Non-birding Birding

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One of the (many) things I like about living in our part of southeast Texas is that I get to see quite a few birds without going on birding walks or trips. Last week produced a couple of typical examples.

I took Dee to have some tests done at a local hospital and, while I waited for her, I strolled over to a small artificial lake on the hospital grounds. Among many exotic ducks, I spotted some Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, including one with a damaged wing.

The injured bird was accompanied by a duckling.

Nearby a female Great-tailed Grackle was also looking the worse for wear.

Barn Swallows were swooping over the water, male Great-tailed Grackles were swaggering around, and male Red-winged Blackbirds (below) were singing from treetops.

A Great Blue Heron flew over.

Just as I turned to walk away, a Green Heron flew down onto the grass below me.

Not bad birding for 15 minutes outside a hospital!

A couple of day's earlier I had spent some time sitting in a parking lot waiting for Dee to emerge from a visit to the dentist. A small clump of trees in front of me was surprisingly empty of birds. Then I realized why: A Red-shouldered Hawk was sitting in the trees while its mate was circling high overhead.

The hawk let me approach and take a couple of photos before it took offense and flew off. A minute later its mate landed in another tree.

Birding doesn't get any easier than that!
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