Killdeer babies

Mama killdeer telling me to get lost as I snap a photo from the car. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Baby killdeer. Teresa Shumaker photo.

 I was having one of those mornings where I was contemplating shipping off my crazy pets (only a daydream of the frazzled), when Matt came home and asked if I saw the babies in the driveway of our condos.
He barely finished his sentence when I had my hand on the back door with my camera around my neck.
These cuties were just standing in the middle of the driveway/alley where about 20 condos garages open up.
Later on that day, as we were leaving for the store, an impatient woman whipped around our car and almost hit the two babies, scaring them to run into and bounce off a garage door.
So I asked Matt to stop the car, I jumped out and attempted to corral the birds down a grassy corridor that leads to the golf course.
One of the little guys freaked out and ran the wrong direction then tried to hide in an AC unit.
Thankfully, he stopped moving and I was able to corral him and his sibling into the grass.
Of course, when we returned  from the store they were back in the middle of the driveway. But by evening they had moved on.
Here is hoping they stay away from traffic and other hazards. Mom and dad killdeer are great parents and almost took my eyes out when I was helping the babies. If they are brave enough to try to take me on, those babies should be safe from other predators.

Count the legs, there are a few extra feet sticking out. Teresa Shumaker photo.

A very vigilant parent. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Little baby killdeer. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Killdeer family, the other parent was busy circling around. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Roadrunner

Greater Roadrunner. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Greater Roadrunner. Teresa Shumaker photo.

 While on the way to visit a nearby wildlife refuge, we spent an hour driving the three-mile road leading to the park. The side of the road was teeming with activity and we saw more birds there then our entire time in the refuge. (Live Oak trees are incredibly hard to see birds in.) 

One of the highlights of the roadside shows was the greater roadrunner. 

I have always thought of this bird to be a very "Texas" bird. Turns out this bird ranges from California to Louisiana. Not so Texan after all. 

Nevertheless, seeing these birds running alongside country roads is a real treat. They are full of sass and wait until the last minute to run off the road when a car approaches, then they stand on the side of the road puffed up waiting for the metal box to pass. 

This particular bird kindly posed in different ways so I could get his (or her) best angle. Clearly it is destined to be a runway model.

"Move along, I have important things to do." Teresa Shumaker photo.

Wildflower Season

Bluebonnets in San Antonio, Tx. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Texas in spring is a gorgeous time, but this year has been breaking rainfall records, which means that the spring wildflowers are blooming in force. 

Bluebonnets. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Bluebonnets bug. Teresa Shumaker photo.

"Thanks for the leg up!" Teresa Shumaker photo.

Laughter

If there was one word to sum up my mornings as a parent, it would be laughter.

Our mornings currently begin between 5 to 6 a.m., my daughter, River, wakes up to eat, then falls back asleep for a short time. I use this nap as an opportunity to quickly brush my teeth and shower. I am usually able to jump back in bed right as she is waking up - which is often an ordeal.
Sometimes she kicks, flails and grunts for minutes, sometimes she wakes up crying, and every so often she just opens her eyes.

Whatever her wake up method is, once she is completely awake she is nothing but smiles and giggles. We typically spend an hour laying around talking, laughing, tickling, reading, and enjoying each other. The cats join us in bed for skritches and to inform me that I am late — again — on delivering their breakfast. Sam, my dog, plays with our feet and wriggles around the bed, enjoying our morning routine, too.

By 9 a.m. breakfast is complete, and River and Sam know what is coming next - our morning walk. The tell-tale clue is me singing the "Adventure Time" theme song, with the names of Jake the dog and Fin the human changed to Sam and River. At first, pushing a stroller with one hand and hanging on to my chaotic 50 lb. dog with the other was a little daunting. But after a few months we have the routine down and I can even push River up hills and over curbs one handed.

Our walks are not simple strolls in the neighborhood. Sam wants to sniff everything and so we follow. Over the curb, around trees, behind bushes, next to the pond — our stroller has seen it all. River's first few weeks of walks were used for napping, but now she takes everything in.

I point out birds and sounds, describe our surroundings and give a commentary on Sam's behaviors. These mornings are my treasure.

Buttercups

Wild buttercups. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Now that winter is completely here, I am (naturally) looking forward to spring. The wild flowers, the birds, the warmer weather and sunny days! And I am looking forward to being able to enjoy those sunny days without melting like I did while I was cooking a human inside me. 

Oh the possibilities! 

Bahia Grande: Texas coastal prairie and wetland. Teresa Shumaker photo.

 When we first moved down to the Rio Grande Valley, I spent as much time as I could exploring the new parks and places. One special place was the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and its Bahia Grande Unit.

The Bahia Grande Unit is only open to the public by bus tour. It consists of a restored wetland and coastal prairie. Flatlands are dotted with tall yucca plants and paddle cactus. Having everything so low to the ground makes the sky huge and humbling. Sadly, on this trip it was grey and foggy.

The endangered Aplomado Falcon sits on a nest box provided for these birds to help recover their numbers. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Meadowlark on a Yucca. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Great blue heron. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

More prairie land and the Laguna Madre in the distance. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

 One of the exciting parts about this wildscape is the potentially dangerous animals you could run into. Rattle snakes, scorpions, hogs and peccaries will make you cautious, but then there are these interesting animals called Nilgai. Although they are not dangerous, per se, they are humbling in their size.
Nilgai are the world's largest antelope and these photos don't adequately portray how big they are. They could easily look a seven-foot tall man in the eye.
Naturally, this species is found in India, but the King Ranch (a big game ranch in south Texas) brought them to the state for sport hunting years ago. A few escaped and this habitat — sans their natural predators, the tiger — was perfect for them to flourish. Although they are feral, they do not cause as much destruction as feral hogs. The biggest threat they offer to humans is being hit by a car. Their size and height can cause a lot of damage to a vehicle and the passengers inside.

Nilgai (pronounced neil guy down here). Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Nilgai. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Female Nilgai with her young. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Male Nilgais are a blueish/grey coloring. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Don't play with your food!

Great Kiskadee eating a dragonfly. Teresa shumaker photo. 

Unless it is the only way you can eat it.

I caught this photo after a hike around Estero Llano State Park. I was taking a break with my birding friends on the wetlands deck when this kiskadee kindly landed right in front of me off the deck to eat his lunch. I agreed with him that it was a good time for a snack and ate my lunch, too.
I look forward to no longer being pregnant so I can hike more. This year my ability to go out and explore the outdoors has been critically hampered by my inability to be in the heat and quick exhaustion. Plus, once the baby is born, I will have a tiny little birder I will need to take out and show everything! Soon! She is due Jan. 24 and I cannot wait to meet her.

Estero Llano State Park boardwalks and wetlands deck. Teresa Shumaker photo.

A little-loved bird

Great-tailed grackle. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

Great-tailed grackle. Teresa Shumaker photo. 

When I was first moving away from Texas, I knew I would miss the mockingbird's song. (Yes I now know mockingbirds are elsewhere, but they are very common where I grew up.)
But when I returned to Texas last year, it was the great-tailed grackles that I realized I had missed too. These birds are everywhere in South Texas and most people dismiss them as one would any overly abundant animal.
But I get quite a bit of amusement watching these fussy birds work out their tiffs and sing their litany of songs.
These birds are rarely quiet, but boy do they have a range of sounds they can make. From typical bird chatter, squawks and squeaks to strange metallic and electronic buzzes and screeches. I cannot count the amount of times I have heard a strange sound, stopped to look for the source and realized it was a grackle.

The Cornell Lab has some recording of grackle sounds, but it doesn't have much in the way of their mechanical noises. Go here to check it out: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great-tailed_Grackle/sounds