hard to beat birding in Galveston!!!

I thought this was kind of funny... a great blue heron with his "headlights" on... maybe the sign should have said "dangerous bird."

This is a black-bellied plover, in his winter coat - this one breeds in the upper artic regions of Alaska and Canada, and winters down in Galveston! In the summer it will have black feathers on the undersides to help absorb heat from the sun to help keep their youngsters warm! I am SO glad I decided to head down to Galveston for a morning of birding! This kestrel was watching over the marshy areas around the far east end of the island.

Skimmers everywhere!

Harriers were busy patroling the marshes too, oblivious to the ships!!

I love the black-necked stilts, but also noticed this willet in the center.

Not the loch ness monster, but a double-crested comorant diving for dinner!

Sanderlings are fast but awfully cute running around.

This little guy on the right is a piping plover, an endangered bird. I think his friend to the left is a dunlin; they are both around 8" tall.

It is a little hard to tell from this angle but the lovely blue iridescence and flat head looks like a Great-tailed grackle. They are common birds but have just an amazing sheen.

Who would have thought a ring billed gull could be so beautiful. It really is a work of art.

Wow, a brown pelican zipping by with its 6' wingspan is quite a sight.
Here are a couple brown pelicans in their winter coats. The comorants are drying their wings.

I spotted a savannah sparrow along the marsh.

The loggerhead shrike is scoping out the marsh too.

Is this cool or what!! It is a whte-tailed kite, a hunter of rodents

Another hunter of rodents is the harrier!

A red tailed hawk has a nice perch on the light pole!

Ducks are so hard for me to id, but I think these are mottled ducks.

Awesome looking marbled godwit with his upturned bill.

I drove to the top of the easternmost seawall to get closer to the harriers, and noticed these lovely eastern meadowlarks in the grass just on the other side of the seawall.

Looks like this pair was made for each other!

This is in my front yard, the day after my trip to Galveston - I heard these and wondered if they were what I thought they were... and was pleasantly surprised!!




DRUM ROLL!!!!!!

The first ever Cedar waxwings in my front yard!!! Beautiful. Lovely yellow on the tail.
The Lord has really provide me with a special blessing to see all these different birds!