Good Day.... Sunshine!!

It's gonna be a busy week, so I will try and sum up a lot of stuff here in one post.

Monday, August 16, 2015
Weather Forecast: A mix of clouds and sunshine. Winds 15-20 MPH [southeast]
High expected: 93 degrees - Low expected: 77 degrees

Driving to Calallen, Texas to check out the thermals for hawk migration, we stopped at Hazel Bazemore Park that holds its annual Hawk Watch from August to November each year. There was quite a crowd of hawkers there already! The platform was a bit packed like sardines. Bud and I stayed just a short while. In the interim, we saw only through the binoculars a kettle of Mississippi Kites and two Red Tailed Hawks near the horizon. How do we know they were kites and red-tails? MANY had high powered scopes. Too distant for my camera to get any photos. While there our few minutes, we saw cardinals, inca doves, white tipped doves, one green jay, sparrows, white winged doves, mockingbirds, ruby throated hummingbirds, grackles, egrets, and one caracara. And the mama deer we spotted the week before, showed up for all the people to ooooooh and ahhhh over her good looks! Neither Bud nor I enjoy being in large crowds, so we left. Besides it was getting hot and I wanted a quick stop-over at another large city park. Each time we go there [which isn't but maybe twice a year] there always seems to be a lot of long billed curlews. And those birds didn't disappoint. Dozens. Everywhere we walked. I took several photos of the curlews, and we then walked around the duck pond. Ducks and geese. My other curlew images will be shared on my bird photo blog sometime in the future. With the hot sun beating down on us by mid-morning, I stopped under the shade of a live oak tree and let the soft breeze cool me down a bit. Bud took a photo...this is for Phil in the UK, he tells me in my comments that I always have photos of Bud and not me...here I am in all my glory. [lol]

It was amazing to see all the beautiful, rolling hills with pathways intersecting the paved roads to picnic areas, ponds, swimming pool, and frisbee golf course, with the grass so dry and parched. Just think, in May of this year, flooding and too much rain. Now, and since May, NO RAIN! When it comes to weather in Texas, there just isn't a happy medium.

Anyway, after a bit of walking we headed back to the car. A cute little critter entertained the viewfinder!! Did I say ... cute?

It too needed to find shade...

...it spotted me! Up on its haunches...sniffing...watching my every move. Looking this way, checking me out square on...looking that way!!

...then, Elvis [or Elvira] has left the premises. Off, scurrying down to its den in the ground. And for us...back in the air conditioned car and a swipe of the sweat towel. We too, for now, have left the building!! [Mexican Ground Squirrel]


For good measure, I'm adding this barren tree...and fencing for Ms. T's Good Fences.