Texas Bird Watching

[PuroBrat]

I had no camera, so I looked him up on the web.
One of these swooped down into the parking area of my apartments then proceeded to strut around looking for bugs and frags and such. I followed him around getting as close as 20' from him most the time. He was beautiful.

he looked like this..

 

[CoventryCat86]

Okay, what is it ???

I know it's not a chickadee

Oh and PB, I darn near ran over a 1 1/2 foot snapping turtle in the road last week :0

You were the first person I thought of

 

[stogieman]

Well PB, if you want to see a lot of them there birds, come on down here Sunny Central Florida. We've got every bird possible all over the place...... :thumbs:

 

[cvmfour]

Bird Stalker!!! :angry:

They are beautiful man!

 

[Wascal]

Blue Heron. I see them everyday at work. :thumbs: Just one of the many pleasures of working outside.

 

[PuroBrat]

Okay, what is it ???

I know it's not a chickadee

Oh and PB, I darn near ran over a 1 1/2 foot snapping turtle in the road last week :0

You were the first person I thought of

That is a TriColored Heron, in the Egret Family. I still have not figured out why it was here in the middle of town ???

Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
Louisiana Heron

Description: 25-30" (64-76 cm). W. 3'2" (97 cm). A slender gray-blue heron with rufous neck and white belly.

Habitat: Swamps, bayous, coastal ponds, salt marshes, mangrove islands, mudflats, and lagoons.

Nesting: 3 or 4 blue-green eggs in a nest of sticks placed in a tree or reedbed, or on the ground.

Range: Breeds in southeastern New Mexico and Texas, on Gulf Coast, and along Atlantic Coast north to southern Maine (rare). Winters along coast from Texas and New Jersey south to northern South America and West Indies. Also resident in tropical America.

Voice: Guttural croaks and squawks.

Discussion: Formerly called the "Louisiana Heron," this is one of the most abundant herons in the Deep South. Although in the West it nests only in southern New Mexico, it is liable to turn up in late summer as far away as Arizona, California, Oregon, Colorado, and even Manitoba. The Tricolored Heron is extremely slender and moves gracefully as it searches about for frogs or fish. Despite its relatively small size, it forages in deep water; often its legs are completely underwater, and the bird appears to be swimming.

 

[PuroBrat]

Blue Heron. I see them everyday at work. :thumbs: Just one of the many pleasures of working outside.

You may be right, I can't say for sure, but what I was able to read up on compared with my short term memory of what I had followed around, the Tricolored comes closer. The Blue Heron, supposedly, does not have the white under side, which this one certainly had.

It was a Beautiful thing to see him on final landing approach. Almoast 3' of wingspan, white with dark blue trim.

Man what a Bird.

 

[gregor22]

Mother Nature at it's best.

 

[STYX&STONED]

Got one of those that hangs out in river bed in the back yard.

Scares the CRAP out of me when it takes off at my head when I scare it with the tractor.

 

[Roseysman]

We got a couple of Blue Herons that land in the pond everymorning at our campsight, they sit out on some rocks for awhile and then take off. I guess we are a rest stop

 

[other1]

I see lots of white and the occasional blue heron in the canal behind my mom's place in Florida. Beautiful birds. Lots of ducks too. Everytime I'm there I go outback and enjoy feeding and watching the birds. The funny thing is my mom's neighbors get mad. They think they are a nuisance. They don't know how lucky they are to have birds like those. My nuisances are pigeons and rats!

 

[PuroBrat]

The birds I don't like are the ones that perch up in my shade tree and crap all over my Jeep :angry: Except the beautiful and huge Hawk that flys into that tree from time to time, him I like. Especially when he flies up there with a rat in his Talons and eats him for lunch :thumbs:

 

[CoventryCat86]

The biggest birds I see around my house are crows

We have tons of songbirds, Chickdees, Tufted Titmouse, Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, Starlings, Grackles, Cardinals, Goldfinches, Red-winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Catbirds, Grosbeaks, Purple Finches, Cowbirds, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Eastern Towhees and about every kind of sparrow you can think of. Junocs in the winter

An occasional Mockingbird, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, Bluebird, Scarlet Tanager but not too often.

I'm 50 miles or so inland so no Seagulls except at the dumps

 

[JMMARICH]

You an animal guy? Thats how all of my family and friends think of me. Hell, I have spiders, Tarantulas, snakes, etc. I always get calls from people finding **** around their house.

--Josh

 

[Matt R]

Looks like a Blue Heron to me also. How big was it? The Great Blue Heron is a very large bird. I used to love to bird watch. No time lately though and the new neighborhood has very few trees/cover for small birds. I see a few ducks now and again and a ton of frickin' geese. Should call Kenny over to thin those nasty birds out. LMAO!!

Believe it or not, we have Blue Herons in Illinois from time to time. Also see White Egrets at the local, unpopulated lakes.

My favorite bird to have ever seen in person and somewhat up close, was the Roseata Spoonbill. There was a large flock of them when we were out on a boat in Flamingo, Florida. They are somewhat rare, depending on the time of the year.

Oh and to watcth the Bald Eagles nest down at the river is pretty cool too.

 

[Allofus123]

Triclored herons are rather small as compared to the Great Blue Heron. Very majestic bird. Some Great Blues will have a very soft white/greyish front but if it was an adult the height would be the give away. I see these birds all the time around here and of course when I'm out in the marsh duck/goose hunting. Its quite the sight to see when they come swooshing into a pond.

Not all that unusual for birds to be in an area that you wouldn't expect them. Lots of rain, which we've had in the state lately, can move birds into areas. Road side ditches make great stalking areas for these birds. Adding water to areas that wouldn't normally have it will move birds into the area simply because of the new food source it allows them.

Matt, I'm actually waiting for your great state to announce its goose season to see if it matches up with LOL. I might try extending my stay a few days to visit some friends I have in Aurora, IL and eliminate some of those pest.

 

[PuroBrat]

Matt and Kenny> This bird stood about 24 - 30 inches high, had a wing span of about 3' and the entire underside of the wings were white, except for the tips (about 3 or 4 inches) which were dark blue/gray. I wasn't sure of the name, I tried to look it up on the web as best I could, the neck was a brownish red color, with blue/gray all over except the front of the neck had a white line going down to the belly which also was white.

If it was a Blue or a TriColored, either way...It was beautiful, wish I had a digicam on him

 

[Allofus123]

Very well could be a Tricolored Heron. The size along with the white underbelly sure seems to support that. Both species (Blue or tricolored) are very common throughout the state. Obvious more so along the coastal marsh. If you are certain of the white underbelly (as opposed to a light greyish/blue) then you have a Tricolored.

The Tri's don't normally get much more than 2 ft tall as where an adult Blue is closer to 3ft+. The big difference is the size of their wingspan. Blue Herons can be as big as 6ft as compared to 3 for the Tricolored. When a Blue Heron is on wing there is no doubt what it is..... the wingspan is hugh.

I'll try and remember to shoot a few pics this year when I'm out in the field.

 

[camaroon4me]

The birds I don't like are the ones that perch up in my shade tree and crap all over my Jeep :angry: Except the beautiful and huge Hawk that flys into that tree from time to time, him I like. Especially when he flies up there with a rat in his Talons and eats him for lunch :thumbs:

Threadjacking........Puro, do you have any pics of your JEEP? :lookup:

Uh...nice birds too, saw one once in a canal, while sitting in my JEEP!

 

[PuroBrat]

I'll try and remember to shoot a few pics this year when I'm out in the field.

That would be great, Thanks for the info too

Threadjacking........Puro, do you have any pics of your JEEP?

Unfortunately I do not think I do, but it is pretty generic anyway, a '93 Cherokee Country, Maroon with Gold trim. Cookie Cutter Style ???

Looks like this one, except mine still has the Factory Alloy Rims: