Laguna Atacosa revisited

We headed back to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge to try to get a glimpse of the Nilgai Antelope that inhabit the Refuge. Nilgai are native to Nepal, Pakistan and India, but were introduced to South Texas in the 1920’s on ranch land owned by Richard Kennedy (again, the vortex prevails!) We were assured that if we took the tram on the 15-mile Bayside Loop that we would be assured of spotting some Nilgai.

We visited and learned that the tram only ran on weekends, and was always crowded. The Bayside Loop, closed to vehicle traffic because precious Ocelots have been hit in the past by cars, we decided to attempt it by bike. And we were rewarded for our effort! Not only did we get some great bird sightings, like this Crested Caracara in full flight, but we managed to score the main herd of Nilgai having some lunch.

We kept our eyes peeled to try to spot a stray Ocelot, but we were unrewarded with that. The Nilgai are primarily active during the day, so they were easy to spot. The Ocelot, like most cats, are nocturnal and are really only seen at night.

We also managed to score one more “lifer” before we headed back to the Island. Again, we had probably seen these birds before, but had never actually identified them as a Long-Billed Curlew. I am guessing we are going to have to avoid the bars again this evening.

Talk to you soon!