tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31302829374871846062024-02-19T20:29:18.607-06:00Lone Star Birding and BeyondTexas has a lot to offer birders and I hope to highlight some of the special birds, especially the ones that make Texas their only U.S. destination.(Ex: Golden-cheeked Warbler, Colima Warbler) Also, I love to travel all over Texas and sometimes beyond the Texas border to look for birds.
So if you're into birding or simply love adventure, I hope you will come along for the ride.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-6404063452831700952013-01-01T13:34:00.004-06:002013-02-21T11:15:06.416-06:002012 Texas Big Year Ends With 410 SpeciesI spent 2012 searching fields, forests, mountains, lakes, beaches and bird reports online to find as many birds as I could for my Texas Big Year. After travelling thousands of miles and experiencing dozens of weekend warrior adventures, I ended the year with 410 species. The last bird for my 2012 list was the Fork-tailed Flycatcher (lifer), a megararity that showed up near McKinney Falls State Park in Austin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVHcTq01y5IcKciMMsBzYuZCXLXWsAc3_uIjqjJ0_g8H41DvdeK_9IqzAxKjTpz_BvP7xHI9ryKHYAvgzZEWN6A-xLuIOciB1RqH2Ho4m4QsFhsZ-DGaVxZJSn2pvv2OymxVjTrKDEvA/s1600/FTFL+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVHcTq01y5IcKciMMsBzYuZCXLXWsAc3_uIjqjJ0_g8H41DvdeK_9IqzAxKjTpz_BvP7xHI9ryKHYAvgzZEWN6A-xLuIOciB1RqH2Ho4m4QsFhsZ-DGaVxZJSn2pvv2OymxVjTrKDEvA/s400/FTFL+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sticking a fork in my Big Year</td></tr>
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Ali and I joined dozens of birders to see it on Dec. 22. It was hanging out with a few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in a field not too far from a taco stand (I love all the random places where rare birds show up).<br />
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This year has been special and I have countless memories with friends and family. There are many great stories to share. I thank everyone who helped me along the way and praise God for all the blessings and freedom to put a year like this in the books.<br />
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While I won't be doing another Big Year for 2013, I will be setting my sights on a larger goal to see 700 life birds in North America by the time I turn 50. I'll be turning 31 in a few weeks, so there's plenty of time. However, life gets busy and I know I won't be able to have too many years like I did in 2012. So it's best to set a realistic goal and readjust if I find I can surpass it before then.<br />
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For 2013, my birding resolution is to see 15 lifers.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-37236915476778895202012-11-20T10:00:00.003-06:002012-11-21T10:23:05.250-06:00Scoter Trifecta Leads to 400 Birds in Texas for 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I chased. I saw. I reached 400. That's been the story of the year for my birding pursuits this year. On Saturday, without realizing it, I reached 400 birds for the year when I added 3 scoter species and Hooded Merganser at Mitchell Lake. <br />
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I thought it was ironic that after all the chasing of rare birds I've done this year, I ended up reaching 400 at home. I had a trip planned, which didn't happen, and I'm glad that was the case because I would have missed this great opportunity to see 400 with my grandmother who got me into birding in the first place.<br />
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On Saturday, we joined the crowd of birders who came to see the triple rarity spectacle at the world birding center site. The scoters remained way out from the shoreline in a raft of Lesser Scaups, so I didn't get any good photos. <br />
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My goal for the year has been to see/hear 400 birds in Texas in one year. I have been keeping records on eBird, but I got behind. I didn't find out I had reached my goal until I updated my records yesterday.<br />
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I'm very happy to be at 400 and I hope to see more this year to try to stay in the Top 10 birders on eBird. That would be just icing on the cake. For now, I'm basking in the moment and glad to have reached my goal, especially since I had the same goal last year and fell short. <br />
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It's just another thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. God has given me a lot. I'm reminded that I'm blessed beyond measure. It's easy to take life for granted, including our natural abilities to see, hear and think up strategies to achieve what we set out to do. I give God glory for all these things because he's given me all that I enjoy, especially family and friends.<br />
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I give a special thanks to my beautiful wife, Ali, and my family and friends for celebrating and supporting me along the way. (And being patient with me when I did some crazy birding.) Thanks for cheering me on!Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-1206181270522058502012-10-29T22:22:00.002-05:002012-10-29T22:35:54.075-05:00West Coast Bird Makes Itself at Home in West Texas<br />
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It’s a long way from its home on the west coast. For now, a Varied Thrush
is making itself at home at Christmas Mountain Oasis. It’s a mystery how the
bird, which likely came from the Pacific Northwest, ended up in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Chihuahuan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Desert</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Imagine Carolyn Ohl-Johnson’s
surprise when she saw this beautiful thrush hanging around her bird sanctuary. She’s
worked hard to keep her oasis alive during tough years of drought, so it’s nice
to see some reward for all her efforts.<br />
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My grandmother (Grana) and I traveled to the oasis last
Friday, but we were not completely sure we would get to see the thrush. A cold
front blew in the night before and Carolyn was not sure if the bird would stick
around. Sometimes when there’s a significant weather change, birds will move
with the weather. We experienced some momentary suspense when Carolyn reported on
Texbirds that the thrush had not been seen all morning. We were just 30 minutes from
the oasis when I read the post and we prepared ourselves for the worst –
traveling hundreds of mile only to miss the target bird but a matter of hours.</div>
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Glad we did not miss it. Shortly after arriving at the oasis,
I spotted the thrush near a water feature. When Carolyn arrived and I told her
that I’d seen the thrush, she rushed back up to her house to alert birders that
it was still around.</div>
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The thrush was tough to photograph, but very easy on the
eyes with its blue and red plumage. Grana had missed the bird during her summer
trip to <st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place>
last year, so it was a great moment for both of us.<br />
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The next day we ended our trip traveling through the <st1:placename w:st="on">Davis</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountains</st1:placetype>
to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Balmorhea</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>. We hoped to see a Sabine’s Gull
and a Golden Eagle at the <st1:place w:st="on">Lake</st1:place>, but
unfortunately we missed both. But we really could not complain. Seeing Varied
Thrush in <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>
is not something everyone gets to do. </div>
Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-36098801400746429212012-10-25T11:35:00.001-05:002012-10-30T13:16:52.538-05:00Good Things Happen When East Meets West<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFIMk_UeWxzuRQP9zxzUloe_jaVyYNle0RpXwVs37-wYWEKgz2HwQ7tCIEZSpkfkBoBtdyOZv_ZHw_71_v8kdCY8RjYseibMSslrlv7ZdnKtLlo-IthKeeLdpvQo3558KOYUqbN2Q_NQ/s1600/View+from+Pilot+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFIMk_UeWxzuRQP9zxzUloe_jaVyYNle0RpXwVs37-wYWEKgz2HwQ7tCIEZSpkfkBoBtdyOZv_ZHw_71_v8kdCY8RjYseibMSslrlv7ZdnKtLlo-IthKeeLdpvQo3558KOYUqbN2Q_NQ/s640/View+from+Pilot+Road.jpg" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Pilot Road</td></tr>
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This past weekend I travelled with Marcin, Daria and Arman to the Upper Texas Coast (UTC) to find some rarities and wintering birds. Fall migration was still in full swing with warblers still gracing the coastal woodlands. Red-breasted nuthatches, which are difficult to find most years, were everywhere. Nuthatches have been moving from their traditional wintering ground in the Northeast to Texas because of a cone crop failure. We saw at least 10 Red-breasted nuthatches on the trip. When a species invades a certain area because of depleted food source, the phenomenon is called an irruption.<br />
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And then there were the western species that we got to see, including the Greater Pewee, a flycatcher that is typically only seen in New Mexico and Arizona. Somehow this pewee made it all the way to Bear Creek Park in the suburbs of Houston.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Pewee</td></tr>
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The pewee, which had been reported the last few weeks, was difficult to find. At first we searched for well over an hour. I made the mistake of leaving the group to search for the bird in a different section of woods and missed Marcin’s initial sighting of the Texas rarity. I sweated out another 30 minutes before Marcin relocated the bird. I was very relieved that I didn’t miss out on this rarity.<br />
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Later that afternoon we went to Lafitte’s Cove and witnessed another Western species, the Red-naped Sapsucker. Last year these woodpeckers started showing up in odd places throughout Texas. It looks like this western species is once again making its presence known in East Texas. While we were at Lafitte’s Cove, we got a call from veteran birder Derek Muschalek who alerted us about a Cassin’s Kingbird, yet another western species, at Galveston Island State Park. That evening we relocated the bird and got a rush of Warbler activity. Within a 30 minute period we added several species to our trip and year lists.<br />
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I was excited to find a Yellow-throated Warbler, which brought my year list well past the 380 mark for Texas. Arman was happy to get a Blue-headed Vireo, which he had missed last winter. We also caught a glimpse of warblers roosting. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJS_pzvSphRfxnfL216S0qq8A28g-mLMmmJGuC7CczrurUxSAG-7jC9xeZ1PtfaEdPYWs0rNdFOM37T-45fs8xQ17GdAPH3VuOPPsuQgIewIaQeMKz1zVAnhy8KMzEu9pgYz2xfqmQCM/s1600/Roosting+Magnolia+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJS_pzvSphRfxnfL216S0qq8A28g-mLMmmJGuC7CczrurUxSAG-7jC9xeZ1PtfaEdPYWs0rNdFOM37T-45fs8xQ17GdAPH3VuOPPsuQgIewIaQeMKz1zVAnhy8KMzEu9pgYz2xfqmQCM/s400/Roosting+Magnolia+Warbler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnolia Warbler at roost.</td></tr>
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The following day I added some other great birds to my year list, including Clapper Rail and Nelson’s Sparrow (lifer) on Pilot Road in Sabine Pass. We also saw several Barn Owls at Sabine Wood’s. On our way to Galveston toward the end of the trip, we saw more than 10 Magnificent Frigatebirds.<br />
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In a way, the trip was bittersweet because it was Marcin and Daria’s last trip to the UTC before they return to their native homeland of Poland. Texas has become their home and it will be hard to say goodbye. Becoming friends with Marcin and Daria has been a blessing. For as much as we have valued chasing rare birds together, it has been even more enjoyable getting to know my friends from Eastern Europe. This just goes to show that good thing happen when East meets West.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-15604151598147221502012-07-23T10:00:00.000-05:002012-10-31T16:29:30.587-05:00Birding the Guads is Tough, But Worth It!<br />
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(BELATED) Along the Texas-New Mexico border, the Guadalupe Mountains tower over the Chihuahan Desert like giant sentinels. The pine tree forests and cooler climate are a stark contrast to the desert scrub below. There's lots of mystery in the mountains and the bird life is promising, but you have to make it there first.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4bN9_dREeg8yAry7ZryMB9mbgei2cXw6QgrXnaeAXANswOJgdHDLVtG4uogo0jC9Ik-rm9gySrJAcakS252KE24sRPAbyHF0YYmACK42Qj2YDO912cIjp07wSHE3-uluTf6PbWDTgls/s1600/Clark's+Grebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4bN9_dREeg8yAry7ZryMB9mbgei2cXw6QgrXnaeAXANswOJgdHDLVtG4uogo0jC9Ik-rm9gySrJAcakS252KE24sRPAbyHF0YYmACK42Qj2YDO912cIjp07wSHE3-uluTf6PbWDTgls/s320/Clark's+Grebe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark's Grebe</td></tr>
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Brad and I had been talking about the mountains for several months. We planned to hike the Tejas Trail to Pine Top campground and stay two nights. Our main objective was to spend all day on Sunday hiking the Bowl Trail, which hosts target species such as Stellar's Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch and Grace's Warbler. Birds like these are located in only a handful of places in Texas where the habitat is just right for nesting.<br />
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Before traveling to the Guads, we stayed overnight at Balmorhea Lake and enjoyed a front row view to Clark's and Western Grebes. The chicks and juveniles were noisy. We even caught a glimpse of a chick catching a ride on its parent's back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Grebe</td></tr>
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Later in the afternoon we checked out Frijole Ranch, which was virtually quiet, but we managed to find some Violet Green Swallows and a Western Tanager behind Manzanita Spring. Another surprise really caught us off guard - a Black-tailed Rattlesnake! The rattler had just eaten dinner and wasn't warning us of its presence. It was probably for scared of us than we were of it. Glad Brad saw it before we got any closer. Brad wanted to put a sign up to warn anyone walking in the same area, but when he returned with a paper sign, the rattler had already vanished into the grass. Creepy...<br />
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<strong>A NIGHT HIKE IN THE GUADS</strong><br />
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Later that afternoon we made our way up the Tejas trail toward the towering peaks with more than 20 pounds of water and provisions for backcountry camping. The evening was nice and cool, but the approaching darkness caused us to rethink a 4-mile hike. After walking about a mile, Brad asked if I wanted to keep going and said we could get an early start the next day. But one thing I can't stand is doing something hard all over again when I don't have to, so, with a mix of stubbornness and determination, I told him I wanted to press on.<br />
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We slowly made our way up the trail. Brad is definitely more used to hiking and I'm only a casual hiker, so the loose rocks on the trail and the increasing darkness played a bigger toll on me. I took frequent breaks and Brad patiently obliged. But I had a mix of stubbornness and determination that helped me keep going one... step... at a time.<br />
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At about 9:30 p.m., we were near the end, but we had to turn on our head lamps to navigate the narrow, rocky trail in the darkness. I don't recommend night hiking for anyone because the darkness is very discouraging. Around 10:30 p.m., I became too tired and discouraged to go one and I admitted that I couldn't go on. Brad encouraged me and said we were literally just around the corner from the end. I was skeptical and decided to take a long break before moving on. <br />
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Brad went ahead to scout out the rest of the way and returned not even 10 minutes later to say we were only about 100 yards away. I couldn't believe the summit was just around the corner. This gave me a little encouragement but I was still exhausted. <br />
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What happened next was humbling and thought-provoking. Brad had left his bag at the top and grabbed my bag to carry it the rest of the way. My pride told me to not accept the help, but my spirit told me otherwise. I needed to learn this lesson: Sometimes we need help from others even when we're almost to where we want to be. Life is not just about us doing/accomplishing things on our own. As I've learned at <a href="http://www.gracepoint.org/">my church</a>, we are created for community and need each other. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help the other up." (Proverbs 4:9-10) Thanks Brad for the help to get up.<br />
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<strong>BIRDING THE GUADS -- THE PAYOFF</strong><br />
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There is a lot of mystery in the Guadalupe Mountains. Brad and I weren't sure what we would find in the Bowl, but we knew it would be rewarding. The all-day hike produced wonderful looks at some of our target birds, including Pygmy Nuthatch, Grace's Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker and several others. We were happy to find two Cordilleran flycatchers calling in a deep wooded area. I have seen this species in Colorado, but this was my first for Texas.<br />
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One of the main highlights toward the end of our hike was a male Calliope Hummingbird (lifer). The tiny hummer was resting on a shrub in Bear Canyon.<br />
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We missed a few target birds on the trip such as Flammulated Owl, but with all the birds we got to see, we couldn't complain. I think any trip to the Guadalupe Mountains will be fruitful and well worth the rigorous hike up the tallest mountain range in Texas.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-4937435984794869072012-06-22T16:55:00.000-05:002012-06-22T17:04:27.643-05:00Black-tailed Godwit - First Record for Texas<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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Chasing a rare bird is an exciting experience, but imagine travelling to see a bird that has never been seen in Texas. That's exactly what happened last weekend when I went to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge on the Upper Texas Coast to see a Black-tailed Godwit that had been hanging out on a little pond for about three weeks.</div>
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Black-tailed Godwits are usually found in Asia, Africa and Europe. They rarely show up in North America, but occasionally are found on Alaska's Aleutian Islands. There's no telling how the rare shorebird ended up on the Upper Texas Coast, but if you've been keeping track of my blog, you're well aware that Texas is a hotspot for rarities.</div>
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Ron Weeks, a birder in the area discovered the rare shorebird hanging out with some of its relatives - Hudsonian Godwits. These Godwit species are similar in appearance, but the Black-tailed Godwit can be distinguished from the Hudsonian by the snow-white color under the wings as seen in the photos below.</div>
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Although the shorebird was far away and difficult to photograph due to the location, I was content getting distant views of this historic bird for Texas.</div>
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After getting a long look at the Godwit, I birded more of the refuge and found some Short-billed Dowitchers and Wood Storks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkx9-ic6tgzmPClmlYsYzm51gjaI3L-ROr9mzfZBzuQWrwMAAWGfsWY-a32wQgzHErkDxj5Q5Snm-BOxhG31As53RRz5S2-ejgwxvdhlf1Ja_wzA5lHhpKtoERQyxAI8FgC8z7F13oTfs/s1600/Brazoria+NWR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkx9-ic6tgzmPClmlYsYzm51gjaI3L-ROr9mzfZBzuQWrwMAAWGfsWY-a32wQgzHErkDxj5Q5Snm-BOxhG31As53RRz5S2-ejgwxvdhlf1Ja_wzA5lHhpKtoERQyxAI8FgC8z7F13oTfs/s640/Brazoria+NWR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brazoria NWR</td></tr>
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I also decided to visit one of my favorite state parks, Brazos Bend State Park, where I found some Purple Gallinules and Anhingas.<br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXemeg0wE1POAfcVAJ4sFuTDOQdAGxD0rtCkhOjA9JiDRNQBqktcr2kNWZ0IZ4Ok7_5tpq2TMelsoBgo3OL_Y_AeOgzL7RADMxepKloZkFy2gTkgU3YKkUfYTov6s_bwzJprPTbbS_XDo/s1600/Godwit+and+Galveston+323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXemeg0wE1POAfcVAJ4sFuTDOQdAGxD0rtCkhOjA9JiDRNQBqktcr2kNWZ0IZ4Ok7_5tpq2TMelsoBgo3OL_Y_AeOgzL7RADMxepKloZkFy2gTkgU3YKkUfYTov6s_bwzJprPTbbS_XDo/s640/Godwit+and+Galveston+323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brazos Bend State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9gBzkqjft4FaWln-fiOUw_ghmsIHQYeteJGEmuzSL_9jV8a2jyERngsvcEaKEYdfgo3vcPnt55fRDgBrfpcIHmKRNYz4ubBjfNXDTq8ER7pK0pyg3oVOwm_1aXSombEqAwo4rMkLnCU/s1600/Anhinga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="477" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9gBzkqjft4FaWln-fiOUw_ghmsIHQYeteJGEmuzSL_9jV8a2jyERngsvcEaKEYdfgo3vcPnt55fRDgBrfpcIHmKRNYz4ubBjfNXDTq8ER7pK0pyg3oVOwm_1aXSombEqAwo4rMkLnCU/s640/Anhinga.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anhinga</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6P2DSli4fCIfa-xmN8MEHrpBCBzhdfL4iKKYjPp_zfP3GoMbBJcp4TFr_jR8CdtgyKauRZNCU3OJAJf-IARdQ040Z2fphXQRaDkbERBfvXaN6tK9PT0Pr7_GFmPSv-5C5lqq_5ANLco/s1600/Purple+Gallinule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6P2DSli4fCIfa-xmN8MEHrpBCBzhdfL4iKKYjPp_zfP3GoMbBJcp4TFr_jR8CdtgyKauRZNCU3OJAJf-IARdQ040Z2fphXQRaDkbERBfvXaN6tK9PT0Pr7_GFmPSv-5C5lqq_5ANLco/s640/Purple+Gallinule.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Gallinule</td></tr>
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And I had some close encouters with a few alligators...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79DRUkNmjyH3lngaJqSuxVOJ1ycBZ4tZq6Mkwz5dsVm_2bHSGRaIw-avkzWwT-PeMKHBtltKYvoqoMTNksoiN-aWuwdn6aBWdBDgPJPDUb3kVcxQtrac4BhsV08D7hH_NTQm-U991Stc/s1600/Godwit+and+Galveston+377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79DRUkNmjyH3lngaJqSuxVOJ1ycBZ4tZq6Mkwz5dsVm_2bHSGRaIw-avkzWwT-PeMKHBtltKYvoqoMTNksoiN-aWuwdn6aBWdBDgPJPDUb3kVcxQtrac4BhsV08D7hH_NTQm-U991Stc/s640/Godwit+and+Galveston+377.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This park is incredible for photography and it's so scenic with moss hanging off oak trees and lakes decorated with large lily pads. I recommend this park to anyone who wants to experience a true adventure.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WPSY2twhUdSrSAEpKgcAmGMjoXCLtg70CTUhgszWVem-Z0R-6Ty82lxE0pXBG5sB-Tg6BjQAAy3SenhrZMhh_1VpFYSBgqeHYDCZGbAge9XkQp305CGoOBuAW-gjv49n7Z-6Afdn9AE/s1600/Godwit+and+Galveston+341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WPSY2twhUdSrSAEpKgcAmGMjoXCLtg70CTUhgszWVem-Z0R-6Ty82lxE0pXBG5sB-Tg6BjQAAy3SenhrZMhh_1VpFYSBgqeHYDCZGbAge9XkQp305CGoOBuAW-gjv49n7Z-6Afdn9AE/s640/Godwit+and+Galveston+341.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Board Walk on 40 Acre Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgyBRGAzI_38qT5FKjuehpjQgTAsz5eqpBnAuaQZGh9Cj7XhIRI5m4HK4vewe4DSgP17pseXwk7-1iP1ldwN91UPDFgT1N4MYUo4HT4lA_74ALu0mzilnnbRENNYYn1EHfctSKE5XR1Q/s1600/Anhinga+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgyBRGAzI_38qT5FKjuehpjQgTAsz5eqpBnAuaQZGh9Cj7XhIRI5m4HK4vewe4DSgP17pseXwk7-1iP1ldwN91UPDFgT1N4MYUo4HT4lA_74ALu0mzilnnbRENNYYn1EHfctSKE5XR1Q/s640/Anhinga+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anhinga sunning on 40 Acre Lake</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-56659939989574754752012-05-31T11:59:00.000-05:002012-05-31T12:34:07.410-05:00Day 3 & 4: Hawks, an Oasis and Some Good Life Birds<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLArbnDwd-ps6WCfsTeSHDY5aNu9domTIKjx87tBv3d3lHvUHx0qUniwZBEH0J6j7rvNjSYzs5A5QY_IY42NmWlRjaxPmB6GmVz68j0gPwtp9-NR4fOD4K2IWk0IfqvlRC0QRqkXWQZk/s1600/West+Texas+Desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLArbnDwd-ps6WCfsTeSHDY5aNu9domTIKjx87tBv3d3lHvUHx0qUniwZBEH0J6j7rvNjSYzs5A5QY_IY42NmWlRjaxPmB6GmVz68j0gPwtp9-NR4fOD4K2IWk0IfqvlRC0QRqkXWQZk/s640/West+Texas+Desert.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I got busy over the last few weeks and it's a little dated now, but I figured I would go ahead and sum up last month's trip to West Texas.<br />
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Brad and I spent our last full day in Big Bend birding Dug Out Wells, Rio Grande Village and Christmas Mountain Oasis. <br />
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Dug Out Wells and Rio Grande Village did not disappoint. At Dug Out Wells, we found a Gray Flycatcher hawking insects in the desert and we picked up some good year birds, including Yellow-headed Blackbird.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5mU8GzrGsRb1JpYfKCMd2xEexk4b4uq5r8TUU27uBYqKPtiXhpGTtP3_B8fPRmOk4d24L-LcJanM4McIsFe8c02dyVBqatgKKInZ-qXuE9UqEyKoK2BLASjNomqsf_2-Vev0x10sRwY/s1600/Big+Bend+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5mU8GzrGsRb1JpYfKCMd2xEexk4b4uq5r8TUU27uBYqKPtiXhpGTtP3_B8fPRmOk4d24L-LcJanM4McIsFe8c02dyVBqatgKKInZ-qXuE9UqEyKoK2BLASjNomqsf_2-Vev0x10sRwY/s320/Big+Bend+173.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Rio Grande Village was a hot spot for hawks. I finally added Common Black-Hawk and Zone-tailed Hawk to my life list. Zone-tailed Hawk was a true nemesis bird that I tried to find all last year. Brad spotted my life bird soaring above the horizon near the Rio Grande. </div>
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On two previous trips to Big Bend, I never made it to Rio Grande Village to see Common Black-Hawks, which nest in a protected area. <br />
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This time I made a point to make the special trip to see the hawks. A pair of hawks were nest building at the time, so it was very easy to find these majestic raptors.<br />
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The hawk below is carrying a branch to its nest. I imagine by now the parents are attending to chicks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIiSdBndixhRqvUP_A7itvwVqLwqrD3UFZPWmnPc4ROzudyJwhJFRbdqfWW6zA3nZyxcuQyRXP73eWLJCLFuNBZbORFqMmdx3RG0Zv633MEt_0-4mDM0b07PfkIwEiP25S7F5qAXau6Q/s1600/Big+Bend+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIiSdBndixhRqvUP_A7itvwVqLwqrD3UFZPWmnPc4ROzudyJwhJFRbdqfWW6zA3nZyxcuQyRXP73eWLJCLFuNBZbORFqMmdx3RG0Zv633MEt_0-4mDM0b07PfkIwEiP25S7F5qAXau6Q/s640/Big+Bend+158.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Black-Hawk</td></tr>
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Christmas Mountain Oasis was fantastic. Carolyn-Ohl Johnson greeted us at her bird sanctuary and showed us great hospitality. She even was kind enough to let me borrow her 100-400 L-Series lens to get some closer shots of the birds below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaYbqgyWGJtrUglY8ng8DZHAX9g7M0Kn2Wc8GR83w6CDgLcC_VRnJ2Rjj-HAW7T4TP_pLF7FioBkQx55sSiGkmlsn9eiTCuD1g63vBta99SaIKHxMgAO87DPV6s7_lGJKG2IhXfsfkHg/s1600/Green-tailed+Towhee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="516" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaYbqgyWGJtrUglY8ng8DZHAX9g7M0Kn2Wc8GR83w6CDgLcC_VRnJ2Rjj-HAW7T4TP_pLF7FioBkQx55sSiGkmlsn9eiTCuD1g63vBta99SaIKHxMgAO87DPV6s7_lGJKG2IhXfsfkHg/s640/Green-tailed+Towhee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green-tailed Towhee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAMMSZh-PAhISExCXWqzrGvSMkImUSXLPuBqC0NSE0eFVyws1lZ9QtuMDaqv9t0rZ11xSLYOsQ9QgaNt7htU7Z2hWtCif9pzeYomfDb0OzMPcgDPkexzoZYJ1fYox9KzrwIN2zeFMIHw/s1600/Scaled+Quail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="526" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAMMSZh-PAhISExCXWqzrGvSMkImUSXLPuBqC0NSE0eFVyws1lZ9QtuMDaqv9t0rZ11xSLYOsQ9QgaNt7htU7Z2hWtCif9pzeYomfDb0OzMPcgDPkexzoZYJ1fYox9KzrwIN2zeFMIHw/s640/Scaled+Quail.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scaled Quail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-H29ZsqpbhZPuiUge_iy3NNTAIVarySfwcfAwUptKNCsUzMY1Y5omoEdF4koscSoa5IaG6ZmcKHSatusT0YFIhrFG6pKvRV4lXWTZFPclA08ues6BK2-CSbB00Vjnds6rO8GKqjYt4c/s1600/Lucifer+Hummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-H29ZsqpbhZPuiUge_iy3NNTAIVarySfwcfAwUptKNCsUzMY1Y5omoEdF4koscSoa5IaG6ZmcKHSatusT0YFIhrFG6pKvRV4lXWTZFPclA08ues6BK2-CSbB00Vjnds6rO8GKqjYt4c/s640/Lucifer+Hummer.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucifer Hummingbird</td></tr>
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The highlight of the evening was watching male and female Elf Owls in action at dusk. The female Elf Owl peeked out of her nest hole several times while waiting for the male.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYiM6u4zaNc2CpBZjHHBFMPWvgtFWw6W2cH7CCuz_PLAnestEaKvxq8ZevZK4Cd4vWTZMx_xCEMQPHLR1xXrpQVA25uweCx-NrtWcuG1W1EzwG5fMDv6hO2UK1JGwbuCktZDtnCqHMz8/s1600/Big+Bend+391-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYiM6u4zaNc2CpBZjHHBFMPWvgtFWw6W2cH7CCuz_PLAnestEaKvxq8ZevZK4Cd4vWTZMx_xCEMQPHLR1xXrpQVA25uweCx-NrtWcuG1W1EzwG5fMDv6hO2UK1JGwbuCktZDtnCqHMz8/s640/Big+Bend+391-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elf Owl (Female)</td></tr>
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Then, the male Elf Owl showed up. I love the angry look of these miniature owls. It reminds me of the Angry Birds game.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLiC2IWgJtCdG9wbf484yhWomttP9SKEXSqk6FMKOJZa9TMiLCuz1geOwHelJTbXPcgefU5zawFJhqTjWKINn2cKvhxFYIq067KaOsc2NIJLKqirqWdRQ8KjzgEDBc1SGAWf1zFVtgSY/s1600/Male+Elf+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="570" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLiC2IWgJtCdG9wbf484yhWomttP9SKEXSqk6FMKOJZa9TMiLCuz1geOwHelJTbXPcgefU5zawFJhqTjWKINn2cKvhxFYIq067KaOsc2NIJLKqirqWdRQ8KjzgEDBc1SGAWf1zFVtgSY/s640/Male+Elf+Owl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Elf Owl (Male)</td></tr>
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Brad and I spent the last part of our trip attempting to find some rare birds - Hermit Warbler and Rufous-capped Warbler, but we dipped (didn't find) on both birds. However, I picked up one last lifer on the Chisos Basin Nature Trail - Hepatic Tanager. At first, I thought it was just a Summer Tanager, a common summer resident. But upon further inspection, Brad pointed out that it was indeed a Hepatic. The two tanagers are superficially similar in appearance, but upon further inspection, you can distinguish the two.</div>
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Check out the comparison of the two species below. Can you tell which is Hepatic and which is Summer?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAObu0PBqC7nCJqu34s0hC_vQ_Mh4wNnW01xlZqYnRq2AFTGGN0OmIvZRdaXxomKAbHF0CbioknPZxXU6OJ9Cv35lDyZJ8jCzlhsgDtW-FlQz4Ntayr22hsYy5REMkPwhV8-9k-2jjUE/s1600/Big+Bend+426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAObu0PBqC7nCJqu34s0hC_vQ_Mh4wNnW01xlZqYnRq2AFTGGN0OmIvZRdaXxomKAbHF0CbioknPZxXU6OJ9Cv35lDyZJ8jCzlhsgDtW-FlQz4Ntayr22hsYy5REMkPwhV8-9k-2jjUE/s400/Big+Bend+426.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-6477103633922635422012-05-10T16:44:00.000-05:002012-05-10T16:47:13.454-05:00Day 2: The Hike... Choose Your Own Adventure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Colima Warbler is one of the birds I have raved about the most over the last year. This little drab warbler is a novelty because it's only U.S. destination is in the Chisos Mountains where it takes considerable work to find it.</div>
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To get to the warblers, you have one of two choices:</div>
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Option 1.) Take the easier, but longer hike - a 6-mile, gradual climb up Laguna Meadows.</div>
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Or...<br />
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Option 2.) Take the tougher, shorter route - a 3-mile steep climb up switchbacks on the Pinnacles trail.<br />
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This reminds me of the <a href="http://www.cyoa.com/">Choose Your Own Adventure</a> books I read as a kid.<br />
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When a park ranger told Brad that several male warblers had been seen about 4 miles on Laguna Meadows, we decided on option 2. </div>
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Brad and I got a late start our 12-mile hike, but the fair weather was pleasant and birds were active. We quickly added Scott's Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Wood-Pewee to our trip list. <br />
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Along the way we ran into some birders who had heard Colimas about a mile or two ahead. Brad and I kept our ears tuned to Colima's trilling song. At first we confused a Spotted Towhee song for the colima, but soon Brad started hearing something different. And soon we knew we had our bird...<br />
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I managed a few ID shots, but we had good views of at least 3 Colimas and heard 2 other males.<br />
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The surprises didn't end there. While attempting to get a photo of a Colima, we suddenly heard a Mexican Whip-Poor-Will. Both the Colima and Whip-Poor-Will performed their choruses for us at the same time.<br />
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As if this wasn't enough, we found another one of my sought after species, Black-chinned Sparrow. Brad first pinpointed one singing in the meadow. The song starts off resembling a bouncing ball and quickly turns into the sounds of a marble dropping on the floor.<br />
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Other highlights along the trail were Townsend's Warbler, Hutton's Vireo, Mexican Jays and more. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brad scoping out the trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican Jay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emory Peak - 2nd Highest Peak in Texas</td></tr>
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Walking alonside Pine and Madrone Trees, we got great view of Emory Peak, the tallest peak in the Big Bend and second only to Guadalupe Peak for tallest in Texas.<br />
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As soon as we got to a ranger cabin, we came across another surprise...<br />
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The Black Bear was hungry, but fortunately not for us. It fed on oats and whatever else it could find near the cabin. We heard later that this bear was emaciated or slowly going hungry. I'm not sure if this was accurate, but it sure looked sluggish and hungry.</div>
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We completed the hike seeing some amazing birds. I got three lifers along the way and Brad got the Whip-Poor-Will, which he had been wanting to see for some time.</div>
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As always, the view of the Window trail is a fitting end to the long hike. Our feet and backs were sore by the end, but the adventure was truly satisfying. While nearing the end of the trail, I took a moment to take in the scenery and thank God for such a beautiful place to enjoy His creation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Window</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-52415520715634245622012-05-04T16:08:00.002-05:002012-05-04T16:08:30.443-05:00Big Bend: Day 1 <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon Motel</td></tr>
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The morning in Marathon was nice and cool and the desert came to life with the songs of Orchard Orioles and Barn Swallows. In the distance, we could hear Cassin's Sparrows carrying their trilling tunes. </div>
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Brad and I spent our first day split between Marathon and Big Bend National Park. After staying at the campground at the Marathon Motel, we headed to Post Park and found some West Texas specialities, including Cassin's Kingbird and Phainopepla.<br />
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The cool morning quickly faded into a hot afternoon as we stepped out of the car at Santa Elena Canyon. We hiked the trail, but found few birds. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Elena Canyon</td></tr>
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Then, we visited Cottonwood Campground where we encountered a swirl of bird activity - Ash-throated Flycatcher, Green-tailed Towhees and at least 4 species of sparrow, including a Grasshopper Sparrow, which hopped up on a picnic bench.</div>
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And in a large Cottonwood Tree appeared my first lifer - a beautiful Gray Hawk.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8pL1I3XCuYgJ0PfmGetuW-N72I7kQYREu9ATz6jP-09O5r7v2ytS7DU_vPZbT8Gx1D-1PjtKjZyWqK51C10E-10svPHLpWXC8o7qq0zFbmguCqOEoE3X-3hAO3biPnwxR2cdQfeM98E/s1600/Big+Bend+in+Spring+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8pL1I3XCuYgJ0PfmGetuW-N72I7kQYREu9ATz6jP-09O5r7v2ytS7DU_vPZbT8Gx1D-1PjtKjZyWqK51C10E-10svPHLpWXC8o7qq0zFbmguCqOEoE3X-3hAO3biPnwxR2cdQfeM98E/s320/Big+Bend+in+Spring+124.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray Hawk</td></tr>
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We spent the rest of the day at Sam Nail Ranch where we found several colorful Varied Buntings calling in the West Texas Brush. This is a bird I've missed in the Big Bend twice, so checking it off on my life list was a huge plus. I didn't get very many good photos on the first day, but when we visited Christmas Mountain Oasis the next day, I got the shot I really wanted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOfBnXcZdoOVAocuQPrmI0BJe5U4bvzcl7mU5ZXz18dYnmKqoK6XD5EafbbMyo5tgu5PaozG5zAFhIKIvqoMCmUJXKCghwBmqK9TQpSnckSWy8QiMB0gcNnFbMW2TkYRdkGZS2xleq5k/s1600/Big+Bend+344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOfBnXcZdoOVAocuQPrmI0BJe5U4bvzcl7mU5ZXz18dYnmKqoK6XD5EafbbMyo5tgu5PaozG5zAFhIKIvqoMCmUJXKCghwBmqK9TQpSnckSWy8QiMB0gcNnFbMW2TkYRdkGZS2xleq5k/s640/Big+Bend+344.jpg" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Varied Bunting</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-35264687284565086072012-05-02T00:15:00.000-05:002012-05-02T00:15:32.503-05:00Big Bend: A Bittersweet Story of Beauty and Survival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The severe drought in West Texas has left its mark on the landscape and has impacted bird life and nature all together in Big Bend country. Springs have dried up and wildfires have destroyed forests. Even the hardiest pine trees are dying in the Chisos Basin. </div>
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But one thing in Big Bend is for sure: Life goes on...</div>
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This weekend I was inspired by the persistant spirit of people and nature in the Trans-Pecos region. On our 12-mile hike through the Chisos Mountains, Brad and I were pleased to find a diversity of birds and wildlife despite the drought. I visited a bird sanctuary where Carolyn Ohl-Johnson spends countless hours hauling water from Alpine to her remote property in the Chihuahan desert to keep her <a href="http://cmoasis.blogspot.com/">Christmas Mountain Oasis</a> alive. </div>
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During our visit, more than a hundred firefighters were battling a <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i2TngIpr4IfdYYWKLaC_mAHlC6pw?docId=f8f90c9bac964a3fac7a54a21987610a">wildfire near the Davis Mountains Resort.</a> The blaze continues to threaten life and property. My thoughts and prayers go out to the volunteers and residents caught in this real life struggle to survive. In the coming days, I'll unpack my experiences and share about all the great birds I saw and some of the people I met along the way.</div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-22454196070919388072012-04-26T15:05:00.000-05:002012-04-26T15:05:57.091-05:00Heading Out WestThis year I'm breaking with tradition and going to Big Bend instead of High Island for a long weekend of birding. Me and my friend, Brad, are leaving after work to the Trans- Pecos region with lots of target birds on the itinerary.<br />
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First stop is Uvalde for a Rufous-capped Warbler at Chalk Bluff Park. The rare bird has been seen over the last few days singing near a boat ramp in tall brush. We'll try to catch a glimpse of this attractive yellow/red passerine this evening. If we don't get him today, we'll try again on our way back on Monday.<br />
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Next, we'll do some birding in Marathon and head to the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. We plan to camp out in the mountains in Boot Springs, the prestigious location for the Colima Warbler, a warbler that only make its way into the U.S. via the high elevations of the Chisos Mountains. While we're up there at night we will listen for nocturnal birds such as Flammulated Owl and Mexican Whip-Poor-Will. <br />
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We also plan to visit Christmas Mountain Oasis for some special birds that I haven't picked up on my life list, yet - Varied Bunting and Elf Owl. Fortunately, Carolyn Ohl who keeps this amazing place alive in the desert, just located an owl nest yesterday, so there's a good chance for some good looks at one of the smallest owls in the world.<br />
<br />Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-42630195746204194312012-04-13T21:59:00.000-05:002012-04-13T21:59:25.566-05:00Hoo... you lookin' at?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6-UcWL5Ri5lkyNcjGs0Gsem7REhyJltfKbM-FLyETXcB33LfYUS8Ne-1FS5GvfSO_9Jm7I0d4Fh-2Gl2JtfDmmX5ERDSs_co4DFx1Q1OQlZxu-PmxeeBwuyVYxe6vMzjQh0dSjUkSTE/s1600/Ferruginous+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6-UcWL5Ri5lkyNcjGs0Gsem7REhyJltfKbM-FLyETXcB33LfYUS8Ne-1FS5GvfSO_9Jm7I0d4Fh-2Gl2JtfDmmX5ERDSs_co4DFx1Q1OQlZxu-PmxeeBwuyVYxe6vMzjQh0dSjUkSTE/s640/Ferruginous+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last Saturday I found this little fella at the San Miguelito Ranch near Raymondville, TX. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have been very scarce in South Texas and are now only found reliably in a handful of birding hotspots on the coastal plains. <br />
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Grana and I each paid $30 to take a tour of the ranch with some visitors from Massachusetts to get this rare owl. Our tour guide, Carson, picked us up at the gate and took us to the ranch house where he said at least a pair of owls were nesting.<br />
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We had a hard time finding the owl at first. Carson thought it would be easy to find, but we ended up searching the back yard for a good 30 minutes before Carson spotted the tiny owl. If it wasn't for Carson, we probably would have missed the owl.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgdymSxoKikv5clUlYlZpLMHxQ1_VjX51doQ1cciGnhmIViRde_LJOYmzQ__bAIg7Q9VnvzPsXDwTXoGwEjktp-mp1RcCx59j84hquOrQP6qU69FcoZnleT-Rnmc3q2rUzFWSp6xG9ac/s1600/Carson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgdymSxoKikv5clUlYlZpLMHxQ1_VjX51doQ1cciGnhmIViRde_LJOYmzQ__bAIg7Q9VnvzPsXDwTXoGwEjktp-mp1RcCx59j84hquOrQP6qU69FcoZnleT-Rnmc3q2rUzFWSp6xG9ac/s640/Carson.jpg" width="630" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide looking up at the owl.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmY1eeOItubcE5twEdrhc24oOqYfjGqRFi-AcRb2J4On6JJVFZxaaYcDo6p7hqEMlkDnY0IR-mwgJfotQ0ALtaTkIzMPsmesdhU-RJMZUX0OyWvnPbbfzsmU9eQGGfMUW-5su7bHeAwng/s1600/Ferruginous+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmY1eeOItubcE5twEdrhc24oOqYfjGqRFi-AcRb2J4On6JJVFZxaaYcDo6p7hqEMlkDnY0IR-mwgJfotQ0ALtaTkIzMPsmesdhU-RJMZUX0OyWvnPbbfzsmU9eQGGfMUW-5su7bHeAwng/s640/Ferruginous+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We got good looks at the owl, but Carson said that the other owl that was missing usually allow approach within 5 yards! Wow, guess I'll have to come back to see that sometime. This special owl can also be found in Arizona, but aside from that it's typically only found in South Texas. How amazing it must be to own a ranch where this unique species nests.<br />
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The owl can also be found on the King Ranch nature tours, but I'm not sure if you'd be able to get as close as we did.<br />
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Other than the owl, we saw several Hooded Orioles.<br />
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And we made a run down to Estero Llano Grande State Park for another nocturnal bird - Common Pauraque. It was a little difficult to find, but last year I found a pair by Alligator Lake, so I knew where to look. I found this one in virtually the same spot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnR4paVkP0HXj33Pm2v68hthykzjgGr-XrmG2CgD_XNx23O4UoaFDa2EbU3X7KC7rOjnYsUOR0kFhAvUCepjrJ82ASMM8uRnCRuZZGcSUuEmrjZ2BuWidTzUIzAj4lswnLPPOFGYdFMc/s1600/Common+Pauraque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnR4paVkP0HXj33Pm2v68hthykzjgGr-XrmG2CgD_XNx23O4UoaFDa2EbU3X7KC7rOjnYsUOR0kFhAvUCepjrJ82ASMM8uRnCRuZZGcSUuEmrjZ2BuWidTzUIzAj4lswnLPPOFGYdFMc/s640/Common+Pauraque.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Pauraque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-57465117241883535332012-04-06T00:13:00.001-05:002012-04-06T00:20:26.984-05:00The Tale of the Yellow RailSeeing a Yellow Rail up close and personal is a dream for a lot of birders. Just getting a quick look flying over marshy grassland is nearly impossible. That's why birders from around the country come to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge just to catch a glimpse of the elusive rail during the annual Yellow Rail Walks. I was more than fortunate to get about a 5 minute-look at one of the most secretive birds in North America.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Rail at Anahuac NWR - Samuel Taylor©<br />
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</tbody></table>It all started bright an early on Sunday morning after a late night drive from Corpus Christi to Beaumont. We were going on about 4 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee when we strapped on our rain boots, doused ourselves in mosquito repellent and joined more than a dozen birders to tromp through mud and sharp marsh grass to look for the prized bird.<br />
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Our leader David Sarkozi has been doing these walks for more than 20 years. He gave a short orientation and explained just exactly what we were getting ourselves into. He pulled out a long rope with milk jugs filled with some material that made them rattle and explained that we needed to march through the grass in a tight formation behind the line. The idea was to flush the rails, which would usually be content waiting out the oncoming traffic or just walking right by Rail Walkers in the knee-high grass.<br />
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The morning was unsuccessful for Yellow Rail, but we did get a few Soras. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwFPxxImN-sMXkhIRogFRZ8xNUHd2woDd0p-AO4pyeW0ZzoW9jSbUYOnIJdJ8yPbChLfI72kALiZ3xPi_J9Tdoj-pjJp4j-p3Sh5Wu5DoaWas53ocOlieeSJ5CYbovwSOfCobRoSVK1M/s1600/Sora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwFPxxImN-sMXkhIRogFRZ8xNUHd2woDd0p-AO4pyeW0ZzoW9jSbUYOnIJdJ8yPbChLfI72kALiZ3xPi_J9Tdoj-pjJp4j-p3Sh5Wu5DoaWas53ocOlieeSJ5CYbovwSOfCobRoSVK1M/s640/Sora.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sora after being flushed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It wasn't until the afternoon when we tried again that we got exactly what we wanted. After about 20 minutes of fruitless walking, Arman caught a glimpse of something flying into the grass behind me. We turned our attention to the area and dragged the line across the grass. Nothing... So we tried one more time and out popped a Yellow Rail.<br />
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David instructed us to quickly form a circle around the area where it had dropped down. We thought the rail would come up out of the grass but instead it walked right by one of the other birders and out of the circle. <br />
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Amazingly, we got another chance and flushed the rail once more. This time we formed a tighter circle and didn't leave much room for him to walk out. Instead, he allowed us to get some good footage of his yellow-gold plummage.<br />
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Thanks to David Sarkozi for the lifetime experience at Anahuac. We had a blast and got to see something that most birders only hope to see. The rare sighting was well worth tromping through the mud, muck and mosquitos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZf_oI7ahBqGCgKDvhly6v1YGKCZMfZ4E_XC8H9wLNk2oFSefu5JxHqyl9ZoqVfkHiGHUYZtJ5koCk5K4PW2DvqscRhmNG1Tr6EwDP_deasvKbA26iia8aoeyUcbDgwCk1mTswOpQTmQM/s1600/Surfbird,+Yellow+Rail+442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZf_oI7ahBqGCgKDvhly6v1YGKCZMfZ4E_XC8H9wLNk2oFSefu5JxHqyl9ZoqVfkHiGHUYZtJ5koCk5K4PW2DvqscRhmNG1Tr6EwDP_deasvKbA26iia8aoeyUcbDgwCk1mTswOpQTmQM/s640/Surfbird,+Yellow+Rail+442.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to Right: Daria and Marcin Kotjka; Arman Moreno; Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-50157642062756570852012-04-05T21:36:00.001-05:002012-04-05T21:44:58.095-05:00Surfs Up!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9q7DhUtmDQcaAivAMLnQlnYRwNEQCGF9wBkFGNaR4-VSpiExE7IBmWSMRq6lX1B8s2vyaFlfdRkvmuGjxZHfqGXJl_NkJJqQI-RBC8DX6q8G8Y30ZmA_80gkcn734lNTlY9WOS_dDAo/s1600/Surfbird%252C+Yellow+Rail+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9q7DhUtmDQcaAivAMLnQlnYRwNEQCGF9wBkFGNaR4-VSpiExE7IBmWSMRq6lX1B8s2vyaFlfdRkvmuGjxZHfqGXJl_NkJJqQI-RBC8DX6q8G8Y30ZmA_80gkcn734lNTlY9WOS_dDAo/s640/Surfbird%252C+Yellow+Rail+106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surfbird - Packery Channel Samuel Taylor©</td></tr>
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</div><br />
It's one thing to see a rare bird, but it's another to see it living up to its name (well sort of...). We spent the last day of March getting incredible views of the rare shorebird at the North Jetty of Packery Channel while surfers were waiting for a wave in the background.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoZN8hRlz3ZF-e07bFZLolUJMMI_E6gqvZ4jLkoFwwZ1VDWSl56bgwCHdO2-ji2ee4FjELcA6qM8I4_uoZ-Cgc43rPM0H0mgCO7u0vSeaf91yIb_EOAwUHFZiA6NGnS2J24UeclbXyAo/s1600/Surfbird,+Yellow+Rail+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoZN8hRlz3ZF-e07bFZLolUJMMI_E6gqvZ4jLkoFwwZ1VDWSl56bgwCHdO2-ji2ee4FjELcA6qM8I4_uoZ-Cgc43rPM0H0mgCO7u0vSeaf91yIb_EOAwUHFZiA6NGnS2J24UeclbXyAo/s640/Surfbird,+Yellow+Rail+114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The surfers were probably wondering what the heck the guys with binoculars and large cameras were paying so much attention to. We even got some stares from coast guard officials patrolling the channel.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuimauD8CkOI_iChIjc_Gumu1sDOEqKHmC8Tv-C5xiDwSZHTpy-e5lxhIznFIKVbVMqkUAgW8OZ6Uiubn7Il0VkwHeAHFeX3k-gLRvQ2tAs8_WYS1Z8c7A5cMToxUOdWGRzdbASdYABno/s1600/Surfbird,+Yellow+Rail+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuimauD8CkOI_iChIjc_Gumu1sDOEqKHmC8Tv-C5xiDwSZHTpy-e5lxhIznFIKVbVMqkUAgW8OZ6Uiubn7Il0VkwHeAHFeX3k-gLRvQ2tAs8_WYS1Z8c7A5cMToxUOdWGRzdbASdYABno/s640/Surfbird,+Yellow+Rail+053.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The Surfbird hung out with some Ruddy Turnstones. (Or maybe I should say Turn"stoners"...) <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Surbird only stuck around for a few more days when the weather changed. Hopefully it's on its way to its breeding grounds in Alaska. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe8B342UuMgIzJuT98BmvDZCWXjebcxgUXi5htO9NhamYgEkqiMJyL-_7HMAok8nSEp8OMERP5jHg0pBm8L4hEBrVduzomYqUF4Thpf0EKhssut4Ja-I9YSr9QL7JQRcVs6gQ09kyFk8/s1600/Brrr+Surfbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe8B342UuMgIzJuT98BmvDZCWXjebcxgUXi5htO9NhamYgEkqiMJyL-_7HMAok8nSEp8OMERP5jHg0pBm8L4hEBrVduzomYqUF4Thpf0EKhssut4Ja-I9YSr9QL7JQRcVs6gQ09kyFk8/s640/Brrr+Surfbird.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surfbird - Samuel Taylor©</td></tr>
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</div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-59561033980182818892012-04-02T16:51:00.001-05:002012-04-02T16:52:19.830-05:00Texas Coast Trip Made to Order"I'll take a Surfbird Sandwich with a side of migrants, please. Oh and can I have the Yellow Rail Delight for dessert?"<br />
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If I was ordering this weekend's birding trip off a menu, that's pretty much how it would go. <br />
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Once again, a whirlwind birding trip did not disappoint. <br />
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In Corpus Christi, our eyes feasted on long looks at a rare shorebird that has graced the Texas Coast less than a dozen times since birders started keeping records in Texas. Our craving for migrants led us to dozens of Upland Sandpipers; about 10 species of warblers, including the beautiful Prairie Warbler; some spicy nightjars, including Chuck-Wills-Widow and Eastern Whip-Poor-Will; and a first helping of songbirds like Summer Tanager and Warbling Vireo.<br />
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A late night run from Corpus Christi to Beaumont was well-worth the fast-food like pace when we experienced very rare, long looks at the elusive Yellow Rail.<br />
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At the end of the trip, our lists were full and our appetite for a successful kickoff to migration was satisfied. I'll be posting photos, videos and more about the trip in the next coming days, so stay tuned...Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-22755136064294149112012-03-30T16:20:00.000-05:002012-03-30T16:20:49.838-05:00Weekend Roadtrip Along Texas Coast Looks Promising for Rarities, MigrantsThis weekend I'm hope to get my first taste of spring migration. I'll be heading out early in the morning with Marcin, Daria and Arman, a birder from Austin. We'll be seeking out some rarities in Corpus Christi and hunting for warblers, vireos and other songbirds at migrant traps on the mainland and in Port Aransas.<br />
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We could get a heaping spoonful of rarities if we can find a <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/surfbird/id">Surfbird</a> and a <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Sandpiper/lifehistory">Purple Sandpiper</a> that have been seen the last few days at Packery Channel near the JFK Causeway on North Padre Island. The Surfbird has been easy to approach so it could make for some great photos, but I'd be content just adding this one to my life list, especially since there are only 10 documented records of this species in Texas.<br />
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On Saturday evening, we'll head to East Texas for Yellow Rail Walks that will be a lifetime experience. We'll be marching through tall reeds at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge looking for the elusive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Rail">Yellow Rail</a>. Thisis basically the only way you can find the tiny, sparrow-sized rail that most often hides out deep in salt marshes. Should be a blast! Stay tuned...Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-60625917325892088032012-03-16T14:11:00.000-05:002012-03-16T14:11:06.001-05:00Spring's Feature Presentation: Golden-cheeked Warblers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjd63YTzhCzyMIQTZHwYLsCPcK3NjrrBndrwC7hrGmsIZod86tG0IJYL4EgqqJycVdMK3jv-rtuvZp37QOhOnMr0kg2M8X97LMKa1akTIiV9b_RgkVK7GH6bq6ZhxVNbTJb-KkQhymElY/s1600/BLOG+Golden-cheek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="545" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjd63YTzhCzyMIQTZHwYLsCPcK3NjrrBndrwC7hrGmsIZod86tG0IJYL4EgqqJycVdMK3jv-rtuvZp37QOhOnMr0kg2M8X97LMKa1akTIiV9b_RgkVK7GH6bq6ZhxVNbTJb-KkQhymElY/s640/BLOG+Golden-cheek.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Golden-cheeked Warblers are now showing at Friedrich Wilderness Park and other locations throughout the Texas Hill Country. The endangered species is an early migrant that travels from South America to the heart of Texas just to nest in mixed woodlands with deciduous trees and Ashe Junipers.<br />
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On Sunday, Marcin, Daria and I found at least 2 warblers on the Water Trail at Friedrich around 3 p.m. We first heard the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-cheeked_Warbler/id/ac">distinct call</a> while sitting near the windmill and eventually found a beautiful male moving about the cedars.<br />
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Now it's important to not get the Golden-cheeks confused with a similar looking species, the <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-throated_Green_Warbler/id/ac">Black-throated Green Warbler</a>. If you've never seen a <a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0013_golden_cheeked_warbler.pdf">Golden-cheeked</a>, be sure to study the difference. Note the definite black line and bright yellow/gold in the face. Also, Black-throated Green males have green on the back. The well-defined facial pattern and green back will help you make an accurate ID.<br />
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It's always exciting when the Golden-cheeked Warblers show up because birders are reminded that spring migration is under way and soon mixed flocks of Yellow-throated, Blackburnian and Cerulean warblers will be showing up at migrant traps throughout Texas.<br />
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Late March - early May is the best time to find these highly desired birds. If you plan to be in Port Aransas or anywhere near the coast during these next few months, you definitely need to check out migrant traps like the <a href="http://www.cityofportaransas.org/Leonabelle_Turnbull_Birding_Center.cfm">Birding Center</a> and <a href="http://www.cityofportaransas.org/Paradise_Pond.cfm">Paradise Pond</a>. I'll probably be highlighting some of them in an upcoming blog entry. These areas are especially active whenever there's a weather event that causes a lot of these migrating species to take shelter at these migrant traps. This highly sought after event is known to birders as a fallout!<br />
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If you live in San Antonio, I highly recommend <a href="http://warblerwoods.org/directions/visit">Warbler Woods</a> near Schertz, TX. I plan to be a frequent visitor over the next few months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYLhJpxegOSZOIPPJrdK_qFxffneTOkOx1pUDLCjnkjy1u_AXjIY_aslLRuy4Otu1S8rosJl5yG_WTASvU_mhGkF-mLSdkxzIdYK9LYPwBAAvIdndi8p7anJyLABv7gDFEuS3NoTGsTI/s1600/UEMC+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYLhJpxegOSZOIPPJrdK_qFxffneTOkOx1pUDLCjnkjy1u_AXjIY_aslLRuy4Otu1S8rosJl5yG_WTASvU_mhGkF-mLSdkxzIdYK9LYPwBAAvIdndi8p7anJyLABv7gDFEuS3NoTGsTI/s640/UEMC+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebonnets from 2011 at Warbler Woods</td></tr>
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Spring migration is primetime for birders because rare birds can show up just about anywhere. So keep a lookout over the next few months, especially in your own back yard. Who knows? You may soon be hosting the next biggest rare bird in Texas.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-78209274948337047472012-03-10T12:59:00.001-06:002012-03-10T13:04:53.201-06:00Rare Flycatcher, Glaucous Gull Among Lifers Found in Valley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a4MrwTUeBP2YQQFFl3RS8y_c1Q6EHErFieAyYT6LdqDYKiMFfMwxU4y72RSte8SQQPAjDrre4ADnhz3GN-SBanZ8PwcEtQaLN0oAmDZdTKZic1nyXMs4Qw_tgZPh42BMGMS0QS8iDv0/s1600/Valley+and+Corpus+March+2012+629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a4MrwTUeBP2YQQFFl3RS8y_c1Q6EHErFieAyYT6LdqDYKiMFfMwxU4y72RSte8SQQPAjDrre4ADnhz3GN-SBanZ8PwcEtQaLN0oAmDZdTKZic1nyXMs4Qw_tgZPh42BMGMS0QS8iDv0/s640/Valley+and+Corpus+March+2012+629.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
Last weekend, Grana and I had a great time picking up some lifers and rare birds in the valley. The main highlight for me was finding the female Rose-throated Becard at Estero Llano Grande State Park. The secretive flycatcher is easy to miss since it's quiet and sneaks around the dense brush of the park's Tropical Zone. I spoke to some birders who had been there for 3 weeks and had still not seen the becard. They admitted they hadn't been trying very hard, but I had heard other stories of birders missing this rare flycatcher. When I tried to find the flycatcher on my first trip, there was no sign of the becard even though the park staff had seen it the day before.<br />
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I searched the large Tropical Zone for about an hour and was about to give up and move on to the next birding spot. But I decided to check in with the birders who had been around for 3 weeks.On my way to the feeding station and water drip where I had left them, I passed by a large tree that overshadowed an old house. Knowing the bird was usually seen high in tree canopies, I looked toward the top of the tree and lo and behold, I saw a cinnamon-backed bird with a long tail and dark face.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxrVqvJX2Fwz_ecoGb_6C-weD4Lq9RouTDjFWjpAZbrExu6QpX_0JVrB2LFJacJi11zTzKeRr2gNujEuFDwYTEMg7yJ0oUKuPwYYJIBUemkKgUlpqB1li99qZ5hiIp0o9S4e1Kihd5BA/s1600/Rose-throated+Becard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxrVqvJX2Fwz_ecoGb_6C-weD4Lq9RouTDjFWjpAZbrExu6QpX_0JVrB2LFJacJi11zTzKeRr2gNujEuFDwYTEMg7yJ0oUKuPwYYJIBUemkKgUlpqB1li99qZ5hiIp0o9S4e1Kihd5BA/s640/Rose-throated+Becard.jpg" width="600" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose-throated Becard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Rose-throated Becard moved freely about the canopy while flycatching insects. It didn't stay still for very long, so it was quite a challenge to get any decent photos. But I was content finding this needle in a hay stack with wings. <br />
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Grana and I spent a lot of time at the Brownsville Landfill. Among some of the birds we saw at the landfill included Chihuahan Raven, White-tailed hawk and thousands and thousand of gulls.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIClTHh2v9MPLt7MdJbXfJSSheaoluawskKhtQvJyKIrXaCtxfKfa3MZZ-sTaDGlisNIoEIsnMS_3eAYinCP6y-9wDF0aStYs5OJ5WUYLgrA3kWI8sWICp1KMfSID8R9kTPURPYOgJN0/s1600/Valley+and+Corpus+March+2012+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIClTHh2v9MPLt7MdJbXfJSSheaoluawskKhtQvJyKIrXaCtxfKfa3MZZ-sTaDGlisNIoEIsnMS_3eAYinCP6y-9wDF0aStYs5OJ5WUYLgrA3kWI8sWICp1KMfSID8R9kTPURPYOgJN0/s640/Valley+and+Corpus+March+2012+065.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
On the first day, we didn't find any rare gulls, but we did find a lone Peregrine Falcon.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7miltHMVSk9N4PlcypoXeNAZ2FynhYhHgCI-u8dhNJlVPbKcOXpxWj617JZfgTfsm77q1Bm3dXrbIhSLcVlxREyHyXoZ0TCMlL8cgIgg9hiA44WSvRDTIIRtSn9qTKZcsueSDtE2Rkd8/s1600/Peregrine+Falcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7miltHMVSk9N4PlcypoXeNAZ2FynhYhHgCI-u8dhNJlVPbKcOXpxWj617JZfgTfsm77q1Bm3dXrbIhSLcVlxREyHyXoZ0TCMlL8cgIgg9hiA44WSvRDTIIRtSn9qTKZcsueSDtE2Rkd8/s640/Peregrine+Falcon.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div>The second day we found a Lesser Black-backed gull (a lifer for Grana).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRBCYbR8x9dNyszgi6NHpzgGFv5pMC_nCpRZduDfcXwB0KJCSLPsZbOYv9R0TRNKMBYv666gnP8fs3YTppeNw07KIJv1EL6VFxgNTjbRywOGtT8hDLaDci08_Wf6zxih5WNRDo6_cjso/s1600/Lesser+Black-backed+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRBCYbR8x9dNyszgi6NHpzgGFv5pMC_nCpRZduDfcXwB0KJCSLPsZbOYv9R0TRNKMBYv666gnP8fs3YTppeNw07KIJv1EL6VFxgNTjbRywOGtT8hDLaDci08_Wf6zxih5WNRDo6_cjso/s640/Lesser+Black-backed+Gull.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lesser Black-backed Gull (Right) Herring Gull (Left)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The gulls were loafing in an area between two retention ponds. I wanted to get closer for some better photos. The Lesser Black-backed Gull flew and I didn't get a chance at better photos. But when I looked at another group of gulls to my left, I found a snow white, Glaucous Gull (lifer)! Unfortunately, by the time I told Grana, the gulls flew away to a different part of the landfill.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_hE4te8EXioM79KYllHBGCy29AXi36zHlJwPm1BI-n080D0jIu3uclqhQpCXkU-ajQ1gTU9saK6WUhxByBxhojOafPeEoyXBL9TAXzOg7bs14j8mMRO6qJB5I2hLA8H6fmPtIaobZmo/s1600/Glaucous+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_hE4te8EXioM79KYllHBGCy29AXi36zHlJwPm1BI-n080D0jIu3uclqhQpCXkU-ajQ1gTU9saK6WUhxByBxhojOafPeEoyXBL9TAXzOg7bs14j8mMRO6qJB5I2hLA8H6fmPtIaobZmo/s640/Glaucous+Gull.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our last day in the valley, we woke up early to search for Red-crowned Parrots. I have been to the valley on two other occassions since I got back into birding three years ago, but I have never been able to find the parrots. Grana used to frequently visit the valley, but it was just one of the birds she never was able to find. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before our trip, I got some good tips from a rare bird alert Web site, narba.org. The parrots aren't rare, but they are sometimes difficult to find if you don't know where they roost.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcstuNQjO-oBpnebSHxnAw9d8I0ciscqAMND8Xj4FrWwsJq3SIr2jhzoCmfWqbmRnv0kqG0c74k-jQZ-BsubR-KE2tieAYo01Df1NI36OWOiYE6BpR2AtqkHcepWn08w6sQ8P6zX3emo/s1600/Red-crowned+Parrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcstuNQjO-oBpnebSHxnAw9d8I0ciscqAMND8Xj4FrWwsJq3SIr2jhzoCmfWqbmRnv0kqG0c74k-jQZ-BsubR-KE2tieAYo01Df1NI36OWOiYE6BpR2AtqkHcepWn08w6sQ8P6zX3emo/s640/Red-crowned+Parrot.jpg" width="636" yda="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We searched an RV park in San Benito where the parrots were known to roost. After about 5 minutes of searching, I heard the loud spwaking of the parrots and found the group on a utility line. We watched the parrots for several minutes and saw a Black-bellied Whistling Duck join in on the action.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0krEhmXJk9uZfgX1Jw7WiJ1eXK-jwwiWncklYpK6x8OIevZhEHY2aQuip3c3feawIUcjCfXDE8iObmltXiCR6ewsrgMYvgMJZzv8WQxB8m7d8z2Gk7059VdFFB8kmuwXomIcB1S6bqg/s1600/Duck+on+Pole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0krEhmXJk9uZfgX1Jw7WiJ1eXK-jwwiWncklYpK6x8OIevZhEHY2aQuip3c3feawIUcjCfXDE8iObmltXiCR6ewsrgMYvgMJZzv8WQxB8m7d8z2Gk7059VdFFB8kmuwXomIcB1S6bqg/s640/Duck+on+Pole.jpg" width="542" yda="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The parrots were fun to watch as they flew around the neighborhood and allowed close approach.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jE3_rpdXRzA/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jE3_rpdXRzA?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jE3_rpdXRzA?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ended our time in the valley with a trip to Boca Chica beach, a remote beach south of South Padre Island. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxXDQL1thcvf4cGjtfSTm_UdCkxWHklpobIg_rWlofJ1IrpUpDdXLvKNRcLZDaHl1_oZObAf8NQFd8CJ_xoV0VXj20ZwJRHkyG1Z_1ZNRRrE1hg5vOci8MWONKg1s8QC_R1aOWvgmU54/s1600/South+Padre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxXDQL1thcvf4cGjtfSTm_UdCkxWHklpobIg_rWlofJ1IrpUpDdXLvKNRcLZDaHl1_oZObAf8NQFd8CJ_xoV0VXj20ZwJRHkyG1Z_1ZNRRrE1hg5vOci8MWONKg1s8QC_R1aOWvgmU54/s640/South+Padre.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Great Blue Heron rests on the jetty at Boca Chica Beach with South Padre Island in background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although we didn't find any other lifers, we got some good looks at more common birds like the Harris Hawk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrff9CHxq9Vgm-_fU3c1Kul4GsmxtaQ41vb7qbg2bb67FA-uWOjHTE9YvV9D2BAGX80NU5eVjFRPFfro0w2n6ozpskse7jCdQQruCXdVzTLxADF47sOSbfJRVkNGi8a2V6mCrbw15n31s/s1600/Harris+Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrff9CHxq9Vgm-_fU3c1Kul4GsmxtaQ41vb7qbg2bb67FA-uWOjHTE9YvV9D2BAGX80NU5eVjFRPFfro0w2n6ozpskse7jCdQQruCXdVzTLxADF47sOSbfJRVkNGi8a2V6mCrbw15n31s/s640/Harris+Hawk.jpg" width="546" yda="true" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All together, it was another great time in the valley. Hopefully, I'll get another chance this year to visit to find some South Texas specialities I want to find. Here are some other photos from our trip.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5xLZtaSDfiKrJMDdCakrXPPDOPVudEvBTQ11Y1eYUYBx3V6jRr_9BFoTphAOM4x8apo5JSYxDihFsTSNr_nHpl8wtzBEs_-vxswuR3FrCpbmed7FwyrP1aZljdbaAwqBXZYJZ1gn_c0/s1600/Curve-billed+Thrasher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5xLZtaSDfiKrJMDdCakrXPPDOPVudEvBTQ11Y1eYUYBx3V6jRr_9BFoTphAOM4x8apo5JSYxDihFsTSNr_nHpl8wtzBEs_-vxswuR3FrCpbmed7FwyrP1aZljdbaAwqBXZYJZ1gn_c0/s640/Curve-billed+Thrasher.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curve-billed Thrasher</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2g5KSK7mUdDRXGUBHLHPME67U637ZRCVOoPVat1QbyA9snwJThQuQGElLEuJ09Ho3dpX1x2rrgVK59eSeSp9NVhWmx62kdvTwvsNGfuCdnOkL4T-XkjEcnSz0ChpBHIIUOGQ3T0O0Vvw/s1600/Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2g5KSK7mUdDRXGUBHLHPME67U637ZRCVOoPVat1QbyA9snwJThQuQGElLEuJ09Ho3dpX1x2rrgVK59eSeSp9NVhWmx62kdvTwvsNGfuCdnOkL4T-XkjEcnSz0ChpBHIIUOGQ3T0O0Vvw/s640/Flowers.jpg" width="426" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Any of you gardeners know what this is?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvrWgV1_xFJpC0JVBDqiRvO7msELUCeFSX3-y51_VqmdMdBvQw58rDobs2ITymaGMRB8epaeB88cDRWlNO0kieCPx0KFJcRnnakv23miNRFIvHyMsYrzbYQYiWck_GbDIhOa2halU_XU/s1600/Northern+Beardless-Tyrannulet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvrWgV1_xFJpC0JVBDqiRvO7msELUCeFSX3-y51_VqmdMdBvQw58rDobs2ITymaGMRB8epaeB88cDRWlNO0kieCPx0KFJcRnnakv23miNRFIvHyMsYrzbYQYiWck_GbDIhOa2halU_XU/s400/Northern+Beardless-Tyrannulet.jpg" width="388" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-39672018449104851822012-03-07T13:45:00.000-06:002012-03-07T13:45:51.530-06:00Trip to Valley a Success<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb77yroH1or2sAo1VuOQAavNVKe54rWZ5RRnTSOMHuTVeGpdFJZmL-h19ej7o9hRfq2htj9j-gLUK0ghooZhaOxCayO-P_0WC78dptUpJJsvsidwZcKzt_WuXHr811zRGmIfLWGAhTFQQ/s1600/Glaucous+Gull+Flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb77yroH1or2sAo1VuOQAavNVKe54rWZ5RRnTSOMHuTVeGpdFJZmL-h19ej7o9hRfq2htj9j-gLUK0ghooZhaOxCayO-P_0WC78dptUpJJsvsidwZcKzt_WuXHr811zRGmIfLWGAhTFQQ/s640/Glaucous+Gull+Flight.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glaucous Gull - Brownsville Landfill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm a little late on updating, but I wanted everyone to know that the trip to the valley was another great success. I got 4 lifers, including Rose-throated Becard, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Red-crowned Parrot and a beautiful, snow white Glaucous Gull. My grandmother and I had a great time and she even added a few life birds to her list. I will post a more extensive update soon.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-75386647699372850702012-03-02T00:21:00.002-06:002012-03-15T22:16:01.007-05:00Another Trip to the ValleyThis weekend I'm taking another trip to the Rio Grande Valley, except this time I'm taking my 84-year-old grandmother along for the ride. She's the one that got me into birding as a kid. She's taken me on lots of trips growing up. Now it's my turn. So I've planned out our route and we'll be leaving for a 3-day weekend in the valley around 6 a.m.<br />
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I'm determined to get another crack at finding the Rose-throated Becard, which I missed on my last trip. I also want to get some other resident birds I missed last time and get better pictures of the Golden-crowned Warbler. We both hope to find a Glaucous Gull at the Brownsville Landfill. Yes, the city dump... Landfills are a great place to find rare gulls that are known to winter in Texas. This landfill is also the only site where the rare Tamaulipas Crow once spent its winters. In fact, a few years ago, it was the only place in the U.S. where birders could get the crow for their U.S. list. We don't expect to find the crow since they haven't been seen for a while, but when you're birding, you never know.<br />
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Lots of good stuff coming your way, so stay tuned...Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-62325406001303513902012-02-22T18:32:00.000-06:002012-02-22T18:32:52.857-06:00Snowy Owl Creating Quite a Buzz in DFWThe Snowy Owl has made headlines over the last few days in the DFW area. Non-birders who saw the news coverage over the weekend went to see the Harry Potter-like owl. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vi9WNc4rYUo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
The sighting is only the 6th record in Texas, thanks to a Dallas police officer who first spotted the rare tundra visitor. Thankfully, the officer is a bird watcher who recognized the bird right away and made an effort to get the word out to birders. (you can read the story <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20120221-dallas-officer-spots-rare-snowy-owl-at-lake-ray-hubbard.ece">here</a>). If it wasn't for him, it could have been missed entirely. According to some birders, a security guard of Robertson Park had seen the owl for several weeks, but didn't recognize its importance.<br />
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Non-birders seeing the news coverage of the owl claim they saw an owl like this before in the last few years, but were unable to find the right source to report it. Who knows how many Snowy Owls have been in the area over the last 50 years, but never got reported. There's probably owls out there right now going unnoticed. <br />
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So far the owl hasn't been seen in the last two days. When it was first reported last week, it disappeared several days before being seen again last Thursday. It will be interesting to see if it shows up again.<br />
I'd love to think of a way to make it easier for people who don't know much about birds to share their sightings so birders and non-birders alike can enjoy the experience of seeing something rare and beautiful like a Snowy Owl.Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-84197028344003504872012-02-21T00:39:00.001-06:002012-02-21T09:30:34.792-06:00Search for Lone Star Snowy Owl a Success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboa7qhDzxT1Etx2vArcedN18Q5BmRWAjGCG2R7NRvNBKkB0vNHC1YnSz4JjoHMyXspjwNvUtJMb6DzmUsPG3Irg3SvkVHgJXShTtPcJu5QJpJNjS4IEHDcjVqi4mu9SRISl2Yjcf-JIs/s1600/Snowy+Owl+Digiscope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiboa7qhDzxT1Etx2vArcedN18Q5BmRWAjGCG2R7NRvNBKkB0vNHC1YnSz4JjoHMyXspjwNvUtJMb6DzmUsPG3Irg3SvkVHgJXShTtPcJu5QJpJNjS4IEHDcjVqi4mu9SRISl2Yjcf-JIs/s640/Snowy+Owl+Digiscope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>When I saw a Snowy Owl in Oklahoma on New Year's Day, I was satisfied to see one from more than 100 yards away. Getting to see a Snowy in my home state in the same year from just 20 yds away is a huge blessing. It's more than I could ask for. (Praise God for that!)<br />
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On Sunday, Marcin, Daria and I left San Antonio around 4:30 a.m. and headed toward Robertson Park in Rockwall, TX. The trip took about 5 hours. We dreaded the drive back since it was just a day trip. But when you want to see an unpredictable creature of the wild tundra hundreds of miles out of its context, it's worth the trip.<br />
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When we got to the marina, we saw a host of birders and photographers all gathered in the parking lot near a utility pole where it was seen the previous day. There was no sign of the juvenile female Snowy Owl. We waited for about an hour when suddenly, Marcin called out, "There it is!" as he pointed to a pale, shadowy figure perched on a sailboat mast. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The owl got the same treatment as a female pop star taking the stage in front of crazed fans. But instead of loud applause and cheers, there was a chorus of camera shutters. She didn't seem to mind and flew farther into the spotlight, literally. She landed on a light post with its back facing the crowd of birders rushing into position to get some prized Snowy shots.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT2tFEO5LxIvEdqfVNJ_SP462JD4sgzAF6tFPZiqI9Vp7DNhi0JflQYOaE8yNsZtss8YeaUETCVkdOnwEEwdSd4Bi1Y1gDWjcVZjJXtN64rvylACg8SsKfx4HsXfInu6gO8PGPPO3z-E/s1600/Sleepy+Snowy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT2tFEO5LxIvEdqfVNJ_SP462JD4sgzAF6tFPZiqI9Vp7DNhi0JflQYOaE8yNsZtss8YeaUETCVkdOnwEEwdSd4Bi1Y1gDWjcVZjJXtN64rvylACg8SsKfx4HsXfInu6gO8PGPPO3z-E/s640/Sleepy+Snowy.jpg" width="630" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dFcrfgvPOCcaawusRWKE-Tp6CjIwNgHe6VqSKDxfEU6PMV_ikzWdoU_m6s7rOxQGzl0VaBI2bvZbkwpzzVkh3oI50RjS0_UWIE9_jpJfmKzuqTp-pslY8Fdgm7_oE0arZeWww1R1GxY/s1600/Snowy+Owl+Adventure+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dFcrfgvPOCcaawusRWKE-Tp6CjIwNgHe6VqSKDxfEU6PMV_ikzWdoU_m6s7rOxQGzl0VaBI2bvZbkwpzzVkh3oI50RjS0_UWIE9_jpJfmKzuqTp-pslY8Fdgm7_oE0arZeWww1R1GxY/s640/Snowy+Owl+Adventure+216.jpg" width="640" /></a>Me and a few birders tried our luck on a small extension bridge to the docks that led to a locked gate. A few boat enthusiasts saw us pressing up against the gate and were kind enough to invite us through the gate to get a closer look at the owl. It was like getting backstage passes to a favorite show.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-O9fKsCY7JMpDquVoWeBl2lI0SRGS_QSXn131aKHlru_-2_r2_815IaI8pR_8UspA7JhAg7p2QYtI0AEIf_qYmMEatONZTcyMd5xdRhgmAxCSm2dvAlENVndxNAapgQC_aIWLUE6d6xQ/s1600/Snowy+Owl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-O9fKsCY7JMpDquVoWeBl2lI0SRGS_QSXn131aKHlru_-2_r2_815IaI8pR_8UspA7JhAg7p2QYtI0AEIf_qYmMEatONZTcyMd5xdRhgmAxCSm2dvAlENVndxNAapgQC_aIWLUE6d6xQ/s640/Snowy+Owl+1.jpg" width="624" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While we got a closer look and snapped photos, the owl went about its business, resting and preening.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbl42LIe-sWooh0bx7r7AHT4Vp8Ik8jBubSansYjRfB1PiUh4FZavjR3XnsBfGVA1vw2E7Xxm6E_Jzvf18JVJuphy23aF9nJBNLMIP9I3cnhe-rsZ_mMUKFzozHTpoR08ZJ3SgI9uOUE/s1600/Preening+Snowy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbl42LIe-sWooh0bx7r7AHT4Vp8Ik8jBubSansYjRfB1PiUh4FZavjR3XnsBfGVA1vw2E7Xxm6E_Jzvf18JVJuphy23aF9nJBNLMIP9I3cnhe-rsZ_mMUKFzozHTpoR08ZJ3SgI9uOUE/s640/Preening+Snowy.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>She was so comfortable on the light post that she stayed there all day. We left after about 2 hours of looking at the owl and went to Lake Tawakoni State Park to find some additional species. Some of the highlights included White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creepers, Eastern Towhee and a flock of Smith's Longspurs. (A difficult species to find.)<br />
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After a nice afternoon of birding, we dropped by the park again to get one last look at the owl. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zZ_PukK19VSFaxIFfKRP5O7UVnU7Yp2ohHrXkCAgIjJpYFcbAnW_Z5WL1mtQxULNVvGmghVKnMIRSzFh6jYwrnMcBjZTAYcEx1bXftGMpuUudzbqeT9vLxKfxhVtL6UDhUIonTQbtAY/s1600/Snowy+Owl+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zZ_PukK19VSFaxIFfKRP5O7UVnU7Yp2ohHrXkCAgIjJpYFcbAnW_Z5WL1mtQxULNVvGmghVKnMIRSzFh6jYwrnMcBjZTAYcEx1bXftGMpuUudzbqeT9vLxKfxhVtL6UDhUIonTQbtAY/s640/Snowy+Owl+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As the sun set and the lighting got worse for photographers, the group of birders disbanded. Marcin, Daria and I set out for the trip home. It was a whirlwind trip, but at the end of the day, all of us had Snowy Owl on our life lists.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc2dmJk2INMmzlEHLkFOKr22VHPmSbKWKluR7sEN-D11KYs8pobVjeJ0-F9ED1-AVFuaTPz_uO2UVmavz5pXZGhWTTDUEJNeVBwz-ZUckhGB7GtRarKC8YLX8kL6sJG_szN2HtAH4rb4/s1600/Marcin+and+Daria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc2dmJk2INMmzlEHLkFOKr22VHPmSbKWKluR7sEN-D11KYs8pobVjeJ0-F9ED1-AVFuaTPz_uO2UVmavz5pXZGhWTTDUEJNeVBwz-ZUckhGB7GtRarKC8YLX8kL6sJG_szN2HtAH4rb4/s640/Marcin+and+Daria.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcin and Daria Kojtka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-62817374740584498812012-02-18T17:19:00.000-06:002012-02-18T17:19:30.984-06:00Crazy Day of Birding Ahead for Texas Snowy OwlThere's a Snowy Owl in the Dallas area and I plan to head out early tomorrow morning with some friends to get it on my Texas list. There are only a handful of Texas records for this arctic bird, so seeing it in Texas would be a lifetime experience. I started off the year with a Snowy Owl in Oklahoma, but I could never get close enough for photos. Here's hoping I can get close enough for some decent shots. My friends from Poland, Marcin and Daria, have never seen a Snowy and they plan to leave for home before the end of the year. Hopefully the Snowy decides to stick around.<br />
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There are also some target birds we hope to find, including White-breasted Nuthatch, Canada Goose and a Little Gull that's been hanging out at White Rock Lake! Lot's of exciting stuff, so stay tuned...Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-8746860039563739262012-02-12T00:02:00.004-06:002012-02-12T01:10:02.269-06:00Jackpot on Mountain Plovers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpUOhNN2cGusoKJ4-2h70j0EirjcC4FDI5fNV06SqGkLFW6-9F5Blv_6Lf_y2mcgGNneY_sJ48QG2mYML6IzsTEF5FhguLuGOPd031wvINaiCkfsb17cQlYq830bg_Pttp2Dfo3M6XQo/s1600/Plovers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpUOhNN2cGusoKJ4-2h70j0EirjcC4FDI5fNV06SqGkLFW6-9F5Blv_6Lf_y2mcgGNneY_sJ48QG2mYML6IzsTEF5FhguLuGOPd031wvINaiCkfsb17cQlYq830bg_Pttp2Dfo3M6XQo/s640/Plovers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Most thrill seekers heading westbound on Hwy. 57 toward the casino in Eagle Pass wouldn't pay much attention to a drab sod farm out in the middle of nowhere. But for me, the sod farm was worth an hour drive to add Mountain Plovers to my life list.<br />
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If I was willing to wait long enough, I could probably find plovers in Bexar County. However, just like a gambler is eager to cash in his chips, I was eager to follow a week-old Ebird Alert for the plovers. (In case you're wondering what Ebird Alerts are, they are the most recent reports of sightings of a particular species in a certain state or country.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKCFEF20UA6MGtM8YlQF-9u8Mb54goagJoQWysMjEDRM-TQuLdKhc8ccWTI0qiEySYOgBW6zztdB68TcumVWv-PcxvtvB_2cralraqFXKhaF5PQ2QKBXxdtA3pRyl4P40rD814L36AmQ/s1600/Plover+Screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKCFEF20UA6MGtM8YlQF-9u8Mb54goagJoQWysMjEDRM-TQuLdKhc8ccWTI0qiEySYOgBW6zztdB68TcumVWv-PcxvtvB_2cralraqFXKhaF5PQ2QKBXxdtA3pRyl4P40rD814L36AmQ/s640/Plover+Screenshot.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I usually peruse the Texas Alerts on a weekly basis just to see what birds have been reported in my area. Tripp Davenport, a birder from Uvalde, reported seeing at least 150 plovers at the sod farm. Seeing Tripp's report got my hopes up since February is usually the last chance you get to see plovers until next winter. Even though the report was about a week old, I figured there would be some plovers still around. So... I rolled the dice and headed south.<br />
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When I got to the field, I spotted my target bird within 5 minutes. About 28 plovers were scampering about the fields, each darting in different directions. Each plover ran about a foot, paused for a few seconds, and then continued running. The plovers exercised this the whole time I watched.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3cVzHssTIvM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
One of the plovers darted toward me and came within about 40 yards.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JQElXTO7_iYR5BnUaJMV2XLFjBSAoYae3QkJFbjrjTmzEy8CVSDEecbet1sqHO32mci1MTGsNrfVrT7kxaer9Jx89fPRUrY31uuYg0kQhKe-MxUkMiAgnAJWF7VWRrFbd3tjLB_Ir24/s1600/Mountain+Plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JQElXTO7_iYR5BnUaJMV2XLFjBSAoYae3QkJFbjrjTmzEy8CVSDEecbet1sqHO32mci1MTGsNrfVrT7kxaer9Jx89fPRUrY31uuYg0kQhKe-MxUkMiAgnAJWF7VWRrFbd3tjLB_Ir24/s320/Mountain+Plover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After enjoying the show, I decided to drive down the road a bit to see what I could find. About a half mile down, I saw a group of at least 100 Sandhill Cranes foraging in an Ag field.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OGWj1P3py24?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Earlier that morning I visited the Medina River Natural Area in San Antonio and got some photos of some more common birds. Watching Cedar Waxwings feeding on a cluster of mistletoe berries is a classic sight in winter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS8jJit-hk-qrxqyvzyyhiG-C8lxFmlMKn15DlBZSosWwZ33LOgCUddm6UYgLl6Z6v9F8aApBfVcb8RTf-usxIiLRX9XHFfo7_sNpr2K5M2gdkj37Pkf63SaXPhGTVxYAgo_Stq_QTL4/s1600/Cedar+Waxwings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS8jJit-hk-qrxqyvzyyhiG-C8lxFmlMKn15DlBZSosWwZ33LOgCUddm6UYgLl6Z6v9F8aApBfVcb8RTf-usxIiLRX9XHFfo7_sNpr2K5M2gdkj37Pkf63SaXPhGTVxYAgo_Stq_QTL4/s400/Cedar+Waxwings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The chilly morning had this Pyrrhuloxia (Desert Cardinal) bundled up to conserve energy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-BI0skkZEns8yFrgMt-Xev2BlzSV10rX-oJkuVSDyYAAmPTZIcBqrbutqfb8Q-lcMyrmaYZNixxzsUDPH7I_M-f4GV6Rg-aLppKczF_5pjIEdfSYlYEFenipiVdCUONhKGwRkCYCaP4/s1600/Pyrrhuloxia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-BI0skkZEns8yFrgMt-Xev2BlzSV10rX-oJkuVSDyYAAmPTZIcBqrbutqfb8Q-lcMyrmaYZNixxzsUDPH7I_M-f4GV6Rg-aLppKczF_5pjIEdfSYlYEFenipiVdCUONhKGwRkCYCaP4/s400/Pyrrhuloxia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>He wasn't the only South Texas resident braving the cold. I found these two Inca Doves huddling next to each other in my back yard before I left.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkrhB6yiyRR8HMB-D6-uL6QSIutrhh0ucI9V5NEzZFXE_Mu4AWLl2MVsO6BlRfteoYQZVKmV6eAui_kzMwJYFHtFo1An6l7mYq3OXPFLxGB1vZri3tR0yw1AyRUDkDlrYgIC5_qdwWCM/s1600/Inca+Doves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkrhB6yiyRR8HMB-D6-uL6QSIutrhh0ucI9V5NEzZFXE_Mu4AWLl2MVsO6BlRfteoYQZVKmV6eAui_kzMwJYFHtFo1An6l7mYq3OXPFLxGB1vZri3tR0yw1AyRUDkDlrYgIC5_qdwWCM/s400/Inca+Doves.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3130282937487184606.post-29079888639392939532012-01-28T23:08:00.001-06:002012-01-28T23:13:42.042-06:00Brown Jay BirthdayToday, I got an early birthday gift when I visited the Salineno feeding station. Me, Ali and a small crowd of birders had to wait about an hour and a half in the chilly morning, but the Brown Jay finally emerged from the South Texas brush around 10 a.m.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Nvjakc3qptpQxu9crZbB-66LcCgKbfjdxYGKW0sIBnI2P-euw5REptUVaLDOB4PB27-xmWrRB-wG-28wuicJcJaOqhMHI6sxkuQBJYvlw76qpYKQ4y_SOkPGMPLEOPWGrA9JHJXxTvQ/s1600/Brown+Jay+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Nvjakc3qptpQxu9crZbB-66LcCgKbfjdxYGKW0sIBnI2P-euw5REptUVaLDOB4PB27-xmWrRB-wG-28wuicJcJaOqhMHI6sxkuQBJYvlw76qpYKQ4y_SOkPGMPLEOPWGrA9JHJXxTvQ/s400/Brown+Jay+216.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It gave us quite a show as it bounded back and forth from limb to limb and at one point scared off the orioles, Green Jays and a host of other birds. (I think they mistook it for a Sharp-shinned hawk that had been hanging around earlier.) Fortunately, it stuck around long enough for me to run back to the car for Ali who had left the feeders to escape the cold. We rushed back and were happy to see it still feeding. About 10 minutes later, it lifted off with its massive wing span and flew out of sight.<br />
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Another highlight was seeing the Hooded, Altamira and Audubon's orioles all feeding near each other. I was able to get all three in one snapshot!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UrGdzaTWLSUyPO3Sdsa_eDOefTTTdPxfcSTqOnKvlQiX_uFIWJCGY2KfzbdAOmWUawoVzT8i1pKBa8EskMkOwPaMWVUhK-xz3KkY_svRC3Bk1I3TNlTWiEym8K7S8CtAN-VmRuM8TLY/s1600/Brown+Jay+139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UrGdzaTWLSUyPO3Sdsa_eDOefTTTdPxfcSTqOnKvlQiX_uFIWJCGY2KfzbdAOmWUawoVzT8i1pKBa8EskMkOwPaMWVUhK-xz3KkY_svRC3Bk1I3TNlTWiEym8K7S8CtAN-VmRuM8TLY/s400/Brown+Jay+139.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
All together it was a very memorable way to celebrate my 30th Birthday. Thanks to everyone who manages this great birding spot and keeps the feeders filled to attract so many great birds!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTpgYGvhatRXvTguKAtnqXOyU2M6hJ_mCXS6hmVNKoMmjZmoBVpVnETBkv0X8JVHuMfBJ3NRf9QP6uo9tZ4NtxmVo-5B2EnXAkETLyzcgLMxV5_A94qxnxLkRWfjuLesA-lupi8p66UY/s1600/Brown+Jay+234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTpgYGvhatRXvTguKAtnqXOyU2M6hJ_mCXS6hmVNKoMmjZmoBVpVnETBkv0X8JVHuMfBJ3NRf9QP6uo9tZ4NtxmVo-5B2EnXAkETLyzcgLMxV5_A94qxnxLkRWfjuLesA-lupi8p66UY/s400/Brown+Jay+234.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sam Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253569116087290131noreply@blogger.com0