Late October 2010 Trip to Pearland, Texas

My wife and I drove down to Pearland Tx., just south of Houston, to see our daughter.

She lives in a planned community (Shadow Creek Ranch)--which has miles and miles of paved multi-use walking trails and paths. The big bonus? Shorebirds!

The neighborhoods have many flood control waterways, which now have tall marsh grasses and water, perfect for year round and possibly migratory birds.

While there for several days, I saw White Ibis, Great and White Egrets, Great and Blue Heron, Killdeer, a plover-like bird, dark ducks, mockingbirds, red birds, and even a pair of osprey. These are the types of birds I associate with driving to Virginia and Maryland's Eastern Shore! And this for walking just 5 - 10 minutes!


The killdeer squacked until late at night

Little Egret in flight



Egret departing; Ibis arriving



Great Blue Heron with two Ibis--one Ibis has a dark shellfish in its mouth!

 

Killdeer



Plover-like bird



Great White Heron




Egret in flight--urban setting!

 


Two ducks visiting



Egret and many Ibis feeding together



Little Blue Heron with a Great White Heron

Egret in flight



Urban setting--in flight

I can't wait to go back!



Liz Hartwell Mason Neck NWR April 25 2009

Liz Hartwell was a staunch environmentalist who set out to preserve the Mason Neck peninsula of Va (above Mount Vernon) and make it a sanctuary for bald eagles. In 1969, the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge was created. The "Eagle Festival" took place on the 40th anniversary of this event at the adjacent Mason Neck State Park.

In addition to presentations by Reptiles Alive and the Raptor Conservancy of Va., I was looking forward to the trip to the Great Blue Heron Rookery--opened to the public once a year: today.

The Mason Neck State Park includes a small boat launch, canoes for rent, a shoreline and view onto Belmont Bay, flowers, birds, and a playground. It is one of my favorite state parks.

Pictures below shall almost all aspects of the park. Unfortunately, when I got to the rookery a little after 11am, most of the great blue herons had departed for a cooler location--temperatures were already in the unseasonable upper 80's. However, there was a real bonus on the way back: a pair of wood ducks in a pond by the road!

The Raptor Conservancy presented two eastern screech owls and a red tailed hawk as part of their outreach. Pictures of them are below.

Great Blue Heron above Belmont Bay

Many heron nests above the marsh

Great Blue Heron perched in a tree

Wood duck!

Reptiles Alive presents a bull snake.

A blue skank is now being displayed!

The Northern Va Astronomy Club was setting up for some evening star gazing.

Bluets by the road side.

An old stump by the water's edge.

A turtle sunning himself by the small boat put-in

Other turtles behind him.

A gorgeous tree in bloom.

Another small shrub in bloom.

A new butterfly (to me) enjoying the tree in bloom.

My favorite presentation by the Raptor Conservancy

An Eastern Screech Owl

A companion Eastern Screech Owl

Another view of the first owl

A nervous Red Tailed Hawk is presented to the crowd

Frontal view--note the talons!

Side view

Back view of the red tailed hawk

One more view

March 2009 Neighborhood Birds

This is a collection of bird pictures taken in my backyard and around the neighborhood. You will see stills and a number of videos of birds--feeding, flying, and singing.

Red Cardinal looking for seed in the snow storm

Red Robin perched in the tree--third wave of robins this season


White Breasted Nuthatch after grabbing some seed



Chickadee in the tree


Red Bellied Woodpecker on tree



A Great Blue Heron is stalking fish in my backdoor neighbors fish pond
A broad winged hawk seen on my morning walk. It flew into my next door neighbor's yard after I left it here (a half block away)
Another view of the hawk

A Red Cardinal decided to perch on my TV antenna twice in a few minutes, singing his heart out.

Tree frogs singing--no motion.

Downy Woodpecker eating some suet.

Downy woodpecker on a limb.

Cardinal enjoying some suet!

Goldfinch feeding.

January 24, 2008, Eagle Watching at Pohick Bay Regional Park, Lorton, Va.

I chose to go early on a Thursday before work, hoping to take advantage of the
cold weather and see the eagles seen from Accotink Bay 4 days before [previous post].

I was shooting with my Canon Rebel XTi and a Canon 300 f/4 IS lense and TC-II doubler--hand held. The back-lighting against the 5 eagles seen from the small
boat put-in was poor. And, when I got closer than a certain range, the nearest
eagles would fly back a ways.

At the point where I went back to my car to change from a totally manual mode
[with TC x2] to autofocus and auto-tracking with the TC x 1.4 device, all of
the eagles began flying towards me. I wasn't prepared for them and didn't get
any overhead shots. The reason they all flew at once was an Everglades style
propellor driven (swamp) boat with a bunch of hunters returning from Ft Belvoir...the
boat was very loud.

Fortunately, I did get to see a great blue heron fly by, skimming the water.

Not the handsomest adult bald eagle

Airborne adult against the washed out sky

Adult flying majestically overhead

Five immature and adult bald eagles in a large tree by the small-boat put-in
Obliging great blue heron


Canadian geese by main pier
Canadian geese underway