Port Isabel Lighthouse

We are staying on South Padre Island and just before you cross the bridge that crosses the bay between the Texas mainland and the island is the Port Isabel Lighthouse. It was built of brick brought from New Orleans by schooner. The Beacon's 16 mile range guided ships into the harbor and to the Rio Grande bringing commerce to SW Texas. Darkened during the civil war, it was used as a lookout by both the union and confederate forces (I guess one was looking north and one south.Itwas also used as a lookout again during WW I.

Long-billed Curlew

The Long-billed Curlew is nicknamed the "Sickle-bill" because of its prodigious bill. In flight, its' wings show a cinnamon color. We witnessed this beautiful bird in flight as 20 or so flew right in front of the truck and landed in a nearby field. The Long-billed Curlew is uncommon but is seen in much of the west plus Florida and the east coast. It was fun to see so many as we were finishing our drive through the Atascosa NWR.

Altamira Oriole

Well, I read in one of my guides that the Altamira Oriole is rare with a very limited range in southern Texas. Let tell you how I got this shot. It was during our birding day at Laguna Atascosa. When I went in the visitors center just to look around, I overheard one of the staff say to another visitor, "That is an Altamira Oriole." I turned around and through the big viewing window was this first year bird, eating an orange that had been hung on a big tree branch. What a beautiful bird! I still had my camera hanging from my shoulder so I turned and fired off a couple of shots.

Tropical Kingbird

We stopped late one evening at Aransas NWR. It is the home of America's tallest bird, the Whooping Crane. Before we could get away from the visitor center Diane noticed this Tropical Kingbird perched in a nearby tree. I was getting ready to take his picture when he swooped out and grabbed supper. Aransas NWR, located close to Rockport, Texas, is 59,000 acres ringed by tidal marshes and broken by long, narrow sloughs. It has grasslands,live oaks, and redbay thickets in which 390 different species of birds have been seen. Again, the Tropical Kingbird can only be seen in the USA in southern Texas.

Crested Caracara

Crested Caracara are carrion-eating birds with long legs and naked faces. It is sometimes refered to as the "Mexican Eagle".It can be seen on fence posts or feeding with vultures. This bird is mostly seen in southern Texas. This bird was photographed in a beautiful area north of Corpus Christi called Rockport/Fulton.

Texas Birds

We have been traveling down the east coast of Texas looking for birds and we are happy to report we have found some. Pictured are two found only in the southern part of Texas and we saw these at the Laguna Atascosa NWR. Atascosa is 88,000 acres of barrier island, salt and freshwater marshes, coastal prairie, savannah and thorn brushes attracting over 400 species of birds. If you are in the area be sure and check it out. The two birds shown are the Green Jay and the Plain Chachalaca. An interesting note to the Green Jay is we saw a mutation form which was blue. He was missing all of his yellow pigmentation. In other words, we saw a Blue-Green Jay.

Prairie on Ice

Several days ago, we had an unusual storm. The weatherman termed it a "wintry mix". Boy, was it ever!! As a result of a slushy, icy rain everything was encased in a layer of ice. As I walked our sheltie around our prairie, I was struck by the beauty of the prairie plant stalks embedded in ice. Every little stem and seedhead was covered. I went home and got my camera to record this extraordinary weather event. The photos are of Indian Grass, one of my favorite prairie species. It is one of the dominant grasses in a tallgrass ecosystem along with Big Bluestem. The flowers of Indian Grass are borne on a beautiful golden plume, similar to the shape of a feather. One photo shows the dangling seed head looking like a string of beads. The curled leaf also belongs to a stalk of Indian Grass. Winter can bring out the beauty in an overwintering prairie. You just have to look. All of the stalks, stems and seeds of last year's plants provide food and shelter for many species of mammals and birds. I hope you enjoy this unusual look at a prairie in winter. Text and photos by Diane Cole.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawks prefer a high perch from which they can swoop down and catch their prey. Highways provide good hunting along the shoulders and the median strip. Power lines and poles provide excellent perches. Yesterday, my wife Diane and I went on a Sunday drive looking for Red-Tailed Hawks. We didn't have to go far since a 4-lane highway is only 1/2 mile from our house. We saw at least 4 of them in the first 3 miles. Now you can drive by a perched Red-Tailed Hawk and he/she will never move. Well, just try stopping and snapping their photo. They sense danger and they swoop off to the next pole. So my wife would drive and spot and pull over on the shoulder and I would try and get a shot. We weren't having much luck until we were near the local airport and we discovered that one the birds was a pretty good sport. He would let me get a picture, fly a short distance to another perch, then let me get another shot. He even treated us by jumping off his perch and grabbing a meadow vole for Sunday dinner. Because his turf is the county airport, my wife named him Sky King (Pale Male was already taken.)

Brown Creeper

Well we are back in Illinois and it sure is cold, but then again it's winter and it probably should be cold. I was looking at our bird feeders when I noticed a bird climbing up one of the trees. At first I thought it was a Nuthatch but when it climbed up so far then dropped back down to the base of another tree I knew it was a Brown Creeper. They are fun to watch as they circle up the tree looking for food in the bark. Apparently, a few do overwinter in central Illinois and seeing one just outside the window was a treat. The Brown Creeper has a slender decurved bill and a stiff tail which it uses as a brace when it's climbing and probing the bark of the tree for insects.