Birding Myakka River State Park: Brazos Bend State Park’s Florida Cousin

Posted January 4, 2014 by Chris Cunningham

Tricolored Heron with Warmouth at Myakka River State Park, Florida — *Too big? Tricolored Heron with Warmouth* at Alligator Point, Myakka River State Park, Florida. Alligator Point is on an oxbow lake. After trying to swallow the fish a few times, this bird eventually gave up and walked away. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light on a dark, gloomy day.

Over the past week we were able to spend a few days at Myakka River State Park (MRSP) in western Florida near Sarasota. We were struck immediately by similarities to Brazos Bend State Park, Texas (BBSP). Both are subtropical low-relief state parks centered around rivers and lakes. The winter water bird avifaunas are also similar–with a few exceptions, Wood Storks and Double-crested Cormorants having the most conspicuously different abundances at the two parks.

Over the years I have only seen one Wood Stork at BBSP. On the other hand, Wood Storks proved to be common at MRSP during our stay, and we were able to observe them in flight overhead, underwing hunting/fishing and “wing flashing” (herding aquatic prey by waving a wing) at Alligator Point. The oxbow lake at Alligator Point provides the birder or photographer an excellent vantage point to observe bird behavior deep off the beaten track—but watch out for poison ivy! Pied-billed Grebes are present in small numbers (relative to BBSP) at MRSP, but Double-crested Cormorants are abundant and making a living the way the grebes do at BBSP, namely diving after prey in shallow freshwater lakes.

Double-crested Cormorant at Alligator Point, Myakka State Park, Florida — *Double-crested Cormorant* at Alligator Point, Myakka State Park, Florida. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The prey are conspicuously different at these two parks, however. At this time of year at BBSP the birds seem to be consuming a mix of fish, amphibians (frogs and salamanders), and arthropods. At MRSP we only saw fish being taken–several species of gar, Tilapia, bass, and small catfish . . . although one Great Blue Heron was convinced he had a snake or Amphiuma salamander and pecked a poor stick to bits! The absence of crawfish prey struck me as remarkable, and I asked a ranger about it. He said that during the dry season, the crawfish remain in their burrows. Perhaps when the rains return and some the low-lying areas flood again, crawfish will be on the water bird menu.

In general, our time in western Florida has brought up a number of fascinating topics for thought, research, and future travel plans that will no doubt be discussed in this blog at some point in time. How are Tilapia (an invasive), for example, impacting the environment generally and wader diets in particular. Also, where are the amphibians? Could we be seeing another example of the global amphibian crisis? These questions make me want to bird this amazing park during other times of the year.

Wood Stork canopy fishing at Myakka State Park, Florida — *Double Wing Fishing(?) Wood Stork* at Alligator Point, Myakka River State Park, Florida. By creating a shadow, the under-wing-fisher can better see through the glare and spot prey beneath the surface. Reddish Egrets are best known for this technique, but this Wood Stork appeared to be using the same approach. The Wood Stork is considered an Endangered Species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

My parents didn’t want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty and that’s the law.–Jerry Seinfeld

Chinese Tallow Seeds: A Winter Food Resource for Birds

Posted December 28, 2013 by Two Shutterbirds

Myrtle Warbler eating Tallow wax — A Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle Race) scrapes white wax (vegetable tallow) from a Chinese tallow tree seed at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (Skillern Tract), Texas. Note that many seeds show signs of being scraped. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) is a foreign invasive native to China and Japan. However, it’s not uncommon to see birds like House Finches and White-winged Doves eating Chinese tallow seeds, or to see Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned warblers hunting insects and spiders among tallow leaves.

Chinese tallow fruits are three-lobed and contain three oily, wax-covered seeds. Recently Elisa caught Myrtle Warblers scraping wax from tallow seeds. Some birds even appeared to be squabbling over access to the choicest seeds.

Tallow seeds themselves are biochemically distinct from the wax coating, so birds consuming just tallow versus whole seeds will ingest different suites of compounds and receive different nutritional benefits. Chinese tallow seeds are more oil-rich than many seeds cultivated for human consumption such as soybeans, peanuts, and sunflower seeds, and show promise as the basis for a biodiesel industry in the U.S.

Many native plants lovers and land managers, however, consider the Chinese tallow a pestilence because of its hardy and invasive nature. Alarmingly, Chinese tallow trees now constitute 23% of all trees in the Houston area! Unfortunately Chinese tallows are highly invasive and here to stay. But on the up side, at a time of the year when arthropod abundance is at a low point, the Chinese tallow provides a vast nutritional resource for any birds capable of consuming its seeds.

White-winged Dove with Chinese Tallow seed in Houston — White-winged Dove with Chinese tallow Seed in Houston. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Irony regards every simple truth as a challenge.—Mason Cooley

Some 2013 Favorites: A New Collection

Posted December 21, 2013 by Two Shutterbirds

Immature Male Black-chinned Humminbird at Franklin Mountains State Park, West Texas. — *Immature Male Black-chinned Hummingbird* at Franklin Mountains State Park, West Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

In this new collection, we show off some favorites from our 2013 birding adventures. Enjoy!

Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. —Henry David Thoreau

Mottled Ducks: Threatened by Man and Nature

Posted December 14, 2013 by Chris Cunningham

Female Mottled Duck at Rockport, Texas — *Portrait: Female Mottled Duck* at Rockport, Texas. Male and female Mottled Ducks are quite similar looking. Females have an orangish bill (often with varying degrees of black mottling, especially near the base), whereas males tend to have more yellowish bills without black mottles. This female’s bill is relatively free of black mottles. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized flash.

Male Mottled Duck at Rockport, Texas. — *Portrait: Male Mottled Duck.* Male Mottled Ducks are sometimes described as having “cleaner” faces than the females. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized flash.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we took a short road trip to Corpus Christi and environs, specifically with the hopes of seeing ducks, waders, and shorebirds. At Rockport, Texas I observed a small group of Mottled Ducks hanging around in the shadows under a dock. We see Mottled Ducks from time to time, but seeing these birds up close got me to reading more about them: they are unusual for a number of reasons. These dabblers are rather drab and show little sexual dimorphism relative to some other ducks. They are also non-migratory and reproduce in Southern marshes, rather than at higher latitudes like most other North American ducks.

Their status is of “least concern,” although their estimated numbers are only in the tens of thousands in Texas, a major part of their range. Mottled Ducks do have an unusually limited geographic range, essentially around the Gulf of Mexico, across Florida, and with an introduced population in South Carolina. There are actually two subspecies of Mottled Ducks: Anas fulvigula maculosa (Alabama to Veracruz, Mexico) and A. f. fulvigula (Florida). Numerous references suggest that Mottled Ducks, like many species, are under threat from habitat destruction such as the draining of marshes. Conventional wisdom has it that habitat destruction is more of a threat than human hunting—although seeing internet images of piles of shotgun-blast killed Mottled Ducks leads me to question that. Apparently some duck hunters collect bands, and Mottled Ducks are a heavily banded species (about 5%) thus making them a popular target.

Mottled Ducks are part of the “Mallard complex,” a group of approximately 20 closely-related species and subspecies of ducks. As a result, Mottled Ducks face another unusual challenge: gene flow from feral introduced Mallards. These “pen-raised” released and escapee Mallards generally do not migrate to northern breeding grounds. Naturally sexually aggressive male feral Mallards are interbreeding with local Mottled Ducks, thus undermining the genetic isolation of the latter and producing infertile hybrids. This problem is most significant in Florida, leading some to fear for the extinction of the Florida subspecies, although there are reports of hybrids from other areas, including Texas.

Only time will tell if the relentless crush of human ecological trouble-making will spare these lovely creatures.

Mated pair Mottled Ducks at Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. — Are their best days behind them? *Mated Pair of Mottled Ducks* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Male and female Mottled Ducks are easy to tell apart at a distance. In addition to different bill color, females tend to have a darker, more distinct eye-line and sometimes a more distinct black “fleck” just behind and below the eye, which at a distance can almost resemble a tear-drop. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

I want to interpret the natural world and our links to it. It’s driven by the belief of many world-class scientists that we’re in the midst of an extinction crisis… This time it’s us that’s doing it.–Frans Lanting

Late Fall Texas Coastal Birding: Cool Weather, Cool Light

Posted December 7, 2013 by Chris Cunningham

Black Skimmers in Flight at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Black Skimmers in Flight* at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Surely one of the most otherworldly creatures in Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

By late fall, most traces of punishing summer have gone, and the bird photographer can think more about birds and light and less about heat, mosquitos, chiggers, and biting flies.

Great Egret in Flight at Dos Vacas Muertas, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Great Egret in Flight at* *Dos Vacas Muertas,* Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

On some seasonal days, cold weather high altitude cirrus clouds–diaphanous veils of ice crystals–act like natural diffusers, reducing glare without sacrificing vibrance of color. This cool winter light is perfect for shorebird colors: black, white, and shades of gray. Even on dreary cumulonimbus days, when light is not optimal, chill breezes keep land and sea fresh and invigorated, and this glory shall persist until . . . March.

Sanderling showdown at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Sanderling Showdown at East Beach*, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.–Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

Hunting: Gallinule Style

Posted November 30, 2013 by Elisa Lewis

Female_Purple_Gallinule_hunting_aquatic_leaf_beetle — An aquatic leaf beetle, *Donacia* sp., tries (and ultimately fails) to escape the Purple Gallinule jaws of death.

I’ve been looking forward to putting this post together since I took these photos on the first day of fall this year. I just love it when all the tumblers fall in place and I capture an interaction that tells a story. I was camped out along the banks of Elm Lake at Brazos Bend State Park watching Purple Gallinules methodically turning over what seemed like each and every lotus leaf in their paths. Grab; step; fold; hold. Grab; step; fold; hold. Again and again, they applied the technique as they criss-crossed back and forth across the carpet of lotus leaves. I assumed they were hunting but, for what? Strangely enough they ignored the aquatic snails conspicuously stuck to the undersides of the overturned lily pads. The snails looked pretty good to me, and snails are on the typical Purple Gallinule menu – along with seeds, insects, crustaceans, fish, eggs, and marsh bird nestlings (!) – but they passed on the snails. Not even a “no thank you” helping. It wasn’t until I was able to look at my photos closely that I was able to identify the special of the day – aquatic leaf beetles.

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Over a period of about an hour and a half, I captured 17 unique predator-prey interactions and nine of those involved Donacia, the aquatic leaf beetle. Two involved fish and the remaining four menu items – unidentified. This juvenile Purple Gallinule found its beetles either sandwiched between overlapping lotus leaves or nestled within enrolled emergent lotus leaves. I also saw the gallinule peek inside the rolled up leaves presumably checking for beetles before ripping a small hole in the side to extract the snack. (I’ll post that series later.)

Female Purple Gallinule peeking under a lily pad — Come out, come out, wherever you are! An immature Purple Gallinule looks for aquatic leaf beetles under American Lotus leaves on Elm Lake at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas.

Blue Dashers: Dragonflies for All Seasons

Posted November 23, 2013 by Chris Cunningham

Male Blue Dasher in obelisk posture, Houston, Texas — *Male Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) in Obelisk Posture*, Houston, Texas. Photo taken on a broiling late July afternoon. This posture has been implicated in territorial displays and thermoregulation. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Certain living organisms conjure scenes of the past in my paleontologist’s brain. Seeing a pelican skimming the crests of waves over Galveston Bay spark thoughts of pterosaurs gliding above the Cretaceous Niobraran Sea of western Kansas. Dragonflies bring visions of sweltering Late Paleozoic coal swamps teeming with monstrous arthropods.

Despite knowing that some insects are endothermic (“warm-blooded”) and are active over a wide range of temperatures, I was surprised to see a variety of active dragonflies on a recent chilly mid-November day at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Perhaps this surprise was because of my bias toward thinking of dragonflies as a hot weather phenomenon.

In general, dragonflies fall into two types: “flyers” and “perchers.” Flyers like Green Darners (Anax junius) are endotherms, their elevated body temperatures largely the result of physiological processes supporting their highly active lifestyles. Perchers like Blue Dashers typically are closer to what are commonly called ectotherms, or “cold-blooded” organisms. These creatures regulate their body temperatures primarily through behavioral mechanisms like basking in the sun to raise body temperature, or conversely, as in the case of Blue Dashers, adopting the “obelisk posture.” In the obelisk posture, the abdomen is pointed toward the sun, thus decreasing the profile illuminated by the sun.

In any case, a major source of avian nutrition has stretched much deeper into the cool weather than I expected—and with it my dragonfly photography!

Female Blue Dasher at Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas in mid-November. — *Female Blue Dasher* *Dragonfly on a Chilly Morning* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas in mid-November. The temperature was in the upper 40’s ℉. I have seen these same insects acting more or less the same—alternately basking and hunting—on days when the temperature was well over 100℉. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

“I tried to discover, in the rumor of forests and waves, words that other men could not hear, and I pricked up my ears to listen to the revelation of their harmony.”—Gustave Flaubert, November

Another Snowy Egret Fishing Technique

Posted November 16, 2013 by Chris Cunningham

Gaping Snowy Egret at Elm Lake, Brazos Bend State Park. — *Gaping Snowy Egre*t at Elm Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. This bird spent the morning on the shore shadowing Pied-billed Grebes as they hunted. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Snowy Egrets are known for shuffling their bright yellow feet in the shallow water to scare up dinner. This summer I also caught one employing a bubble-blowing hunting technique to attract invertebrates and small fish.

On Saturday (11/2) at Elm Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas I noticed another Snowy Egret fishing/hunting strategy that was new to me–and one that also involves scaring up prey. The egret shown above tracked Pied-billed Grebes back and forth as they chased fish and crawfish in the shallows, perhaps 3-4 feet from the shore. Likely fish and invertebrates scatter as grebes go swimming past–and likely this egret was making use of this to pick off prey responding to the grebes. During this shadowing behavior, the egret was quite good at predicting just where the grebe would surface. Perhaps the grebes were visible, at least sometimes, from the egret’s vantage point? Or was this wader ESP? In any case, the egret would often dash to a position on the shore closest to where the Grebe would suddenly emerge from the water.

Commensalism, a symbiosis in which one organism benefits and another is largely unaffected, is likely the label an ecologist would place on the above relationship. But could it be mutalism? Did the grebes benefit from the presence of the egret? Perhaps the egret could have revealed the presence of predators lurking in the shallows or the weeds? Did the grebes have one eye out on a friend on the shore who might signal (through behavior) the presence of an alligator lurking on the shore otherwise undetected? Or a nasty old alligator gar floating, log-like in the shallows? Perhaps the egret chased prey items (like plump juicy frogs) from the shoreline into the water? Food for thought.

Pied-billed Grebe with Red Swamp Crawfish at Elm Lake, Brazos Bend State Park. — *Pied-billed Grebe with Red Swamp Crawfish* at Elm Lake, Brazos Bend State Park. Note the large blob of water frozen in mid-air by high shutter speed as this grebe engaged in an epic struggle with a crawfish one-third its size. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.–FDR

Photographing Birds in Flight at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas

Posted November 8, 2013 by Chris Cunningham

Osprey in Flight, East Beach, Galveston island, Texas. — *Osprey in Flight*, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC): ISO 640, 0 EV, f/9, 1/2500, tripod; IS Mode 2.

The best technique for shooting birds in flight (BIF) arguably involves spotting a bird at distance and then tracking it in the viewfinder until it fills a significant part of the frame. For this technique to be employed, the photographer must be able to predictably track the bird over a long distance without significant obstructions. A large number of birds following along a similar glide path is also helpful. Because of these requirements, getting BIF shots is highly dependent upon a special place.

Wave Skimmer: Brown Pelican in Flight at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Wave Skimmer:* Brown Pelican in Flight at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC): ISO 500, 0 EV, f/9, 1/3200, tripod, IS Mode 2.

East Beach, Galveston is such a place. Numerous shorebirds and waders typically fly parallel to the shore. Obstructions are few–mainly ships that appear in the background. The morning sun is at your back while you shoot toward the sea. And after a blue norther, with a cold wind in your face the place is . . . paradise.

Snowy Egret in Flight, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Snowy Egret in Flight*, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC): ISO 500, 0 EV, f/9, 1/3200, tripod; IS Mode 2

The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.–Jules Verne

Fall 2013 Songbird Migration Tapers Off

Posted November 2, 2013 by Chris Cunningham

Portrait: Pine Warbler. Pine Warblers were the only warblers I saw at Lafitte's Cove last weekend. — *Portrait: Pine Warbler*. Pine Warblers were the only warblers that I saw at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island last weekend (10/26). Canon EOS 7D/600 f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island was a-hoppin’ with half a dozen warbler species the weekend before last (10/19), but last weekend (10/26) only Pine Warblers were in attendance. Technically a “partial migrant,” Pine Warblers winter on the Upper Texas Gulf Coast–one of only a few warbler species that do so. We have, once again, arrived at a time when the Neotropical migrants are mostly back or well on their way back to the tropics.

Likewise, intracontinental migrants are still moving through or settling into their winter Texas homes. Of these North American wanderers, I most look forward to the ducks and can’t wait to hit their hot spots along the Texas Coast like Rockport, the Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge City Park (Corpus Christi), and the Birding Center on South Padre Island. Loons and grebes, too, will soon begin arriving in Galveston Bay and environs, imparting a definite northern feel to the coastal Texas waterscape.

Munching Seeds: Female Indigo Bunting at Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas — *Munching Seeds: Female Indigo Bunting* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Indigo Buntings accompanied the latest wave of migrating warblers to hit the Texas Gulf Coast. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

“When you’re young you prefer the vulgar months, the fullness of the seasons. As you grow older you learn to like the in-between times, the months that can’t make up their minds. Perhaps it’s a way of admitting that things can’t ever bear the same certainty again.” ― Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot

Fall Migration: Late October Birding on the Texas Gulf Coast

Posted October 26, 2013 by Two Shutterbirds

Nashville Warbler, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Nashville Warbler* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. The gloomier recesses of the vegetation around the dripper can provide some atmospheric lighting. Canon EOS 600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Last weekend the dreary weather pattern finally broke (we just stepped out of the car at Lafitte’s Cove as the trailing edge of the first real arctic blast passed overhead, blue skies behind), and we made the most of it. On Saturday afternoon we observed American Redstarts, Nashville, Magnolia, Canada, Black and White, and other warblers. White-eyed Vireos and Indigo Buntings were everywhere. Sunday we traveled to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.

Male American Redstart at Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Male American Redstart* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Many older references tout how “common” this bird is. Perhaps these citations harken back to the Age of “Before Humans Destroyed the World”? Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized flash.

Anahuac NWR was a bit more challenging on the biting fly front–at one point Chris was swinging the 600mm lens around to frame a Swainson’s Warbler when five or so biting bugs nailed him on the face thus breaking concentration . . . the bird flew off without a single shutter click. On the upside we walked away with nice Vermilion Flycatcher and Common Yellowthroat shots. We can’t wait to get out again!

Portrait: Young Cooper's Hawk at Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Portrait: Young Cooper’s Hawk* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

A note to our subscribers: We are aware that the images in the e-mail notifications for new posts are being cropped on one side. The problem appeared suddenly out of the blue several weeks ago. Last week, we thought (erroneously) that we had the problem fixed. This week we have tried another approach–perhaps it will work.

Texas Flycatchers: A New Collection

Posted October 18, 2013 by Two Shutterbirds

Least Flycatcher at Lafitte's Cove during spring migration 2013 — *Least Flycatcher* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas during spring migration 2013. Canon EOS 7D/600 f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Surely flycatchers must be counted among the most interesting birds to watch as they “hawk” insects from mid-air above land or water, or swoop down to the grass to snatch prey and then return to their perches to consume it. In this new collection, we include images primarily from the Texas Gulf Coast and Rio Grande Valley. Enjoy!

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. — *Yellow-bellied Flycatcher* at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.–E. O. Wilson

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