No Joy in Mudville

Saw my first Chimney Swifts of the season flying over downtown Beaumont today. Not only have the swifts returned, but suddenly there seem to be crows everywhere. I see them wherever I go, and yesterday I even had a few Fish Crows where I work.

After work today I went to Sabine Pass to look for the Fork-tailed Flycatcher, which was reported to still be present this morning. High winds were blowing ahead of an approaching storm and I stayed until the rain started and the light failed without ever finding the bird. From the reports I read it was in scruffy condition anyway, with tail feathers short and tattered, which is my sour grapes way of rationalizing that I'm not as disappointed to miss it as I am.

While I was looking for the flycatcher I met Jana Whittle, the one who originally found the bird. She mentioned that some fortunate birders had also seen Henslow's Sparrow near the end of the road. That gave me the opportunity to miss two potential lifers in a single trip. Despite my bad luck I did manage to add a few more birds to my year list - Cattle Egret, Clapper Rail, and Seaside Sparrow. The marshes were chock full of Clapper Rails, and I even saw a couple venture onto the roadway. My year list (sans FTFL) is now at 146 species.