Day 5, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, King Ranch, Nori…
Day 6, Plain Chachalaca / Ortalis vetula
Day 6, White-tipped Dove / Leptotila verreauxi
Day 6, Plain Chachalaca / Ortalis vetula
Day 6, Great-tailed Grackle male / Quiscalus mexic…
Day 6, Golden-fronted Woodpecker male / Melanerpes…
Day 6, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons
Day 6, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Farm dog
Richardson's Ground Squirrel / Urocitellus richard…
Young Richardson's Ground Squirrel / Urocitellus r…
Frank Lake bird blind
Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula
Baltimore Oriole / Icterus galbula
Western Tanager / Piranga ludoviciana
Rose-breasted Grosbeak male / Pheucticus ludovicia…
American Goldfinch female / Spinus tristis
Wilson's Snipe / Gallinago delicata
Day 8, tiny Elf Owl / Micrathene whitneyi - smalle…
Mountain Bluebird male
Northern Rough-winged Swallow / Stelgidopteryx ser…
Osprey with fish
Northern Rough-winged Swallow / Stelgidopteryx ser…
Osprey with fish
Storm clouds moving in
Wilson's Snipe
Old, red barn
Swainson's Hawk, immature
The far side of the river valley
Bright and beautiful
Fungi on a tree stump
American White Pelicans on the Bow River
Little country church, Alberta
Long ago, someone's pride and joy
Amanita muscaria
Puffballs and others growing on a tree stump
Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
A favourite view in Kananaskis
Wedge Pond, Kananaskis, Alberta
Woodland at Rod's
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Forgetmenot Pond
Barrier Lake, Kananaskis
Kananaskis
Grizzly Bear sow - mother of two cubs
Day 5, orange tree, King Ranch, Norias Division
Day 5, Bronzed Cowbirds / Molothrus aeneus
Day 5, King Ranch, South Texas
Day 4, Aloe vera, Bishop City Park, South Texas
Day 4, Royal Terns / Thalasseus maximus, Mustang I…
Day 4, Laughing Gull / Leucophaeus atricilla, Must…
Day 4, Laughing Gulls, Mustang Island, Texas
Day 4, Royal Terns, Mustang Island, Texas
Day 4, Royal Tern / Thalasseus maximus, Mustang Is…
Day 4, Common Gallinule, Leonabelle Turnbull Birdi…
Day 4, Common Gallinule, Leonabelle Turnbull Birdi…
Day 4, Loggerhead Shrike / Lanius ludovicianus, Po…
Day 3, Whooping Crane colt flexing its wings, Aran…
Day 3, Whooping Crane colt, Aransas, Texas
Day 2, sunrise 8
Peace in the countryside
Snowy Owl 1st year male, Snowy Owl Prowl 2019
Snowy Owl male, Snowy Owl Prowl 2019
Snowy Owl 1st year male, Snowy Owl Prowl 2019
The beauty of hoar frost
Male Snowy Owl
Day 8, Snow Goose / Anser caerulescens
Day 8, Snow Geese
Day 8, Snow Goose
Day 8, Snow Geese
Old red barn on a foggy day
Horse and hoar frost
Hoar frost tree and vanishing fields
Frosted chin whiskers
Disappearing into nothingness
Llama beauty
The white Llama
Overload of Llamas : )
Llama
Up close with a Llama
Llama in winter
Mountain Chickadee feeding on suet
Christmas Llama - oops, Bird! - Count
Happy Christmas Day!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Day 3, Purple Martins, Pt Pelee, Ontario
Day 3, Daffodil (or Narcissus?), Pt Pelee, Ontario
Yes, it's the American Dipper again
Harlequin Duck male
On the way to Chain Lakes
American Dipper
American Dipper dipping
Tundra Swans
Weathered door
Barn with ducks, chickens and rabbit
Old farm wagon
American Dipper dipping
American Dipper / Cinclus mexicanus
American Dipper / Cinclus mexicanus
Clouds over Chain Lakes
Tundra Swans in flight
Yellowlegs - Lesser or Greater?
Our majestic mountains
American Pika - such a cutie
Osprey number 2 / Pandion haliaetus
Thirsty Bighorn Sheep
Creeping Thistle / Cirsium arvense, pure white, no…
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72 visits
Day 5, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, King Ranch
This was a really special full day, from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, on 23 March 2019, Day 5 of our 13-day birding holiday in South Texas. Before we left Calgary, we had booked a tour at the 825,000 acre King Ranch and we were greatly looking forward to it.
The area we explored was way south on the ranch land, called the Norias Division. The driver of the van/mini-bus was Barb, who did a great job of finding 47 bird species for us, and also trying to find a tiny Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. We also bumped into Barb's boss a couple of times and he went off in search of an owl. Almost at the end of our great day, he managed to find a pair of them! A man, originally from Holland, but now living in Houston, had travelled all the way to the King Ranch, hoping most of all to see one of these beautiful owls. The rest of us had actually seen one of these owls on our Trinidad & Tobago trip in 2017. He joined us for the day and, needless to say, he was delighted that his sought-after species was successful. The owls were far away, so photos (to be posted later) are very distant, but what a gorgeous pair of little owls they were. Everyone was thrilled to bits. Many thanks to Tom (?) for searching and searching!
"In 1853, Captain Richard King purchased a creek-fed oasis in the Wild Horse Desert of South Texas, sparking generations of integrity, preservation, and innovation.
King Ranch now covers 825,000 acres—more land than the state of Rhode Island. Over the course of over 160 years, King Ranch led some of the first cattle drives, developed the Santa Gertrudis and Santa Cruz breeds of cattle, bred the finest Quarter Horses, and produced champion Thoroughbreds—all under its iconic Running W® brand.
Today’s King Ranch is a major agribusiness with interests in cattle ranching, farming (citrus, cotton, grain, sugar cane, and turfgrass), luxury retail goods, and recreational hunting."
king-ranch.com/
Some of the species we were already familiar with, but new birds included the amazing Scissor-tailed flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Bronzed Cowbird. I was really hoping that we might see a Green Jay, and I was in luck.
A variety of wildflowers, a mushroom (Ink-cap or similar), a beautiful moth, and several deer added to our enjoyment. We were also very lucky to see a Javelina/Collared Peccary travelling fast through the bushes. Another sighting that was as fleeting as could possibly be were half a dozen Nilgai Antelope.
"Texas is home to more free-range nilgai antelope than their native country of India. Originally stocked on the King Ranch in the 1930’s, these sporty game animals quickly took hold and are currently free- ranging on a handful of large private properties in lower South Texas." From link below.
www.wildlifesystems.com/nilgai-antelope.html
For me, I think the highlight of the day was when I happened to spot a tiny Texan Horned Lizard / Phrynosoma cornutum. A few years ago, I had been so disappointed to miss a trip to SE Alberta to see a Horned Lizard. At the King Ranch, we were standing still for some reason, when something caught my eye near my shoes. I thought a small piece of dead, faded plant had blown in. Then it moved again, still not far from my feet. Couldn't believe my eyes!! What an interesting creature - it actually can shoot blood from small protuberances by its eyes when it feels threatened! Will post photos later, when I get to them.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_horned_lizard
We had lunch outside and were visited by a beautiful, curious White-tailed Deer. Several others were also seen while we were driving around the ranch land.
A good day, for sure, and we appreciated the effort that Barb and her boss put into searching for various species.
The area we explored was way south on the ranch land, called the Norias Division. The driver of the van/mini-bus was Barb, who did a great job of finding 47 bird species for us, and also trying to find a tiny Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. We also bumped into Barb's boss a couple of times and he went off in search of an owl. Almost at the end of our great day, he managed to find a pair of them! A man, originally from Holland, but now living in Houston, had travelled all the way to the King Ranch, hoping most of all to see one of these beautiful owls. The rest of us had actually seen one of these owls on our Trinidad & Tobago trip in 2017. He joined us for the day and, needless to say, he was delighted that his sought-after species was successful. The owls were far away, so photos (to be posted later) are very distant, but what a gorgeous pair of little owls they were. Everyone was thrilled to bits. Many thanks to Tom (?) for searching and searching!
"In 1853, Captain Richard King purchased a creek-fed oasis in the Wild Horse Desert of South Texas, sparking generations of integrity, preservation, and innovation.
King Ranch now covers 825,000 acres—more land than the state of Rhode Island. Over the course of over 160 years, King Ranch led some of the first cattle drives, developed the Santa Gertrudis and Santa Cruz breeds of cattle, bred the finest Quarter Horses, and produced champion Thoroughbreds—all under its iconic Running W® brand.
Today’s King Ranch is a major agribusiness with interests in cattle ranching, farming (citrus, cotton, grain, sugar cane, and turfgrass), luxury retail goods, and recreational hunting."
king-ranch.com/
Some of the species we were already familiar with, but new birds included the amazing Scissor-tailed flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Bronzed Cowbird. I was really hoping that we might see a Green Jay, and I was in luck.
A variety of wildflowers, a mushroom (Ink-cap or similar), a beautiful moth, and several deer added to our enjoyment. We were also very lucky to see a Javelina/Collared Peccary travelling fast through the bushes. Another sighting that was as fleeting as could possibly be were half a dozen Nilgai Antelope.
"Texas is home to more free-range nilgai antelope than their native country of India. Originally stocked on the King Ranch in the 1930’s, these sporty game animals quickly took hold and are currently free- ranging on a handful of large private properties in lower South Texas." From link below.
www.wildlifesystems.com/nilgai-antelope.html
For me, I think the highlight of the day was when I happened to spot a tiny Texan Horned Lizard / Phrynosoma cornutum. A few years ago, I had been so disappointed to miss a trip to SE Alberta to see a Horned Lizard. At the King Ranch, we were standing still for some reason, when something caught my eye near my shoes. I thought a small piece of dead, faded plant had blown in. Then it moved again, still not far from my feet. Couldn't believe my eyes!! What an interesting creature - it actually can shoot blood from small protuberances by its eyes when it feels threatened! Will post photos later, when I get to them.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_horned_lizard
We had lunch outside and were visited by a beautiful, curious White-tailed Deer. Several others were also seen while we were driving around the ranch land.
A good day, for sure, and we appreciated the effort that Barb and her boss put into searching for various species.
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