The ice and snow
from winter Storm Enzo has finally yielded to warmer temperatures, and we were
able to get out and check on our feathered travel companions.
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The Marsh at Sportsman's Road
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Our first stop was along Sportsman's Road off Stewart
Road along the bay. This has become a reliable route for Egrets, Herons, Ibis,
Osprey, and Kingfishers. Here are a few shots of some of our friends.
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White Ibis
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Great Egret
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White Ibis
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Tri-Color Heron
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Snowy Egret
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Portrait of a Tro-Color Heron
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Snowy Egret
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Little Blue Heron
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Little Blue Heron
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Tri-Color Heron
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On the Prowl
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Also on the Prowl
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Keeping an eye on the Competition
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A Dragon-like Pose
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Belted Kingfisher
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Tri-Color Heron
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Great Egret
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Our Next Stop was Laffite’s Cove Nature Society. This
beautiful little habitat sits in the middle of an upscale Boathouse/Cottage
development on the bayside of the island. The preserve includes several lakes,
a nice woodland that housed the Egert Ranch House, and well-tended trails
connecting them. It sits across Stewart Road from the site of the 19th
Fort that was built by Jean Lafitte to support his piracy throughout the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean. He was forced to defend it against the Karankawa.
He later burned it when the US refused to support his activities against the
Spanish. We spent an hour or more walking the trails of the Nature Preserve and
enjoyed checking in on the residents.
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Yellow-Rumped Warbler
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Northern Shovelers
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Downy Woodpecker
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Cormorants high in the sky
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Yellow-Rumped Warbler
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Yep, it has a Yellow Butt!
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Northern Mockingbird
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Pied-Billed Grebe
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Turtkes hanging out with the ducks.
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American Wigeon pair
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Portrait of Northern Mockingbird
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Pied-Billed Grebe
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Squirrel looking for a snack
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Old Man Turtle getting some sun.
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After a quick stop at Dollar General, we drove back into
the bayside unit of Galveston Island State Park. Despite perfect weather, we
only saw a light scattering of birds. It was low tide, and many shorebirds were
feeding on small, exposed mud flats quite a distance from the shore. Today, the
birders outnumbered the birds. O well! Some days are like that. Time to move
on!
Our last stop was San Luis Pass at the Western tip of
Galveston Island. A toll bridge would take us across San Luis Pass, but today,
we spent our time on the mud flats and beach below the bridge. Here are a few
shots from our jeeping through the sand and mud.
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American Avocets
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More American Avocets
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White Morph of the Reddish Egret
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Buddies enjoying the day
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Black-Bellied Plover
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Playing in the surf
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By our usual standards, this was an average day for
seeing the sights. But after the last two weeks of miserable weather, it felt
good to be out in the sunshine without a heavy coat. I hope you enjoy the
photos. I am glad you are riding along with us. Keep checking in for updates.
Be sure to check out Marlene's Birding List from the menu on the right to see a
list of all the birds we saw (and/or heard) yesterday.
Travel well, my friends.
Bob
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From Right Lane Living Blog