Tree Trimming Day Reveals A Surprise

Today was tree trimming day around our house.  Most of you have heard or seen here on the blog that we have a dead palm tree on the lot that we call the Bird Condo.  Every spring it houses numerous species of nesting birds in its hallowed out cavities and we watch it with a paternal eye.

Just now my husband noticed the tree trimmers hoisting a ladder onto the tree and he flew out the door to oversee the operation (read: stay away from the Bird Condo!).

Take a look at our first ever photographed Green Parakeet eggs — way to GO Daddy!

We will make every attempt to continue to document the nest without disturbing the parents, so stay tuned for updates.

 

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE A CORNEL LAB CITIZEN NESTWATCH SITE. Check them out for appropriate nest watching guidelines.

http://nestwatch.org/

 

Night Herons & Whistling Ducks – Spring 2012

First nesting birds in our yard in McAllen, TX.

Yellow-crested Night Heron

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

in the “bird condo”!

 

 

Full Moon Rising

Cheeky Little Kiskadee!

Nests, Full Moon and Passion – w/sound

Last night’s full moon.

White-winged Dove nest: there is a baby bird in there, I just couldn’t photograph it. Unfortunately, I don’t have that skill, perhaps some day.

Passion Flower.

Giant Cicada or Cicharra in Spanish

20110715_142249_2.m4a

http://www.texasento.net/Cicada.htm

Awesome New Friends and 1st Rain of 2011

ON TOPIC & NOT TO BE MISSED!

I have a varied and international group of friends on my birding Face Book page and I’ve made a new friend this week who is a true gem, a diamond in the rough, a gentleman among scholars.  Bill has turned me on to some wonderful new friends and I’d like to share them with you.

1.) First, I’d like to introduce his son, Bryan Tarbox who is currently on a six-week internship for Texas A&M University in Costa Rica and is a gifted photographer

— see some of his other amazing birds shots at 

http://www.pbase.com/disx0d

You can also follow his internship at Bryan Tarbox at Texas A&M on Face Book.  

Bill also introduced me to a few of his favorite bloggers and I can only agree with him, they are quite talented and not to be missed.

2.) Carolyn writes about her bird sanctuary at Christmas Mountains Oasis in mystical West Texas and can be found here

http://cmoasis.blogspot.com/

Photo by Carolyn Ohl-Johnson

 3.) Then, there is the eclectic blog of Heidi Trudell and Matthew York, “See Trail” which is a wonderful combination of conservation, birding, and everything else on the Trail right here

http://seetrail.blogspot.com/

Photo by Heidi Trudell

You can also find links to these and other blogs, people, and places that I endorse here in the right column of the blog under “LINKS”

Finally I’d like to introduce a “neighbor” of mine — out in the wilds at some point, everyone becomes a neighbor, here in Texas.

4.) McIntyre Birding Tours in Port Aransas, Texas, is owned and operated by native Texans with affordable rates and the flexibility that ONLY birders can truly appreciate.  These are some of the BEST guides we have in South Texas and are sure to please even the most discriminating birders. Check out their offerings here

http://www.mcintyrebirdingtours.com/page/page/4130574.htm

In the end, who are we really, without friends and neighbors?

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OFF TOPIC  & COMPLETELY SELF SERVING

Not much bird wise happening in McAllen, today.  We did however get our first rain of the YEAR.

 

Lord, call yo momma, the water is a’risin’!

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My garden has gone WILD!

I have more Lady Cream Peas than I will EVER be able to manage — which only means a bountiful harvest for friends and family (did I mention that my neighbors adore me?).  And I’m away for several weeks in a few days, I’m frightened that with this rain I will return to find that the garden has truly gone mad and has overtaken house and husband!

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P.S. We’ve a weeklong forecast for rain, glory be, and

please don’t let the garden go berserk!