Pearl Harbor Day Outing...

It seems everywhere I want to go these days, to check for any bird life, there is road construction. I sat during my breakfast one morning to figure out where I could go with the least amount of detouring or, delays in traffic flow. Sunset Lakes? No! Bridge work.  But, hopefully I can venture there on a Sunday when no work is being done on the 'day of rest'.   The islands? No.  More bridge work on the causeway here! Downtown to parks? Nope, road construction. Drive 50+ miles to Refugio Texas to the awesome park there? Ummmm, the Nueces River section of interstate is torn apart and getting a facelift! Oso Bay Wetlands? Ya, it's possible. There are two ways of getting there from home...both "under construction". In fact, in our own neighborhood, there is repaving residential streets! I guess I could go to Bazemore Park in Calallen Texas. Yes, a new highway is being built, but that has been going on for 3 years now, I know where to detour and get around it for the most part. Calallen Texas it is!!

Once I arrived around 6:45 or so in the morning, I drove the parkway around the circle drive, looking for early deer that normally feed on the grasses. I saw four. Two does and two yearlings. No bucks that day. It was fun to sit and watch the young ones at play. At the ponds, the larger pond was filled with widgeons, blue winged teals, and a few egrets on the banks. The smaller pond, several mergansers. One belted kingfisher.

Here are my photo shares for the day...

HOODED MERGANSER
Habitat map: Merganser


AMERICAN WIGEON
Habitat map: Wigeon



SNOWY EGRETS
Habitat map: Egret

As I climbed down the embankment, among the willow trees, I reached the nearly dilapidated deck to wait for the kingfisher. She stopped and perched on the tree "knees" that jut out of the water's surface. I snapped some photos and left. Returning on the roadway, walking, she flew out of one willow tree and landed on the deck I had just left!!

BELTED KINGFISHER
Habitat map: Kingfisher


SAVANNAH SPARROW[?]
Habitat map: Sparrow

I then climbed up the Hawkwatch Tower. No bird activity there, but birdsong...grackles, mockingbirds, and in the distance, a cardinal. I scanned the horizon to see if I could relocate the deer. Way off I found two in my viewfinder. Then, I saw something as I moved my camera side to side using the zoom as my scope....could this be just a fence post? Or a bird? I kept watching for more deer. Then, going back the direction I saw the post, it was gone. Nope, couldn't be a fence post afterall. But, even with the zoom lens it was way too far away...I snapped my shutter button anyway, before it left for a better environment...

I never saw it in flight, but I will guess it's a red tailed hawk!

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