MATAGORDA COUNTY – MAD ISLAND MARSH CBC
14 December 2015
WE ARE STILL NUMBER ONE!
Photo by Rich Kostecke
We were treated with a Rainbow at Sunset on the evening before the opening of Christmas Bird Count
Season. The view from the TNC visitor center spans most of the Matagorda County – Mad Island Marsh
CBC area.
Matagorda County continues to excel at attracting birds, birders and weather (at least for this
year). We put afield 126 birders which was the 3rd highest in our 23 year history. They documented 239
species which was the 5th highest species tally for Matagorda County as well as the Nation.
The BEST BIRD resulted in the tightest voting in our history. This designation which results in the
image of the species on Next Year’s T‐shirt came down to two outstanding birds.
Photo by Brent Ortego at a different time
The BLUE‐WINGED WARBLER Sue Heath found was the 2nd record for our count. It is a species
that rarely lingers in Texas and typically is only reported on a CBC about once per decade. A Blue‐
winged Warbler was found a year earlier on the CBC by Tad Finnell, but did not make Best Bird because
of the rarer finding of the Buff‐breasted Sandpiper that season.
The ORCHARD ORIOLE above that was photographed by Mark Scheuerman at Old Gulf is a new
species for our CBC, but is found every other year in more southern counties.
The species designated as BEST BIRD by popular vote of the 14 Section Leaders will be identified
at the end of this report.
. . .
The Drought which has been suppressing bird populations in Texas for 4 years is finally over. Matagorda
County has received above average rainfall for the year and the fall was generally wet. Over one inch of
rain fell the day before the count which created saturated ground conditions. Wet conditions coupled
with very high tides which over topped bay mudflats pushed shorebirds and waterfowl inland. They
scattered across a very large wet landscape and were found in large concentrations in only one section,
Western Roads.
Skys cleared after the rains of Sunday morning. Birders started showing up to scout their
sections and excitement started building as the day progressed. Just before sunset, a gorgeous rainbow
set the stage for an evening of planning and socializing. I was able to attend two pre‐count
organizational meetings.
The TNC meeting with 60 birders after sunset was amazing. It housed a huge number of birders
with bubbling excitement. It brought back memories of the first CBCs when everybody showed up at the
Visitor Center for lodging. Steve Goertz and Rich Kostecke did a good job of coordinating this event and
Brigid Berger produced another great pre‐count meal.
The next pre‐count meeting was much smaller and more laid back. I was able to visit with the
Poinsett’s who own one of the most important ranches in the count circle. Drank some refreshments
and watched a ball game. The Poinsetts provided lodging for a number of birders and this gave me an
opportunity to discuss plans for 2 sections.
For people who like to bird at night, weather conditions were great. Clear skys, cool
temperatures (mid 40s) and light winds. Untold number of stars, occasional meteorites and quietness
prevailed through the night. I started birding at the traditional mid‐night as did a couple of crews from
TNC. They fairly quickly located 6 Yellow Rails and a number of other waterbirds by driving ATVs across
their wetlands. I was not as fortunate. Owls were not very responsive to recordings this night. I was
only able to get 2 Barn and Short‐eared to come‐in to squeaking, but the Great Horned and Barred
called at normal rates. A Burrowing Owl was found foraging along WMA roads. Common rails
responded relatively easy to recordings and a variety of birds were found at various sites across the
WMA. The most interesting to me was a Snowy Plover on the road that traverses the marsh. High tides
must have pushed him out of its normal roost and he was taking his chances on a gravel road.
I got stuck once during the night and had to be extracted by one of the TNC rail crews. This cost
us a couple of hours of birding, but even with this delay we did well locating target species during the
night. I ended up with 40 species and TNC added a few species to this list before daybreak.
RESULTS
The Count did an excellent job of locating 232 regular occurring species, but did not locate many rarities
for Matagorda County. Thirty species were found only in one of the 13 Sections of the CBC and only one
individual of 20 species were reported. 239 species is an outstanding total, but just think how fragile
this tally is when 20 birds out of 100,000 represented 20 species. How many did we miss?
Old Gulf and the Wildlife Management Area located the most exclusives with 6 species each.
The Peninsula Section had 5 and STP 4. The Wildlife Management Area with its diverse habitats also
produced 165 species, followed by 145 at TNC and 143 at STP.
The Parasitic Jaeger found and photographed by Eric Carpenter was the 3rd Best Bird of this CBC.
It not only takes great skill to locate/identify a jaeger at long distances across water. It also takes lots of
work and dedication to watch the Gulf for 10 hours. Matagorda County was fortunate to have 2 expert
sea watchers helping out this year in Eric C. and Petra Hockey.
The Bullock’s Orioles photographed by Ken Hartman on the Pitch Fork Ranch and the Wildlife
Management Area was another great species. On many Texas CBCs this would likely end up being the
Best Bird.
Two other Quality Species found at Old Gulf were tanager and Rose‐breasted Grosbeak.
Tanager of any species is only reported about once every 3 years on the Count. Sumita Prasad and
Dennis Shepler were able to locate one singing. The Rose‐breasted Grosbeak which had only been
reported twice before was found nearby by Stephan Lorenz, Michelle Romedy and Janet Neath.
The Eastern Kingbird found by Olivia Brower was a special find in the Matagorda area. One
lingering at the Count only happens about every 4 years.
Trends
Bird trend patterns this year was normal for a change. Drought during the last 4 years produced
higher percentages of declining numbers. This season 38 species were reported in higher numbers
while 29 were found to be lower with 72% being about what was expected.
Waterfowl was the group that occurred in abundances much lower than expected. Positive
northern breeding season reports indicated above average production for most species, but mild
weather and abundant wetlands in interior regions allowed birds to disperse and not migrate to the
Coast by the time of our CBC. Once they arrived on the Coast, they again found southern Matagorda
County without a rice crop which is a major contributor to food for waterfowl, cranes, blackbirds,
waterbirds and raptors.
Two species which tend to leave the state before winter arrives in earnest are the Black‐bellied
Whistling Duck and Blue‐winged Teal. They occurred in above average numbers being indicative that
winter weather had not arrived. Eleven other species of waterfowl occurred below average and 14
other average.
Common Loon and Horned Grebe occurred in much higher numbers than normal. Both species
seek clear water to aid in foraging. Horned Grebes tend to be on the northern end of East Matagorda
Bay and loons congregate in the southwestern corner of East Matagorda Bay. Least Grebe also occurred
above average and this might have been indicative of abundant freshwater throughout the year.
Herons and Egrets in general have not changed in winter numbers. Breeding conditions have remained
poor in the area this decade due to scarcity of suitable nesting areas, but winter foraging continues to
be good. We set an all‐time record for 28 American Bitterns with the TNC staff and the WMA airboat
being the main producer of bitterns. Glossy Ibis were relatively easy to ID this season with 8 being
reported on the WMA. The Glossy Ibis is an extremely frustrating species to ID in winter. Dark ibises
which include Glossy are fairly common in fresh marshes, but only the adults readily show distinctive
features which is a narrow blue line just above the eyes. To complicate the ID, this species forages in tall
vegetation with its head being behind plants most of the time. Most years we feel lucky to get one, this
year 8 was nice.
Bald Eagle Photo by Claudia Dorn
The area continues to support high numbers of raptors with Osprey and Bald Eagle showing
above average numbers. Other species continue to have some of the highest densities in the United
States.
TNC staff did a very good job “running down” 6 Yellow Rails. However, despite their efforts and
several other birders attempting to locate Black Rail, we failed at this task. Researchers from Texas
State University have shown that several Black Rail breeding territories are in the area, but flushing
them or getting them to talk this time was more than we could achieve.
Wilson’s Plovers on Peninsula Section
We were fortunate that the Western Roads section had several waterfowl impoundments and a
large turf grass farm. These sites are used extensively by shorebirds when tides cover their bay mudflats
which was what happened this year. The Peninsula Section reported an amazing 4 Wilson Plovers. This
species normally migrates before cold weather. Black‐bellied Plover and Long‐billed Dowitcher occurred
in above average numbers while Piping Plover, Willet, Sanderling and Short‐billed Dowitcher occurred
below average.
Sandwich Terns occurred in above average numbers likely due to mild conditions and the
Bonaparte’s Gull which only arrives on the Coast in good numbers during winter was lower than
expected.
I normally spend about 3 hours of the night concentrating on getting large numbers of Barn and
Short‐eared Owls. I play a screaming woodpecker recording which typically draws in owls from
hundreds of yards. The Barn will hover over the vehicle and Short‐eared typically flys low nearby
allowing its shadow to be spotted before hitting it with a spotlight. I only observed 2 of each. I hope
this was because the birds were not in the mood to play with me rather than something else.
The Texas Coast regularly winters 8 species of hummers and it is frustrating for our Count to
only produce 2 species. Our main hummingbird managers have left the area and hopefully the renewed
interest by Barbara Silverthorne and her Selkirk Island neighborhood will be productive. If their
welcome sign is a measure of interest, I think we are in good hands.
Populations were relatively stable with most passerine species. The three Great Kiskadees at
Old Gulf and the Couch’s Kingbird at STP is indicative that small populations continues to winter in our
area. While expected, you breathe a major sigh of relief when they are reported. 83 Vermilion
Flycatchers were our highest tally ever by 3X. Not sure what drives populations of this species, but
everybody enjoys seeing these colorful flycatchers.
Great Kiskadee photo by Mark Scheuereman
Swallows occurred in above average numbers. It was good seeing that Cave Swallows returned
to some of the bridges on FM 521. The drought was very hard on this species.
We had good warbler diversity with our teams reporting 13 species. Outside of Blue‐winged,
there were no unexpected species. It was good seeing Black‐throated Green again after being absent
for 6 years. I am always surprised at the low numbers (2) of Black‐and‐White reported at this Count
when just down the Coast at the Guadalupe Delta they report dozens most years.
Most sparrow numbers were as expected (common to abundant). Pyrrhuloxia showed up in
record fashion during this “invasion” year. Obtaining both species of buntings always makes us feel
good.
Pyrrhuloxia photo by Ken Hartman
Blackbirds are a major food source for raptors on the Coast. Watch the roost flights. Cooper’s
Hawks, harriers, falcons and Buteo’s regular work them twice a day. At night I have regularly found Barn
Owls patrolling over blackbird roosts looking for opportunities. Blackbird numbers frequently cycle with
the availability of waste seeds in rice production. With lack of irrigation to produce rice, blackbirds and
other species dependent on this crop numbers have dropped dramatically.
BIG MISSES
This is the 1st year we have missed the Canada Goose and the 3rd year in a row we did not locate
a Ferruginous Hawk. We again missed 2 species of scoters. Finding scoters is very challenging with they
spending most of their time out in the Gulf. It is fortuitous whenever we find one near enough to the
beach to be observed by our skilled birders.
It hurts to not get a Black Rail. We invested lots of birder time trying to locate this species. Ran
ATVs at night and during day in prime habitat, and trying tried inducing them to call to recordings for
many hours. All to no avail.
We discussed optimism about future hummer species but we still only found 2 species. It
generally takes more than just hanging a feeder up in December to produce hummers. The more
successful landlords have shrubbery in their yards (habitat), a diversity of cool season hummer plants
(buffet), and feeders they maintained all fall. It requires work to manage hummers, but for those that
love them it is very rewarding.
BEST BIRD
As mentioned above, it was a very close race. Both teams should be complimented for locating a high
quality bird, and the other sections should be encouraged to continue to work at it because next year
might be their turn.
ORCHARD ORIOLE
Old Gulf Team
Enjoy your achievement. Your team earned it!
TEAM WORK
Much of the results from this CBC are the direct results of the planning, leadership,
coordination, and skills of our Section Leaders: Sandy Dillard, Sumita Prasad, Charlie Brower, Ron
Weeks, Michael Kennedy, Dale Friedrichs, Bill Baker, Breck Sacra, Bob Friedrichs, Marilyn Sitz, Claudia
Dorn, Rich Kostecke, Steve Goertz, Warren Pruess, Marc Ealy, Bron Rorex, and Karen McBride.
This Christmas Bird Count is Number One in the Nation from our Team’s perspective. It has
shown national leadership in cooperative efforts between the birders, the landowners, the boat
operators and the people of Matagorda County. It takes every body’s efforts focused on the end result
to achieve our goals. Yes, we have a very diverse avifauna that is the product of a narrow forested
corridor extending all of the way down the Colorado River to the Gulf that is bordered by an abundance
of native prairies, brushlands and wetlands. An added factor is geography creates diverse ecosystems
being in close proximity. This diversity would not be possible unless the landowners managed their land
to maintain the productivity of the habitats, and it would not be possible to survey them unless they
liked our project and permitted us access. All the birds in the world would not mean anything unless the
interest, skills and cooperation of Texas birders would not show up to conduct the count. We would
count very few water birds unless our boat operators would not donate a day from their busy schedule
as well as the use of their boats. We get great support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The
Nature Conservancy, the South Texas Nuclear Project, Lower Colorado River Authority and Lyondell‐
Basell for use of equipment, land and staff. Matagorda County Birding and Nature Center coordinates
the annual banquet. Lastly, we could not afford to pay for the Great Supper at the Wadsworth
Community Center, and provide counters with t‐shirts without the generosity of the sponsors. We also
thank Dennis Shepler for the great art work for our T‐shirt and Brigid Berger for coordinating
production.
LEADERS: David and Marilyn Sitz. David has developed a great relationship with the
landowners of Matagorda County and he is the person who obtains permission for the birders to access
the private property. Marilyn does the fund raising and assists with many other arrangements. This
count would not be near as special without the leadership of Marilyn, her volunteers, and members of
the Matagorda County Birding and Nature Center.
SPONSORS: Betty Clark, Matagorda County Birding & Nature Center, Texas Parks & Wildlife
Dept., Lower Colorado River Authority, The Nature Conservancy, South Texas Nuclear Project Operating
Co., Lyondell‐Basell, Oxea Chemicals, A & A Bar‐B‐Que, All Star Real Estate, Bay City Abstract & Title,
Conoco Phillips Sweeney Refinery, First State Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, South Texas Corrugated Pipe, LLC,
3S Cattle Co., 60 North RV Park, and Matagorda Concrete, LLC.
LANDOWNERS: Lower Colorado River Authority, George & Donna Harrison, PCS Phosphate,
Inc., Carl Anderson family, Charlie Brower’s family, Roy and Royce Poinsett, Sandy Welfel, Pitchfork
Ranch, Lyondell‐Basell, South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company, Julius Ledwig, Linda Joy Stovall,
R. Doughty, Bill Von Gonten, Mike and Bill Hanson, John Saha fish farm, The Nature Conservancy of
Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Al Denham, Grover Ryman, Brian Doss, Ray Culver, and
Becca Sitz.
BOAT OPERATORS: We appreciate the services and the boats provided by James & Ozzie
Arnold, Jerry West and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
NEXT YEAR
We completed our 23rd season and we still are Number One. We thank all of you who helped.
Come join us to check it out and bring a friend on Monday, 19 December 2016.
Sandhill Crane Photo by Jimmy Jackson
Brent Ortego
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
2805 N. Navarro, Suite 600B
Victoria, TX 77901
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