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| Rose-throated Becard, Estero Llano Grande State Park, TX |
Cory and I really enjoyed Estero Llano Grande State Park. We made three separate trips to this location and got some of my favorite birds of the trip. Cory got the rarest bird of the trip here, a female Rose-throated Becard. Alas, I missed it because I was at Santa Ana looking for Hook-billed Kites at first light. When Cory called I rushed over, but could not relocate the bird.
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| Common Pauraque, Estero Llano Grande State Park, TX |
Alligator Lake was great for Common Pauraque, Anhinga, Neotropic Cormorant, Green Kingfisher, waterfowl, and Least Grebe. There was also an Eastern Screech-Owl with its head out of a nest box, and a Long-billed Thrasher here.
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| Curve-billed Thrasher, Estero Llano Grande State Park, TX |
Walking in the "Tropical Area" turned up a lot of great birds early in the morning including Buff-bellied and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Wilson's, Yellow-rumped, Pine, and Orange-crowned Warblers, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Inca and White-tipped Dove, Clay-colored Thrush, Ladder-backed and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Green Jay, Altimira Oriole, Plain (boom) Chachalaca, and Curve-billed Thrasher. This is where the becard hangs out when it is seen.
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| Neotropic Cormorant, Estero Llano Grande State Park, TX |
Along the other trails in the park we saw lots of waterfowl and herons, Vermillion Flycatcher, and sparrows among other species.
