Three months is enough

We’ve enjoyed our time in South Padre Island, but we are ready to be done. Walking to the beach daily (weather permitting) is nice, and the SPI Birding Center is compelling. But there are just things you can’t do in a town of 2,000 people in Texas on the Mexican border. For example, I haven’t been able to get a Bombay Sapphire martini in 3 months, not at any of the dozens of restaurants and bars we have visited. You can get a Shiner or a Dox XX, but no Sapphire. It’s comforting, however, to learn they have skills here. You’ve heard of Ice Wine before, the technology of squeezing grapes frozen on the vine, and getting amazing results. We don’t know how they do this, but it is Texas!

We are having fun as we approach spring and many of the birds we had seen before have grown a bit. The birds we saw in December were gorgeous, and we enjoyed them thoroughly. But many of them were juveniles without their adult plumage. For example, juvenile White Ibis are completely brown. They don’t turn pure white until they hit about 3, and most of them we see now are totally white. This Reddish Egret, for example, in December had a grey bill with a black tip. Now that it is more adult, the pink on its bill emerges majestically!

Talk to you soon!

Starting to wrap up SPI

We are getting close to the end of our stay in South Padre Island. The weather has improved in February and we are out on the beach pretty much every day, at least to give Kona enough time to get sandy and wet and stinky. All the beachside dives are getting ready for Spring Break next month. Dang! Too bad we will just miss it!

As we enjoy ourselves on the beach walks, we check out all the hotels and condos – mostly condos – that line the Gulf. Most of them are teeming with evidence of occupancy, if not just having scores of people out on their balconies taking in the fantastic weather. But many of the huge condo properties simply look abandoned. We’re not sure if maybe some of the properties just don’t bother to try to fill up with Winter Texans and only go for the summer vacationers, or maybe they just aren’t very good at their marketing.

We have been birding somewhere nearly daily. Any day we don’t go somewhere else we end up at the SPI Birding Center at some point. Sometimes we will head to an inland birding spot, and we still may end up at the SPI Birding Center later in the day. It may seem like overkill to you, but we know that once we leave the Texas Gulf Coast we won’t be birding for quite a while. Yesterday, this Great Egret nearly let the Woman walk right up to it!

We headed into Brownsville to visit Resaca de la Palma State Park. We had been here two times before, but never on a day when the visitor center was open. We took a tram through the park and learned a great deal about the flora and fauna common here.  We were a bit disappointed except for the very nice walk we had – saw only one Green Jay and one Long Billed Thrasher. But on the way out we spotted this majestic Red Shouldered Hawk. Another Lifer!

Talk to you soon!

Two more Lifers

We are running out of time on the Gulf Coast, and so we’re heading back to some of the birding locations that we hit when we first got here to see if we might find something different, and to get a bird fix before it’s too late.  We headed back to Hugh Ramsey Nature Park in Harlingen, and were rewarded for the drive. We spotted this Orange Crowned Warbler, which is noted for not having any really remarkable features – it appears to be just a small green bird. We weren’t lucky enough to see it excited, which is the only time its bright orange crown is visible. Again, we’d probably seen these guys before, just never actually identified them, making it a Lifer for us.

We had a good day. We saw Buff-bellied Hummingbirds, male and female Cardinals, Green Jays, Hooded Orioles, Thrashers, Golden Fronted Woodpeckers, and got really up close and personal with a huge Javelina. But we finally saw a bird that we have never seen before. And he was gorgeous! Not just a bird we had seen before but just not identified, a totally new bird for us. This Black Crested Titmouse winters all over the South coast of the US.

The signs of approaching spring are seen everywhere. We’re seeing all kinds of buds and emerging flowers wherever we go. But while there are more colorful blooms we see around, there is probably none more striking than when the tops of the Yucca plants explode in bloom. You can spot these guys from miles away!

BTW, holy crap! I turned 65 today - what a geezer! Honestly, I never really thought I would make it, but I am kinda glad I did!

Talk to you soon!

Return of the sunsets

We have not been all that impressed with the winter weather on South Padre Island. December was really cold, even snowed at times, but at least there were gorgeous sunsets every few days. January was not quite as cold, but it was dreary, cloudy and rainy all the time. And, I don’t think we saw a decent sunset in the entire month of January!

Well, the weather has been warmer in February, and some nice sunsets have returned. However, with the improving weather comes the increasing crowds. There is only one street, Padre Island Boulevard, to get you out into the fray of the Island. At its bottleneck it is only a 4-lane undivided city street. And with the increase in the visitor population, its like rush hour in LA (slight exaggeration).

However, the population on the Island, even with the increasing crowds, is a small fraction of what it will be in about 3 weeks. Despite the obvious attraction for me, the Woman’s aversion guarantees we won’t be here in the middle of March. That is when a plethora of college kids descend on the Island for the sacred ritual known as Spring Break. Dang, I would totally check it out!

Talk to you soon!

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!

Nuther Lifer!

We learned that birders in general call the sighting of a bird for the very first time as identifying a “Lifer”, meaning it’s the first time in your life you have seen it. We’ve decided that since we may not always have known the names of birds we may have seen in the past, that when we first actually can identify a bird by name, that constitutes a Lifer for us. So today, we scored a Lifer, the Clapper Rail.  Apparently, the Clapper Rail is a relatively rare water bird in these parts. As we were on our way back to the visitor center, a docent asked “Did you seen any Rails out there?” We showed him the pic we’d taken, and he yelled “Yes, a Clapper Rail – where’d you see it?”

I guess good things tend to happen in multiples. Not only did we score a “Lifer” with the Clapper Rail, but we spotted another that we had heard other birders chatter about, but never spotted ourselves. This Greater Yellowlegs graced us with an appearance – in fact we actually saw a couple of them. While we had seen this guy before, a Peregrine Falcon sat predictably on the water tower eyeing the Greater Yellowlegs – don’t know if he was thinking “yummmmmmm” or not.

We also learned what South Padre Island tradition is when you see a Lifer – that means you are buying. Needless to say, we plan to avoid the bars this evening since with two “Lifer” sightings today, I assume that means we are on the hook for two Rounds!

Talk to you soon!

Hugh Ramsey Nature Park

The Woman wanted to see The Shape of Water, and the only place within 200 miles it was showing was in Harlingen. So, since it was foggy and windy we headed there, planning to visit Hugh Ramsey Nature Park while there. As the Woman’s cousin Diane assured, the very first thing we saw on arrival was a wild Javelina eating the seed the birds have scattered below the feeder. He darted away when we neared the bird feeders, but we got a great look at him.

We decided to head down the Hummingbird Trail in case they weren’t too scared off by the cold and wind. As soon as we entered, we spotted this Buff Bellied Hummingbird. The Buff Bellied Hummingbird winter on the Texas gulf coast, and some even apparently are year-round residents. We had seen very few hummingbirds while here, so watching this guy feed at leisure was a bonus!

It was supposed to be warm most of the day, but it turned cold so fast we did not bring enough layers. The first time we visited the primary blind we saw only a few visitors. But while we were hiking the trails, a docent showed up and apparently restocked the feeders. When we returned, we hit the bonanza. We sat down and were immediately surrounded by Green Jays, Chachalacas, Hooded Orioles, Kiskadees, Warblers, female Northern Cardinals, and a plethora of other great birds. But I was most pleased when I learned that the female Northern Cardinal had a partner!

Hugh Ramsey Nature Park has the reputation of being one of the only locations in costal Texas where the Whistling Duck can be seen. The Woman’s cousin, Diane, had not spotted any when she was here, but gave us clear instructions on what to look for. Thanks to her help we were able to identify this guy right off.

Talk to you soon!

The new birds just won't stop!

When we paid a second visit to Laguna Atocosta National Preserve, and had a field day. Not only did we get another chance to take in the Altamira Oriole very close up, but we had oodles of Green Jays, Kiskadees, and Warblers. But the true bonus was a great up-close look at some Crested Caracara. When you get a good look at these guys, you can see why they are often referred to as the Mexican Bald Eagle.

This guy was wandering around in the Preserve and was also eying the Crested Caracara, as well as the plethora of other birds. As you can see, he was impressed.

Back at the SPI Birding Center we tried to identify a new bird, one that we hadn’t seen before. While there we saw a great sight, 17 Great Blue Herons standing around in the mud flats. The docents said that the Herons gather together like this when they are preparing to migrate, so they must be heading North soon. As I looked in the nearby water, I spotted this Caspian Tern. It looks like a Gull, but the bright orange beak, the pronounced black cap and the black tail tell it all.

One of the Great Blue Herons decided to grace the Woman with a visit. We couldn’t tell if he was getting ready to hit the road Northward. But sitting on the handrail, the Heron allowed the Woman to get really close before he felt the need to take flight. 

Talk to you soon!

Family time

The Woman got a nice surprise. Her cousin Diane decided to spend a weekish in South Padre Island this winter. Her rental condo was only a mile away from us, so the Woman got lots of cousin time in. And because she was as much a birder as we are, we spent a lot of that time at various hot birding locations.

Diane’s son Eric and his squeeze, Allie spent several days with her for some winter escape time from his Montana home. Eric is an ornithologist, so he helped correct many of our missed identifications of birds. One day we rented a golf cart and headed as far North as the road goes on the island. It was a gas!

Diane brought her Golden Retriever, Kalli, and Kona was beside himself with delight. The quickly became besties, and were inseparable when out on the beach.

The only down side was that the time together was too short. But we made the best of the little time that we had together.

Talk to you soon!

Auto service in small town Texas

We’re on the island for three months, so I had no choice but to get the oil changed in the Equinox, if I didn’t want to run it well beyond the factory recommended interval. There was no place on the island to get an oil change, and the only options in Port Isabell were either Walmart or JR’s Fast and Fair shop. When possible, I always choose not-Walmart where possible.

Pardon my sounding presidential, but in Texas on the Rio Grande, English is not necessarily the common language. When I showed up at 1 PM to get the oil changed, the owner asked me if I wanted the filter changed as well. I said “yes”, and he said “You have one?”. I said “No” and he said “Either Walmart or O’Reily’s”. I said “Do you want me to go get one?” and he said “Si”.

So, I hit O’Reily’s and picked up a filter, and headed back to JR’s. When I gave the mechanic the keys, I told him the filter was on the driver seat. He said “Where is the oil?” I said “I wasn’t told I needed to bring the oil as well.” He said “Oh, OK – we can get the oil.”

Well, I have to admit that I am not used to this – getting used to Jiffy Lube I expected them to have filters, but never even considered having to bring my own oil. That being said, they did very good work, and nailed the 45-minute estimate for how long it would take. The cost was reasonable, and I was pleased.

So, if you ever need work in the South Padre Island area, I would recommend JR’s Fast and Fair. But if you come for an oil change, bring your own filter and oil!

Talk to you soon!

SPI Kite Fest

Apparently, February has been the month that folks on South Padre Island would gather together on a weekend to have a fun gathering of kite enthusiasts. The event kept getting bigger until in 2010, Kite Trade Association International recognized it as the Kite Festival of the year!

We headed out to the festival grounds just North of the SPI Convention Center. We don’t know how many people were there, but it certainly numbered in the thousands. Kites of all imaginable shapes dotted the sky, some small and others huge. The interesting shapes and colors reminded us a great deal of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

We enjoyed walking around the grounds to get a close look at the interesting shapes. All of them flew, although some of them

were more controllable than others. The largest ones were mainly for show and catching your eye. The smaller ones were quite maneuverable, with their “pilots” showing off for all the crowd.

They had some a competition where folks with maneuverable kites competed in a short-timed event accompanied by music. We took in several of the announced flies, and were impressed both at how maneuverable the kites were, and how well the “pilots” were able to choreograph their flies along with the music playing on the loud speaker.

We had a great time and were glad we took it I

n. Since we were right next door to the Birding Center we headed over and did the board walk. This Coopers Hawk was quite interested in all the colorful things up in the sky. We assume he considered them possible lunch.

Talk to you soon!

More new birds!

The Woman’s cousin Diane decided to spend a couple weeks in South Padre Island this winter, so we get to spend some more time with family while down here! Diane is at least as much a birder as we are, so today she decided we should visit the Birding Center on our way to dinner. Despite all the regulars we pointed out to her, we were rewarded with a pretty good look at a Yellow Rumped Warbler for the very first time for us here. I’ll let you decide if the official name fits the bird or not.

But the really big surprise was spotting this magnificent bird for the first time in the entire two months we have been here so far. We had seen them up near Port Aransas before, but not down here. The bird spotting card the Woman says this gem can be identified by its blueish grey head, its short black beak, its salmon colored belly, and the deep red stripe on its shoulder. But its most prominent feature is its split tail, even longer than its actual body, that looks like a pair of black scissors. This Scissor Tailed Flycatcher put on a show for us, flitting around right in front of us, pausing periodically on the top of a bush so we could get a good look. Bonus!

So, this is not a new bird but a new behavior for us. We had been spotting Green Herons nearly every day. But they almost always just sat there motionless. Well, during Diane’s visit, this guy suddenly took flight and grabbed a small fish out of the water. He then proceeded to squawk and crane his neck just like a chicken while he gobbled down his catch. Bonus number 2!

Talk to you soon!

Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo

We hit up the week-long Winter Outdoor & Wildlife Expo. This is the 22^nd annual Expo – our favorite part was the raptor exhibit where we saw at least a dozen large raptors, only feet away from us. We saw four Falcons native to Texas, a Crested Caracara which we had seen wild at the Brownsville landfill, and several owls, many of them native to Texas. My favorite was likely the Snowy Owl, even though it was not a bird native to Texas.

Since we were already at the Birding Center, we headed out onto the boardwalk to see if we could spot any new birds. This Couches King Bird qualified as new to us in South Padre Island. We used to see these frequently in Port Aransas, but had yet to see one down here.

We had a really hard time figuring this one out. The shape of this bird we spotted off our sunset deck looked like many of the herons or egrets we had seen. But the colors didn’t match anything in the Audubon book we’ve been using as our bible. I decided to try out our Sibley Guide to Eastern North America, and bingo! This is an adolescent White Ibis! As it grows to adulthood its feathers will turn white, except for the black tips of it’s wings. Who knew!

Talk to you soon!

Sunset bonus

Nick and Val helped make it a great Christmas by giving us a sunset dinner cruise. We managed to schedule it on what turned out to be the best day ever. We had virtually no wind, a clear sky with pleasant temperatures, lots of dolphins surfacing along the way, and live entertainment on board. Coupling that with freshly brazed Gulf shrimp as an appetizer and fajitas with a choice of beef, chicken and freshly grilled Mahi. I for one had all 3!

While being a bit misty cloudy at the horizon, the sunset was very pleasant and warmed out heart, especially seeing it from the waters of Laguna Madre with no obstacles in the way whatsoever. As the sun set, we got serenaded with some of the most spectacular colors of any sunset we had witnessed in the last two months of nightly sunsets. It was glorious!

The first bonus was the Super Moon. When the moon is full as it passed the earth at its closest point in its elliptical orbit, it appears to be upwards of 20% larger than usual. Well, it happened tonight and it was spectacular! In addition, when there are two full moons in a month, it’s called a Blue Moon, and that only happens about every 3 years. We had a full moon on January 1, and again the evening of January 30, so we got a Super Moon and a Blue Moon. 

But it even got more special if that’s possible. In the early hours of January 31, there was a total Lunar Eclipse that was visible from our party deck. Because there can be an orangish tinge to the moon during a lunar eclipse, it’s referred to as a Blood Moon. The combination of a Full Moon, a Blue Moon and a Blood Moon is very rare. No human alive on the earth right now has ever seen one until just now. The last time the trifecta occurred was in 1868. Bonus number 3!

Talk to you soon!