Resaca de la Palma, Frontera Audubon, & Estero Llano Grande

 

We took many birding trips with long time birding friends, Scott & Connie Jo Dirks

 from Minnesota. 

Roadside Hawk up from Mexico at Resaca de la Palma State Park.

Green Jay getting a drink from the drip.

Bullock's Oriole

Ladder-backed Woodpecker female

Nashville Warbler bathing on 90 degree day

First time visitor to the U. S. - Gray-collared Becard

Best Becard photo of our 5 visits with different couples to the park

Rare Hermit Warbler at Buena Vista Cemetery in Brownsville

Red-crowned Parrot

Evening roost in Weslaco with four species of Parrots

Yellow-headed Parrot next to the smaller Red-crowned

There were about 300+ parrots that noisily settled into the neighborhood

Frontera Audubon Center is famous for it's Vulture roost, both Turkey & Black....

and this Pied-bald Turkey Vulture displaying it's white wing

Female Crimson-collared Grosbeak eating Granjeno berries, another rarity birders were seeking.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird, large and noisy S. Texas specialty

Coming in for a nectar treat

Yellow-crowned Night-heron at Estero Llano Grande near Alligator Lake

Who's that hiding in the reeds?  A Nutria!

Common Pauraque peeking through the branches

Clay-colored Thrush looking for a peanut butter treat

Limpkin is still hanging out in Texas, a Florida regular

Male Crested Caracara watching his mate incubating on nest.

Abundant Orange-crowned Warblers visiting peanut butter feeders

Yucca about to bloom

White Prickly Poppy

Javelina checking us out

Black-headed Grosbeak

Male Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, it's name is longer than it is.

White-tailed Kite

Pair of Kites on territory by the Llano Grande River

Male Kite sees rival and responds

Male attacks interloping kite

Our RV Park had an assortment of blackbirds..

Bronzed Cowbird

Yellow-headed Blackbirds surrounded by hundrds of Brown-headed Cowbirds & Red-winged Blackbirds

The Purple Martins have arrived from South America

Some Purple Martin scouts will soon be arriving up north.

We have moved over to Mission to start Hawk Watch and see what new

migrants will be arriving.

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏 

Ty & Ida Baumann

Bahia Grande & SPI Leftovers

Bahia Grande (Big Bay) 

This is a 22,700 acre tract of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge which is closed to the public.

We were asked to lead two field trips for the Winter Wildlife Expo through the twelve mile tour from highway 48 to highway 100.  We saw a total of 84 species of birds and other wildlife.

Cassin's Sparrow singing from the Prickly Pear

Palm Warbler - unusual winter resident

Cactus Wren

Northern Bobwhite covey

Chihauhaun Raven - life bird for many on field trip

American White Pelicans march in step

Crested Caracara pair feeding

American Kestrel

Aplomado Falcon juvenile

White-tailed Kite

White-tailed Kite pair

People asked what makes these holes?

Two and a half inch Land Crabs

Herd of exotic Nilgai, these Asian Antelope, weighing up to 700 pounds, were brought to Texas for sport hunting. These escaped the ranches and are reproducing in large numbers.  (Estimated numbers 30,000) 

Capable of 40 mph gallop

Commonly seen at Laguna Atascosa Refuge

Nine-banded Armadillo

Not often seen, snuffling while excavating for food

Controlled burns for vegetaion management attracts large numbers of raptors.

This Caracara finds a crisp, blackened snake

Our last tour stop was the new South Texas Ecological Center

where we observed a Sharp-shinned Hawk on a European Starling.

Back on South Padre Island we went to the top of the Birding Center to see our last overview of the Laguna Madre and the boardwalk - fond memories of great birding and great friends.

Reddish Egret comes in for a landing

Low tide fish stalking

Reddish Egret comes up close for a last good-bye

Green Heron snacks on minnows

Snowy Egret with his bustles and golden slippers

Two Brown Pelicans in hot pursuit of Osprey with large Mullet

Northern Waterthrush finds a large earthworm

Laughing Gull tries to consume a large Mullet

Still working at it - Black-necked Stilt stalks by

Semipalmated Plover eating earthworm

Large flock of Piping Plovers at low tide with a few Dunlin

Whelk Shell - a new home for hermit crab

Pair of Lesser Scaup soon to be migrating north

We also are thinking about migrating.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann