Birding Nature Center :: Other Things

The other things we saw on our nature hike at Matagorda County Birding Nature Center (MCBNC) included creatures both great...

An American Alligator slides stealthily into the water without making a sound.

and small...

An American Bullfrog sits on a log in a pond covered in duckweed.

And one creature with with long ears and a fluffy white tale that can swim if need be...

A Swamp Rabbit, one of the largest members of the cottontail family, crosses the trail.

I know, I was also surprised when I read that, too!

We also saw beautiful scenery, so diverse, you might not think that all of these photos were taken in the same park, but they were.

Swampy Wetlands

Colorado River View

Pretty Pond

And finally, I was delighted to see a few wildflowers hanging on.

Faded Texas Bluebonnets

Wild Daisies

Thistle

I know you won't be surprised to learn that after our nature hike at MCBNC, we purchased a family membership pass. Who knows what kinds of things we'll see the next time we visit?

Birding Nature Center :: Feathered Wings

The boardwalk through the wetlands at Matagorda County Nature Birding Center leads to a bird blind.

However, we found that the thick vegetation provides plenty of cover on its own. 

We had to be careful though, because some of those vines are Poison Ivy! I'm happy to say that neither one of us came home with a rash.

From the boardwalk we were able to observe a pair of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. I like the preening action in this photo, though all that swamp muck (technical term) seems to be defeating the purpose.

From swamp to open prairie, there were all kinds of birds to see and photograph.

John heard it first and I zoomed in quickly for a shot. It was a cute-as-can-be Black-capped Chickadee. This is where the new zoom lens came in handy. I never could have gotten this shot without it.

And just because it's so cute, here's another picture to enjoy.

Along the edge of one of the ponds on the property was a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. I had to look this one up in the bird guide book, since John is at work and I couldn't remember what he told me it was. I don't think he got as specific as Yellow-crowned, though he was right on with Night-Heron.

A nest in a fig tree was easy to spot. A female Northern Cardinal was sitting on eggs (we assumed). I hope to go back soon and find babies, though I might need a step ladder to get a good look.

By far, the real birding treat of the day was seeing a Great Kiskadee and its nest! It's a rare occurrence for these birds to be this far north. We think this one is a male, hopefully of a mated pair, and that he is perched near the nest to guard it. We never saw the female. Maybe she was in the nest incubating eggs.

I guess nest guarding can be a real bore sometimes, because we caught this guy sleeping on the job. Yes, he was snoozing away with his head down and his eyes closed. His closed eyes showed up better in some of my other shots, but they were too blurry to share.

I hope you enjoyed the feathered wings portion of our nature hike in this beautiful place.

The Garden of My Dreams :: Little Wings

One visit to Matagorda County Birding Nature Center was all it took for me to fall in love with the place.

The park is 34 acres of natural beauty situated on the Colorado River in Bay City, Texas. Within its boundaries are wetlands, native prairies, and woodlands which provide habitat for a large variety of birds and wildlife.

Standing in the fruit orchard searching the woods and sky for birds.

Armed with a brand new zoom lens and inspired by the beautiful scenery, I found something to photograph at every turn.

A post of nails for hanging orange halves for the birds, especially Orioles, conveniently located near the orange tree.

For the most part, John and I had the place to ourselves and I began to think of it as our own private garden—the garden of my dreams! If I owned 34 acres, I would want it to be just like this.

The peaches are almost ripe.

It would include a small fruit orchard, a wildflower meadow, and flower gardens planted specifically for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.

There were several cooperative little wings, as I'm calling them, that posed nicely for the camera as we explored the grounds and gardens.

Tawny Emperor Butterfly

Dusky Wing Butterfly

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

Honeybee

Dragonfly

Not only did we see little wings, but feathered wings, and other things, too. I hope you'll join me next time for more photos of our nature hike.