The Boat-tailed Grackle – brown or dull yellow eyes, long keel-shaped tail, black overall, iridescent purple on head and back, black legs and black bill.
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Added to my Birding Life List on 04/10/93
(West Palm Beach, Florida)
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The Boat-tailed Grackle is a very large, glossy black bird.
The Boat-tailed Grackle’s common name refers to its long tail, often held in a V-shape to form a “keel.”
Found along the coast from Texas to Long Island, this songbird prefers salt and brackish marshes, where it breeds in colonies and socializes in noisy flocks.
The Boat-tailed Grackle has been expanding its range northward since the 1940’s, probably due to milder winters north of the Carolinas.
The female is a light, warm brown with dark brown wings and tail. The femaleâs âearâ is darker brown under a pale eyebrow. The eyes of both sexes are yellowish.
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Boat-tailed Grackle
I photographed this beautiful bird while visiting the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge this past week.
What a beautiful black bird
Just as I am! Every Friday you may participate in Feathers on Friday at Prairie Birder.
We rolled into Beaumont, Texas last Thursday with the expectation of visiting a few birding areas located along the gulf.Â
Friday morning we headed toward the little Texas town of Winnie. I had read **(see special note later in this post) that this area offered fabulous birding opportunities. Â So, with our binoculars and cameras packed in the car, we set out.
High Island or Anahuac, which one to visit first?
We didnât know which area(s) to visit first; the birding sanctuaries and rookeries around High Island, Texas or the Anahauc National Wildlife Refuge outside of Winnie.
We knew our time was limited and we only had two full days to fit in all in. Silly us, we should have scheduled more days in this location.
We turned off the interstate and headed south toward Winnie and High Island, and as we approached the turn-off to ANWF, we decided to head over to the High Island sanctuaries and rookeries first.Â
We didnât know if we could run by these rookeries, see what was there, and then zoom over to ANWF or what.Silly us!
Birders Welcome! Of course they are!
Once we reached the town of High Island and drove around for a few minutes, we realized we needed to ask for information. I guess it was just dumb luck that we were passing a motel and saw a sign stating âBirders Welcomeâ.Â
We pulled into the motel and I ran in to ask the question, âwhere are the rookeries?â. The people were not only extremely friendly, they were also generous. Getting back into the car, with a map in hand, we set out to find the rookery.
After a few wrong turns we managed to find the Smith Oaks birding parking lot. When we pulled into the lot we were stunned, âlook at all these carsâ. We should have known we were not the only folks that wanted to visit the rookeries at the peak of breeding season.Silly us!
I will remember this event, with pure joy, for the rest of my life.
Okay, we will look around, hop back into the car and head to the next place. Not a chance, I could have stayed right there for days.Silly us!
Other than the rookery at Avery Island, I had never seen such a place. Hundreds of Egrets, Spoonbills and Cormorants flying, fighting, mating, snoozing and nesting. What a sight to behold!
Reluctantly, we finally got back into the car, in total amazement and me with lens envy, and headed over to another birding area called Boy Scout Woods.Â
Wow, even more cars and people.
Unbeknown to us it turns out the Audubon Society of Houstonâs annual spring birding event was in full swing. People from all over the United States and perhaps from outside the US attend this event each year.
We registered with the HAS, met some wonderful people, walked around in the woods and added one new bird to my life list! Number 360 the Louisiana Waterthrush. What a beautiful bird.
Be sure, if interested, to read the High Island history page.
What a wonderful day!
We drove back to our coach in Beaumont tired, but extremely happy for this experience. It would have been nice to go back to High Island, but we knew we had to see Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.
**Gay, a blogger friend from http://www.good-times-rollin.blogspot.com visited Aunahauc National Wildlife Refuge and wrote about the visit on her blog. Go take a look at her beautiful blog.
Judy is a volunteer at the refuge and writes about her experiences on her fabulous blog.
After reading both of these blogs about Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, I knew we needed to stop there. Also, Judy had visited the Smith Oaks Rookery and posted her gorgeous photos on her blog.Â
The next morning, following our visit to High Island, we pulled into the refuge.
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Their new Welcome Center
As I entered the brand new Welcome Center, I was met by a person with a friendly face and kind eyes. As I glanced at her name tag, conformation was made, but I already knew that I was about to meet Judy!
Howard and I were lucky that she was there that day; it made our visit to ANWF even more special!
It was a thrill to meet a fellow blogger, birder and nature lover. She showed us the ANWF maps, told us what we might see and gave us a few suggestions on where to go. So off we went to explore!
Other, than the day being cloudy and very windy, hubby and I had a wonderful time! The refuge is beautiful!Â
Thank you Judy, it was a great pleasure to meet you.Â
Perhaps, one day down the line we will meet again.
Next year, we know where to stay.
No more Silly Us! Next year we will stay a lot closer and a lot longer in order to experience these areas of Texas.
Until next year!
Here are some of the 37 species of birds we saw at ANWF. I will post, in a separate blog, the photos from High Island.
“Pay attention Sally” I am not sure what these are: American Black Duck or Mottled Duck“Do they have handicap access here at ANWR?” Eastern KingbirdSavannah Sparrow I am not 100% sure of this ID
In full view – Green HeronWhite-tailed Hawk Far away and being chased by a blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird (female)Maybe the White-tailed Hawk is being harassed by the ducks
Greater Yellow Legs I am not sure about this IDLaughing Gull
What does, a salt dome, pepper pods and a 200 acre jungle have in common? A trip to Avery Island, Louisiana, and a good time!
The salt dome extends eight miles beneath the earth’s surface and its protruding “island” part of the formation rising above the surface is Avery Island.
The pepper pods, obtained shortly after the Civil War, are special capsicum peppers. Seeds from these capsicum peppers, grown on the Island, are exported to Central and South America, where tabasco peppers are cultivated and harvested.
The 200 acre jungle is home to the world’s most beautiful sanctuaries for the preservation and study of flora and fauna. Edward McIlhenny, son of Tabasco sauce inventor Edmund McIlhenny, was a noted naturalist and explorer and decades ago he cultivated what is today called The Jungle Gardens of Avery Island.
Live Oaks and Lazy Lagoons
It all began when Edmund McIlhenny cultivated a crop, invented a product over 125 years ago and founded a company on Avery Island.
As their current day brochure states. Much of the world knows about Tabasco pepper sauce.
McIlhenny Company Tabasco Sauce Brand Pepper Sauce!!
**I want to give credit for the information in this blog to the wonderful writers at Tabasco, I used their brochures in writing this blog.
The Tabasco Visitors Center. I love our flag and here with it are the Louisiana State Flag and the Tabasco flag.
Wednesday, April 2nd we traveled to Avery Island to visit Tabasco. We always have to be conscience of the time we are away from the coach, because of our two beautiful four-legged friends. So when we drove to Avery Island we needed to make a decision on what we wanted to see as we only had time to visit one of two tours. Did we want to tour the Jungle Gardens or take the Tabasco plant tour? It was not a tough decision.
Tabasco factory tours
We decided to toured the Jungle Gardens. What beautiful grounds they have; we could have spent the entire day hiking around admiring these gorgeous gardens and taking photos!
A meandering road through The Jungle GardensLooking for UFO’s or perhaps UFB’s.
The 200 acres of jungle gardens are home to a large collection of some 600 varieties of camellias, including some that McIlhenny developed, along with thousands of azaleas, acres of wildflowers, groves of evergreens, english hollies and wistaria vines, just to mention a few.
The 300 year old Cleveland OakHave you ever driven through a Wisteria Arch?
You can see Live Oak trees through out the gardens.
When I look at this felled tree, I have to wonder how long it lived and how long has it been since it died.
Beautiful Azaleas and lagoons are everywhere
Bees and Flowers
Wisteria Flower
A lovely white Azalea
A bee enjoying a pink Azelea
Twisted Wisteria Vines
Wisteria Arch, Wisteria was first introduced into New Orleans around 1875.
This Live Oak tree is named for Grover Cleveland. He visited the McIlhenny family and this tree around 1891. It is over 300 years old.
The jungle gardens are a birder’s paradise! We made the right decision in taking this tour.
Over one hundred years ago, Edward McIlhenny helped save a beautiful egret from extinction – the Snowy egret. In 1895 when the snowy was being hunted for its plumage, Edward, built an aviary on Avery Island, and then captured and raised eight wild snowy egrets.
For the love of this bird, it all started over 100 years ago. The beautiful Snowy Egret
After they had raised their hatches and were ready to migrate, he released them. The snowy egrets returned the next spring and every spring since.
Today this rookery is fondly called “Bird City” where some 20,000 Snowy Egrets, plus many other species of birds, return each spring to raise their young.
The RookeryAn Anhinga coupleThe Great Blue Heron enjoying The Jungle Gardens
For the love of the Great Blue Heron:
For the Love of Herons
Others also enjoy The Jungle Gardens:
A snoozing little guy!Nature’s ultimate camouflage design at workI Spy
As the time for our departure from Avery Island approached, we stopped at the Tabasco Store to look around. We enjoyed a nice cool cup of homemade ice cream, of course made with Tabasco peppers, sampled some of their flavored sauces and even purchased a few items to bring home. It was another fun day spent in Cajun Country!
The Tabasco Country Store
Side note: On our way down to New Iberia, Louisiana and then out to Avery Island we stopped for lunch at a local place called Landry’s. They serve a different daily lunch to a huge number of hard working folks! The food was delicious!
On this drive we were impressed with the oil and gas related businesses we passed. Thousands of people employed in this industry in numerous small Louisiana towns. From, large oil companies, oil service and training companies, to local support businesses like Laudry’s all employing hard working people.
We should all thank these businesses that supply our oil and gas, and the folks that work in them. It made us happy to see the booming economy in this area, to know that America is rich in oil and gas and that Louisiana is employing lots of people to work in these industries.
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We said farewell to Louisiana, for now, and drove to Beaumont, Texas!
While in Beaumont we enjoyed two full, wonderful days of birding. We met some nice folks from the Houston Audubon Society in High Island and it was a special treat meeting a fellow birder and blogger at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. More on meeting Judy and how we spent these exciting two days later.
We arrived this morning, April 6th, at Stephen F. Austin State Park and we will be here for several days. As I sit here typing I can even count the number of Northern Cardinals we are seeing, so many in one place!
~Tufted Titmouse – tufted dark gray head, straight black bill, whitish gray underparts, gray upper parts, rusty sides and flanks, gray tail.
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Added to my Birding Life List on 04/15/98
(Jefferson, LA)
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Coming in for a landing
Interesting facts about the Tufted Titmouse:
Very intelligent
The largest Titmouse
Not afraid of  people
Will scoop down and pluck out a human hair to use for its nest
Will learn to eat out of your hand
Very social
Eats insects and their larvae, spiders, snails berries, acorns, nuts and seeds
Feeds its mate during courtship
Tufted Titmouse waiting its turn for a bath
As I sat on my coach sofa looking out the window on The Farm, I observed many species of birds flying in and out of a cavity in a large, old Pecan tree with this Tufted Titmouse being one of them. Notice the cavity in the Pecan tree above.
At first I didn’t realize what they were doing, but when a bigger bird landed in there and I saw water flying up into the air I knew. Ahh, a refreshing bath. I think the Titmouse was waiting for its turn.
When Howard asked my brother if he could put this rope in the tree to assist him in setting up some amateur radio antennas, my brother should have said NO. It kinda takes away from the photo.
Tufted Titmouse
Just as I am! Every Friday you may participate in Feathers on Friday at Prairie Birder.
Note:Some of my information for this post was taken from Field Guide to Birds of North America, Smithsonian Handbook, Birds of North America and Cornell Lad of Ornithology and their website All About Birds.
A small flock of Blue-headed vireos landed in Fairview Riveside State Park one day this past week. If I remember correctly, it was after heavy thunderstorms. Another birder, here in the park, was telling me about them.
This morning, while on a walk, we first heard and then saw a tiny bird flitting about. I was hoping it might be a Blue-headed Vireo, it wasn’t. The bird we saw and the one in the photo below is a White-eyed Vireo.Â
This is the only photo of the White-eyed, from this morning, that is worth showing and it isnât good. If only it wasnât such a small bird and only if it didnât zip here and there so darn fast. [grins]
White-eyed Vireo
I have seen the Solitary and the White-eyed previously and it would have been nice to record, as a new bird, the Blue-headed. Maybe another time.
This info taken from wikipedia: The Blue-headed Vireo is a common and vocal bird of northeastern forests. Formerly lumped as a “Solitary Vireo” with the more western Plumbeous and Cassin’s vireos, it is now considered a separate species.
Fast forward several hours…..
We went for another walk this evening and we saw the White-eyed Vireo again! This time I managed to capture a few nice photos, which was fun and a challenge.
White-eyed Vireo (Setting sun hitting the little guy just right)White-eyed Vireo Beautiful little bird
Notice the white eye!
I believe, because the setting sun was highlighting this Vireo just right, the photo looks like it has been color enhanced, but it has not!
This info taken from All About Birds: The White-eyed Vireo is a small and secretive bird of shrubby areas of the eastern and southern United States, the White-eyed Vireo is more noticeable for its explosive song than its looks.
It was a fun walk for sure, not only because I managed to photograph the White-eyed again, but also because I added two, yes two, new birds to my Birding Life List.
Wolf Song Blog 