Beautiful Mourning Doves

I have to be honest - I really thought mourning doves were kind of ugly and annoying when I first discovered birding here in the Rio Grande Valley. They seemed to be everywhere. I kept wishing that they would go away while I waited to see something really pretty, like the green jays. 

But, while they do have their own unique look, I have come to see them as beautiful creatures. I now love watching them, as I was able to do on this lovely day at Quinta Mazatlan. 

Quinta Mazatlan

I came to Quinta Mazatlan to see the birds, and by far, the birds I saw the most were the redwinged blackbirds. They were very pretty and very entertaining to watch.

I had hoped to see a big variety of native birds and maybe some early arrivals of the coming migration, but it was mostly just the blackbirds, some chachalacas, and a few woodpeckers. 

Still very nice, though. 

Prickly Poppies at QM

 

I came across these lovely Mexican prickly poppies at Quinta Mazatlan.

Just beautiful! 

Lovely, towering trees were all around.

And some other shady spots . . .

My First Hummingbird

My first hummingbird! 

I was able to get a photo of this gorgeous little hummingbird while walking at the Laguna Vista Nature Trail. What a sweet little thing! I hope to see more hummingbirds soon.

 

Kiskadee and Mockingbird

 

I enjoyed a nice walk today at the Laguna Vista Trail and was able to get some nice pictures of the greater kiskadee. I ran a few scripts on them for an artistic touch. It's cool to be able to get so many different looks out of one picture. 

Also saw a cute little mockingbird who seemed glad to pose for me.

Good Morning, Sun!

 

You know the saying - "Up with the birds?"

Well, today I was literally up with the birds, as I made my way to the beach to see the sunrise on the Jetties for the first time in months. 

As you may know, if you follow this blog, I came here to the Lower Rio Grande Valley because I have a lot of trouble with cold, so, while I'm still an early bird, I've been doing my mornings indoors ever since the first northerlies brought winter conditions to the LRGV. I have been waiting patiently for a time when the early morning temps would be at least 70 with no fog before going to see the sunrise. It made it to 70, but especially with that cool ocean breeze, it still feels cold to me. But I made it. 

The first seagull I saw was looking pensively at this little yellow rubber fishy (some people have rubber duckies, but here on the Jetties, you will occasionally find rubber fishies, unknowingly left behind by the fishermen), evidently trying to decide it if was just ornamental or actually a good breakfast food. He passed. 

A great blue heron was also out quite early, watching the fishing boats come in. 

Today, I was actually the first one on the beach, but before long, the first of the hearty fishermen and women were lining the Jetty. 

And then came the sunrise. There was no fancy show of colors, since the cloud cover was too much to allow for that, but rather, it was just a nice, golden glow. 

After the sunrise, I walked along the beach for a while, looking at shells, and then headed home. 

Those Friendly Cardinals

I haven't been feeling well (not Covid, but my regular health issues that I have dealt with for most of the last 35 years), so I have been sticking to the Walking trail close to home, rather than venturing out. 

Besides the buds, blooms, and blossoms popping up all over, there were more cardinals and woodpeckers out today, which made for a nice walk. 

I really like taking pictures of cardinals because they often seem to be looking right at me. 
It's so cute. I hope to see more. 

 

Buds, Blooms, and Blossoms

If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that I didn't even think the southern tip of Texas had a winter, let alone a spring. I just thought that with temperatures rarely dipping below 50 or 60 - and almost always reaching at least 70 during the day - I would have just said it was just one warm climate. 

But after having been here almost a year, I can see that there definitely are seasons. They aren't as discernible as in Nebraska. It's not like one month all the trees turn and the leaves fall and that's it - A new season. 

I never really noticed the transition here. But one day, as I was driving to Brownsville, I looked around at all the dried up shrubbery and thought, "Was all of this always dead, or do I remember a lot more green?" And I noticed the palm fronds were turning a rusty brown color - still very pretty. I really hadn't noticed any of it happening. I was just so gradual. 

But now I'm definitely seeing signs of spring. Trees and cacti are budding. 

One spectacular clue is the vast array of little yellow flowerlets all along the budding trees of the Laguna Vista Walking Trail. I looked them up and they adorn the huisache (or sweet acacia) trees. 

And then, there are these sweet little evening primrose flowers are popping up all over the place. They seem to be like the dandelions of the deep south. 

Some of my photos are available on Fine Art America. 

Back to the Beach

After our cold February, things are finally warming up a bit, so I thought it would be nice to head out to the beach for a bit. It was nice to see the gulls again. I've missed them. 

The laughing gulls are my favorites and they were out today. I think a lot of the gulls and pelicans must have been lost to the freeze, because they certainly have been sparse. But I'm glad to see them around. 

I didn't stay long, since that cool ocean breeze is still a little too chilly for me. And the water is definitely too cold for my little feet. But I'll be back. 

 

Heron in Flight . . . and More

On my Friday night Zoom meeting with my grandson and his wife, he asked me if the herons are pretty in flight. I assured him that they are. Little did I know I would get a chance to capture a few shots (not the greatest) at my next visit to South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. 

I also got a chance to see a wonderful, young green heron, hiding in the tall grass. 

And, of course, as always, Mr. Muscovy was waiting to give me the eye as I left. 

Another lovely day at the South Padre Island Birding Center!

Overlooking the Bay

I decided I would do my walking at the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. But, today, before heading to the boardwalk, today I realized I had never made the 5-story climb to the top of the building. So I headed up the winding staircase, carefully, because my balance has been off. I was grateful for the railings. 

When I got to the top, it was a nice view all around. First, looking out over the boardwalk, then looking toward the St Isabella Causeway, and off toward the beach, with all the hotels and businesses in between. 

Chachalacas, Cardinals, and More

 

Besides seeing the green jays and Altamira orioles, I had in mind seeing the Chachalacas I had heard so much about. While the older birds resemble wild turkeys, the younger ones look a lot more graceful. Chachalacas are found from the southern United States to Central America. 

And who doesn't love seeing those bright red cardinals!

Seeing them was like a little taste of my old Midwestern home. 

This female cardinal certainly was bright-eyed. 
(I confess, I changed the background on this little beauty - one of my first attempts at composites)

And then there are always plenty of the common grackles to be seen in the Rio Grande Valley. A lot of people detest them, but I haven't come to feel that way so far. 

I will surely be coming back to Resaca de la Palma to see more of the lovely birds. 

Those Striking Orioles!

 

My sightings for the day at Resaca de la Palma State Park, west of Brownsville, Texas, were not limited to the lovely green jays. I also saw the striking orioles. Being new to this, I am not totally sure if they were hooded orioles or Altamira orioles, but they sure were pretty!

Altamira orioles are New World orioles, found in the Central America and the Mexican Gulf coast. they have been found in southern Texas since 1939. Their beautiful orange and black and white coloring makes them easy to see. 

I hope to see the beautiful orioles again soon.