Birds and Nature

 I was doing a little exploring and car birding yesterday driving slowly through this little rural town in the Lower Rio Grande Valley when I spotted this nighthawk sleeping on a branch of a tree. Their plumage tends to camouflage them when they roost in trees. Contrary to it's name these birds are most active during dawn and dusk but also may be out during the day and at night.  Since there are Lesser Nighthawks in this part of the country I had to check to see which of the two, Lesser or Common, this was.  I identified this one as a Common Nighthawk given that the white band on it's wings is not beyond the tertials as occurs with Lessers, in fact much before them.  I do not want to disturb birds especially those sleeping so I took these pics from inside my car being very quiet including using the no-click setting on my camera.  I believe I was successful as it's eyes appeared as closed after I left as when I first spotted it. SeEtta

I was driving away from Anzulduas County Park in Hidalgo County,TX when I heard some vocalizations with which I wasn't familiar. When I turned around and went back I was very surprised to see it was a Loggerhead Shrike that was singing- making mostly calls that sounded like chirping (but could be called trilling) but also a few high clear notes. This is the first time I have heard a Loggerhead Shrike sing and from some research it appears it isn't heard often. From the information on Birds of North America online this singing appears consistent with the male's 'spring song' associated with breeding rather than the 'territory song' that is given by both males and females which they describe as follows: "...contains fewer high, clear notes and more notes rough in quality which resemble harsh screeches or begging notes." Given how far south this is it may not be unusual to have breeding behavior in mid-January. SeEtta