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To give you an idea of how rich my birding experience has been since my arrival
at the beginning of March, here are the species that I have added to my life list since
that time - anhinga, olivaceous cormorant, black-necked stilt, mottled duck, Wilson's
plover, twhite ibis, fulvous tree .duck, marbled godwit, Hudsonian curlew, roseate spoonbill,red-throated loon,..yellow-crowned night heron, eared grebe, painted bunting, and
purple gallinule.
Mr. B.B.Watsoa, Tyler, Texas
(■"he following letter to Carrie Holcomb tells of the Watsons' visit on Bolivar
Penuinsula, East Bay, just past Gilchrist at Rollover) {9f£ /h^5° P . Sw
June 27, 1956 .... About the first thing I saw as we drove up to the cabin was
a beautiful male spoonbill almost directly over the house, so low you could have hit
it with a rock. Then, right directly in front of the house, across not more than 300-
400 yards of water was this rather small, bush covered island, just literally covered
with spoonbills, American and snowy egrets, Louisiana herons and some cormorants. A
few hundred yards beyond was another island where spoonbills, et al, were nesting (or
rather had nested and were feeding young), and then a third and fourth island. Two
ether bare islands were covered with skimmers, terns and gulls, and still another (that
had some vegetation) with skimmers, terns and seme Louisiana herons. Another somewhat
larger bare island was simply covered with brown pelicans.
Although the nearest island was close enough that young birds could be distinguished without binoculars, we got a friend to carry us over and visit each of the islands at
closer range. This man offered to put us ashore, but I would not permit it. I underf-
stand that people do frequently go ashore on these islands, taking pictures and just
plain sight-seeing (aad bird disturbing too) even before the eggs were hatched and while
the young were still in the nests.
It is a very beautiful sight to sit and watch these birds at any time of the day
but in the late afternoon when the sun is going down and shining on them from behind,
it is a really magnificent, never to be forgotten sight.
These islands were made some years ago by dredging operations while cutting the
Rollover fish pass from the Gulf to East Bay and a channel out into the bay and also
from dredging the Intercoastal Canal which passes quite close. It seems the spoonbills
have only been using these islands for the past three years, increasing in numbers each
year to several hundred from only 4 or 5 pairs.
Everything possible should be done to preserve a place where spoonbills can be observed at such close range from the shore without the trouble and expense ef hiring a
boat. Certainly, it is worth the time of anyone interested in spoonbills to go there
and see them. It is of course, all privately owned property, but I don't believe there
would be any great objection made to sight-see'ers along the shore in reasonable numbers.
Mrs. Edward R„ Wright, 1515 W. Broad St., Freeport, Texas
We set up bird feeder, bath and sugar-water feeder in our back yard Just outside
our kitehen window in June 1955. It has been very rewarding. All last summer and winter we've had the following birds: Cardinals, house sparrows, boat-tailed grackles,
starlings, mockingbirds aad robins, at their proper time. Following is partial list
ef birds seen in our yard and flying over in 1956: Feb. 23-25 - huge flocks of cedar
waxwings; March 10 - hooded warbler; April 8 - pine warblers; April 10 - Indigo buntings
(regular visitors until April 26; Apr. 15 -Kingbird, Tanager; Apr. 17-18-19 - Catbird,
redwings, yellow warblers; Apr. 20 - nighthawk; Apr. 22-23-24 - Baltimore srieles; Apr.
24 Yellow-billed cuckoos, summer tanagers, black and white warblers, ovenbird, Baltimore orioles, ruby-throated hummingbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks (a regular feeder of
sunflower seeds) Eastern kingbird; orange-crowned warbler, hooded warbler, scarlet
tanager (in tree all day); Apr. 27 - painted buntings; Apr. 29 - blue grosbeaks, phoebe,
purple martins; May 1 - Louisiana water-thrush, baby catbird; May 4 - Scissor-tailed
flycatcher; May 6- flock of chimney swifts.
Mrs. Carl Dodge. 5420 Pine Street, Bellaire, Texas
July 5-1 thought about the Ornithology Group while we were in Sequoia, Yosemite
and Grand Canyon National Parks and only wished that we had some of the experts from the
the group to help identify the birds we saw. However, tho park rangers were very helpful. While admiring the majestic redwoods in Sequoia National Park, about the fifth
ef June, we were enchanted with the friendliness of many ef the birds - Steller's Jays,
robins and bluebirds. A black-headed grosbeak, perched on the side ef a garbage can,
let us approach within two feet of him. A western tanager, whose colors were almost
unbelievable, accompanied us part way to Tokapah Falls. The brilliant crimson snow
plants were bright spots on that jaunt too. But the friendliest ef all was the practically tailess pygmy nuthatch who chattered softly in the conifer just above our heads
(we could have touched him) as he moved busily about searching for food while we were
waiting outside the cafeteria at Grand Canyon.
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