While walking along the Park Road between the river and the Hawkwatch Platform and field, I spotted dozens of Barn Swallows perched on the power lines....this is only between two poles...each section of power line poles had as many...hundreds if not a thousand!!!
BARN SWALLOWS
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Swallow
Sadly, so many think that Starlings are a nuisance, I don't! They have gorgeous plumage, they have a beautiful song, and they ARE part of our environment, so I enjoy them as much as any other bird!!!
EUROPEAN STARLING * * [see note below]
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Starling
These Doves are quite scarce in my neck of the woods, so when I see one, I'm thrilled.
WHITE TIPPED DOVE
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Dove
One of the first Autumn warbler migrants to stop over in the South Texas Coastal Bend. There were a couple of them taking advantage of the drip system just below the hawkwatch platform, in the shade of the mesquite trees. While one was on the edge of the dripping water, the other was in the tree.
BLACK and WHITE WARBLER
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Warbler
When I saw this heron along the boat jetty at Packery Channel, I immediately thought of Charlie Chaplin's stance while dressed in his striped pants and black jacket doing his hobo comedy routine. If you are too young to know who Charlie Chaplin is...click here Even thinking of Mr. Chaplin and being brave enough to actually admit of remembering him in my youth, it DOES age me!! Think Silent Movies!!! Don't ask me why, 'cause I don't know why....then, when I was uploading it to this post, I had second thoughts...perhaps General MacArthur or Patton readying to make a speech before their battalion?
GREAT BLUE HERON
photo taken: Packery Channel
habitat map: Heron
Tho this cattle egret is in breeding plumage...and late September, I'm guessing the species may have two breeding seasons in a year's time? Do they?
CATTLE EGRET
photo taken: Caribbean Drive Ponds
habitat map: Egret
This too...there were two Spoonbills...and in a way, the activity [in September] resembled a courtship ritual?
ROSEATE SPOONBILL
photo taken: Caribbean Drive Ponds
habitat map: Spoonbill
As I pulled off the road, onto the shoulder to get a photo of the hawk, it stopped searching the ground cover and watched ME watching it!!
WHITE TAILED HAWK
photo taken: Mustang Island Highway
habitat map: Hawk
* * Note: 
I recently read a non-fiction book entitled Mozart's Starling! It was excellent. For any bird lover, or one interested just a tad bit of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [his trained starling, Star, and how the bird became a pet of Wolfgang's by mimicking one of his 'secret', yet unpublished, works at the pet store!! To the author training a starling,and studying her bird from taking it from a nest before it fledged --named Carmen]...also, her obsession to learn more about Star and Mozart's connection, she travels to his country and follows through with an incredible adventure of learning, education, and understanding not only his gift of music, but starlings and surmising that perhaps some of his music composition could be a result of the starling's song repertoire!! I highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in the subjects of talking birds [starlings are highly adept in human speech or their habits], Mozart, and birds in general....think: Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 17 in G
I recently read a non-fiction book entitled Mozart's Starling! It was excellent. For any bird lover, or one interested just a tad bit of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [his trained starling, Star, and how the bird became a pet of Wolfgang's by mimicking one of his 'secret', yet unpublished, works at the pet store!! To the author training a starling,and studying her bird from taking it from a nest before it fledged --named Carmen]...also, her obsession to learn more about Star and Mozart's connection, she travels to his country and follows through with an incredible adventure of learning, education, and understanding not only his gift of music, but starlings and surmising that perhaps some of his music composition could be a result of the starling's song repertoire!! I highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in the subjects of talking birds [starlings are highly adept in human speech or their habits], Mozart, and birds in general....think: Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 17 in G...another review
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Hi Anni, love the capture of the Swallows on the wire. The Spoonbill and the Cattle Egret are a couple of my favorites. Great series of photos. Thanks for hosting, enjoy your day and weekend.
ReplyDeleteAnni, you're so right about the Charlie Chaplin look alike!!!...LOL!!!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteI would love to read that book. I'll see if my library has it! And your photos are wonderful...love that hawk. I think I got my ID wrong today so I've asked Mary to come over and let me know what she thinks. I hope you will too. Thanks! Hugs Diane
ReplyDeleteI need to get this book!! You got an excellent picture of this Starling! Do the ground doves really have purple legs? I remember Charlie Chaplin, and have seen at least one of his movies. I find that wet Blue Herons look so different from when they are dry!! Gorgeous Spoonbill photo, really one to save.
ReplyDeleteGround doves have a rosy red leg color.
DeleteHello Anni,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful series of birds shows you.
You are right the starling is a beautiful bird, especially when the sun shines on him.
Great as many swallows with each other.
I also love the purple heron and the cow-egret.
Best regards Irma
From all those Swallows I'm guessing that they will have all gone by now. Ours all went back to Africa about three weeks ago. I agree with you about the Straling. I love hearing their autumn warbling mimicry. And it was interesting hearing of that book, especially for me as a fan of both Mozart and Starlings. I can understand where the author is coming from. Thanks for letting me join in today Anni. A bit late but last night were were babysitting.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned Mozart in your intro I immediately jumped to the conclusion that those swallows were arranged in a musical staff and that they represented notes in one of Mozart's compositions. That would really have been something! Love the up-tight heron and the beautiful hawk. Your Ground Dove does not appear to be the native species as it is overall more compact with shorter tail, is brown with rufous wing tips and its neck feathers have a scaly or scalloped appearance. Also its short and slightly decurved bill is orange-red tipped with black and its legs are not red. Maybe the product of unnatural selection by a pigeon breeder (or maybe a rare exotic blown in by the hurricane!). Interesting!
ReplyDeleteWhite tipped dove...thanks for pointing that out.
DeleteAnni, love the bird you see. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletecool clicks
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful bird photos (again!). I admit to not being a big fan of starlings though I did start to appreciate them a bit more after watching a bird documentary (can't recall the name of it just that David Tennant narrated) a few years ago. The book sounds intriguing, adding it to my "want to read" list. Hope you've had a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Beautiful Black and White Warbler! As for the Great Blue Heron, definitely Charlie Chaplin!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Lovely feathered friends. Thanks for visiting my blog!
ReplyDeleteThat’s so interesting about starlings, which I have to admit isn’t my favorite bird, but I might need to rethink. The book sounds fascinating. They used to eat a whole cake of suet in one fell swoop when we fed birds ...I had to quit putting it out.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a dove like this one, only the collared ones. and wow on the barn swallows, took me back to the movie the Birds... love the orange on the cattle egret
ReplyDeleteWhat fabulous shots!
ReplyDelete