I'd Rather B Birdin': pigeons

Bud and I took a day trip to Goose Island [near Rockport/Fulton/Lamar, Texas] the other day. There was a reported Bald Eagle in the vicinity. Tho we didn't spot the eagle, we were surprised to see three Whooping Cranes in the field, feeding along with the Sandhill Cranes and Cattle Egrets!! While taking a series of photos of a Red Tailed Hawk on a power pole, I sighted above my left shoulder two of the three Whooping Cranes flying in to land. I decided to go through my bird photos and 'collect' for this post birds throughout the year; in flight...

OSPREY
photo taken: Sunset Lakes - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Osprey

WHOOPING CRANES
photos taken: Goose Island State Park - Lamar, Texas
habitat map: Cranes

GREAT EGRET - FORSTER'S TERN
photos taken: Leonabelle Wildlife Refuge [Port Aransas, Texas] -- Padre Island National Seashore - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Egret, Tern

LITTLE BLUE HERON & WHITE IBIS
photos taken: Charlie's Pasture - Port Aransas, Texas -- Indian Point Park, Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Heron, Ibis

BROAD WINGED HAWK & ROSEATE SPOONBILL
photos taken: Rose Hill Cemetery - Corpus Christi, Texas -- Leonabelle Wildlife Refuge - Port A, Texas
habitat map: Hawk, Spoonbill

BROWN PELICAN & BLACK SKIMMER
photos taken: Packery Channel - Corpus Christi, Texas -- Indian Point Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Pelican, Skimmer

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER & PIGEONS
photos taken: Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas -- Lakeview Park, Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Oystercatcher, Pigeons [everywhere]

NORTHERN PINTAIL & [Harlan's ?] RED TAILED HAWK
photos taken: Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas -- Chapman's Ranch - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map: Pintail, Hawk [Same as Red-tailed...but this I found]

Range: Migratory - breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada and winters from Nebraska and Kansas to Texas and northern Louisiana. This population may well be a separate species.

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In the King James version of the Bible, Proverbs 11-14 it is quoted: "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." In my way of thinking in modern terms, even with animals and their ways, counsel, using it figuratively, would be the art of governing or giving counsel to be used as a collective. I've often watched a huge flock of birds...one invariably takes to flight and entire remaining populace follows. At times in flight...one bird oftentimes is in the lead as others follow. As an added thought to this, 'have you ever wondered why there are no... when taking to flight in mass numbers, why are there no collisions?' Or have you ever asked yourself, during hunting season, how do the birds know and disappear 'til the season has ended? --When we lived in Colorado, there was a boundary that no hunter was allowed on the East side of the interstate ---guess what? The geese would graze to their hearts content in numbers...on the east side of the highway!! Here in Texas, dove hunting is popular...and you guessed it...the doves disappear!! Is there a counsel/counselor? Anyway, to get back to my post this week, I thought to title this particular piece "There is safety in numbers"...indeed, with humans, four legged animals ...AND BIRDS for the most part [of course some species prefers just a couple or even rogue, but that's another post]. Safety in numbers - or so it seems:

For TexWisGirl, I dedicate these two photos of Whistlers...
Black Bellied Whistling Ducks after a heavy rain in 2013

Sandhill Cranes

Glossy Ibis [or white-faced]

Snowy Egrets

Sanderlings

Varied Pigeons

Black Skimmers

Laughing Gulls

Black Necked Stilts

Cedar Waxwings

Terns

Mostly Redhead Ducks

photos taken: Whistling Ducks -flooded field in Corpus Christi, TX - Goose Island, TX [crane] - Port Aransas, TX [ibis] - Charlie's Pasture, TX [snowy egret] - Portland, TX [sanderling] - Corpus Christi, TX [pigeon] - Port Aransas, TX [skimmer] - Corpus Christi, TX [laughing gull] - Port Aransas, TX [black necked stilt], and Paradise Pond [cedar waxwing] - Port Aransas Bay, TX [terns] - Port Aransas, TX [redhead ducks]

Please Note: This weekend is our 46th Wedding Anniversary [and Mother's Day the same day as our anniversary this year], so I probably won't be able to stop and visit with y'all 'til Monday!

Now, share your birding experiences:

§ Flight Patterns...

§ ...there is safety in numbers

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