§ After Company....

Around here, now that Erik is back in Houston, we two are returning back to normal. Slowly. I still haven't been out birding much, we are working to get the house, and the room we set up for our son, back to being the library with tables and lounge chairs, etc. We've become slower in our golden years; taking our time rearranging etc. And, we still have tons of yard work on the to do list...but with the flooding rains the week prior, we wait for things to dry out and the mud to disappear before going on with those chores. Oh well, the migration for south Texas is near its end, so no worries on missing out too much. Here are some photos during migration, before our son paid us a visit:

Shown below, the black and white warbler, the worm eating warbler spotted at Port Aransas.  The black bellied plover spotted along Packery Channel.  The tanager and yellow breasted chat around Packery Channel PARK, and the painted bunting, seen at the Sand Dollar Road area.

BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER
Habitat map:  Warbler


WORM EATING WARBLER
Habitat map:  Warbler


BLACK BELLIED PLOVER
Habitat map:  Plover


YELLOW BREASTED CHAT
Habitat map: Chat


SCARLET TANAGER
Habitat map:  Tanager


PAINTED BUNTING
Habitat map:  Bunting


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Linking Tool is now Closed

§ More April Migrants...

Another week of Spring Migration and sightings has now passed. Soon, these beauties will be farther north to their breeding grounds. I mentioned on my personal blog that I got the privilege of seeing a NEW bird these past few days...I have seen a few times, the YELLOW Billed Cuckoo, but never sighted the elusive BLACK BILLED CUCKOO! As I was looking through the camera viewfinder a shadow appeared overhead and I saw the cuckoo. Thinking it was a yellow billed. But moving my camera lens in the direction of the tree, the direction it landed...I could see it was a black billed...no rusty side, no prominent tail striping. Yes, indeed. I love seeing "New" birds without having to travel far from home. Here are just a few photos. I have dozens more to come... 

PECTORAL SANDPIPER
Habitat map: Sandpiper
As you can see with the habitat map, they do not reside in USA anywhere...they are migrants only.


SCARLET TANAGER
Habitat map: Tanager


BLUE GROSBEAK
Habitat map: Grosbeak


ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK
Habitat map: Grosbeak


WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Habitat map: Phalarope


SUMMER TANAGER
Habitat map: Tanager


BLACK BILLED CUCKOO
Habitat map: Cuckoo


LINCOLN'S SPARROW
Habitat map: Sparrow




I also took the liberty of making a 25 second video of the Wilson's Phalarope Feeding Frenzy Ritual. In case you're interested: View HERE

 

- - - - 

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The Linking for the week has ended. Return on Saturday for new version

§ In Search Of...

A few days ago I went in search of another vagrant warbler [black throated blue warbler] reported in our county. Never saw it. It was four days since it was reported, so I'm figuring it had left the area for the north. But, I sighted several other migrants along the way. In fact one yard on Sand Dollar Road I stood and viewed several birds coming in to feed on grapes! Here's what I saw [others seen were grackles, catbirds, female indigo buntings, white winged doves, sparrows, an abundance of squirrels and one opossum!]

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE [a few stay the winter and sexes are similar in appearance]
photos taken:  Sand Dollar Road
habitat map:  dove
length:  12 inches
wingspan:  18-20 inches


SCARLET TANAGER [male]
photos taken:  Sand Dollar Road
habitat map:  tanager
length:  7 inches
wingspan:  11.5 inches


ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK [female]
photos taken:  Sand Dollar Road
habitat map:  grosbeak
length:  8 inches
wingspan:  12.5 inches


SUMMER TANAGER [female]
photos taken:  Sand Dollar Road
habitat map:  tanager
length:  7:75 inches
wingspan:  12 inches


PROTHONOTARY WARBLER [male]
NOTE: Male and female are similar in color/markings, tho the male tends to be a bit more orange in the yellow [darker than female]. Also note that during mating season, the male's beak is solid black.
photos taken:  Sand Dollar Road
habitat map:  warbler
length:  5.5 inches
wingspan:  8.75 inches





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Participating this week are:
Tilly the Turkey
Betty Crow
Traveling with  Birds [no hyperlink]
Linda, Virginia, USA
Lavender Dreams
The Early Birder
Birds Seen in Europe and Africa
Christina, Sweden
Linda, aka Crafty Gardener
NatureFootstep PhotoArt
Lea's Menagerie
Ella
Jean@SoNotOrganized
Phil UK
Eileen
Rosyfinch Ramblings

§ April Migrants

I have so many bird photos on my computer that I haven't shared yet, so I'm gonna go back in time to April...this year the migrants were very few. I don't know if the damage from the hurricane back in August prior to the migrating season had anything to do with the lack of big numbers or not. I tend to think so since so much of their habitat was destroyed...they knew!!!

Anyway, here are some of the migrants I spotted close by in town parks....

EASTERN BLUEBIRD
habitat map: Bluebird


BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER
habitat map: Warbler



HOODED WARBLER
habitat map: Warbler



RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
habitat map: Hummingbird



SCARLET TANAGER
habitat map: Tanager



WORM EATING WARBLER
habitat map: Warbler




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§ November Birds...

Taken on several different days this month, I'm sharing some "November Birds":  The Tern image, below, is a bit of a challenge, I may have mis-ID'd it.  If wrong, please correct me!!  Most times, with terns, I would like to, secretly, say "U Tern, Wrong Tern, Right Tern, Left Tern or....TERN around"!  [kidding].  Thing is, the winter plumage and colors are different in most cases....even more challenging.

Broad Winged Hawk
photo taken:  Rose Hill Cemetery - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Hawk


Reddish Egrets [white morph]
photo taken:  Charlie's Pasture North - Port A, Texas
habitat map:  Egret


Scissortailed Flycather
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Flycatcher


Little Blue Heron
photo taken:  Indian Point Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Heron


Common Tern [winter plumage] (Forsters?}
photo taken:  Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas
habitat map:  Tern


Scarlet Tanager
photo taken:  West Guth Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Tanager


Northern Cardinal
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Cardinal


American Wigeon
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Wigeon


Crested Caracara
photo taken:  Near Corpus Christi Ship Channel - Port A, Texas
habitat map:  Caracara


Great Blue Heron
photo taken:  Paradise Pond - Port A, Texas
habitat map:  Heron



This photo is huge *4265x640 pixels!  Panoramic View of estimated 1000
Redhead Ducks
photo taken:  Leonabelle Bird Refuge - Port A Texas
habitat map:  Duck


Now share your birding experiences:







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