Squirrels at Play at Estero Llano

 
Well, it's been a while since I've seen one of these! I used to feed the squirrels back in Nebraska and, while I have heard tell they show up in Harlingen and Brownsville, I hadn't seen any around here. But today I visited Estero Llano on my way back from my monthly visit to McAllen and had the pleasure of watching him. 

I didn't stay long at the state park, as I was very tired out from last week's birding and didn't want to run into problems. I was not able to get any good pictures of birds today, though I did see a few green jays, a cardinal, a few black-necked stilts, a white egret, and I believe I saw a cedar waxwing in flight. That's one I haven't been able to snap as of yet. But I'm sure I will be back at Estero Llano again. 

Los Fresnos Nature Park

I just found out that Los Fresnos has a nature park, so I had to check it out. It is really nice! They have a nice birding habitat, but unfortunately, I don't think they are feeding. I saw a green jay and an indigo bunting flitting by, but nothing hanging around the habitat but a nice butterfly in the flower garden. 

 As far as aesthetics, I would have to rate this park as one of the prettiest I've seen. I understand that the birds really love the crowded thickets, but this park has that, as well as a very pleasing, more manicured view as well. 

I saw several birds in the trees along the walkway, 

but was not very quick with my camera today.

Mostly, I just enjoyed walking and taking in the sunshine. 

Maybe I'll have some birds to share from a future visit. 

Earth Tones on Legs

 

I was very happy to get this rather nice shot of the not-so-frequently photographed least bittern a few days ago. I understand that they like to stay well-hidden, which makes it a real treat to come upon. Actually, I wouldn't have noticed it, had other birders not pointed it out to me. Very pretty. 

And then, there was this lesser yellow-leg or wood sandpiper - I'm still trying to figure out if they are the same species or if there is something that distinguishes one from the other. Anyway, I thought it was very attractive. I've always been partial to earth tones, so I love both of these waders. 

Those Feisty Cormorants

 

Of the many birds I saw today, on my lengthy walk, the feistiest one were the gangly-looking cormorants. This was a first-time sighting for me. It's not hard to believe that they have a bit of a bad reputation, partly due to there aggressive nesting habits.

I took a bit of artistic license and added a splash of color and depth to the rather plain photo of these moody critters. I like the way it turned out. Here's the original.

The Amazing Catbird

 

One of my first-time sightings at the SPI Convention Center, the day that I helped out with placing the oranges around, was the amazing catbird!

I was very taken with it and couldn't help following him around for quite some time.

This striking bird is also known as the slate-colored mockingbird...

and is named for it cat-like call.

Helping Out at the Convention Center Birding Park

I made my way to the Convention Center and I was actually one of the first to be there. There were very few birds out at the time, but that could have been due to the fact that all the orange skins were totally cleaned out. I was talking to one of the other birders there, when she said she had better get busy putting out fresh oranges for the birds, so I asked if I could help.

Within minutes of putting out fresh oranges, birds started showing up. The first to make a landing was the catbird, which I had seen briefly for the first time yesterday. I was captivated by its friendly personality and debonair appearance. 

I walked along the boardwalk, where I saw some of the waders - a heron, a couple of least bitterns, and a lesser yellow-leg - and by the time I got back to the entrance, the catbirds and orioles had all but cleaned out the oranges! Believe me, I have a new respect for how much work it takes to keep the trees stocked with fresh oranges for all the birds that come here! 

Besides the striking catbird, I also saw the Tennessee warbler . . . 

and the beautiful redstart . . .

But my three mornings in a row of birding were catching up with me, so I reluctantly decided to make it a very short morning and head for home, as I had some resting up to do. With my health challenges, back-to-back beach and birding might be a little too much for me. (I was laid up for a few days after.)

More Cactus Flowers

 
Cactus flowers are all over the place right now and, while a bit more rustic, they are about as pretty as roses. I've seen them in orange, yellow, and now a vibrant pink. 

The pretty pink flowers really dressed up the dunes, which are just starting to green up after the winter season. Soon everything will be green and lush again. 

Left Behind

 I see a lot of nature, including a great variety of birds and animals, on my walks, but sometimes there's more of a manmade variety left behind. Today I saw this old cowboy hat in the waters of the Laguna Madre, down the boardwalk at the SPI Convention Center, and it had a sort of nostalgic look to it. 

Earlier, when I walked along the sandy beach, I saw this old plastic bottle that had become a home to these goose barnacles. It was an odd sight. 

Since I had never seen anything like this, I had to Google lens it. I learned that the goose barnacles form in shallow waters along coasts, being encouraged by the movement of the waters. I was surprised to learn that they are not only eaten, but actually considered a delicacy in some places, like Spain and Italy.

Thanks, but no thanks. 

Sunrise on the Beach - It's Been Too Long

Since it is finally above 70 degrees at 6:00 a.m., I thought I would try to slowly get back into the routine of morning walks on the beach. The weather was nice, but I wasn't expecting a lot from the sunrise, since there was a very thick cloud cover along the horizon. There were some really nice colors, though the beautiful rays so often seen were absent. I thought about sticking around to see it actually pierce through those clouds, but I was also wanting to get over to the Convention Center to see what the migration fallout would bring today. Sunrises will also be here - migrating birds would not. So I went toward the parking lot, and just as I was leaving, the sun did break through the clouds. 

But it was worth it. 

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

One of the recent sights at the SPI Convention Center birding habitat are the striking yellow-headed blackbirds. 

Like what I have seen from most blackbirds, they are a bit aggressive, but not so much as the redwings.

 

But they are certainly beautiful, and they are not very shy!

I hope they hang around a while!

Migratory Fallout!

The past several days, the island has been experiencing a birdwatcher's dream - migratory fallout!

Migratory fallout happens here when large groups of birds, returning from their winter homes in the Caribbean and Central and South America, start to experience fatigue and cold weather while crossing the wide Gulf of Mexico, so they decide to camp out in one place for a while. This happened when a cold front hit this past weekend, bringing a beautiful display of Baltimore orioles, indigo buntings, painted buntings, and a wide variety of other warblers. (Sadly, the trip and the cold prove too much for some of the migrating birds and they "fall out" only to perish. But the stronger ones stay for a brief respite.) 

I have been experiencing setbacks with my health, but I have still been pushing myself to get out there and see the birds as much as I can - a few hours every other day or so. I might push for two days in a row while they're here. The birds are so amazing right now and I know that they will be gone when they get rested and the warmer weather invites them to head for home. 

When the fallout hit, there were volunteers ready at places like the SPI Convention Center to welcome the incoming throngs of birds with a continuous supply of bird seed and oranges.

And it's working! 

The Baltimore orioles are definitely making a very showy display, having shown up in great numbers. 

I was finally able to get a look at the indigo buntings and the fabulous painted buntings. 

Now that I've gone digital, I can't even begin to keep up with sorting out and processing all the photos I'm taking. But I skim through them each day and choose my favorites to work on right away. Hopefully, I will be getting more and more added each day. It pretty much takes me a day in between, just to work on photos. 

Enjoy the fallout!

Butterflies

 

I love seeing all the birds in such beautiful backdrops - 
including beautiful plants and trees - and butterflies!

Beautiful all the way around. 

Visiting Birds

 

I was finally able to see a few of our new visitors. I had been seeing pictures of them popping up on local birding sites but had yet to see a few of my favorites - the summer tanager and the indigo bunting, to name a few. But I saw them today at the SPI Convention Center. 

There are all kinds of warblers and orioles showing up as well. 

The Cape May warbler showed up as well - a new one to me. 

Also, the black-and-white warbler showed off a very classic look. 

. . . before it flew away!

I was glad to see the Northern Parula again, especially against a backdrop of bottlebrush trees. 

A very nice day . . .

Hummingbirds at the Bottlebrush Tree

Hummingbirds are always one of the major attractions at all the birding spots. I always love seeing them buzzing around the feeders, their little wings flapping at lightning speed. But recently, I have been hoping to get some shots of them around the gorgeous red flowers of the bottlebrush trees. And today I got my wish!

So pretty, I've just got to zoom in on it to get a better look!

Made my day!

Grackles a 'Plenty

 

Grackles are all over the place down here.  

I don't think they are anyone's favorite bird, but I don't think they're as bad as some people think. 

And I do think they are quite stately-looking, when they try to be...

. . . and kinda funny-looking when they're not!