I'd Rather B Birdin': Stilt

Showing posts with label Stilt. Show all posts

§ Park Birds...

For most of the summer months, we have experienced drought and extreme heat. The latter part of August, we finally received some beneficial rainfall, but the steam bath is still here! Over the weekend it's predicted to begin with heavy storming and perhaps flooding in the area. It's either feast or famine! Anyway, I took a couple of short drives to a couple of local parks and spotted these [the ducks and stilt seen here are across the street from one of the parks]; in a flooded sorghum field...

CORMORANT
Habitat map: Cormorant

INCA DOVE
Habitat map: Dove

WHITE WINGED DOVE
Habitat map: Dove

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Habitat map: Hummingbird

SUMMER TANAGER[?] -Female
Habitat map: Tanager

BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS
Habitat map: Duck

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
Habitat map: Duck

BLACK NECKED STILT
Habitat map: Stilt

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§ Port Aransas Birding ....

I guess I'm making up for only have the one duck last week. This week, while on the islands, I saw very few birds. Even tho most of the birding hotspots had vacancy signs up. LOL. By that I mean, very little activity witnessed. I think most of the local year 'round birds are busy nesting or raising young. And the migrants have left our area until their return trip in the Fall. In Port Aransas I saw these among others...

STILT SANDPIPER
[I think! It had signs of yellow green legs, but very muddy, and the rufous crown and fading tell-tale rusty spot with the white eye line, and its larger size...if I am mistaken, please correct me!]
Habitat map: Sandpiper

REDDISH EGRET [white morph]
Habitat map: Egret

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT [left] & DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT [right]
Habitat map: N Cormorant - DC Cormorant

TRI COLORED HERON
Habitat map: Heron

GALLINULE [MOORHEN] and chick
Habitat map: Gallinule

BLACK NECKED STILT
Habitat map: Stilt

GREAT TAILED GRACKLE
Habitat map: Grackle

BROWN PELICAN
Habitat map: Pelican

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§ Island Birds...

It was another beautiful week weather-wise, and a couple of days I was able to hop in the car and head out for a bird search. I had planned on going out to Chapman Ranch area, but never got a chance. Maybe next week? I still haven't ID'd the sandpiper....Lesser? Yellowlegs? Or Greater? I'm thinking LESSER [note: Thanks to Phil, it's a Pectoral Sandpiper!!]. These are some of the ones I saw on the islands...

LAUGHING GULL

Habitat map: Gull

BLUE WINGED TEAL

Habitat map: Teal

AMERICAN AVOCET

Habitat map: Avocet

ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER

Habitat map: Warbler

BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER

Habitat map: Warbler

BLACK NECKED STILT

Habitat map: Stilt

PECTORAL SANDPIPER
Habitat map: Sandpiper

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§ Leonabelle's at Port Aransas...

One day recently I drove to the islands, and ended up at one of my favorite areas along the Coastal Bend...Port Aransas. I didn't stay too long tho, but was amazed at the "white" seen [scene?] on the pond at Leonabelle's Birding Refuge! The water was half covered with the great American White Pelicans. When I see them arriving in our area, I know Winter is nearing. The whole lake was quite active, and so was the walkway just before the boardwalk and the observation tower!! At one point I even took some video of the pelicans. It was, for the most part, the most activity I've seen of that species in a long time. I also sighted in on a couple of rare birds. The LEAST grebe [comparing the pied billed grebe with black eyes---the least grebe has yellow!] and the Palm Warbler. In fact the Palm Warbler is shown commonly to be a bit north and east of where I was at the time. I've seen them years ago, but didn't have my camera at the time, so this is the first photo proof of the warbler for me...

LEAST GREBE
Habitat map: Grebe

PIED BILLED GREBE
Habitat map: Grebe

PALM WARBLER
Habitat map: Warbler

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
Habitat map: Pelican

BLACK NECKED STILT
Habitat map: Stilt

AMERICAN AVOCET
Habitat map: Avocet

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§ Behind the Spanish Dagger, Hidden....

This past week, one day, I drove to the islands to do a bit of birding. I've actually changed my title passion from bird watcher to bird chaser! It seems lately, that's all I've been doing. The weather is much more Autumn like in South Texas. 60s in the early morning hours. NICE!! Anyway, I stopped at Leonabelle Birding Center. There was some water fowl on the lake, and a few early migrants along the path TO the lake. But, the migrants were warblers, and I couldn't catch a break...or a bird for that matter, in my camera frame. They were VERY flitty. The lake was rather quiet at that hour too. So, I walked across the street from Leonabelle's to the area that at times of the rainy season, is filled with shallow water...this week, it was mudflats. I walked onto the flats from the road and went behind the hills and tall grasses to other hidden ponds. Gulls and a few stilts were seen. As I turned to head back to the Birding Center, not seen at first behind all the Spanish Dagger plants...that's when I spied about 50-75 White Ibis hidden from the road's view! Among them were [each are linked to their habitat map] grackles, yellowlegs, stilts, snowy egrets, great egrets, and one lone Reddish Egret and one solitary Spoonbill. I snapped some images thru the viewfinder then set the camera on video recorder...