Birding the Guads is Tough, But Worth It!

(BELATED) Along the Texas-New Mexico border, the Guadalupe Mountains tower over the Chihuahan Desert like giant sentinels. The pine tree forests and cooler climate are a stark contrast to the desert scrub below. There's lots of mystery in the mountains and the bird life is promising, but you have to make it there first.

Clark's Grebe

Brad and I had been talking about the mountains for several months. We planned to hike the Tejas Trail to Pine Top campground and stay two nights. Our main objective was to spend all day on Sunday hiking the Bowl Trail, which hosts target species such as Stellar's Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch and Grace's Warbler. Birds like these are located in only a handful of places in Texas where the habitat is just right for nesting.

Before traveling to the Guads, we stayed overnight at Balmorhea Lake and enjoyed a front row view to Clark's and Western Grebes. The chicks and juveniles were noisy. We even caught a glimpse of a chick catching a ride on its parent's back.

Western Grebe

Later in the afternoon we checked out Frijole Ranch, which was virtually quiet, but we managed to find some Violet Green Swallows and a Western Tanager behind Manzanita Spring. Another surprise really caught us off guard - a Black-tailed Rattlesnake! The rattler had just eaten dinner and wasn't warning us of its presence. It was probably for scared of us than we were of it. Glad Brad saw it before we got any closer. Brad wanted to put a sign up to warn anyone walking in the same area, but when he returned with a paper sign, the rattler had already vanished into the grass. Creepy...

 

A NIGHT HIKE IN THE GUADS

Later that afternoon we made our way up the Tejas trail toward the towering peaks with more than 20 pounds of water and provisions for backcountry camping. The evening was nice and cool, but the approaching darkness caused us to rethink a 4-mile hike. After walking about a mile, Brad asked if I wanted to keep going and said we could get an early start the next day. But one thing I can't stand is doing something hard all over again when I don't have to, so, with a mix of stubbornness and determination, I told him I wanted to press on.

We slowly made our way up the trail. Brad is definitely more used to hiking and I'm only a casual hiker, so the loose rocks on the trail and the increasing darkness played a bigger toll on me. I took frequent breaks and Brad patiently obliged. But I had a mix of stubbornness and determination that helped me keep going one... step... at a time.

At about 9:30 p.m., we were near the end, but we had to turn on our head lamps to navigate the narrow, rocky trail in the darkness. I don't recommend night hiking for anyone because the darkness is very discouraging. Around 10:30 p.m., I became too tired and discouraged to go one and I admitted that I couldn't go on. Brad encouraged me and said we were literally just around the corner from the end. I was skeptical and decided to take a long break before moving on.

Brad went ahead to scout out the rest of the way and returned not even 10 minutes later to say we were only about 100 yards away. I couldn't believe the summit was just around the corner. This gave me a little encouragement but I was still exhausted.

What happened next was humbling and thought-provoking. Brad had left his bag at the top and grabbed my bag to carry it the rest of the way. My pride told me to not accept the help, but my spirit told me otherwise. I needed to learn this lesson: Sometimes we need help from others even when we're almost to where we want to be. Life is not just about us doing/accomplishing things on our own. As I've learned at my church, we are created for community and need each other. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help the other up." (Proverbs 4:9-10) Thanks Brad for the help to get up.

BIRDING THE GUADS -- THE PAYOFF

There is a lot of mystery in the Guadalupe Mountains. Brad and I weren't sure what we would find in the Bowl, but we knew it would be rewarding. The all-day hike produced wonderful looks at some of our target birds, including Pygmy Nuthatch, Grace's Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker and several others. We were happy to find two Cordilleran flycatchers calling in a deep wooded area. I have seen this species in Colorado, but this was my first for Texas.

One of the main highlights toward the end of our hike was a male Calliope Hummingbird (lifer). The tiny hummer was resting on a shrub in Bear Canyon.

We missed a few target birds on the trip such as Flammulated Owl, but with all the birds we got to see, we couldn't complain. I think any trip to the Guadalupe Mountains will be fruitful and well worth the rigorous hike up the tallest mountain range in Texas.

Black-tailed Godwit - First Record for Texas

Chasing a rare bird is an exciting experience, but imagine travelling to see a bird that has never been seen in Texas. That's exactly what happened last weekend when I went to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge on the Upper Texas Coast to see a Black-tailed Godwit that had been hanging out on a little pond for about three weeks.

Black-tailed Godwits are usually found in Asia, Africa and Europe. They rarely show up in North America, but occasionally are found on Alaska's Aleutian Islands. There's no telling how the rare shorebird ended up on the Upper Texas Coast, but if you've been keeping track of my blog, you're well aware that Texas is a hotspot for rarities.

Ron Weeks, a birder in the area discovered the rare shorebird hanging out with some of its relatives - Hudsonian Godwits. These Godwit species are similar in appearance, but the Black-tailed Godwit can be distinguished from the Hudsonian by the snow-white color under the wings as seen in the photos below.

Although the shorebird was far away and difficult to photograph due to the location, I was content getting distant views of this historic bird for Texas.

After getting a long look at the Godwit, I birded more of the refuge and found some Short-billed Dowitchers and Wood Storks.


Brazoria NWR

 I also decided to visit one of my favorite state parks, Brazos Bend State Park, where I found some Purple Gallinules and Anhingas.

Brazos Bend State Park

  

Anhinga



Purple Gallinule

And I had some close encouters with a few alligators...

This park is incredible for photography and it's so scenic with moss hanging off oak trees and lakes decorated with large lily pads. I recommend this park to anyone who wants to experience a true adventure.

Board Walk on 40 Acre Lake

 

Anhinga sunning on 40 Acre Lake



Day 3 & 4: Hawks, an Oasis and Some Good Life Birds

I got busy over the last few weeks and it's a little dated now, but I figured I would go ahead and sum up last month's trip to West Texas.

Brad and I spent our last full day in Big Bend birding Dug Out Wells, Rio Grande Village and Christmas Mountain Oasis.

Dug Out Wells and Rio Grande Village did not disappoint. At Dug Out Wells, we found a Gray Flycatcher hawking insects in the desert and we picked up some good year birds, including Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Rio Grande Village was a hot spot for hawks. I finally added Common Black-Hawk and Zone-tailed Hawk to my life list. Zone-tailed Hawk was a true nemesis bird that I tried to find all last year. Brad spotted my life bird soaring above the horizon near the Rio Grande.

On two previous trips to Big Bend, I never made it to Rio Grande Village to see Common Black-Hawks, which nest in a protected area.

This time I made a point to make the special trip to see the hawks. A pair of hawks were nest building at the time, so it was very easy to find these majestic raptors.

The hawk below is carrying a branch to its nest. I imagine by now the parents are attending to chicks.

Common Black-Hawk

Christmas Mountain Oasis was fantastic. Carolyn-Ohl Johnson greeted us at her bird sanctuary and showed us great hospitality. She even was kind enough to let me borrow her 100-400 L-Series lens to get some closer shots of the birds below.

Green-tailed Towhee

Scaled Quail

Lucifer Hummingbird

The highlight of the evening was watching male and female Elf Owls in action at dusk. The female Elf Owl peeked out of her nest hole several times while waiting for the male.

Elf Owl (Female)

Then, the male Elf Owl showed up. I love the angry look of these miniature owls. It reminds me of the Angry Birds game.

Elf Owl (Male)

Brad and I spent the last part of our trip attempting to find some rare birds - Hermit Warbler and Rufous-capped Warbler, but we dipped (didn't find) on both birds. However, I picked up one last lifer on the Chisos Basin Nature Trail - Hepatic Tanager. At first, I thought it was just a Summer Tanager, a common summer resident. But upon further inspection, Brad pointed out that it was indeed a Hepatic. The two tanagers are superficially similar in appearance, but upon further inspection, you can distinguish the two.

Check out the comparison of the two species below. Can you tell which is Hepatic and which is Summer?

Day 2: The Hike... Choose Your Own Adventure





Colima Warbler is one of the birds I have raved about the most over the last year. This little drab warbler is a novelty because it's only U.S. destination is in the Chisos Mountains where it takes considerable work to find it.

To get to the warblers, you have one of two choices:

Option 1.) Take the easier, but longer hike - a 6-mile, gradual climb up Laguna Meadows.

Or...

Option 2.) Take the tougher, shorter route - a 3-mile steep climb up switchbacks on the Pinnacles trail.

This reminds me of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I read as a kid.

When a park ranger told Brad that several male warblers had been seen about 4 miles on Laguna Meadows, we decided on option 2.

Brad and I got a late start our 12-mile hike, but the fair weather was pleasant and birds were active. We quickly added Scott's Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Wood-Pewee to our trip list.

Along the way we ran into some birders who had heard Colimas about a mile or two ahead. Brad and I kept our ears tuned to Colima's trilling song. At first we confused a Spotted Towhee song for the colima, but soon Brad started hearing something different. And soon we knew we had our bird...

I managed a few ID shots, but we had good views of at least 3 Colimas and heard 2 other males.

The surprises didn't end there. While attempting to get a photo of a Colima, we suddenly heard a Mexican Whip-Poor-Will. Both the Colima and Whip-Poor-Will performed their choruses for us at the same time.

As if this wasn't enough, we found another one of my sought after species, Black-chinned Sparrow. Brad first pinpointed one singing in the meadow. The song starts off resembling a bouncing ball and quickly turns into the sounds of a marble dropping on the floor.

Other highlights along the trail were Townsend's Warbler, Hutton's Vireo, Mexican Jays and more.

Brad scoping out the trail



Mexican Jay



Emory Peak - 2nd Highest Peak in Texas





Walking alonside Pine and Madrone Trees, we got great view of Emory Peak, the tallest peak in the Big Bend and second only to Guadalupe Peak for tallest in Texas.

As soon as we got to a ranger cabin, we came across another surprise...

The Black Bear was hungry, but fortunately not for us. It fed on oats and whatever else it could find near the cabin. We heard later that this bear was emaciated or slowly going hungry. I'm not sure if this was accurate, but it sure looked sluggish and hungry.

We completed the hike seeing some amazing birds. I got three lifers along the way and Brad got the Whip-Poor-Will, which he had been wanting to see for some time.

As always, the view of the Window trail is a fitting end to the long hike. Our feet and backs were sore by the end, but the adventure was truly satisfying. While nearing the end of the trail, I took a moment to take in the scenery and thank God for such a beautiful place to enjoy His creation.

The Window

Big Bend: Day 1



Marathon Motel



The morning in Marathon was nice and cool and the desert came to life with the songs of Orchard Orioles and Barn Swallows. In the distance, we could hear Cassin's Sparrows carrying their trilling tunes.

Brad and I spent our first day split between Marathon and Big Bend National Park. After staying at the campground at the Marathon Motel, we headed to Post Park and found some West Texas specialities, including Cassin's Kingbird and Phainopepla.

When we entered the park, a ranger pointed out some Cactus Wrens that were attending to a nest right outside the visitor center.

The cool morning quickly faded into a hot afternoon as we stepped out of the car at Santa Elena Canyon. We hiked the trail, but found few birds.



Santa Elena Canyon

 Then, we visited Cottonwood Campground where we encountered a swirl of bird activity - Ash-throated Flycatcher, Green-tailed Towhees and at least 4 species of sparrow, including a Grasshopper Sparrow, which hopped up on a picnic bench.

And in a large Cottonwood Tree appeared my first lifer - a beautiful Gray Hawk.

Gray Hawk

We spent the rest of the day at Sam Nail Ranch where we found several colorful Varied Buntings calling in the West Texas Brush. This is a bird I've missed in the Big Bend twice, so checking it off on my life list was a huge plus. I didn't get very many good photos on the first day, but when we visited Christmas Mountain Oasis the next day, I got the shot I really wanted.

Varied Bunting

Big Bend: A Bittersweet Story of Beauty and Survival

The severe drought in West Texas has left its mark on the landscape and has impacted bird life and nature all together in Big Bend country. Springs have dried up and wildfires have destroyed forests. Even the hardiest pine trees are dying in the Chisos Basin.

But one thing in Big Bend is for sure: Life goes on...

This weekend I was inspired by the persistant spirit of people and nature in the Trans-Pecos region. On our 12-mile hike through the Chisos Mountains, Brad and I were pleased to find a diversity of birds and wildlife despite the drought. I visited a bird sanctuary where Carolyn Ohl-Johnson spends countless hours hauling water from Alpine to her remote property in the Chihuahan desert to keep her Christmas Mountain Oasis alive.

During our visit, more than a hundred firefighters were battling a wildfire near the Davis Mountains Resort. The blaze continues to threaten life and property. My thoughts and prayers go out to the volunteers and residents caught in this real life struggle to survive. In the coming days, I'll unpack my experiences and share about all the great birds I saw and some of the people I met along the way.

Heading Out West

This year I'm breaking with tradition and going to Big Bend instead of High Island for a long weekend of birding. Me and my friend, Brad, are leaving after work to the Trans- Pecos region with lots of target birds on the itinerary.

First stop is Uvalde for a Rufous-capped Warbler at Chalk Bluff Park. The rare bird has been seen over the last few days singing near a boat ramp in tall brush. We'll try to catch a glimpse of this attractive yellow/red passerine this evening. If we don't get him today, we'll try again on our way back on Monday.

Next, we'll do some birding in Marathon and head to the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. We plan to camp out in the mountains in Boot Springs, the prestigious location for the Colima Warbler, a warbler that only make its way into the U.S. via the high elevations of the Chisos Mountains. While we're up there at night we will listen for nocturnal birds such as Flammulated Owl and Mexican Whip-Poor-Will.

We also plan to visit Christmas Mountain Oasis for some special birds that I haven't picked up on my life list, yet - Varied Bunting and Elf Owl. Fortunately, Carolyn Ohl who keeps this amazing place alive in the desert, just located an owl nest yesterday, so there's a good chance for some good looks at one of the smallest owls in the world.