Early morning turkey hunt yielded a couple of shots down by the old barn in the park.
The day started out solidly cloudy but by 1 PM the skies were blue and the temps were again in the upper 80’s but without the nice breeze of the last couple of days.
As always, click on any image for a larger, sharper version.
Rio Grande turkeyTwo Toms
A pair of TomsA pair of TomsA pair of Toms
When I see these two guys strutting and dancing around with each other, I guess trying to impress the ladies, even when there are none in sight, I can’t help but think of the old Saturday Night Life routine of Steve Martin and Dan Akroyd, the ” two wild and craaaazy guys! ”
Nashville warblerOrange crowned warbler
Walked into the Acorn Blind around 8 AM and did get a couple of new birds for me, the Nashville Warbler and the orange-crowned warbler. Not great images, but they are newbies.
Lincoln sparrow
This Lincoln Sparrow also was a new one to me.
Audubon WarblerCedar waxwing
Kind of an interesting pose for this cedar waxwing.
Cedar waxwingCedar waxwing
Carolina wren bath
Carolina wren bath
Carolina wren drying after bath
Carolina wren drying after bath
I know the Carolina Wren is a pretty common bird, but for some reason this tiny, hyperactive guy always gets me unable to resist snapping away.
Fox squirrel
And lastly, always an unwelcome visitor around a feeding station, this fox squirrel’s coloring warranted at least one shot. A pest, but an attractive one.
The campground has really emptied out this AM, but I went online while at the library to check on this coming weekend in case I wanted to stay and it is completely booked solid Friday and Saturday, a harbinger of what I am apt to run into everywhere this coming summer.
Went to the Junction Library to do some posts and check on end of month financial stuff, but really don’t enjoy attempting to get a PC to work properly. I’ll be glad to get somewhere with Verizon coverage soon.
Awoke to the usual grey, solid overcast morning, but strangely enough, still no rain. Appears Texas is capable of experiencing an extended drought yet also never seeing the sun, in the winter at least. Was wakened from a sound sleep twice last night by the exceptionally vocal deer in the campground, they let out a vocalization like that of a screaming eagle, probably in response to some perceived threat.
As always, click on any image for a larger, sharper version.
Decided to do a road trip north of the park but had my plans changed when I finally ran into some strutting Tom Turkeys on the park road. I had about five minutes with them before a motorhome scared them off the side of the road and sent them running out of range. I turned around and travelled the park road back and forth hoping to see them again, but no such luck.
Trouble ahead!Retreating TurkeyStrutting Turkey
During my time with the turkeys, the sun came out and the temperature started to climb. I stopped at the office to check the forecast and it called for sunny skies and temps in the upper 80’s! With good weather finally here, I decided to stay in the park and do some shooting from the blinds.
Female cardinal bathingNorthern cardinal bathing
These Northern Cardinals really put some effort into their baths.
Chipping sparrow bath
As does the Chipping Sparrow.
Lark sparrow
The Lark Sparrow was a new bird for me.
Black capped vireo
As was this Black-capped Vireo, a federally endangered bird with a sharply declining population due to habitat loss and brown headed cowbird nest parasitism.
Lesser goldfinch
Another new bird for me was this Lesser Goldfinch, not yet quite displaying the vivid demarcation of yellow and black that will be visible in a few more weeks.
Carolina wren
Yet another new bird for me was this Carolina Wren, darting in and out so fast as to be almost impossible to catch.
Cedar waxwingCedar waxwing
Also making an appearance at the water feature in the Acorn Blind was one of my favorite birds, the Cedar Waxwing.
Audubon warbler
Another bird showing up regularly was this Audubon Warbler.
Bathing Inca doves
I got a kick out of this Inca Dove going submarine while it’s mate tried to figure out what it was doing.
Inca dove
These Inca Doves have colorful red/orange wing feathers on the underside and topside of their wings that only show in flight – or if they are trying to dry themselves after a bath.
Inca doveInca dove
Serengetti in Texas
Along the park entrance road there is large high fenced enclosure that gets you to thinking you have arrived on the Serengeti Plains of Africa.
Strutting TurkeyStrutting TurkeyCedar waxwing
Lark sparrow
Another Neighbor From Hell
A very large motorhome pulled into the space next to me today. This space is at least 100 feet away but there is nothing between us but grass. A really nice, new 45’ Class A. Just a little after it got dark, I had made a drink after concluding a long conversation with my other next door neighbors, and was getting ready to go sit under the stars for a while. One of the nice things about this park is the absence of road or site lighting, you can really enjoy the night sky here when it is clear. Just as I was about to step out the door, a flash of light hit, that I assumed must be a car going through. It wasn’t. The new neighbor had turned on his outside spotlights, THREE high intensity spots on the driver’s side of the coach ( turns out there are three more on the passenger’s side too ), front, mid section, and back, all pointing directly out at the neighbor’s site. And when I say they were bright, I mean I could read a book on my sight, over 100 feet away, with the light from his unit. I went over and knocked on their door to see if I could get them to turn them off so I could sit outside and enjoy a gorgeous starry night, but even though their car was there and the TV was on, no one would answer the door. This was only about 7:30, so I don’t know what they were doing, but they wouldn’t answer the door for the campground host either a few minutes later when I enlisted his help to get the spotlights turned off. So, I had no choice but to go inside, pull all the shades and watch TV instead of the stars. About 9:30, they finally turned the lights off. About 11PM, just after I went to bed, they turned them back on. Nice folks!