Eight days ago visiting birders found the third US record of Gray-collared Becard at Resaca de La Palma State Park near Brownsville.� I rushed over and got to see it for about a tenth of a second.� Then I...
Eight days ago visiting birders found the third US record of Gray-collared Becard at Resaca de La Palma State Park near Brownsville.� I rushed over and got to see it for about a tenth of a second.� Then I made the run up to the Panhandle to see the Pine Grosbeak.� Upon returing I once again drove over to Resaca de la Palma and spent seven hours seeing neither the Gray-collared Becard nor the Roadside Hawk.� I did get good looks at the Rose-throated Becard.� Yesterday I mowed.� We get to do that in December in the Rio Grande Valley.
This morning I got up dark and early to try again.� I knew the place would be loaded as the two previous records were single birder observations.� So everyone needs Gray-collared Becard for their life list.� But lately the big crowds have had good luck so I made the 30 mile drive once again.� I started at the overlook at the end of the Ebony Trail were early morning birders had been rewarded with great looks at the Roadside Hawk.� A small group was waiting when I arrived.� After a few minutes we got the word that the Gray-collared Becard was showing in the parking lot.� I ran most of the quarter mile and...... missed the bird.� But the several dozen birders were persistent and the unobrtrusive but not really shy bird was refound and we all got pretty good looks and this ABA mega.� Gray-collared Becard is a species I've never seen in Mexico so it was a real lifer for me.
