I'd Rather B Birdin': Seagull

Showing posts with label Seagull. Show all posts

§ Winter Texans....

This past week it's been a miserable week for me to be outdoors! High winds, near freezing temps in the middle of the day [icy conditions on bridges for driving], so I stayed home for the most part. I still have to laugh at myself, being that I grew up in the Colorado foothills; living there for over 50 years, and when it gets to be wintry here in South Texas, I am chilled to the bone. I know a lot of that has to do with heavy humidity, but still, I've become a weakling when the cold snaps linger for days. I went out only a couple of days. Yes, one morning it was a mild 70° [F] and I walked a trail in shorts and t-shirt. By the time I got my 3 miles' walk completed and back to the car the temp had dropped some 20+° and I was happy to get back in the car with the heater. Another day I drove to Humble Channel in search of a rare gull that was spotted...the Glaucous...but never saw it. Too windy to stand on the coast without being blown over. Another pair of female ducks were reported at Port Aransas, but I never got a chance to get there. Harlequin Ducks. Needless to say, not many 'special' birds seen; the usual winter residents. But, I will share some photos taken:

Along Humble Channel...

LESSER SCAUP
Habitat map: Scaup

GREAT BLUE HERON
Habitat map: Heron

REDHEAD DUCK
Habitat map: Duck

Gulls
But, not the one I was hunting.

At a park...

NORTHERN CARDINAL
Habitat map: Cardinal

GREEN JAY
Habitat map: Jay

INCA DOVE
Habitat map: Dove

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§ 2018 in Review

For the year 2018, the birding hasn't been up to par for the entire time. Slow recovery the last months after the damaging hurricane. A lot of the habitat for birds and migration was devastated, and the birds went elsewhere. Hopefully, in a few years, nature will restore some of the feeding and nesting grounds nearby. In the meantime, I keep going out in search of the few that remain and the little numbers that have returned....The following photos are for the year 2018. One photo of mine taken from my photos for each month...

Beginning in January...

CRESTED CARACARA
photo taken: Labonte Park
habitat map: Caracara

February...

NORTHERN SHOVELER [and Green winged Teal]
photo taken: Leonabelle Refuge
habitat map: Shoveler

March...

NORTHERN CARDINAL
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Cardinal

April...

BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER
photo taken: Hans Suter Reserve
habitat map: Warbler

May...

INDIGO BUNTING
photo taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Bunting

June...

WHITE WINGED DOVE
photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Dove

July...

BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK
photo taken: Linda Castro Sanctuary
habitat map: Duck

August...

HAWK [Broad-winged?]
photo taken: Rose Hill Cemetery
habitat map: Hawk
note: The narrow tail bands and color make me think this is a Broad-winged. They frequent the cemetery more than any other hawk during migration. Please, correct me if you think I'm incorrect with ID] ...comparing to this photo online

September...

GREAT EGRET
photo taken: Leonabelle Refuge
habitat map: Egret

October...

AMERICAN AVOCET
photo taken: Indian Point Park
habitat map: Avocet

November....

RING BILLED GULL
photo taken: Port Aransas Beach
habitat map: Gull

December [2017]...

BLACK NECKED STILT
photo taken: Hans Suter Reserve
habtat map: Stilt

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§ Gulls Galore!

All the birders I have talked with around the coastline; about seagulls and the differences, I am still in the learning mode for the most part...since there are so many similarities in markings. But, as I say, I'm learning. And, more than likely it will take a bit MORE learning until I can easily identify them. I can see the differing traits/colors/hear calls of the Laughing Gull and the Herring Gull. Mainly 'cause they are the most abundant gulls seen here along the Gulf of Mexico. The Bonaparte's Gull [link to my photo] is easily identified also...they're tiny compared to most...and the spot marking around the jawline is a vital feature.

Now, a few days past, there were two RARE seagulls reported. Actually, I had seen one just the day BEFORE the sighting was reported on Ebird. The other one listed as seen nearby on Mustang Island was one I hoped to find. Well, when I arrived at the tidal pool along the jetty, it was feeding. And there were a few birders with cameras .... the gull was not bothered at all by our intrusion. In fact, it's a western coast seagull, and one birder mentioned that it had to be from Los Angeles!! Why? He said you could shoot in the air twice and it probably wouldn't budge. I thought it was funny. Guess not, 'cause he and I were the only two that laughed. Maybe the other birders have never been in the crime-ridden city before and didn't understand.

I'll begin with the more common ones:

The Herring Gull:

HERRING GULL
photos taken: Ocean Drive - Oso Bay
habitat map: Herring

The Laughing Gull [immature]

LAUGHING GULL
photo taken: Port A
habitat map: Laughing

The Ring-Billed Gull

RING BILLED GULL
photo taken: Packery Channel Beach
habitat map: Ring Billed

A 'semi' rare gull, the Lesser Black Backed Gull

[usually found in the Atlantic coastal areas but in the past decades a FEW have been seen along the Texas coast.]

Dark, nearly black back with light, flesh-colored pink feet. Large

LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL or Great Black Backed Gull?
photos taken: Port A Jetty
habitat map: Lesser Black Backed

And, the RARE gull...
The Western Gull
[normally along the Pacific coast]

WESTERN GULL
photos taken: Port A Jetty
habitat map: Western Gull

...the last photo I took on purpose to make comparison of size...Laughing vs. Western

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§ Springtime Procreation

After my 10K walk in the area of Pollywog Ponds, and when the morning temps are hovering in the low 80 degree mark with humidity high, I have a resting area where I sit a spell to cool down before I get back in the car with the air conditioner pumped up to high. When I finished my walk early one Sunday morning in May, I was hearing the call of an alarmed Killdeer; perhaps two. I scouted out the area where I dry off a bit, and found ‘em. A male at a distance and a female on the rock!!

As I walked toward my make-shift seat of a boulder, she got frantic. I stopped and watched her and followed the male as he left the area but still kept within close range…

When I prepared to leave and get in my car, I found the male ... he was atop a pile of stone bidding me adieu...

KILLDEER
photos taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Killdeer

After I got home, I realized I had taken photos of the lady killdeer and her nesting area. Four eggs.

Another day I decided to drive to Rockport, Texas to walk the beach park and head toward the nesting area the town and park’s managers cordon off for the yearly influx of shorebird nesters. It’s somewhat a slow time of year [the activity will become much more busy later this month], but there were terns, seagulls, and skimmers on the grounds…and on the other side of the water, the rookery was showing signs of mating rituals and nest building with the likes of herons, egrets, seagulls, and spoonbills.

TRI-COLOR HERON [mating plumage]
REDDISH EGRET [courting ritual]
photos taken: Rockport Beach Sanctuary
habitat map: Heron, Egret

LAUGHING GULL
photos taken: Rockport Beach Sanctuary
habitat map: Seagull

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§ Winter Texans....

§ 2018 in Review

§ Gulls Galore!

§ Springtime Procreation

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