As with everyone in the USA, weather is a dominate story these days. We here in the Coastal Bend are gearing up for another 'deep freeze'. Deep for our neck of the woods anyway! It's predicted to be in the high 20s {F} for lows and barely reaching the 50s for daytime highs -50s which is a normal "LOW" temp]. Just hope that all that is promised by the state of Texas electric grids, we won't have the many days of no power and the death toll climbing!!! So...
Wednesday morning, tho still overcast, I drove to Calallen Texas [about 30 minutes from home] to see what bird life was at Bazemore Park along the river. Outside the park parameter, thru a light fog, a hawk was perched on a power pole-not sure of the id. When I entered the road to get beyond the park's gate, I saw two white tailed deer and one javelina eating along the grassy knoll, I had no time to turn on my camera so I grabbed my cellphone and got a few photos before they realized I had stopped the car and became a 'threat' to them and they scurried off into the woods. Down the hill I drove and around the circle drive to the river. There, I saw many many vultures in the trees along the river bank and in the picnic areas. Turning toward the two ponds, I then saw a snowy egret and several ducks at the larger of the two watering holes. I parked the car and got out to climb down the embankment arriving at the observation deck on the pond's shore. I watched a green kingfisher for a long time, feeding. Then, off to the hawkwatch platform, climbing up another hilly area to see what lay in store for me there. I heard a Carolina Wren...spotted it in the tree, and then a Great Kiskadee. That was the whole birding excursion for me that morning....
GREEN KINGFISHER
Habitat map: Kingfisher
CAROLINA WREN
Habitat map: Wren
HAWK [I am not sure of the id RED TAILED juvenile?]
Habitat map: Hawk
GREAT KISKADEE
[as you can see the hidden yellow crest on its head]
Habitat map: Kiskadee
TURKEY VULTURE
Habitat map: Vulture
SNOWY EGRET
Habitat map: Egret
Linking closed on Wednesday afternoon this week. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteWe have been having temp's in the 20's for a while now. We are lucky to see temp's in the 40's for the high. Love the Green Kingfisher and the Kiskadee. The Egret is pretty. I can almost hear the Wren singing. Great collection of birds. Thanks for hosting. Have a great weekend.
We had a couple of low temps and then it got warm again! We saw a Hawk yesterday on the Gulf that I haven't been able to ID...I get stuck quite often! lol Love the Kiskadee, what pretty colors. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for the fun party!
ReplyDeleteThe Kiskadee is gorgeous, as is the Egret. It looks like th kingfisher has just come out of the water! You CLIMBED DOWN A BANK?! Holy cow!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots Anni! Sorry to hear about the weather you have on the way. The weather has been crazy everywhere. Stay safe and warm!
ReplyDeletethat hawk is precious! and the vultures so ugly they made me SMILE.. we have the same weather pattern you do. we went from 4 days of 33 to 60's for 3 days and now droping again. been dreary all day, florida sun hiding in the clouds yet no rain which we need. see saw marjorie draw, up and down and all around. waiting to see the javelinas
ReplyDeleteWe had cold weather earlier this week (and snow) but it's back to above freezing today and supposed to hit the 50's again by midweek, it's all up and down here but it's typical for us. Hope it doesn't get too cold for you, and of course, that your power stays on so you can stay safe and warm! Love the photo of the wren caught in song.
ReplyDeleteThe weather in many countries has been cold and snowy.
ReplyDeleteNot too bad in my part of the UK today, I enjoyed a local walk earlier.
I always enjoy seeing your collection of birds, many thanks for the photographs.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
All the best Jan
Beautiful collection! I particularly like the Vulture and the kiskadee.
ReplyDeleteLove the Bluebirds-- I just had the first one at my feeder in our new home in Connecticut. The hawk may be an immature Red-Shouldered hawk. I say this because the base of the primaries are much lighter than their tips. This creates a whitish band just inside the wingtips when the wings are extended.. Nice productive trip. We escaped the worst of the storm as it passed to our north and hit Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. It was our third storm since Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThe sun came out today but the wind blew cold so when I went out to feed the birds, I came back inside in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteHi Anni. I hope by now that your icy cold weather didn't materialise. Its not great trying to work a camera and bins with cold fingers and feet although i do find that birds do sit around more when its cold. trying to save their energy i guess. like the turkey vultures perhaps?
ReplyDeleteenjoyed your pictures and narrative today. stay warm.
Awwwww... that sweet little Carolina Wren. I just love her!! I read that someone just turned in an injured turkey vulture to our local county wildlife center. She has a broken leg and something wrong with one of her wings... but she's being doctored & is getting the best of care. ~Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeletePS~ Keep warm, Anni. I've been hearing about the cold in your state. UGH!
DeleteOh, Anni, these are winderful.captures!
ReplyDeleteDear Annie,
ReplyDeleteI hope that with the temperatures and the electricity everything went smoothly in the end!
You have taken beautiful bird photos again. The GREAT KISKADEE is a particularly pretty bird!
I also have some birds for you today - a little sparrow, two ducks and a gray heron that I met in Florence...
All the best,
Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/02/italien-reisebericht-ein-tag-in-florenz.html
That Turkey vulture is a great shot! I've never seen one of those before!!
ReplyDelete