Through the month of February, there have been mostly common, year 'round residents seen. Some Winter ducks that go further south are entering our area on their way north. Altho, farther south in Texas, along the coast the Spring Migrants are beginning to show themselves again! While we wait for them to travel to our area, I'll share some seen this past month. February wasn't much of a good month for birding...cold, gray and damp most days. I'm ready for Spring and the influx of colorful birds...
COOPER'S HAWK
photo taken: Bazemoore Park - Calallen, Texas
habitat map: Cooper's Hawk
NORTHERN CARDINALS
photo taken: Bazemoore Park - Calallen, Texas
habitat map: Northern Cardinal
GREAT KISKADEE
photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Great Kiskadee
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
photo taken: Padre Island National Seashore - Padre Island, Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Eastern Meadowlark
TRIVIA: The explorer Meriwether Lewis was the first to point out the subtle differences between the birds that would eventually be known as the Eastern and Western Meadowlarks!!
NORTHERN PINTAIL
photo taken: Port Aransas Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Northern Pintail
LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER
photos taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Ladder-backed Woodpecker
COUCH'S KINGBIRD (aka Tropical Kingbird)
photo taken: Rose Hill Cemetery - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Couch's Kingbird
Now, share your birding experiences:
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| COOPER'S HAWK |
COOPER'S HAWK
photo taken: Bazemoore Park - Calallen, Texas
habitat map: Cooper's Hawk
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| PAPA & MAMA NORTHERN CARDINAL |
NORTHERN CARDINALS
photo taken: Bazemoore Park - Calallen, Texas
habitat map: Northern Cardinal
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| GREAT KISKADEE with A MOUTH FULL OF INSECT |
GREAT KISKADEE
photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Great Kiskadee
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| EASTERN MEADOWLARK Serenading Us! |
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
photo taken: Padre Island National Seashore - Padre Island, Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Eastern Meadowlark
TRIVIA: The explorer Meriwether Lewis was the first to point out the subtle differences between the birds that would eventually be known as the Eastern and Western Meadowlarks!!
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| NORTHERN PINTAIL |
NORTHERN PINTAIL
photo taken: Port Aransas Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Northern Pintail
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| LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER (male) |
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| LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER (female) |
LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER
photos taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Ladder-backed Woodpecker
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| COUCH'S KINGBIRD |
COUCH'S KINGBIRD (aka Tropical Kingbird)
photo taken: Rose Hill Cemetery - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Couch's Kingbird
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A beautiful serie, well done!
ReplyDeletethe ladderbacks are very cool. kiskadee, too!
ReplyDeleteYour birds are beautiful ! My favorite are the cardinals !
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, as always !!
Have a happy weekend :)
Hello Anni, wonderful variety of birds.. I agree I am ready for the spring birds to start arriving and some warmer weather would be nice too.. I love the Kiskadee and the pretty Meadowlark! The Couch's Kingbird is a gorgeous bird too. Great photos! Thanks for hosting! Have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeletePS, thank you for linking up and sharing your post with my critter party.. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteAll very fun to see! That Couch's Kingbird is new to me...and so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for this post! The birds are just splendid, and most I have never actually seen! Some of my favorites...the cardinal pair, they really stand out with grey background! They are living decorations amid the leafless trees. the Kiskadee enjoying it's catch, you have captured a great moment.The Meadowlark doing what he does best, SINGING!! And the wonderful puffed up Kingbird, WOW, he is strikingly yellow and gorgeous. Your talent is very evident among all these pictures.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images, didn't you do them special.
ReplyDeleteLovely colourful birds. I love the woodpeckers. Enjoy your weekend, Anni!
ReplyDeleteWOW! I haven't been to anyone's blog in about a week, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your new look. The banner across the top is so attractive. Wonderful photos you shared here. I especially like seeing Cardinals.
ReplyDeleteThats a great collection of birds - I'd get excited about even one of them!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Love the Meadowlark singing its heart out.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great series of bird photos Anni, love every one of them. We all seem to be looking forward to the spring now :) Thanks for hosting, I linked up with bird photos from my archives.
ReplyDeleteBrrr, it's really been cold and I not a fan of it. That's why it's hard for me to go birding at this time. Great collection here though, Anni. Love the kiskadee with its food and the northern pintail.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images.My favourite is the handsome Northern Pintail.
ReplyDeleteYou've captured some pretty special pictures here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this delightful meme.
All your images are gorgeous. I like the woodpecker with scary open bill displaying its cutting edge abilities!
ReplyDeleteGreat bird pics! We don't see the king bird here but he looks kingly indeed.
ReplyDeleteHello Anni!:) This is a wonderful series of bird pictures.The Couch's Kingbird, Eastern Meadow Lark and the Great Kiskadee, have such beautiful bight yellow plumage, it already looks like spring has arrived!:) I never get to see the more colourful birds you are waiting for, let alone these beauties, and the gorgeous Cardinals and Woodpeckers. Just gorgeous!:)
ReplyDeleteWOW! What wonderful selection of birds in this post. I especially love the Woodpeckers and Pintail. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThat first para sounds like you wrote it over here Anni. February can be very predictable here too but we just keep going don't we?
ReplyDeleteOf course your actual birds are mostly different to ours although we do share the Pintail.
It's wonderful to see you Ladder-backed Woodpecker. the male is especially striking. I'd love to see your Meadowlark - so much more colurful Skylark which lives in our meadows.
Have a great birding week ahead.
Beautiful photos to brighten up a rather dull month bird-wise here in my south Florida neighborhood. Coincidentally, I was late visiting because I spent all day Saturday birding to the north in a Stormwater Treatment Area (STA-5) in Hendry County where we saw a Tropical Kingbird. Though it is difficult to tell from your photo, your bird's bill looks quite massive and appears to look more like a Tropical Kingbird rather than a Couch's. If you have more shots you might try to compare it with the more common Couch's Kingbird. The exact relationship between the two species is not entirely clear. From Cornell's BNA: "Very similar to Couch’s Kingbird, from which it is best distinguished by voice; ranges of the 2 species overlap in e. Mexico and extreme s. Texas... Despite its abundance, the Tropical Kingbird has been the focus of little detailed study. Its systematics, both within the species and with Couch’s Kingbird, have been difficult to untangle (Traylor 1979a). Its general behavior and breeding biology were described by Skutch (1954, 1960). Its behavior, especially displays and vocalizations, was compared to that of other Tyrannus species by Smith (1966). Many other aspects of its biology have received only cursory attention. Despite this dearth of basic information, this species would be an ideal one in which to examine geographic variation or how sympatric congeners coexist."
ReplyDeleteWoW...what an awesome, colorful collection of birds!! the kiskadee is a beautiful bird, i have never seen that anywhere or on other blogs!! that was a treat!!!
ReplyDeleteAnni, the proliferation of color is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWe get the Pintail, but would really like to see some of those other great birds you have posted.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice variety of birds despite the poor birdwatching conditions. I especially loved the Eastern Meadowlark and the Couch's Kingbird (am I following a theme of sunshine yellow here?) I have been sick for almost two weeks, but finally got out and about yesterday....it was too windy, though in spite of the sunshine, and I managed to exacerbate my "cold." I didn't do any bird watching though....was out for other reasons. Hope to get some in soon.
ReplyDeleteOh I meant to tell you, yes, Twin Peaks isn't terribly far from the Ostrich Farm...the farm is sort've between Twin Peaks and Picacho Peak. Have never been there. Twin Peaks exit is the way you go to Coachline Lake (thanks to Chris Rhorer's directions)
ReplyDeleteAs always, just spectacular photos, Anni! Such variety and such brilliant colours! The Meadowlark and the stunning Ladder-Backed Woodpecker are just a few that I've never had the privilege of seeing in the wild. Many many thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYour stunning photography is such joy to see. Helps so in learning the birding hobby.
ReplyDeleteSuch great colors--you're so lucky to live where there is so much diversity!
ReplyDeleteseveral gorgeous birds. I especially like the Pintail and Meadowlark. :)
ReplyDeleteNext week I will not be posting. I´m going to Norway :)
Great variety of birds. I just love the meadowlark!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I LOVE the new blog design!! Perfect for spring. Second, I know it's wrong, but I am so envious of your shots of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Meadowlark, and Couch's Kingbird. I want to go birding with you!!!!! :) Thanks for hosting the meme and have a wonderful week. :)
ReplyDeleteWow! Your bird photos are fabulous. I love all of these photos. You do magnificent photography. These shots are just perfect for spring.
ReplyDelete