Stuck the Landing

By the time you read this we will have officially left the great state of Texas and if not all the way back to the Midwest Tundra, certainly withing striking distance. With some definite sadness, our winter migration has come to an end and now time to get back to the Intrigued HQ to get caught up on all the paperwork piling up since our departure – that and finally take down all the Christmas decorations ha! As a whole, it felt like a down year for birding in south Texas as there was relatively little to chase and some of our planned checks never materialized. There were a couple of new lifers (future posts) and a start that took us further west along the border than we have ever been. It was really that portion of our “migration” that elevated the entire birding experience and resulted in a rather stunning surprise.

On our last day in Texas I was able to tin a number of missing birds at Caddo Lake State Park (in our top 5 State Parks we have had the chance to visit). That haul stuck me firmly into third place in the top 100 eBirders in Texas this year with 244+3 checks. Extremely pleased with that accomplishment and I do owe Linda a lot of credit for getting me anywhere close to that level – she denies she is a birder, but she knows her “stuff” and Ron will confirm. As you have likely already assumed, third will be my high water mark with our departure. Best of luck to our many birding friends (old and new) that live in or staying longer in the region – this year we even managed to meet up with birders we know from back home (it really is a small world). The birding community down here is incredibly gracious and always willing to get you directly on a bird or relay the latest information – thank you!

I have plenty more to update everyone on, but there is plenty of time for that in future posts. Let’s get you to the real reason you find yourselves here – BIRDS. In honor of landing in the Texas top 5, going with a more literal interpretation of sticking the landing

Hit the jump to read more about this member of a squadron making their way back to base.

South Texas is known for their population of Brown Pelicans which spend a majority of their time along our coastlines, the Gulf and then down into South America. American White Pelicans have a much larger presence across western portion of the US and up into Canada for breeding. When the frisky season subsides, they tend to join their darker feathered kin in the south. Note, the Whites tend to go further inland than the Browns.

Although Cornell doesn’t really show it on their region maps, you will occasionally come upon large flocks..err, squadrons that choose to remain in the Midwest during the winter months – maybe they like how the snow covered ground compliments their white satin coverings.

By conjecture only, it seems like the population of White Pelicans has been increasing over the many years we have been making our own migrations down here. In the early years it felt like the Brown Pelicans were significantly outnumbering their much larger brethren. Each of the birding hotspots would have a small group of Whites (10 to 20) hanging together while Browns were thick in the air, dive bombing the nearby waters. Flash forward to our recent visits and it sure seems either the Brown populations have diminished or the Whites are inviting more and more of their relatives to come join them in the warm(er) temps in the south.

This population explosion phenomenon is quite evident at our favorite birding hangout in Port Aransas – the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. There were more than 30 of the plump white birds enjoying the waters when we were there last year and that has gone up even more on our visit there last week. I am aware that Browns prefer more deep water fishing, but there are usually good numbers either cruising through the area (or seen working the Pass from the birding center boardwalks) or taking a floating siesta in the center’s calmer backwaters, I do not have an explanation for the inversion of the numbers, just an observation – if you are in a position to confirm or contradict that assertion, please let us know in the comments!

Although the bombing attacks from the Brown Pelicans are a magnet for our big glass, the graceful landings of the White Pelicans are a joy to behold. For one of the largest birds in the US, they are well practiced in soft landings in the water. Best of all, their predictable landing process makes for some great opportunities for action shots. Oh, if you are wondering, the Whites come in, on average, 58 inches in length, 14.9 pounds while sporting a 105 inch wingspan.

To see those butterballs com gliding in on those giant wings and then softly descend into the water is an amazing sight. You can see from the shots they really do not disturb the water that much beyond their line of entry. Once they have brought the plane to a complete stop and turned off the seatbelt light, they fold those elegant flight wings into the body and commence their traditional lazy bobbing in the waves…

Usually with a slight genuflect and a facial expression that implies “Hold the applause paparazzi, I already know how cool I am!”

I have to say, I had a wonderful time photographing the multiple landings of the Pelicans at Leonabelle’s. The lighting was working in my favor as the day carried on giving me a chance to prevent the usual blowouts you get with these white dominant birds as they fly (or float) in and out of the light.

Honestly, I think this particular specimen was having as much fun hamming it up for the camera as I was snapping away. “Hey, how about a shot of my yella pouchie?”

I’ll call it a post there folks as I need to get to work on winterizing the RV. Plenty of cold still awaiting us in the Midwest..hmmmm…maybe I can convince Linda to head back down south…all that paperwork back at the HQ can certainly wait a few more weeks or give Brad a bonus for taking care of it for me. “Hey Linda, feel like ditching those winter coats for a bit longer?”…please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.