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

042615 SNP Edition, Life at Boomer Lake

http://www.stwnewspress.com/community/local_columnists/life-at-boomer-lake-birds-stop-for-sustenance-on-trips/article_45854afa-eb87-11e4-a9a0-e30195b2f1da.html

The Bar Gets Raised One Notch

                                                 Ross's Goose with Canada Goose Escort

                                                                     Ross's Goose

                                                                          Ditto

                                                 Blue-winged Teal Pair, Northern Reaches

                     
                                                                         Ditto
               

                                                          Great Egret, Breeding Plumage

                                                   First Year Male Brown-headed Cowbird
                                                          Practices Courting Techniques

                                                              Male Northern Shoveler

                                                              Red-shouldered Hawk

                                                                   Male Eastern Bluebird

                                                              Male Great-tailed Grackle

                                                             Female House Sparrow

                                                       Male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

                                                                         Ditto

These Shots were taken over the past couple of days, and I had to keep dodging raindrops,
as I have been for several days now.  Even though, it has been a bit of a challenge from
time-to-time, I believe the shots may speak for themselves.  The little Ross's Goose arrived
beside the east side of Goose Island yesterday with a Canada Goose escort.  This little goose,
rarely seen on Boomer Lake, preened for about twenty minutes, then climbed up the hill to
the island, where I observed him eat and take a respite.  The other geese, even though nesting,
really paid him or her no mind.

I almost forgot.  I was at Teal Ridge Wetlands a few days ago, managing to get this shot of the
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, which is a bird never seen at Boomer Lake, at least not to my knowledge.

                                                One of Two Yellow-crowned Night-Herons

                                                  Second Yellow-crowned Night Herons

Note that this second bird is displaying a beautiful yellow plume.

I also visited Couch Park on Sunday, and found this beautiful little Field Sparrow.