The air warmed up and the winds died down so I headed to Estero Llano Grande State Park, a World Birding Center site. And it might be my favorite because of it’s compactness and plentiful water features. Birding was fair, most importantly the sun was out and I got some warmth and outdoor walking time.
I was happy to find yellow-crowned night herons there. Besides liking the bird which is not easy to find, the only other place I’ve found them reliably has been alongside a busy highway, so it was nice to find them in a more relaxed setting.
A pauraque is a robin-sized bird that is a master of camouflage, better than the bittern which is saying a lot. They are found at Estero Llano very reliably by standing at the right spot on the trail and looking at your toes. You’ll stare for a bit before your brain finally resolves a bird in your vision, sitting on the ground. They’re pretty confident in their camouflage as they’ve been sitting in the same spot for years. They are an amazing adaptation because they are so invisible. Even when you finally see them (just feet from your eyes), they can disappear again blended into the ground scrub.
Another mini cold front coming through tomorrow, then it should be back to normal around here.