Got a hot lead on a Masked Duck. In December 2007. A year ago.
We’ve seen most of the ducks that can be seen in North America. The Masked Duck is one we haven’t. It’s only in South Texas, and only once in a while, so if one gets reported, it’s worth a look. We’ve been after the Masked Duck for years, but didn’t get right to it. We were otherwise occupied in early December last year; but when we could, we went off to find it. We got directions to the pond, eighty-five miles from here. Drove right to it (the pond that is).
We went in search of a new bird, the Masked Duck, and we got a new bird, the Monk Parakeet (we had also heard about). To get to the pond with the Masked Ducks, we drove through the town of Orange Grove. In Orange Grove, if you turn right at the second intersection after the four-way stop and look in the first palm tree on the left, you’ll find the parakeets. If they’re not in the palm tree, roll down the window and listen. You’ll hear where they are. Loud little buggers. They’re filling the head of that one palm tree with a communal stick nest. They like to talk while they work.
What we’re used to calling parakeets, those little 7” long cage birds you can teach to talk, are actually Budgerigars from Australia. Budgies. These Monk Parakeets are small parrots, almost 12” long, much bigger than a Budgie. There are probably twenty-five parakeets working on this one tree-nest.
Anyway, we got the parakeets last December. We didn’t get the Masked Duck though. There was a pair there in the pond but they left before we got there.
