foomamablumbie

where covfefe gets real

By on

Not Birds of Prey

Jon and Nigel enjoyed zipping around the lake. The lake is so low right now that most of the boat ramps are closed, so the boat traffic is greatly diminished.
Pippa
Pippa is growing up fast. She’s about 7 months old, I think.
A pair of cattle egrets spent the day in the cove. They’re dressed in their tinted spring finery at the moment. You can see the zebra mussels that are underwater when the lake level is more normal.
golden fronted woodpecker
This is a young golden-fronted woodpecker. When it gets a little older and bigger, it will have splotches of red, orange, and yellow on its head.
Cedar waxwing
Don’t you think cedar waxwings look like they’re air-brushed? And clearly they influenced the design of the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica.
First monarch this year.
Northern cardinal, Virginia’s state bird. And a bunch of other states’, as well.
Baby black-crested titmice
We have two nest boxes with baby black-crested titmice. Suzy has been looking in on them every few days; the babies are looking much more like birds now that we can see actual feathers. Photo by Suzy.

By on

Birds of Prey

The vultures are very active around Tedderhaven right now, soaring high and zooming close, letting me take their picture, and often circling back for re-takes. There is most likely a nest up the cove a bit, and both turkey and black vultures have been hanging out at the shoreline. These are all turkey vultures.

Turkey vulture soaring
Turkey vulture
They really do look, from a distance, like a man hunched in an overcoat.
Turkey vultures
A small group gathered at the bottom of the steps and just kind of chillaxed for a while.
Turkey vultures
This one definitely needs a caption. I can’t quite make out what they’re saying–any help?
Turkey vulture
Their wings are so splendid and powerful. They are very large birds, bigger than ospreys and almost the size of eagles.

By on

Tedderhaven in April

We have a family of black-crested titmice in the nestbox in front of the cabin. Suzy has been monitoring; they look slightly less disturbing today than they did Monday, but I still find them a little difficult to look at. The parents are spending a lot of time going back and forth–it’s a lot of work feeding all those gaping little beaks.

Making sure nothing is ready to pounce.
Bird looking out
Get ready . . .
Get set . . .
Bird flying out of nestbox
Go!
Bird taking out trash
Once in a while they clean up the nest, with waste neatly packaged in a little sac. I’m not really sure how this works.
Bird flying right at camera
They fly out so fast that the camera just doesn’t have time to focus.
baby birds in nestbox
I see four beaks but there could well be one or two more.
Decorative bird figure on stump
Suzy has a good touch with the yard. I’m sure the titmice settled in this box because of the welcoming orange egret outside their door.
Nigel, Suzy, and Jon at the Gorge Trail
We took visiting Nigel to the Gorge Trail under overcast and drizzly skies; it was beautiful. Suzy spotted a pair of Green Herons in one of the ponds.

By on

A visit to Hornsby’s Bend

There’s a wastewater treatment plant just north of the Colorado River and three minutes from the cell phone waiting lot at the airport. This is a game changer for me–I already like making the airport run, and now it’s paired up with an easy visit to three big ponds with several boatloads of cool birds, if cool birds could be persuaded to get on the boats. Yesterday I saw at least two new-to-me species, and, pending ID, probably more. I’ll edit this post as soon as I figure out what I was looking at.

turtle sticking head out of the water
Before I get to the birds, here is a turtle. There are so many turtles here, and they pop their heads up. I saw eight at once the last time I was here.
Air Force vintage plane
It’s always fun to watch the planes land. They’re usually commercial jets, and I thought this was a small private plane until I looked at the photo. It turns out to be a vintage Air Force two-passenger plane, and I’d love to know why it’s flying and why it’s landing at Austin-Bergstrom.
Kingfisher
Killdeer are really pretty birds and it always feels special when I see them.
Brown speckled bird
A new bird for me, a semipalmated sandpiper. Rosemary told me they are known for their dramatic chest-bumping (with their beautiful pecs) and I got to see it in the next photo.
brown speckled birds tussling
Pectoral sandpipers having a moment of drama
Pair of blue winged teals
Blue winged teals out for a spin around the pond.
Black-necked stilt
Black-necked stilts have very long and very red legs.
A gathering of the littles: lesser yellowlegs on the left, least sandpiper on the right. Sandpipers are known casually as “peeps” among birders but I don’t think I’m quite there yet.
Sandpipers and a coot
So many least sandpipers! And a coot.
Sparrow
Savannah sparrow
Sandpiper
Semipalmated sandpiper with a little bug
Turtle sticking its head out of the water
Let’s end with another turtle.