We gave the white-collared seedeater every opportunity. Up at 6am, well before dawn. We birded three different locations around Laredo, all with prime seedeater habitat: river cane and tall grass. Zip. Zero. Nada. Nice walks. Lots of birds. But no seedeaters.
There is an even more rare bird here in Larado right now though. Slaty-backed Gull. It’s mostly a northern pacific bird with spotty lower 48 U.S. sightings, but has no business being in South Texas at all, …and it was reported the day before, right at the lake we’re staying at. We looked for that bird too and missed it. There were several cars of people driving around the lake looking for it without success. Came home, done for the day, got our shoes off, ….and got a text from Jon in Port Aransas. He just got notice that there was someone at the lake looking at the gull at that very moment. We piled back in the car and searched the lake; not for the gull this time, but for people at the edge of the lake looking at the gull. Found a carload just leaving on the other side of the lake. We asked if they were the ones, and they were. They got back out of the car and helped us locate him way out in the middle of the lake. We could locate him with binoculars and make him out well with the scope. Lifer! We had lots of help on that one. Jon from Port Aransas, a couple from Saratoga, Wyoming who are staying at Falcon State Park for the winter, and a couple from Weslaco, down in the Valley.
You just never know…
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