After missing the opportunity to do so last year, I was thrilled to be able to make it down to Texas and join Nova in her second season of working as the Ocelot field tech at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Living on the refuge and having the garden surrounding the visitor center as our backyard was an amazing experience. Now it's off to the shock of returning to winter at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory on Michigan's upper peninsula. Knowing that it should be a good spring for Boreal , Great Gray, Snowy, and Northern Hawk Owls takes a bit of the sting out of leaving the Lower Rio Grande Valley, but not all of it. We love Whitefish Point and are very anxious to see what this spring's owl banding season will produce.

Hermit Warbler

Hermit Warbler

Hermit Warbler and more

Hermit Warbler

Bobcat at Laguna entrance
Hummer- Black-chinned or Ruby-Throated?

Harris' Hawk
tornado of Red-winged Blackbirds

more Red-winged blackbirds

White-tailed hawk

Aplomado Falcon

female Blue Bunting eating seed heads

male Blue Bunting

Couch's Kingbird

Gray Hairstreak

White-tailed Kites
Orange-crowned Warbler

Blue Bunting

Blue Bunting

Northern Parula

Wilson's Warbler

American Kestrel with snake

Here are a few of the latest photos I've managed to get together. We caught another ocelot last week, which was our first since before the holidays. The ocelot conservation festival is February 14th, if anyone is interested!

Roadrunner

Scissor-tailed FlycatcherWhite-angled Sulphur (at Laguna Atascosa in the garden)

Band-celled Sister (at Resaca de la Palma SP)

Aplomado Falcon