I first saw this Hawk early in the morning.  It was perched high in a Pine Tree behind a large branch.  Initially it scared the White Winged Doves away.  As it just sat there a new White Winged Dove flew below the Hawk and the Hawk immediately dove after it.  It apparently missed because a few minutes later it was perched in another tree.  The local birds didn’t like that at all and these large Crows were squawking at it, then the Blue Jays arrived to provide more vocal reinforcement.  After about 10 minutes of being harassed it flew off once again.  It was probably an hour later when I saw this same Hawk come flying out of the woods and veer towards another large Pine tree.  Whatever it was crawling on that Pine tree fell towards the ground (I’m assuming a Squirrel). It was probably two hours later when I went back out into the backyard and there was this same Hawk (I’m assuming) sitting in a branch right behind my fence stalking my bird feeders.  I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it but the Carolina Chickadees were in such a vocal frenzy that I was drawn to that location.

Cooper's Hawk Scanning For Prey

Cooper's Hawk Looking Up In The Trees

I took these pictures on Sunday.  We probably have close to 20 or so that are hanging around the feeders.  One even ventured to this older bird bath I have to get a drink of water.

American Goldfinches Enjoying New Feeder Location

American Goldfinch Getting A Drink Of Water

Fortunately the Hummingbird did appear and Greg and I captured several pictures.  Greg felt 95% sure this was a female Rufous Hummingbird.  The even better news is that I now see the Hummingbird every day.  If she hangs around long enough for the Ruby Throatted Hummingbirds to appear, that could become very interesting.  She is very possessive of the Coral Honeysuckle and will not go to any of the Hummingbird Feeders.

Rufous Hummingbird Feeding

Rufous Hummingbird Feeding On Coral Honeysuckle

In the first picture, that is supposed to be an “official” Bluebird house, but the male only seems to focus on the regular bird house in picture number 3.

Male And Female Eastern Bluebird Visiting Birdhouses

Male Eastern Bluebird Looking At Ground For Mealworms

Male Eastern Bluebird Checking Out Potential Nesting Site

I only have Thistle seed in this feeder, not the other feeders so these guys had to wait around for an opening.

American Goldfinches Flocking Around Feeder

American Goldfinches Waiting For Turn At Feeder

Here’s what’s kind of interesting about this.  In 2011, we didn’t see Bluebirds until late February (February 27 I believe).  I don’t know if it’s the mild Winter we’ve had so far or if perhaps I just didn’t notice them earlier last year, but I am glad they are here.

Of course after I took a couple of pictures I went inside to get some meal worms to feed them.  The male was also checking out one of the bird houses we have set up.  He did the same last year, but never nested in any of them.  Hopefully this year will be different.

Male Eastern Bluebird First Visit 2012

First is a Field Sparrow sitting in a tree.  Their were others on its species just outside the frame of this picture.

Field Sparrow In Tree

Another small bird I saw who appeared pretty tired was a White Throated Sparrow hiding in a bunch of twigs (at least I hope that’s what it is)

White Throated Sparrow Hiding In Twigs

Yet another Sparrow, this one I believe is a Savannah Sparrow.  Nope, it’s a Song Sparrow.

Song Sparrow In Tree

One more that took me a while to figure out, was a Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Rose Breasted Grosbeak In Mix Of Trees

If we head over towards the beach and jetty, there are lots of birds over there as well.  The Ruddy Turnstone was a common bird that I saw.

Three Ruddy Turnstones On A Log

After standing on the log for a while, one decides to walk around.

Ruddy Turnstone Walking Down Log

It then stops and appears to stare at it’s reflection.

Ruddy Turnstone Staring At Reflection

I’ll warn any potential visitors now.  There’s not much to do there other than go birding and relax (and fish which I did not do).  For me, it was perfect!  I was also fortunate enough to hook back up with Greg Lavaty who is one of the premier birders and bird photographers in Texas.  Greg came out to visit on my first day in town and we immediately went out birding. Birding with Greg is always a great experience for me for a couple of reasons.  One, that guy can spot a bird before I’ve even looked in the general direction of a bird.  Second, he’s a great bird photographer and I always learn about bird photography when he and I have a chance to visit.  I must confess, I also always have a negative experience in birding with Greg as well.  Every time I see him with the Canon EF 500mm lens I get jealous:-).

Now on to the birds, at least some of them that I saw and photographed (I’m breaking this post into 2 different sections so the page doesn’t take forever to load).  One of my favorite shots that I took on my next to last day was of a Brown Pelican.  The reason that this is one of my favorite shots is because I’m used to taking pictures of things that aren’t in motion, or standing still, not birds in flight.  What I was excited about is that I captured this Brown Pelican floating along in the sky, then suddenly it did a nose dive into the water.

Brown Pelican Hovering Before Diving

Brown Pelican Turning To Dive

Brown Pelican Diving Straight To The Water

Brown Pelican Lifting From Water After Empty Dive

Some of the other shots I like were of a Crested Caracara and a Harlan’s Hawk.  The Harlan’s Hawk (which I would have never identified without Greg telling me) used to be considered a separate species from a Red Tailed Hawk, but now is considered a “morph.”  It’s not that my pictures are that great, rather it’s that this bird is somewhat rare. As to how this Hawk is of the same species as a Red Tailed Hawk I have no idea as they certainly don’t look similar to me.

Harlan's Hawk On Telephone Pole

Harlan's Hawk In Flight

Harlan's Hawk With Wings Fully Spread

The Crested Caracara is an interesting looking bird to me.  This bird almost looks like it would be from Africa or something, not a bird that you would expect to find in Texas (or Florida).

Crested Caracara Resting On Fence Pole

Quintana also has a jetty where some folks decide to fish.  Interestingly enough, I didn’t see one person in 3 days who ever had a single fish, but I did see a giant rat which would have walked right over me if I hadn’t moved out of the way.  I’m not joking, this rat started from much further down the jetty, then would dart in and out of the rocks, and was going to walk right into me.

Big Brown Rat Staring At Me On The Jetty

Another favorite that I photographed was a Le Conte’s Sparrow.  Confession:  I wouldn’t have been as excited if I hadn’t seen Greg get so excited since I had no clue what type of bird this was initially.  This poor bird was exhausted, and since it was on the Jetty, it likely had spent the night flying over water and this was the first bit of land it had found.  These are pretty secretive birds who tend to hide in grassy fields and marsh edges, not walking on concrete around a bunch of fisherman.

Le Conte's Sparrow Walking On Quintana Jetty

Le Conte's Sparrow On Quintana Jetty Resting

Le Conte's Sparrow Resting On Rock At Quintana Jetty

I’ll do my best to post some additional pictures and commentary this weekend for Part Two of my vacation in Quintana, Texas.

When I first got to Skillern the first creatures to greet me were the mosquitoes, big ones and lots of them.  Fortunately I brought the mosquito repellant so they didn’t overwhelm me.  As I walked along one of the trails there was this pretty little bird darting up and down from a tall tree.  It was a female Vermillion Flycatcher.  I love these little birds!

Female Vermillion Flycatcher Side View

Female Vermillion Flycatcher Front View

There were also lots of Northern Harriers and these birds are fun for me to photograph.  Since they float above their potential prey, it gave me a good opportunity to get some decent photographs.

Northern Harrier About To Land In Field

Northern Harrier Hovering Over A Possible Meal

At Skillern there were lots of open fields, and I’m sure I missed a tons of birds.  One bird that I’ve never photographed before was an Eastern Meadowlark hiding in the field.

Eastern Meadowlark In Field

In addition I saw lots of Savannah Sparrows.

Savannah Sparrow In Field Of Brown

Savannah Sparrow Resting On Branch In Field

A particular noisy little bird that I saw hiding in the woods was a Winter Wren.

Winter Wren Hiding In The Woods

These are just a few of the many, many birds I saw at Skillern.  I took alot of bad photographs, and missed many opportunities.

Birds weren’t the only creatures I saw.  There were lots of Gulf Fritillary Butterflies (that surprised me) and a few Monarch Butterflies.  I was really surprised by how bright the color was on the Gulf Fritillaries.

Very Bright Orange Gulf Fritillary At Skillern Tract

I called Leecy a few hours into my trip and she said she wanted to see a picture of an Alligator.  I was lucky enough to find one sunning on the shore.

Alligator At Skillern Tract In Anahuac

I really, really enjoyed Skillern Tract of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and plan on returning once they weather cools down a bit.  You absolutely have to bring mosquito repellant otherwise you will be eaten alive.  Even though I was well coated at the beginning, apparently the stuff wears off because I was attacked later on.  I re-coated myself and all was well.

According to Greg Lavaty these birds will breed in this area during the Summer, but any birds of this type seen right now are just migrating through.

If you really want to see some awesome bird pictures, especially of those found in Texas, you can visit his website here.

This was the first time I’ve ever seen this bird, in my backyard or otherwise.

Summer Tanager Getting A Drink

For Fall 2011, we maybe had 10 total Ruby Throats, which has been about average the last couple of years.  Back before Hurricane Ike, we had close to 100 during the Fall, but haven’t had those high of numbers since then.

This particular female in the pictures below, likes to stand guard in the Pussy Willow tree.  I’m not sure if she is guarding the feeders, or just watching me take pictures of her.

Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird On Pussywillow Tree

Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird Looking Regal On Pussywillow Tree

One Of The Last Two Ruby Throated Hummingbirds Of Fall 2011

Ruby Throated Hummingbird Feeding On White Butterfly Bush

I’ll start with the Hummingbirds.  I love seen this birds jousting for nectar each morning and afternoon.  I’m grown very attached to the sounds they make as they go fluttering by.  I Also enjoy how curious they are.  If I’m out working in the yard or on the pool, then sure enough there will be at least 2 of the birds who will come over to investigate.  I could swear they are as curious about me, as I am them.  It give me great comfort just to watch them.

The upcoming Monarch population is equally gratifying for me.  They make me think of warriors heading off to battle.  I love their graceful flow through the yard, checking out the plants, and laying a few eggs.According to the experts at Monarch Watch, this could be a dismal year because of the lack of wild, natural food sources due to the extreme drought.Whatever the outcome, I always feels a sense of appreciation and wonder as these super creatures of the Monarchs make their way from Canada to Mexico

Right now I’m wondering if I have enough milkweed for the migration.  I say that every year, and it seems like  always need more.I think I have enough nectar plants, but milkweed, I’m not so sure.

I have this temptation to position the feeders in just such a position that would enable me to take great photographs, yet when  step outside and feel the hear, I more often than not decide to just leave them alone rather than interrupting their feeding stations just so I can take a good picture.  If the weather could get just a get just a little cooler, I’m sure my photography drive would increase again. I’m hopping that day come soon, because I do miss the passion I have with the camera, but the weather is beating me right now.

Every year about this time I start thinking out what changes I want to do the yard to make it that much more special.  My remaining grass is strictly for the dogs.  I really want to jump into the wildflower garden and rip out all the weeds and Bermuda grass.  I’d like to bring some organization to how the plants are organized, but I have to talk to Leecy first since she just flings the seeds in any open place.

I’d also like to get rid of so many of the Eurasian Collared Doves since they just ransack the feeders and aren’t too friendly about allowing the other birds to feed. I’ve made it too easy for them to get the food and I need to change that somehow and maybe invest in different feeds.

I don’t expect the Hummingbirds to hang around much longer.  They are getting far, and as soon as some decent-sized front comes along, I’m sure they will continue their migration.  Then it will be just the Monarchs and I.  I was pretty disappointed in the numbers we saw last year.  I hope we have more this year.

Just my thoughts as I share my thoughts.  Any one else having the same dilemma?

I was on a conference call while working and all of the sudden this beautiful orange bird starts feeding off of the hummingbird feeder.  I had a hard time deciding if I should stay on the call or run out and try and take pictures.  I ended up staying with the call and hoped the bird would still be hanging around later.

Fortunately, the bird did hang around for a while and it turns out to be a Baltimore Oriole.  For some folks in other areas this may not be a big deal, but for me, in Houston, seeing one in my backyard for the first time was awesome!

I thought I remembered reading that these birds really like things like jelly and oranges, and since I didn’t have any oranges, I put some jelly on a paper plate.  I placed the plate in the Gardenia shrub where I had seen it hanging around earlier (actually there were 2 I think).

Sure enough, the bird returned so I took some pictures from my kitchen since he seemed to be a little skittish when I was standing outside waiting for him.

Later I went to the grocery store and bought some grape jelly and some oranges in the hopes that he will be around tomorrow.

Baltimore Oriole With Mouth Open In Gardenia Shrub

Baltimore Oriole Deciding Whether Or Not To Taste Jelly On Plate

Baltimore Oriole Standing On Paper Plate Eating Jelly

Yesterday as Leecy and I were driving back from the grocery store, I noticed a large flock of water birds in this pond on Lake Houston.  When I say pond, it’s a pond now because of the drought, but it’s actually part of Lake Houston.

Some of the birds looked a little unusual to me, so I did a quick u-turn to take a look.  Since I didn’t have my camera with me, I had to make do with my iPhone.

Allow me to build this story just a bit.  Yesterday I took some pictures with my iPhone.  Today I went back to see if I could find those unusual birds I saw yesterday.  When I took these first pictures yesterday I remember thinking how sad it was that so much of Lake Houston has dried up.  When I went back today, there were a couple of onlookers watching the birds.  One gentleman walked by and said to this lady “It’s a real shame, huh”?  She replied, “no, I think it’s beautiful.”  I guess that proves it depends on how one views things.  For some it’s an opportunity, for others it’s a disaster.

These first 3 pictures are from yesterday.

Lake Houston Drought

All of the brown area used to be covered in water.  Now it’s just dry, parched grass and twigs.

Lake Houston Drought Showing Previous Shoreline

This picture is facing the other direction.  You can see just how far the water has receded.

Lake Houston Drought Showing Pond That Was Part Of Lake

In the above picture, you may be able to just make out a few of the birds.  This part of the lake is now just a pond.  The lake is so low, this pond no longer connects with the lake.

This morning when I returned, the picture was completely different.  There were lots of Wood Storks, which are somewhat rare birds I believe.

Line Of Wood Storks On Shoreline Lake Houston

Overall, there were probably over 20 Wood Storks, 5-10 Roseate Spoonbills, and lots and lots of Great Egrets.

Wood Stork About To Land On Water Lake Houston

Wood Stork Landing On Water Lake Houston

You can tell from the above pictures that the Wood Stork is a pretty large bird, especially compared to the Great Egrets.  If you want to read more about Wood Storks, here’s a link to Wikipedia.

Wood Stork Eating A Fish Lake Houston

I mentioned in the beginning of this post how one person saw the drought effect of Lake Houston as “sad”, whereas another person thought it was “beautiful.”  Not that the drought is beautiful, but all the birds centered on this pond was beautiful.  It certainly presents an easy opportunity for the Wood Storks to easily catch fish.

Besides the Wood Storks catching fish, the Great Egrets were able to catch lots of fish.  This one bird nearly lost his catch.

Great Egret About To Eat A Fish Lake Houston

Last, but not least are the Roseate Spoonbills.  These are really pretty birds, a nice shade of reddish-pink.

Pair Of Roseate Spoonbills On Lake Houston

Pair Of Roseate Spoonbills With Heads Down On Lake Houston

What’s my take on the “beautiful” versus “sad” part of this story?  I honestly see both, but lean more towards sad.  Yes, this pond that was part of Lake Houston has presented a wonderful opportunity for some birds.  I wouldn’t think the opportunity would last very long, this week we’re supposed to have record highs, and the fish in this pond surely cannot survive for long.

This is the second male I have seen.  He’s obviously competing with the Honeybees

Male Ruby Throated Hummingbird Flying Towards Feeder With Honeybees

I also took a brief video, and I got really lucky in the quality and how it captured his wings.  If you click in the bottom right hand corner you can watch it in full screen mode to see his tongue darting in and out.