Golden-fronted Woodpecker

The golden-fronted woodpecker is one of the most colorful woodpeckers found in North America. Their range extends from southern Oklahoma, through Texas and eastern Mexico and down into Central America. There are four different subspecies that vary slightly in color that were once considered different species. They are closely related to the more common red-bellied woodpecker and where their ranges cross the golden-fronted will aggressively defend their territory against the red-bellies. 

Golden-fronted woodpeckers are found in open to semi-open woodlands. In the U.S. this includes mesquite brush land, orchards, groves, along rivers, and second growth forests. They are omnivores with a diet consisting partially of insects (grasshoppers, ants,beetles and other insects) and the rest of fruits, seeds and nuts. This female was eating some of the fruit from a prickly pair cactus. These shots were taken earlier this year down in Texas' Rio Grande Valley.  

Happy BirthDay

Today, April 22, is Earth Day. It's a special day where we show our appreciation for the natural world and are more aware of the things that we need to do to preserve it.On Earth Day 2007 I began the Ecobirder Blog. During the past six years there have been good times and bad times, there have been days where I could not wait to share pictures and posts and days where it took almost every thing that I had to write a post for the day. During all this time many of you have visited often and left comments and encouragements for which I would like to thank you. With out you this blog would not be here. It has become kind of a tradition to share pics from the calendars that I make each year on this special day. So keeping with tradion here are the pictures from the 2013 Ecobirder Calendar. 

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO

Ferruginous pygmy owl San Miguelito Ranch, Tx

 Altamira oriole at Bentsen State Park, Tx

Sandhill crane colt Necedah NWR, Wi

Western grebe Bosque del Apache, NM

Cabbage white butterfly River Bend Nature Center, MN

Red-headed woodpeckers Necedah NWR, Wi.

Gold-fronted woodpecker  Santa Ana NWR, Texas.

 Pied-billed grebe Crex Meadows, Wi

Black Bear Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary, MN

 Gulf Fritillary Santa Ana NWR, Texas.

 Sandhill cranes Boque del Apache, MN

Northern Saw-whet owl Dodge Nature Center, MN

Thanks for a great year!

Tuesday Tweets - Santa Ana NWR

 The area around the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas is known as one of the best birding areas in the United States. Sitting in the midst of the Rio Grande Valley is the 2,088 acre Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. Santa Ana was formed in 1943 to protect habitat for migrating birds. The refuge has perhaps the most biodiversity of any area in North America with a bird list of about 400 species and a butterfly list half the species in North America.

There are numerous species of birds that are not found any where else in the United States then in the Rio Grande Valley. For most it is the most northern portion of their range. This adds to the spectacular birding opportunities that can be found at Santa Ana. Birds like the Fulvous whistling duck, top photo, and the golden fronted woodpecker, above, can often be seen on the refuge. Other species rare species that you might get a look at are hook-billed kites, groove-billed ani and the colorful green jay.

 Welcome to Tuesday Tweets! To join in the fun just post a photo of a bird and then link it by here by using the handy dandy link below. Then make sure you visit other sites to do a little bird watching.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

We just got back from our trip to Colorado and New Mexico last weekend but I have already begun to look into our next trip. In 2010 we went to south Texas at the beginning of March and it looks as though we may be returning their again next year. This time we are going to go about a month later so that perhaps we can catch some of the spring migration as it goes through Texas.
One of the birds that we enjoy photographing in Texas is the golden-fronted woodpecker. These colorful woodpeckers are native to Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico, and Central America. There are four different subspecies that can be differentiated by the color of the patch on the forehead as well as their location. These woodpeckers are omnivores eating fruit, nuts, seeds and insects. These photos were taken in Bentsen State Park in Texas.

Bentson-Rio Grande Valley State Park

No birding trip to south Texas would be complete with out a visit to the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Bentsen is comprised of 760 acres of wetland, scrub brush, riparian and woodland habitat. It is surrounded by 1900 acres of protected native habitat, 1700 acres of which are Federal Refuge lands.

Bentsen is located on the Rio Grande River. Centuries worth of Rio Grande River flooding has made the soil more hospitable, making it possible for large tracks of floodplain forest to flourish in the park, especially near the river. Some of the border markers, that fix the official border between the US and Mexico, are no longer very close to the Rio Grande demonstrating how the path of the river has changed over time.

Bentsen is also the headquarters for the World Bird Center. The World Birding Center is an organization that promotes conservation and ecotourism, centered primarily around birds, in the Rio Grande Valley. The WBC had many blinds and feeders set up in Benson to attract birds like this golden-fronted woodpecker.

Due to large tracks of different types of habitat Bentsen is a magnet for many of the different south Texas and northern Mexican specialty birds such as the Altamira Oriole.

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the best spots in the United States to go birding. The reason is because of the variety of birds. Many birds either spend the winter in the area or pass through while they migrate south, or back north. Besides the spectacular variety that you see during migration the Rio Grande is also the northern edge of the range of many different tropical birds. These birds are usually very colorful like this great kiskadee.

Bentsen is not only about the birds though. Javelina's take advantage of seeds that spill from the many feeders in the park. Even though they may look like it Javelina are not pics. Javelina are peccaries. Peccaries are native to North, South and Central America and have several differences from pigs originated from Europe, Asia and Africa.
Around the visitors center the staff has planted many native flowering plants in order to help attract humming birds and butterflies. Small ponds and pools in the park provide excellent habitat for dragonfly larva, some of which emerge as colorful adults like this red saddlebags.

If you are very lucky you may get a peek at one of the secretive cats that live in and around the park. Bobcats, like this young one that was crossing the road with its mother, are the most common wild cat in North America. Their smaller size, stealthy movement and the fact that they are crepuscular, active mostly at dusk and dawn, help keep them hidden from most people. This is the first wild cat that I have ever seen or photographed, a lifer. Michelle was not there to see them but she got her chance to see her first wild cat later in the trip.

Why go to Texas when Texas birds seem to be coming here.

Each year during the long Minnesota winter, Michelle and I go away for a week to some place that's a bit more warm and sunny for a vacation. I like to go places where I can see some birds that I don't get to see at home and Michelle likes to go any where that is warm, except places with a desert climate like Arizona or New Mexico. This year I went to the Bosque del Apache, in New Mexico, in January, by myself, and Michelle and I went to Monterey, Ca in February. I plan to post some pictures from these trips during the slower winter months so stay tuned.

We have begun to look at where we would like to go next year and one of the locations that we have been contemplating is south east Texas. We visited Texas back in the winter of 2004 and had a great time. There are many birds in south Texas that you just can't usually see anywhere else in the US. This is not as true this year as in years past. With in the past month 2 birds which are typically Texas natives have shown up here in Minnesota.

First one was the black-bellied whistling duck that showed up at the beginning of November here in the Twin Cities. This was not the first black-bellied whistling duck to visit Minnesota but they certainly are very rare here. I was able to get out and see it before it decided to head off to a better climate. Here is the post that I did with the pictures http://ecobirder.blogspot.com/2007/11/black-bellied-whistling-duck-at.html.

Later that same week reports came out that an Inca dove had been spotted up in Two Harbors. This was the first one recorded in Minnesota so I had to go up and see it. Here is the post that I did on the Inca dove http://ecobirder.blogspot.com/2007/11/first-ever-inca-dove-reported-in.html.

This past week the Minnesota press finally caught on about the importance of the Inca dove sitting. Minnesota Public Radio did an interview with Jim Lind who was the birder who first spotted the dove. The Minneapolis Star Tribune also did a story on the dove. However not all the press has been good, a local Twin Cities radio station 107.1 FM had their morning show, Ian and Magery, interview Sharon Stiteler, AKA birdchick. I did not hear the interview but several people that I know, who heard the interview, have made comments to me about how the hosts came off as condescending, even though Sharon did a great job at defending us birders. I guess I don't have to worry about listening to that station, I prefer to listen to the Stephanie Miller Show in the morning anyways.

Both the whistling-duck and Inca dove are fairly common in Texas and if we do decide to go there we will prolly see many of them but will not be the same. I am sure that it would sound geeky to Ian and Magery and they would prolly laugh at me, but going to see a bird, that made a miraculous trip to be the first one of it's kind to visit a new area, is kind of like getting to see a famous explorer or someone who went to the moon.

A trip to Texas this winter still would be worth it, after all we still have not seen a golden-fronted woodpecker here in Minnesota yet.

We will need to decide soon so that I can start making the reservations.