Have spent most of  my time at Estero Llano Grande State Park as they have the most birds. Above: A lone roseate spoonbill has been roosting with some black-bellied whistling ducks the few days I’ve checked. Nearby are some white pelicans.

A tricolored heron eyeing a small fish.

Grebe

When I started hearing great kiskadees in Arroyo City, it took me a while to recall the kiskadee’s distinct calls. You often hear them but not see them and they are often heard in stereo, with one on each side of you.

great_kiskadeecalls

A sora, the first one I’ve seen. A volunteer heading a bird walk mentioned you could often see one at this spot, and he was right. The park has some very knowledgeable birders.

There are a lot of moss covered trees at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, especially along the land near the Rio Grande River. I rode my bike on on their 7 mile paved road (cars are not allowed in the winter, just a tram) and walked most of their trails. Did not see a lot of birds. Saw scat left by small to medium sized animals, so there is a lot of wildlife there, just hidden in the woods.

A squirrel getting around a squirrel-proof bird feeder at Frontera Audubon Thicket.

Below, a malachite butterfly, also at Frontera.

Top picture: Tricolored heron. Below it a heron catches something (a small crab?) through the muck and swallows it.

Some young coots did not know enough to fly away as I walked by.

After a few days of 40/30 degrees, it warmed up to 70/80 today. Saw a number of turtles and alligators. Met some people who were counting the number of alligators. They had sighted 23 in the two main lakes here.

A snake bird. It was always in the middle of the lake, making hard to get a good picture.

Turkey vultures always congregate by this lake. The black-bellied whistling ducks are heard in the background.

Black bellied whistling ducks. Nothing dramatic.

Little blue heron and great blue heron on a cold day.

White and glossy ibis’ and snowy egret

Sapsucker, not sure which one

Black-bellied whistling ducks. Seeing them all over the park.

I’m at one of my favorite parks, Brazos Bend State Park in Texas. It was cold and clear when I got here, but it is supposed to be cloudy and warm (in the 70′s) most of my time here. Like before, it is crowded on weekends, but during the week there are not many people here. Have not seen any residual damage from the recent hurricanes in the area.

Above: pictures of a tricolored heron and black-bellied whistling ducks. There is a flock of 100 or more of the ducks here. They are found only in the southern states and Central and South America.

Below are birds that you expect to see here, at least I saw them here in my last visit as well as currently.

• snowy egret
• great egret
• common moorhen
• white ibis
• vulture

Below is a carolina wren that I saw at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, where I stayed before coming to Brazos Bend.