Corpus Christi, March 2021

The bulk of my time in Corpus Christi was spent at Hazel Bazemore County Park and Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.  But I stopped at probably a dozen other spots in the area to see what I could see.  This is the best of what I saw. :)

Even though the weather forecast called for overcast skies, I still went to Indian Point Pier to try and shoot the sunrise.  I didn't get a sunrise, but I like what I did get.

I got a tip from a wonderful birding couple from Oklahoma that there was a great place to see Whooping Cranes in Lamar.  I went there and they were right!  They were unfortunately too far away for a great photo, and I didn't even notice the little band of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks that were with him until I was processing.

I stopped at Sunset Lake Park on my way back from Aransas.  This Long-billed Curlew was looking for food in the mud, and I was fortunate to get perfect light.

I know Grackles aren't the most beloved birds.  But when sits so accommodatingly in such good light, it gets its picture taken.

A small group of Dunlins were a little skittish, but still stayed close and still enough for me to get a decent look at one of them.

I was running out of sun when I arrived at Pollywog Ponds.  It was still nice to have a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher for a welcoming committee.

There were many Turkey Vultures circling overhead at Pollywog Ponds.  I didn't try to find out why.

I love how the trees had overgrown this trail at Pollywog Ponds.  I'd love the chance to come back and shoot it in different light.

I tried for sunrise again on my second day, this time from Swantner Park and with no clouds.

No clouds takes away some interest, but the moment jjjuuuuusssstttt before the sun peeks over the horizon is always special.

Blucher Park was recommended by several folks.  I heard more birds than I saw, but did get good light and a good view of this Northern Mockingbird ...

.. and this Field Sparrow.

Another whirlwind tour of a new area, with plenty of great encounters in less than 48 hours!

Hazel Bazemore County Park, March 2021

I took advantage of spring break week to take another nature photography road trip.  Having made three enjoyable visits to Galveston I wanted something similar, so I started making plans to extend my driving range a couple of hours and try the Corpus Christi area.

I looked for some direction from the members of the Birds of Texas Facebook group on specific places to check out, and they came through in a big way with more options than I thought I could reasonably fit into two days.  But I was happy to take up the challenge, starting with Hazel Bazemore County Park.

I was lost when I first got to the park, not really knowing where to look.  Fortunately, I soon found a birding couple from Oklahoma who gave me some additional pointers.  The ponds they suggested didn't yield much, but the drip irrigation watering hole seemed very promising.  There were a ton of Northern Cardinals sampling it when I arrived, and a White-winged Dove watching over the entire scene.

After not too long, I saw one of the three birds I was really hoping to catch on the trip -- a Golden-fronted Woodpecker who was quite coy for a while, staying in the underbrush and offering only fleeting glimpses of itself before coming into the clear to grab a drink.

The birding couple stopped and we chatted some more.  The guy had a terrific knowledge of calls and said he could hear Green Jays -- one of the other birds I was on the hunt for -- but after about half an hour of waiting there was still no sight of them.  I decided to move on to some other locations on my list, but kept open the possibility of returning on my drive back home in the hopes of better light and more species.

Foreshadowing -- a sign of quality entertainment!

So yes, indeed, I stopped again two days later.  Morning instead of afternoon, full sun instead of full clouds.  The cardinals were still around, and begging to be photographed on their frequent stops at the drip.

Shout out to this guy who landed on the closest branch to the blind, and offered a gorgeous profile.

I had to look this one up when I got home, and an iNaturalist tells me it's a Hooded Oriole.

The Green Jay I'd been hoping to spot soon made its appearance -- two of them, in fact.

After taking a bath, the oriole stuck around for a while drying off in a nearby tree.  The shot is a little distant, but I like the behavior.

White-winged Dove acting like he owns the place again.  There were also smaller doves feeding on the ground that I believe were White-tipped Doves, and in hindsight I should have gotten pictures of them as well.

Brief appearances were also made by a Long-billed Thrasher...

...a White-eyed Vireo who took several very quick dips in the pool...

...and a Bronzed Cowbird.

The jays actually made several visits over about an hour, but were typically reluctant to spend much time in the clear.

I made one more visit to the ponds and got a fun action shot of a feeding Black-necked Stilt, then it was time to begin the six-hour drive home.

Visiting the same spot twice in one trip is not the norm for me.  I'm still a bit amazed that one simple watering hole ended up being the highlight of my time in the area.  A powerful testament to the benefit of getting insight from real people!