Author: Steve

  Taking shape    

  We’re not very good with sparrows.  Usually we can identify the most common sparrow wherever we are, but get confused by anything else.  Lost Maples was different though.  The most common sparrow there was Chipping Sparrow.  Other sparrows we identified were:  clay colored, field, vesper, lark, grasshopper, Lincoln, and song.  Eight sparrows.  That’s a very good sparrow count for us.   Paradise Pond tonight: #497, worm eating warbler.   Sand Fest is back.    

  We’ve moved beyond the pain.  We’re still packing and ripping.  It just doesn’t hurt to rip the gauze out any more.  We’re taking that as a good sign.  The tissue has regrown to the level of the skin around it.  The hole has shrunk to a diameter smaller than a dime.  Good progress.    

  Full migration mode.  A field of indigo buntings; forty at least.  Painted buntings.  Eastern and western kingbirds.  White eyed, warbling, and red eyed vireos.  Swainson’s thrush and brown thrasher.  Northern parula.  Tennessee, hooded, blue winged, and cerulean warblers.  American redstarts.  Summer tanager, scarlet tanager.  Rose breasted grosbeak.  Orchard and Baltimore orioles.  Common Yellowthroat.  And Dickcissels.   Three lifers.  #494, dickcissel.  #495, blue winged warbler.  #496, cerulean warbler.   In the picture, all those blue dots on the grass are indigo buntings.  There is a painted bunting red dot in the middle, but you can’t see much of him.    

  But when it’s this busy, I really need to have a telephone and there is no cellphone service at Lost Maples.  Travel day.  We’re back at the beach.  Gulf Waters.  Port Aransas.