Van Gogh immersion experience

We went to this exhibit today, unsure of what we might experience. It was incredible. We were inside Van Gogh's work.

Grackles

I think I sorted out Great tailed and Boat tailed Grackles at Celery Fields Audubon Center I. Sarasota. The Boat tailed is much more iridescent.

One last thought

My car smells a little like dirty socks.

Is Portly A Bad Thing

Guides at Santa Ana Refuge pointed out that White tipped Doves' call sounds like blowing across the top of a Coke bottle. It is a lovely sound. I'm using  several apps for birding. The most important of course, is ebird. It's where most birders keep their lists. Inez and nancoix turned me on to Merlin and its sound recordings. I find it is mostly correct although the photos not so much. Nancoix also uses Birdseye which I'm finding useful. That app has bird descriptions by Kenn Kaufman and he says White tip Doves are hard to see, portly Doves that are more often heard than seen. At Santa Ana I kept seeing Doves that walked like pigeons, you know that kind of swagger? That's what I was seeing all over the place. These aren't doves but i guess i didn't take a photo.

That last picture was the wall

It seems designed to block non-flying species, water, debris that backs up from floods. On a more cheerful note here are 2 adult Plain Chachalacas teaching their chicks to pick insects (I assume) out of the walls at the visitor center.

Two weeks on the road-some thoughts

Random Thoughts. South Texas until I got to South Padre Island might as well have been Mexico. Mostly Latinos, small towns with signs in Spanish. And that beautiful river winding through the countryside. The Texas wall seems more permanent and more of a blockage than in AZ.

Florida!

From Louisiana to Mississippi to Alabama to Florida in a few hours. No sign of storms in this clear blue sky. It's pretty hot.

Fleeing Storms

More thunderstorms with tornadoes headed this way. Two days of long driving should get me to Florida before they begin. No more lollygagging for me.

It's spring in the south, y'all

waiting for the fog to lift

Coffee at PJs in Lake Charles while the morning fog burned off. Dr. John in the CD player (yes, Cathy, some of us do have CD players). I feel like I need to get out and dance. Let's see what birds I can find in the loosiana bayous.

Goose Island State Park

I was prepared to dislike everything about Texas but I have to say that the state parks are glorious. The rangers and volunteers are unfailingly helpful and friendly. The on line reservation site works. And they have some really good birds.

One more thing about Texas

They have really boring license plates.

Whooping Cranes

This was an incredible boat tour. Captain Tommy knew all the birds, not just the cranes

Green Jay

My sister-in-law, Marty is an artist, a potter and photographer. She suggested I could do a little better in the photography department so here is a Green Jay at Estero Llano Grande.

Ten days on the road

I left Tucson on March 13 and I have bought gas 4 times for a total of $136.81. I have to fill up so seldom I'm afraid I'll forget to.

Monk Parakeets

I searched a number of places for these guys but some of the information I had was old. Finally located them in a neighborhood adjacent to the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse, one of the 9 sites in the World Birding Center. 

I can't believe how much stuff a Prius can hold

This one is for Page

I'm pretty sure she didn't believe me when i described Scissortail Flycatchers. I'm known for my bad bird photos but i took this through the windshield in wind gusts of 25 miles per hour. 

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Yesterday I took the tram ride around the Refuge and went back this morning for the bird walk. It was one of the best I've been on as far as the guides being knowledgeable. This is a tract of virgin growth with a number of rescas, the Spanish word for what we call oxbow lakes. And gorgeous Spanish moss.

Borders.

This is the Rio Grande River bordering the town of San Ygnacio Texas. It's a bird sanctuary. I was approached by two young men in military camouflage carrying big guns in an unmarked white pick up. Not the first I've seen. This border seems so stupid. I imagine humans crossed this river for centuries.

Now I really Don't Know What Day it is.

I made reservations for 2 nights at Falcon Lake State Park near Zapata Texas but I made them for the wrong days proving there are real life ramifications for not knowing what day it is. I switched from a campsite to a shelter which is the height of luxury.

who Knew a Little Place in the Dirt would Feel Like Home?

Best laid plans and all that

Thanks to Inez Whipple for spending the first night of my adventure in Cave Creek with me. We boondocks next to some very nice people because all the campgrounds were full.

The good news is we saw a Montezuma Quail sitting in the road. Lifer for Inez.

 My last Tucson walk for a few months. I went east from Columbus on the usual route along the wash. Lots of people out. I was hoping for a "see you later"glimpse of a Greater Roadrunner. Here is a very bad photo (typical for my bird photos) of a Roadrunner from last year.

Alas, not sighting but I did find something to make me smile.

Thanks to whoever took the time to make this on the path.

I'm Pretty Sure I Know What Day It Is...

Daylight Savings time begins today, but not in Arizona so as I head east I'll have to figure out what time zone I'm in and what time it is in Arizona on March 22 when I attend the first LD18 meeting.

My Imitation of a Turtle

 My Imitation of a Turtle

How much can I actually fit into a Prius Prime?