Way down south.

  In mid-January 2013, we went down to Texas to get away from the winter weather at home ...

Canada Geese at Cobourg Harbour (Dec 29, 2012)

... and to look for some special birds down there.  We were not disappointed, as shown below.

Crested Caracaras at King Ranch (Jan 21, 2013), and a White-tailed Kite on Galveston Island (Jan 19, 2013).

Green Jay at King Ranch, near Kingsville (Jan 21)

Harris's Hawk picking its teeth, at King Ranch (Jan 21)

Pauraque (a type of Nightjar), at Estero Llana State Park (Jan 23) 

Plain Chachalaca at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park (Jan 23)

Reddish Egret at Laguna Atascosa NWR (Jan 22)

Of course, we also found many old favorites such as Sanderlings, Sandhill Cranes and Willets.

Sanderling on Galveston Island (Jan 18)

Sandhill Cranes on Galveston Island (Jan 19)

A Willet resting on Galveston Island (Jan 18)

Altogether we saw 147 bird species in Texas, including four lifers - Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Whooping Crane, Clay-colored Robin and White-tailed Hawk (below) ...

White-tailed Hawk - one of several seen around King Ranch (Jan  21) 

Great Kiskadee and Clay-colored Robin at Casa Santa Ana B & B, in Alamo, TX (Jan 22)

as well as colourful beauties like the Great Kiskadee above, and the Altimira Orioles, and the Golden-fronted Woodpecker, below.

Altimira Oriole at Casa Santa Ana B &B and Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park (Jan 22 & 23)

Golden-fronted Woodpecker at Casa Santa Ana B & B, Alamo, TX (Jan 22) 

After a week in southern Texas, staying in Galveston, Kingsville, Alamo (in the Rio Grande valley), and San Antonio, we moved westward, passing through El Paso and Las Cruces, NM, on to Arizona.