Along the trail, a male Bronzed Cowbird was busy trying to attract the female who was feeding in the grass alongside the edge of the path. She really wasn't impressed at the moment! But he was definitely persistent.
BRONZED COWBIRD
photos taken: Oso Bay Wetlands - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Cowbird
Walking along the boardwalk at the Salt Flats of Charlie's Pasture North, I was being reprimanded and partially attacked along the way...by a Willet. There was a second one in the muddy marshland nearby, but another persistent bird - it continued to call threats and diving flyovers over my head as I snapped some photos of the action. Once I was out of range, the two settled down and became still. Only thing is, once I ended my trail walking, I had to turn around and go back the way I came!!
WILLET
photos taken: Charlie's Pasture North - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Willet
A Scissortailed Flycatcher zoomed down near me as I entered the gate to the wetlands. It flew too quickly out of camera range for me to get any photo. I walked my total step count and then, just as I was nearing the car afterward, I noticed another flycatcher flying above me once again. Was it the same one? I followed its flight with my eyes only to see if it would perch somewhere nearby. It did! It landed on the power line just ahead of me. I focused on it and got a few pictures. Another, second one, flew in! Landed close by the first one. They chatted a bit. The 2nd one took off just a short distance from the first...into the power line connections at the power pole! Aha. A NEST!
How exciting! One of the prettiest of flycatchers and I may be able to see some chicks! Well, after the two left in search of more food, I walked around the pole with my head to the sky in hopes of getting a glimpse of some nest activity. Not much, and the two adults quickly returned. I left in order to not disturb them. But, I kept them in mind for a couple of more days and hoped to return to see any progress...
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A couple days later, Bud and I decided to go back and see if there were any visible chicks. When we parked there was nothing. No activity at all. We walked the area and arrived at the observation tower on the bay shore. The sea breeze was blowing in on us, the only birds on ground were two Black Necked Stilts. They too have a nest, and the previous visit the female was sitting on it. But on this 2nd trip back, the nest seemed abandoned and we figured hawks or coyotes [some predator] got the eggs?!!
We returned to the flycatcher nest and watched from a distance with our binoculars. I saw one over-sized head pop up from the nest's edge when one adult [the female] came in with an insect in her beak. I took more pictures! After several minutes watching and photographing the rituals, we left. As I was taking the photos off the camera card at home, I see there were THREE chicks!! [one photo I used arrows to point them out]
SCISSORTAIL FLYCATCHER
photos taken Oso Bay Wetlands - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Flycatcher
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As for the Black Necked Stilt's nesting, on the 2nd time visiting, it looked empty. Two, the male and female were in the area close by the second day there, but they both left shortly after we arrived to not return...
BLACK NECKED STILT
photos taken: Oso Bay Wetlands - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Stilt
Lost and Found:
Black Necked Stilt Egg [from a different area]:
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