I'd Rather B Birdin': GREEN Kingfisher

Showing posts with label GREEN Kingfisher. Show all posts

§ Watching the -fisher

Altho I've been out birding in other areas this week a few times, I wanted to share the past post extended version of the several minutes I stood and watched the green kingfisher while it was busy catching food. Even tho I took dozens of photos, I will share just a few. And even tho most look to be black/white, keep in mind they're not...color they are; just a very drab, dark, day out at the pond! Next week, I hope to be back on more diverse subjects...

GREEN KINGFISHER
Habitat map: Kingfisher

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§ A Morning at the Park...

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

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Linking closed on Wednesday afternoon this week. Sorry for the inconvenience.

§ Calallen Texas

Early one morning I left for the park* in Calallen, Texas. And, to my surprise, I kinda think I hit "pay dirt" with a variety of birds [and mosquitoes as big as birds it seems]. Hawks, flycatchers, starlings, mockingbirds, shrikes, herons, ducks, cardinals, sparrows, caracaras, kiskadees, hummingbirds, and one I haven't seen in quite a long time...a solitare kingfisher! I also spotted an elusive rail, but at another park [Port A] Those listed are just the ones I can recall seeing. There were more species. I'll share just a few of the photos of along the park road:

CLAPPER RAIL
Habitat map: Rail

GREEN KINGFISHER
Habitat map: Kingfisher

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Habitat map: Hummingbird

VERMILION FLYCATCHER
Habitat map: Flycatcher

RED SHOULDERED HAWK
Habitat map: Hawk

LITTLE GREEN HERON
Habitat map: Heron

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* Bazemore Park - Calallen, Texas

§ 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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§ Five More...

...favorites

RUBY - THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Hummingbird

GREEN KINGFISHER
photo taken: Lions-Shelly Park
habitat map: Kingfisher

SPOTTED SANDPIPER [BREEDING plumage]
photo taken: Packery Channel Park
habitat map: Sandpiper

CRESTED CARACARA
photo taken: Labonte Park
habitat map: Caracara

GREAT TAILED GRACKLE
photo taken: Hans Suter Wildlife Refuge
habitat map: Grackle

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