Great Scot....Scoter!

At the end of November and the first couple of weeks in December this past year [2014], while Bud and I visited the local Botanical Gardens, the surrounding outdoor property, that belongs to the Gardens, has a vast outdoor/nature hiking trail for pedestrian traffic and us avid birders. There is a pond with an elevated watch tower, a palm frond covered gazebo, and a wetlands boardwalk trail. When we checked in and paid our fee to go birding along the trails, the gift shop docent informed us there were two Great Horned Owls in the huge tree along the wetlands. One smaller and one very large owl. Natually, Bud and I made our way to stop at the wetlands first! The two of us only spotted the large Great Horned...

...we have yet to go back and check if the 2nd one is again visible. While there, tho, we also saw many American Shovelers, Coots, Egrets, White Pelicans in the canal flats. Along with coots, pintail, and shovelers in the pond [Gator Lake]. Of course as we walked the trail to the wetlands boardwalk, there were White Winged Doves and Northern Mockingbirds. In our area of Texas you can't go much of anywhere without seeing these two bird species.

GREAT HORNED OWL
photos taken:  Botanical Gardens Wetlands
habitat map:  Great Horned Owl

And it seems 2015 will be another year for some vagrant birds found mostly on the coastal waters and in Canada; in South Texas! This past Sunday, we actually had some sunshine. But, oh the cold winds coming off the Gulf was seriously bone chilling!! We didn't stay out long when arriving at our favorite spots. Most of the birds were hunkered down in the cold anyway....not very much activity. Then, by the time we got back home, I got an email alert that we had an unusual bird seen inland at Mustang Island State Park. Bud stayed home, I hopped in the car with my camera and drove back to the island in hopes of finding this 'new' species. I did...but the lighting wasn't all that good, and the winds remained cold and strong. I am now paying for being out in the weather...a nasty cold.

...a Surf Scoter ['o' pronounced like coat,...scoater] He was on the pond, with a female Canvasback and an American Coot

SURF SCOTER
photos taken: Mustang Island State Park
habitat map: Surf Scoter

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