This time of year along the coast the black terns [my favorite of the tern family] come to shore in their breeding plumage...a beautiful black and silver, tipped in white [male]!!
...in flight they are just as pretty!
BLACK TERN
photos taken: Port Aransas Beach [south jetty]
habitat map: Tern
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While at the botanical gardens in search of birds on the two lakes and on the trails, at the rose pavilion, there was a learning program for school aged children on a field trip. About birds of prey. From eagles, owls, hawks and falcons, I happened to walk by the program and saw one bird I have been searching for in the wild [on Mustang Island/North Padre Island] for nearly a decade. No dice!! I thought I'd get a good look at this falcon as it perched!!! It closely resembles the Peregrine Falcon in some ways, when I DO SEE a falcon in the wild, I'm in hopes it's this rare one...but, dozens of sightings turn out to be no highly sought after falcon, but only a peregrine. I stopped and listened to the lecture; the bird's name is Zorro..
APLOMADO FALCON
photos taken: Botanical Gardens
habitat map: Aplomado Falcon
The man had several captive birds; I took a couple more photos, three owls...
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