§ Still, I Go Birding....

As I type this up the corona-virus is still a threat nation-wide [globally, actually] so, as I go on the hunt for birds to photograph, I tend to stay in the car and shoot from the window, or try to go to a refuge before crowds arrive, leaving home before sunrise. With my life-style, not too much in the line of living has changed.  [I don't even need to hoard toilet paper like the populace seems to be doing...I am civilized enough to use the shower!!!]  Altho, if push comes to shove, I do have back-up photos in my archives [no, not to use at toilet wipes], but would prefer 'fresh' and new photos at this time of year when a lot of them are coming into breeding plumage. These are from quick walk-arounds in the parks recently:

AMERICAN AVOCETS [female and male]
photo taken:  Indian Point Park
habitat map:  Avocet
length:  18 inches
wingspan:  30-35 inches


OSPREY
photo taken:  Portland, Texas
habitat map:  Osprey
length:  20-24 inches
wingspan:  54-72 inches


RED BREASTED MERGANSER
photo taken:  Sunset Lakes
habitat map:  Merganser
length:  17-25 inches
wingspan:  30-36 inches


COMMON LOON
photo taken:  North Bay
habitat map:  Loon
length:  32  inches
wingspan:  54 inches


WHITE IBIS [breeding plumage]
photo taken:  Lakeview Park
habitat map:  Ibis
length:  24 inches
wingspan:  38 inches


MUSCOVY DUCK [domesticated?]

Note:   Wild Muscovy Ducks have a plumage that is nearly all dark, except for brilliantly white feathers under the wings.  Domesticated versions of the species may have a very wide array of plumages, but generally include more white or other colors than the all-dark wild Moscovy Ducks.

photo taken:  City park
habitat map:  Duck
WILD:  Found in Old Mexico
length:  26-30 inches
wingspan:  49-48 inches


Those participating this week:

Sallie {FullTime-Life}
Lea's Menagerie
Lavender Dreams
Eileen
Tomthebackroadtraveler
Travels With Birds
Rosyfinch Ramblings 
Linda, Virginia, USA
Lintuilua-Birding
Cranium Bolts
Nature  Footstep
Birds Seen in Europe and Africa






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§ New Year Birds

It was early New Year's Day. While Bud remained in bed to catch up on the lack of sleep from the neighborhood revelers' noise the night before, I took the freeway over Harbor Bridge, driving through fog, heading to Indian Point Park. The bay water was rough, so I knew in an instant I wouldn't see the bird I was hoping to see. The Loon. I know around here they tend to be in still waters, diving for food. Along the highway the Portland police  were getting their monthly quota of handing out speeding tickets before the hour was up. Everywhere, every direction. They'd pull one vehicle over, ticket the driver, and then remain in their patrol car to only catch another unsuspecting idiot driver that was speeding through the fog!! I was wondering just how many were drunk behind the wheel from New Year's Eve celebrations.  [Portland, Texas is about 10 miles past Corpus Christi city limits, over North Bay causeway]

Once at the park, I didn't get out of the car much. It was really too damp and misty. But the water birds seemed to be enjoying the inclement weather more than I - - -

BUFFLEHEAD DUCKS
habitat map: Bufflehead
length: 14-16 inches
wingspan: 20-24 inches


AMERICAN AVOCETS
habitat map: Avocets
length: 18 inches
wingspan: 30-35 inches


RED BREASTED MERGANSER
habitat map:  Merganser
length: 17-25 inches
wingspan: 30-36 inches


RUDDY TURNSTONE
habitat map:  Turnstone
length: 9-10 inches
wingspan: 17-18 inches


EGRETS and GREAT BLUE HERONS
habitat maps:  Egret - Heron
length [heron]: 48 inches [egret]: 37-41 inches
wingspan [heron]: 80 inches [egret]: 56 inches

Above, I put the camera on panoramic and did some drive-by shooting of the tidal pools and the activity...Spoonbills, cormorants, egrets, herons, mergansers, were seen.  After this area, I continued out of the park and drove about a mile further north east to Sunset Lakes. There, not much happenin'.   A few terns flying overhead, seagulls huddled in masses, a snowy egret and a great egret, a willet and this one.  The pinkish color of the long bill tells me it's marbled instead of hudsonian which its bill is more orange than pink, as seen here...

MARBLED GODWIT
habitat map: Godwit
length: 18-20 inches
wingspan: 32 inches

Only about an hour and a half out and about on such a dreary beginning of 2020, I rec'd a text from Bud.  He was up and making breakfast!  Within seconds, I turned the car around, heading home to the warm fire, and a happy meal.  [Not McDonald's...MY happy meal...a homemade breakfast prepared by the king of the house:  Grits, bacon, eggs, toast and hashbrowns...fit for the queen.  

There's a method to my madness.  I leave, Bud takes over the kitchen.  No work for me at all.  That's why I'D RATHER B BIRDIN'   lol


Those that  participated this week are:

Bird Watching Nana
Rosyfinch  Ramblings
Christina, Sweden
Linda, Virginia USA
Nature Footstep Photo Art
Lavender Dreams
Birds Seen in Europe and Africa
Travels With Birds
Sallie [Full Time Life]
Eileen
Phil 
Lea's Menagerie 

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§ 'Twas the Week Before Christmas...

In the midst of the holiday season, and days of unending rainfall the previous week, I still found some time out to travel to check out the birds in my vicinity:

WHITE FACED IBIS [white faced has red eyes while the Glossy Ibis has dark eyes]
photo taken:  Port Aransas

habitat map:  Ibis
length  22-26 inches
wingspan 38 inches


SPOTTED SANDPIPER [tail constantly bobbing -non breeding plumage]
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds
habitat map:  Sandpiper
length 7.5 inches
wingspan 14 inches


BLACK CRESTED TITMOUSE
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Titmouse
length 6.5 inches
wingspan 9.75 inches


WHITE WINGED DOVES
photo taken:  Calallen, Texas Country Club Golf Course
habitat map: Dove
length 11-12 inches
wingspan 17-18 inches

RED BREASTED MERGANSER [female]  An interesting fact, according to sdakotabirds.com - - They are among the fastest of all flying waterfowl, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.

photo taken:  Indian Point Park
habitat map:  Merganser
length 15-25 inches
wingspan 30-36 inches


RED TAILED HAWK [immature? or leucistic?  I'd say immature]
photo taken:  Chapman Ranch
habitat map:  Hawk
length 19-25 inches
wingspan 46-58 inches

May your new year, 2020, be a very happy one...and filled with beautiful birds!!!!

Participating this week are:
Christina
Mary
Eileen
Debbie
Cranium  Bolts
Linda
Lea
Lavender Dreams
David
Birds Seen in Europe and Africa
Rosyfinch Ramblings
Anni


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§ A BOWL of Spoonbills and Others....

This will be a very heavy post with several pictures, so I will refrain from being too wordy. At two co-joining parks [one in Corpus and the other that intersects with the one in my city, Sunset Lakes in Portland Texas], was where I walked recently. Another cloudy day, but the birds were quite active. At one point when I stopped at an observation deck off the trail, I was overwhelmed by the numbers of Roseate Spoonbills I found!! So, I'll take you there. But first some I saw along the way...

AMERICAN WIGEON
habitat map: Wigeon

...something I've never seen before. It was low tide on the bay, and the pintail ducks were WALKING on the mudflats/oyster beds instead of swimming.

NOTHERN PINTAIL DUCKS [female-male]
habitat map:   Ducks


RED BREASTED MERGANSERS [male and female]
habitat map:  Mergansers

...now the dozens of white ibis and roseate spoonbills [a group of spoonbills is called a "bowl"]:








ROSEATE SPOONBILLS and WHITE IBIS
habitat map:  Spoonbills - Ibis

And, while marveling at the feathers of both ibis and spoonbills, I experienced an American Avocet flyover....

AMERICAN AVOCETS
habitat map:  Avocets





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