Bird Brain Adventures

Mom lead the nature walk at Hagerman's National Wildlife Refuge  this morning. We followed Haller's Haven Trail down to Dead Woman's Pond and had a look around. Yellow Crowned Night Heron Add caption The new Visitors Center at Hagerman's NWR 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Green Jays Yellow Warbler Indigo Snake, 7 ft. long! Black Crested Titmouse Eastern Meadowlark View over the bay towards South Padre Island from the refuge Eastern Wood-pewee Bay-breasted Warbler We spent our last day birding the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. What a beautiful place and we found a few nice surprises. Other than being swarmed by honey bees, it was a great experience. Thank goodness my mother is a bee whisperer and was brave enough to get in our bee infested car and some how get them all out while I was in the parking lot running around in circles with a towel wrapped around my head. (sorry, no video) My mom...saved me from a Saint Bernard when I was a baby and saved me from death by bees when I am 45. Thanks Mommy :)

I didn't really like this area of the refuge...snakes every where! Canopy Trail It was nice of mom to go out first and make sure it was sturdy :) Olive Sparrows Napping Screech Owl Golden-fronted Woodpeckers Green Parakeet Mourning Warbler

Green Heron Can you find the 3 birds? Least Grebe Buff -bellied Hummingbird Yellow-crowned Night Heron We spent the Day at the Estero Llano Grande State Park which is one of the World Birding Centers. A cool front came through last night so it was really nice today. Hiked in the park until 5 pm then headed back to South Padre to see what birds had stopped over because of the north winds.

We spent the entire day at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park and it was HOT.  I was birder of the day with a rare Costa Rican bird called Clay-Colored Thrush! We also saw Green Jays, Great Kiskadee, Ringed Kingfisher, White-Tipped Dove, Hooded Oriole, Green Parakeets, and many more.  Mom had 5 life birds today.  She saw something shiny, wondered off and missed the Clay-Colored Thrush.  So you know that we will be back there everyday until she sees it!