Taken in Texas Hill Country

Tags:   Kinney County Spizella pallida Clay-colored Sparrow Clay-coloured Sparrow Bracketville TX Texas USA US Lone Star State Texas Hill Country Hill Country

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I have always wanted to photograph one of these guys up close and finally got the chance.

Taken at Big Thicket National Preserve. This is where I first found out about the venemous Black Moccassin Water Snake. A 4ft one literally crossed paths right in front of me. Both of us were out searching for birds but for different reasons.

Tags:   Kinney County Big Thicket National Preserve Kountze TX Big Thicket Coragyps atratus Texas US USA Lone Star State American Black Vulture Vulture Raptor

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After seeing 2 endangered birds The Golden-cheeked Warbler and The Black-capped Vireo. I got to experience one of the highlights of my life by watching a couple million Mexican Free-tailed Bats emerge at dusk to hunt insects. This video was shot on April 14th, 2017 at Stuart Bat Cave in Kikapoo Cavern State Park in Bracketville, TX on my iPhone. Tx has the most bats of any state and this cave is one of the smallest. Other caves likes Bracken near San Antonio have 20 million bats! We watched when the first bat came out at 8pm and they continued coming out after 10pm when we left in the dark. You could hear the sound of the bats as they came out even when you could no longer see them and Common Poorwills called in the distance. It was quite the moment.

These caves are kms long and some bats hit us as they flew out. The Park Ranger picked up any bats that fell (as they can collide with other bats as they come out so fast) and helped them to get to a higher perch to fly again. Cave Swallows and Porcupines share the cave with them at the opening. The bats are deep inside the cave and the cave floor is crawling with Dung Beetles. If any bat is clumsy and falls to the ground he has about 1 minute to get back up or the beetles will eat him alive in about 2 minutes. Poor bats! During this nightly flight they are also attacked by Hawks from above. If they fall to the ground the Raccoons get them. They sure don't have it easy.
Anyways, these bats travel 60 miles per hour and breed in TX and then migrate back to Mexico in the winter. The first bats that come out of the cave use sight only to emerge the ones coming out in the dark use echolocation. Its just incredible how long it takes for all the bats to fly out of the cave each night. A truly awesome sight that every visitor to Texas should experience.

Tags:   Kinney County Mexican Free-tailed Bats Kikapoo Cavern State Park Kikapoo Bracketville Texas Hill Country TX USA US Lone Star State the south amazing awesome magical millions of bats Stuart Bat Cave Tadarida brasiliensis Brazilian Free-tailed Bats Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Mexican Free-tailed Bat bat flight bat cave experience incredible nature wildlife winged mammals

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This Desert Cardinal reminds me a little of a cockatiel. Taken in beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Tags:   Kinney County Female Cardinalis sinuatus Bracketville TX Texas US USA Lone Star State Hill Country Texas Hill Country Pyrrhuloxia Desert Cardinal song bird adult unique

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Taken in Hill Country. I had great views of the male and female here along with Orchards. This little lady was soon pushed off her perch by a male Varied Bunting but she quickly regained her spot.

This photo was taken in Texas Hill Country.

Tags:   Kinney County Texas Hill Country Bracketville TX Female Hooded Oriole Oriole Lone Star State Texas USA US Icterus cucullatus

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