§ Kingfisher Point

At Refugio Texas there is a small park just as you drive into the town from Corpus Christi. I was there on a very rainy morning - when I arrived I had the park all to myself. But, the early hour I left home it was just before daybreak...but as I headed north on the interstate, the sky turned an ominous black...threatening rain. Well, it RAINED!! So heavily I couldn't see the front of my car. Should I stop and go back home? Or, should I drive through this mess and see what lies ahead? I kept going. The storm mass was huge [tornadoes in Houston and heavy, heavy rains in Corpus...I was in the middle of it all]. You can read about the adventure here if you'd like 'AFTER THE STORM'. It finally turned out okay, the highways started to dry up and the trip was once again 'safe'.

Of course since it rained so much before I arrived, there wasn't much bird activity.  I saw Chipping Sparrows, Cardinals, Kinglets, one Wilson's Warbler, a few blackbirds [both male and female]. And ONE LARGE Diamond Back Watersnake [photos are on my personal blog link I just shared above if you care to see that creepy snake!!] But, not the one bird I was hoping to see...the Barred Owl. [of all the owls, the Barred Owl is my favorite].

At one area off the beaten path that meanders along the Mission River, there is a bird blind fencing that by standing nearby you can see down the run-off gully where the kingfisher resides.  In fact the lookout is called Green Kingfisher Point.  Before leaving for the day I watched one for quite a while...

GREEN KINGFISHER
photos taken:  Lion's Shelly Park - Refugio, Texas
habitat map:  Kingfisher

Other birds seen that day at the park:


NORTHERN CARDINALS - CHIPPING SPARROW
habitat map:  Cardinals - Sparrow


EASTERN PHOEBE - GOLDEN FRONTED WOODPECKER
habitat map:  Phoebe - Woodpecker


REDWINGED BLACKBIRDS [females] - WILSON'S WARBLER
habitat map:  Blackbird - Warbler


RUBY CROWNED KINGLET [female]
habitat map:  Kinglet

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§ Warbler, Vireo, and MORE

With this posting I'm sharing a NEW bird spotted!! But first, these, of a Myrtle Warbler. Now, most call this bird a "Yellow Rumped" or I've read before they're also known as "Butter Butts". I'd prefer Myrtle Warbler myself. And I usually see them during Spring Migration...the winter plumage was a surprise. Usually gray, yellow, black and white...but this month, when I spotted them...much more brown. I like it!!!

MYRTLE WARBLER [aka Yellow Rumped Warbler]
photos taken:  Packery Channel Motte - NORTH Padre Island
habitat map:  Myrtle Warbler


This next bird is the NEW one!! Tho, sadly, it was sighted in a dark area with the lack of sunlight, I got this photo that still shows its ID markings/colors ---


BLUE HEADED VIREO
New one for me!!!
photo taken:  Packery Channel Motte - NORTH Padre Island
habitat map:  Blue Headed Vireo

...and this one that follows is one I've seen a few times before, but rarely get any decent photos.    [there is a 'ruby' crown' but guide books tell me that is rarely seen, but once the ruby crown was exposed for me...photo shared on this post]---

RUBY CROWNED KINGLET

photo taken:  Packery Channel Audubon Sanctuary - NORTH Padre Island
habitat map:  Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Bud and I don't leave Port Aransas without checking out Paradise Pond, even tho there is so much construction going on surrounding the 'paradise'. The bird population has sadly dwindled to just a few. If lucky, and at the right time, some activity can be spotted.

SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
photo taken:  Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

On a very chilly windy day after we went to lunch for some of the delicious fresh Gulf Shrimp, we drove over the harbor and I perused some of the pathway. Hardly any birds at all on the many lakes.  But, on  the Leeward side of one of the first lake shores, hundreds of sea gulls and terns and skimmers were huddled, protected by the strong wind.  I set the camera lens on panoramic, but trust me this is just a 'sampling' of the numbers seen...the numbers were probably in the thousands, going on further to the northeast by several hundred yards...

SEA GULLS, TERNS & BLACK SKIMMERS
photos taken:  Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas
habitat map:  Black Skimmer

At Leonabelle's Refuge, I spotted in the thick, dense tree-lined walkway, a White Eyed Vireo ---


WHITE EYED VIREO
photo taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Wildlife Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  White Eyed Vireo

...and lastly, trying to tally up my 10,000 steps for the outing, I walked the boardwalk to find one of my favorite species...once again, the horned lark!

HORNED LARK
photo taken:  Charlie's Pasture North - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Horned Lark


I took the Cornell Ornithology Quiz to find out what kind a of birder I am. The result:

I'm an INDEPENDENT BIRDER!!  What are you?  The quiz only takes less than a couple of minutes.






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§ Trips to the Parks...

It's been nothing but short excursions these past couple of weeks, I still tire easily. For a bit of exercise and fresh air, we just drive to local, close-by parks in and around town...

A Pair of GREAT KISKADEE[S]

photo taken: Blucher Park - Corpus Christi, Texas

Immature WHITE IBIS

photo taken: Lakeview Park - Corpus Christi, Texas

CRESTED 'MALLARD'

Not to be confused with the wild crested duck of South America, this fancy-quoiffed duck is descended from the domestic mallard and sports a pouf of feathers growing out of back of its head. This crest is actually caused by a genetic mutation that duck breeders have selected. This mutation causes a duck to be born with a gap in its skull, which is filled with a growth of fatty tissue. It's from this that the pouf of feathers sprouts.

photo taken: Lakeview Park - Corpus Christi, Texas

ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER [?]

photos taken: Blucher Park - Corpus Christi, Texas

PURPLE MARTIN

photo taken: Blucher Park - Corpus Christi, Texas

RUBY CROWNED KINGLET

photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center

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§ Migration...

The cold up north, and the darkened skies and chilly day was bleak...but, has made us birders a bit awed! The winter migration started a couple of weeks ago. Bud and I were on the islands when the redhead ducks arrived by the 100s! When we walked from the parking lot, around the corner to the first step onto the boardwalk that takes us to the pond, this was our view ---

---the camera was quickly set to panoramic: Literally 1000s of ducks and more were flying in. A true fallout of redheads mostly. The photo, made smaller for loading time, can be enlarged if you so choose. Just click on the image[s]. When I made it to the end of the boardwalk, and stood at the platform, observing, I tried to capture the feeling of it all to share here. Everything I'm hoping except for the sounds....

...the black bellied whistling ducks are arriving also; they were congregated more so by the dying reed grasses!

Bud and I saw on this day, cormorants, moorhens, coots, egrets, other ducks like mottled ducks, mallards, a couple of wigeons, two roseate spoonbills, killdeer, tri colored herons, great blue herons, sanderlings I believe they were, nutrias [water rats!!], egrets,both green and blue teals, and one lone glossy ibis in its winter garb.

We needed to head back home, it was time.  We'd spent over an hour -getting chilled to the bone from the chill factor- at the ship channel and the jetty in search of a Northern Gannet [which we didn't find] prior to stopping here.  As we were nearing the parking lot, a rouge Ruby Crowned Kinglet was flitting through the branches in the mesquite tree.  I'm surprised the photos actually showed the bird instead of the wing tips or tail feathers only....so many times they are THE MOST difficult birds to capture a decent photo since they don't stay still long enough to focus and click the shutter---

REDHEAD DUCKS
BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS
Ruby Crowned Kinglet

photos taken: Aransas Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat maps: Redhead Duck, Black Bellied Whistling Duck, R C Kinglet

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PS...For the American Birders...I'm wanting to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving this coming Thursday. Be safe, warm, and enjoy the holiday!!