April 8, 2008: Birding South Texas (Boca Chica Beach, Laguna Atascosa NWR)

After Sabal Palms, we headed out to Boca Chica Beach. First, we stopped at a small roadside stand for Mexican Food, just past Sabal Palms on Route 4 (Boca Chica Road). It was GREAT. I don't recall its name but the location will be indicated below.

The trip out to Boca Chica Beach, and the drive down the beach, which was fun. This is a very interesting drive, through coastal plain, that was well worth it.

After that we tried the Old Port Isabel Road near Laguna Vista, for Aplomado Falcons. No luck! The day ended at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, where we took the scenic drive there for some nice views and photos.

A long drive back up the coast to Houston wrapped up this trip (with a dinner stop at Rudy's BBQ in Corpus Christi)

Boca Chica Road (Texas Route 4)

Savannah Sparrow


Above and Below: Flyover White-Tailed Hawks (lifer!)

A distant view of the condos on South Padre Island

Driving along Boca Chica Beach

Least Tern

Willet

Ruddy Turnstone

Nice scene of the beach at Boca Chica (with a plover also enjoying the scene!)

Black-Bellied Plover

Sanderling

Savannah Sparrow

Piping Plover

Royal Terns

one of the few Ring-Billed Gulls we saw

Willet

Sandwich Terns

Royal Tern

Jellyfish

A nice view looking south on the beach

Sanderling

One tern, one gull, and one pelican

Another Savannah Sparrow

The beach seemed like a strange spot for a Great Blue Heron!

Driving back along Boca Chica Beach

The White Tailed Hawk again

Savannah Sparrow

Above and Below: Prickly Pear Cactus

We got these great shots of a roadside Crested Caracara:

Driving north along Old Port Isabel Road

Northern Harrier

A flock of White Ibis

Eastern Meadowlark

Cassin's Sparrow

Laguna Atascosa NWR:

Above and Below: Green Jays at the feeder

A view of Laguna Madre from the Scenic Drive Crested Caracara on the beach

White-Tailed Hawk above and below (looks like he caught a mouse!)

LOCATION OF MEXICAN RESTARAUNT (On TX-4 Boca Chica Blvd, just east of TX-511, Indiana Hwy)

MAP OF MENTIONED AREAS (CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE)

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)