Harris's Hawk! I never would've thought I'd see these! Beautiful dark chocolate with a rufous front edging on their wings. And those yellow legs and feet really stand out; note that he's standing on one foot like he stubbed a toe or something. We saw this raptor and the next on Hwy 77 in the King Ranch between Raymondville and Sarita. It was getting darker and with the cloud cover, photo conditions were not optimal. But check out that white underside--that's actually a white band that wraps around on the rump too. At first glance, when we saw one swooping over us in Harlingen before we left to come home, I saw that white rump and guessed Northern Harrier, though I thought it must be a dark morph. Then we saw this guy and stopped for photos, and I checked the guide--Harris's Hawk is beautiful!
We also saw what I'm guessing is a very wind-blown Red-tailed Hawk:I think somebody ran out of hair gel.
We also saw, near the Santa Ana NWP, what I think was a Gray Hawk--it was certainly unlike anything I'd seen before: so light-colored, a light gray all over, with a black tail. They call the Northern Harrier "the gray ghost," but if I really did see a Gray Hawk (which I'm 99.99% sure I did), THAT raptor is the true gray ghost. Amazing bird.
And check this out!
Okay, not a raptor--we're done with those. These are the Western Meadowlarks that Young Mary ID'd all on her own while I napped for a bit in the middle of the King Ranch near Sarita. The really look like Easterns, but according to the guide, whereas Easterns hang out in singles or pairs in meadows away from everything, Westerns are more gregarious, gathering in flocks on the roadside. That's exactly where we found these, a group of probably 15-20 individuals, right by the highway, chillin' and havin' some grub. I think this individual is kinda pigeon-toed, no?
Meanwhile, back to the Valley for more of Mary's coverage of the weekend:
She got a much better pic than I of this Tropical Kingbird. These guys were EVERYWHERE at Estero Llano.
And look, sparrow enthusiasts:
And you want whistling ducks?
And look, sparrow enthusiasts:
Her photo of the Savannah Sparrow, save for the impeding branches, is like a field guide shot, right down to the yellow eyebrow streak. Nice!
And you want whistling ducks?
And here, finally, is the Great Egret fishing video! This is awesome:
5 comments:
LOL! Freakin' house sparrows! Love it!
ha ha...That Egret bit off more than it could chew! Excellent birding posts..I am checking them all out and taking notes on where to go birding..when we get to TX in march.
That Kingbird sure looks like a Western not Tropical but, perhaps the bill is turned. It looks too short of a Tropical.
looked again Yellow breast--Tropical
As a Texas native who lived in NYC for four years, I can see your point of view. I really miss the beauty of the Northeast.
Post a Comment