It has been breezy here all week, but the last 2 days the wind has just been unrelenting, blowing from 20-30 mph. The quest for Clay-colored Robins just sort of fizzled out when I began looking - just as unsuccessfully - for Green Kingfishers. I did discover another park, Anzalduas County Park (site LTC 068 on the Lower Texas Coastal Birding Trail) which, as it turns out, is very close to where I have been staying. Some of the local birders have said the reason I am not seeing the robins or kingfishers is because they are beginning to nest and will be somewhat scarce for a few weeks. It appears that is what the Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are doing also; this male is just outside a newly excavated hole in a dead tree next to one of the park roads. I shot it while sitting in my truck (a bonus because this park is where I think I must have found the chiggers which have my ankles all torn up and feeling like they are on fire). I even located a pair of Black Phoebes that are building a nest in the rafters of a pavilion in the park.

In addition to this week's quiz bird I also got to shoot another new bird in a meadow near the Rio Grande - Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. The plan this morning is to go back out for some more before resuming the trek westward later. Yesterday there were about 8 of the flycatchers plus a couple of Couch's Kingbirds feeding in the same general area. It could be interesting if the wind lays down some and maybe even see a little sunshine (which would be another change).