Pollywog Ponds and "Foot Shipping"...

Nearly a couple of weeks ago, in Victoria County [about 90 miles from where I live in Corpus Christi], a rare bird was spotted and photographed. It was reported on the ABA TX Birds....Bud and I planned to go the following day after the report, then, several 'bird chasers' had updated the forum that there was now a 'no show'...statement  by one birder, he saw it fly off to the southwest. The morning we planned on driving there to see if we could find it, many many birders said "it's left"!! Well, that saved us time and gas money. LOL!! The bird was a stork. More specifically a Jabiru! Maybe someday again another vagrant will show itself in the land of Texas!!!

I walked the backwoods to reach Pollywog Ponds. With no substantial rain [a few short rainstorms have made it into our area at last!] since the flooding in mid-May, the two ponds are drying up as seen here on my personal blog, Hootin' Anni's. But there was a bit of activity: Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Green Herons, an immature BC Night Heron, Kiskadees, Stilts, Kingbirds, Cardinals, Flycatchers, Vultures, along with these...


American Avocet

Western Sandpiper

Least Grebe

LEAST GREBE, WESTERN SANDPIPER, AMERICAN AVOCET
photos taken: Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat maps: Grebe, Sandpiper, Avocet

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The following bird photos are from Spring - 2016!! Speaking of Grebes, I have never seen this stance before this season! I found this Pied Billed Grebe at Port Aransas. Honestly, I have never EVER seen  this water bird  prop its legs/feet into its wings such as this one...have you?

Pied Billed Grebe

You'd think: "that's just gotta hurt!!" A contortionist.  And the way it floated around, it was quite entertaining! But my goodness....yep, I hurt just seeing this and thinking how nice to be so flexible. At my age?.... Not on your life!! Okay, so since I re-found these photos in my archive folders, I did some research and read that this is a common maneuver for the grebe [and loons]. Here is a sampling of what I read:

This action is called FOOT SHIPPING...an inborn trait of grebes and loons.   And scientists now think they do this for a reason. Not only are grebes' legs and feet at or near their buttocks [podiceps -the family/genus of all grebes, in Latin, means just that], but the particular action is common knowledge. And the reason is thought to be a warming technique because grebes' and loons' legs are so located making them very clumsy out of water...walking is too difficult so they remain in the water for most of their lives - even floating nests. I digress....the leg/foot maneuver is now thought to be how they warm their feet and legs when in cold water continually. They first dry their feet, stretching their legs behind their bodies, drying them in the sun/air...then, tuck their feet/legs between their wings...warming up! Nature at its finest!! Here is a series of images of a loon, FOOT SHIPPING

PIED BILLED GREBE
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Grebe


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One more set of photos, then I'll let you share your photos!! While walking the elevated boardwalk at Charlie's Pasture North, in Port Aransas, a lark flew toward me and landed on the walkway behind me. Before it left, I got these three poses on 'film'...

Horned Lark
HORNED LARK
photos taken: Charlie's Pasture - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map: Lark


Now share your birding experiences:












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