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Texas Trip : December 11-20, 2019

Part 2 - Aransas Bay Birding Charter

December 15: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

I took a photo tour with Aransas Bay Birding Charters, and we got a close up look at several Whooping Crane families.
Yeah, there's *a lot* of crane photos in this gallery.

Predawn departure

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Off to the feeding grounds...

Sunrise

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White Ibis

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One found a crab...

... and gives it to the juvenile

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Snowy Egret

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Double-crested Cormorant

Caught another crab

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Caught another crab

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A good view of two leg bands

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A different crane family

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Great Blue Heron

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Forster's Tern

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Dolphin

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Reddish Egret

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Rousting

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Blink

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Brown Pelican

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This barge apparently ran aground

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Neotropic Cormorant (?)

Probably Sandhill Cranes

Roseate Spoonbills

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A group of adolescents on an island

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Reddish Egret

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Northern Harrier

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Belted Kingfisher

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December 15: Lamar / Goose Island

"The Big Tree" is a Virginia Live Oak that's well over 1000 years old.

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Common Gallinule

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Blue-winged Teal

Sandhill Cranes

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December 15: Mustang and Padre Islands

I gave Padre Island another shot, and found the Aplomados this time!

Port Aransas Ferry

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American Kestrel with a rodent

Juvenile White-tailed Hawk (?)

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Aplomado barred nest box

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Aplomado Falcon

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White-tailed Hawk

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Aplomado Falcon

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Northern Harrier

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Osprey at sunset

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