Winter 2011 images from Texas:

Updated: Friday February 18, 2011

• February 17th - Port Aransas, TX
  
  
• February 16th - Goose Island State Park, Rockport, TX
  
  
• January 25th - Estero Llano Grande State Park, Brownsville, TX
  
  
• January 18th - Resaca de la Palma State Park and Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary, Brownsville, TX
  
  
• January 6th - RV Park Near Bentsen Rio Grande State Park, Mission, TX
  
  
• January 4th - Bentsen Rio Grande State Park Christmas Bird Count, Mission, TX
  
  

• Pied-billed Grebe #21 - swimming near the boardwalk at the Birding Center
  
  
• Pied-billed Grebe #22 - swimming near the boardwalk at the Birding Center
  
  
• Green-winged Teal #9 - swimming near the boardwalk at the Birding Center
  
  
• Bonaparte's Gull #1 - swimming along the beach
  
  
• Little Gull #2 - a size comparison with a Bonaparte's Gull
  
  
• Little Gull #4 - taking flight in a large flock of gulls and terns along the beach
  
  
• Little Gull #13 - roosting in a large flock of gulls and terns along the beach
  
  
• Little Gull #14 - preening in a large flock of gulls and terns along the beach
  
  

• Yellow-faced Grassquit #2 - foraging on the ground at campsite 217
  
  
• Yellow-faced Grassquit #7 - foraging on the ground at campsite 217
  
  
• Yellow-faced Grassquit #10 - foraging on the ground at campsite 217
  
  
• Yellow-faced Grassquit #17 - foraging on the ground at campsite 217
  
  
• Yellow-faced Grassquit #20 - foraging on the ground at campsite 217
  
  
• Field Sparrow #10 - cautiously observing at campsite 217
  
  
• Whooping Crane #26 - the immature of a family group wintering near the "Big Tree"
  
  
• Whooping Crane #27 - one of the adults of a family group wintering near the "Big Tree"
  
  
• Whooping Crane #31 - one of the adults of a family group wintering near the "Big Tree"
  
  

• Common Pauraque #7 - roosting rather out in the open
  
  
• White-throated Thrush #5 - I got to Estero about 1:00 PM...the star of the show flew into this tree at 2:20 PM, dropped to the ground, began to forage, and was promptly chased away by a Mockingbird!...total elapsed time: about 45 seconds...as of 6:10 PM it had not returned!
  
  
• Lincoln's Sparrow #5 - one of two birds present all afternoon
  
  
• Curve-billed Thrasher #20 - the real excitement came when this Curve-billed Thrasher caught a large grasshopper...it systematically grabbed each leg and shook it violently until the leg came off...
  
  
• Curve-billed Thrasher #21 - ...after all the legs were gone, a few quick "stabs" dispatched the grasshopper...
  
  
• Great Kiskadee #28 - ...this Kiskadee tried in vain several times to steal the Thrasher's grasshopper...
  
  
• Curve-billed Thrasher #22 - ...nobody steals MY grasshopper!
  
  
• Desert Cottontail #1 - Ancient proverb: "When the rabbit comes out, the birder goes home" (comments on the ID are welcome)
  
  

• Great-tailed Grackle #26 - a female on the grass at a gas station along Route 511
  
  
• Julia #4 - a cooperative individual feeding on flowering plants at the Visitor's Center
  
  
• Julia #7 - a cooperative individual feeding on flowering plants at the Visitor's Center
  
  
• Julia #8 - a cooperative individual resting on wet grass near the Visitor's Center
  
  
• Clouded Skipper #1 - comments on the ID are welcome
  
  
• Large Orange Sulphur #7 - comments on the ID are welcome
  
  
• Giant White #1 - a male surfing the plants at the Mexican Olive Trail observation deck
  
  
• Giant White #2 - a male surfing the plants at the Mexican Olive Trail observation deck
  
  
• Boisduval's Yellow #1 - this would be a fairly rare find, so comments on the ID are definitely welcome!
  
  
• Boisduval's Yellow #2 - this would be a fairly rare find, so comments on the ID are definitely welcome!
  
  
• Boisduval's Yellow #3 - this would be a fairly rare find, so comments on the ID are definitely welcome!
  
  
• Carolina Satyr #3 - flitting along the trail at Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary
  
  

• Birds:
  
  
  • Black-vented Oriole #7 - the star of the show!
    
    
  • Black-vented Oriole #14 - the star of the show!
    
    
  • Black-vented Oriole #15 - the star of the show!
    
    
  • White-tailed Hawk #1 - an immature soaring overhead
    
    
  • Black-chinned Hummingbird #10 - a female sharing the Coral Bean tree with the Oriole
    
    
  • House Sparrows #14 - Mr. and Mrs. House Sparrow greet the new day
    
    
• Butterflies - comments on the IDs are welcome!
  
  
  • Common Buckeye #3
    
    
  • Common Checkered-Skipper #1
    
    
  • Gulf Fritillary #7
    
    
  • American Lady #1
    
    
  • American Lady #3
    
    
  • Brown Longtail #7
    
    
  • Sleepy Orange #6
    
    
  • Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak #3
    
    
  • Fiery Skipper #2
    
    
  • Large Orange Sulphur #1
    
    
  • Lyside Sulphur #1
    
    

• Bronzed Cowbird (Female) #33 - a few can always be found in the large Blackbird flocks
  
  
• Couch's Kingbird #5 - conspicuously perched in the top of a tree
  
  
• Black-vented Oriole #1 - watching for intruders at a favorite feeding site
  
  
• Black-vented Oriole #2 - pausing between sips of nectar at a favorite feeding site
  
  
• Black-vented Oriole #4 - pausing between sips of nectar at a favorite feeding site
  
  
• Brown Longtail #1 - told from the very similar Teleus Longtail by the lack of white at the base of the antennae "clubs"
  
  
• Castor Bean Plant #1 - each bloom will become a bean