Lately, the weather has been rainy and dreary in South Texas but that hasn’t stopped me from getting some nice pictures of birds and other animals. It might take longer to get good shots but patience eventually pays off with pictures of everything from warblers to waterfowl.
This female American Redstart was one of several little beautiful birds that were around.
It’s always nice to get a picture of any warbler, no matter what the weather may be and this redstart was a beauty. However, one of the main birds I hoped to photograph was the Green Kingfisher. As with other kingfishers, the Green can be tough to photograph because they tend to perch in spots with challenging lighting. I was determined to get a good shot of a Green Kingfisher, though, so I set my camera up on a tripod and focused on a likely perch. It took me an hour and a half of waiting but one eventually showed just as I had hoped it would!
A Green Kingfisher on a dead snag, one of its favorite perches.
This is our smallest kingfisher species.
Wetland habitats are also good for a variety of other species, even in rainy weather.
The Common Gallinule has a striking red and yellow bill. It’s one of the easier members of the rail family to see.
The gallinule shares the marsh with other waterbirds like the Pied-billed Grebe.
There was excellent lighting for a shot of this Pied-billed Grebe.
Green Herons are common marsh residents too. It’s always nice to see this small, beautiful heron.
A Green Heron in a South Texas marsh.
It might be easier to see the Green Heron but the star of the heron show in South Texas is the Reddish Egret. This large, elegant heron is locally distributed on the Gulf Coast and a regular bird in the lagoons and estuaries of South Texas. This bird species can be recognized by its black legs, bicolored bill, and shaggy feathers on the neck and head.
A white morph Reddish Egret.
Shorebirds are also present, the Spotted Sandpiper being the most commonly encountered species.
A close look at a Spotted Sandpiper. In winter, this small sandpiper lacks spots.
Waterfowl have also been arriving. The Northern Pintail is one of several elegant duck species in South Texas.
A beautiful male Northern Pintail.
South Texas is also a good place to see snakes. Although some people would rather not see a snake, I always appreciate seeing these shy, interesting animals.
A close look at a beautiful Rough Green Snake.
Look for these and other animals when birding in South Texas no matter what the weather!