December 30, 2019-January 2, 2020
Laurel and I moved to Choke Canyon State Park to look for birds still common to the Valley, but also eastern and western birds. I always set out food for the birds, picking it up at night to prevent feeding deer, javelinas, and feral pigs. The green jays immediately show up, followed by the other birds that eat oranges. I had black oil sunflower seeds and peanut butter/lard mix I put in cracks of tree bark. Our days there were mostly cloudy and we were shut out of my favorite birding area, Seventy-Five Acre Lake and the area accessed from it because it was closed for hunting. So, once again we didn't have a huge birding experience.
All the following pictures were taken from my camp chair, sitting under the shelter over our table.
Laurel and I moved to Choke Canyon State Park to look for birds still common to the Valley, but also eastern and western birds. I always set out food for the birds, picking it up at night to prevent feeding deer, javelinas, and feral pigs. The green jays immediately show up, followed by the other birds that eat oranges. I had black oil sunflower seeds and peanut butter/lard mix I put in cracks of tree bark. Our days there were mostly cloudy and we were shut out of my favorite birding area, Seventy-Five Acre Lake and the area accessed from it because it was closed for hunting. So, once again we didn't have a huge birding experience.
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| This was the first time I ever found a brown creeper here - distant and in bad light |
All the following pictures were taken from my camp chair, sitting under the shelter over our table.
One of the specialty birds is the black crested titmouse. It is a very fast moving species but this guy was forced to wait his turn to get a seed and I got a poor picture of him.
The first visitors to our food offerings were the green jays. Eventually we were seeing up to eight of them at a time.
The main reason we put up oranges is to attract the Audubon's oriole. But they are attractive to many other species.
One of the most fun block of times we had at the park was photographing and observing a family group of javelinas. It was the first time I've seen baby javelinas since I once almost intercepted a family of them with a few females, juveniles and a boar while hiking in Bentson Rio Grande State Park.
The day was gray and Laurel was cold, and didn't want to hike so we went out and checked some of the little sub roads and checked out the boat launches to the lake and river. We had several birds along one road as well as some interesting brahman cattle. We had been looking throughout the valley for road runners and saw several dart across the road and disappear before we could photograph them at Falcon Dam. (We took a route that took us by it on way to Choke Canyon.) We finally got this guy, sitting in a tree under the dreary skies.
We also stopped to check what was behind a tall fence and found exotics.
Since we were here for New Year's Day, we had to document our first bird sighting of the new year. It turned out to be a green jay, with the Audubon's oriole a close second. It had only taken a day to get the birds coming for our offerings.
I actually found the most birds at Choke Canyon way back in 2011. I captured many of them from my hammock in site 107. For that story, click here.
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| Black crested titmouse |
The first visitors to our food offerings were the green jays. Eventually we were seeing up to eight of them at a time.
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| One of the reasons jays, as well as all corvids are successful is that they are willing to try most foods |
The main reason we put up oranges is to attract the Audubon's oriole. But they are attractive to many other species.
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| We mainly put up oranges for the Audubon's orioles but they attract many other species |
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| A golden fronted woodpecker checking out the peanut butter mix |
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| Golden fronted woodpeckers eat a lot of different foods as well - this one is enjoying sunflower seed |
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| Gotta get WAY in there to find some juicy parts |
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| Yum |
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| A few bugs would be good about now |
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| A yellow rumped warbler is trying to figure out what all the excitement is all about |
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| A long-billed thrasher visited the area, mostly to check out the activity |
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| As did a Lincoln's sparrow - the ONLY sparrow I saw in the park |
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| A cabbage butterfly on one of the last flowers |
One of the most fun block of times we had at the park was photographing and observing a family group of javelinas. It was the first time I've seen baby javelinas since I once almost intercepted a family of them with a few females, juveniles and a boar while hiking in Bentson Rio Grande State Park.
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| Javalina - relatives of our domestic pig |
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| This mom had two babies - they are also losing their reddish color they had at birth |
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| Roadrunner |
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| Curious cows |
We also stopped to check what was behind a tall fence and found exotics.
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| Nilgai? |
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| First bird sighting of the new year |
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| This bird was barely the second sighting for 2020 |
I actually found the most birds at Choke Canyon way back in 2011. I captured many of them from my hammock in site 107. For that story, click here.
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