Well, we have come to the end of August. I’ve stated it before and I’ll state it again, somehow our planet is revolving faster as our days seems to be at least 22.47% shorter than when I was still in the corporate grind. If someone has a scientific explanation for that (and a non-made up percentage) I would love to hear it. Part of that may be perception as I am consumed by the upcoming haunt event…but I’m not letting go of astronomical anomalies. The good news is Brad and Jan have safely returned from their field assignment. Decided to give them a bit more rest and a chance to start going through their loot of images. Brad will be taking a bulk of the September publishing while I dance with the demons. Going with a quick one today to close the month out. It’s the Estero Llano Grande Pauraque Game!
Hit the jump to learn about this fun activity the next time you are frolicking around the Rio Grande Valley.
For those familiar with our subject the Common Pauraque, you are probably already aware of this Where’s Waldo derivative. I personally can think of no other bird that is as perfectly camouflaged to the forest floor as the Pauraque. The interlacing browns, tans, hints of whites on a backdrop of grey can take a stunning amount of time to discern even for the most trained eye – and this even applies if there is someone standing right next to you pointing right at it!
Normally I take a few wider shots to give you the full effect of the deception. For some reason I failed to do that this time. If you want to experience that, feel free to jump back to my previous post which has a few (one here and another here).
Our favorite place to play this mental game is at Estero Llano Grande State Park (hence the name). Yes, that amazing place to bird along the Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco. We have yet to visit that park without having the pleasure of seeing at least one of these feathered phenoms and best of all..they are extremely accessible as they will take their daytime naps in the underbrush just a couple of feet off the walkways. Added to that, the park volunteers keep a watchful eye out for their daily napping places and typically place a layer of sticks/branches at the path’s edge to help insure onlookers keep a safe distance. Those stick piles are a good indication that there are Pauraque hanging out nearby. There are two pretty reliable locations in Estero that provide the best chances to get a daytime glimpse of these birds. The first is along the left side of Alligator Lake (yes, there are Gators in there so refrain from any form of skinny dipping). Take the path to the left of the visitor center out until you cross a small bridge. Once across, make your way to the right and then take the next left once past Grebe’s Marsh (yes, there are usually Least Grebes in that marsh). From there it should be a short walk until you start seeing the sticks. The other location is at the far back of the Tropical area. Proceed all the way back straight out from the parking lot to the area that used to be a mobile home park, now since reclaimed. You will eventually come to a bird blind area that is slightly off to the right (it is short of the fence line). The Pauraques tend to hang out in the underbrush to the left of that bird blind – note, this is definitely the more difficult of the two places to see them as they tend to rest deeper into the underbrush. Once at those spots..the game begins.
See them enough in their habitat and you start to recognize their outlines a little easier. If new to the experience, you are going to get really frustrated. Even with assist of others, your brains are going to dismiss them as just another leaf or twig. No need to look for movement, the best you can hope for during the day is a slight eye opening just to reassure themselves the humans are respecting their personal safe zone. Linda and I always enjoy watching the new birders play the game. You can always tell when their eyes finally offer up the answer as they’ll jump in surprise and immediately proclaim to those in the vicinity about their newfound discovery. Ten seconds later they will look back and be once again at a complete loss where it is …every time…and every time we roll with laughter. The worst part is, once they do find it, they then have to try and pronounce the name correctly and god forbid if someone asks them to spell it.
One aspect I found interesting about this Pauraque concealment technique is that it isn’t without some effort by the bird itself. Contrary to the Harry Potter community, there is not an invisibility cloak stuffed in their pockets. Clearly they know what spots to choose that allows them to blend in better with their markings, but then they take a well-known trick out of the sniper’s manual by breaking up sightlines. One of the volunteers point this out on a visit several years back – they will tend to take their long tails and rest it on top of a branch – you can see examples of that in the images above. Extremely effective technique! Not only are you not looking for a profile of a bird with that long of a tail, the fact your eyes will lose track and go on a tangent to a crossed stick goes a long way in preventing you from homing in on the profile – reminds me of those “magic image” pictures that were popular when I was growing up. Unless you rest your eyes you couldn’t pull the hard subject edges from the chaos added around it.
Short one today. Ron is down this weekend to help put the finishing touches on a number of new props for the upcoming haunted trail. As mentioned, Brad (and Jan) will be doing a lot of the heavy lifting during September. Can’t wait to see what fun adventures they have in store for you.
Take care, haunt on.
Life Intrigued 