Galveston and surrounding area birding

Here are some photos from a few weeks ago when I was pretending to be a bird guide for my sister and nephews! The first stop on Galveston was the east end, where we found (right to left) some marbled godwits, american oyster catchers, black necked stilts, and swimming (and diving) was a neotropic comorant. This long-billed curlew has a very long bill to reach crusty critters deep in the mud! The black necked stilt does not seem to mind sharing the shoreline.

The laughing gull will have a completely black head by summer.

No, these are not Texas mosquitos - they are black skimmers!!! (Does kind of make you want to break out the DEET, though)!

One more shot of the long-billed curlew, wow.

Why is it that birds are more obedient that people? Here is a neotropic cormorant who apparently can read.

As we were searching for piping plovers along the beach, the sea fog was rolling in.

Hmmm, is this a laughing gull or a Franklins? Only the bill can say for sure, but with these dark legs I am thinking it is a Franklin's.

I think this is another Franklin's gull with a Ruddy Turnstone at the west end of the seawall.

The gulf was a bit rough, but the birds (and birders) did not seem to mind.

Cruising around potholes at the far west side of the island, we found this Lesser Scaup in a pond.

We also did manage to find a piping plover but it was too foggy and dark to get a good photo.





Today I had a root canal :( and on the way home I just happened to have a camera along and I decided to drive through Challenger 7 Memorial Park in League City. I was feeling kind of down so I took a picture of this American Crow.

This park is not too far from Ellington Field, and since I am always looking up for flying things, lo and behold what flew over!!

Amazing how close together they can fly! Thank you for patroling the coast and may Adonai bless and keep you!!!!



Driving around I noticed this Red shouldered Hawk in the tree. It was a little chilly, in the mid-40's, and not too much moving around... but I was birding by car nice and warm.

This was a surprise - a Pied billed Grebe in the pond! Everytime I would try to get a picture it would dive under the water and come up 50' away.

What I really love about birdwatching is that Adonai ALWAYS provides me just what I need, and after a root canal it was good medicine to see this Eastern Bluebird!

In fact, there was a whole tree full of them.

Ok, I feel better now!!!!!