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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hamhed" data-source="post: 3159374" data-attributes="member: 70825">Saturday, 20thEarlier in December, we had signed up to join local birders for the Brownsville Christmas Bird Count, specifically the Sabal Palm Sanctuary (<a href="http://sabalpalmsanctuary.org/" target="_blank">http://sabalpalmsanctuary.org/</a>) section, and headed that way early on our first full day in the Valley, as the area is often called by Texans.  A road closure caused some early morning driving confusion but we arrived before the group began the walk.  Our party of six, led by the very knowledgeable volunteer David Benn, spent the morning circling the trails on the western section of the park.  Only a few of us in the right position saw the Hooded Oriole that necessitated a Rare Bird form.  An immature Magnolia Warbler also required documentation.  Nashville Warblers were as abundant as the other songbirds, which included White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Green, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Wilson’s Warbler.  Birds seen in the wet areas were Sora, Green Kingfisher, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Least Grebe, Marsh Wren, Solitary Sandpiper, Blue-winged Teal and Neotropic Cormorant.  A Great Horned Owl was heard, a flyover Gray Hawk was one of three seen; other raptors were Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawk.  It was a pleasant but cool (60 deg) and cloudy morning, sans any quantities of mosquitos.  The butterfly garden adjacent to the Visitor center was the most active we saw during our time in Texas.  Parting company with the count group, we drove to Oliviera Park in Brownsville.  Our ears told us the expected Parrots were coming to roost and we were soon looking at dozens of Red-crowned Parrots and a solitary Yellow-headed Parrot.  Unfortunately for the photographer in us, dusk had followed us into the park and good photos didn’t happen.  Other exotics have been reported coming to roost in the park’s trees but we never were able to fit another visit in our schedule.  For some armchair birding, try linking to the sanctuary’s feeder cam where Green Jays are common visitors.</blockquote>

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