Another hot hot day in Texas but out the door we went for 6:45 am
which is still dim here. The sun does not really come up until 7:10 am
or so. We wanted to be early before the real heat of the day to do
Estero Llano Grande State Park where we started on an trail to Alligator
Lake to maybe see the Common Pauraque. The park ranger fellow told us
the bird roosts there in the daytime at a particular loop trail there
and by that spot there was a roosting Eastern Screech Owl (Grey morph).
We saw the owl, but no Pauraque. Maybe the Owl dined on Pauraque!
Back at the visitor centre while watching a hummingbird war, I met a local who told me that he sees this bird there in the winter in that spot but not now. This fellow also told me to try Anzadulas Park by the Mexico. We found the place and it is just about 100 yards from Mexico separated by the Rio Grande River. There were so much construction around this and the dam which is next to the park, it was as if they really did not want people to go to the park. We were the only visitors there, and then a fisherman family showed up. We had a picnic lunch there and there were various border patrol cars come by and I waved at them all. The park is huge and no one there. We were looking for the Gray Hawk (forest bird and there were fringe forests there), the Olive Sparrow and the Ringed Kingfisher but no luck. We found our way out of this park and waved to the border patrol cars as we left. It was pleasant there by the river. When we left a family with two children showed up to play. This park was huge like Vincent Massey and the Anzadulas International Bridge in the city of McAllen, borders on the Rio Grande and over looks Mexico. We also saw the border patrol with a huge crowd sized cooler with water to hydrate the illegals when they apprehend them. Colleen got a beautiful photo of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. We learned later that there had been a murder her on the weekend so maybe that is why is was deserted and we were outnumbered by the Border Patrol cars.
From here we went to Edinburgh Scenic Wetlands so we could be near water and see the birds from an observation post which is usually shaded. There was a breeze as there was bad weather somewhere but beautiful where we were. But with the heat, no birds of note, just the birds we have been seeing the last two days. We decided to call it a birding day by 5:00pm and now we have finished supper and are looking at Colleen's photos and we have to get up early tomorrow (4:45 am so that we can check out of the Alamo and drive to King Ranch for a day of birding with a birding guide on the ranch. There are two guides and ten people on the tour. There are specialty birds here as the King Ranch started its conservation efforts in the 1940's so tomorrow there should be some lifers to write about.
The Rio Grande is s great for a birder who wants to spend the winter away from Ottawa for the winter season. Lots of places to bird, lots of great birds and it is relatively cheap to stay and eat here and the weather is fine. The locals say this is summer already. There is a front moving in on
Thursday when we will be at High Island and so maybe we will get some interesting birds then too. There are still some birds on our wish list!
Barb & Colleen
Photos today include Colleen and self cooling off in a visitor centre, Barb at the Wall at Sabal Palm Sanctuary, the Rio Grande and the Mexican side, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay with Chachalaca, Altamira Oriole, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting along with Black-chinned and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. There was also a Wild Turkey today.
Back at the visitor centre while watching a hummingbird war, I met a local who told me that he sees this bird there in the winter in that spot but not now. This fellow also told me to try Anzadulas Park by the Mexico. We found the place and it is just about 100 yards from Mexico separated by the Rio Grande River. There were so much construction around this and the dam which is next to the park, it was as if they really did not want people to go to the park. We were the only visitors there, and then a fisherman family showed up. We had a picnic lunch there and there were various border patrol cars come by and I waved at them all. The park is huge and no one there. We were looking for the Gray Hawk (forest bird and there were fringe forests there), the Olive Sparrow and the Ringed Kingfisher but no luck. We found our way out of this park and waved to the border patrol cars as we left. It was pleasant there by the river. When we left a family with two children showed up to play. This park was huge like Vincent Massey and the Anzadulas International Bridge in the city of McAllen, borders on the Rio Grande and over looks Mexico. We also saw the border patrol with a huge crowd sized cooler with water to hydrate the illegals when they apprehend them. Colleen got a beautiful photo of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. We learned later that there had been a murder her on the weekend so maybe that is why is was deserted and we were outnumbered by the Border Patrol cars.
From here we went to Edinburgh Scenic Wetlands so we could be near water and see the birds from an observation post which is usually shaded. There was a breeze as there was bad weather somewhere but beautiful where we were. But with the heat, no birds of note, just the birds we have been seeing the last two days. We decided to call it a birding day by 5:00pm and now we have finished supper and are looking at Colleen's photos and we have to get up early tomorrow (4:45 am so that we can check out of the Alamo and drive to King Ranch for a day of birding with a birding guide on the ranch. There are two guides and ten people on the tour. There are specialty birds here as the King Ranch started its conservation efforts in the 1940's so tomorrow there should be some lifers to write about.
The Rio Grande is s great for a birder who wants to spend the winter away from Ottawa for the winter season. Lots of places to bird, lots of great birds and it is relatively cheap to stay and eat here and the weather is fine. The locals say this is summer already. There is a front moving in on
Thursday when we will be at High Island and so maybe we will get some interesting birds then too. There are still some birds on our wish list!
Barb & Colleen
Photos today include Colleen and self cooling off in a visitor centre, Barb at the Wall at Sabal Palm Sanctuary, the Rio Grande and the Mexican side, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay with Chachalaca, Altamira Oriole, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting along with Black-chinned and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. There was also a Wild Turkey today.
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