Anne Belton Photography
In March 2019, 5 of us went to Texas. We flew into Houston and drove south to Rockport. 1st lodging was the Pelican Bay Resort.
Great Blue Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Day 2 we watched the sun rise over the gulf, then birded local areas
Day 2 we watched the sun rise over the gulf, then birded local areas
Great-tailed Grackles
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Cardinal
Turkey Vulture
American Golden Plover
Laughing gull
Roseate Spoonbill
Lesser Yellowlegs
Lincoln's Sparrow
Snowy Egret
Roseate Spoonbill
American White Pelicans
Snowy Egret & Great Egret
Least Grebe
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Loggerhead Shrike
Black-necked Stilt
The Lady Lori
Whooping Cranes
Surf Fritillary
Snowy Egret
Belted Kingsisher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Crested Caracara
Monarch Butterfly
Pipevine Swallowtail
Day 3 - a trip out to the Aransas Pass Wetlands on the Lady Lori at dawn to see the Whooping Cranes... and much more!
Whooping Cranes - they winter in these waters and then fly to northern Canada to nest and raise their young.
This family, Mom, Dad and 1 year old colt were feeding along the shore. Dad has the trackers on his legs.
Royal and Forster's Terns
Willet
Royal Tern
Royal Tern & Willet
Long-billed Curlew
Dolphins
Great Blue Herons at nest
Spoon-billed Ibis
Wilson's Plover
Common Loon
Ruddy Turnstone
Caspian Tern
Willet
American Oystercatcher
Whimbrel
Great Blue Heron
Heronry
Belted Kingfisher
Double-crested Cormorant & Caspian Tern
Reddish Egret
Black-bellied Plover
Double-crested Cormorants and Laughing Gulls
Reddish Egret
Day 4 - we went to the nature preserve at Port Aransas.
Black-crowned Night Heron
Sedge Wren
Sedge Wren
Great Egret
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-winged Dove
Roseate Spoonbill
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White Ibis
Least Sandpiper
Blue-winged Teal & Green-winged Teal
Loggerhead Shrike
Tri-coloured Heron
Black-necked Stilt
Laughing Gulls
Common Gallinule
American Avocet
Royal Terns
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Sanderling
Willets
Sanderling
Sandwich Terns
Sanderling & Ruddy Turnstone
Day 5 - we went to the King Ranch, where we had a guide for a half day tour of the ranch grounds. The King Ranch is the largest ranch in Texas and breeds a special kind of cattle.
Great Kiskadee
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Vermillion Flycatcher
Western Meadowlark
Bronzed Cowbirds
Red-winged Blackbird, Bronzed Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackle
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Vermillion Flycatcher
Harris' Hawk
Common Ground-Dove
Tropical Parula
Wild Turkey
White-tipped Dove
Horned Lizard
Rattlesnake
Javalina
Bordered Patch
Couch's Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Mockingbird
Turkeys
Lark Sparrow
Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
Day 6 - National Butterfly Center and Valley Nature Center, Wesloca. The Butterfly centre was a disappointment as far as butterflies went - there were not many - perhaps it was the wrong time of year.
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Hooded Oriole
Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
Inca Dove
Plain Chachalaca
Clay-coloured Thrush
Altimira Oriole
Curve-billed Thrasher
Red-bordered Pixie
Nashville Warbler
Great-tailed Grackle (M&F)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Black-crested Titmouse
Olive Sparrow
Black Swallowtail
Queen
Erichson's White Skipper
Cottontail
Altimira Oriole
Green Jay - I think one of the most striking birds I have seen!!
Northern Cardinal
Little Yellow Hispid
Theora Checkerspot
Cotton Rat
Purple Martin
On the way back to our lodgings we found a roosting site for Yellow-crowned Night herons and a Purple Martin house
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Day 7 - Bentsen-Rio Grande, Valley and Estero Llano Grande State Parks
Grey Hawk
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Broad-winged Hawks
Curved-billed Thrasher
Green Jay
White-tipped Dove
Inca Dove
Hooded Oriole
Hackberry Emperor
Common Yellowthroat
Orange-crowned Warbler
American Kestral
Giant Swallowtail
Day 8 - Santa Ana Wildlife Reserve - most Parks had volunteer guides who led walks at different times of the day
Louisianna Waterthrush
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
Lincoln's Sparrow
American Avocet - winter plumage
Broad-tailed Hawks - a kettle of over 200 migrating north
Northern Parula
White Ibis & Cormorant
White Ibis
Harris' Hawk
Day 9 - Resaca do la Palma, Laguna Atasoca, Old Port Isabel Road
Lesser Goldfinch & Kiskadee
Elf Owl - we were told to return after sundown to this telephone pole - a pair of Elf Owls were nesting there
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
Least Grebe
Great-tailed Grackle
Great-crested Flycatcher
Western Meadowlark
Pectoral Sandpiper
Day 10 - South Padre Island
Black Skimmers
Black Skimmers
Black-necked Stilts in conversation
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Muscovy - probably domesticated ducks
Willet
Redhead
Red-winged Blackbird
Monarch
Spotted Sandpiper
Sora
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Black and White Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Roseate Spoonbills
Tri-coloured Heron & Roseate Spoonbill
Wilson's Warbler
Common Buckeye
Red Admiral
Solitary Sandpiper
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Southern White
