Tweets, whistles and squawks; huge flocks of grackles jostle among themselves for best treetop perches and a chance at the feeders. Dozens of green jays swoop and dive through thick brush flashing brilliant yellow tail feathers then seemingly disappearing in the foliage once they land.  The chatter of Great Kiskadees fills the air as they dart tree to tree and periodically give chase to another of their species that some how offends.

Scissortail flycatchers decorate the highest treetops then move swarm-like showing amazing acrobatics courtesy those long tail feather rudders. Small packs of Chachalaca mill about scratching seed then making a short, clumsy, wing-flailing dash into the brush.

This is day one of birding on the south Texas coast and we are off to a good start.

Two other new ones for our list, a long billed thrasher and an Atamira Oriole.

Rains measured in feet and dew points in the 80s. Hmm.  For people who have complete choice over where they want to be at any given time it is possible that we aren’t making the best travel decisions right now.  Today we moved to Mission to check out butterfly migration.  The forecast is for cooler temperatures and a few dry days.  Here’s hoping!  We need wind to calm a bit too so the butterflies emerge from their shelter.

Archeological digs and lots of CCC labor resulted in a fine reconstruction of a beautiful South Texas Mission. The history within these walls tells of how the Franciscan’s taught trades and provided protection to the local tribes.  It is also surprisingly open about the destruction of traditional ways of life that resulted.  Check it out in Goliad State Park.

A mountain of red marble, massive woodwork, and amazing workmanship; the Texas Capital Building is impressive.  Their visitor services are impressive too.  Guided tours run every 15 minutes.

Under the rotunda a beautiful mosaic depicts all the entities that claimed this region through the years. What appears dead center?  The seal of The Republic of Texas.  There it is, just waiting for the day Texas rises again.

We are ultimately Houston bound but stopped in Austin along the way just to check it out. McKinney State Park is mostly out of the fray but gets us close enough to run into town for the city attractions. We can’t manage to escape the traffic and airport noise but it is a pretty little park with a few trails and lots of shade. It is very dry and very hot (still in the nineties many days) so birding is not so great. The ever present chicadee and titmouse chatter much of the time plus jays and mockingbirds periodically interject. I am still trying to identify an owl call I have heard the past couple nights. We hear coyotes every evening. They seem quite at home in this near suburban area.