Sharing a little love with the Whooping Cranes in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. They come down from Alberta to spend the winter.
The refuge is the most significant breeding area for the rare crane and depends on fresh water from the Guadalupe River (which runs through the town I live in) to feed the marshes. The Aransas Project is working to make sure the waters make it all the way to the mouth of the river.
We took a cruise with Captain Tommy Moore on the Skimmer. He’s an amazing bird spotter and supporter of the Whooping Cranes. The boat is outfitted perfectly for bird watching, and the combination of environmental education and entertainment is just right.
In addition to observing two pairs of whooping cranes, we also sighted two dozen other species of birds. And that’s not counting any of the ducks!
The (fairly) complete list follows. I plan to add a few more pictures when I get home. Now, I’m heading out for “birthday” brunch at Cheryl’s By The Bay in Rockport. We were planning dinner out last night but were too ready to crash to get all dressed up.
Birds Sighted Jan. 21 in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge:
Crested Caracara
Cormorant
Whooping Crane
Curlew
Dowitcher, long-billed and short-billed
Great Egret
Reddish Egret
Peregrine Falcon
Godwit
Eared Grebe
Herring Gull
Northern Harrier
White-tailed hawk
Great blue heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Osprey
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Plover (several kinds)
Roseate Spoonbill
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
by Chronic Mom
22 Jan 2012 at 22:15
Sounds like a great way to spend the day! Thanks for the tip!
by Wildboutbirds - Nina
24 Jan 2012 at 07:28
It sounds like a beautiful day. I always love to see all the varieties of birds, ducks, shore birds and butterflies too. Happy Birthday too!