Cameron County run-arounds

Friends from the Holmes County Ohio area were supposed to arrive in Brownsville last night, and I'd arranged to meet them this morning and go birding for the day.  I was almost in Brownsville when they called and said their flight had been diverted to Laredo and they were coming in by van having had no sleep.  Seems it was too foggy to land in Brownsville, and the other airports were closed already.  Would have been nice if the mobile app for American had had that info instead of telling me the plane made it in OK...

So after they had a chance to shower and get some breakfast - seems the Comfort Suites would give them a refund when they called from Laredo - we went birding. 

We hit Sabal Palm, Old Port Isabel Road, the boat ramp on US 48, SPI Convention Center, and the south end of Buena Vista Rd.  Aplomados were distant on OPIR at the nest platform, but another bird was close and flying low over the highway at the south end of Buena Vista.  A single Cassin's Sparrow perched up for us on OPIR in the heat of the day.  One of the more memorable moments for me was when a pair of American Oystercatchers flew across Rte 48 and kept calling at high volume until they landed - about 50 feet away.  So many birds we take for granted, it was a pleasure to share them with such an appreciative audience. 

It was a great day talking Ohio birds and birding while looking at Texas birds.  Let's do it again tomorrow!  LOL - and we will.