Spring Has Come To The Rio Grande Valley

 I love spring in the Rio Grande Valley - well, actually, I just love spring anywhere! It is good to get out in nature and see the change in the landscape. Yesterday, Lee and I went over to one of the birding spots that we love which is very close to where we live. We drove over to Estero Llano Grande State Park. It wasn't the sunniest day but because the sun didn't come out we had wonderful walking weather.

Here are some pictures of the flora and fauna in the park this spring.

The Prickly Pear Cactus are just starting to bloom.

This bunny just sat quietly while I took several pictures of him.

Oh, another spring addition to the park - one of the baby alligators that was born recently was asleep right near the walking trail. We walked right by him without seeing him but then we met some people at the normal sighting place for alligators which is Alligator Lake. They asked if we had seen the baby and when we said no, they took us to where he was which was probably with a foot or our feet when we walked down the trail.

He was curled up when we first saw him and didn't look too big, but he has sure grown fast! I hope they get him back to the lake area instead of next to the path!

BIRDING AT THE SPI CONVENTION CENTER, PART 2

We saw so many birds at the Convention Center that I decided to divide the post for the day into two posts. This post will be the birds that we came across on the boardwalks at the Convention Center so this second page will be all the water birds.

American Coot

                                         AMERICAN COOT

BLACK SKIMMER

MOORHEN

CRAB

LEAST BITTERN

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs 

                              TRICOLORED HERON

PECTORAL SANDPIPER

NORTHERN BIRD MIGRATION - HANGING OUT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER TO SEE ALL WE CAN SEE

 I keep a watch on the Facebook Group "Rio Grande Valley Birding" so that if someone is seeing something exciting, we can take a look. Well, people were starting to post tons of pictures of birds that are rarely seen that are now migrating North. Well, we thought we better get over there and see what we could see. We took tons of pictures and saw soooo many warblers that we haven't seen before. There was such a variety of birds and it was hard to know where to look. 

So, here are the pictures of the birds that we saw at the South Padre  Island Convention Center grounds. I still haven't gotten through the pictures of the birds we saw on the Laguna Madre which is behind the Convention Center. I'll post those once I get through them.

AMERICAN REDSTART

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS

BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLER

HUMMER ON A BOTTLE BRUSH BUSH

CLAY COLORED SPARROW

                                         COMMON GRACKLE

GRAY CATBIRD

GREAT TAILED GRACKLE

GREY CATBIRD, FEMALE

GREY CATBIRD

                                         INDIGO BUNTING

                              INDIGO BUNTING, FEMALE

                                      LINCOLN SPARROW

                          MAMA MALLARD SQUAWKING 

                         AT ONLOOKERS TO KEEP AWAY

                                              MALLARD

                              NORTHERN WATER THRUSH

OLIVE BACKED PIPIT

ORCHARD ORIOLE

ORCHARD ORIOLE ON BOTTLE BRUSH BUSH

PAINTED BUNTING

                                                                   PINE WARBLER

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

SCARLET TANAGER

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD, NOT MATURE

Clay Colored Sparrow

 SUMMER TANAGER

SUMMER TANAGER

SUMMER TANAGER, FIRST SPRING

TAMAULIPAS CROW

TENNESSEE WABLER