We were able to get a taste of the wonderful birding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and definitely want to go back and go at it more seriously. We made day trips to the Laguna Atacosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR) and the Sabal Grove Audubon Center (SGAC) as well as strolls at the World Birding site near the convention center on South Padre Island (SPI). Here are few of the nature shots Jack was able to get in spite of the gloomy weather.

The feeding tables at the Laguna Atacosa NWR also drew wild peccaries.

One tried to climb a tree to claim a cut orange.

The cheeky Mexican or green jays weren't scared off by the large mammals.

Jack spied these coyotes near a shallow lake in the LANWR.

Let's do lunch! (LANWR).

Jays and red-winged blackbirds. (LANWR)

Great-tailed grackle and female red-winged blackbird (LANWR)

Great-tailed grackles bathing at LANWR.

White-tipped dove (LANWR)

Long-billed thrasher (LANWR)

Long-billed curlew (LANWR)

Plain chachalaca (SGAC)

Moorhen (SPI)

Common loon ? (SPI)

Brown pelicans (SPI)

White and brown pelicans. (SPI)

 

Roseate spoonbills (SPI)

Pie-billed grebe (SPI)

Least grebe (SPI)

Canvasbacks (SPI)

American wigeons (SPI)

Black-crowned night heron (SGAC)

Crested caracara (Boca Chica)

Red-eared slider (turtle) (SPI)

Collection of ducks (SGAC)

Yucca, blooming (LANWR)

     

We watched this hungry great blue heron work on a huge fish for ages. At times it looked like the fish was eating the bird! (LANWR)