§ Drive By "Shooting"...

Would you believe the week after all the living room work was done, the weather got "pissy"!?!! My luck, I guess. We've had nasty cold temps for South Texas, dark gloomy sky, rains, frost, high winds, even the birds are huddled and hidden for the most part. A few days back, areas of Houston were hit by 140MPH winds and a  damaging tornado!! Our son is okay...but heavy rains came with it, and flooded streets. Maybe the coming week, the weather will improve. I hope so. Its no fun driving and taking photos from the car window!!

Top to bottom:
Black Crowned Night Heron [left, juvenile, right, adult]
Great Blue Heron
Common Tern
Eurasian Collared Dove
American Avocet
Juvenile Caracara


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§ Archive Birding...

I almost didn't make it here this week! It's been a few hours every morning, early, working on our backyard weed population. Even with a severe drought, it seems that unwanted weeds thrive!! Bud and I got about half way done in four days' work.  Next week, more to come.  We will take the weekend off.  LOL  But, mind you, we only worked until the heat became unbearable. We figured so many other states/people are having worse weather than we are...we need to find the bright side of it and quit complaining!! No floods, no tornadoes, no tropical storms, etc. So, needless to say, the photos I share are from earlier this month since I haven't been out of the yard much!!

BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS
Habitat map: Ducks



BROWN PELICAN
Habitat map: Pelican


ROSEATE SPOONBILL
Habitat map: Spoonbill


COMMON TERN
Habitat map: Tern

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§ Paradise Pointe...

If you follow me on my personal blog, Hootin' Anni's, you know that the week prior, I took my last trip to the islands for a while since the next two weeks will be College Spring Break here on our beaches. I wanted to go before the reported Whooping Crane Family of three leaves for the northern breeding grounds. I heard that they were filling up on blue crabs [that's a sure sign they're getting ready to migrate for their summer home]. Where they were reported at Port Aransas, I didn't find them the day I was there. I saw many other birds tho, included below. As I got ready to go home to Corpus after about 3-4 hours walking and birding, I decided to stop at a residential area that has canals and low lying fresh waterways that butt up against the homes. Before I even got into the area that the subdivision began, I saw the family!!  I arrived on the right day at the right time.  The three were nearly arms' distance from me at times.  The male, when upright, he stood a good 1/2 foot taller than I am!! Needless to say I was thrilled beyond measure!!
...They were busy dining. Follow me to Paradise Pointe...



WHITE FACED IBIS [snowy egret in background]
[not glossy]...white faced have red eyes, glossy ibises have black eyes
Habitat map: Ibis



ROSEATE SPOONBILL
Habitat map: Spoonbill



AMERICAN AVOCET
Habitat map: Avocet



ROYAL TERN
Habitat map: Tern



COMMON TERN
Habitat map: Tern



COMMON GALLINULE [aka moorhen]
Habitat map: Gallinule



WHOOPING CRANE[s]...male, female and juvenile
Habitat map: Crane


Spotting the Cranes in their winter habitat, made my winter birding complete! Now, I can concentrate on Spring Migration!!

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The Linking is now closed. Come back and share your birds with us on Saturady [March 20th at NOON, Central DST]

§ November Birds...

Taken on several different days this month, I'm sharing some "November Birds":  The Tern image, below, is a bit of a challenge, I may have mis-ID'd it.  If wrong, please correct me!!  Most times, with terns, I would like to, secretly, say "U Tern, Wrong Tern, Right Tern, Left Tern or....TERN around"!  [kidding].  Thing is, the winter plumage and colors are different in most cases....even more challenging.

Broad Winged Hawk
photo taken:  Rose Hill Cemetery - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Hawk


Reddish Egrets [white morph]
photo taken:  Charlie's Pasture North - Port A, Texas
habitat map:  Egret


Scissortailed Flycather
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Flycatcher


Little Blue Heron
photo taken:  Indian Point Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Heron


Common Tern [winter plumage] (Forsters?}
photo taken:  Sunset Lakes - Portland, Texas
habitat map:  Tern


Scarlet Tanager
photo taken:  West Guth Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Tanager


Northern Cardinal
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Cardinal


American Wigeon
photo taken:  Pollywog Ponds - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat map:  Wigeon


Crested Caracara
photo taken:  Near Corpus Christi Ship Channel - Port A, Texas
habitat map:  Caracara


Great Blue Heron
photo taken:  Paradise Pond - Port A, Texas
habitat map:  Heron



This photo is huge *4265x640 pixels!  Panoramic View of estimated 1000
Redhead Ducks
photo taken:  Leonabelle Bird Refuge - Port A Texas
habitat map:  Duck


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§ By the North Bay Fishing Pier...

As I posted on my personal blog, I promised to share better photos of the water bird spotted by the pier! A couple of weeks ago Bud and I walked the trail of the combined parks - Sunset Lakes and Indian Point. Indian Point is within the city limit boundary of Corpus Christi, while Sunset Lakes, tho connected by the same trail, is within the boundary of Portland, Texas. At the park, Indian Point, there is a large fishing pier that juts out into the north bay. From any vantage point you can see the city skyline and harbor bridge. Ship traffic can be busy at a distance. It's beautiful in any weather, but my favorite time to walk along this trail is during heavy fog. On this particular day tho, it was partly cloudy...at times, bright sunshine making the bay sparkle like diamonds. From the bird observation deck, we spotted a whole slew of wintering redheaded ducks. Walking from the deck to the pier area, where there is a large rock outcropping, the terns and seagulls were grooming and enjoying the weather as much as I was....

After taking the photos, I scanned the horizons and along the pier. From several hundred yards, at the edge of the south end of the pier, I thought I spotted a Common Loon. Blinking, it disappeared as it dived into the sea. Could it be a loon? There was no other human intrusion on the pier so, we took it upon ourselves to enter through the gate and walk out onto the pier. 'Bout halfway along, to the north, I spied the loon!  At this time, it wasn't close, but thinking it was the only chance to get a photo of it, I snapped the lens shutter. We continued walking. Bud went left, I went right...right to the end. And watched, and watched...hoping it would resurface nearby. It did!!! And so close, I could almost reach out and touch it!! Then, there were two...then three!!! Three Common Loons!!! These are best photos of this particular species I have to date. Both a male and female...one, after diving for food, came up with what looks like a cusk, -an eel like fish- because of its pinkish coloring and flat form with darker dorsal area; in its mouth.  Did I mention they were close to the pier for the most part? I was elated! And took DOZENS of pictures.:

REDHEAD DUCK
TERNS
COMMON LOON
photos taken: Indian Point Park - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat maps: Duck, Tern, Loon

When the two of us readied to leave, as we walked the long straight section back to the parking lot, Bud told me he saw two loons off to the left side!  That made five that day.   One is uncommon in our midst, two is almost unheard of...but five!?!!!




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