Archive for the ‘Guadalupe River Delta CBC’ Category

Guadalupe River Delta/McFaddin Family Ranches CBC 20 December 2007

SPONSORS:

• Lyondell Chemicals
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
• Jess Womack Ranch
• LaQuerencia Ranch
• Rio Vista Bluff Ranch

Guadalupe River Delta - McFaddin Family Ranches CBC

20 December 2007

The 4th running of this CBC produced reports of a record 225 species from 59 birders with the Best 3 Birds being Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Bell’s Vireo and Prairie Warbler. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard twice by the Nan Dietert, Diane Nunley and Lydon Holcomb team on Hog Bayou. The Bell’s Vireo was photographed by Brush Freeman and Petra Hockey on River Road, and the Prairie Warbler was photographed by Michael Gray, Cecelia Riley, Steven Bone and David Plunkett.

The 225 species will likely place us in the Top 3 in the Nation which is Great for our count. As we increase participation for this fun CBC and access new lands we should be able to consistently post 230 species results each year and occasionally be the Top CBC in the Country. As an example that our potential has not been reached, we reported 12 new species for the count: Long-tailed Duck (Riley team), Aplomado Falcon (Mitchell team), Greater Roadrunner (Mitchell team), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Nunley team), Black Phoebe (Ashbaugh team), Great Crested Flycatcher (Farnsworth team), Bell’s Vireo (Hockey team), Chihuahuan Raven (Friedrichs team), Yellow Warbler (Rorex team), Prairie Warbler (Gray team), Summer Tanager (Wauer and Julian teams), and Yellow-headed Blackbird (Freeman team). This brings the total for 4 years of this CBC to 263 species. (more…)

BIRDING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE

GUADALUPE RIVER DELTA - MCFADDIN FAMILY RANCHES

This CBC has been conducted 3 times and has placed in the top 5 counts nationally for total species each year.  The count surveys one Texas Parks & Wildlife Department wildlife management area, 2 chemical plants and a number of private ranches.  The CBC specializes in trying to locate lingering neotrops which it does well.  It also has high diversity since it is positioned at the border of South Texas and also adjoins coastal marshes.

Birding Opportunities:

BOATS:  There are at least 25 miles of the Guadalupe River within the count circle where the riparian forest can be birded from a canoe or motor boat.  We have permission to bird about ½ of the shoreline.  So, birders can get out and walk as well as travel the river by boat.  We typically have at least two boats working the river, but could use one more.

            Parts of Hynes Bay, Guadalupe Bay and Mission Lake are accessible by a shallow draft motor boat and we need assistance surveying these tidal areas.  The boat would need to be launched at Austwell.

GROUND:  We have access to small and large ranches which provide access to a variety of habitat ranging from riparian forests, Tamaulipan thorn scrub, native grasslands, coastal marshes and suburban.

Most birders will be expected to bird from foot with occasional driving with vehicles.  Birders will need to bring their food and drink with them.  Supper will be provided at the count-down on the Womack Ranch.

There are only about 50 miles of public roads within the count circle.  We need one or two teams to survey roadside habitats and suburban areas for geese, longspurs, Burrowing Owl, Merlin, Ferruginous Hawk, Harlan’s Hawk, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Black-crested Titmouse, hummingbirds, W. Meadowlark, Say’s Phoebe, Brewer’s Blackbird, etc.

Contact brent.ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us if you need more information, or plan to attend.

This very diverse CBC circle was developed by Mark Elwonger and Brent Ortego during the 1990’s. They recognized a nationally significant CBC could be developed in the area, but initially speculated that a very high tally would be limited because of several miles of bay separated the forested mainland from the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, a strategy was developed to focus more on lingering neotrops along the southernmost 15 miles of the Guadalupe River riparian forest rather than a maximum species count. They delayed starting the count because the local birding clubs were very busy supporting several area CBCs and there was a perceived lack of interest from the local landowners to allow birders to access their properties.

Area landowners started exploring ecotourism opportunities during the early 2000’s which peaked the interest of the birders, and exploratory mist-netting by Brent Ortego during winter on the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area captured N. Waterthrush, Ovenbird, and Yellow-breasted Chats on a regular basis. They decided to give it a shot and held the first count in 2004.

Our team of “local experts” predicted the CBC would likely get 188 species and would probably attract about 25 birders. They recruited landowners and as they got permission to survey land they recruited more birders. These sort of built on each other. The CBC ended up with 47 birders for the first count and reported 214 species which was a new CBC species tally record for a first time count in the United States. So much for our knowledge of the area

The initial success of the Guadalupe River Delta - McFaddin Family Ranches was due to the interest, skills and dedication of many people. Petra Hocky and Brush Freeman did an exceptional job of scouting and relocating birds along the southern end of the forested Guadalupe River and the shoreline of Hynes Bay. The Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area provided staff, equipment and access to their conservation lands. BP corporation provided sponsorship for the first 2 years and gave a guided tour of their property during the count. Lyondell Corporation provided sponsorship for 2 years and their properties were not even in the count circle. Numerous birders showed up for this new count from towns as far as 150 miles away. The most impressive assistance came from the McFaddin family ranches where Jess, Jesse and Walter Womack, Jan Wheelis and David Moore opened the gates to their ranches, provided themselves, staff and facilities.

One of the more unique count downs in Texas is held at this CBC. The Jess Womack Family Ranch provides an outstanding cook-out under the live oaks of the Guadalupe River floodplain after sunset. Tired birders dine on exceptional food and listen to the night calls of Barred Owls.

This CBC will continue to evolve through time and will one day report the highest tally in the Nation.

Contact Brent.Ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us if you would like to join us.

Results of the Guadalupe River Delta - McFaddin Family Ranches Christmas Bird Count are provided below. Contact Brent.Ortego@tpwd.state.tx.us if you would like to join the CBC.

Guadalupe River Delta/McFaddin Family Ranches CBC