Yellow-crowned Night Herons

     What a delight to discover four Yellow-crowned Night herons at the airport. Stalking prey amid the grasses and flowers, they walked stealthily in the pond. I remained still in the truck, my long lens emerged from my window. Three herons lifted up into the air and flew away. Nearby, I heard the sound of a Red-tailed hawk. One heron, though, remained in the pond, tracking down a crawfish. He managed to capture it just as Jim walked around the corner, grasping a leash on which Mitty was tethered. The heron swallowed his supper, and then moved briskly across the pond, away from Jim and Mitty. When I left, he had crouched down into the grass, contentedly, I suppose.

Lesser Prairie Chicken Magic Again

On the Internet Bird Collection, view a video of the Lesser Prairie Chicken and more photographs.

Nopadol Paothong's website offers his book, Save the Last Dance, for purchase. The book shows beautiful photography of the grouse species in North America.

      Nop drove us to Dick Wilberforce's lek in Hemphill County. The day was cloudy with 30-knot winds. Our anticipation grew when in the dark we could hear the roosters begin their display: Wulluh wulluh wulluh, they began, clak clak clak, then the fluttering of their wings. 

      We could hear them but not see them. I told myself to stop straining my eyes to see them, that dawn would come soon. Only twenty yards away, I could see a small figure on the grass moving about, dashing, dancing, "lekking." I held my breath.

      

      In 2014, I visited the same lek. Back then, the sun rose and gave the chickens some warm lighting. Click this link to view that post.

A rooster ready to display.

Standing on a log, searching the prairie, waiting for a female.

Inflating his sack during the display.

Two males establishing dominance.

Part of the display showing dominance.

A male looking up over the grasslands.

Update: One more image.

Clouds over Granite, Oklahoma

White Bluebonnet Patch

Bluebonnet Pods

Stilts in Step

The Green of Ibises in Flight

Scissortails and Others

     Spotted: My first Scissortail of the season, Pie-billed Grebe, Greater Yellowlegs, Ibises, Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, Barn Swallows, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, [Sandpiper that looks like a Semipalmated], Black-necked Stilts, Avocets, Canada Goose, Killdeer, Mockingbirds, Great Blue Herons, Northern Shovelers, Bobwhite, Blue-winged Teals, Green-winged Teals, American Black Ducks, Wigeons, Coots, Buffleheads, White-crowned Sparrows, House Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows.

Alanreed

     Little town in the Texas Panhandle. See more about Allenreed at the Texas State Historical Association http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hna15.

    Interestingly, the town was once known as Springtown or Spring Tank, thanks to a nearby spring; Prairie Dog Town, as it sat near a colony; and amusingly but regrettably, Gouge Eye, after a bar fight. Thankfully, it is now known after two men who worked toward developing the area.

     The small store offers postcards and stamps, and the services of a post office. I bought an amusing card, wrote a message on it for MyMrMallory, bought a stamp, too, then handed the card to the nice lady there, who mailed it for me.

Burrowing Owl

Muledeer

Tire Tracks into the Canyon

Scaled Quail at Wind Mill

    A covey of about twenty Scaled quail scurrying under the fence at the old watering hole.

Trees

Antelope

Sandpipers and Plovers

      The number of birds grows. Added this day: Least Sandpiper and Snowy Plover.
      In addition, nearby I spotted and photographed the White-rumped Sandpiper, Lesser Yellow-legs, Dowitcher, Avocets, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Turkey, Turkey Vultures, Loggerhead Shrike, Meadowlark, Savannah and White-crowned sparrows, and three Canada Geese, one of which appeared to be sitting on her nest  . . .  or just plum ornery about me stomping around the ponds.
      On the way, Red-winged Blackbirds in their striped feathers, Black-necked stilts, Ibis, and Blue-winged teals, along with Common Grackles and swallows on the bridges.

Avocets.

White-rumped Sandpiper and Snowy Plover.

White-rumped Sandpiper.

Least Sandpiper.

An Ibis (White-faced) and Blue-winged Teals.

White Bluebonnet

Busy Birding Morning

    Flush with excitement after my participation in the Big Day, I set out to view birds on my own. An old oil field patch, devastated by careless drillers from way back in the '40s, still has salty soil unable to grow plants; however and somehow, the berms we built to retain water have become a successful ecosystem for birds and other creatures. Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Killdeer, Sandpipers, and now I discovered that even Dowitchers stop by to benefit from the myriad lifeforms the birds need to survive. 

    In addition to the shorebird life, sparrows, blackbirds, flycatchers, and orioles depend on the area for nesting and food.

    Not surprisingly, I finished the morning with a long bird list: Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Shovelers, House Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Turkey Vultures, Common Grackles, Northern Harrier, Meadowlarks, Harris' Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning Doves, White-winged Doves, Pigeons, Song Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Mockingbird, Bufflehead, White-bellied Sandpiper, Killdeer, Green-winged Teal, Canada Goose, American Kestrel, Lark Sparrow, Ibis, Red-tailed Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Turkey, Hooded Merganser, Red-headed Ducks, Great Blue Heron, Gadwalls, Bobwhite Quail, Common Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs, and, of all things, a Sandhill Crane tucked in the grass, perhaps injured or sick . . . or nesting?

Group Photo

     When I take a picture of a group, I take several images. I do so because, invariably, someone has closed eyes, or is  not smiling, or . . .  as in today's group, one of them has to clown around.

Redtail Hawk, Juvie.

Hovering over my house, a juvie Redtailed Hawk rode the thermals searching for food.

Composited image.