Back on the 27th a number of the red-tailed hawks agreed to sit around for their pictures on the refuge including this bird http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071849 Overall, rather bored but willing http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071840 But very tame http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071847 Another bird had a very bleached look http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071836 and was unhappier with the cameraman http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071838 the yellowthroats have started to sing in the reeds http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071825 Marsh wrens were in the same patch http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071823 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071821 The swans were way back in there http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071817 Up at the texas city dike, a good group of brown pelicans were scooping up fish from a tidal rip. It was more like just scooping than catching and perhaps they were fish that got a little too cold in the frost that morning. http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071923 The pouches show that they are largish fish http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071965 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071968 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071971 One of the birds was red-pouched http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071973 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071972 They were bedeviled by the gulls who must have been trying for bycatch as they could not have handled the larger fish http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072000 But they work at it http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072001 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072003 Get dumped http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072004 Have to be careful not to sink the perch http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072008 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072009 Posing for a titanic ad with another mooch http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072012 I did see the A&M tropical kingbirds for the first time since last summer http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149071816 The downy woodpeckers at home are now territorial http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149072051 The younger male vermilion flycatcher was at the parking lot at Skillern on the 6th and has gotten redder since the last time I saw him http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122585 the red shows differently in different angles http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122587 The day was made with red-breasted nuthatches at High Island. They were less tooty than on past visits http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122588 Snowy egrets are growing plumes but no facial colors yet http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122589 Forster's terns are getting very black in the head http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122676 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122678 But there are backward birds http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122681 Most royal terns are in breeding plumage http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122691 This one has a yellower bill http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122686 And this one still has a couple of white pinfeathers in the forehead http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122693 Only had a group of 4 bonaparte's gulls until I found the herd of eared grebes http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122796 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122789 this is part of the herd of eared grebes when they were not feeding. Note the calmer water http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122812 Compared to this picture where all the disturbed water is from birds that dove for food http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/149122799 And part of the herd steaming to a new diving area. It took 16 pictures to go from one end to the other for a total of 996 eared grebes. Lots more pelicans etc at http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/inbox -- Joseph C. Kennedy on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner
