Blucher Park is a tiny oasis of green in downtown Corpus Christi. As we had a free day, for a change we went birding. Battling against the wind on the seafront, it was good to turn inland for a couple of blocks and reach this pocket-sized patch of heaven. Not much to look at, a tiny stream, some scrub, a few tall Liveoaks, and some grass. But given its position just off the Gulf Coast and the only green for miles, it is a haven for exhausted migrants.
We spent three hours in this tiny area enjoying wonderful birding. Just stand still and the birds come past. A Louisiana Waterthrush fed right next to a confusingly-similar Northern Waterthrush but with these close-up views we could study every detail of plumage and separate them. Above, a gorgeous male Blackburnian Warbler complete with fiery orange throat fed just feet away. Common Yellowthroats flitted through the tall grass. A female Eastern Towhee hopped into view, a local rarity.
No sooner had she dropped from view, than she was replaced by a stunning male Magnolia Warbler. So it went on, just wonderful birding. We met other birders who kindly showed us a female Black-chinned Hummingbird sitting on her tiny delicate nest. Nearby the male sat out and showed off. In the stream, a colourful Green Heron stood motionless waiting for a fish to pass. A Brown Thrasher pounced into a patch of grass and came up with what at first we thought was a worm, but a closer look revealed it to be the still-twitching tail of a lizard.
Walking back to the hotel along the seafront, produced Least, Sandwich and Royal Terns, Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Willet, Sanderling and Least Sandpiper. No wonder that Corpus Christi has been voted the birdiest city in the US.