NEWS FLASH! It has recently, finally....RAINED!!
Sunday morning, when I checked the TX Bird report, I noticed that there were those cute little boogers, the Upland Sandpipers, in our vicinity. Four of them were seen at Tule Lake; about 10 miles from home just off the interstate. They're returning for the winter! I've only seen them once since I've been photographing birds in the last three and a half years [so far, the only photos I've taken are seen with the link I added above]. I'm so ready to see more! They have become one of my favorites. With their plumage, and their bulbous eyes, they're so darned cute. Anyway, with the report, I asked Bud if he wanted to drive along for the hunt. He said, "No, I'll stay home and clean the kitchen floor and vacuum the carpet to get up all the cat hairs!" That to me, is a win-win situation!! I get to go out for a leisurely Sunday drive, while the man of the house cleans for me.
Sunday morning, when I checked the TX Bird report, I noticed that there were those cute little boogers, the Upland Sandpipers, in our vicinity. Four of them were seen at Tule Lake; about 10 miles from home just off the interstate. They're returning for the winter! I've only seen them once since I've been photographing birds in the last three and a half years [so far, the only photos I've taken are seen with the link I added above]. I'm so ready to see more! They have become one of my favorites. With their plumage, and their bulbous eyes, they're so darned cute. Anyway, with the report, I asked Bud if he wanted to drive along for the hunt. He said, "No, I'll stay home and clean the kitchen floor and vacuum the carpet to get up all the cat hairs!" That to me, is a win-win situation!! I get to go out for a leisurely Sunday drive, while the man of the house cleans for me.
By the time I reached the on ramp for the interstate just off the Padre Island Freeway it had rained and the highway would be slick. I slowed down my speed. At my exit to Tule Lake, it was blocked off...police cars and tow trucks and firetrucks everywhere...an accident. So I continued on to the next exit and backtracked on the back roads to the lake. No sandpipers. But there were other water birds there...wood storks, egrets, spoonbills, both white and brown pelicans, some swallows, stilts, and other sandpipers. I concentrated on photographing the wood storks [seen in this photo] for the most part. I then got back in the car and drove the rough road that goes between the lake and the ship channel. I know a 'hidden' spot where there is a pond and lots of cattail reed grasses, all in hopes of seeing more bird life. There, I spotted several swallows, a few sandpipers and yellowlegs, along with ONE green heron.
Back in the car again, I decided to continue on the interstate to Calallen Texas [a suburb of Corpus Christi] and head to Bazemore Park. The 14th was the first, opening day, for the Fall Hawk Watch. Upon arriving I noticed several vehicles parked at the hawk watch platform at such an early hour, I was a bit surprised. I signed in for them [the more people that sign in, the more funding they get for their cause], and then I left to do some walking around the park. Besides, the morning was gray and drizzly, the hawks would be high above the cloud cover, I'm sure of it. The two ponds were quite vacant. A lone great blue heron, a snowy egret, a tri-color heron, and a couple of black necked stilts. I walked to the new boardwalk that meanders along the river and traverses through the oak trees covered in Spanish Moss. It was quiet there. I LIKE QUIET. Again, tho, not much bird activity. A few flycatchers, the king bird, the scissortailed, and more swallows. The river was slow moving...it was if I was taken aback through the swamps of Louisiana. By the time I was finished with my walking, I figured the accident was cleaned up by now and the traffic snarl, with all the gawkers on both sides, in each direction, would be no longer...I headed home. But not without tons of photos to upload to the computer for blogging...and more bird photos of the day will be shared on my bird photo blog, I'd Rather B Birdin', in due time. But today I share what else was seen, at least a partial part of the morning ---
The Great Kiskadees were loud with song [yellow bird in the following series of photos]! It seemed they were in every tree around! Dropping down off the park's road, walking through the hidden trails that overlook one of the larger ponds, I spotted one and waited for it to sing for me..."Kissssss k dee"...
...Before the River and through the woods, a vast opening appears. Of tall grasses and another smaller pond. A beautiful Whitetailed Doe hopped in front of my car.
- - -
After walking along the newly fenced boardwalk, and getting clear of the oak trees near the car again, another doe showed up. This time up close and personal before dashing into the field beyond the park road. She was beautiful!! Stopping to take it all in, I respected the silent beauty of it all, the gorgeous deer, the quiet morning, the bird song, the cloud cover keeping the temperatures of a late Summer day much cooler, it was quite a perfect morning. Just wished I'd seen the Upland Sandpipers tho...
...the last image, look closely, between the tree and grass line...
-the Nueces River-
- - -
Sorry...the fifth photo in this series, I think we need to do a bit of Charmin™ Squeezing.
The Great Kiskadees were loud with song [yellow bird in the following series of photos]! It seemed they were in every tree around! Dropping down off the park's road, walking through the hidden trails that overlook one of the larger ponds, I spotted one and waited for it to sing for me..."Kissssss k dee"...
...Before the River and through the woods, a vast opening appears. Of tall grasses and another smaller pond. A beautiful Whitetailed Doe hopped in front of my car.
- - -
After walking along the newly fenced boardwalk, and getting clear of the oak trees near the car again, another doe showed up. This time up close and personal before dashing into the field beyond the park road. She was beautiful!! Stopping to take it all in, I respected the silent beauty of it all, the gorgeous deer, the quiet morning, the bird song, the cloud cover keeping the temperatures of a late Summer day much cooler, it was quite a perfect morning. Just wished I'd seen the Upland Sandpipers tho...
...the last image, look closely, between the tree and grass line...
-the Nueces River-
- - -
Sorry...the fifth photo in this series, I think we need to do a bit of Charmin™ Squeezing.
