Archive for the ‘green jay’ Category
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
Visited the Salineño birding site near Falcon State Park that I always make a point to visit while I’m here. All kinds of bird food is put out for the birds, including peanut butter (mixed with lard to make it easier to swallow). There were so many blackbirds at the site this year, however, other birds often had to fight to get some of the peanut butter.
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Black-crested titmouse
Curved-billed thrasher
Male and female northern cardinals
The altamira oriole, above, was chasing a lot of birds away from the peanut butter.
Below, one bird not with peanut butter, an Audubon’s oriole.
Posted in cardinal, green jay, kiskadee, oriole, Salineño, titmouse, wildlife refuge, woodpecker | No Comments »
Saturday, February 5th, 2011
A three-day cold spell just swept through here, as it did a lot of the country. Went from the low 80′s during the day and 60′s at night to the 30′s and 20′s, with one day of light snow and sleet. It’s starting to warm back up now.
I often find good picture opportunities in inclement weather. Got the picture of the blue-gray gnatcatcher above, and the caracara below in the cold weather, as well as the roadrunner further down the page.
Came upon a large gathering of caracara’s. One adult had found something to eat, and caracara’s from all over landed nearby to see if there was anything for them (there wasn’t). There were a number of juvenile caracara’s (seen above).
Inca doves on a cold morning.
Vermilion flycatcher. Also saw juvenile vermilion flycatchers.
There are lots of young ones in the flocks of pyrrhuloxia’s (adult seen above).
Roadrunner. Initially saw it sunning itself after a night of freezing temps.
Posted in caracara, Falcon Heights, gnatcatcher, green jay, pyrrhuloxia, roadrunner, State, vermilion flycatcher | No Comments »
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is the best known of the birding sites in the Rio Grande Valley. It is on the western edge of the developed valley, with it’s expressway and all it’s well known stores. If you continue westward on US 83 you quickly loose the expressway and the stores. I stayed in the central part of the valley, close to all the birding sites. Have not had to refill the gas tank of my truck during my 3 weeks here. There are a lot of nice rv parks near the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Most look to be full now, as this is their prime season. The rv parks here must have a good association, as they all charge about the same price. It is hard to find a nice, low cost rv park.
In the late afternoon at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park the chachalacas go into hiding, giving access to the feeding sites to more of the smaller birds. The chachalacas are not aggressive, but their size gives them priority at the feeding sites. In the picture above, some green jays take advantage of this non-chachalaca time period.
At the entrance to the park, there is a large feeding section with lots of benches to sit and watch the birds. The chachalacas retreat at around 5 p.m. when the volunteers leave for the day. Bobcats come through the area hunting them, which is probably a prime reason for their retreat.
Above, a great kiskadee and a clay-colored thrush go after some peanut butter at the feeding site near the entrance to the park.
Below, a ruby crowned kinglet.
Posted in green jay, kinglet, kiskadee, Mission, State, thrush | No Comments »
Monday, December 21st, 2009
Finally made it to the Gulf Coast of Texas. The warm breezes I felt when I first got here confirmed that I had arrived. Unfortunately, it proceeded to rain nonstop the following two days. I’m staying at the same park that I’ve stayed at before, but this time my site is about 20 feet from the Arroyo Colorado River. The second day of rain I started to get worried, but the river did not rise. There is, however, flooded farmland and front yards all over. You know a lot of stuff gets washed into the river when it rains. Nonetheless, people were back fishing the day after the rains.
I love watching all the birds fly inland over the river in the morning and out towards Laguna Madre in the evening. There are always brown pelicans around. It looks like an 2 adults and 2 young look alikes above.
Coyote in muddy farmland. He blends right in.
Green jays
Black crested titmouse.
Kingfisher seen from my rv. All these pictures are from where I’m staying.
There is a resident spotted sandpiper at my site. It’s a solitary bird that bounces up and down like a male ruddy duck.
Below, a Harris’s hawk with a fish. I didn’t have time to focus my camera, but still wanted to include it.
Posted in Arroyo City, County, green jay, hawk, kingfisher, pelican, sandpiper | Comments Off
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Still at Choke Canyon State Park. It has been cool, but not freezing. Have not had to use much propane. I am the only camper in my section of the campground, which is nice.
Have not seen the bobcat again. It has been to cool to sit out and watch for him.
Above, scissor-tailed flycatcher and vermilion flycatcher.
Green jay with an acorn. Looking forward to seeing lots of green jays in the Rio Grande area.
In South Texas’ thorn forest it is easy for javelina and bobcats to hide.
Beautiful young white-tailed deer. Deer graze all around my rv. Enjoy watching them.
Egret with mouse. Have also seen heron’s hunting for them.
Harris’s hawk
Posted in Calliham, caracara, deer, egret, flycatcher, green jay, hawk, javelina, State | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 2nd, 2009
Loggerhead shrike at the refuge. This is a small predator bird that kills by biting the back of its’ victims neck to sever the spinal cord. No wonder the birds eating my grapefruit are always on high alert, very aware of their surroundings.
Wild male turkey’s congregate in one pack and female’s in another near where I am camped.
Lots of osprey in the area.
Harris’ hawks, parent in top photo, young one in lower. I was afraid the young one might have a problem with his wing. He was sleeping on a picnic table in the picture. Have since seen him with two other hawks flying without difficulty.
Roseate spoonbill at the refuge.
Posted in Arroyo City, County, egret, green jay, hawk, osprey, roseate spoonbill, San Diego, shrike, turkeys, wildlife refuge | Comments Off
Monday, December 29th, 2008
I’m currently at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. I’m staying at the same county park I stayed at last year in the village of Arroyo City near the small town of Rio Hondo which in turn is near the city of Brownsville, Texas. You still see a lot of boarded up windows and piles of debri in the area, but probably a lot of damage is unseen. The refuge looks great. It was pretty dry when I visited last year. Now there is water all over the place.
Above: A green jay at the refuge visitor center; below it, a crested caracara on a hot and windy day.
Reddish egret on the same hot and windy day.
Long billed curlew
Placed some grapefruit on a tree limb outside my door and took the pictures below through the screen. The order reflects the bird ranking: woodpecker trumps the green jay who trumps the cardinal who trumps the sparrow.
Posted in Arroyo City, caracara, cardinal, County, curlew, egret, green jay, Rio Hondo, wildlife refuge | No Comments »
Saturday, March 1st, 2008
I’m currently visiting the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in south Texas. It is summer here, in the 80′s, with a warm Santa Ana type wind off the ocean. Winter Texan’s in south Texas are starting to think about heading north, as after March it gets pretty warm here. Next winter, I want to come to this area by December.
A green jay, the first one I’ve even seen, is shown above. They are just found in south Texas, Mexico, and South America.
Above is a view of Laguna Madre from the wildlife refuge’s 15 mile auto tour route. The yucca are in bloom and Padre Island is off in the distance. The refuge has the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the Lower Rio Grande Valley–88,000 acres.
A pair of crested caracara, seen on the 15 mile tour route.
This picture was taken a few days after the one showing the caracara on the ground. It might well be the same two.
Posted in caracara, County, green jay, osprey, Texas, wildlife refuge | Comments Off
