Look, a Crested Scare-a-Scara

Probably one of the hardest elements of putting on our annual haunted trail is the aftermath. During the prep and build out I am full of energy and excitement. A whirlwind of ideas, tasks and problem solving all rolled up into a giant orange and black ball. Then the party is just pure fun..well, after dealing with all the late hour gremlins that always find a way to test my wits. On the second night, the last of the guests leave, we power down the haunt and at some point my tired body is reacquainted with the bed. A day of rest usually follows thanks to a mysterious magnetic pull embedded in the very fibers of the pillow – someone should really figure out how to harness that power! Then the post party hangover kicks in. Gone is the pre-event excitement – it is grind time as everything has to be hauled back up into the out-building for drying and then the masterclass sessions of packing and organizing. Fortunately, “grinding” is my superpower which has served me well over the years, work, ultras and the draining work of unplugging everything, disassembling the props and hauling them out of the valley. That part of the work is done now and just waiting out the drying phase (you do NOT want moisture in your storage bins). While that is happening, jumping back into the blog work with today’s featured feathered friend.

Crested Caracara found at Anahuac NWR in Anahuac, TX March 2024

Hit the jump to learn more about this interesting Falcon sporting the orange and black colors of the season.

Continue reading Look, a Crested Scare-a-Scara

Friends in Low Places

Greetings everyone! Back from my trip up north and therefore now have access to my personal bird reference library. What to do, what to do… oh, how about a post featuring another new check on my North American birding list. My count has received a serious steroid injection this month thanks to some very productive trips to the Lone Star state.

Crested Caracara shot in Rockport, Texas December 2016

This particular find was encountered while visiting Rockport, Texas back in December 2016. Specifically, this was located in a small coastal neighborhood near Goose Island State Park. We became acquainted with this area thanks to a very friendly and helpful hotel clerk we befriended on a previous trip to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. We were bummed we had not spotted a particular bird while checking out the refuge earlier in the day. Noting our disappointment she bestowed an extremely useful piece of information. We’ve been every visit since then.

Crested Caracara shot in Rockport, Texas December 2016

Hit the jump to read more about “The King”

Continue reading Friends in Low Places