It was a fresh autumn morning at Quinta Mazatlan – cool in the shade but still hot in the sun . On these sorts of mornings I can’t wait to get out and see what birds are in the park. Well, admittedly, I feel that way most mornings, but there is something about the turn of the season that spurs a new excitement at what could be seen next in the park – we’re always hoping to add more species to our current 250+ species list.
We’re not sure how this Javelina got to the park, but it sure seems happy here!
The first thing I saw after putting out seed and suet at our amphitheater feeding station was one of the park’s local javelinas! We think there are two that roam the park. Javelinas (or Collared Peccary), according to Texas Parks and Wildlife, have an undeserved reputation for being aggressive, when oftentimes they hang around humans longer than other wildlife simply because they can’t see as well! However, one should never approach or try to feed a javelina, because they can get accustomed to humans and can become problematic. All the visitors who got to see this javelina were quite excited – another (big) example of wildlife in Quinta Mazatlan!
Two of Quinta Mazatlan’s Green Jays – notice the band on the Green Jay on the right!
One of the bird walk participants wanted to get photographs of a Green Jay, and our local birds decided to oblige! In some parts of the Green Jays large tropical range, they are known to cooperatively breed (having additional helpers-at-the-nest along with the parents), but in South Texas do not. They do, however, maintain family groups most times of year that defend their territory. Green Jays at Santa Ana National Wildlife refuge were known to have a territory size of about 37 acres, so it seems likely that we have a single family group here at Quinta Mazatlan (15 acres).
We got plenty of views at our flock of Clay-colored Thrushes. The one in this photo is showing the typical pale streaking on the throat.
Notice the yellow pollen on this Buff-bellied Hummingbirds head. This bird is ready to do some pollinating!
There are quite a few hummingbirds in the park, with migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and resident Buff-bellied Hummingbirds being the most common. The hummingbird in the photo above is most likely a female, distinguished by the dark upper bill and the central tail feathers being mostly green-bronze. The Buff-bellied Hummingbirds in Quinta Mazatlan are predominantly nectaring on Turk’s Cap and Tropical Sage (or of course from our hummingbird feeders), but I have seen them nectaring on aloe flowers and Coral Bean flowers as well. They don’t only drink nectar however, and frequently are seen hover-gleaning and flycatching for small arthropods.
Bird list below:
Plain Chachalaca 12 These birds were definitely agitated by the javelina
Killdeer 2
Inca Dove 4
White-winged Dove 17
Chimney Swift 7
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker 7
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2
Vermilion Flycatcher 1
Great Kiskadee 7
Couch’s Kingbird 1
Green Jay 3
Black-crested Titmouse 1
Bewick’s Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Clay-colored Thrush 11
Curve-billed Thrasher 3
Long-billed Thrasher 1
Northern Mockingbird 11
European Starling 4
Yellow Warbler 3
Wilson’s Warbler 3
Olive Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Great-tailed Grackle 14
Lesser Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 15
Have a great weekend!
John Brush
Quinta Mazatlan Blog 