Wow, I am wondering about all of this crazy weather. Yesterday we almost set a record high at 96 degrees. But…..by 10:00PM the temp had dropped into the 40s. Today’s high will be in the 50s. So, I am wondering if and when we will actually get some permanent springtime temps. But I must say that the 96 yesterday looked like we were going to skip spring altogether, go directly to summer without passing Go and getting our 200.00. Such is the weather in west Texas.
We took a short visit to the Hummer House in Christoval a couple of days ago. We were a bit early for most of the birds that frequent there. We did see several Black-chinned Hummingbirds, some Northern Cardinals, Black-crested Titmouses, and some sparrows. We decided to head back to San Angelo and went to the blind at San Angelo State Park.
Here are a couple of photos from the day.
Black-crested Titmouse at the Hummer House in Christoval, Texas.
Northern Cardinal at San Angelo State Park
After getting home later, my neighbor called to say that there was a large hawk flying around the neighborhood. I grabbed my Canon EOS 7D and 100-400mm zoom lens and ran outside. With my binoculars I spotted him high in the sky. I took the shot below, but because of the extreme distance, it was difficult to get much of a picture. However, this heavily cropped image does clearly show the marking of a Swainson’s Hawk.
Swainson’s Hawk in flight.
Click on any image to see an enlargement.
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 
Yeah, how about that weather? While I’m glad we’re getting rain we may also be getting snow tomorrow…not that it hasn’t happened in April before in Chicago but still… Great you got the picture of the Swainson’s, however far away, it’s still quite clear! And the Titmouse and Cardinal appear thrilled to be in front of your lens.
It is starting to warm again here, but I hear that you are still getting some nasty stuff. Thank you, Lisa, for all of your kind words, and it is always great to hear from you, keeping me up to date on the bird happenings in your great area.
Superb shots again, Bob. The Titmouse is so cute! Is the Swainson’s Hawk rare in your area? Spring is a no-show here too – the birds are singing but the temperature is currently 5.6C (42F) outside. I think we will go straight into summer – when it comes!
Thanks for your kind words again, Jo. The Swainson’s Hawk isn’t rare here, but isn’t here in the great numbers like the Red-tailed. Also, the Swainson’s is here only from around early April through late September, whereas the Red-tailed is plentiful the year around.
Crazy weather. Here too, it has got very hot. 40 degrees Celsius.
I loved your photos, as always. The first bird seems like asking the same question “Where’s the spring?” 😀
Thanks for you great comment, Nandini.
Great photos! We are heading to our up-north cabin tomorrow and it’s supposed to be snowy. 😦 Hopefully the birds will come flying when the feeders go up!
Thanks for commenting, Amy. The birds are coming soon. 🙂
Excellent photos as always! Don’t come back to your home state of Michigan looking for spring, there is still several feet of snow on the ground in the UP, and snow in the forecast for around here.
Thanks, Jerry, also for the travel advice. I think I will just hang around here. 🙂
Nice shots! I’ve never seen the black crested before. We only get tufted ones here in Florida. We’ve been in the 80’s for a while now and I think that’s where we’ll be for weeks. Enjoy the cooler days when you get them.
I think the only difference in the two Titmouses is the color of the crest. Thanks so much for the comment, Dina. 🙂
Great photos..love that Titmouse. Our weather has been a mixed bag too..Woke up to 4 inches of new snow, and back to winter. The bird feeders were busy with a variety of birds..Red Polls, Juncos, Robins, Evening Grosbeaks, Redwing Blackbirds and Sparrows..The photo of the Hawk is beautiful, and he is soaring so freely. The tree and detail of the Cardinal is just remarkable..Have a great day. I am stoking up the wood stove and headed for the studio..Wolf day.
Thanks for the great comment, Syl. I love the collection of birds that you described. Stay warm and have fun with the wolves. 🙂
great photos! I too wonder where the temps went. It has been crazy today with the wind and now its so cold.
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