Category Archives: Anzalduas County Park

Drive-thru Birding

The nasty Texas weather continues for a few more days but the forecast is good. 

We took the van out today, in 34 degree/misty weather to check out Anzalduas Park, a favorite local birding site. Here are a few photos from the van:

House Finches are supposedly rare here but these apparently didn’t get the memo.

Vermillion Flycatchers are delightful to watch was they forage and return to their starting point.

This Fox Squirrel was fun to watch on a rainy day.

Other encounters were a Cooper’s Hawk, dozen of Scaup and Coots, 15 Killdeer, some meadowlarks, and Least and Pied-Billed Grebes. And we stayed warm with the heater blasting.

Hello Mr/Ms Eastern Screech Owl

Last year, a couple put us on to an Eastern Screech Owl nesting in a tree at nearby Anzalduas Park. I could not spot it during our first visit this year but yesterday, a friend pointed out the correct spot (we were keying off the wrong building) and sure enough, there he/she was. I took a rather long-range shot so as to not bother the bird although it seems to sleep through hordes of visitors.

You can't see me (without help from others.)

You can’t see me (without help from others.)

The park is very birdy – lots of activity in the trees and overhead.  Here are a couple of other shots from Wednesday’s visit.

Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are pretty common and pretty noisy -- and just pretty.

Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are pretty common and pretty noisy — and just pretty.

There were dozens of Eastern Bluebirds at the park.

There were dozens of Eastern Bluebirds at the park.

I’m waiting for better weather to launch the kayak here in the Rio Grande. The border runs down the middle of the river so as long as I stick to the correct side …. perhaps I’d better carry my passport.  Good birding