[texbirds] the weekend looong loop TXcty-Corpus-Aransas

We took a long weekend (bad weather timing). Drove from Tx City, and
made a loop through Aransas NWR, Port Aransas, Corpus/Padre Is. Friday
was blustery and mostly travel. Saturday mostly Tstorms but produced
some GOOD results. We found 5 Whooping Cranes at Aransas NWR. 2 out on
Heron Flats were about 4-500 yds out. Extremely long shot for our
camera and lens, but got a decent enough ID shot.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qdfDKmNrruk/VHNC86T-uWI/AAAAAAAAEqQ/_aZv6A5rpOs/s800/IMG_7666.jpg

Then later out on the auto tour route two flew over
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cxSAZiEo6vw/VHKjqfJ-kfI/AAAAAAAAEmo/jahyJr1yvSw/s800/IMG_7706-Edit.jpg

..and down the road a bit further we watched with binoculars as one
circled very low above a spot that was probabley near the large pond in
the closed are to the west of the auto tour. So all in all we got
good looks at five distinct birds, all adults. Going in at dawn we
found a half dozen of these perched in an Oak snag. Thanksgiving in a
tree? ;)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5Pq9K4LS4S0/VHKjtqd2gtI/AAAAAAAAEmw/ClPwIJN9Ynk/s800/IMG_7736.jpg

Two places we enjoyed were at Port Aransas, the Turnbull Bird center,
and the Port Aransas Nature Preserve.
Nice shot of Redheads taking flight at the Nature Preserve
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qTJabLuNOKw/VHKjkHJd7wI/AAAAAAAAEmg/6DIOFdI2gHM/s800/IMG_7630.jpg
If you are in the vicinity these are well worth your time to take a
look, although no rare birds were found (although we were treated to a
pair of Sora chicks arguing over territory...that was hilarious. Mama
ignored the fracus.

went on down to the entrance of Padre Nat'l Seashore. Nothing of
interest seen, except for a really tremendous shot of a Northern Harrier
male.
n harrier 1
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CTnmoltF670/VHKjfpvQHGI/AAAAAAAAEmQ/ybzWw17pwQU/s800/IMG_7605.jpg
n harrier 2
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KSFFhiBVKKE/VHKjhu1YWsI/AAAAAAAAEmY/xmQoGvTUhSA/s800/IMG_7604.jpg

....but almost equal to the Whoopers was this! Our first shot of one of
these.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zyBigddBJ4A/VHKkBa9Ff6I/AAAAAAAAEm4/vPzZmaUXp1M/s800/IMG_7832.jpg

--
Monte Phillips
texas City
https://picasaweb.google.com/monte.phillips/OurBirdPicsCritters
--
Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.
Mark Twain

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