Bentsen RGV SP Continued

Kettle of mixed hawks and vultures

We continue Hawk Watch at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, Texas five days a week for four hours each morning.  Great numbers of raptors rise and soar out of Mexico, over 20 species and in just the last 2 days over 10,000 birds came through.  There are many locations in North America where hawks are counted by volunteers of this Citizen Science Project.

Swainson's Hawk

Swallow-tailed Kite

Immature White-tailed Hawk grabs a snake

Immature White-tailed Hawk

Harris's Hawk

Yellow-headed Parrot - new species for Park

We see many other birds and creatures from the hawk tower.  We see God's creation everywhere we go walking the trails in the park and even on the buildings.

Great-tailed Grackle

Bold Jumping Spider on Hawk Tower

Acacia Tree Blooms

Bronzed Cowbird

Great Kiskadee with nesting material

Buff-bellied Hammingbird

Bull Snake

Antlion Adult

Pandorus  Sphinx Moth

Hooded Oriole next to our RV

Bouganvillea lined path to Quinta Mazatlan

We take a day a week to visit area birding areas.  We went to historical Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen and watched the bird feeders.  We don't think they were expecting these birds to devour all the seed.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks take over the feeder

"You don't say?"

Green Parakeets check nesting cavity

We went to the National Butterfly Center a couple of times which is only a mile down the road from Bentsen Palm RV Park.  We find great flowers and many butterflies and other insects here.

Drusius Cloudywing

Black Swallowtail

Northern Crab Spider attacks Phaon Crescent Butterfly

African Spurred Tortoise at the Butterfly Center

Retama Tree Blossoms  

The RV park is becoming empty as the Winter Texans head north.  We will be here till the end of the month enjoying the quiet except for the Border Patrol helicopters guarding the river. Then slowly head north to Wisconsin.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann