§ One of My Favorite Photos this Week!!!

Top to Bottom [with habitat map links]
Long Billed Curlew
Wilson's Phalarope
Spotted Sandpiper
Cinnamon Teal
Crested Caracara [One of my Favorite Pictures!!! My son spotted it through the fog on the highway to Padre Island National Seashore - I had to put the car in reverse to get the photo...well worth the effort.]


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§ Waterfowl and ONE Reptile...

I've only been out birding a couple of times this past week. Due to a huge job of a huge chore for Bud and me. And, that is cleaning up winter kill in our yards. So, without further narration, this is some of what I saw on the islands:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS
Habitat map: Pelican


GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Habitat map: Yellowlegs


AMERICAN AVOCET
Habitat map: Avocet


GREAT BLUE HERON
Habitat map: Heron


LONG BILLED DOWITCHER
Habitat map: Dowitcher


CINNAMON TEAL
Habitat map: Teal


LEAST GREBE
Habitat map: Grebe


TRI-COLORED HERON
[AND American Alligator]
Habitat maps: Heron - Alligator


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§ Long Saught After...

It's been since Springtime just before Hurricane Harvey [3-4 years already?] that I've seen this one! I've been diligent each time I go where there would be a possible sighting, but to no avail. Until this week. We have had frosty days where I haven't gone out to do any walking or birding. And then, one day, thinking I'd go on a walk about on the islands, I took off only to have the engine light come on on the dashboard of my car. I wasn't about to get out in the 'boonies' and have no way of getting back home without roadside assistance. I turned around, dropped the car off at the mechanics and walked home. They did a computer analysis and called me some hours later, had it fixed, and the very next day I was out enjoying the sunny day and mild temperature. And, to top it off, I finally sighted in on the elusive bird. According to my guide books, they are commonly seen, but I can't agree to this. At least not in MY area of Texas. I was happy about seeing it tho! And here he is. He was busy preening, and I took several photos, showing one with his beautiful wings visible:

CINNAMON TEAL [male]
Habitat map: Teal

Other birds seen in the same area of Port Aransas on this day; some in photos below while others counted and recorded were Avocets, Green Winged Teals, Grackles, Mockingbirds, Blue Winged Teals, Ladder Backed Woodpecker, White and Brown Pelicans, Coots, Gulls, Cormorants, Gallinules, Egrets, Killdeer, Robins [continuing winter based this year],  White winged Doves, Terns, and probably more that I can't recall just now...


AMERICAN KESTREL
Habitat map: Kestrel

OSPREY
Habitat map: Osprey


YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER [aka Myrtle]
Habitat map: Warbler


REDHEAD DUCK
Habitat map: Duck


TRI-COLORED HERON
Habitat map: Heron


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§ Water Birds...

For this week, it's all about water birds seen in the area and on the islands...

One...

This species was reported as being seen for several different days in the recent weeks...but, each time I went there, it was hidden or left only to return after I was no where near. LOL Then, one day as I was watching a few pied billed grebes playing in the water with their aerobic skills, near the reed I spotted the beautiful red-eyed one way in the distance. Actually too far from me to get sharp images, but oh well!! Yes indeed...

EARED GREBE [winter plumage* *]
* * Summer Plumage Seen on this post

photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge

habitat map: Grebe

Two:

This particular egret was on the boardwalk railing at the same refuge. I could've reached out and touched it with my hand!!

GREAT EGRET

photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge

habitat map: Egret

Three:

This is one of my favorites of the duck family. The color is magnificent. Tho, again, it didn't cooperate while I was there; not giving me a full frontal view of its beauty...

CINNAMON TEAL

photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge

habitat map: Teal

Four:

This next pair was spotted on a trip to Bishop, Texas in hopes of seeing a reported bird I've not had the opportunity to photograph [a black phoebe]. Tho the phoebe was not found, these beautiful birds displayed their 'colors' perfectly...

HOODED MERGANSERS [male with black 'hood']

photos taken: Park - Bishop, Texas

habitat map: Mergansers

Five:

At a local reserve, on the shore of the bay area, an osprey was dining on his breakfast! I watched for some time...listening to it's shrieking call when it felt threatened with other bird [mostly gulls] fly-overs...

OSPREY

photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands- Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Osprey

Six:

As I walked the boardwalk planks to the elevated observation deck at our 'north bay', this one was watching me...

REDDISH EGRET

photo taken: North Bay Area - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Egret

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§ Island Hopping..

My brother in law, Al, just passed away Thursday after a short stay at the hospital in Denver... I will be taking some time from blogging, tho this post was pre scheduled to publish today [Saturday] ---I will have no other postings until after the bereavement time I plan on taking. Keep in touch...I will let y'all know when I return via my personal blog at HOOTIN' ANNI'S THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KINDNESS - IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED ~Anni

The past weekend, on Sunday, I drove to the islands in search of the elusive Aplomado Falcon [see my right sidebar - top widget]. A few years back, several of these were released on Mustang Island where once they flourished. With the loss of habitat by the invasion of architectural construction and human habitation along the beaches, the falcons slowly disappeared and have now been reintroduced in hopes of a comeback. Several people I know that frequent the islands have spotted them...but so far, for me, the quest has not been filled. I will continue in hopes of seeing one to add to my list of photographed birds in Texas. In the meantime, I travel the highways and beaches along the sand dunes and always end my trip in Port Aransas...a small fishing village and tourist area. These are some I spotted:

AMERICAN WIDGEON [variant sp: Wigeon]

photo taken: Leonabelle Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Widgeon

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON [immature]

photo taken: Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Night Heron

CINNAMON TEAL

photo taken: Leonabelle Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Cinnamon Teal

GREEN WINGED TEAL

photo taken: Leonabelle Birdin Center - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Teal

GREAT KISKADEE

photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Kiskadee

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

photo taken: Hans Suter Wildlife Reserve - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Shrike

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD

photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Mockingbird

CASPIAN TERN

photo taken: Oso Bay - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Tern

TRI COLORED HERON

photo taken: Hans Suter Wildlife Reserve - Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat map: Heron

YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER [Myrtle Species]

photo taken: Paradise Pond - Port Aransas, Texas

habitat map: Myrtle

Note: There are two subspecies of the Yellow Rumped Warbler - The Myrtle mostly in the south/east USA. The difference in marking: White Throat. The Audubon is the western counterpart of the Myrtle; with a yellow throat!  Read more here.

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