After breakfast in San Marcos, we drove straight to the location of the super rare Amazon Kingfisher in Laredo. Along the way we saw DOZENS of Crested Caracaras and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers! Both are very cool birds that I was excited to see. Although they weren't life birds, both were new ABA birds and more numerous than I had previously seen.
We arrived at Zacate Creek in Laredo around 11:20am. All earlier reports of the bird were negative until we were just 10 minutes away and I received a text message from a friend who was currently seeing the bird. We grabbed our binoculars and jumped out of the car. As we headed toward where we saw the crowd, we were above and could already see the bird sitting on the rocks!
We got into place and set up the scope. What an amazing bird!!! I can't get over the bill!
We watched her until she flew. Also foraging in the creek, we saw Black Phoebes (another Lifer!) and Belted and Ringed-Kingkishers! Then we explored the rest of the park located just across the river from Mexico!
The paths were dusty and rocky and surrounded by grasses, cacti and succulents. Along the way, we found Verdin, Green Jays, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, lots of squawking Great Kiskadees and Great-tailed Grakles! None of which reside in Ohio! The Verdin and Ladder-backed Woodpecker were also Life Birds!
Once we left the park in Laredo, we went to Falcon Lake State Park for more birding. We visited an amazing butterfly garden with the most butterflies I have ever seen that weren't contained! There were Queen Butterflies, White Peacock Butterflies, Southern Dog Face Butterflies, Gulf Frittilaries, Tropical Leafwings (maybe my favorite!), Bordered Patch, American Snout, and many others! Within the garden, we found Inca Doves and a Pyrrhuloxia!
As we left the garden, we saw a Couch's Kingbird and then a Greater Roadrunner foraging along the edge of some scrubby habitat!
As we continued to hike around the park, a raptor flew overhead. As we got a look at it, we realized it was a Harris's Hawk. I almost cried! Not only was this a Life Bird for me, but I used to work with one at the Ohio Bird Sanctuary, and I have dreamed of seeing one in the wild for a VERY long time! It was such an experience to have this one soaring right over us!!
As the sun started to set, Ben saw an owl move. We found where it landed and then an American Kestrel was screaming and trying to chase it away! Here's a terrible picture taken through my binoculars with the owl in the center and the kestrel on a higher perch to the left:
A list of Life Birds from the day...
Amazon Kingfisher
Black Phoebe
Verdin
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Pyrrhuloxia
Couch's Kingbird
Greater Roadrunner
Harris's Hawk
Vermillion Flycatcher
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