Sunday, April 17, 2016

Spring at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park





The temperatures are still the same but spring has definitely arrived in South Texas  Birds are arriving daily from Mexico and countries farther south.  More flowers are blooming and butterflies are in a flurry busy pollinating.  Birds are building nests and protecting their territories.  Here's a sample of all we are seeing.
Scissors-tailed Flycatchers arrive in big numbers

Prickly Poppy at Butterfly Center

Bordered Patch

Giant Leopard Moth

Great Kiskadee in messy nest

Nutria suns at resaca nearby

Queen Butterfly

N. Cardinal sings out his Spring song

Coyote - looking good

Olive Sparrow looking for breakfast

Crested Caracara soars over hawk tower

Local Gray Hawk 

Blue Grosbeak at S.P.I.





We took a day trip to South Padre Island with stops at Estero Llano Grande State Park on the way back to Mission.
Blue-winged Teal and Cinnamon Teal

Stilt Sandpiper

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Softshell Turtle at Estero Llamo

Whiptail 

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

Summer Tanager



Birds are building nests everywhere and this Clay-colored Thrush has chosen the side of a palm tree right by the visitor's center at Bentsen.
Common Pauraque with two chicks - look carefully

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Buff-bellied spreads tail and heads out

Coral Bean blossom 



We have two more weeks left on the Hawk Tower here at Bentsen.  If you want to check our daily sightings: go to HawkCount.org and put Bentsen for site and check dates.  We then head north hopefully all the tornados and other bad weather will be done by then.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann

No comments:

Post a Comment