A few more bird photos from our stay at South Llano River State Park; I think I am getting close to publishing all of them.
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I only saw this Yellow Warbler once; flew in to get a drink of water and flew away. Might have been nesting.
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This male House Finch is starting to show his breeding colors.
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Summer Tanager (male)
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This Carolina Chickadee just didn’t want his photo taken.
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These beautiful doves are easy to photograph, they are slow moving and like to perch for extended periods of time. They were plentiful in South Llano River State park this past Spring. The males were beginning to show subtle breeding colors, brighter red feet and legs, and yellowish hues around the back of neck. We only get to see them while traveling south. They have a limited range in the US, mostly Texas.
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I was sitting in one of the blinds when a Texas farmer came in and sat down. He was very friendly and a good photographer. He commented on the large number of White-winged Doves we were seeing. He stated him and his wife have too many doves around their farm. I could tell by the way he spoke, they didn’t seem to care for these doves. I’am not sure if they caused them problems or they just didn’t like them. Maybe they ate too much bird seed!
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This from Wikipedia- “The white-winged dove is a dove whose native range extends from the south-western United States through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. In recent years with increasing urbanization and backyard feeding, it has expanded throughout Texas, into Oklahoma, Louisiana and coastal Mississippi. It has also been introduced to Florida.”
It was nice this Titmouse had a sunflower seed in its mouth and was intend on eating. They are always flitting around, never still.
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It takes a contortionist to eat a little seed.
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Located in western Texas, they prefer oak woods and feed on insects and seeds. My first sighting of this bird was back on 11/20/2008, at South Llano River State Park.
Back to South Llano River State Park for some additional photos. There were several goldfinches around the park; most of them enjoying the feeders set around the blinds. They were beginning to show their breeding colors.
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I can’t say why I like this photo, but I do. This little lessor goldfinch seems to be hiding under a leaf. Look close and you can see his eye. Note the dark color of the legs and the short tail.
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Note the pail color of the bill and legs.
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Note the longer tail.
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I need to get busy and publish more bird photos from our trip back in March/April. I am going to run out of time, to publish these early spring photos, before we travel through Texas again. I will then have fall photos to publish. What a fun situation for me to be in! {Grins}
Below are a few photos of a pretty sparrow with a long neck and tail that has distinctive markings on its face. I don’t get to see Lark Sparrows in Colorado, so it is always a pleasure to see them when we are traveling.
I first observed the Lark Sparrow on January 9, 2007 in Catalina State Park, Oro Valley, AZ. In case you might not know where Oro Valley is, it is near Tucson.
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~Photo below is an adult Lark Sparrow with its pretty patterned face.
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I believe this one enjoying a bath is a younger bird, because of the light tan colored markings on its face. As they age the tan color turns white. Note the difference in the coloring on the face between the photo above and these below. Perhaps the difference is, because it is wet!
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