Richard Moore Outdoor Report: Serendipity

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — What a beautiful time of year to greet dawn in the South Texas wildlands.

Cooler temperatures, calm winds and allure of serendipity beckon those venturing into nature’s realm. 

As sunrise opens door of the day, tens of thousands of ducks stream across golden sky wonderfully wild, pulsing with morning momentum. 

Incredible number of migratory waterfowl descending on coastal wetlands is enthralling, and among this plethora of avian winter Texans are scattering of wood storks stalking receding ponds. 

Wading with imposing beak open while carefully stirring sediment with their feet, they snare fish and crustaceans, and sometimes larger piscine prey prove challenging to swallow. 

Discovering migrating wood storks is a pleasant surprise and another winter visitor frequenting coastal environs is the fish hawk or osprey. 

This osprey has snatched a fish from the bay and landed on a nearby caliche road to enjoy catch of the day. 

While most ospreys prefer to consume prey at a distance away from prying eyes, this raptor proves astonishingly tolerant and with measured approach allowed a close-up encounter while finishing the fish head.  

Just around the bend, an imposing diamondback rattlesnake stretches across the road. The diamondback is unusually thick bodied and dark, remaining calm with no hint of warning rattle. 

Finally, the big snake slithers across the road, flicking its forked tongue to detect danger before slipping into cloaking brush. 

And then eyes gaze skyward to river of birds flowing across sunset clouds. 

You just never know what you may encounter in wildlands of South Texas from fascinating wood storks to slithering serpents, and one can’t wait to see what the next sunrise reveals. 

Anticipation abounds at twilight as breathtaking progression from darkness to dawn unfolds in land of the yucca and the promise of a new day unveils.