Confessions

In Corpus Christi right now, after a semi-eventful day. Today will forever be known as, "The Day of Many F***-Ups":

1. Today at dawn was our last chance to hear a Yellow Rail without driving hundreds of miles out of our way. Last night, I set the alarm for 5AM, but left it in the front of the trailer. Unfortunately, at 5AM, the alarm went off but the volume was turned down, so we didn't hear it. At 7AM, we woke, but alas, it was too late. Adios, Rail Amarillo.

2. Turns out, several of the birds that had been seen recently near us were in Anahuac NWR. Unfortunately, last night, I didn't research this sufficiently, so we decided to go to Smith Oaks instead after missing the Yellow Rail. Didn't see anything interesting. Tonight, 250 miles south, we realized that not only were birds we needed being seen in Anahuac, but they aren't being seen anywhere else in Texas right now. So, an additional trip to Texas may be in our future this Fall...

3. In Smith Oaks, we saw a bird but didn't think too hard about it, since we thought it was a regularly-seen Red-Eyed Vireo. It sounded a little different, and looked a little different, but that didn't register with us. Later, looking at the bird ID book, we're 90% sure it was the not-so-regularly-seen Philadelphia Vireo, which had been reported in the area. If we don't see it again in the next few days, then we only have one more chance in our current itinerary, which would be September. Dammit!

So close, yet so far...

Regretfully,
Me