A Day at Bentsen State Park

I haven't gotten used to daylight savings time yet at least as far as birding is concerned.  Here the sun doesn't rise until 7:45am, so the birding day starts late.  On the other hand the sun doesn't set until 7:45pm.  So if you stay late to listen to and look for night birds, you get to eat rather late.  So be it.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Especially if it turns out as well as it did today.  I had a very nice day birding at Bentsen SP with only a break for lunch and a side trip to see the new National Butterfly Park which is next door to Bentsen.  I spent a bit of time on the hawk platform and saw a couple of Swainson's and a Broadwing, but it was a slow hawk day.  I got to see again most of the Texas endemics that John and I saw in January.  However, all those Orange-crowned Warblers had disappeared as well as the ducks.   But the class of the day was at sunset.  Tonight the serenade began with Great-Horned Owls duetting.  Then some early Eastern Screech-Owls chimed in.  Then the one I was there for; the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl gave a series of eight hoots prior to knocking it off for the day (web photo).  Several Elf Owls the last of the owls to make their presence known, started off with the simple call and progressed to the laughing call.  Got to see a couple of them when they moved perches.  Not to be outdone the Pauraques filled the airwaves with many puurr-wheeers.  I walked out of the park and back to my car in the dark with owls calling on both sides of the road.  A Pauraque nearly took my head off.  Magnificent.   The new birds bring the year list total to 417.