Rarities and the Rio Grande Valley

Here in the Rio Grande Valley, every few years, patternless in the way of vagrants, one of these is seen:

Jabiru

Also, one of these:

Rose-throated Becard

And maybe, one of these:

Northern Jacana

We are the sub-tropics here, a land of palms and bougainvillea and Gulf winds.  Because of that, we have our wonderful unique residents – the Great Kiskadee, the Green Jay, the Chachalaca – but for those of us that live here, the possibility of rarities really pumps the blood.

Of course, one never knows when one will appear, almost like a mischievous Scotty beams it over.  But starting in November and through the winter, that’s when we start looking south, wondering what the winter cold snaps might shove our way…

—Thanks to Jeff Bouton, DigiDude of Leica, for the Becard and Jacana pix—

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