Bird Alert -- March 15-16, 2008

Golden Triangle Audubon Bird Alert – 15-16 March 2008

Jana Whittle found a Fork-tailed Flycatcher at approximately 3:00 p.m. March 15 on Pilot Station Road in Sabine Pass.  The bird was observed by multiple observers from 3:00 until dark flycatching mostly from the utility wires on Pilot Station Road 0.6 to 0.9 miles south of the bridge over Texas Bayou.  This is the section of the road where the ship channel comes right up to the road on the left(east), and is before one reaches the man line of Salt Cedars.  The bird has, for a Fork-tailed Flycatcher, a relatively short tail, but the tail is forked, and the breast is clear white. 

On Sunday March 16, because of the wind, the bird was making flycatching flights mostly from the back (west side) of the first Salt Cedars on the right (west) side of the road.  It sometimes flew well out into the marsh and descended into the reeds.  After a few minutes, it typically would come back to the back of the Salt Cedars. It was seen all day and as far as we know, everyone who went there saw it!  Please report any subsequent sightings. Here are photographs although many much better photographs have been taken by others,:

During and immediately after the Sabine Woods work day March 15, there were a few warblers noted, including a good number of Black-and-white and Parula Warblers, and one Yellow-throated Warbler. Steve Mayes reported a Nashville Warbler earlier in the day.

On March 16, a male Hooded Warbler was seen in Sabine Woods, but there were fewer birds in the woods.  A Brown Creeper was seen by two groups -- a bird that has probably wintered in the Woods. 

John A. Whittle