Sur-r-r-prise Surprise SURPRISE!! [gomer pyle]

In a way, I had a week of surprises. Over the past weekend, on Sunday morning early, this time out we traversed some of the out-skirted areas of town in hopes of finding some 'new' birds. Or at least some birds that may be in the migratory path for Autumn. Our first stop was Indian Point Park. The wind was blowing rather swiftly, so too few birds spotted and when they were seen, not much activity. Hiking the trails brought some Black Skimmers, Egrets [reddish, snowy, and great], sandpipers scurrying along the lakes' banks, great blue herons, terns, willets and dowitchers. I photographed a couple of plovers and called it a morning. Off to Navigation Blvd then. Over the north bay causeway and veering off to the right...driving the 8 miles or so along the stretch of highway that is behind the ship channel's port of call and the other side of the highway,  the river. We stopped at a fresh water lake near the interstate highway. I was surprised to see so many wood storks!! I snapped the shutter button several times, getting photos of the large numbers of birds seen there, along with snowy and great egrets and both adult and immature white ibis. Yet, again...to my surprise, a couple of Fulvous Whistling Ducks [photo link from my birding blog] crept out of the high reed grasses. They're a bit elusive and somewhat a difficult/scarce bird to find. But the surprise was this: trailing behind the adults--a couple of ducklings were following!! More shutter button action. Hopping back in the car, we drove further north along the interstate and whipped a soft left toward a little burb called Calallen Texas. Northwest of the town is another park. Known for their Autumn Hawkwatch.

Just like the script from a movie classic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid:

They ought to get to where we split up any time. They're just about there. How many of them do you think will come our way? .. .. .. But we got surprises on our side, right?

While we were up on the watch platform, it was a quiet morning. Both for the fact not many birds, AND quiet 'cause besides Bud and me, only one other woman was there. While we stood and made use of our binoculars pointed toward the sky for a hawk kettle, or a group of kites coming in. A lone female cardinal was at the feeding station




...in my peripheral vision I saw something move below me from the platform down on the ground. I dropped my binoculars and to my SURPRISE ...a female white tailed deer; not more than 10-15 feet from me!!

She moseyed along the tree line, on the grass, knowing exactly where she was headed! For the protection and shade. Obviously by the looks of her udder and still swelled belly she has recently 'fawned'. I'm sure there was a baby hidden in the cover close by.

While we remained on the hawkwatch platform for some time, lo and behold she came back! And looked at me straight in the eye of my lens!

Sauntering past us, she headed for the feeding station for birds...a lot of fresh grain was on the ground and she stopped to eat her breakfast, then disappeared once again. While I was taking photos of HER another surprise appearance. A White Tipped Dove!! They're RARE!! I will have photos of the rare sighting on my birding blog soon.



One more surprise. Long ago, I ordered online, and forgot about the order. This week they arrived!! The reason I wanted to wear these, they're not only unique in design and of an extinct bird [Ivory Billed Woodpecker]...they're made from recycled materials!!   I'M ALL FOR RECYCLING.





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