Recent Additions Galleries

Katy Prairie & Paul Rushing Park, March 19th, 2010 :

Katy Prairie & Paul Rushing Park, March 19th, 2010

Kleb Woods, St Patties Day, March 17th, 2010 :

Kleb Woods, St Patties Day, March 17th, 2010

Golden Plovers & Bald Eagle, Katy Prairie-Waller County, March 14th, 2010 :

Golden Plovers & Bald Eagle, Katy Prairie-Waller County, March 14th, 2010

Western Tanager at Kleb Woods, March 09, 2010 :

Western Tanager at Kleb Woods, March 09, 2010

White-tailed Hawk and male N. Harrier, Katy Prairie, March 03, 2010 : A White-tailed Hawk and a Male Northern Harrier...two striking birds of prey that can be in the same place together that share a gray head....amongst many differences the wing shape characteristics, tail, and flight style are quite different. I have seen and photographed these two species competing for food at Attwater PC NWR when a mouse den is located in a field and snacks are available.

White-tailed Hawk and male N. Harrier, Katy Prairie, March 03, 2010

Long-billed Curlew Interpretations :

Long-billed Curlew Interpretations

Katy Prairie, Feb 21st, 2010 :

Katy Prairie, Feb 21st, 2010

OG Field Trip, Katy Paririe, Feb 20th, 2010 : Birded in group of 18 led by Adam Wood to KPC's Barn Owl Woods and Nelson Farms, Warren Ranch Lake, and Paul Rushing Park from 8-5.

OG Field Trip, Katy Paririe, Feb 20th, 2010

Stephen F Austin State Park, Feb 9th, 2010 :

Stephen F Austin State Park, Feb 9th, 2010

Anahuac NWR and Bolivar Flats & Jetties, Feb 13th, 2010 :

Anahuac NWR and Bolivar Flats & Jetties, Feb 13th, 2010

Falcon State Park & Salineňo, Jan 30th, 2010 :

Falcon State Park & Salineňo, Jan 30th, 2010

Amazon Kingfisher, Zacate Creek, Laredo TX, Jan 29th, 2010 : Amazon Kingfisher, the largest green-backed kingfisher in the Americas showed up in the United States at Zacate Creek in downtown Laredo. I saw and photographed all four US Kingfishers and was watching three species in one view several times during the day. It was very windy which may have kept the kingfishers in the confines of the steep sloped creek more often than the nearby Rio Grande and it's marshy areas.

Amazon Kingfisher, Zacate Creek, Laredo TX, Jan 29th, 2010

Rio Grande Valley, Jan 18-21, 2010 :

Rio Grande Valley, Jan 18-21, 2010

San Bernard NWR, jan 10th, 2010 :

San Bernard NWR, jan 10th, 2010

Attwater NWR, Jan 03, 2010 : We went to Attwater National Wildlife Refuge near Sealy for the morning. It was gray and a cold morning, and well....wonderful anyway! We found Grasshopper sparrows and 9 White-tailed Hawks! We could see 7 juveniles spread out in a field and two adults all at the same time.

Attwater NWR, Jan 03, 2010

Katy Prairie, Jan 02, 2009 :

Katy Prairie, Jan 02, 2009

Cypress Creek CBC, Jan 1, 2010 : Cypress Creek Christmas Bird Count-started out cold, gray and windy, ended with blue sky, mild and a gorgeous sunset

Cypress Creek CBC, Jan 1, 2010

Katy Prairie, Dec 27-28, 2009 : clear, crisp & still morning Sunday & a few few from Monday afternoon-windy and clouds coming in

Katy Prairie, Dec 27-28, 2009

Katy Prairie, Dec 2nd, 09 :

Katy Prairie, Dec 2nd, 09

Attwater PC NWR, late November and December 09 :

Attwater PC NWR, late November and December 09

Attwater PC NWR, Nov 24th, 2009 :

Attwater PC NWR, Nov 24th, 2009

Kleb Woods, Nov 18th, 2009 :

Kleb Woods, Nov 18th, 2009

Updated: Nov 18, 2009 3:20pm PST

Attwater NWR, Nov 17th, 2009 :

Attwater NWR, Nov 17th, 2009

Choke Canyon, Nov 12th, 2009 : highly cropped and processed to show features, positions and 'cool factors'-face shield, wing spike, long toes, yellow under wings etc, etc!

Choke Canyon, Nov 12th, 2009

Choke Canyon, Nov. 14th, 2009 :

Choke Canyon, Nov. 14th, 2009

Simonton Ranch Photo Shoot, Nov 9th, 2009 :

Simonton Ranch Photo Shoot, Nov 9th, 2009

Migration Field Trip- San Bernard NWR & Quintana, Kleb Woods Nature Center, May 1st, 2009 : Thanks to Florence King for sharing her Black-throated Blue Warbler pictures. Wayne Wendel also got some great pictures from our outing today, especially of the Cape May Warbler which can be viewed at: http://birdshooter.smugmug.com/gallery/8073819_Vcuu8#525950678_QxKXx The male and female Blackpoll Warblers were another highlight of the "slow day" at Quintana!

Migration Field Trip- San Bernard NWR & Quintana, Kleb Woods Nature Center, May 1st, 2009

Palmetto State Park, Oct 17-18, 2009 : OG Group Trip on the 17th, and I went back on the 18th...adding photos for Savannah, Vesper and Lark Sparrows...House Wren..Scissortails..etc.

Palmetto State Park, Oct 17-18, 2009

Kleb Woods, Oct 2-3, 2009 : Indigo Buntings, Buckeye Butterflies, mating Common Green Darner Dragonflies, migrating hawks, etc on a gorgeous day at Kleb Woods.

Kleb Woods, Oct 2-3, 2009

Kleb Woods, Sept 30th, 2009 :

Kleb Woods, Sept 30th, 2009

Kleb Woods NP, Sept 27th, 2009 :

Kleb Woods NP, Sept 27th, 2009

Updated: Oct 05, 2009 7:19am PST

Kleb Trip to Smith Pt Hawk Watch Tower, Sept 25th, 09 :

Kleb Trip to Smith Pt Hawk Watch Tower, Sept 25th, 09

Updated: Sep 29, 2009 1:51pm PST

Yard :

Yard

Kingfisher, Quail & Storks at Paul Rushing Park, Sept 5-6, 2009 :

Kingfisher, Quail & Storks at Paul Rushing Park, Sept 5-6, 2009

OG Shorebird trip to Quintana, Aug 15th, 2009 : Red Knots was a target on the OG shore birding field trip to Quintana. We found them on Bryan Beach. Two are still in breeding plumage, the third has already molted.

OG Shorebird trip to Quintana, Aug 15th, 2009

Buff-Breasted SPs at Paul Rushing Park Cricket Field, Aug 12th, 2009 : taken with mega-zoom 'point & shoot'...D300 still in shop....sitting with back leaning on pole in the shade of the tent on the concrete pad in the middle of the cricket fields for 15 minutes.

Buff-Breasted SPs at Paul Rushing Park Cricket Field, Aug 12th, 2009

Paul Rushing Park-Katy Prairie, August 7th, 2009 : taken with my Panasonic megazoom....D300 is in for repair and cleaning...

Paul Rushing Park-Katy Prairie, August 7th, 2009

Kleb Woods NP, July 15th, 2009 :

Kleb Woods NP, July 15th, 2009

S. F. Austin State Park, Austin County, July 10th & 14th, 2009 :

S. F. Austin State Park, Austin County, July 10th & 14th, 2009

Great-crested Flycatchers, fledglings- Russ Pittman Park, Bellaire- July 9, 2009 :

Great-crested Flycatchers, fledglings- Russ Pittman Park, Bellaire- July 9, 2009

Kleb Woods, July 1-2, 2009, incl. Roadrunner & Wet Noodles :

Kleb Woods, July 1-2, 2009, incl. Roadrunner & Wet Noodles

Woodlands Photo Club, July- "Things That Fly" : The Woodlands Photo Club is having a 'mini contest' at the next meeting with the theme, "Things That Fly". Well, I have a few pictures of those! Can only submit two pictures (used the first 2). I put together these recent photos from this summer to choose from.

Woodlands Photo Club, July- "Things That Fly"

NWR 2009 Photo Contest-FINALIST! : submitted these for the 2009 photo contest of the National Wildlife Reserves- The Merlin and the Eastern Kingbird WON FINALIST status!

NWR 2009 Photo Contest-FINALIST!

Tree Swallows at Brazos Bend State Park, June 29th, 2009 :

Tree Swallows at Brazos Bend State Park, June 29th, 2009

Brazos Bend State Park, June 28th, 2009 : Tree Swallows nested in the park this summer and I caught some feeding of the fledglings.

Brazos Bend State Park, June 28th, 2009

Paul Rushing Park, June 25th, 2009 :

Paul Rushing Park, June 25th, 2009

Updated: Jun 26, 2009 12:56am PST

Kleb Woods June 17th and 24th, 2009 :

Kleb Woods June 17th and 24th, 2009

Updated: Jun 25, 2009 3:42pm PST

Mercer Arboretum,Saturday June 20th, 2009 :

Mercer Arboretum,Saturday June 20th, 2009

Kleb Woods, Insects, June 10 & 11, 2009 :

Kleb Woods, Insects, June 10 & 11, 2009

Pelican Island, Ferry, Bolivar and High Island, March 29, 2009 :

Pelican Island, Ferry, Bolivar and High Island, March 29, 2009

Brazos Bend State Park, May 25th, 2009 :

Brazos Bend State Park, May 25th, 2009

Nighthawks ETC., Paul Rushing Park, May 27th, 2009 :

Nighthawks ETC., Paul Rushing Park, May 27th, 2009

Paul Rushing Park, May 6-14, 2009 :

Paul Rushing Park, May 6-14, 2009

Updated: May 15, 2009 12:23pm PST

Kleb Woods Flycatchers, May 13th, 2009 : We saw Olive-side, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers on the Kleb Wednesday bird walk. Memorable was an Olive-sided tangling with a red wasp, getting stung, and then acting quite “un-flycatcher-like” for quite a while! 36 species were seen…

Kleb Woods Flycatchers, May 13th, 2009

We saw Olive-side, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers ...

Updated: May 14, 2009 9:00am PST

Quintana, May 4th, 2009 :

Quintana, May 4th, 2009

Attwater PC NWR, May 3rd, 2009 :

Attwater PC NWR, May 3rd, 2009

Kleb Woods Birdathon, April 29th, 2009 :

Kleb Woods Birdathon, April 29th, 2009

Yardbirds and Near, April 29th, 2009 :

Yardbirds and Near, April 29th, 2009

Older Recent-TOS, Attwater, & Yard :

Older Recent-TOS, Attwater, & Yard

Nature Discovery Center, Bird Migration Field Trip, April 24th, 2009 : I have only started this album-this is just lake Charlotte so far, so come back to see the full album...... The Nature Discovery center in Bellaire, right next to Russ Pittman Park has a Birding Field Trip every year at the height of Spring Migration in late April. They have a large comfortable bus with a bathroom, supply drinks, coffee, and snacks. Mary Ann Beauchemin - Senior Staff Naturalist - coordinates and hosts for the NDC. Fred Collins, former NDC Director, and now managing the Kleb Woods Nature Center in Harris County Precinct 3, leads the outing. We met near the NDC at 7 and first went to Lake Charlotte, just North of I-10 at the Hankamer exit. An Osprey ‘buzzed’ the group right after we arrived. We saw Eagles returning to a nearby out of sight nest with food clutched in their talons. We heard Prothonotary Warblers singing and were treated to quite a serenade from several territorial displays from Northern Parulas. Wood Ducks seen are always a treat. The water level on the lake was quite high. Then on the way to High Island we went back roads to view shorebirds in the flooded fields since the normal stop at Anahuac Wildlife Refuge would not have been productive this first post-Ike year. We were treated to Upland sandpipers, Ibis, Stilts, Whimbrels, Dowithchers, a single flying Hudsonian godwit, Semi-palmated & Black-bellied Plovers, Least sandpipers and other small peeps. There were lots of Eastern Kingbirds about, and Cattle, Little Blue & Green herons, plus Caracara & Harriers. Then we visited Boy Scout Woods at High Island. It was good to see a bit of greening coming to the coastal marsh areas visible crossing over the Inter-coastal Canal bridge as an expanse of brown was still evident since Ike, until the recent rains. The sun began to emerge from the heavy cloud cover and was sunny the rest of our trip until we returned to rains in Houston on our way home. Strong Southerly winds had been blowing for days so this was not to be a drop-out day, but what was there and at Smith oaks later was excellent with great views afforded. Highlights included a Purple gallinule, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Kingbirds, 5 species of Vireos, 16 species of warblers, Summer & Scarlet Tanagers, and Orchard & Baltimore Orioles. There were several hundred of each Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and of Gray Catbirds attacking every Mulberry tree. Other highlights were Painted & Indigo Buntings, and Blue Grosbeak and Dickcissels. In between Boy Scout Woods and Smith Oaks we went briefly down Bolivar to Roll Over pass to observe Shorebirds. Everyone was stunned at the devastation seen, even if seen previously. The dunes are gone, the waves very near the road, and the high tides bringing water over the road as evidenced by the ditches on the side of the road and the tidal pools. Many were shocked out of their birding bliss. It is important to see what has occurred and how it has affected man and wildlife. The area adjacent to Rollover Pass is a construction staging area for dirt and fill used in reconstruction. We were able to make our way to the bay side from this area and quickly realized that the sand bars were full of birds. The immediate shoreline supports very little vegetation so far. Treats were two American Oystercatchers quite close, Marbled Godwit, Dunlin, Dowitchers, 6 Reddish Egrets doing their wonderful dancing & prancing feeding, and topped off with a Red Knot and a Magnificent Frigatebird. The camaraderie of the group grew as shared interests were explored and birding 'moments' grew. The support for the Nature Discovery Center is important. A bird list summary was done together on the way home with a tally of 135 species. We arrived precisely as scheduled at 7 p.m. and the rains began. Do visit www.naturediscoverycenter.org

Nature Discovery Center, Bird Migration Field Trip, April 24th, 2009

Magic Ridge, Kleb Woods Field Trip, April 17th, 2009 :

Magic Ridge, Kleb Woods Field Trip, April 17th, 2009

Quintana, April 19th, 2009 :

Quintana, April 19th, 2009

Bear Creek Park, April 15th, 2009 :

Bear Creek Park, April 15th, 2009

Yard, April 15th, 2009 :

Yard, April 15th, 2009

High Island, April 2009 :

High Island, April 2009

Quintana, April 8th :

Quintana, April 8th

Bear Creek Park, Pileated Woodpecker and Bluebirds, April 9th, 2009 : Found a Pileated Woodpecker digging out a nesting cavity. The Bluebirds have paired up and established territories, singing everywhere,.

Bear Creek Park, Pileated Woodpecker and Bluebirds, April 9th, 2009

Quintana, April 5th, 2009 :

Quintana, April 5th, 2009

Updated: Apr 06, 2009 3:06pm PST

Brazos Bend State Park, April 4th, 2009 :

Brazos Bend State Park, April 4th, 2009

Quintana Neotropical Sanctuary, April 2nd, 2009 :

Quintana Neotropical Sanctuary, April 2nd, 2009

Updated: Apr 03, 2009 7:45pm PST

Yardbirds, April 3rd, 2009 :

Yardbirds, April 3rd, 2009

Updated: Apr 03, 2009 6:55pm PST

Quintana March 30th, 09 :

Quintana March 30th, 09

Updated: Apr 01, 2009 4:40pm PST

Kevin Karlson Audubon Shorebird Fieldtrip, March 7th, 2009 : This galleryis from the wonderful field trip to Galveston, Bolivar Jetties, and the High Island Rookery. Kevin Karlson is so enthusiastic, has such a great teaching style with unique perspectives, that at the end of the day.... you've really learned a lot!

Kevin Karlson Audubon Shorebird Fieldtrip, March 7th, 2009

Katy Prairie-Paul Rushing Park-Nelson Farms-Morrison Rd etc, March 8th :

Katy Prairie-Paul Rushing Park-Nelson Farms-Morrison Rd etc, March 8th

juvenile Krider's Red-Tailed Hawk :

juvenile Krider's Red-Tailed Hawk

Matagorda County, March 1st & 4th : Matagorda Nature Center in Bay City, the roads around the South Texas Nuclear Plant, and Matagorda Beach

Matagorda County, March 1st & 4th

Addicks Resevoir :

Addicks Resevoir

OG trip Feb 21, 09 - Baytown Nature Center & San Jacinto Monument Park :

OG trip Feb 21, 09 - Baytown Nature Center & San Jacinto Monument Park

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge :

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge

Katy Prairie :

Katy Prairie

kriderii ? : Hebert Rd just W. and N. of Pattisson

kriderii ?

Brazos Bend State Park :

Brazos Bend State Park

Updated: Feb 17, 2009 6:40am PST

Washington on the Brazos State Park :

Washington on the Brazos State Park

Kleb Woods Nature Preserve :

Kleb Woods Nature Preserve