I'd Rather B Birdin': Mallard

Showing posts with label Mallard. Show all posts

§ Parks...

At Oso Bay Wetlands, while I was walking the trails, there were two Caracaras flying overhead, one landed in a tree, watching my every move. I saw one land ahead of me by several yards, on the trail, picking up in its mouth, twigs. Preparing a nest somewhere?

CRESTED CARACARA
photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Caracara

This Wren was bathing at the parks double drip system...

HOUSE WREN
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Wren

Several waterfowl on the larger of the two ponds at Bazemore park. I'm happy when I actually get some action other than them swimming ...

MALLARD DUCK [female]
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Mallard

The Parakeets were everywhere at West Guth Park the other day! And a noisy ruckus they were creating throughout!!

MONK PARAKEET [once caged, now introduced to wild flocks]
photos taken: West Guth Park
habitat map: Parakeet

Just off the high observation tower, one lone egret was on the hunt...

GREAT EGRET
photo taken: Oso Bay Wetlands
habitat map: Egret

At W. Guth Park's duck pond, the Cormorants were spreading their wings in unison...

CORMORANT
photos taken: West Guth Park
habitat map: Cormorant

In Texas, along the coast, we have two cormorant species, the Neotropic and the Double Crested. The Neotropic is quite a bit smaller overall. I usually decipher between the two by the length of the beak...but coloration and angle of the gular [throat area] is also a definitive ID factor.

[not my graphic: no copyright infringement intended -for educational use only]

A couple of Red-winged Blackbirds were singing to each other...

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD
photo taken: Bazemore Park
habitat map: Blackbird

At Lakeview park, there are always several White Ibis...

WHITE IBIS
photo taken: Lakeview Park
habitat map: Ibis

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§ May Birds

Stll, the weather the past three weeks has just been no good, nor is the birding population. A couple of weeks ago, South Padre Island had a rare bird reported [about 200 miles from our home], but each time we planned on going there to see if we could find it Bud and I decided not to go because of the heavy rains forecasted. Oh well....it was just a pigeon. A white crowned pigeon from the Caribbean. At least that is what I've been saying to myself to help with the disappointment of not getting to travel there. It has now left and not been re-spotted anywhere close. [At least as of this posting].

So, with the lack of good birding in our area, I am going to go back to the month of May and share some more photos from then.....

MALLARD DUCK [domestic]
photo taken: Lakeview Park
habitat map: Duck

LONG BILLED THRASHER [compare to brown thrasher with brighter plumage, straight bill, and yellow eyes. Texas' Long Billed Thrasher is duller in color, a slightly longer, down-curve bill and orange eyes]

photo taken: Blucher Park
habitat map: Thrasher

BLACK SKIMMER
photos taken: Rockport Park
habitat map: Skimmer

SPOTTED SANDPIPER
photo taken: Botanical Gardens
habitat map: Sandpiper

PIED BILLED GREBE
photo taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Grebe

GROVE BILLED ANI
photo taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Ani

[hidden] GREAT BLUE HERON
photos taken: Pollywog Ponds
habitat map: Heron

TEXAS GOLDFINCH [or Lesser Goldfinch with all black head]
photos taken: Falfurrias Texas
habitat map: Goldfinch
*is is molting?

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§ Lakeview Fowl...

Most of my initial conversation today will be on the book I just finished reading: "THE GENIUS OF BIRDS" by Jennifer Ackerman. My opinion of the book is just that...MY opinion. All in all, if you're in the least interested in birds and what they 'think', why they 'act as they do', their 'learning skills', tool making and even bird art; the scientific approach of their brain/genius, then, this is the book for you!! Throughout the pages, there is wit, wisdom, and wonderment! You will read about decades of scientific research on the brain functions/size of brain through trials and tribulations of many species. There are success stories, and things that go 'flat'...literally [page 92 of the soft paperback edition] in reference to a Kea letting air out an automobile tire [intentional maybe? Who knows!] Another few pages that had me laughing out loud was a family parrot...learning the language of humans and imitating sounds that it heard throughout the day...for instance the human couple's voices where their tone was spot on and confused the two - it was the bird! And more antics, the sound of the cellphone ringing...again perfect pitch...and again, the bird! -The bird would even mimic the man, answering the phone "hello"...Uhuh, uhuh, uhuh"...then the sound of a flat ringtone; hanging up [page 146-47]. Perusing the book if you choose, you'll also learn theories about bird navigation, the use of stars and at times how they can become disorientated. At one point near the end, I found myself in just a tad bit of puzzlement. Throughout many pages Ms. Ackerman covered how birds can smell...the nerve is in their beaks that submit neurons to their brains...experimenting with crows and how to award them with a correct decision from identical shapes [the award was a morsel of food] --- it continued to pick the correct two pairs of matching images...well, perhaps, but she never mentioned that it was all possible the bird could SMELL the food?!! Why wasn't that brought to our attention? A worthy book to read, 4 stars out of 5 being the best kind of book...it is on the New York Times Bestseller List!

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Oh, I failed to mention...Ms. Ackerman also pointed out that the House Sparrow [see below] can be found on EVERY continent but Antarctica. Okay, on with my birding:

Tho the thermometer reads in the high 80's low 90s, the heat index has been enough for the weather app on my phone to issue heat advisories of 110-114 degrees! So, these photos I share today are some from a couple of weeks ago while on an early morning stroll around the lake at a city park that is home to many, many pigeons and gulls, along with several domesticated ducks and geese. Every once in a while cormorants, egrets, herons, teals, a few sandpipers may be seen. Oh and two resident roosters!! It's a popular place for parents to bring their small children to feed the waterfowl and turtles!!

photos taken: Lakeview Park - Corpus Christi, Texas

MUSCOVY DUCKS and ducklings
habitat map: Muscovy

CORMORANTS
habitat map: Cormorants

HOUSE SPARROW [female]
habitat map: Sparrow

MOTTLED DUCKS
habitat map: Duck

Now share your birding experiences:

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§ Pretty and Cute ones- Handsome ones too...

...some downy soft feathers and beautiful song...
...these are a few of my favorite pics!!!

Sorry, I thought of the song sung by Julie Andrews "These Are A Few of My Favorite Things" when I decided to just post some of my favorite photos from my albums. Not much to say about them; hope you'll enjoy!!!

Mallard Duckling

photo taken: Downtown Marina - Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat range: Mallard Duck

Roseate Spoonbill

photo taken: Charlie's Pasture - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat range: Roseate Spoonbill

Magnificent Frigatebird

photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat range: Magnificent Frigatebird

Willet

photo taken: Sunset Lake - Portland, Texas
habitat range: Willet

Little Green Heron

photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat range: Green Heron

Least Bittern

photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat range: Least Bittern

Sea Gulls

photo taken: NORTH Padre Island - Gulf of Mexico
habitat range: Laughing Sea Gull

Tri Colored Heron

photo taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat range: Tri Colored Heron

NOTE: 100 years ago this week, the last of the Passenger Pigeons [that once numbered in the billions] passed away ...read her story and history in the New York Times Article HERE Martha is now in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D. C.

Now share your birding experiences:

§ In the air on land and sea...

BLACK CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
photo taken: Our backyard Corpus Christi Texas

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE
[population very rare, but growing, in USA]
photo taken: Paradise Ponds, Port Aransas Texas
Habitat Range in North America: