073023. SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-native-and-rare-birds-alike-fly-in/article_6c56e6b0-2c11-11ee-b847-7f478b9e7b07.html 

Birding on a Shoestring: South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, Part 1

On Friday, March 21, 2020, the band of birding and studious pupils-to-be for our National Wildlife Rehabilitator's Conference were on the road for South Padre Island, Texas by 1000 hrs.  We were several hours late in leaving to beat the traffic, but we paid for it later.  Normally, prior Texas jaunts have taken 12-13 hours, but we didn't pull in to our hotel until 0230 hrs. Tuesday morning.

This meant that we didn't begin birding until much later on Saturday.  We began our search for South Texas birds after a good meal, starting off at the Birding and Nature Center, later wandering over to the SPI Convention Center.  There were no good songbirds there, but we did get better photos of the rarer Reddish Egret and the Black Skimmer.

02-22-20

                                                                        Brown Pelican
                             

                                                                      Reddish Egret

                                                                     Black Skimmer

                                                                       White Ibis

                                                                 Tri-colored Heron

                                                                   Great Blue Heron

                                                                   Roseate Spoonbill

                                                                         Killdeer

Some of these photos were obtained via the SPI Convention Center property.  We also viewed Redheads, Laughing Gulls, Purple Martin, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, and many other interesting individuals.  It was a full afternoon and we worked on obtaining photos between noon and 1700 hrs, which is good for semi-rested travelers.
                   

090218 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

http://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-birds-will-get-rowdy-over-territory/article_89174caa-fe22-50f3-b83c-6818b8f5d7b2.html

081218 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

http://www.stwnewspress.com/news/lifestyles/life-at-boomer-lake-following-birds-during-fall-migration/article_765d29de-1aa0-50b4-9a92-ecd7bb4ab19d.html

Birding on a Shoestring--The Final Countdown from South Padre Island

           
                                                                  Bonaparte's Gull

                                                                 Solitary Sandpiper

                                                                 Roseate Spoonbill

                                                                    American Coot

                                                                  Bonaparte's Gull

Black Skimmer  

01-23-17

The first shot is Bonaparte's Gull from Boca Chica State Park, just south of South Padre Island.

The remainder is the last of the group from South Padre Island's jetty, and the last of the photos

from this trip.  Thanks for viewing and I'll see you again at home in Oklahoma.

                                   

Birding On a Shoestring: High Island, Boy Scout Woods, Heron Island, Smith Oaks, Boy Scout Woods, Big Thicket

                                                                    Swainson's Thrush

                                                          Black-throated Green Warbler

                                                                  Acadian Flycatcher

                                                               Neotropic Cormorant

                                                                Great Egret in Flight

                                                                          Ditto

                                                                       Cattle Egret

                                                                   Roseate Spoonbill

                                                                       Snowy Egret

                                                                            Ditto

                                                                       Great Egret

                                                          Neotropic Cormorant in Nest

                                                                  Great Egret Chicks

                                                     Great Egret Chick Testing His Wings

                                                                 Roseate Spoonbill

                                                                 Great Egret in Flight

                                                                        Snowy Egret

                                                                   Great Egret Chicks

                                                                       Great Egret

                                                                Roseate Spoonbill

                                                              Roseate Spoonbill in Flight

                                                                        Great Egret

                                                                       Snowy Egret

                                                   Great Egret Feeds Two Chicks at Once

                                                     Great Egret on Nest with Eggs(Blue)

                                                 Roseate Spoonbills Had Nest Up in a Day

                                                                Great Egret Chicks

                                                                      Snowy Egret

                                                                  Acadian Flycatcher

                                                             Male Baltimore Oriole

                                                      Barn Swallow with Nestlings

This was the showing of the stars at High Island.  Several sections of this wonderful birding
area were found early close to one another.  Boy Scout Woods had many of the songbirds,
which included warblers, buntings, and other songbirds, with many pools, bubblers, and swamp
areas, made specifically to attract a number of migrating birds coming north during spring migration.
This is a very important stopover for birds to rest up coming from Central and South America on
their way northbound.

This area also includes Heron Island, where birds like the Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Cattle Egret, and Neotropic Cormorant breed and raise their young.  Most of these birds
live where they are born, but others will migrate.  These areas are dangerous, as alligators also come to the island and snatch eggs, as well as youngsters that fall out of these nest or are too low to the ground.

Also an integral part of the sanctuary is Smith Oaks, another prime area for finding songbirds.
It is also swampy, a little more so than Boy Scout Woods, and attracts more birds in the afternoons.

I'm a bit behind in my pictures, so bear with me while I try to get caught up.  I have been processing
anywhere between 300-500 photos each day, plus having a full day birding, so this is a working
vacation which is filled with a lot of excitement.


The photos below are from Sundew Trail, a part of Big Thicket National Preserve, which is in Kountze, TX.  This area is filled with butterflies, wildflowers, birds, and other natural life.

                                                                         Anole
                               

                                                                    Pitcher Plants

                                                                   Blue Grosbeak