Days 8-10--More Birding On a Shoestring At the Lower Rio Grande Valley

                                                                 Green Kingfisher

                                                              Blue-winged Teal Pair

                                                           American White Pelicans

                                                           Reddish Egret, White Morph

                                                                  White-tailed Hawk

                                                             Black-crested Titmouse


01-21 through 01-23-17

The weather has been excellent from the start, save for a couple of overcast days, but I
didn't even think about your ice storm, since I was able to leave a day early.

Highlights of this period were the Green Kingfisher and the Gray Hawk, but I must boast
several raptors during the trip that I never would have had in Oklahoma.

On the way back to the hotel was the best bird viewing, including this rare Reddish Egret,
the white morph.  The usual Reddish Egret is difficult enough to find unless you're in
this area, so I took full advantage and waited a few minutes for proper conditions.

This trip also hosted a few parrots, but since we had never been to the area, it was more difficult to get good shots.  I do promise that you'll see a couple of wild parrot species later!

I was also on a mission to get all the doves, and I did that, so there are more of those to come, too.

Days 6 and 7 Have Some Handy Waterfowl

                                                                   Black Phoebe

                                                             Orange-crowned Warbler
                                           

                                                                     Least Grebe

                                              American Avocets (Non-breeding Plumage)
   

                                                                   American Avocet

                                                               Sora (Rear, By Reeds)

                                                                  Sora (Same Location)

                                                                        Mottled Duck

                                                      Blue-winged Teal (Far Left)
                                                      Northern Shoveler (Center)

                                                                Northern Shoveler

                                                                        Osprey

                                                               Northern Shoveler (Left)
                                                                Northern Pintail (Right)

                                                                 Green-winged Teal

                                                                  Northern Shoveler

                                                                           Ditto


01-19 through 01-20-17

The Black Phoebe is another endemic bird of specifically this area, and my shot was
relatively successful.  At the time, a Border Patrol chopper was flying overhead (yes, I waved)
two more were running down a steep embankment toward the river which border this area, and
arrest two people crossing the river from Mexico to our side.  Since Mexico owns the Rio Grande,
it is somewhat easier to arrest people.  The important this was that even with all that ruckus, I still
got my Black Phoebe!

The Least Grebe also hails from southern Texas and can be easily identified with that yellow eye.

The American Avocets are still in non-breeding plumage in January.  This set of one-behind-the-
other appealed to me, as it was perfectly set.

The little Sora, can be found in any wet, marshy habitat and commonly winters in the area.

The Mottled Duck in easy to identify with the bright yellow bill.

Even though the Northern Pintail is a common duck, I had to come to Texas in order to get a
good photo, as they tend to be further away.

Ospreys are good for showing up in any vicinity that hosts fish, but I had no warning for this shot.
One more second and this bird would have been over a building.  The shadows always tell!

Representatives of Days 3 Through 5 In the Lower Rio Grande Valley

                                                                     Harris's Hawk

                                                                Black-necked Stilt

                                                                   Belted Kingfisher

                                                             Zebra Heliconian

                                                                        Merlin

                                                                 Vermilion Flycatcher

                                                                 Green-winged Teal

                                                                   Adult Male Anhinga

                                                             Juvenile or Female Anhinga


01-16 through 01-18-17

Now comes some of the meat and potatoes.  The days are longer and we even ran into a
Night-Heron colony.  For those of you that are not aware, Night-Herons are shunned and driven
away by herons, as they tend to eat heron eggs as well as young.  So both species will co-exist
peacefully by themselves.  The Anhinga was also nearby, too.

The Harris's Hawk family, meaning specific family members, such as a set of parents and their young
will stay together after one season.  The whole family can be found hunting together, just like birders.
Extra eyes can help, but they are also louder.  It all depends on what your end result might be.

Never fear, as there are plenty of ducks in the winter to be seen, and see, you shall.

There were many more photos, like the well-camouflaged Common Pauraque, Nutria, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Pintail, the Night-Herons, and more, but the photo files appear to be too large for blogspot posting now.  You will just have to see them in another fashion.

Happy birding!

020517 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

http://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-warming-trend-may-bring-new-birds/article_b0906a12-a746-5db6-b8c8-1fd002ed2370.html

Days One and Two of Birding the Lower Rio Grande Valley--Hidalgo County, TX

                                                                    Great Kiskadee

                                                                      Altamira Oriole

                                                                      Great Kiskadee

                                                                    White Peacock

                                                                    Great Kiskadee

                                                            African Spurred Tortoise

                                                             Ladder-backed Woodpecker

                                                               Red-bordered Pixie

                                                                 Couch's Kingbird

                                                            White-tailed Hawk
                                 

                                                                Eastern Phoebe



01-14 and 01-15-17

This was from the first two days on the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo County, just in
Mission, Texas alone.  One didn't have to look too hard in order to locate these wonders.
A self-guided tour is not a bad thing, which you will learn over the next couple of weeks, as
birding this area is good at any time of year.

Valley specialities, such as these are endemic to this area, except, of course, the African Spurred Tortoise, which was a rescued animal.  May I assure you that he is well treated, very friendly,
and is fed just like the king that he is.  He recently celebrated his 14th birthday, and chances are excellent that he will outlive you, no matter your age.

Also, the red fox squirrel is familiar to many people, but I couldn't resist showing you how he
manages to get his water, which is fresh.  Animals know where their bread is buttered and it
makes my heart sing in those respects.

The Couch's Kingbird may look familiar to some of you, but it must not be confused with the
Tropical Kingbird, also endemic to the area.  The Couch's will have a shorter bill than the tropical variety with more brown on the back.  The best way to tell is via its call, but it didn't utter a peep.

My shot of the White-tailed Hawk doesn't do it justice, but it was quite a distance from me.  I was actually fortunate to be able to get it in the bright sunlight as well as I did, and it is only one of many
birds of only The Valley.

And Then There Was a Distinction

                                                                      Ross's Goose

                                                                Male Carolina Wren

                                                                    Ross's Goose



January 2017

There were only a couple of freezes during the month, neither of which was very hard.  Since I was
in Texas for half the month working on photos of their endemic birds on the Lower Rio Grande Valley, very little was obtained at home.

However, you can see that it was more of the uncommon variety.  The Ross's Goose is no rarity, by
any stretch, but it comes less often than most winter birds.  The rarer flight shot was due to the fact that a couple of college students had come to feed gulls and geese, and my little goose was in fear,
so it moved elsewhere, coming relatively close for me to get this nice flight shot.

In the second shot, you can notice the size difference between the Canada and Ross's Goose with them so close together.

This Carolina Wren is from the Boomer Creek area and I have met him a few times.  He was toying
with me when I just got home (I went birding that same afternoon).  He would appear at various locations and duck away again.  He nearly found the perfect location for this shot, yet several branches were in the way and I had to work around him, but he was quite close.

Fall Photos of Our Best Time of Year For Some

                                                            Eurasian Collared-Doves

American

                                                               Eurasian Collared-Dove

                                                                    Blue-winged Teal

                                                               American White Pelican

                                                                   Male Carolina Wren

                                                            American Kestrel in Flight

                                                                      Carolina Wren
                                             

                                                            American White Pelican


10-19 through 11-09-16

This was when the weather was quite mild in the fall.  The Eurasian Collared-Doves were seen
for the first time not on the ground or on the power lines.  This was a rarer shot, so I did my best
to get out of the line of fire of the rising sun so that I could see them well enough in order to get
that beautiful photograph of them in the tree.  Fortunately, they trusted me enough to get away from a
large oak tree in order to have a clear shot.

The Blue-winged Teal, our smallest duck made a couple of turns around the lake, so I was as ready
as I could be to get a picture of several of them.  Even though they were quite a distance away, Lady Luck was with me, as was the sun.

The first Carolina Wren, an acquaintance, knows me better than the second one, who is generally
across the lake in a residential area.  By far, I believe the second shot to be the best one, but how could I refuse the first one?

The American Kestrel male has returned for the winter to his stomping grounds and this picture in
flight was a little sun washed, yet it was necessary to try it.

This American White Pelican was the first of a total of three arrivals.  He arrived on October 22 and
rested at Boomer Creek where there is a natural blind.  It was advantageous, as this waterbird had no
inkling that I was waiting silently in the wings.  There were a few shots of the birds flipping its gullet,
so these are representatives of this first meeting.