Birds and Nature

Today I did some poking around various locations, both known birding spots and other locations including a stop at the Donna Reservoirs. As I drove down the road between a reservoir and some fallow agricultural fields I spotted a few Groove-billed Anis perched on some vegetation. These Groove-billed Anis appeared to be sunning themselves. They were about 80 feet from the road so these photos are pushed to max. There were at least 3 anis and possibly 4. This area is some miles from the other locations where anis have been reported so I think they are a new group. They flew further away so I followed in my car but they flew down when they heard my camera (sound is off but they all make some not-natural noise that some birds are sensitive to. SeEtta

I really enjoy seeing Groove-billed Anis, a species that is most often in the Rio Grande Valley during spring and summer. But they are here some winters and this is one with reports of several birds in several locations. This morning I went to look for them at the Santa Ana NWR where up to 4 birds have recently been reported. I thought I had blown it because I found I got there that I had not put the memory card back in my camera--arggh, at least I looked before I left the parking lot. So I had to drive back to my motel to get it (it would have been almost as far and taken more time to go buy one). So after that return trip and checking in the Visitor Center for reports of sightings, I didn't get out birding until about 11 am. And I looked for about an hour and half with no results so was on my way back when I turned a corner and spotted something black on a tree in the thicket--yup, a Groove-billed Ani. Then it spotted me looking at it and flew off in the thicket follo...

Yesterday I stopped in Resaca de la Palma State Park in the Brownsville,TX area. As I drove into the entrance I heard a hawk calling repeatedly and saw this Red-shouldered Hawk take off from it's perch on a nearby utility pole. It called as it flew, circled several times then flew directly at a Cooper's Hawk perched on another utility pole and causing it to fly away. Clearly this Red-shouldered enforces it's primacy in the territory here. SeEtta