A Few Odds and Ends

The 2009 ABA Convention started in earnest this evening, but I have birded on my own most of the past two days, with Port Aransas as my target. I have seen lots of good birds, and have managed to take some good photographs as well. While I will take a "serious" look at my growing collection of photos once I return, here are a few that I thought would share "as is" - only resized for posting to the blog.

First up, from a visit to Port Aransas Birding Center, is a Reddish Egret caught in "mid-dance". This species of bird is very active in its pursuit of food, holding its wings out for balance, leaping, lunging and generally taking a no-holds-barred approach. Quite different from the stealthy stalking of a Great Blue Heron.

This shot of a Painted Bunting was the best I could manage. I saw him at a tiny little gem called Paradise Pond. I went there two days in a row. The Painted Bunting dropped into this patch of foliage, and all I could see was his pretty face through that window in the leaves.

While trying to get a better shot of the Painted Bunting, I managed to discover some type of amphibian in the same foliage. Only this critter was on the opposite side of a leaf from me. I spied his body, silhouetted against the leaf, and took this photo.