Day 4, Silver argiope / Argiope argentata, Bishop City Park, South Texas

Calgary is under a Winter Storm Warning (27 April 2019). "Hazardous winter conditions are expected. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow." The snow hasn't arrived here yet - all we have had (so far?) has been a few minutes of sleet. Early evening, wow, we have such a snowstorm - almost total white-out, with blowing snow! I don't know how anyone can see to drive.

Day 4 is finished - sigh of relief. The 17 photos I have just posted this afternoon are the remaining photos taken at Bishop City Park, on our way to Kingsville. Next, I will be able to start on Day 5, which was a day trip to the enormous King Ranch. One of the highlights of that day was seeing a pair of Ferruginous Pygmy Owls at the end of our private tour of the Ranch, as well as some new birds for us, such as the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and the Vermilion Flycatcher. Perhaps the highlight for me was when I caught sight of a little Texas horned lizard near my feet, something I had longed to see for a few years. As far as animals go, two nice sightings were a Javelina/Collared Peccary and six exotic Nilgai antelope from India that had been imported to the King Ranch in 1930. We only got a fleeting glimpse of their rear ends as they raced away through the trees.

Day 4, 22 March, of our 13-day birding trip to South Texas, 19-31 March 2019, was a day of birding and also driving from Rockport, where we had stayed for three nights, to Kingsville. Earlier in the day, we had spent time at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Centre/the Port Aransas Nature Preserve. We loved this great Birding Centre, getting great views of the various bird species, looking down from the new boardwalk that has been built after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the previous one in 2017. Lots of birds; even a huge Alligator.

We spent some time on the beach at Mustang Island State Park, watching and listening to the Laughing Gulls. They are such fun to watch and to photograph. The Royal Terns are so beautiful, always looking quite regal in their posture. At one point, a man started feeding the Gulls down the beach, and they swarmed over and around him. Managed to get a couple of distant shots.

After our short walk along this beach, we continued our drive towards Kingville, where we were going to spend two nights at the Hampton Inn. We had time to stop at Bishop City Park before we reached Kingsville. We saw several Aloe vera plants growing when we walked around the large duck pond. I think the first time I saw these succulents was at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago in 2017. Quite spectacular. We did see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow there and a Couch's Kingbird.

"Bishop’s City Park is located just west of the U.S. Highway 77 Bypass on South Birch Avenue and features a community center, two baseball fields for little league and high school baseball, a covered basketball court and a large lot for recreational activities. In addition, the City Park also offers visitors a 0.6 mile hiking trail and a 9.1 acre lake in which waterfowl are frequent visitors. Several families of ducks and geese have also made their home under the park’s two observation decks built out over the lake."

www.bishoptx.com/our-community/parks/#prettyPhoto