I'd Rather B Birdin': Eastern PHOEBE

Showing posts with label Eastern PHOEBE. Show all posts

§ Look Up...It's a Plane...It's Superman...No, It's a Bird!!!

Have you ever heard of Warbler Neck? No, not possessive as in Warbler's...it's not the neck of the warbler...but, it's from using your binoculars, or just looking up in the trees for a long period of time during your outing...looking for birds. It happens to all of us at one time or another. Especially during the migration season, and the birds are flocking into the woods, and you're almost forced to .... LOOK UP! During the course of the year, all seasons, it's hard NOT to look up in search for birds flitting from branch to branch, tree to tree. To me, Warbler Neck is a badge of honor!!!

I'm reminded of an article I read online several years ago. It goes like this:

“There it is in that green tree. It’s at 5 o’clock. Now it’s at 9 o’clock. Now it’s about 9 minutes to 5.”

And, if you take this sport [or hobby; obsession] seriously, you can understand that statement above. With all too clear of truth to it!! Especially with WARBLERS. Oh how they love to flit around; always on the move. This week I thought I'd do a theme of birds captured, where else? In the trees of course!!!

NORTHERN CARDINAL
photo taken: Calallen Texas Hawkwatch Platform
habitat map: Cardinal

CRESTED CARACARA
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Caracara

BALTIMORE ORIOLE
photo taken: Packery Channel Park
habitat map: Oriole

ANHINGA
photo taken: Carribean Drive Ponds
habitat map: Anhinga

COOPERS HAWK
photo taken: Rose Hill Cemetery
habitat map: Hawk

LEAST FLYCATCHER
photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Flycatcher

EASTERN PHOEBE
photo taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Phoebe

GREEN KINGFISHER
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Kingfisher

SCISSORTAILED FLYCATCHER
photo taken: County Road 70
habitat map: Flycatcher

GOLDEN FRONTED WOODPECKER
photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Woodpecker

_ _ _ _

And last but not least....of course, a Warbler! I'm not sure my ID is correct, but with the yellow breast, white belly, dark wing and wing bars...the clear sight of its yellow eye ring, Id guess it's a:

PINE WARBLER
photo taken: Leonabelle Refuge
habitat map: Warbler

correct me if I'm wrong with identification with the warbler above.

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§ Two NEW Birds for Me...

A couple of new birds for me this week! At least I think so...a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker since this bird has the long white wingbar, and an American Pipit. The American Pipit is nearly identical to the Sprague's Pipit that also is in this habitat range, but I'm thinking since these have a buffy back instead of striped it makes them American instead of Sprague's. If I'm incorrect in id's, by all means, point it out to me.

The weather recently has been, for the most part, fairly good. Mild temperatures and occasional SUNNY sky!!! At least the rainy days haven't been as often. Not continual, day in and day out, but still too much for my taste. 'Bout time if you ask me and the bird population.

New for me: AMERICAN PIPIT
photos taken: Hazel Bazemore Park
habitat map: Pipit

New to me: YELLOW BELLIED SAPSUCKER
photos taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Sapsucker

BROWN THRASHER
photos taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Thrasher

EASTERN PHOEBE
photo taken: Botanical Gardens
habitat map: Phoebe

OSPREY
photo taken: Sunset Lakes
habitat map: Osprey

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON [immature in front]
photo taken: Leonabelle Refuge
habitat map: Heron

SANDHILL CRANES [there had to be 100+ in the field]< photos taken: Flour Bluff - Caribbean Drive habitat map: Crane

I am happy to report progress on repairing damaged areas of Leonabelle's Refuge in Port Aransas! I was on Mustang Island and checked the area; to see more work being done.

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§ Dam Pelicans!!!

I drove to a small farming community along interstate 69/state highway 77 from Corpus Christi to Refugio [pronounced rah FEAR ee oh] Texas several days ago after I've heard so much about the hurricane damage to the little town. The website I frequent that lists recent birds seen in my area, the park in this town hasn't been mentioned in a couple of months, so I had to see for myself what damage was done...the park was closed!! I ventured inside the grounds to get a first hand look. I shared several photos of the before and after the storm HERE. Anyway, I walked for about an hour [climbed over fallen trees and debris I should say; to be more accurate]. The whole time I was there, only THREE birds were seen. I took photos of TWO. The third was, not surprisingly, a VULTURE perched on a cellphone tower at a distance...

EASTERN PHOEBE
photo taken: Lions Shelly Park
habitat map: Phoebe

AMERICAN KESTREL
photos taken: Lions Shelly Park
habitat map: Kestrel

No bird activity; not a good place to walk. Without putting myself in more danger than I had already, I boarded my vehicle and left to drive the 50 miles back home. When I reached the junction to interstate highway 37 that takes me south to Corpus Christi, I pulled off at a riverside park to check and see if there was any wildlife in that area. Along the Nueces [pronounced new ACES] river banks I spotted several brown pelicans at the spillway dam. This is where the fresh water from the river meets the salt water of the Gulf of Mexico's back wash. An ideal place to find salt water fish on one side and fresh water fish on the other side of the spillway....an ideal place for the fishermen of the feathered kind. While photographing the pelicans along the dam, I spied an osprey flying overhead....

,,,it eventually perched on a tree branch.

OSPREY
photos taken: Labonte Park
habitat map: Osprey

BROWN PELICAN
photos taken: Labonte Park
habitat map: Pelican

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§ Kingfisher Point

At Refugio Texas there is a small park just as you drive into the town from Corpus Christi. I was there on a very rainy morning - when I arrived I had the park all to myself. But, the early hour I left home it was just before daybreak...but as I headed north on the interstate, the sky turned an ominous black...threatening rain. Well, it RAINED!! So heavily I couldn't see the front of my car. Should I stop and go back home? Or, should I drive through this mess and see what lies ahead? I kept going. The storm mass was huge [tornadoes in Houston and heavy, heavy rains in Corpus...I was in the middle of it all]. You can read about the adventure here if you'd like 'AFTER THE STORM'. It finally turned out okay, the highways started to dry up and the trip was once again 'safe'.

Of course since it rained so much before I arrived, there wasn't much bird activity. I saw Chipping Sparrows, Cardinals, Kinglets, one Wilson's Warbler, a few blackbirds [both male and female]. And ONE LARGE Diamond Back Watersnake [photos are on my personal blog link I just shared above if you care to see that creepy snake!!] But, not the one bird I was hoping to see...the Barred Owl. [of all the owls, the Barred Owl is my favorite].

At one area off the beaten path that meanders along the Mission River, there is a bird blind fencing that by standing nearby you can see down the run-off gully where the kingfisher resides. In fact the lookout is called Green Kingfisher Point. Before leaving for the day I watched one for quite a while...

GREEN KINGFISHER
photos taken: Lion's Shelly Park - Refugio, Texas
habitat map: Kingfisher

Other birds seen that day at the park:

NORTHERN CARDINALS - CHIPPING SPARROW
habitat map: Cardinals - Sparrow

EASTERN PHOEBE - GOLDEN FRONTED WOODPECKER
habitat map: Phoebe - Woodpecker

REDWINGED BLACKBIRDS [females] - WILSON'S WARBLER
habitat map: Blackbird - Warbler

RUBY CROWNED KINGLET [female]
habitat map: Kinglet

Now, share your birding experiences:

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§ Look Up...It's a Plane...It's Superman...No, It's a Bird!!!

§ Two NEW Birds for Me...

§ Dam Pelicans!!!

§ Kingfisher Point

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