Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Feral hogs

Bobcat heading up the trail

Yesterday was a busy day.  It had been raining much of the week, but Saturday started out with sunshine. I put the repaired tube back in the tire on Phyllis' trike and we rode around the park, getting to see people coming out and visiting and walking, etc.  This was something hadn't seen most of the week.  Right after lunch we drove over to Emerald Grove Park and picked up Mary Jo and Oliver Herzberg (from Villisca, IA) and drove through Harlingen straight (or about straight) east to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. http://www.friendsofsouthtexasrefuges.org/?id=224    

We got there a little after 2;00 pm and signed and got tickets up for the tram tour at 4:00 pm and then we viewed film about the Refuge and looked at the indoor display before we walked several of the trails close to the visitors center. Sun had disappeared and with strong breeze it was getting a little cool.

  We drove to the Osprey Overlook and got a glimpse of a Roseate Spoonbill.  I did not take this photo -- we got only a fleeting glimpse of a dozen or so when we first walked up to the Overlook and then they flew off a distance.  Was able to spot them with the large sighting telescope there, but they were so far away could not get good look.  The sight of all that pink, though, was unusual and quite a sight.  Back at the Visitors Center we got to watch several varieties of birds.

Green Jay

Green Jay

We stopped at a bench and got all our photos taken.

Lynn & Phyllis Miles - Patty Steckelberg

Oliver & Mary Jo Herzberg

Since the wind and cold made the people on the early afternoon tramway tour so chilled and there were only 5 of us signed up for the late tour they took the 15 passenger Ford Van for us.  Hey, really comfortable and could visit with the guide, etc.  Saw lots of animals and a few birds.  With the wind it was not easy for the birds to be out feeding.  The Yucca Plants are starting to bloom and were pretty, though think some direct sunlight on them would have made them a little more so.

Saw quite a few feral hogs and these were pretty good sized.  Later saw some larger ones, even a few white ones, but didn't get a photo.

One of the areas that had been dry when we were on this tour about a month ago has rain water in it now and there were 3 or 4 different types of ducks in it.   After a 2.5 hour tour of the 15 mile loop we returned to the center and then to Harlingen where we ate supper at Los Nortenos, a Mexican Restaurant.  I had a somewhat unusual meal Cabrito is baby goat meat and this was the cooked head of a baby goat.  I finally got ahead in life!

This morning after church we went with about 14 people to eat at Chinatown in Weslaco and returned to our house for a nap and now working on this blog.  Am listening to re-broadcast of Prairie Home Companion over internet on KXCV     http://tunein.com/radio/KXCV-905-s26443/   out of Maryville, MO as I am typing this.

Till later, Lynn