On January 9th, Annette and I drove over to the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center at Edinburg, Texas. This stunning oasis is in the middle of the city and less than a 15 minute drive from our RV Park.

My feature photo shows how well groomed the trails are. It felt so good to be out walking in nature again. It wasn’t a power walk, but it was over 1.5 hours from start to finish and the lush surroundings made it most enjoyable. Sometimes walks that are good for the soul are just as healthy as those that are good for the body.

All of the trails set out from the Interpretive Center, which stands near the middle of the 40 acres of wetlands.

We saw a variety of birds in the trees, on the land, and on the shallow ponds.

This junior Giant White Egret struck a one-legged pose for me as I approached the edge of the water.

The chachalacas were out in full force with their noisy groups and crazy behaviours.

I was shooting with my little tele lens for iPhone. It’s not anything comparable to a full zoom on a big camera, but it did get me in a little closer and I let cropping do the rest in post processing.

“The list total isn’t important, but the birds themselves are important. Every bird you see. So the list is just a frivolous incentive for birding, but the birding itself is worthwhile.”

Kenn Kaufman