A Transient of Texas

Hawks, Falcons and other birds of prey often migrate south for the winter months and return to the northern, cooler areas during the summer. Between late August and early November, migratory season is quite heavy in population in South Texas. While Bud and I were out on another birding trek along the coastal highway on Mustang Island, we stopped at our 'favorite' areas around Port Aransas, Texas, just about a 20-30 minute drive from home. Each month, if not several times a month, or so it seems, we try to hit all these spots in hopes of seeing a few 'different' species of bird. This week, our 'trip' took us to Paradise Pond, Leonabelle Nature Preserve, and then stopping last at the newly opened extension of another preserve that will eventually connect to the first phase of a birding trail along the Corpus Christi Ship Channel beginning at Port Aransas/Aransas Pass, Texas. As we walked into the heavily wooded area of Paradise Pond, we were greeted with a pair of "scavengers"... Huge Texas-sized Turkey Vultures atop the power poles along the outskirts of the birding observation decks and pond. For me, they were showing a bit of unusually seen behavior. At least for me. 99% of the time I only see them either soaring high above, circling the spot below where they'll find carrion, or if not skyward, they're seen along the roadside, consuming road kill. But this day, only two sighted, and displaying behavior I've never seen before...

TURKEY VULTURES

photo taken: Paradise Pond, Port Aransas Texas

Note: in a previous post on my personal  blog, I posted another vulture found along side the road near the JFK Causeway between Corpus Christi and Padre Island, it too was a turkey vulture, but a juvenile one [link]; still without the pink/red coloring on the head and neck.

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As we were observing these two, one flew down from the power pole into the grassy area of the pond....which alerted us to some other bird activity just a few feet away. Bud had the binoculars, I had the camera and readied to photograph whatever it was. As Bud directed me where to point and shoot....we both were eying a beautiful hawk. Alone, and obviously finishing up its meal for the day. The hawk's identity was then recorded in my books when we reached home as I uploaded the pictures I had taken....

...at first, from where we stood, it was quite camouflaged in the bush and trees:

...so in hopes of getting a better angle or a more open shot of the bird, I stepped off the observation deck and walked the boardwalk along the outskirts of the pond area to a different spot. Getting a better picture was to my advantage now, tho it [the hawk] was watching me closely. I feared by the time I got my camera focused, it would have flown off and I wouldn't get a better view of it in all its glory. Luck held out. I snapped this next photo, and no sooner had I done that, it took exit and not to be seen again---

BROAD-WINGED HAWK

photo taken: Paradise Pond, Port Aransas, Texas

Habitat Range in the Americas: Broad-winged Hawks have a wide range in North America and South America, from southern Canada to southern Brazil. Their breeding range is in the northern and eastern parts of North America and some, not all, migrate in the winter to Florida, Texas, southern Mexico and northern South America.

As we were leaving after about 45 minutes of observing and searching out other spots around the wooded areas of the pond, we started to head back to the car and move on to the 2nd area down the road about 1/2 mile away. As we were walking out from the boardwalk walks, I happened to spot another very small bird near a natural spring that feeds the pond. And I WILL share that photo along with others...but, NEXT WEEK as to keep the post a bit shorter in loading time for you visitors.