§ Kingsville Texas and King's Ranch...

On an overcast day Bud and I drove to Kingsville, Texas...home of the world renowned King's Ranch!! [known for the size of the ranch land AND the breeding of Longhorn cattle and Santa Gertrudis breed...not to mention the triple crown winner, Assault bygones ago!!] While at Dick Kleberg park we saw a few birds, mockingbirds, black bellied whistling ducks, flycatchers, couch's kingbird to be exact...but no Green Jays that I had hoped to see. Then, a short distance away from the park, King's Ranch Visitor's Center where we spotted the longhorn and gertrudis cattle...plus Wild Turkeys

WILD TURKEYS [Dick Kleberg Park Lake]
photos taken:  King's Ranch Kingsville, Texas
habitat map:  Turkey




COUCH'S KINGBIRD fledglings, MOCKINGBIRD and Texas Longhorn
photos taken:  Dick Kleberg Park, King's Ranch
Kingsville, Texas
habitat maps:  Kingbird....Mockingbird


...if you'd like to see more of my photos of the park and ranch cattle [along with visitor's center], CLICK HERE



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§ Choke Canyon State Park

A few weeks back I mentioned on a post that I spotted/photographed another banded bird and was waiting for any information on it. Recently, I received another certificate from my reporting the sighted Piping Plover!!! I never fail to be impressed with this knowledge shared when a marked bird is seen!! This one in particular was born in 2012, banded in 2013...in North Dakota. I photographed and reported it sighted along Padre Island National Seashore [about 15 miles East of Chapman Ranch...which covers a distance of an estimated 1500 to 1600 miles from its birthplace], along the beach's shoreline. Imagine, within a few years of probably migrating from North Dakota to South Texas; it never ceases to boggle my mind that such a tiny creature flies so many miles to grace my morning!! Here is the certificate with the pertinent information on this Plover...

...and here are photos of the little rascal!! Standing Proud...

PIPING PLOVER [non breeding plumage]

photos taken: Padre Island National Seashore

habitat range: Piping Plover

On October 30th, Bud and I drove to Choke Canyon State Park about 80 miles from home. Stopping for a few hours in the morning light, on a dreary, overcast day, we found several species of birds:

WILD TURKEYS

habitat range: Wild Turkey

FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS [and American Coots]

habitat range: Fulvous Duck

EASTERN PHOEBE

habitat range: Eastern Phoebe

AMERICAN KESTREL

habitat range: American Kestrel

GREEN JAY

habitat range: Green Jay

SAVANNAH SPARROW [dark form]

habitat range: Savannah Sparrow

VERMILION FLYCATCHER [female]

habitat range: Vermilion Flycatcher

OSPREY

habitat range: Osprey

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN in the area of Choke Canyon State Park [Calliham Unit] - Near Three Rivers, Texas

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§ Let's Talk Turkey

Got Leftovers? I'm sure the Americans are now 'stuffed' and preparing the leftovers for the freezer, or making turkey sandwiches by now. Hope you all had a great, peaceful holiday!!

WILD TURKEYS

photo taken: King's Ranch - Kingsville, Texas [In among the Texas Longhorn Cattle -at the annual Cowboy Breakfast-]

Native Americans enjoyed an abundance of turkeys for thousands of years before settlers arrived in the New World, although the natives generally avoided eating turkey (regarding it as "starvation food" - believing that turkey was fit to hunt only by children, women, and Europeans). The Indians valued turkeys more for their feathers and as spiritual symbols. If you'd like to view some of the photos I have shared in the past, on my personal blog, of the Annual King Ranch Cowboy Breakfast [where you get up a 5 a.m.] and head for the world renowned Texas Ranch to eat a breakfast of the cowboys and participate in roping, steering; ranch days of yore!!... then, follow these links PART I and PART II

..instead, some of you may have stuffed and roasted a chicken?!!!---

RHODE ISLAND RED [chicken breed]

photo taken: Lakeview Park

[I am not sure what it was doing there...perhaps straying from a nearby home to forage in the area?]

...but both of these feathered friends would like to hear your New Year's Resolution to go....VEGAN!!!!

I'm on a holiday break - hopefully, after we return to blogging, I can catch up with everyone. But the LINKING for the Bird D'Pot continues by a pre-scheduled post as I mentioned at the top of this blog.