As July comes to an end in southern Texas, juveniles have fledged from many nests and a number of birds are getting ready to lay a second clutch of eggs. It might be hot outside but it’s a time when you can see confusing immature plumages, watch baby animals being fed by their parents, and see the usual interesting bunch of birds, reptiles, and mammals in action.
The Black-bellied Whistling Duck is one of the common, interesting bird species that occur in south Texas.
Spend a good amount of time at wildlife refuges in south Texas at this time of the year and you will probably get some nice views of young White-tailed Deer.
Two young White-tailed Deer in south Texas.
Fawns always look adorable.
Sometimes, you even get close looks at a doe feeding her fawn.
At this time of the year, chachalacas are still feeding their young too.
A close look at a Plain Chachalaca feeding a fledgling.
The young of Altamira Orioles seem to be a bit more independent than the chachalacas at this time of the year although the adults still show up to feed them now and then. They show a strikingly different plumage than that of adult birds.
The juvenile Altamira Oriole looks more like a Western tanager than the striking orange and black adults!
As songbirds in south Texas get ready to raise another brood, the Bronzed Cowbird also gets ready to parasitize many of those nests. Like the infamous Brown-headed Cowbird, the Bronzed is also a brood parasite, although in the USA, it only occurs from southern Texas west to southeastern California.
The male Bronzed Cowbird does an interesting helicopter dance as part of its courtship.
Once eggs are laid, nesting birds also have to watch out for Greater Roadrunners. These large terrestrial cuckoos are one of the top predators in arid environments and raid the nests of other bird species on a regular basis.
Greater Roadrunner snacking on a small caterpillar.
Of course, they also have to watch out for the Bobcat, a common feline in south Texas. Waiting by a watering hole is a good way to get shots of this shy animal.
A thirsty Bobcat comes in for a drink.