Awesome creatures!

Today was our first Sunday morning bird walk. We started at 8:30 with 3 people then added another couple of people while on the trails. A few other folks came and went with us too. The highlight was a beautiful Yellow-throated Warbler. Mark didn’t carry his camera on the bird walk so no photo. But, we got great looks. We had a Black-and-White Warbler and really good scoped looks at a Green Kingfisher. We also saw a few snakes.

We had been hearing the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet but hadn’t gotten a look at him. Since no one on the walk was in a hurry to get back to the visitor center we stayed out till almost noon. We never did see the Tyrannulet but we had a nice walk with perfect weather.

It’s pretty nice working half a day! Thursdays and Sundays will be half days (mornings) for us from now on.

After our Santa Ana bird walk we went to lunch then headed to Frontera to see what birds we could find there. It was a little late in the day for birding but we did see some awesome critters, and a few birds too!






Brown Anole (non-native)
Native to Cuba. Unlike the Green Anole it does not change color. It sheds its skin several times a year.
Males are territorial and ward off intruders by elaborately bobbing their head while displaying the dewlap.


Fatal Metalmark
Metalmarks (family Riodinidae) are so named for the small metallic markings on many. They live mainly in the tropics. Only about twenty species are resident north of Mexico. They usually perch with their wings open. Most appear to be quite sedentary, rarely straying from their place of birth.


We got great looks at this Green Kingfisher.


Chachalaca's are always fun to see (and hear)!


I've been wanting to see a Two-Barred Flasher for a long time. This one perched right in front of us.


Flashers are large, brightly marked skippers of tropical forest regions. They have been found mainly in extreme southern Texas.