I'd Rather B Birdin': AMERICAN KESTREL

Showing posts with label AMERICAN KESTREL. Show all posts

§ In Search of A Rare Bird...

Note to Christina in Sweden...I could not leave a comment on your blog...so, thanks for taking time to link in last week!...never found the rare bird tho! A reported Ruff was seen at South Pasture Boardwalk. This area is all revamped and finally open again to the public after repair work was done thru the help of FEMA fund after Hurricane Harvey nearly 5 years ago. Many people told me about seeing a Ruff in the salt flats, but I never saw it. Oh well.
I did see these tho while perusing the new trail and climbing the observation tower...

Top to Bottom [with habitat map links]
American Kestrel
Savannah [?] Sparrow
Little Blue Heron
Whooping Cranes [two photos]
Great Blue Heron
Reddish Egret [white morph]

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§ Chapman Ranch...

Bud and I went for a short drive through the ranch land of Chapman's Ranch the other day in hopes of seeing a few hawks. We only saw one. But other birds as well. And the hawk, I'm taking an uneducated guess as to the species. Not sure, so all you expert birders out there, can help ID?
The first one I show off is a Caracara. NOTICE the flesh colored nodule on its breast. This is: ...a distended crop showing that it has recently eaten.

CRESTED CARACARA
Habitat map: Caracara

A perfect showing of why these egrets are named. They DO follow cattle! Oftentimes I see them where cattle graze.

CATTLE EGRETS
Habitat map: Egret

The next image is poorly discolored. I am usually forced to stop the car and focus through the tinted windshield for these birds! For, they fly away as soon as the car is stopped, and I end up playing tag...losing of course. So, I slowed the car down and aimed through the window beFORE it flew off!

AMERICAN KESTREL
Habitat map: Kestrel

Also, bird watching for over a decade in Arizona, the following bird, the white winged dove, also reside year 'round there and in Texas...but my observation that I've never mentioned before is: The doves in Arizona have a completely different 'call' than those in Texas. In Texas they actually 'coo' as a dove would, but in Arizona they 'chortle'. And, we had dozens in our backyard. I can swear the calling is totally different than those in our backyard in Texas.

WHITE WINGED DOVE
Habitat map: Dove

Then the hawk...My guess is a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk?

RED TAILED HAWK [juvenile or dark morph?]
Habitat map: Hawk

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§ Park Walk...

With my last birding trek around the Park and River banks on a nice clear, balmy, morning, I saw most of the birds shared here at the Hawkwatch platform and drip system. The park is located about a 20 minute drive from Corpus Christi, in Calallen, Texas. Photos of the park grounds, seen HERE..

BROWN HEADED COWBIRD
Habitat map: Cowbird

AMERICAN KESTREL
Habitat map: Kestrel

WHITE TIPPED DOVE
Habitat map: Dove

NORTHERN CARDINAL [female]
Habitat map: Cardinal

GREEN JAY
Habitat map: Jay

LONG BILLED THRASHER [?]
Duller in color than Brown Thrasher
brighter white breast with black streaks
-also, curved beak while Brown Thrasher beak is straighter.
Habitat map: Thrasher

NORTHERN CARDINAL [male]
Habitat map: Cardinal

GREAT KISKADEE
Habitat map: Kiskadee

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§ Long Saught After...

It's been since Springtime just before Hurricane Harvey [3-4 years already?] that I've seen this one! I've been diligent each time I go where there would be a possible sighting, but to no avail. Until this week. We have had frosty days where I haven't gone out to do any walking or birding. And then, one day, thinking I'd go on a walk about on the islands, I took off only to have the engine light come on on the dashboard of my car. I wasn't about to get out in the 'boonies' and have no way of getting back home without roadside assistance. I turned around, dropped the car off at the mechanics and walked home. They did a computer analysis and called me some hours later, had it fixed, and the very next day I was out enjoying the sunny day and mild temperature. And, to top it off, I finally sighted in on the elusive bird. According to my guide books, they are commonly seen, but I can't agree to this. At least not in MY area of Texas. I was happy about seeing it tho! And here he is. He was busy preening, and I took several photos, showing one with his beautiful wings visible:

CINNAMON TEAL [male]
Habitat map: Teal

Other birds seen in the same area of Port Aransas on this day; some in photos below while others counted and recorded were Avocets, Green Winged Teals, Grackles, Mockingbirds, Blue Winged Teals, Ladder Backed Woodpecker, White and Brown Pelicans, Coots, Gulls, Cormorants, Gallinules, Egrets, Killdeer, Robins [continuing winter based this year], White winged Doves, Terns, and probably more that I can't recall just now...

AMERICAN KESTREL
Habitat map: Kestrel

OSPREY
Habitat map: Osprey

YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER [aka Myrtle]
Habitat map: Warbler

REDHEAD DUCK
Habitat map: Duck

TRI-COLORED HERON
Habitat map: Heron

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§ Birds With The Cold Front Moving In...

With three cold fronts moving into our area, it's been very chilly [downright cold for us Texans], windy, and not too pleasant to be outdoors doing much of anything. In fact a couple of days we woke up to frost on the ground!! I've been staying indoors mostly, wishing for no wind and the sun warming up the countryside. But, not to be had. While shopping, tho, I took back roads home, stopped here and there to step out in the cold and walk through some naked trees and at other stops, trees that are evergreen. Some areas protected with the warmth of the tree canopy, the grass remained green, while in open areas, the golden blades were dry and crunched under my steps. I walked a piece to find some birds and I got lucky. I did see some activity...near the car, and the car's heater within close proximity:

RED TAILED HAWK

Habitat map: Hawk

WHITE EYED VIREO

Habitat map: Vireo

CHIPPING SPARROW

Habitat map: Sparrow

AMERICAN KESTREL

Habitat map: Kestrel

COUCH'S KINGBIRD

Habitat map: Kingbird

BLACK CRESTED TITMOUSE

Habitat map: Titmouse

All too soon I will be complaining of the extreme heat. I know I should be enjoying this break of what lies ahead in just a few months, but I can't get myself motivated to be in the cold. Maybe by January 2021 it'll be better.

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§ From North Padre Island to Mustang Island

[Don't confuse NORTH Padre Island with South Padre Island which is about 200 miles southwest of us]

Once again, many birds were spotted. My first stop was off the 'beaten path', taking an exit ramp to a pier on Humble Channel. There, early in the morning, I spotted 100s of Readhead Ducks, Scaups, gulls, grackles, egrets, herons and a couple of Bufflehead ducks that dived below the water surface to not be found again. I then took off toward Port Aransas, spying five ospreys along the power lines before taking the turn off North Padre Island to Mustang Island. I made several stops along the park highway since so many birds were also perched on the power lines/poles. The usual 30 minute drive took nearly an hour. At Port Aransas, I spent most of my time photographing and watching the sea of white [massive numbers of pelicans and egrets] and a resident alligator, known as Boots! I got 'up close and personal' with him if you'd like to see what I saw through my lens, zooming in on him as he snoozed in the shallow water under the warm sun. Took several close up photos of him too, very reptilian detail I might add. LOL[kidding]

BLACK NECKED STILT
photo taken: Port Aransas
habitat map: Stilt
length 14-15 inches
wingspan 26 inches

GREAT EGRET
photos taken in series: Port Aransas
habitat map: Egret
length 37-41 inches
wingspan 56 inches

NORTHERN SHOVELER
photo taken: Humble Channel
habitat map: Shoveler
length 17-20 inches
wingspan 27-33 inches

SNOWY EGRET
photo taken: Port Aransas
habitat map: Egret
length 22-26 inches
wingspan 46 inches

GREATER YELLOWLEGS/Lesser [this has a long beak, so greater?]
photo taken: Port Aransas
habitat map: Yellowlegs
length [Greater] 14 inches
wingspan [Greater] 25 inches

LESSER SCAUP [this species has a rounded head, Greater Scaup is more flat]
photos taken: Humble Channel
habitat map: Scaup
length 16-18 inches
wingspan 24-32 inches

REDHEAD DUCK
photo taken: Humble Channel
habitat map: Redhead
length 19 inches
wingspan 32 inches

BELTED KINGFISHER
photo taken: Mustang Island
habitat map: Kingfisher
length 12-14 inches
wingspan 22-26 inches

AMERICAN KESTREL
photo taken: Mustang Island
habitat map: Kestrel
length 10 inches
wingspan 22 inches

PEREGRINE FALCON
photo taken: Mustang Island
habitat map: Falcon
length 16-20 inches
wingspan 40-48 inches

Lastly: I'd like to take this time to wish all who observe the holiday, a very MERRY CHRISTMAS from Bud and me. May your day be merry and bright.

Those that participated are:
Christina, Sweden
Shiju Sugunan
Birds seen in Europe and Africa
Linda, Virginia, USA
Rosyfinch Ramblings
It's All About Purple
Lea's Menagerie
David Gascoigne
Phil UK
Sallie (FullTime-Life)

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