I'd Rather B Birdin': Hummingbird

Showing posts with label Hummingbird. Show all posts

§ Calallen Texas

Early one morning I left for the park* in Calallen, Texas. And, to my surprise, I kinda think I hit "pay dirt" with a variety of birds [and mosquitoes as big as birds it seems]. Hawks, flycatchers, starlings, mockingbirds, shrikes, herons, ducks, cardinals, sparrows, caracaras, kiskadees, hummingbirds, and one I haven't seen in quite a long time...a solitare kingfisher! I also spotted an elusive rail, but at another park [Port A] Those listed are just the ones I can recall seeing. There were more species. I'll share just a few of the photos of along the park road:

CLAPPER RAIL
Habitat map: Rail

GREEN KINGFISHER
Habitat map: Kingfisher

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Habitat map: Hummingbird

VERMILION FLYCATCHER
Habitat map: Flycatcher

RED SHOULDERED HAWK
Habitat map: Hawk

LITTLE GREEN HERON
Habitat map: Heron

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* Bazemore Park - Calallen, Texas

§ April Archives...

This week, for lack of going out birding for any length of time, I share new photos from this past April when life was a bit less concerning with the global virus threat in our area of Texas...

BLACK POLL WARBLER
photo taken: Port Aransas Birding Center
habitat map: Warbler
Length:
Wingspan:

BLACK CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Hummingbird
Length: 3.75 inches
Wingspan: 4.75 inches

PAINTED BUNTING
photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Bunting
Length: 5.5 inches
Wingspan: 8.5 inches

BALTIMORE ORIOLE [female]
photo taken: Packery Channel
habitat map: Oriole
Length: 7-8 inches
Wingspan: 11-12 inches

CATTLE EGRET
photo taken: Mustang Island
habitat map: Egret
Length: 20 inches
Wingspan: 36 inches

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
photo taken: Back yard [home]
habitat map: Hummingbird
Length: 3.5 inches
Wingspan: 4.5 inches

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Those participating:

Nature Footstep
Arun
Linda, Virginia, USA
Jean@SoNotOrganized
Lea's Menagerie
Eileen
Travels With Birds [no hyperlink]
Birds Seen in Europe and Africa
Ella
Rosyfinch Ramblings
Phil
Lavender Dreams

§ Along the Gulf Coast

This post was initially supposed to be published a couple weeks ago, but other bird outing blogs prevented me from posting before now.

On my personal blog, Hootin' Anni's, I shared a day at the Hummingbird Festival in Rockport Texas, Thousands of migrant hummers were seen....nectar feeders were strategically placed around the area, and the birds were in a frenzied feeding mode. Seen HERE. I drove to many areas in the two town radius, and was truly amazed to see so many numbers of migrants stopping over to replenish their body weight before crossing the Gulf of Mexico on their way south for the winter!! Here I share another area while I watched some of their activity. There are two 'throated humingbirds' that are nearly identical, and the 2nd photo is/was possibly a black-chinned 'cause his throat was more a purple coloration instead of the 'ruby' throat as seen in the 1st image. But before I could get a better photo to show the chin differences, the 2nd one flew off into a nearby tree to not show itself for me again. So, truly, even tho they're east west counterparts, their habitat maps show they intersect in Texas....it remains unknown.

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
BLACK CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
photos taken: Linda Castro Sanctuary
habitat map: Hummingbird [ruby] - [black chinned]

Also seen at the same pond were:

LEAST GREBE
photo taken: Linda Castro Sanctuary
habitat map: Grebe

GREAT EGRET
photo taken: Linda Castro Sanctuary
habitat map: Egret

Then, a few days later on my morning walk at Oso Bay Wetlands, I was surprised to see a pair of storks ....

WOOD STORKS
photos taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Stork

Participant Listing Before Closing on Thursday
LINKS below:
Lea: Morning Dove
Rosyfinch Ramblings
Lavender Dreams
Phil in UK
Eileen
Cecilia Upchurch
David Gascoigne
Linda: Virginia USA
Christina: Sweeden
Lea: Killdeer
Shiju Sugunan

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§ Gone Birdin'!!

These birds were seen on two different mornings in mid-September:

September 15th...
All were seen in or near the Leonabelle Nature Reserve

TRI-COLORED HERON
habitat map: Heron

COMMON MORHEN [Gallinule]
habitat map: Gallinule

BLACK SKIMMERS
habitat map: Skimmer

BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERONS
habitat map: Heron

SNOWY EGRETS [mainly] One great heron, tricolored and spoonbill
habitat map: Egret

September 17th...
All were seen at Bazemore Park:

BROWN THRASHER
habitat map: Thrasher

BLACK NECKED STILTS
habitat map: Stilt

OLIVE SPARROW
habitat map: Sparrow

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [female]
habitat map: Hummingbird

LITTLE GREEN HERON
habitat map: Heron

CRESTED CARACARA
habitat map: Caracara

BALTIMORE ORIOLE [it flew in front of me into the tree never to be spotted again! I was lucky to get this much of it...most times it's a photo of a branch only]
habitat map: Oriole

BLACK CRESTED TITMOUSE
habitat map: Titmouse

Participant Listing Before Closing on Thursday
LINKS below:

Rosy Finch Ramblings
Lavender Dreams
Nature Footstep Photography
Birds Seen in Europe and Africa
Orchid
Lea's Menagerie
Irma
Owl Sketch

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§ Migrants and Migration, and a Book on Migration...

The weather continues to improve, the migrants are moving in, and moving out quickly...I finally saw my first hummingbird of the season. I have feeders out for them, but saw my first at a park. I am reading a hardcover book I found at our used book store, a first edition, that was published in 1999 on the subject of migration....the author's research and opinions along with many revelations throughout history since the time birds were noted. From flight patterns, to thermal zones, how one bird may run off course and land in an area considered a rarity...so so much to learn. It may be twenty years since published, but the author and time frame can very well be today, yet some, tho old school, still works for research in the 21st century!! I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about banding birds, food stations needed, sleep patterns, reasoning and theorizing about bird migrations. The mileage these birds fly twice a year just continues to astound me. The book: Living on the Wind by Scott Weidensaul. You can find used copies through Amazon for as little at a couple of dollars, most under $10!!!

This is a busy time of year for Bud and me. So, I'll stop writing now, and just share some photos taken recently...

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Hummingbird

GREAT KISKADEE [nest building]
photos taken: Hazel Bazemore Park
habitat map: Kiskadee

LITTLE GREEN HERON
photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Heron

SCISSORTAILED FLYCATCHER
photo taken: Packery Channel Park [field]
habitat map: Flycatcher

top: MATING KILLDEER bottom: KILLDEER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS
photos taken: Hazel Bazemore Park
habitat maps: Killdeer - Yellowlegs

COOPER'S HAWK
photos taken: Rose Hill Cemetery
habitat map: Hawk

GRACKLE
photo taken: Main Library
habitat map: Grackle

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§ Calallen Texas

§ April Archives...

§ Along the Gulf Coast

§ Gone Birdin'!!

§ Migrants and Migration, and a Book on Migration...

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