After the Bird Festival, I went to looking for Alligators.

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Posted by jr on November 12, 2000 at 22:14:40:

In Reply to: RGV Birdfest in Harlingen this weekend. posted by jr on November 09, 2000 at 21:48:07:

Nice weather, in the 80s. partly cloudy & windy. I saw what I thought was a Kara kara (hawk) eating a fish along the Laguna Madre - glad it wasn't a snake. Green Jays were plentiful. One large javelina walked by and then ran off as I approached. An armadillo also walked by; but it completely ignored me.

I drove off to see the lake only to discover it had completely dried up. I wondered what had happened to the Alligator that once lived on the shore by the sightseeing telescopes. I finally found one on a ramp inside a 12X4X4ft concrete water trough. It was a small 5ft Alligator and he didn't want to be disturbed. He inflated his body and gave a low rumbling Hiss. I took a picture and he quickly dove under the water.

I met a Mr. Heath who has a farm nearby in Rio Hondo. He said he used to have to catch some of his cattle which wandered off there before the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge had any buildings. In those days there were no Alligators. They were introduced probably from pets. Then thanks to Protected Status and the Refuge, the Alligators survived and reproduced.

There must be more Alligators about. I wonder where. I don't think they like salt water very much, so where did they go? Are they hiding out at your house?

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: Nice weather, in the 80s. partly cloudy & windy. I saw what I thought was a Kara kara (hawk) eating a fish along the Laguna Madre - glad it wasn't a snake. Green Jays were plentiful. One large javelina walked by and then ran off as I approached. An armadillo also walked by; but it completely ignored me. : I drove off to see the lake only to discover it had completely dried up. I wondered what had happened to the Alligator that once lived on the shore by the sightseeing telescopes. I finally found one on a ramp inside a 12X4X4ft concrete water trough. It was a small 5ft Alligator and he didn't want to be disturbed. He inflated his body and gave a low rumbling Hiss. I took a picture and he quickly dove under the water. : I met a Mr. Heath who has a farm nearby in Rio Hondo. He said he used to have to catch some of his cattle which wandered off there before the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge had any buildings. In those days there were no Alligators. They were introduced probably from pets. Then thanks to Protected Status and the Refuge, the Alligators survived and reproduced. : There must be more Alligators about. I wonder where. I don't think they like salt water very much, so where did they go? Are they hiding out at your house?

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