I'd Rather B Birdin': Least BITTERN

Showing posts with label Least BITTERN. Show all posts

§ The Change of Seasons...

When I first started birding, I tried to learn the different species and know the difference of male and female...then, when I thought I'd be able to recognize a certain bird from a distance, the 'change' happened. Along with the change of seasons in weather, so too the plumage!! I had to start all over and learn more. Some sites and guide books refer to breeding/non-breeding colors while others will remark that the change is summer/winter colors. Here are examples.

LEAST BITTERN

large photo: non breeding colors [winter] could be female or male or immature [inset - summer or breeding colors] Explained HERE

photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge

habitat map: Bittern

SPOTTED SANDPIPER

large photo: summer breeding colors [inset non-breeding colors could be female or male winter colors] Explained HERE

photos taken: Packery Channel and Oso Bay

habitat map: Sandpiper

BLACK BELLIED PLOVER

large photo: partial summer or breeding colors [inset - non-breeding colors - winter] Either could be male or female since both sexes are nearly identical! Explained HERE

photos taken: Oso Bay and Indian Point Park

habitat map: Plover

ROSEATE SPOONBILL

large photo: summer breeding colors [inset - non breeding colors or female/immature]

photos taken: Charlie's Pasture and Hans Suter Park

habitat map: Spoonbill

In South Texas, the Spoonbill has some of the highest amount of plumage change during seasons. It could go from pale pink to a rich deep pink with red patches on wings and yellow on the back of the neck and chest, to deep red and bright orange tail feathers. Their bald, plain head in the winter goes from a sage colored green flesh to gray/yellow and black. Their legs change from a pale pink/black to all very dark pink/red. A remarkable difference.

BROWN PELICAN

large photo: breeding colors [inset - non breeding colors could be male, immature or female] - Explained HERE

photos taken: Port A Ship Channel and Sunset Lakes

habitat map: Pelican

Note a large group of Brown Pelicans is called a squadron!!

LITTLE GREEN HERON

large photo: non-breeding colors [inset - breeding colors]

Through the years of birding experiences, the rich color change in plumage and leg color from yellow to deep orange-red would indicate breeding color change, tho there is no distinction remarks on the Cornell website.

photos taken: both Pollywog Ponds

habitat map: Heron

TRI-COLORED HERON

large photo: non breeding colors [inset - breeding colors] The plain colors become much more vivid...the greenish yellow legs turn pink, the yellow beak turns blue and the dull purple/plum feathers will become much brighter during the breeding season...again, no distinction remarks on the Cornell website.

photos taken: Indian Point Park and Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge

habitat map: Heron

WILLET
large photo: breeding colors [inset - non breeding colors] Explained HERE
photos taken: Hans Suter Park and Packery Channel
habitat map: Willet

WHITE IBIS
large photo: breeding colors [inset - non breeding colors] Explained HERE
photos taken: NAS at Ocean Drive and Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Ibis

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§ Duck, Duck, Bittern

This species of bird is very elusive when I'm birding. They're usually hidden [shy almost] in the tall reeds and far off. Once in a while one will surprise me and be flying above; all too quickly for me to focus on it before it's out of range!!

A couple of weeks ago, tho, I spotted one flying INTO the reed grasses, and I followed it with my eye in hopes it'd come into view for me to get photos of it. The place? Port Aransas. This is the only place I've ever seen them. When it came into focusing view, I realized that this one may well have breeding plumage! At least I've never seen one so brightly colored. Their coloration is usually quite duller in appearance. What do you think?...

LEAST BITTERN
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Bittern

Then in another area of the town, I spotted a couple of dozen [give or take a few] babies!!

BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS [ducklings]
photos taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Duck

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§ A Day in Port A

While out birding, one pond has dried up completely from lack of any measurable rainfall. But...happily I report the small park also has a drip system, and there is where the birds congregated for their water intake. Those birds were mostly permanent residents of South Texas but, as I was standing there in the area, watching those partake in foraging and drinking, a 'new' bird came in. It gave me an opportunity to get a photo of it before it disappeared in the dense tree growth...

From what I've read about this species, it's so closely related to the Bicknell's Thrush they were once considered the same bird. But, after much research and banding, this species is different in a few tell-tale markings AND their songs differ. Also, the Bicknell's Thrush keeps themselves mostly to the Atlantic shores in the USA, while the thrush I sighted in on has a migration path from parts of Northern South America to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska [going through the eastern 2/3s of Texas]. They normally remain quite 'hidden' in the brush while searching for food and berries that they are considered 'uncommon'. By bird population standards they're of least concern...

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH
photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Thrush
In comparison, the very similar Bicknell's LIMITED North American habitat map

Another Thrush I spotted at the watering hole was a Swainson's Thrush. These are identified by the size, the spots and the complete eye ring plus the eyebrow, giving them a 'bespectacled' feature. They are a common migrant throughout the USA. Also note that at first I thought it could be a Louisiana Waterthrush...but the coloration and the complete eyebrow beyond the eye ring to the back of the head, and the action of bobbing the body as it walked, was lacking.

SWAINSON'S THRUSH
photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Thrush

Another to stop by while I was there was a beautiful bird...

CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLER
photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Warbler

All in all, this area proved to be a good stopping ground for the few minutes I was there. Also seen were doves, grackles, tanagers, woodpeckers, grosbeaks, other warblers, buntings and even a great blue heron looking lost and as if wondering where the water in the pond went!! Other birders told me they saw an ovenbird, but I never found it before I left for another 'hotspot'.

- - -

This next stop, early in the morning hours, was quite busy. I watched and waited for an opportune time [warblers are quite a challenge to get a decent photo of them since they're in continual motion!] ---

AMERICAN REDSTART
photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Redstart

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Blackburnian

BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER
photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Warbler

---Even the Least Bittern was active in the hunt!

LEAST BITTERN
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Bittern

THEN!! I spotted this in the dried reed grasses near the boardwalk...

COMMON GALLINULE & family [estimated count 7 chicks]
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Gallinule

Also, as I previously posted on my personal blog last week, here is a short 56 second video of the family:
I recorded this with my phone:

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§ The Salt Flats & Port "A"

You've often read that Bud and I traverse the trail at Charlie's Pasture North on Mustang Island just outside the fishing village called Port Aransas. There IS a Charlie's Pasture South on the other side of town, but it's been closed to the public off and on the past year because of highway construction. I've been told eventually this area to the south will connect to the north pasture, making it about a 4-5 mile biking/hiking/birding trail. Eventually in dry seasons, the salt flats are nothing but desolate drylands. By the name, it is FLAT for as far as you can see. During the rainy seasons, the area can be filled with water pools and very lively with waterfowl. Recently, this is what we see...

The trail is mixed with boardwalks when water is on both sides or through the grassland the trail is gravel. Bird life, along with other wildlife like snakes, skunks, deer, rabbits, and raccoons can be seen. Oftentimes, when we're walking along, in the muddied flats we've seen tell-tale signs [footprints] of bobcats. The birdlife goes with the weather patterns; from grassland/prairie species to waterfowl. Near the beginning of our walk a week or so back, we spotted this beauty:

...and just as I began to zoom in even closer, it flew off!!

AMERICAN KESTREL
photos taken: Charlie's Pasture North
habitat map: American Kestrel

Besides abundance of sandpipers, egrets, herons, pelicans, stilts, ibis, osprey, frigatebirds, larks, sparrows, mockingbirds, hawks, shrikes, spoonbills, dowitchers, curlews, dunlins and knots...to name a few, many different species of plovers can be spotted. Such as this:

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
photo taken: Charlie's Pasture North
habitat map: Semipalmated Plover

In this area of the Coastal Bend of Texas there are five other 'hot spots'...the beach and jetty of course, the community park, the Marine Institute [there is also a rehabilitation facility here], Paradise Pond, and Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Sanctuary. Lately the Sanctuary is by far the 2nd best area for birding. With the Sanctuary, there is an open tree-lined walkway for birds such as migrating hummingbirds, warblers, kingbirds, sparrows, etc. Farther on the pathway, it opens to a huge lake where waterfowl can be seen yearly. Shovelers, ducks of all kinds, frigatebirds, hawks, wrens, ibis, spoonbills, bitterns, grebes, blackbirds, grackles, coots, pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets. Often, in one outing, a birder can see ALL the above mentioned...and even two resident alligators are often seen. On this particular day I'll share these few:

MARSH WREN & BLUE WINGED TEAL
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center
habitat maps: Marsh Wren - Blue Winged Teal

LEAST BITTERN
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center
habitat map: Least Bittern

* * *

Along the tree lined walkway and near the run-off creek, these were spotted:

BLUE GRAY GNATCATCHER
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center
habitat map: Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

WILSON'S SNIPE
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center
habitat map: Wilson's Snipe

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§ The Change of Seasons...

§ Duck, Duck, Bittern

§ A Day in Port A

§ The Salt Flats & Port "A"

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