I'd Rather B Birdin': White Pelicans

Showing posts with label White Pelicans. Show all posts

§ It's All About Color...

...breeding colors that is! [And seasonal beak growth on white pelican - Pelicans of both sexes develop a bump in breeding season, and it's not on their bellies. The lump forms on top of the bird's beak, and falls off after the birds have mated and laid eggs. Its function is not entirely known, but is thought to be a display of fertility.]

Top to Bottom [with habitat links]
Brown Pelican
Tri-colored Heron
White Ibis
Cattle Egret
White Pelican
American Avocet
Roseate Spoonbill
Reddish Egret [white morph]

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§ How Cold is It?!!!

Hmmmmm, remind me why we relocated to Coastal Texas again? Warm, mild, winters. Averaging 70 degrees [F] in winter. Not happening!!!! It's been cold, cold, cold!! Near freezing temps for the last week. Windchill at freezing. If you watch the news at all, you no doubt have seen the ice storms in North Texas this past week; which reached our area also. But without ice. I got out with several layers and walked a park downtown, only to see absolutely NO birds, and quickly retreated back into the heated transport! My goodness. I haven't been warmed up much since. So, once again most of my birding has been thru the window. Oh, I did go and stop on the way home from the store at a small lake...lakeview park and got out, snapped a few water birds, and yes...again, nearly ran back to the car for heat. Forecast is promising a warm-up this weekend. Much needed for this old soul!!!

The Sandhill Cranes were from the car window...

The cormorants and Black Bellied Whistling Ducks were nearby at a small pond.

At Lakeview Park...

Also, at same lake...I watched an Anhinga. These photos definitely depict their nickname "Snakebird"!!

...The Anhinga is also known as the snake-bird for its habit of swimming with its body submerged in the water and just its long thin head and neck visible. Unlike cormorants that catch fish in their bills, Anhinga spear fish, flip them into the air and swallow them headfirst...

From top to bottom:
Sandhill Crane
Cormorant - Black Bellied Whistling Duck
American White Pelican
Cormorant
Black Bellied Whistling Duck
Anhinga

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§ South Texas Portraits...

SCISSORTAIL FLYCATCHER
Habitat map: Flycatcher

CRESTED CARACARA
Habitat map: Caracara

AMERICAN WIGEON
Habitat map: Wigeon

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
Habitat map: Pelican

PYRRHULOXIA
Habitat map: Pyrrhuloxia

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§ At Port Aransas Texas

APLOMADO FALCON [rare, endangered]
Habitat map: Falcon

WHITE PELICANS
Habitat map: Pelicans

GREAT BLUE HERON
Habitat map: Heron

GREAT EGRET
Habitat map: Egret

AMERICAN AVOCET
Habitat map: Avocet

COMMON GALLINUEL [moorhen]
Habitat map: Gallinule

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§ Leonabelle's at Port Aransas...

One day recently I drove to the islands, and ended up at one of my favorite areas along the Coastal Bend...Port Aransas. I didn't stay too long tho, but was amazed at the "white" seen [scene?] on the pond at Leonabelle's Birding Refuge! The water was half covered with the great American White Pelicans. When I see them arriving in our area, I know Winter is nearing. The whole lake was quite active, and so was the walkway just before the boardwalk and the observation tower!! At one point I even took some video of the pelicans. It was, for the most part, the most activity I've seen of that species in a long time. I also sighted in on a couple of rare birds. The LEAST grebe [comparing the pied billed grebe with black eyes---the least grebe has yellow!] and the Palm Warbler. In fact the Palm Warbler is shown commonly to be a bit north and east of where I was at the time. I've seen them years ago, but didn't have my camera at the time, so this is the first photo proof of the warbler for me...

LEAST GREBE
Habitat map: Grebe

PIED BILLED GREBE
Habitat map: Grebe

PALM WARBLER
Habitat map: Warbler

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
Habitat map: Pelican

BLACK NECKED STILT
Habitat map: Stilt

AMERICAN AVOCET
Habitat map: Avocet