDG Birding Team has partnered with Houston Audubon to raise funds to protect the internationally significant Bolivar Flats.  Houston Audubon is working to acquire a tract of land adjacent their current sanctuary at this location.  They have recruited a matching donor, so all the money that is donated will be doubled and then go directly to the Bolivar land acquisition project. For more information about the team and how you can join the effort to protect more of Bolivar Flats see here.

Contributed by Pete Hosner.