For a couple of days Myself and some friends took a quick trip down to the Valley for another attempt to see the "Blue Mockingbird" which has resided at a private residence in McAllen, Texas. We drove down overnight on Friday arriving at the Mockingbird site at around 7:30am. We put out some fresh grapefruit and peppers with hopes of drawing the secretive bird out into the open. While we waited, Red-crowned Parrots flew overhead, Golden-fronted woodpeckers feasted on the grapefruits and Chachalacas tried out the red Chile peppers, finding them not to their taste!
At approximately 8:45 the Blue Mockingbird finally crept out of the bushes to check out the food left for it. It didn't stay in view for long, instead flying into some other nearby bushes. However, over time we were able to get good looks at this very blue bird! It finally flew into a tree and out of view. We had the bird!
After this we tried for the Rose-throated becard at Santa Anna, but had no luck. Others there included lots of couches Kingbirds, Olive sparrows, Brown crested flycatchers, Tropical Parula, Lesser Goldfinch, a female Blackburnian warbler, Green Jays and Altimira Orioles.
On to Bentsen to see if we could find a reported Shiny Cowbird - no luck here but good views of Green Jays at the picnic tables! Last stop for the day was Sable Palm.
The next day we drove to Salineno in search of Red-billed Pigeons and Muscovey duck. No luck on the duck, but had great looks at several Red Billed Pigeons, as well as Kiskadees, Altimira orioles, Green herons, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Common ground, White-winged and White-tipped doves, Mexican mallard, Mottled duck and Swainson's hawks among others.
We finished up in the Valley at the bird and butterfly habitat in San Ignacio at around noon, after seeing Blue grosbeak, YB Chat, Lesser Goldfinch, Long-billed thrashers, Inca and common ground doves, Ash-throated flycatcher, Swainson's hawk ... but no seedeaters that we saw, but they were around.
On the way back home to Fort worth we first stopped just north of San Antonio at a private residence where a Green Violet Ear hummingbird was coming to the feeders. We weren't there 5 minutes when this gorgeous, large, emerald green and violet blue hummer showed up at the feeder! This was a lifer for me, along with the Blue Mockingbird.
Last stop was at Balcone Canyonlands to find the Black-capped vireo for one of our group. At around 6pm we had great views of a male vireo perch up on a bush, singing his heart out and watching us! There were at least 3 BC Vireos singing there. Also there was a Rufous Crowned sparrow.
It was a great trip with great birds and company and a total of 2 lifers for myself :-)