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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