§ ....in Transit

Eclectic Flight Patterns this week...




LAUGHING GULLS
photo taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Gulls


AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
photo taken:  Indian Point Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Oystercatcher


IMMATURE BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON [see adult below]
photo taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Heron


OSPREY
photo taken:  Oso Bay Wetlands - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Osprey


RED TAILED HAWK
photo taken: County Rd 51 - Chapman Ranch
habitat map:  Hawk


NORTHERN HARRIER
photos taken:  Oso Bay Wetlands - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Harrier


CRESTED CARACARA
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Caracara


BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON
photo taken:  Charilie's Pasture - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Heron


AMERICAN AVOCETS
photo taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Avocet



TURKEY VULTURE
photo taken:  Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas
habitat map:  Vulture


NORTHERN PINTAIL & COMMON TERN with food
photos taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge [Port A] and Indian Point Park [Corpus]
habitat maps:  Pintail and Tern

GREAT BLUE HERON
photo taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Heron




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§ Island Hopping..

My brother in law, Al, just passed away Thursday after a short stay at the hospital in Denver... I will be taking some time from blogging, tho this post was pre scheduled to publish today [Saturday] ---I will have no other postings until after the bereavement time I plan on taking. Keep in touch...I will let y'all know when I return via my personal blog at HOOTIN' ANNI'S THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KINDNESS - IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED ~Anni

The past weekend, on Sunday, I drove to the islands in search of the elusive Aplomado Falcon [see my right sidebar - top widget]. A few years back, several of these were released on Mustang Island where once they flourished. With the loss of habitat by the invasion of architectural construction and human habitation along the beaches, the falcons slowly disappeared and have now been reintroduced in hopes of a comeback. Several people I know that frequent the islands have spotted them...but so far, for me, the quest has not been filled. I will continue in hopes of seeing one to add to my list of photographed birds in Texas. In the meantime, I travel the highways and beaches along the sand dunes and always end my trip in Port Aransas...a small fishing village and tourist area. These are some I spotted:

AMERICAN WIDGEON [variant sp: Wigeon]

photo taken: Leonabelle Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Widgeon

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON [immature]

photo taken: Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Night Heron

CINNAMON TEAL

photo taken: Leonabelle Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Cinnamon Teal

GREEN WINGED TEAL

photo taken: Leonabelle Birdin Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Teal

GREAT KISKADEE

photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Kiskadee

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

photo taken: Hans Suter Wildlife Reserve - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Shrike

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD

photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Mockingbird

CASPIAN TERN

photo taken: Oso Bay - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Tern

TRI COLORED HERON

photo taken: Hans Suter Wildlife Reserve - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Heron

YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER [Myrtle Species]

photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Myrtle

Note: There are two subspecies of the Yellow Rumped Warbler - The Myrtle mostly in the south/east USA. The difference in marking: White Throat. The Audubon is the western counterpart of the Myrtle; with a yellow throat!  Read more here.

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§ A Fishin' Tale...

GREEN WINGED TEAL [duck]
photo taken: Oso Bay feeder channel - Corpus Christi, Texas
Habitat Range:




COMMON TERN?
photo taken: Hans Suter Preserve - Corpus Christi, Texas
Habitat Range:

Note: I'm 99% sure this is the 'common tern' as apposed to Forster's or Caspian Tern. But the beak color is nearly red, and the caspian is supposedly [from what I read] the only tern with nearly red-orange beak. Thing is, the wing tips are black on the caspian; this photo shows no black. And the leg color is not visible. What do you think? Which species of tern is it? Anybody? [addendum: From Ken and Phil's comments, it's a Royal Tern!!]


PEREGRINE FALCON
photo taken: JFK Causeway - between Padre Island & Corpus Christi
During the Winter months and into early Spring we can see anywhere from one to nine osprey on the power lines and light poles along the highway toward the islands in a three to five minute time span...the other day, there was a falcon. Depending on the hour of day of course. And being a very heavily trafficked area - I pull off onto the emergency shoulder to snap photos from the car window. Oh how the bridge bounces with the cars zooming past me. Whoa. But these beauties are always worth stopping to photograph with a given chance.



EASTERN PHOEBE
photos taken: Mesquite woods near Lake at LakeView Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
Habitat Range:



GREAT BLUE HERON - "Hey, Tri? How's the fishin' on the far side of the channel? Any good?"
TRI-COLORED HERON - "Oh ya, it's good GB. But I let the big one get away!"
GREAT BLUE HERON - "How big?"
TRI-COLORED HERON [spreadin' its wings] - "This big!"
GREAT BLUE HERON - "I'll stick around then, maybe I'll have some luck."
photo taken:  Hans Suter Reserve - Corpus Christi, Texas

§ Stranger on the Shore...

One day recently we walked a couple of miles along the seashore and enjoyed the quiet times with the sound of the surf and the call of the gulls...all along watching and enjoying the silence of the brown pelicans. Just taking an easy stroll, feeling the mist of the sea spraying in our faces...

BROWN PELICANS
LAUGHING GULLS
AMERICAN TERN
[and a fisherman in the top photo]
photos taken: Packery Channel, Luby Beach Access - Mustang Island, Texas

As we strolled along the wet sandy beach at Luby [Packery Channel] Beach Access...each time, no matter what time of year, there are literally dozens of sand pipers and the cutest to watch 'cause of their habit of searching everywhere for something quick to eat ---the SANDERLING. One of the most widespread of all shorebirds, the sanderling is a small, highly active wader, typically seen racing after waves on sandy beaches as it hunts for small food items along the waterline. It is quite a plump species, with a short, stout, black beak and black legs, and is unique amongst sandpipers in that it lacks a hind toe [as you can see in my photo], as an adaptation for running fast on sand. At all times of year the sanderling can be recognized by its pure white underparts and broad white wing bar, bordered with black, which is visible in flight. They are one of the most difficult shorebirds to photograph 'cause the don't allow you to come to near them without rushing off in the other direction. Continually flitting here and there at a rate that this ol' gal can't keep up with them and allowing myself to focus the lens properly.----I was determined to capture one close up:

SANDERLING
photo taken: Packery Channel, Luby Beach Access - Mustang Island, Texas

connecting to:

Wild Bird Wednesday [link on sidebar]

Water World Wednesday

§ So Many Birds...so little time

GREAT BLUE HERON
[just after this photo - it reached in and caught a fish!]
photo taken:  Indian Point Park - Portland Texas -near Corpus Christi

INCA DOVE
photo taken:  Botanical Gardens - Corpus Christi Texas 

BLACK-NECKED STILT
photo taken:  Indian Point Park - Portland Texas -near Corpus Christi 

LESSER YELLOWLEGS
photo taken:  Charlies Pasture Nature Reserve - Port Aransas Texas

FORSTER'S TERN
photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Port Aransas Texas