#tornillo tx

Turkey Vultures - May 2022 Speaking of ugly birds, the Turkey Vulture definitely qualifies as ugly. I assume that they feed very well when there are a lot of campers and fisherfolk at the lake for the weekends. Discarded fish pieces as well as unguarded table food make for excellent meals. MWM

Mallard - May 2022 I really like the composition of this image. The colors of the Mallard are set off well by the darker water and the mixed brown and green background. In addition, the typical characteristics of the Mallard are very visible. Its green head, the black eyes, the black mark on its beak, the white breast, even the distinctive curl of its top tail feathers are all very easy to see. MWM

Cormorants at Water’s Edge - May 2022 I have no idea what these Cormorants were all sitting on the pilings watching very intently for. I have a suspicion that the owner of Hideaway Lakes feeds them regularly and that was what they were waiting for. The Cormorant is not a pretty bird. As can be seen in the second image, they have a long gangly neck and a head that is beautiful only to another Cormorant. In addition, they do not have oily, waterproof feathers, so when they go into the water, they swim through the water half-submerged rather than gliding across the surface of the water as would a duck. MWM

White Goose - May 2022 This white goose was resting in the tall grass next to one of the Hideaway Lakes. It allowed me to get relatively close which allowed me to capture a very good closeup image of its head. MWM

Duck Out of Water - May 2022 We stopped for the night at Hideaway Lakes, Tornillo, Texas. The road back to the lakes was terrible, but the campground itself was very nice. It is basically a pair of narrow lakes that are great for fishing. Evidently on weekends, they are packed with hundreds of campers and fisherfolk. During the week, you have to call when you get to the gate and they will open it to let you in. Because the two lakes teem with fish, they also teem with birds which feed on fish. Because they are relatively shallow, they also teem with birds which feed on lake bottom plants, like this duck. Evidently these ducks are so used to people that they feel safe waddling around near the campers and I was able to get this very good image of a duck out of water. MWM