April 6, 2008: Birding on the Road- Port Aransas to Brownsville, Texas

Today's pictures are from our trip from Fulton down to Brownsville. A lot of driving, as this is a good 200 miles, but we got in some good photos now and then....

Texas Route 35 overpass near Port Aransas, Texas:

Northern Shovelers
Above and Below: Cliff or Cave Swallows?

Heading south past Corpus Christi....

Detour on FM-772 west of US-77: Ricardo, Texas (just south of Kingsville)

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

Above and Below: Harris' Hawk!

Flyover Swainson's Hawk on US77 (not the hoped for White-Tailed Hawk!) There were lots of Swainson's migrating during our trip.

Sarita Rest Area on US-77: Brewer's Blackbird
Hooded Oriole (not the hoped for Altamira)Great Tailed Grackle

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and area:
Lark Sparrow
Above and Below: Crested Caracara
Bronzed Cowbird
Plain Chachalacas
Cottontail Rabbit
This cooperative Olive Sparrow was a lifer
As was this cooperative Long-Billed Thrasher Osprey

TX-100 near Laguna Vista: Just our luck: The Aplomado Falcon seen near the Water Treatment Plant has been replaced by a Peregrine Falcon! (Unusual that one would be disappointed by a Peregrine sighting!!)

Fort Brown area of Brownsville, Texas Green Parakeets
Above and Below: Red-Crowned Parrot
Golden-Fronted Woodpecker
Black-Bellied Whistling Duck
Above and Below: Domestic Muscovy ducks (with some wild in them?)

European Starling peering out of a palm tree!


MAP OF MENTIONED LOCATIONS (INTERACTIVE)

June 29, 2007: Abiquiu & Ghost Ranch, NM, Wildlife West Albuquerque (34 PHOTOS, 21 BIRD, 2 MAMMAL)

We started out today in the Abiquiu, New Mexico area, to take a tour of Georgia O'Keefe's house located there. Many of the inspirations for her famous works were from this beautiful scenery here. Tours of her homestead are by appointment only. (Info here). We also spent some time in the nearby Ghost Ranch area, where O'Keefe also spent time, and then headed to the Wildlife West Animal Park in Edgewood, near Albuquerque. This was a cool place to visit, and was thankfully very uncrowded! To end the day, we ate at Rudy's BBQ in Albuquerque, and headed to Socorro for the evening stop.

Just outside Abiquiui, we found a group of Lewis' Woodpeckers....

We made it to Abiquiu! Below is a shot of O'Keefe's house from the road - no cameras allowed on the tour, so this is the best we have.

Some nice scenery shots from the Ghost Ranch / Abiquiu area:

Birding around the Ghost Ranch Area:

Below: Adult and baby Bullock's Oriole

Say's Phoebe

Ash-Throated Flycatcher

Black-Headed Grosbeak with dragonfly

Cane Cholla

Some nice scenery from around the Ghost Ranch Center:

Lark Sparrow at the center

Scenery along US-84 near Abiquiu

Wildlife West Animal Bird in Albuquerque (Edgewood):

Above and below: Canyon Towhee

American Coot

Snow Goose

Curve-Billed Thrasher

Baby Curve-Billed Thrasher in nest!

Juniper Titmouse

Above and Below: Common Raven(s)

One of their Crested Caracaras!

Elk on the refuge

Flyover Common Raven Big cat collection

Barn Swallow

INTERACTIVE MAP OF MENTIONED LOCATIONS