Birds of Crescent Bend, Part 2

Monday, January 14, 2013 *

Today's photos are from my walk at Crescent Bend Nature Park on Monday, December 17, 2012:

There are 437 species of birds listed on the San Antonio Audubon Society's checklist of birds that have been reported to have been sighted in Bexar County. I am fairly good at spotting and photographing the birds, but I am still learning to identify many of the species.

I find the sparrows especially difficult to distinguish one species from another. With that in mind, I think the first bird in this series is a savannah sparrow. The next two birds are an eastern phoebe and a house finch. The fourth bird is another sparrow that I think is a Lincoln's sparrow.

The two photos following that are of the same bird. The best I can tell, it appears to be a house wren. Then there is a black-crested titmouse, a northern cardinal and a northern mockingbird.

The last five photos are all of the same sparrow. It appears to me to be another Lincoln's sparrow.

* Due to the full schedule I have this week taking a class, all the posts for the week will be from previous walks.

A Holiday Greeting, 2012

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

During this special holiday week, take time to celebrate all that is truly meaningful in life:

Photo of a Northern Cardinal taken at Crescent Bend Nature Park,

Monday, December 17.

Birds of Crescent Bend, Part 1

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

While I was walking at Crescent Bend Nature Park yesterday, birds of numerous species were very active. There were so many, it will require two or three posts to present all the photos.

This series begins with a black vulture. I have yet to positively identify the second bird in the series (photos four and five)*. I have a feeling it should be fairly easy to come up with a positive id, but I'm not comfortable saying what I think it is at this point. The third bird in the series is a northern flicker. After the flicker are two northern mockingbirds (the state bird of Texas):

* Update: Wednesday, December 19, 2012

With a little help from a friend and some more research, I am now confident enough to say that the bird in the fourth and fifth photo is a female yellow-rumped warbler. The illustrations in the two bird field guides I use left me doubting the id, but after comparing it to numerous photos online, I have little doubt that's what this bird is.

Field guides have there limitations because there is always more variation in nature than they can illustrate.

A Deep Breath of Fresh Country Air

Monday, December 17, 2012

Crescent Bend Nature Park

Today's photos:

The air was comfortably warm and the sky a bright winter blue this afternoon at Crescent Bend Nature Park. A distinctively sweet savanna aroma brought back memories of similar days in numerous other places from many decades ago. It is an aroma similar to fresh cut hay, but with an added woodland accent.

The winter hardy red admiral, American snout, orange sulphur and dainty sulphur butterflies flitted about. The red admirals and American snouts cooperated photographically. The sulphurs just wouldn't sit still long enough to get them into focus. There were also a wide variety of birds. I'll post their photos tomorrow.

As I pointed out in my post from August 1, 2011, Crescent Bend Nature Park is a section of land that is being returned from development to a natural savanna habitat. The ecosystem recovery and improvement in wildlife habitat over just the past sixteen months has been remarkable. Nature is quite resilient and can heal itself when given an adequate amount of protection. 

Through Solitude, Serenity

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Continuing along the path…
Through solitude,…
Serenity settles in…

This post is the conclusion from Monday, July 23, "Drifting Into Solitude" from Crescent Bend Nature Park. Part 2, "Entering the Dragonfly's Domain" was posted Tuesday, July 24.