Sunday, June 17, 2012

Houston Exotics

 Bill and I decided to take a tour of the "exotics" of Houston.  Fred Collins posted the locations of where he took a group on a field trip, so off we went.

The first stop was Monsignor Joseph A Forienza Park at Eldrige Parkway and the Westpark Tollway.  We first spotted a Western Kingbird in a tree. 

Next we found a Loggerhead Shrike.


Then walking along, we found the Monk Parakeets that we came looking for.  Hurricane Ike wiped out the ones on our side of town.  They were playing in the grass as people jogged by them!





We found a Western Kingbird on a nest in the powerline.

At Robert Storey Park we found Orange Bishops but I was not able to get photoes.  But did get a photo of a Cave Swallow.


Then off to the Houston Heights.  We had looked for the Red Vented Bulbul previously without luck.  This time we found them around the corner from where they had been seen.



Off to Deussen Park we went.  Here is a domestic goose that was actually wild.


Bill spotted the Halloween Pennant Dragonflys.




Then we found what we were looking for - The Fish Crow.  It was raining so I got it while it sat on a fence.



Next up was Rancho Bauer Drive close to where I  used to live in West Houston.  We hard there were Peafowl in the neighborhood.  They have been living in the wild here since 1980.  They roam the neighborhood and Buffalo Bayou.   We found a mother with some you.



Some gorgeous male Peafowl, commonly known as Peacocks.

This one has an odd feather pattern.



Gorgeous!