Today I took a morning walk along Barton Creek and came across this mysterious bird sitting on a rock in the middle of creek.
Unfortunately it was too far away to get a better picture but it had a white foreneck, dark colored body (likely black) and light colored beak (I think it’s yellow). I used my usual online bird identification guide whatbird.com but I couldn’t find any that fit the bird I saw. Even without an identification it is still a fascinating find.
Update: The iNaturalist community has identified this as a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Texas is listed as an area where they spend the winter (non-breeding) season. They generally spend the breeding season (summer) in the Northern United States and Canada. There are populations of the Double-crested Cormorant that stay in one location year round. They are colonial waterbirds and may fly up to 40 miles away from a nest to a feeding area. They often perch on rocks or other airy perches after fishing to dry off and digest their meals.
Reference
All About Birds: Double-crested Cormorant
iNaturalist observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4508647