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Guide Jesse Fagan and several participants riding the combine. The mechanical harvest of rice is the key to our success in spotting the elusive Yellow Rail. (Photo by participant Ann Haverstock)
Just a great few days in coastal Louisiana, and what a fun group. The birds and weather cooperated: we had a powerful cold front pass the afternoon before the tour started, which meant cooler temperatures but blue skies for the entire tour. Unfortunately, the heavy rains associated with the front also meant most of the rice fields were saturated with water, not usually good for Yellow Rails. Luck was in our favor, however, as not only did we stomp out a Yellow Rail or two, but we saw literally hundreds of Soras, Virginia Rails, and a couple of King Rails. We will not forget our time on the combine and all that darn good cajun food (granted, I was happy to get some Italian and Thai in me towards the end).
The bird of the trip was indeed the Yellow Rail, nearly a unanimous group vote, but other favorites included the large flock of southbound Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, our cooperative Barred Owl in the Kisatchie, as well as nice looks at Red-cockaded Woodpecker, a federally endangered bird that we located in an oak tree! A couple of people liked the vagrant Brown Boobies, a new bird for Dan in Louisiana.
Dan and I want to thank Steve and Donna for their work with the Yellow Rail festival and helping out with our combine rides -- they did a great job. And Dan and I really enjoyed having you along and hope to see you again real soon.
Good birding to all,
Jesse aka Motmot (from Lima, Peru)
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)
Wading birds abound in coastal Louisiana. Participant Rick Woodruff shared this pleasing image of a Great Egret in flight.
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK (Dendrocygna autumnalis) GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (Anser albifrons)
SNOW GOOSE (Chen caerulescens)
ROSS'S GOOSE (Chen rossii)
WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa)
GADWALL (Anas strepera)
AMERICAN WIGEON (Anas americana)
MOTTLED DUCK (GULF COAST) (Anas fulvigula maculosa)
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Anas discors)
NORTHERN SHOVELER (Anas clypeata)
NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta)
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (AMERICAN) (Anas crecca carolinensis)
Podicipedidae (Grebes)
PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps)
Sulidae (Boobies and Gannets)
BROWN BOOBY (Sula leucogaster)
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Anhingidae (Anhingas)
Anhinga is a species with a very large range in the Neotropics but it just sneaks into the southern United States. (Photo by guide Jesse Fagan)
ANHINGA (Anhinga anhinga) Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
BROWN PELICAN (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
AMERICAN BITTERN (Botaurus lentiginosus)
GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)
GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba)
SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula)
LITTLE BLUE HERON (Egretta caerulea)
TRICOLORED HERON (Egretta tricolor)
REDDISH EGRET (Egretta rufescens)
CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis)
GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens)
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
WHITE IBIS (Eudocimus albus)
GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)
WHITE-FACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi)
ROSEATE SPOONBILL (Platalea ajaja)
Cathartidae (New World Vultures)
East Jetty in Cameron is loaded with waterbirds for much of the year. Roseate Spoonbills and American Avocets were just a few of the standouts we studied. (Photo by guide Jesse Fagan)
BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus) TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)
Pandionidae (Osprey)
OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus)
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus cyaneus)
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Accipiter striatus)
COOPER'S HAWK (Accipiter cooperii)
BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK (Buteo lineatus)
RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
YELLOW RAIL (Coturnicops noveboracensis)
CLAPPER RAIL (Rallus longirostris)
KING RAIL (Rallus elegans)
VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)
SORA (Porzana carolina)
PURPLE GALLINULE (Porphyrio martinicus)
COMMON GALLINULE (Gallinula galeata)
AMERICAN COOT (Fulica americana)
Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
Participant Rick Woodruff caught this Clapper Rail fluttering across the channel.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola) SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus)
PIPING PLOVER (Charadrius melodus)
KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus)
Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)
BLACK-NECKED STILT (Himantopus mexicanus)
AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana)
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca)
WILLET (Tringa semipalmata)
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes)
MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa)
RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres)
SANDERLING (Calidris alba)
WESTERN SANDPIPER (Calidris mauri)
LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla)
DUNLIN (Calidris alpina)
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus)
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
Participant Ann Haverstock joined our fearless leaders, Dan Lane (middle) and Jesse Fagan, in soaking in the spectacle at the rail round-up. (Photo by participant Rick Woodruff)
LAUGHING GULL (Leucophaeus atricilla) FRANKLIN'S GULL (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)
HERRING GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus fuscus)
GULL-BILLED TERN (Gelochelidon nilotica)
CASPIAN TERN (Hydroprogne caspia)
FORSTER'S TERN (Sterna forsteri)
ROYAL TERN (Thalasseus maximus)
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia)
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto)
WHITE-WINGED DOVE (Zenaida asiatica)
MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)
INCA DOVE (Columbina inca)
Strigidae (Owls)
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL (Megascops asio) [*]
GREAT HORNED OWL (Bubo virginianus)
BARRED OWL (Strix varia)
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
We had great success with Barred Owl in Kisatchie National Forest. (Photo by guide Jesse Fagan)
BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon) Picidae (Woodpeckers)
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes carolinus)
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)
DOWNY WOODPECKER (Picoides pubescens)
HAIRY WOODPECKER (Picoides villosus)
RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER (Picoides borealis)
NORTHERN FLICKER (YELLOW-SHAFTED) (Colaptes auratus auratus)
PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
CRESTED CARACARA (Caracara cheriway)
AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)
MERLIN (Falco columbarius)
Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus virens)
EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe)
VERMILION FLYCATCHER (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER (Tyrannus forficatus)
Laniidae (Shrikes)
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovicianus)
Vireonidae (Vireos)
We caught up to an endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker in an oak tree of all places. (Photo by participant Tony Quezon)
WHITE-EYED VIREO (Vireo griseus) Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata)
AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
FISH CROW (Corvus ossifragus)
Hirundinidae (Swallows)
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor)
BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)
Paridae (Chickadees and Tits)
CAROLINA CHICKADEE (Poecile carolinensis)
TUFTED TITMOUSE (Baeolophus bicolor) [*]
Sittidae (Nuthatches)
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH (Sitta pusilla)
Troglodytidae (Wrens)
HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)
SEDGE WREN (Cistothorus platensis)
MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)
CAROLINA WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers)
Don't you miss all that rich cajun cookin'? Here's a plate of crawfish etouffe, corn maque chaux, and a side of pork and rice dressing to make your mouth water. (Photo by guide Dan Lane)
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila caerulea) Regulidae (Kinglets)
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa)
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus calendula)
Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis)
HERMIT THRUSH (Catharus guttatus)
Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)
GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos)
BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufum)
Sturnidae (Starlings)
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris)
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
AMERICAN PIPIT (Anthus rubescens) [*]
SPRAGUE'S PIPIT (Anthus spragueii)
Parulidae (New World Warblers)
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (Oreothlypis celata)
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)
PINE WARBLER (Setophaga pinus)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (MYRTLE) (Setophaga coronata coronata)
WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)
Emberizidae (Buntings and New World Sparrows)
We were definitely in gator country! (Photo by guide Jesse Fagan)
BACHMAN'S SPARROW (Peucaea aestivalis) CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)
SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)
SEASIDE SPARROW (Ammodramus maritimus)
SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)
SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)
BLUE GROSBEAK (Passerina caerulea) [*]
Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)
EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella magna)
COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)
BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus major)
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus mexicanus)
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus)
SWAMP RABBIT (Sylvilagus aquaticus)
EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL (Sciurus carolinensis)
FOX SQUIRREL (Sciurus niger)
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (Tursiops truncatus)
WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus)
Totals for the tour: 147 bird taxa and 5 mammal taxa