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October 28
I arrived in Brisbane this morning at 5:30 AM. Had a great day of birding with 4 checklists and 45 different species observed. Here is the Trip Report of all the birds seen. Just click on the link and it will take you to the Trip Report. Click on the bird and its picture will…
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The Land Down Under
I’m about to embark on my Australian bird tour in Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. My plan is to blog about the birds I see and the places that I go. I hope to post a Trip Report link showing all the birds for each day. I’m not sure of internet/Wi-Fi availability so no…
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The Circle of Life
It is fitting that today is Mother’s Day and I just became the proud mother of five baby Black Swallowtail caterpillars. Since planting my pollinator garden, I have been getting many types of butterflies and of course caterpillars. I had two monarch caterpillars in the spring and now I have many Black Swallowtail caterpillars. These…
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High Island 2024
My next destination was to High Island which is located between Houston and Galveston. High Island sits 32 feet above the surrounding marshes so birds crossing over the Gulf of Mexico from Central and South America usually land here. By the time they finally land, they are exhausted and hungry. They often find a puddle…
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FeederWatch
FeederWatch is a citizen science program that anyone can participate in. It is a way scientists can determine where the birds are and where they are not. They can detect gradual changes of bird populations and decline of a particular species. They can also come up with solutions and how to protect these birds with…
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Ranch Style Birding
Recently, I had the privilege of birding on a ranch west of San Antonio near Bracketville. There are many different species of birds living in this habitat of live oaks, cacti, thorny shrubs and other mixed plant life. An expert birder and guide, Romey Swanson, the Executive Director of the Devil’s River Conservancy, led us…
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No Place Like Texas
This blog will feature two Texas specialties in that they live in other countries but come to Texas to breed. These two birds are the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Colima Warbler. They can only be seen in a short window of time and in a very restricted range here in Texas. The Golden-cheeked Warbler is…
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Birds and Technology
Did you know that most birds migrate at night? There is a cool tool to inform you of the number of birds that migrate each night in your area. It is called BirdCast powered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University. It forecasts nocturnal bird migration in real-time, detected by the US…
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The Signs of Spring
Spring is in the air. It is a time of rejuvenation and renewal of Nature. Green stems push their way up from the soil and leaves unfold from the buds. Flowers begin to blossom in a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. Animals are frolicking, buzzing, flying, flitting, nesting, egg laying, hatching, singing, chattering, chipping, flirting…
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Chasing Birds
One of the most exhilarating aspects of birding is finding “new” birds. These birds are called “Lifers”. Some birders go to great extremes to find these lifers. It is like a huge scavenger hunt on every continent on Earth. Most birders keep a Life List which keeps track of every bird species seen for the…