Hello all from South Padre Island, Texas

[Maestro]

If anyone ever wondered why some worry about the environment just come down here. It irritates me to no end to know what mainly repukes have (not) done to supervise and provide oversight over big corps that continue to pollute, especially in my state.

Some of you might also know that I have become quite obsessed with wildlife photography, primarily avian photographs. I do it for several reasons: 1) To show the beauty of nature to my kids, family and anyone else who wishes to view my photographs. 2) I see a certain elegance in birds. I can't really explain it, pretty much one of these ineffable qualities I see in them. Lastly, 3) I need another hobby other than politics which at times doesn't seem to be the stress reliever that a hobby should be. ;)

Anyhow, one bird that I have been wanting to photograph is the Crested Caracara, a type of falcon. It is very rare in the US. I really only inhabits two states, Florida and Texas. And even in those states it is in primarily small pockets. As luck would have it, I spied one in a tree off HW 77 going through King's Ranch heading to the Valley here in Texas. Here are a few pics. I am posting these pics from my laptop at the hotel. The pics have very limited post processing as all my good photo editing software is at home. Enjoy and soak up the beauty of the crested caracara! Let's hope this isn't yet another species that goes the way of the dodo because of human intervention.





This one is a bit bright. I will fix it once I am at home. :)

[XemaSab]

1. You get mad liferz?

I almost got in a wreck in Florida due to that bird. :P

[Maestro]

2. Well I did slam on my brakes on the highway, pull over

and I was already out crawling out of the car while my wife was screaming "What, what, what?" I'm surprised the caracara didn't bolt then. :)

[XemaSab]

5. That's what I'm talking about...

:bounce:

Especially when there's traffic and you don't signal and you manage to slow down JUST ENOUGH not to flip the car when you pull over.

Good times.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear Maestro!

These are waaay cool......thank you for sharing them with us!

A type of falcon? Funny, it looks rather like a parrot to me!

Maybe it's the coloring......

Anyway....thank you! Amazing pics! :hi:

[Maestro]

7. CaliforniaPeggy thank you so much

I am having a blast taking pictures. My family is at the beach and I have been given a day for bird and wildlife photography.

[AggieGal]

4. It is a beautiful bird.

Looks like he could be cousins with a bald eagle.

[Maestro]

20. They are birds of prey.

However the crested caracara is a true falcon from the Falconidae family and the bald eagle is from the Accipitridae family; however, they are both globally considered diurnal raptors. :)

[crispini]

6. Wow, nice pics!

thanks for sharing! :D

[plcdude]

8. well done

beautiful pics! The gulf around your area needs to be nutured and watched closely for it contains a myriad of wonderful species. Keep up the good work.

[Maestro]

9. Thanks a lot plcdude

I just got back from shooting some roseate spoonbills, bitterns, great blue heron, plovers, red-winged blackbirds, little green herons, brown pelicans and an alligator. Plus I saw a moorhen in the reeds but couldn't get a good shot. Now I am off for some more birding....:)

[BarenakedLady]

10. I always enjoy your photographs

:thumbsup:

[driver8]

11. What a gorgeous bird!

Great photos, too! I had never heard of that bird before...thank you for the info.

[texas1928]

12. Saw one of those in San Antonio.

We were having dinner on the Riverwalk. At the Mexican food place right on the river(can't remember the name). It was up in a very tall tree, and it hit like three or four people walking along the Riverwalk.

[wildhorses]

13. wonderful!!! thanks for sharing

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Oh how beautiful!

You are a great photographer, Maestro!

[Maestro]

19. Hello proud2Blib

I am finally back in my room going through my photos. Many didn't turn out but I guess that is to be expected. However, I am sending this Harris Hawk, photographed in the small town of Port Isabel, to gouge the eyes out of your repuke foes!



I wish it would have given me a better perch but the hawks like the utility lines becasue they are higher than most trees.

[Xipe Totec]

15. Great picture!

And you're in a prime birding area.

Visit the Santa Ana and Bentsen wildlife refuges, if you get the chance.



The Green Jay is one of 30 Valley specialties that attract birders from all over the world. In the United States it is found only in the southernmost tip of Texas and is a popular inhabitant of the Bensten – Rio Grande Valley State Park and Santa Ana Wild Life Refuge.

http://www.valleychamber.com/visitor-guide/birding.shtml

[Maestro]

16. Hello there Xipe Totec

I am in one of the best birding areas and I love it! I have figured out a few things. I stink at taking pictures of birds with white feathers. It is very difficult to expose for bright sun and white feathers. I also have to check my camera settings because I went through three hours of shooting at Laguna Atascosa National Refuge but when I got home I had zilch. My memory card was not in the compartment correctly. I never bothered to look at my camera to see if the pictures I was taking were actually being saved. :banghead:

I went back though to salvage some shots and got this Valley speciality: It is a bird I had been wanting to add to my "Life List."

It's the Plain Chachalaca. The name alone deserves to be on anyone's list. :)

[Xipe Totec]

21. I've been to ranches in Mexico where they're kept as guard birds

The name comes from the ruckus they make when strangers approach.

[Maestro]

22. I've heard that they are quite noisy

but the ones I find were not very noisy. I sort of felt short-changed. :)

[UTUSN]

17. Great work!!1 Give us a report re: where the border fence is going to go down there n/t

[Maestro]

18. Do you mean the waste of taxpayers' money fence?

If so, I haven't seen hide nor hair of it. But ironically, just outside of the national refuge where I was today, there is a huge immigration detention center. I saw one van with one undocumented worker in it the whole day I was there. It wasn't very busy. Granted, there could have been tons of activity while I was in the park but I doubt it.