Author Archives: Richard

Farewell to Goose Island

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After a nice eight day stay, we bid adios to Goose Island State Park where we had enjoyed camping amongst the bird-filled oaks and seeing nearly 100 different bird species. We sampled some of the cuisine, hit some birding hotspots, and got in some good walks and bike rides, in shirts, shorts and sandals.

Several days before we left, we went back to visit the Whooping Cranes. They were there feeding but suddenly they were heading off to roost. I spun the dial to what I thought was "action" and fired away. I still am not sure what setting I ended up at but it resulted in some interesting photos. Here are a few – a farewell to the cranes and this wonderful part of Texas.

More Port A Birds

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We had just stepped on to the boardwalk at the Port Aransas Birding Center when these two birds greeted us: a Snowy Egret and a Tri-colored Heron side by side.

Just ahead, a Green Heron posed and then did a little hunting while we watched.

This Common Gallinule was fun to observe.

The little walk, full of looks at good birds, ended with this American Bittern almost close enough to touch.

When I lowered the camera, he struck, got a small fish, and gobbled it as we watched only yards away. I think the head of the prey is visible in his beak.

We extended our visit an extra three days to enjoy the birds and the nice temperatures. Come on down, you-all!

Feet

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The Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center at the Port Aransas Wastewater Treament Facility is one of the hotspots along the Texas coast. Not only are the birds plentiful, they are accustomed to visitors and allow pretty close access. So these amazing feet belong to a bird I see in the hundreds – but never knew about about their spectacular feet.

You can see that it is an American Coot – a bird that is easy to take for granted.

This Pied-billed Grebe was grooming away in a variety of poses. We really liked to see his feet in action.

Sorting out herons and egrets can be challenging but when you can see the black legs and the yellow "slippers" you know you’ve got a Snowy Egret.

It’s a great experience to see wild birds, who normally flush when you raise a camera, stay around and act like avian models. You’ll see some nice stalking shots on the next post.

Companions

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While I record each species we see and use eBird to track birds as we travel, my birding partner is more interested in "slow birding" – taking time to "smell the flowers" – to mix metaphors. It’s got me seeing more and enjoying birding even more.

We came upon these gulls just after a lesson from a local bird walk leader. So we paused and sorted them out into Laughing Gulls, Ringed-billed Gulls, and Herring Gulls. Right now,those are the three species here so it is fun to sharpen ID skills by just going over groups – and when they line up on a pier it’s even more interesting.

Just up the road we saw these Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Can you see what they were looking at?

Yes, it was an Anhinga, a relatively rare bird here. We watched it as it fished with snake-like movements and then strolled back up to the larger group of ducks, spreading its wings to dry out, and hanging out with the kids with bubble-gum legs.

In the next field we saw an odd couple – a young Crested Caracara and an adult Turkey Vultures. I know that they are both carrion eaters and sometime soar (kettle) together, this seemed almost like a foster mom situation.

A second juvenile joined the group as we watched entranced by what appeared to be flying lessons.

There were three juveniles, one of whom could barely fly, several Turkey Vultures, and everyone seemed at ease with the scene. No adult Caracara seemed present. We loved what we had seen but were a bit bewildered about what was going on. Anyone have any suggestions? Leave a comment if you do.

Goose Island Birds – A Sampling

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Goose Island State Park is one of my favorite birding spots. Our first few outings have been very rewarding. Here is a Black-capped Titmouse who showed himself just a few hundred yards from our campsite as we started out.

Walking down to the bay, we saw these two Northern Pintail’s and a Little Blue Heron.

We paused for a few photos of an interesting live oak in the campground.

A short drive away is the field where Whooping Cranes often congregate. There are three regulars including a youngster. Here’s one of the parents.

A number of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were also there and it was interesting to watch the cranes shoo them away from choice feeding spots. The ducks are quite the characters, making you smile with their actions and their voices.

We will be here about a week and while having to deal with scattered thunderstorms, are enjoying the birds and mild tropical conditions.

Biking For Birds

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We had three days of foggy mornings at Galveston Beach State Park but every so often, the sun showed itself.

Saturday morning, we rode our bikes over to some of the bayside trails and in spite of wind and fog, saw some nice birds. We heard this Loggerhead Shrike calling as we rode in and he sat nicely for us.

A fresh water pond held a neat variety of waterbirds including several White Ibises, a Roseate Spoonbill,

Walking the Clapper Rail Trail, we came across this Great Blue Heron who seemed to think he was hidden from us.

Biking back to the little pond, we saw this Tri-colored Heron in alternate plumage.

Returning to the campsite, this Savannah Sparrow and his buddies welcomed us back.

Our trip to Goose Island State Park featured stiff Texas crosswinds and temperatures in the high 70’s. Off to look for Whooping Cranes in the next few days.

Remembering Martin Luther King and his dream as we move onward, with hope.

Galveston Beach

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"Galveston, oh, Galveston,
I still hear your seawaves crashin,…"

On the way to Galveston Beach State Park, we took the ferry across the Houston ship channel.

Halfway across, we downloaded Glen Campbell’s "Galveston" and listened to it the rest of the crossing – and thought of it as we walked the beach that afternoon.

Just after checking in, we saw this neat White-tailed Kite just outside the office. We hope to see others this weekend.

After setting up, we walked the beach barefoot (the water was refreshing but not swimmable) and saw this Willet, which got Penny’s attention.

These Sanderlings were fun to watch. The second photo shows them and the Willet.

It is time to bone up on shorebirds, again.

Au Revoir Louisiana

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After thawing ourselves and the rig out at Fontainbleau State Park where we took a long walk and saw this Bald Eagle along with a number of American Coots, some Common Gallinules, and numerous kinglets and warblers.

Here are a few other shots from our stay.

We headed westward on I-10 for a night at Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles, LA. It was dark as we set up and Penny had her first encounter, this trip, with an armadillo. They drive her nuts.

Before leaving Thursday, we took a long walk and paused by this young Long-Needle pine tree.

Off to the Lone Star State. Happy trails to you all.

Some Louisiana Birds

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By Louisiana standards, it was a bit chilly as we headed out birding yesterday.

We took a leisurely walk yesterday and saw dozens of birds, including this shy Yellow-rumped Warbler who along with his cousins, was foraging with the underbrush. Not that easy to spot until he moved. Can you spot him?

Fontainebleau State Park is located on the northern end of Lake Ponchartrain and home to many shore and water birds like these cormorants, one of whom has a nice meal in its beak.

The Loggerhead Shrike often sits quite patiently for prey and photos.

And you never know who or what is hidden in the Spanish moss. Good birding my friends.

 

 

A Cold and Windy Trip

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January is always a dicey month, weather-wise and we took an extra day to better prepare and to give me a chance to check Grow Compost for the other rare gull that has been hanging out there. Sure enough, driving in for a quick check, I spotted the Glaucous Gull – a life bird among the chickens and Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.

Thanks to our friend Terry with a last minute sanding job on the icy driveway, I positioned the Interstate in downtown Montpelier and early Wednesday morning, we launched for Pennsylvania. It was a long trip but uneventful although the tractor-trailers on I-81 were their usual challenge — many of them and all moving fast.

We visited Sally’s brother-in-law in Charlottesville, Virginia the next night and after a long drive and just beating a sleet event, we hunkered down during a tough storm that shutdown the region. Two days later, we are at Fontainebleau State Park in Louisiana still battling sub-freezing nights but the forecast is great. Yesterday, we took a cold walk and saw dozens of Eastern Bluebirds and other neat birds, including this Red-headed Woodpecker who was feeding with his buddies.

Today is a thawing-out day for the rig and for us. We intend to stay here for a few days after a long trip and wait for the 70 degree temperatures tomorrow.