§ May Days...

It's only the middle of May for us all, yet, here in Coastal Texas we have had scorching days and warm nights. Temperatures of late August already. We have even reached the century mark for heat indices!! I'm not looking forward to summer. LOL

Being that it's been so hot, if I don't get out before sunrise, I don't get out. I've also been nursing a sprained pelvis along with the chiropractor's help. So, not much long distance walking either, lately. Birding has been put on the back burner so to speak. But, I haven't stayed home ALL the time. When I do get out, I'm only out for a couple of hours, then rush home to the Air Conditioning!!

CATTLE EGRET [breeding plumage]
Habitat map: Egret



WILSON'S PLOVER [endangered -now nesting]
Habitat map: Plover


WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Habitat map: Phalarope


DUNLIN
Habitat map: Dunlin

For use of graphic link in your post, copy text in gray text area below and paste into your blog post: <a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSGykwuxLDOwQrESJgGvZEYYSjnrWmY_rGW2MegmddZNS5V5c0EXWlqbu3s4mtxehEUPnfRUQhoGhFuoIvgFk4goVKTaQBRZg5Ij2GX98-xSsPuvVkUZTMSkxmRRwaAI5EBo3OMjDdEU/s1600/IRBBlogo.png" width="120" height="120" /></a></center> or use text linking only copy text in gray text area below and paste into your blog post: <a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" />Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'</a></center>

Linking Tool is now closed

§ Ward Island and Mustang Island...

Seems one month we are inundated with flood waters from continual rain. Then, it stops. Within a few days, some of the flat land dries quickly, becoming mudflats that some birds will casually habitat for a few days. One particular area in town, Ward Island, [this is where the NAS -Naval Air Station is located for pilot training. And, if interested, where President George H W Bush trained during WWII]

... on June 12, 1942, Bush had graduated from high school and joined the Navy as a seaman, second class. But, in less than a year, he completed flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, was commissioned an ensign, and went on to fly TBM Avengers with VT-51. For a time, he was the youngest pilot in Naval Aviation.
source

One day I found myself driving along Ocean Drive and ended up just outside the entrance gates of the Army-Navy Air Station. I walked the flats as you see in the photo above.

I didn't see too many birds as I walked, keeping an eye on the ground more so for snakes [I hate snakes]. In the distance where Oso Bay surrounds the island and meanderes around the Corpus Christi Texas A&M island campus, I could see some herons and skimmers, and spoonbills. Overhead gulls and brown pelicans flew. The few birds I saw on the mudflats were mostly willets and a couple of plovers. Around the bend were about a dozen terns...

WILLET
Habitat map: Willet


WILSON'S PLOVER
Habitat map: Plover


LEAST TERN
Habitat map: Tern



I left that area and headed to another island, Mustang Island along the barrier reef. I walked a short distance and stopped for the day. In south Texas, in the summer, the heat indices will force you to enjoy the great outdoors for a brief outing and then head back to where there is an A C in the car, and back home with the same cooling comfort...


WHITE TAILED HAWK
Habitat map: Hawk


BLACK TERN
Habitat map: Tern


ROSEATE SPOONBILL
Habitat map: Spoonbill

For use of graphic link in your post, copy text in gray text area below and paste into your blog post: <a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSGykwuxLDOwQrESJgGvZEYYSjnrWmY_rGW2MegmddZNS5V5c0EXWlqbu3s4mtxehEUPnfRUQhoGhFuoIvgFk4goVKTaQBRZg5Ij2GX98-xSsPuvVkUZTMSkxmRRwaAI5EBo3OMjDdEU/s1600/IRBBlogo.png" width="120" height="120" /></a></center> or use text linking only copy text in gray text area below and paste into your blog post: <a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" />Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'</a></center>

Linking Tool is now closed

§ A New Bird for Me!

During this past week in mid-August, I believe I've correctly ID'd this bird seen. If I am wrong, please advise. If it IS what I think it is, it's a new bird for me. They are supposedly common on the southwest border of Texas... [but mainly in Old Mexico]. Dane, one of the hawkwatch experts, tells me they are rare in the Corpus Christi area, but can occasionally be seen. My first sighting [1st photo in the series] was at Hilltop Community Park -and this photo shows sharper details!  Then, in fact, I saw this sparrow species AGAIN at the hawkwatch platform in Calallen Texas, [the hawk watch months between August 1st and November 15th began], but Dane [a gentleman expert who runs the hawkwatch yearly] wasn't there at the time I was there, so I had no help and am relying on my bird guide books.

OLIVE SPARROW
photo taken:  Hilltop Community Park
habitat map:  Sparrow

The Olive Sparrow is easily identified by its olive-colored back (the only sparrow in North America with such a plumage feature), prominent stripe through its eye, and brown stripes on its crown. It is mostly a bird of Mexico, with scattered populations in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Belize. It is also found in the U.S. in southern Texas. They can be a difficult bird to see, given their preference for remaining close to the ground in thick cover. They are frequently heard however, with a distinctive song of accelerating series of chip notes.

OLIVE SPARROW
photos taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Sparrow

Another day trip, birding, was walking behind Texas A and M Corpus Christi along the northeast shore of Oso Bay [this area used to be an Army Air Force Base.  Where during WWII President George H W Bush was trained to become a pilot] -Ward Island.  Anyway, along the water's edge and off the trail, here are a few birds seen.. All images below are taken at Oso Bay near Naval Air Station on university property, bike/hike trail..

WILSON'S PLOVER
habitat map: Plover


ROSEATE SPOONBILL
habitat map: Spoonbill


SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER[found in salt water, long billed-very similar, is found in fresh water]
habitat map: Dowitcher


BLACK BELLIED PLOVER
habitat map: Plover

Other birds seen that morning were stilts, little blue herons, white pelicans, brown pelicans, willets, sanderlings, great blue herons, black skimmers, royal terns, common terns, seagull, snowy egrets, great egrets.

For use of graphic link in your post, copy text in lavender text area below
and paste into your blog post:

<a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSGykwuxLDOwQrESJgGvZEYYSjnrWmY_rGW2MegmddZNS5V5c0EXWlqbu3s4mtxehEUPnfRUQhoGhFuoIvgFk4goVKTaQBRZg5Ij2GX98-xSsPuvVkUZTMSkxmRRwaAI5EBo3OMjDdEU/s1600/IRBBlogo.png" width="120" height="120" /></a> or use text linking only copy text in lavender text area below and paste into your blog post:
<a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" />Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'</a>

§ National Seashore Birds

For a couple of days this past week, we had a dry air mass come in! With less humidity. And it was half-way comfortable. Still warm temperatures, but not suffocating with a heat index at the century mark. It's warming up again, but the mornings are comfortable for now.   I'm sure the humidity will begin to build up again before Summer's over.

I drove one morning to Padre Island National Seashore [Federal Park], mostly to walk along the beach. I really didn't expect to see many birds other than the usual seagulls. I saw a few of them, and a few others:

SANDERLING
photo taken:  Padre Island NationalSeashore
habitat map:  Sanderling


One of my favorite birds to see, always, is the Semi-Palmated Plover.  They are so cute!!!



PIPING PLOVER
photos taken:  Padre Island National Seashore
habitat map:  Plover


WILLET
photo taken:  Padre Island National Seashore
habitat map: Willet


LAUGHING GULL
photo taken:  Padre Island National Seashore
habitat map:  Gull

I finished walking my 4.5 miles and drove off the beach, back onto the park highway...I decided to turn off the main road and direct the car to Bird Basin in the Laguna Madre area of the reserve. In the Spring this can be a hot spot for two plovers that are uncommon...the snowy plover and piping plover. [All Plovers are a protected species - I'm not sure if it's a national protection law or just this parkland]  I parked, got out and began walking the mudflats [dried out from lack of rain]. I saw three plovers on the flats, flitting along the ground to escape my invasion...two adults and what I believe to be an immature. These plovers are uncommon in our area also. The tell-tale ID mark is the dull gray-pink legs and feet, and thick, black bill. The Wilson's Plover:

The last photo of this series, I'm thinking this smaller is the immature.  The photo really doesn't show the size difference.  And the lighter, larger one is the female.  Perhaps the mama?  The  male is in the 2nd to last image in the series...front

WILSON'S PLOVER
photos taken:  Bird Basin PINS
habitat map:  Plover



Other birds seen nearby and across the Lagoon that morning:


LONG BILLED CURLEW
photos taken:  Bird Basin PINS
habitat map:  Curlew


REDDISH EGRET [white morph]
photo taken:  Bird Basin PINS
habitat map:  Egret


ROYAL TERN
photo taken:  Bird Basin PINS
habitat map:  Tern









For use of graphic link in your post, copy text in lavender text area below
and paste into your blog post:

<a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSGykwuxLDOwQrESJgGvZEYYSjnrWmY_rGW2MegmddZNS5V5c0EXWlqbu3s4mtxehEUPnfRUQhoGhFuoIvgFk4goVKTaQBRZg5Ij2GX98-xSsPuvVkUZTMSkxmRRwaAI5EBo3OMjDdEU/s1600/IRBBlogo.png" width="120" height="120" /></a> or use text linking only copy text in lavender text area below and paste into your blog post:
<a href="http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com" />Linking to I'd Rather B Birdin'</a>