Gypsies At Heart: Birding at Hazel Bazemore Park

After we left the Sandfest at Corpus Cristi, we decided we had some time to do some birding. There is excellent birding in this area also. We headed to Hazel Bazemore County Park. The last time we were hear we saw a lot of Scissor-tail Flycatchers so we were hoping we would get to see some again since we haven't seen any since.

Hawk Watch Platform

This is a couple paragraphs from the ccbirding.com about the number of hawks going through during the migration. Go to
http://www.ccbirding.com/thw/hb.html for the whole article.

Hazel Bazemore is a hot spot for watching hawks as they migrate. An estimated 95% of the North American population of broadwinged Hawks (Buteo platypterus) fly over the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch site at Hazel Bazemore Park every fall in monster flights called kettles. Single kettles of 10,000 hawks are routine, and single flights of 100,000 hawks or more have been recorded. During the peak of the broadwinged hawk migration flight (generally around the last weekend in September), single day totals of 100,000 to 400,000 hawks have been recorded. The largest area flight recorded was October 4-5, 1977 when a monster cold front brought in 750,000 Broad-winged Hawks for an overnight roost.

Historically, the largest flights of hawks arrive at Corpus Christi, Texas between September 18 to September 30, although large flights regularly occur from mid-August to mid-October. Generally, the peak of the Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) migration is in late August, followed by broadwinged hawks during the last two weeks in September and smaller numbers of Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) in early October. Flocks of Mississippi kites, anhingas (Anhinga anhinga), and wood storks (Mycteria americana) are often seen in the midst of the broadwinged hawk kettles. Weather in the northern and eastern United States is a big factor in determining the actual dates of the flights.

Anyway, we are marking our calendar so that we will be here next September to watch the hawks migrate.

The first thing that caught our attention were the hummingbird feeders set out along the deck of the platform. There were two different kinds of hummingbirds and quite a few of each of them so we spent quite a bit of time trying to get the best pictures of them. That isn't easy with the way they zoom around. They are FAST!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Boat-tailed Grackle

Altimore Oriole

Altimore Orioles

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Cardinal (female)

The Watering Hole

White-winged Dove

Common Grackle

White-winged Dove

Altimira Oriole

Olive Sparrow

Olive Sparrow and Inca Dove

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

There was a bird blind under the hawk platform so we spent a bit of time looking for birds there.

The Great Kiskadee

Painted Bunting

Female Black-chinned Hummingbirds

Male and Female Black-chinned Hummingbirds

Northern Mockingbird

Tropical Kingbird

Black-necked Stilt

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Black-necked Stilt

Red-winged Blackbird

Female Cardinal

White-winged Dove

Cardinal (male)

Inca Dove

Green Jay

Olive Sparrow

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

I thought I saw the colors of a Painted Bunting in this wildflower garden so I kept my eyes peeled for it. He finally decided to show himself. I have been trying to get a picture of one of these guys forever so I was so excited. That is why you'll see so many pictures of him.