BBB Day 12

March 7

Hiked 3.7 miles

Up VERY early and the plan to head south towards the Mission area for more birds and some heat!

Our early rise was well worth it; we were out of the park fast and headed to Fourth Street to see the Whooping Cranes one last time this year. And we were rewarded. We saw two flying in to one area, another three to a second area then, we think, two more. The final two had what we thought was an immature “Whooper”, but later learned, from a fellow bird photographer with a lens David coveted, that it was a Sandhill Crane. It seems the Whooping Crane pair (the female is banded and wears a transmitter) has adopted the Sandhill baby. Wow, what a sweet story.

Later, two more Sandhills and another Whooper appears. There was an interesting tussle between the two “males”. Whatever the real facts of science, this was amazing.

Here are our Crane shots:

Before we left, we also saw flocks of Whistling Ducks:

…and a a Loggerhead Shrike:

Great start to this day!

Off we headed for the south. We saw Wind Turbines, long trains, BIG flat fields (one a cotton field), oil refineries, a Cowboy Bail Bonds billboard and several large ranches.

As we continued south, we also noticed a lot of State Patrol cars, on-road cameras, a northbound US Border Patrol checkpoint, and police searching a truck (whose Hispanic owner stood by). Yep, we were nearing the Mexican border.

We stopped in the Harlingen Texas Info Center (beside this amazing cloverleaf; it seems Interstate 69 will officially come all the way here:

We decided to start our birding at the Laguna Atascosa National Refuge tomorrow, so headed to the Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park ($30 for all amenities…expensive!).

After lunch, we walked the park past fishing piers (the big draw for locals) and actually (maybe illegally) into the Refuge which borders the park:

We saw a Brown Pelican fishing:

…and others fishing in a different way:

…and some other birds, including Roseate Spoonbills (can’t get enough of those) and a Long-billed Curlew:

Heading back, we spied a Crested Caracara:

Here’s the view of the campsite and from my chair:

BBB Day 11

March 6

Hiked and biked 11.7 miles

What a great day. It was sunny but cold/cool (David wore his down vest and toque again this morning) and full of birding adventures.

We joined the Guided Shore Bird Walk at 8:00. Two and a half hours later, we had seen 45 different birds and enjoyed the company of 20 people. The guides and many others were knowledgeable and loved to teach little tips and tricks for recognizing birds.

Here are some of today’s birds. See if you can recognize a Tricolored Heron, Black-crowned Heron (new bird to us), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Roseate Spoonbill, Loon (Winter colours) and Semipalmated Plover (not in order, but there is no test):

 

After warming up and having lunch, we rode our bikes to where the Whooping Cranes are. And we weren’t disappointed. We saw two at a corn feeder a local puts out just for them:

Then saw three more sharing a field with some cattle (including a Brahman bull):

Next were three different herons (Little Blue, Tricolored and Great Blue):

Just before heading back, we heard, then saw, another first-time bird, a Great Kiskadee (couldn’t focus well; he was fast):

After a chat with a birder we met today, we decided to head further south to the Brownsville area tomorrow and see more first time birds (and maybe get some heat).

A great day. And here’s the view of my (empty) chair:

BBB Day 10

 

March 5

Biked 3 miles (and I hiked 1 more)

Time to bid Galveston goodbye, even though it was 73 degrees early in the morning. We headed to Goose Island, hoping for Whooping Cranes.

During the drive along the rest of Galveston Island, we noted that there were plenty of Public Access points to the beaches. Great idea. Take THAT Maine (which makes NO beaches private from our experience).

The drive was quiet and we saw a few things:

• “Do Not Pick Up Hitch Hikers” sign beside a prison
• “The Promised Land Cemetery”
• First Texas Longhorn
• “The Fighting Sandcrabs”, a highschool team (with a 3,000 seat stadium!)
• “Czech out our Sausage Kolaches” (I think kolaches are a kind of biscuit)
• Wide open spaces

The drive took us from seas side to oil refineries to FLAT agricultural land through a dust storm and a sign to “Olivia” (a town named after my Mom!)

We got to Goose Island State Park (after a shop at H.E.B., a great and reasonable Texas grocery store) around noon, found a site for two nights and took a bike ride. So far, none of the many birds we saw here last time. Even during my short hike, I saw zero birds until I saw this Tufted Titmouse preening in the neighbour’s van window:

 

Here’s the view from my chair (much like an Ontario park, but WAY cheaper):

 

BBB Day 9

March 4
Biked and hiked 12 miles (yep, 12 miles)

Today was the kind of day we’ve been waiting for since we left a week ago. Sunny and up to 72 degrees. And we’re a little sunburned because of that (and sore from a lot of bike riding).

I got up too early for the sunrise, but saw this:



It was sunny but quite windy (apparently up to 29 miles an hour through the day). The waves were lovely to hear and see:



We rode through some of the trails before lunch and walked the beach a bit.

Then we decided to ride the beach:



Some more birds were with us:



And we talked to people (though there were very few on the beach all day) who said the many beach houses were likely owned by people from Houston who use these big places like “we” use cottages:




It was a great day on the beach and in our campsite with our pet birds:





The one with the strange yellow eyes has a call like a squeaky door and we turn around every time we hear it.

David even saw his next MoHo pull in today:



So, we’re tired, well-fed and wined after a day which included…

…the view of me IN my chair (cool cement cabanas, huh?):

BBB Day 8

March 3

Hiked and biked 8.4 miles

 

Yes, a sunny start and temperatures which rose all the way to the 70’s today. Hooray!

 

We left Cameron, LA early, took the ferry and the coastal drive towards Texas. There are 5 or 6 beach communities which were obviously wiped out by Rita and Ike and about 50% were rebuilt. But WAY higher on stilts. Still a lot of trailers around.

 

At one place, the Exxon gas station, well what was once a station, had gas priced at $2.29 a gallon!

 

We noticed a lot of hawks on the hydro poles; there seemed to be one every 5 poles. Again, no natural perches, so whatever works!

 

As we headed to the Sabine Pass, the tools of the trade of the oil business were very evident. We crossed the bridge in to Texas and arrived at 8:40.

 

In Winnie, there were two great signs:

• “Do not spit in sink” at the coffee station (I decided not to buy us a coffee)
• “Redneck Riviera RV Park”

We headed south to the Bolivar Peninsula along the Gulf. Here, again, evidence of Ike, but many new developments along the beach. It’s like developers bought up the land after the storm for cheap) and started to build.

 

We boarded the ferry to Galveston Island and saw a few ships: one old:

 

 

…and a couple new (though none were the “Triumph”):

 

 

The Seawall Boulevard of Galveston is all hotels and souvenir shops and restaurants and a Midway on the pier. It was quiet today, but can you imagine next week and Spring Break?

 

 

We got to Galveston Island State Park and bought the $70 yearly pass. This means you don’t pay the Day Fees for any park (here they are $5.00 per person) AND gets you half price on four nights. We’ve already got back $32.50 in savings from our investment. We’d recommend this to campers in Texas.

 

FINALLY we walked the beach (note ballcap vs. toque and light top vs. down coat!):

 

 

And were welcomed by shorebirds and gulls:

 

 

Other flying objects seen were a replica RAF plane:

 

 

…and our resident hawk hunting by our campsite (#24):

 

 

We rode our biked and chatted with some park Rangers and learned that 3/4 of the campsites in the area we’re on were lost after Ike. So sad.

 

We’re happy to be here, in the sun and on the ocean. Tomorrow is to be even warmer than today. Yippee!

 

Here’s the view from my chair (really). The fence is to keep us of the dunes. If you squint, you can see the ocean: