I stopped by Chapeño today at the old El Rio RV Park. There are absolutely no signs left to indicate when you reach the site (well described in bird finding guides), but the huge metal two or three story building as you go down the Chapeño road is hard to miss.
They weren't feeding much, but the view of the river is better than ever. This would be a great spot to watch for Muscovy and Red-billed Pigeon. They were just starting to feed the birds, so there weren't many coming in yet.
The walk to the river through the bridge or new road is easier than the old rutted road, and the river access is narrower since the property below is no longer open. However, you can walk right to the rivers edge and there is a three-story tower you can climb if you're brave.
In just a couple minutes I had close views of Green Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, and a flock of warblers.
There's a fee for the site, but no reason not to go. The view here is much better than at the boat ramp. Bewick's Wrens and Ringed Kingfisher were vocal too.
So what exactly does a post-sunset Tiger-Heron look like? Well, it looks like a thick American Bittern with very broad Black Vulture-like primarys with lots of fingering. Not sure these pics help, but here they are. Two nights running it's been seen flying into roost after dark. For the GOOD pics, check the next blog post.
