Aransas NWR Christmas Day

Christmas day, missing my family back in Midland and Odessa…

Decided to bird Aransas to try for the Painted Redstart and Long-tailed duck again.

As we searched around the VC, discovered a flock of 30+ Robin and Blue-headed vireo. No photos of either one. Hear Turkey calling and discovered about 10 grazing around the gazebo. They were so tame I walked right up and snapped photos for several minutes. They gobbled and I gobbled back, so they gobbled some more.

I could hear a familiar sound from across the road, had been listening to the redstart call on the 30 mile drive over from Goose Island. Had a helpful hint from a refuge volunteer as I searched the dense tree tops. Finally honed in on the sound, and once we had nailed the bird, he became very visible and posed for several minutes.

He became a real show-off dancing on the wind with fancy feathers on full display. We were able to point other visitors directly to the bird.

Dipped again on the Long-tailed Duck, never looked at so many Pin-tails, and they all have long tails, too.

At the observation tower, met a nice couple from Austin (and New Zealand) and provided an impromptu ID lesson based on body shape to help them snag a pair of Whoopers way out on the marsh.

We drove the auto loop, about 11 miles of grassy nothing in the way of birds other than Turkey Vultures. Most of the fresh water lakes and marshes have dried up due to the extended drought.

One more look at all the pintails near the fishing pier, but still no LTDU. Glad we were able to see one several years ago off Goose Island.