We started on the trails and walked to Alligator Lake in the back of the park before the levee. There is a heron roost here for Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Tricoloured Heron. There are at least 30 herons here and it is a community roost with the odd squabble occurring between the herons. The last time we were here, there was a token Green Heron here also. There was a Least Grebe on the water at this end of Alligator Lake. A Red-eared Slider turtle was resting in the sunshine on a rock.
We took some photos and then continued on to be shown by the park birder host the two Common Pauraques along the trail in the floor leaf and stick litter in the dark bush area. Both were snoozing as they normally do during the day. We took our photos. Dogs and walkers were passing right by. The birds were excellently camouflaged.
We went on to an overlook and across from us the king of Alligator Lake, a huge submarine of an alligator was resting on the shore. Many people were coming just to see the alligator. Gators seem to be the animal everyone wants to see. We continued on the path to the top of the levee and walked a while here. Thankfully it was breezy today so no bugs really except those attracted to Barbr. She did get more bites today. From the levee there is a huge vista and a big canal with Roseate Spoonbills, American Avocets, many ducks and shorebirds (Long-billed Dowitchers). One can see for miles. We continued the trail down from the levee and at a pond we found a handful of Glossy Ibis rooting in the mud. This was a surprise as Glossy Ibis was not on the birds-seen board at the visitor center. It was also the first time we saw Glossy Ibis on this trip.
The return trail to the visitor center reminded me that last time we were on this particular stretch of trail we saw the Vermillion Flycatcher flying in and out flycatching from a favourite tree/bush in the middle of a field. I looked and saw a red bird. With binocs up, it was the Vermillion Flycatcher. We took some photos from far away. The bird did not venture far from this tree shrub.
We made it back to the visitor center before noon. We looked around the pond in front of the visitor centrer and there were Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Mottled Ducks and American Coots. We decided to call it a day as it was hitting 92 by then. We went back to the car and got our lunch and had a very nice lunch talking to other birders in this new blind. There were few birds here, just the usual suspects.
There was a park volunteer painting the Sandhill Crane steps from the parking lot to the visitor center and this was not a hi-tech process but took accuracy and neatness to get these footprints done right. According to the volunteer, a Sandhill Crane showed up once at the park and they decided to use the bird's steps for directions.
We drove the long way home, going into stores that we wanted to stop at and take a look through. We arrived back at the Alamo shortly before 3 pm. We leave the Alamo Inn tomorrow morning for Laredo Texas and we plan to bird around Zapata and San Ygnacio on the way. That is the plan for tomorrow. We will be looking for Red-billed Pigeons, besides Seed Eaters, Zone-tailed Hawk to name a few.
It was good to chill out this late afternoon and normally we come home late at dusk with take-out supper and then start getting ready for the next day.
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