SRGV Blossoming Up

Spring is coming to SRGV earlier than the past years we've been here. At Estero Llando Grande State Rick Snyder leads a plant walk every Thursday.  At first I went there so I would know what tree birders were talking about when siting a Warbler or some such creature. Now I can name many trees with beautiful blossoms.  One of the most unusual plant is the Bailey's Ball Moss with orchid like flowers coming out high in the host tree.  The flowers are surprisingly hard to see. 

                The Palo Verde  has bright yellow flower with orange stamines.  I love their green branches.

                             
                The Remata is another tree with very similar small bright yellow flowers

 The Mequite has large catkins for flowers that Gunnar is checking out.

Burrowing Owl on Border Road

After delaying the hunt for a month, the Burrowing Owl was our target bird.  The road is between Santa Ana and East Alamo.  As we started the drive we saw a dozen Curlews fly up from the fields when 6 large dogs were running down the road.  The owner called the dogs back so we could proceed.  The small Owl burrowed down in a dirt bank, unlike the Burrowing Owl in Mission which sits among the rocks on the levee.  The Owl stayed in the hole but keep his vision on us and I moved about.  On the way to Alamo Road we scared up a Prairie Falcon who seems to be consistent in that field.

>

Cardinals at McAllen Nature Center

With a week left in South Rio Grande Valley, I had better start posting again.  It has been hot in the Valley so we left for South Padre more than in past years.  But March 3rd was a cool cloudy 73 degrees.  So we explored Old McAllen and then went to the Nature Center near Ware on Bus. 83.  Cardinals were in excess at the feeding station and most were female. Their coloring is spectacular compared to the duller Northern variety of Cardinals.  

Monk Parakeets on Gardenia

Just down from the street from Pumphouse in Hidalgo is a colony of Monk Parakeets. The large nest was built on a transformer in a residential neighborhood. Only a few parakeets were visible compared to about 30 parakeets on Friday.  Today a mating pair of Monk Parakeets were refurbishing their part of the nest.  Below this photo of the male arriving is the sequence of the female waiting for her mate, working together and weaving of the materials. 

On to The Hildago Pumphouse

Regulars at the Hildago Pumphouse are Black Phoebes, Kingfishers, and wild Muscovy Ducks. House Finches, Vermillion Flycatchers and Clay-colored Thrushes were the bonus birds but no . Then on Gardenia Street a few blocks away there is  a large nest of Monk Parakeets. There were about 3 dozen Parakeets. 

Black Phoebe

Female Vermilion Flycatcher 

">                                House Finch  

>Muscovy Ducks

                                    Monk Parakeets with a few Blackbirds and a Dove

McAllen Nature Center - Success!

After Frank, Laura's Hooded Oriole came to her feeder,  we saw a flock of warbler including a Yellow-throated Warbler. It was a great way to start the day.  A short road trip  brought us to McAllen Nature Center.  We were early enough to see the Audubon Oriole but not until we waited for 30 minutes and took a walk through the trails.  Finally he appeared out in the open ready to eat and get a drink.  

Above Yellow-throated Warbler and below a female Altimra Oriole.

Audubon Oriole is more yellow with a black head, I did not get a photo of the Hooded Oriole.

 A walk along the road by the irragation ditch ended with views of a Ringed Kingfisher. At a closer look we saw a Belted Kingfish. They were replaced by Egrets, the Great Egret and the much smaller Snowy Egret. 

Small Birds of Prey at Delta Lakes & SPI

White-tailed Kite and American Kestrels at Delta Lakes & Peregrine Falcon at South Padre 

White-tailed Kite

American Kestrel 

This Peregrine is a regular at the SPI Birding Center under the M in Madre on the water tower.  A friendly birder told me where to look for it. I looked up and saw it and then I let him use by Swarovski Binoculars. Gunnar told him he could see God with them.  He looked up at the Falcon and said Oh My God!