Birds and Nature

Uncommon in the Rio Grande Valley, one or more Indigo Buntings have been seen in Hugh Ramsey Nature Park in Harlingen for the past month or so. I saw this adult male today as it enjoyed a bath even though it had to share it with a Northern Cardinal. Buff-bellied Hummingbirds such as the one below are fairly common residents in the Rio Grande Valley. An apparent pair of Long-billed Thrashers foraged together. This is one of several Couch's Kingbirds I saw and heard singing in the park. I had to add this bottom pic to show what bright yellow underparts these birds have. SeEtta

One of the Rio Grande Valley's specialty birds (resident of So Texas & Eastern Mexico)is shown engaging in their distinctive feeding behavior--poking and sweeping it's bill from side to side in the leaf litter, eating several morsels it finds. It gives great views at the beginning of the clip when it stops to look to see if I was a threat (no one else was nearby and though I was being very quiet, the camcorder makes a little beep sound when it starts). I videotaped this bird at the Frontera Audubon thicket in Weslaco, TX, a great place to bird (even when they don't have rarities, I find I can get great views of Valley specialities at pretty close range here). SeEtta

A specialty of southern Texas and eastern Mexico, this Long-billed Thrasher also came in to the water features (there are three) at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge for a long drink. SeEtta Moss