Charlie's Pasture North...

Some here in our world of birding are going to be participating in Christmas Bird Count. If you are scheduled to take part in the count on certain days allotted, I wish you the best of luck, and hoping your tally is a great number!!!  I've taken this time to have a pre-scheduled post to go out on Saturday...since I won't be back online, blogging, until after Christmas. 

Now, on with the photo shares of mine this week. On the islands in the Gulf of Mexico nearby, the mudflats of the northern Charlie's Pasture Reserve, Bud and I walked the entire distance. A three/four mile round trip trek above the flats on a winding, twisting, boardwalk. Guess what, it was another wintry day, with a light mist falling on us at times. The walk begins at the hiking pavilion. There, there is a small pond. We scanned the pond and in amongst the dozens of redhead ducks, I think I spotted a Canvasback Duck. They are reported to mingle with redheads. I zoomed in on it and took a very blurred photo. We began walking on the gravel pathway to get around to the locale where the ducks were, but once we got closer, the ducks flew off and left to the far distance to not return for some time. I only have these two photos for records. And to be honest, I'm not entirely positive it WAS a Canvasback. I got no other markings, eye color or anything once they 'flew the coop'! If it is, I'm pleased to have seen one in all the years we've taken up birding as a hobby. If it IS a Canvasback Duck, it's the lightest [almost white] of the redheads in this paddling [group].

CANVASBACK DUCK [?]

photos taken: Charlie's Pature Preserve - Port Aransas, Texas [Mustang Island]

habitat map: Canvasback Duck

For the last several years both the Charlie's Pasture Reserves [North and South] have been dried up because of the long lasting drought we've all experienced in Texas. But, recently, the mudflats are slowly filling up and returning to normal. As is the bird population!!! At the beginning of the expanse of the long boardwalk, in the shallow waters, we saw, plovers, both lesser and greater yellowlegs, sandpipers, willets and a couple of killdeer. A white tailed hawk was perched on a large pole in the far distance across the pasture land.

Egrets and herons flew over and several flocks of ducks blackened the sky at times.

Then, about midway on our morning trek, the water was nearly nil, but the earth was moving!! We got our binoculars up and sighted some horned larks. They were scurrying around all too swiftly to get real good photos, but I attempted to do my best since about the same time I tried to get pictures a jogger ran by the area and off they flew again...

HORNED LARK
photos taken:  Charlie's Pasture North - Port Arnasas, Texas
habitat map:  Horned Lark

...at the end of the trail there are two observation decks. One raised the other ground level. We climbed the raised deck and viewed the entire circumference of the mudflats. At the time, we saw only white pelicans at a short distance from us. But as we turned to leave and walk back, I took a photo of where we had been...

...read more on the North Charlie's Pasture Reserve

encompasses 1,217 acres

TO ALL WHO VISIT  HERE THIS WEEK...have a great  holiday season!!

card source

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