Saturday, April 15, 2017--World Birding Center Estero Llano Grande State Park--68 miles

     We came to consciousness at 7 am. It was still dark. But, up and at 'em! 

     As we left the RV park, this striking large duck-like bird walked beside the road. It is a new-to-us Black-bellied Whistling Duck. 

     We found our way to Estero Llano Grande State Park at 9 am. We found a shady spot for the van. The sky was mostly overcast, so Sofie was fine while we checked out the birds.

     On the way to the Visitor's Center, I found a Long-billed Thrasher and a Curve-billed Thrasher

     Also found some kind of "sister" butterfly. 

     The Visitor's Center featured a "birdy" mural.

     A group of birders were doing a "big sit". They were counting all the birds they could see or hear all day from a 15 foot diameter circle on the breezy covered deck of the Visitor's Center. At least 2 people had to id the bird. 

     The benefit to us was they knew birds and were generous in sharing scope views and knowledge. They told us where to find a Common Pauraque, a bird totally unknown to us beside the ALLIGATOR pool. The pauraque sleeps in the daytime so we had a good chance of seeing it.

     On the way we found this Green Heron. We checked him out and he checked us out carefully!

     Our advisor was not joking about the alligator!  The small log across the lake is the alligator!

     Can you see the pauraque?  Here is the sleeping pauraque

     A Tri-colored Heron lorded it over the next pond. With his tall neck he needed no periscope!

     Back-side of a Mottled Duck and pair of Blue-winged Teal plus a male Blue-winged Teal

     Paul looking for and not finding a Least Grebe; he did find the next three birds including this Black-necked Stilt.  One and two-legged American Avocets; Ladderback Woodpecker

     Meanwhile I found an Indigo Bunting (no photo) and a Red-crowned Parrot 

     Then the drive back to the RV park on the freeway has even stranger life birds!

     We settled in for catching up on blogging and identifying photos. I was just finishing up Friday's post at 7:10 when I realized it was time to walk to try to see the Elf Owl again. We quickly donned our long-sleeved anti-bug shirts, bug repellant and long pants to discourage mosquitos and raced to the gate of the RV park. IT WAS LOCKED AND WE COULD SEE NO WAY OUT!

     Although it looked like the park manager was not at home, I rang the bell. He answered. I told him it was a National Emergency for us to get out to go see the Elf Owl.  He laughed and kindly showed me the magic button.

     A man and his son from North Dakota who had watched with us the night before greeted us at the "elf" pole. There were 8 of us tonite. Again nothing happened. 

     At about 8:30 we heard a faint sound like a toy dog barking. Then we heard it 2 more times. We never saw the owls exit the hole, but all of a sudden two young ones were sitting on the wire outside the hole! They cuddled each other for a while and then flew off. Even in the dark THEY WERE SO DARN CUTE! 

     We couldn't get photos but the sight and sounds are embedded in my memory bank! High fives all around!

Today Our Eyes Were On:

Finally new-to-us water birds as we near the Gulf

Small World Birding Center State Parks--green islands of saved-but-struggling habitat for birds amidst freeways, big and little box stores, more than a million cars racing around every-which-way, much flat land with no greenery, abandoned and/or hard-scrabble stores and homes. Where could the birds live or migrate through without these green islands?

Two balls of fluff high overhead on a wire with their futures ahead of them bravely flying off on the daily rounds

All the beauty that is a Cinnamon Teal!