A timberdoodle-dandy day in Port a
I headed out to Holt Paradise Pond with one clear goal in mind: hoping the American Woodcock that had been reported earlier in the week might still be around. Conditions felt promising—cool air, calm winds, and a heavy overcast that kept everything quiet and muted.
As I started down the first boardwalk from the parking lot, I heard movement in the brush and followed the sound just off the trail. That led me to the Wood Thrush that’s been lingering here, actively foraging and tossing leaf litter aside as it worked through the understory. It was cooperative enough to allow for a few photos, a nice start while I waited to see what else the morning might offer.
Not long after, another birder passed through and mentioned that his friend had eyes on the woodcock just around the corner. I didn’t hesitate. Tucked low beneath a willow tree, almost perfectly camouflaged in the leaf litter, sat the American Woodcock. It stayed still, relying on its invisibility, but I was able to get a few solid looks and photos. That moment alone made the trip—and even better, it turned out to be a lifer for me.
I continued through the rest of the boardwalk and found the birding to be fairly steady but uneventful after that. Ruby-crowned Kinglets moved through the trees, along with plenty of Yellow-rumped Warblers—butterbutts doing butterbutt things—and a couple of Orange-crowned Warblers mixed in. Nothing unexpected, just the usual winter rhythm.
On the back side where the boardwalk transitions to concrete near the picnic table, I picked up a couple of Lincoln’s Sparrows and even more Yellow-rumped Warblers working the area. One thing that stood out was what wasn’t there—no Pyrrhuloxia this time, which was a bit surprising after seeing several here just days earlier.
Even so, it’s hard to ask for much more. Connecting with both a Wood Thrush and an American Woodcock in the same morning—especially with the woodcock being a lifer—made this a memorable visit. One of those outings where everything you came for shows up, and the rest of the birds simply fill in the margins.
My first American Woodcock spotted at Holt Paradise Pond in Port Aransas after two other attempts.
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 5 |
| White-winged Dove | 3 |
| American Woodcock | 1 |
| Laughing Gull | 9 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 1 |
| Ladder-backed Woodpecker | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1 |
| Great Kiskadee | 1 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 2 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 1 |
| Wood Thrush | 1 |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | 3 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 5 |
| Great-tailed Grackle | 10 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | 3 |
| Common Yellowthroat | 2 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | 8 |
| Northern Cardinal | 1 |