The past two weeks have been good for lots of birds and wildlife in South Texas. The wildlife refuges and protected lands in this part of the country are always good for birding but November is probably one of the best times of the year to become acquainted with the subtropical habitats around Harlingen, South Padre Island, and other sites in southern Texas.
The extremely rare Amazon kingfisher continues to be seen at a large resaca on Hwy. 100 between Brownsville and Harlingen, although at a spot too far away for good photos. It was found during the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and is still drawing sizable crowds. If you happen to be birding in South Texas this week, this is the bird to see!
Most of the time, the Amazon Kingfisher was too far away for good photos.
The Amazon Kingfisher watches and waits for a fish.
Most of the migrant warblers have moved on but we are still seeing some nice birds, including Black-throated Green Warblers.
The Black-throated Green Warbler is a common migrant in South Texas.
Another close look at that pretty warbler.
At the entrance to Laguna Atascosa NWR, I surprised a Bobcat and got some nice photos of this common yet secretive predator.
A Bobcat looks around at Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
A lot of the Scissor-tailed flycatchers in Texas have migrated by now but there are still some around, including the one in the image from Buena Vista Road.
It’s hard not to take pictures of this elegant bird.
Over at the South Padre Boardwalk, there are always birds to see and photograph. On my latest visit, I had close views of a Spotted Sandpiper.
This shorebird is our most common sandpiper.
As usual, American Alligators also made an appearance.
Looking into the toothy jaws of an American Alligator!
I was also able to get a close picture of a Pied-billed Grebe.
A Pied-billed Grebe shakes itself to shed water from its plumage.
Migrant ducks are arriving in numbers now too. I wonder what will show up next in South Texas?