birding
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Goatsuckers
The Caprimulgidae family of goatsuckers are named because they were thought to suckle milk from goats. The Greeks thought so, and their man Aristotle was sure of it; the Romans ran with him, I mean, Aristotle, right? and then Linnaeus followed them. All wrong, like a good many other traditions: the birds are actually flying…
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Common Warblers
Norther Parula (Parula americana).Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla). Note that black-bordered orange racing strip on the head.Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis).Black-throated Blue (Dendroica caerulescens). This is a female, neither black-throated nor blue. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas); a male, with his distinctive black mask. These were all seen in Prospect yesterday, along with numerous others, including a Kentucky, rare…
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Altamira Oriole
Big bright male Altamira (Icterus gularis).A nest in progress: a woven sack hanging from the branches. This species, which just barely makes it into South Texas, makes the largest nest in North America: they can be up to two feet long.The female is carrying something stringy here for this nest.This was another nest elsewhere. The…
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Rallidae
The Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata), formerly known as the Common Moorhen, now “split” or separated from that Eurasian species (C. chloropus). Unlike the somewhat similar American Coot (Fulica americana), this bird doesn’t have lobbed toes. Look at the long toes on this Sora Rail (Porzana carolina). All the better for walking through oozy marshes.We saw…
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Texas Birds II
Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea).Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus).A single Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) amid a herd of Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis).Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus).Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum).Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris).Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja).Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula).Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). White-collared Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola).Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor).
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Butterbutts
One of our most common warblers is the Yellow-rumped (Dendroica coronata), whose sheer omnipresence this time of year almost makes them wallpaper. But it’s a stunning bird that always bears a longer look. The butter-yellow rump, sides, and just a touch on the poll, or head, contrast well with the gray, blue-gray, white, and black…
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Texas Birds I
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis).Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus)Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus).Chihuahua Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus).White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) and Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina).Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona virdigenalis).Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus).Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata).Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway).
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For Roger Tory Peterson
“A golden bird of wooded swamps.” — RTP on the Prothonatary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), photographed in the Ravine yesterday in Prospect Park.Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the first publication of Roger Tory Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds. Now, I don’t doubt that humans have been watching birds since we’ve been humans, and…
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Owl Ranch
San Migeulito Ranch is all owl, no cattle. A dozen miles from anywhere in Kenedy Co., and down a treacherously sandy road — we got stuck, as predicted, and needed a pickup to pull and five of us stout-hearted lads to push (this is when I think I picked up my tick and my chiggers,…
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Heron v. Fish
A Green Heron (Butorides virescens) was wrestling with a big fish it had caught today at the Upper Pool. I’ve seen other herons/egrets and cormorants working on big fish before. You hardly imagine they will be able to swallow their prey, but they almost always do. This must be enough food for the day.I saw…
Backyard and Beyond 