The last time we saw this bird was in 2016.
We’ve been searching for, and missing this seedeater at least ten times in the last five years. We missed again at Salineno every day this trip. We saw fifty other birds there; it’s a glorious place to bird; but every time, no seedeater. Until this morning. In the pre-dawn light. One more try. I was the only one looking today. And the luckiest person there! Success! The Seedeater!
A quick glimpse. A quick photograph, (and the best shot I’ve ever gotten of one). A good get, because this is almost the only place in the United States to find them.
Back to the rig by 8:30 to pack up and move. 210 miles from Falcon State Park to Goose Island State Park.
As soon as we got set up here,
we drove over to the Whooping Crane Field by the Big Tree
And spotted a pair of whooping cranes.
And a pack of sandhill cranes.
Sandhill Cranes are cool, but Whooping Cranes are special. There used to be 20,000 of them, but with hunting and habitat loss, the population dwindled to a single flock of 15 birds in 1941. The cranes migrate between the South Texas Coast and Northern Canada every year, so it took international cooperation to protect them. They are still a rare bird. There are a little over 500 of them now.
Henry, exhausted after a day of birding.
Species remaining for our count to get to 400. 293.
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