On the Road: Bob-Kats on the Road 2-15-11

Movin’ On

We have been here in Mission nearly a month. We have learned our way around the back roads, found a spot for music and dancing, made friends and furthered our fondness for S. TX, so --- it’s time to leave. We are heading west in a couple days on the slow track to California.

I have not written much lately in an effort to keep this at least somewhat interesting and not too mundane (“A Trip to the Laundromat”or “Bob Dumps the Dumper”) without resorting to making something up (“We had heard of the mythical chupacabra, but had never seen one until late one dark night . . .”). But we have been busy every day save two when the Jeep was covered with ice.

Jeepie Ice Chim Pk RAP 020411

Although later in spring is better, we have still had awesome birding experiences. Once leaving a store, a cloud of green erupted from a palm tree and circled the parking lot – green parakeets, perhaps 50 of them. These are not the pet budgies you see for sale in Walmart and such places, but beautiful bright green birds, some 13 inches long.

Note: Bob has finally taken his new camera out of the box. So, he is doing a little trial and error with this intimidating piece of equipment. These next are among his first pictures. Not too bad!

Traveling a back road, we passed a field being tilled for the first time this season. Birds were everywhere positioning themselves to pick off whatever interesting tidbit turned up out of the soil. Cattle egrets, grackles and blackbirds checking the dirt for insects. Them, you expect, but looking closer we could see it was just a bird fest. There were hawks – Harriers and white tails -- hunting the rodents turned out of their holes, Coopers hunting the birds who were hunting the insects, a pair of white tailed kites drawn by the excitement who decided to do a little courting. Amazingly, a flock of long-billed curlews settled in close behind the tractor. This is a bird normally seen at the seashore poking its strange long bill into the sand.

Long-Billed Curlew Lag Ata Tx RAP 021311

And my favorite, the crested caracara. The national bird of Mexico, it’s also called the Mexican eagle. They are beautiful to see with their striking black and white feathers and orange bill, but it’s their personality that I especially like. They are just a strutting bully bird. I have seen them stick out a leg and push a much larger turkey vulture away from a kill. They have attitude!

Caracara Lag Ata Tx RAP 021311

Then quieter moments. A buff-bellied hummingbird came down to join us during our lunch at Quinta Mazatlan Birding Center.

Buff-Bellied Hummingbird Qui Mat RAP 020811

The pair of sleeping pauraques on the ground just off our path, birds we never thought we would see as they are nocturnal fliers. Amazing arialists, their feet are too soft and weak to hold them on a perch, so they sleep on the ground. Might seem foolish on their part, but they are so well camouflaged that you would only see them if you knew they were there.