Mission, TX– Part 2

Usually at this point, I say I am behind in my blogging.  But can you believe this?   I am actually ahead in my blog.  I had planned on doing part 2 of my Mission, TX blog after I left (which is what I typically do), but I am writing this a couple of days before leaving.  I figured I don’t have anything too exciting planned for the next couple of days, unless you count getting ready to move again, so I decided to go ahead and do it.

I went back to Estero Llano Grande and did another bird walk.  While waiting for it to begin, I saw more Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  If you remember in my last blog, I posted a picture of one.  This time 15 – 20 flew in and landed on a tree.

The day I did the walk, it was a fairly chilly morning.  The butterflies had not woken up yet.   These are Queen Butterflys.

Just around the corner from the campground is the National Butterfly Center.  I only went there once as you can see many of the same butterflies in the campground or at the State Park next door.   While there I saw this green butterfly/moth enjoying the nectar from a Lantana flower--

I looked on-line to verify what I thought the following was --

Look closely – it’s 2 butterflies and they are mating!

In my last blog, I mentioned that I was going to search for the Red-Crowned Parrots and I found them.   I would guess that 200 or so parrots flew in to Oliveria Park in Brownsville the evening that I was there.  They ate for a few minutes and then headed to some trees across the park to sleep for the night. 

 

Mixed in with the Red-Crowned Parrots were a few Yellow-Headed Parrots.

On the same day I saw the Parrots, I first went to Sabal Palms Sanctuary in Brownsville.  I did a bit of hiking and I saw a Crimson Collared Grosbeak.  This is a rare bird for the U.S. and many people went to the park just to see him.   It’s not a great picture, but I only saw him for 30 seconds or so and some of that time he was flying.

I saw the sign for the entrance to the Park and didn’t quite get it until I paid more attention when I left.

“Through the Fence, Over the Levee  -- No Passport Needed”??  I knew I was very close to the border but …

The above is a picture of the Border Fence.  I think this is the first time I have ever seen it and I guess I always thought it was actually on the border. In this case the park was between the fence and the Rio Grande (the border of the U.S. and Mexico). The gate was open, but there was a Border Patrol Agent beside it. 

Another day, I went to Quinta Mazatlan.  This is a 1930’s Adobe home and garden that is now a part of the World Birding Center.   While there I saw a Cedar Waxwing.  I was talking to some people there who said they were common where they live, but I think this is the first one that I have seen.

 

I am going to break this up into 2 parts as I have too many pictures.