Owls at Bentsen Palm - Mission, TX

 

For three weeks we have been at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort and observing 

a Great Horned Owl nest.  It's located so we can see it from our "dining room".

We have been hearing them nightly and fortunately seeing them during the day.

Male Great Horned Owl 

Female GHO 

Female blending in on the nest on the side of a palm tree.

When she leaves we see two little downy owlets.

Mom coming in with prey for breakfast.

Looks like she caught a rabbit.

Mom tears up the food and little ones are hungry.

Growing fast,

We notice daily growth.

Mom naps, owlets observe all the people coming to see them

Great Horned stares down brave N. Mockingbird

Yawning!

Adult tearing up prey

Taking off for the nest

Door Dash delivery arrives

 

Owlets developing fast, feather tracts - wings, tail, then head

Exercising wings

Dad on radio tower, waiting for dusk to hunt.

Next door at Bentsen State Park is the small McCall's race of the Eastern Screech Owl

Ty had 19 calling on his walk in the dark to the hawk tower.

At the entrance to the park, Elf Owls have nested in this utility pole for many years

The Elf Owl is 5 and 1/4 inches tall, our smallest owl.

Our new birding friend David with special camera and lens was able to get and share this close up.

Next week's blog will cover hawk watch and wrap-up our time in South Texas.

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏 

Ty & Ida Baumann

Rio Grande Valley Field Trips

 

Indian Blanket - flowers blanket the field near Falcon

Green Jay at Salineño Wildlife Preserve bird feeders

Altamira Oriole

Altamira Oriole loves peanut butter

Elusive Audubon's Oriole

White-winged Dove

We went with Scott & Connie Jo Dirks and this is his photo of the male Morelet's Seedeater

Ty's photo of female Seedeater

Ringed Kingfisher female over the Rio Grande

Pink Prickly Poppy

Black-throated Sparrow

Greater Roadrunner at Falcon State Park

Northern Bobwhite scurries away

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Lark Bunting female near end of 14 hour day of birding

Least Grebe at San Benito Wetlands

Northern Harrier - close flyby

Cinnamon Teal with a pair of Blue-winged Teal

Greater Roadrunner opening back feathers to the sun at Laguna Atascosa NWR

Most numerous wintering bird in the Valley

Red-winged Blackbird

Large Indigo Snake crosses our path

Close up reveals Wood Ticks attached.  How many can you find?

Gull-billed Tern seen from Osprey Point

Long-billed Curlews in Hidalgo

Inca Dove nesting at Quinta Mazatlan

Green Jay

Green Jay sports colorful bands, Great Kiskadee wishes he had bling.

Plain Chachalacas

Yellow Prickly Poppy

Great Egret at Hugh Ramsey Preserve

Curve-billed Thrasher nesting in tall Yucca

Couch's Kingbirds returning for Spring

 

After long days of birding we all get tuckered out.  

We are now back at Mission and the Bentsen RGV State Park for Hawk Watch.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann