Here are my other Brazos Bend
and/or critter pages:
----------------------------------------------------------------
OR, FOR OTHER ANIMALS:
Alligators
at Brazos Bend State Park Introduction
Critters at Brazos
Bend State Park Page 1
Snakes-nonvenomous
1-------------------------------------------
Critters
at Brazos Bend State Park Page 3
Snakes-nonvenomous
2-------------------------------------------------Insects,
non-toxic
Snakes-nonvenomous
3------------------------------------------------Spiders
Snakes-venomous------------------------------------------------------Mammals
Birds-Waders----Birds-Raptors---------------------------------Lizards!--Turtles!
----------------------------------
Welcome
to Brazos Bend State Park. That's me on the trail. One of the most popular
reasons for people to visit BBSP is to see the birds. Although *I* started
going to the park mainly for the alligators, one cannot be there for long
without learning to enjoy the birds. Over the years, I've captured a few
pictures and video clips of them, and here they are. I've collected all
my shots of raptors onto this page.
May 23, 2010.
I had signed up to do the Creekfield hike this morning, so I was heading
back to the 40 Acre Parking lot on my bike. At about 9:30, I stopped my
bike to look for some Yellow-Crowned Night Herons hunting crawfish. I was
looking towards 40 Acre Lake when movement behind me (to my right--towards
Pilant Slough) caught my attention. I turned, and looked directly into
the eyes of a Red-Shouldered Hawk that was about 20 yards from me. It appeared
to be awkwardly standing on a branch, and one of its wings was bent at
an odd angle. I thought that it might be wounded (partly since it was so
close). Then, it moved, and I saw that it had caught a bird. I thought
at first that the prey was a Moorhen. I was still standing astride my bike,
so I slowly brought up my camera and shot a few pictures. I knew I had
to get back for the hike so I couldn't stay long, but I couldn't pass up
this sight. As I watched, the Hawk tried to adjust its position, but seemed
to be caught or entangled. Since I didn't want to scare it, I didn't try
to look through binoculars. The Hawk called, and another answered. I kept
my eyes on "my" Hawk, and it sounded like the other Hawk passed overhead.
I shot some video at high framerate; hoping to catch the Hawk flying away
with the dead bird.
As
I watched, a couple park visitors came up behind me on bikes. I slowly
motioned for them first to stop; and then for them to come towards me slowly.
But, they didn't have to. They could also see the Hawk with its prize.
Finally, the Hawk flew off. I missed catching that moment as the camera
wrote my previous clip to memory. It didn't go far, but I had to get back
for the hike. So, I left it to breakfast. Still...I did get a little
video of it wrestling with its prey. In the video, it appears that the
prey is a Purple Gallinule (it appears to have a greenish tint across the
back). The video also shows a very odd position for the Gallinule's feet--and
part of the reason the Hawk had such difficulty.
So,
once again, my signing up for the hike has led to this mixed blessing.
I say this because even though I had to leave the Hawk to cover the hike
I'd signed up for--the *only* reason I saw it was because I was returning
to lead the hike. Pretty wonderful sight! I hope you enjoy the video clip.
Below
are two images. One is a resized photo, the other is a frame from one of
the video clips.
The
clips are edited and uploaded. Sound isn't captured while filming in high
speed. The video clip is here
(ll.6 mb).
---------
-------------
-------------
HAWK WITH PURPLE
GALLINULE
HAWK WITH PURPLE GALLINULE
FROM VIDEO
02/14/2010
BBSP had a visit from Doris Mager of S.O.A.R. (Save Our American Raptors).
Her purpose is to give these programs to expose people first-hand to these
magnificent creatures. It is always a pleasure and a great thrill to see
her program. It was also great to talk to her again (and I got hugged!).
And, of course, my big thrill was being able to have Cara the Crested Caracara
fly to me. I love that bird! The programs were held inside this year,
so her birds could fly in safety.
It is
illegal to posses any raptors (or any parts of raptors--including
feathers) without lots of permits and permissions. Doris has these permits
to allow her to have these birds. The birds Doris has cannot ever
be released--for various physiological or behavioral reasons. They have
come into her possession because of misadventures in the birds' lives--from
being stolen from a nest and imprinted, to being injured by cars or gunfire.
The birds have been with her for years, and have been shown to, and handled
by, hundreds--if not thousands--of people. The birds would not be demonstrated
in the manner that they are if they were in danger of harm, or if there
was great risk to anyone. So, keep that in mind when watching any
of her programs, or looking at my videos and photos.
-----
--
DORIS MAGER
E.T. FLIES IN THE DINING HALL! video
clip shot at high speed (wmv 3.0 mb)
Above
left, Doris Mager talking about talons. During the program, E.T. the Great
Horned Owl flew to his perch. I shot this video from inside the kitchen.
The lighting in the Dining Hall is really difficult, with electric lights
and brightness coming from the windows. So, I had to do what I could with
it. Here it is, shot at 210 fps. Although the Owl flying is wonderful,
the expressions of wonder in the audience are great, too! The second image
above is a frame from the video.
-----
------ 
CARA
LANDS ON MY ARM
TURNING TOWARDS THE CAMERA
SCRATCHING CARA'S HEAD video
clip shot at high speed (wmv 18.5 mb)
The
images above are from another video shot with my camera, after I set it
up and gave it to David. (Thanks David!)
Cara
flew a bit prematurely (I hadn't called her yet). She flew a bit high,
and I figured she needed a destination fast--so I called her as she flew,
slapped the gauntlet, and raised my arm. I knew the arm was not horizontal,
but I wanted her attention. When she landed, I quickly adjusted the position
of my arm *with* her weight when she landed, and---well, the video shows
that it worked. I called her as I had learned, and raised my arm. It is
supposed to be held horizontal, but I raised it higher, and called her
attention to it. She landed on it, and I was able to shift body and arm
position to keep her weight and balance stable. Her smooth turn along with
mine in the video shows this. It all happened in seconds. I know
she likes her head being scratched. Even so, in the video you can see how
I paused
slightly (longer in slow motion (00:49)) as I brought my free hand towards
her to judge her reaction. When I saw her allow the hand, I scratched
her
head. I turned and realized my arm might block her from view of the audience,
so I moved my hand away. While I looked to see where the cameras were so
I could turn her to best exposure, I noted her movement from the corner
of my eye, and focused on her again (1:55 -1:59). I noted her presenting
the top of her head, once again paused to see reaction to my hand (this
time she actually pulled at it with her beak :-)) and I scratched her some
more.
I couldn't
resist. My huge grin came directly from the feeling the brief communication
with this magnificent bird gave me. After all, she flew to me, and
then she invited me to touch her. Would I do anything like this with a
wild
raptor? Of course not.
02/08/2009--
----------------------
------
-------------------------
RICKUBISCAM 02/08/09
I had
no luck spotting any Otters. However, we were also visited again by Doris
Mager, the Eagle Lady, that weekend. I sat in on(and helped a little with)
her program. I shot pictures of ET the Great Horned Owl (ET for Extra
Terrific); and Cara, the Crested Caracara (see the two pictures below).
And, I got to handle the Caracara again! How cool is THAT?! One of the
park volunteers followed my directions, and with my camera, took some video
footage while I had the bird. (thanks Diane). To see the edited video,
click here
(wmv 11.6 mb). The old RICKUBISCAM shot above is a frame
grab from the video. I've mentioned Doris before on my pages. To see some
pictures and/or videos of my previous mettings with her traveling companions,
look further down on this page.
Being
able to talke to Doris and being close to the birds helped take the sting
out of missing the cool Otter sighting.
-------------------
---------------
ET the Great Horned Owl!
Cara the Crested Caracara
11/29--11/30/2008--
Eagle, Osprey, and Ibis. On 11/29/2008, I decided to drive to the Northwest
part of the Houston area, near Waller, Texas. I wanted to try out a new
camera, and I was hoping to find some Crested Caracaras. As I drove around,
somewhat aimlessly, I found myself near the highway again. I looked across
a field, and a small pond, and I noticed a car parked on the feeder road,
and people near the car looking down into the field. I made drove until
I got near where the car had been. I stopped and got out of the car. And
there, down on the grass near the water, was a Bald Eagle! It was apparently
eating something, but was too far away to see what it was. I took some
pictures (and there were also a couple of Caracaras in the field, too)
and then reached into my car for the video camera. I saw the eagle flying
away. A truck had pulled in behind me, and that probably chased off the
eagle. I was still lucky to see it.
The
images below are two views of the same photo, just cropped for clarity.
I also shot a short video clip of the eagle, which you can see here
(wmv 2.6 mb).
-
On the
next day, 11/30/2008, I was at Brazos Bend State park. I hadn't been there
very long before I met Chuck, another of the park Volunteers. He told me
that I'd just missed an Bald Eagle flying over by about 5 minutes. Just
a few minutes later, I noticed an Osprey over by the islands on 40 Acre
Lake. We watched the Osprey hunting for quite a while. I snapped pictures,
and shot some video clips. At one point, the Osprey dove into the water,
and we thought that it caught a fish.
On examining
the photos, however, it was found that the "fish" appeared to be a stick
or piece of bark. What happened? Why did the Osprey "capture" it, and then
afterwards, why did the Osprey continue carrying it? Today's RICKUBISCAM
shot is one of the photos of the Osprey flying off with the piece of wood.
Below
are two more pictures of the Osprey flying with the stick.
-
-
-
-
-
OSPREY
AND STICK 1
OSPREY AND STICK 2
FRAMEGRAB 01
FRAMEGRAB 02
FRAMEGRAB 03
RICKUBISCAM SHOT
This
camera can shoot photos at an incredibly fast rate, and also can capture
video clips at high framerates. During one of the Osprey's passes
above me, I decided to film it flying by at 210 frames per second (FPS).
A few frames from the video clip can be seen as captured frames above.
The video video clip of
this
Osprey flying by can be seen here
(wmv 8.5 mb).
02/10/2008
Brazos Bend State Park was lucky to have Doris Mager, creator of S.O.A.R.
(Save Our American
Raptors) return for the
weekend, starting Friday. I was able to attend her last program, at about
4:00pm. I was also able to help, and once again I got to handle Kara the
Caracara for a while, and then I was able to help a bit with the Great
Horned Owl. I was able to have someone shoot a short video of the Caracara
flying to me, and then David shot one of me with the Great Horned Owl.
Doris is the one describing E.T. the Owl in the video clip. These birds
are fantastic when I get to see them fly overhead, or in a tree, but there
is NOTHING like being able to look one in the eyes as it is perched on
your arm! You can look on
my
page here to see images from Doris' visit last year (look for the entry
marked 2/11/2007). It's days like this that make it really worthwhile
to be a park volunteer!
-------------------
------------------------
RICK AND CARACARA 02/10/08
RICK AND GREAT HORNED OWL 02/10/08
Rick and Caracara
clip (wmv 1.6 mb)
Rick and Owl clip (wmv
5.9 mb)
02/11/2007---This
weekend BBSP was visited by Doris Mager, founder of S.O.A.R. (Save Our
American Raptors). She brought 3 live raptors with her; a Great Horned
Owl, an American Kestrel, and a Crested Caracara. The image below right
shows me with the Crested Caracara. Live! On my arm! Ever since I saw my
first wild Caracaras a few years ago, I've wanted to get a closer look
at one, but haven't been able to. I've seen them on Galveston Island, in
fields on the way to Brazos Bend State Park (BBSP), and even northeast
of Houston. I've got a few pictures of one on my page here.
-------
---------------
---------------
-----
--DORIS IN FRONT, ME IN BACK -----------------------
RICK
AND KESTREL-----------------------------
RICK
AND CARACARA
------------------------------------------------------------------VIDEO
CLIP (3108 KB WMV)
I also
got to "demonstrate" the American Kestrel while Doris talked about it (see
DORIS IN FRONT, and RICK AND KESTREL, above; both images from the video
clip). (By the way, watch the video clip linked above, and you'll see and
hear Doris.) But, this or the Owl didn't compare, in my eyes, to being
able to be so close to the Caracara. Not only could I see it up close,
but I got to call it to me, and scratch its head. It was SO COOL!
The images below are frames from a video clip that was shot by Chuck
with my camera. Thanks, Chuck! By the way, we all had our caps backwards
during the program because the Owl didn't like the bills pointed towards
it.
-
-
-
-
-
-----VIDEO
CLIP (779 KB WMV)-----VIDEO
CLIP slow motion no sound (2,550 KB WMV)
According
to my Sibley's Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, on page 112,
the Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) is about 23 inches long, has a
wingspan of 49 inches, and weighs 2.2 lb. It feeds mostly on carrion, but
will take small reptiles and mammals. It searches for food by flying low
early in the day to find carrion before the vultures are flying.
I've seen other articles on the internet that refer to the Crested Caracara
as "Polyborus plancus", while my copy of The Encyclopedia of North American
Birds calls it "Caracara plancus". This bird is also called the "Mexican
Eagle" and appears on the flag of Mexico. It was so great for Doris to
pay us a visit! It's very important to remember that these birds
are not able to be released into the wild ever again, because they would
not survive. This was because of direct human intervention into their lives.
Although their situation is not the best, they can at least be used to
educate people about the problems our mighty raptors have to face.
It would be a terrible, terrible waste to lose any of these birds.
Doris
is a very unique individual, and at over 80 years old, is quite amazing
in her own right. To see more about Doris, you can go here,
here,
and here.
Doris gave programs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I went to the last one
on Sunday, and I'm so glad I did.
February
5, 12, 19, 26 and, March 5, 2006--
This
is how it started for me. On the morning of February 5, I walked down the
40 Acre Lake trail at BBSP. I passed Hoot's Hollow and continued
towards
the observation tower. On the way I met the Bird Hike group where
I spoke with David Heinicke and John Bradford. David and John and
the
bird hikers got to see a Bald Eagle from 40-acre lake pier. They were telling
me about it--still during their hike--when the eagle made another
appearance,
and we all got to watch it hovering at height of the rice, and scaring
the bejabbers out of various waterfowl. I was able to film a
little
of this, but it was pretty far away. Still, I was excited about seeing
the eagle. You can see this short
clip (wmv 3850kb) of the eagle in the morning.
The
image below is a frame from that clip.
------------------------------------
EAGLE 02/20/06
The
birders went on, and I moved to the tower, where Greg, a photographer who
frequently visits the park, came up. Then, for no particular
reason,
Greg and I talked and just looked out over Pilant Lake and the general
area of the Observation tower. We stayed there for about 5 hours.
There
was no need to go anywhere else, since a lot of things happened right there.
During
the day, the eagle came back, about 5 or 6 times. I actually lost count.
It seemed to always appear from the direction of the far
treeline
on Pilant Lake (North of the our position), and would fly up towards the
Mile Stretch (South). HOW COOL IS THAT?
Throughout
the day, Northern Harriers could be seen skimming above the tips of the
rice fields. Twice, we got to watch
as one,
then another of the Great Blue Herons picked up a large siren and ate it.
On one
of the eagle flybys, another raptor, an Osprey, began to harrass
the eagle, flying above it and dropping down at the eagle.
Finally,
the eagle had enough, and flew up towards the Harrier. They finally went
out of sight to the North over the far treeline.
A King
Rail sauntered by.
At another
time (remember this is ALL DURING THE SAME DAY), some park visitors were
talking to us, and one of them expressed disappointment
at not
seeing an American Bittern. Not long after this comment (maybe 5 minutes??)
Greg looked to the left, and an American Bittern was doing
the
"ninja step" across the trail, going from 40 Acre Lake to Pilant Lake,
and not more than 20 yards away. So, the no-longer disappointed visitors
rushed
over to see it.
On another
one of the eagle flyovers, it passed over us, quite high, and then
when it was over the corner of 40 Acre Lake, it turned back towards
us and
began diving towards the lake, looking like it might be targeting something
in the water just a little south west of the wooden bridge. This
put
the eagle right where I was almost looking into the sun--so a camera
was useless. Still, I could see its talons extended as it briefly descended.
But,
it broke off, still far above the highest tree, and flew up and continued
south.
Finally,
I guess around 3 o'clock, Greg decided to go look at Horseshoe Lake, and
I decided to head back to the VC. I saw him stop at the culvert
(yes,
the one right by the tower)and squat down and start shooting (turns out
he was trying to get a snipe), and I decided to try to shoot photos of
the
Bittern that had passed by before. I found the Bittern, and as I
was moving around a tree to get a better angle, I had a feeling, and I
looked
up.
The Eagle was making another pass, and was flying straight towards me;
but still out at the edge of the clearing in the rice. I wanted to move
back,
and looked down to be sure of my footing. I looked up, and I'd lost sight
of the eagle. I got back up on the trail quickly, and looked just in
time
to see the eagle flying over the trail on just the other side of the Observation
Tower. I watched it go by, let my eyes track down, and there
was
Greg pointing his camera up. He GOT it!
What
a cool day! You can see some of Greg's pictures from that day here.
There
are 7 pictures on that page. I'm pretty sure the first 6 were taken Feb.
5. There's a flock of waterfowl panicked by the approach of the
eagle
from the above background; 2 shots of the Osprey and Eagle; and 3 shots
of the eagle on that last approach as it flew over Greg.
That
day was just the start. On EVERY weekend (that's 4 Sundays in a row)
since then I've been able to see the Bald Eagle at least once. I've also
been
able
to watch Northern Harriers fying by. The two images below (HARRIER
BELOW, HARRIER ABOVE) are two frames from this video
clip (wmv 2152 kb)
that
I shot on February 12.
---------------
----------------------
----
HARRIER BELOW
HARRIER ABOVE
A little
later that same day (that's Feb. 12) I was able to see a Red-Shouldered
Hawk eating a frog. The images below are frames from video that I shot
of this hawk eating. I've made three shorter clips from this video. The
first image below (HAWK PICNIC) is from clip
one (wmv 2433kb).
-
-
-
-
----
HAWK PICNIC
FROG BETWEEN MY TOES
DINING UPSTAIRS
ABOUT TO FLY
The
next image (FROG BETWEEN) is from clip
two (wmv 2785kb). The last two images above (DINING UPSTAIRS, and ABOUT
TO FLY) are from
clip
three (wmv 7059kb). I've also been able to see other Red-Shouldered
Hawks hunting. And finally, I was able to see an Osprey hunting,
and
even got a far view of a successful dive and capture. The image below left
(HAWK SENTINAL) is a picture of a Red Shouldered Hawk that I photographed
on February 19. Next (HAWK FLYING) is a picture taken as it
flew off. These were taken right next to the Observation Tower.
---
------------
---
HAWK SENTINEL
HAWK FLYING
Earlier
on Feb. 19th, I was treated to a long sighting of a Bald Eagle hunting.
I didn't see a successful hunt, but watching the eagle work in the cold
and windy solitude of the park was a wonderful experience. The four images
below are taken from this video
clip. (wmv 20 mb). I haven't broken up the clip, so it's about 3 minutes
long, and pretty big. But I love watching the Eagle for those 3 minutes
or so; and I think you will, too.
-
-
-
-
----
EAGLE SLOW SWOOP
EAGLE HOVER
EAGLE DROP
EAGLE PASSES BY
Added
03/07/06: I mentioned
seeing an Osprey above. On Feb. 26, I was able to watch an Osprey hunting
over 40 Acre Lake. It usually didn't get very close, but the 25x optical
zoom on the camcorder brings it close enough to see.
The
image below (OSPREY PASSING) is a frame from this short
video clip (wmv 5676kb) of the Osprey. This new digital camcorder captures
"interleaved" video frames, which makes taking single frames from the video
very difficult.
-----
------
------
OSPREY PASSING BY
RED SHOULDERED HAWK
IT SEES ME
We were
able to watch the Osprey for a while, and it would do the "hover" maneuver
shown in the clip from time to time. The Osprey appears to be watching
intently
while hovering. We did see the Osprey dive, but it was on the other side
of the island. It came up with a fish, and ate it on a treetop.
On March
5th, I didn't get to see the Eagle (OK, maybe
not "the" Eagle, but perhaps one of the Eagles), but I saw a number of
Red-Shouldered Hawks before I went inside to present a program. I got a
few good photos of one of them. The pictures above (RED SHOULDERED, and
IT SEES ME) are cropped from the best one.
I'm
not a "birder", that is, a person with a strong interest in birds. I believe
I've stated that here before. But, like many people, I'm awed by the
beauty,
majesty and power of the raptors. Where; ANYWHERE; can one go to
see so many types of wild raptors actively hunting in their natural home?
It's
been terrific!
January
23, 2005
Today's RICKUBISCAM shows a Red-Shouldered Hawk in flight. An event like
this is difficult to catch on film, so the image is blurry. I hope that
you will find the pictures below a bit more satisfying. I was driving down
the "Mile Stretch" at Brazos Bend State park, when my attention was captured--for
some reason--by the top of a dead tree. I saw this (see WHAT'S UP THE TREE?,
below). As I drove by, I saw that it was a hawk! I drove a bit further,
then turned around, and drove past the tree again. The hawk remained in
place, so I turned around again, and slowly moved across from the tree.
Much to my pleasant surprise, the hawk didn't move, and I shot more pictures.
Look how the top plumage matches the bark pattern. I almost missed this!
These were shot with an Olympus C-750 (10x optical zoom).
-
-
-
-
WHAT'S UP THE TREE?
LOOKING BACK
LOOKING BACK-CLOSE
VIGILANT BEAUTY
VIGILANT--CLOSE
Although
I often encounter these hawks in the park, they are usually too far away
for me to see (or catch with a camera). I've mentioned before that I am
not a "birder". That is, I don't spend a lot of time watching and identifying
birds. But, there is something about the sight of a bird of prey (hawk,
eagle, owl, kestrel, even a shrike) that stops me dead in my tracks. It
was an fantastic treat to be just below this bird as it surveyed the area
with those piercing black eyes. After tolerating my presence for
about 10 minutes or so, the hawk took off, and the RICKUBISCAM picture
resulted from my attempt to catch it in flight. What a magnificent sight!
But, I always say that, don't I?
March
14, 2004
The image below (THE LEE OF THE STONE) shows an adult Great Horned Owl.
A pair of these beautiful birds had nested in the park some weeks ago.
I finally got over to see them Sunday, the 14th. I'm kicking myself for
not getting over there sooner, because it was raining most of the day Sunday.
I tried to take some pictures, but my lenses kept fogging up. But, I was
able to salvage the shot below for the RICKUBISCAM. The caption I used
for that picture, "the lee of the stone", is from the animated movie The
Secret of NIMH, and is where the "Great Owl" tells Mrs. Brisby (a mouse)
to move her house.
Once
again, I'm impressed by the diversity of animals one can see at Brazos
Bend State Park. Here are two more pictures of the adult owl (see BEAUTIFUL,
and STILL BEAUTIFUL, below). I was disappointed in my pictures, so
I went back to the park Monday (March 15). I had already had the day off,
since I was planning on filming alligator mating activity (but because
of the rain, I didn't try). The day was clearer, but the adult owl wasn't
in a clear spot for me to catch her. I was able to catch a picture
of one the the young owls, though, as it looked down at me from the tree
(see ARE YOU FOOD?, below). By the way, the two young owls had flown to
the next tree, when the day before all three were in the same tree.
-
-------------
---------
THE
LEE OF THE STONE
BEAUTIFUL!
STILL BEAUTIFUL!
ARE YOU FOOD?
January
04, 2004Today's
weather was not bad for a winter's day. Although overcast, it was near
70 degrees. After arriving at the park, I was invited to join a short expedition
(a few hours). The objective was to view a Bald Eagle's nest, hopefully
with adult eagles in or near it. After arriving at the site, we looked
around (I'd never seen a nest before). With my binoculars, I saw, off in
a tree (hundreds of yards away), a dark spot with a white spot over it.
How I was able to pick this out is a mystery. Anyway, the spotting scope
was brought over, and we took turns looking though it.
Let
me tell you how it felt when I peered into the eyepiece. There, up near
a break in the tree, was a Bald Eagle. Seeing this great bird through the
glass, as it surveyed the field, was quite moving. Actually, most raptors
have this effect on me. Their keen scrutiny, the strength and beauty of
their forms...these things always make me pause. Once, at Brazos Bend State
Park, I stood there gaping like an idiot as a Red-Tailed Hawk (I think)
flew down parallel to the islands, and moving up the pier numbers, came
right towards me (at the water station), and then turned over my head and
flew down the Spillway Trail.
Watching
this eagle at rest, though vigilant, was a fine experience.
Why? Maybe because we rarely see that which we hold in awe acting like
*we* might. "Taking it easy", so to speak. Also, I was fairly sure that
it could see us from all those hundreds of yards away.
In any
case, I took my turns looking through the spotting scope, and watched this
silent hunter as the wind ruffled its feathers from time to time. The nest,
by the way, was about 3 trees over from this one. The image below (FARAWAY
EAGLE) was the best I could do for a photo. I borrowed Dylan's telephoto
attachment and got this (thanks, Dylan!). Unfortunately, "digiscoping"
is still beyond my abilities with my camera.
After
returning to the park, I was able to get out on the trails for a while.
Alligators were out basking, although there was no sun, and some of them
seemed to be exactly where I saw them last week.
Nice
way to start a year!
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FARAWAY EAGLE
June
02, 2003
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CRESTED CARACARA
WHAT'S IT EATING?
I'M EATING! GET LOST.
On the
way to the park this morning, I saw this Crested Caracara eating in one
of the fields along FM762. Although I'm not a birder, I can't help
but admire the beauty of raptors, and raptor-like birds. Seeing one
of these fine animals close enough to take *any* kind of picture is a treat.
I'd gone past it, and decided to turn around to get a better look. Since
I remained in the car, so I wouldn't scare it off, I was in an awkward
position for taking pictures. It appeared to be eating something larger
than a mouse, that appeared stiff on the outside (perhaps a turtle or small
armadillo?). See the three pictures CRESTED CARACARA, WHAT'S IT EATING?,
and I'M EATING, above. I also have a short video clip (somewhat shaky because
I was in the car and without tripod). Click the link to see it. (cara1.flv
1160 kb),
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AMERICAN KESTREL
March
30, 2003
Above is a picture of the American Kestrel that we have at the park.
Isn't it beautiful? This is a captive bird, obtained from a rehabilitator
only after the correct permits had been applied for and granted (and this
is a state organization!). This Kestrel's wing was severely damaged
some time (years) ago by contact with a power line, rendering the Kestrel
unable to fly ever again. This is the only reason that this fine animal
can be legally kept at all. So, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT
IT!
If you'd like to know more about the park follow these links:
Brazos Bend State Park The main page.
Brazos
Bend State Park Volunteer's Page The
volunteer's main page.
Go back to my home page, Welcome
to rickubis.com
Go
back to the RICKUBISCAM page.
Go
back to the See the World
page.