FOWL Play

My birding excursions this summer are few and far between. Mainly it's short walks along the coast if I'm lucky enough to be out before the heat index gets into the dangerous zone. And to top it off, we here along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico have another weather phenomenon to deal with...the sand from the Sahara Desert is blowing into and along the shores, making breathing a bit difficult at times, AND the haze early in the morning hours brings such a dusty atmosphere, photography is questionable.. Mostly, I'm checking for birds as I drive inside the car instead of going out in the heat and haze. To begin my post today, I thought I'd start off with the "beginning" of a day at the beach; Whitecap Beach on North Padre Island. Just after sunrise, as I walked on the shoreline, this is what I saw:

LAUGHING SEAGULLS
photo taken: beach
habitat map: Gull



BROWN PELICANS
photo taken: beach
habitat map: Pelican

Another morning, early, it was a mild and very windy day.  So windy in fact, no shrimp boats were out, and there was a lone ship patrolling the waters...a Coast Guard vessel.  I was armed with only my cellphone that day; didn't bring along my Nikon! So, the following two photos are not all that good. The bay water was washing up on the wall where it's usually walk-able; dry. I saw this bird trying to find some breakfast...

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
photo taken: Seawall, downtown Corpus Christi
habitat map: Oystercatcher

After the distance of the seawall, I walked into the "Cultural Center of Downtown"...where the museums and entertainment centers are. Behind the Science and History Museum, the oak trees are plentiful. In the dawn hours, a lone bird was perched on a sawed off tree limb...

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE
photo taken: Behind Science Museum, downtown Corpus Christi
habitat map: Shrike

Along a dirt road, along the Chapman Ranch borders, perched up on the power line was a hawk...


WHITE TAILED HAWK
photo taken: Chapman Ranch [county road]
habitat map: Hawk


...and just yards from the hawk, another bird perched. As soon as I slowed the car down to get a better photo, it flew off and vanished along the plowed cotton fields.


AMERICAN KESTREL
photo taken: Chapman Ranch [county road]
habitat map: Kestrel

I'm 'bout ready to move to Stika Alaska where it's much cooler.  [kidding].  One thing good coming from this Saharan Sand Storm blowing across the sea into the Gulf.  It's drying up the moisture IN the atmosphere, to also dry up any hurricane turbulence.   

And, yes.  Long ago, I painted the brown pelican I'm using at my blog header.  I titled it Afternoon Repose.  Circa 2010.  It is much more clear and detailed in real time....I had to optimize the jpg in order for pixel size to be lower for loading time.

For use of graphic link in your post, copy text in lavender text area below
and paste into your blog post:

<a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSGykwuxLDOwQrESJgGvZEYYSjnrWmY_rGW2MegmddZNS5V5c0EXWlqbu3s4mtxehEUPnfRUQhoGhFuoIvgFk4goVKTaQBRZg5Ij2GX98-xSsPuvVkUZTMSkxmRRwaAI5EBo3OMjDdEU/s1600/IRBBlogo.png" width="120" height="120" /></a> or use text linking only copy text in lavender text area below and paste into your blog post:
<a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" />Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'</a>