Birding at Estero Llano - Tour for Southern Comfort

 

I started as Assistant Activity Director for Southern Comfort earlier this season and, as such, I started having outings that I thought some would be interested in.  This trip was one of them. It was a guided tour by a naturalist at Estero Llano Grande State Park. 

I wasn't sure how it would go over at the park, but everyone who went seemed to really enjoy it and Lee and I were thrilled because we got some pictures of birds that we hadn't seen before. That is always exciting.

We all gathered in front of the Office and Gift Shop before our tour.

This is our Tour Guide for this trip. We will all be going on a tram so that we can cover the whole park. I'm sure you can walk it because Lee and I did that one day a long time ago but it was quite the hike. We had some sore muscles when we got home but we saw baby bobcats down by the river so it was well worth it.

Based on everyone's comments about this tour, I can say that we highly recommend it. We would like to do it again one of these days. 

We're on the tram now and off to see our first sights.

Green Jay

We could not believe our luck today. This is a young Glossy Ibis. As he ages, he will change colors so that he is a glossy sort of magenta/purple and his beak will turn yellow. We saw a few at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge but weren't able to get pictures. bird!

Great Egret

 Young Glossy Ibis

(above and below)

Young Glossy Ibis

(above and below)

Glossy Ibis

Least Grebe

(above and below)

Anhinga

Anahinga

Black-crowned Night Heron

Alligator at Alligator Lake

Black Crowned Night Heron

Pyrrhuloxia

Great Kiskadee

Green Jay

We hiked to this area once before but it is a trip. this is our second time in this area. We saw baby bobcats the last time we were here but no mammals here today but us!

American White Pelicans

American Avocet

Roseate Spoonbills

Flock of Black-necked Stilts

Turtle

Rio Grande River

Heading Back Toward The Entry To The Park

That us - Mary & Lee

Orange-Crowned Warbler

Cardinal

Black Crested Titmouse

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Riverside Dreamer Cruise

 

We try to take at least one Riverside Dreamer Cruise a year. The cruise is very interesting because the Captain knows what's going on as far as migrants in this part of the world and has a lot of interesting stories. It is also just a beautiful cruise. The Mexican side of the border has a lot of little resort communities and big mansions to view. Our side is wild and wooly as it has been designated a nature preserve. Of course, the other reason we come here is for their huge and very tasty tenderloins. Can't go home before we have one of those.

Since we are the Activity Directors this season at Southern Comfort, we scheduled this trip so everyone else that might want to go could.

This is a Border Station Lookout along the Rio Grande River.

American Coots

Anzalduas Dam

Leftover raft from some illegals coming into the USA

Back at the Riverside Club

It wasn't as bright out as we would have liked but it wasn't cold either so it was a good trip and the tenderloins were awesome!