SW16: Birding and Biking the Bayou

Bird's Eye View

Wow, the things you find in the swamp when you least expect it!

Day 37: March 13

Having been skunked out of gators and Spoonbills at Brazos Bend, we decided we'd revisit the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. And we were not disappointed. Not only did we see some nice birds:

...including this flying Spoonbill:

...and these Ibises:

...and these migrating Snow Geese:

...and a Cormorant that never did swallow the Catfish:

...we also saw this turtle...

and 18 (!) Gators (including a smiling one) in the 3-mile loop:

The trip was worth it.

We continued east on Highway 82, through high waters (it has rained a lot) and people fishing from every bridge and pitch-out. There is still old damage from Katrina, but flooding seems a way of life. The houses and “camps” are built on stilts:

...and people even called theirs “Our Cajun Hi Rise”!

We got to Palmetto Island State Park and decided to stay for two nights to decompress from all the driving. We took Site 14, but a strange odour and a chat with our Ontario neighbours, Marj and Ross from Owen Sound, led us to find the discarded crawfish shells and rice tossed all around the campsite. Guess there was quite a party last night.

So we moved to Site 17 ($18 E/W plus $6 processing fee for the first night). We took a short bike ride and David noticed a “something” in my front tire and Ross said it was a Goat Tooth thorn. When we pulled it out, all the air went out of the tire. Of course it did. But we're happy to be here.

Here's the view from my chair:

Day 38: March 14

We patched the bike tube and set off for a 6-mile bike ride on every paved road in the park (things were wet!). We spotted eight gators in the Evangeline Pond (I sing that Emmy Lou Harris song a lot here). And my tire went flat again (it's hot and sunny and we think the glue on the patch just melted).

So we fixed it and just hung out for the afternoon, though I did ride a bit more and heard “the big ole hawg” someone had pointed out to me!

Nice day on the Bayou!

Day 39: March 15

We had plans to go to New Orleans or to the Gulf Coast, but rain warnings made us decide to stay close by, where the weather was to be good, and to explore more of Louisiana.

So, we headed to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, an hour and a half away.

Here's what we saw en route:

• blue flashing lights and prisoners picking garbage, complete with striped pants:

• flooded rice fields filled with crawfish pots (and Great Egrets eating up a storm)
• “The Dixie Chopper: The World's Fastest Lawn Mower”
• a group of men prepping a pig for a BBQ
• roosters in shelters made from old election posters (and penned Pit Bulls; I'll leave that to your imaginations)
• beehives on the levee:

We got to the park early, and it was mostly under water. Most sites had a dry parking area with water all around. Some tables and firepits were under water! We chose Site 24 ($18 + $6 processing, E/W) as a fairly dry spot.

We rode our bikes on all the dry, paved roads and ole Owl Eyes (me) spotted this Barred Owl fishing. As we watched, she also took her catch, a crawfish, over to her nest to feed her chick (we could see the little ball of fluff moving). It was an amazing sight.

Oh, and a little later, I spotted this matching Gekko:

...and this gator:

After lunch, we decided to ride the levee:

... then Eagle Eyes (David) spotted this one:

After a 22 km biking day, we relaxed at our site. Our neighbour told us to expect a lot of noise over night (we are basically in a swamp!). Before we packed it in, we saw this sweet little Yellow-crowned Night-Heron just across the road:

A nice way to end the day at our swamp-side campsite:

SW16: Goodbye TX, Hello LA

Bird's Eye View

Not a lot to choose from in these two driving days, but here's a cute Wild Turkey who thinks he's an Alligator:

Day 35: March 11

It rained again last night, but the morning looked good for a day of driving. We headed towards Choke Canyon State Park. It was a long drive and featured these observations:

• BBQ from Cowboy's BBQ Station in Alice
• lots of Blue Bonnets in the ditches

• a series of billboards: Homemade Kitchen; Monster Burger; Tire Service (as in spare tire from eating the Monster Burger?)
• “New Wine Worship Center”
• Valero Refinery in Three Rivers (with a Shell station across the road)

We checked in to Choke Canyon State Park (near Three Rivers). It's a fishing park (and a catching park since the cleaning tables were busy). We rode our bikes everywhere and saw the Turkeys, some waterfowl, and returned to five deer in our backyard (I find the first picture hysterical: she's pooping!).

Here's the view from my chair in campsite 113 ($22 E/W):

Day 36: March 12

Time to try Brazos Bend State Park again, so off we went.

As we passed a Federal Prison, I noted that the first track trap we've seen since noon yesterday was for the prison! We're long past Mexico now.

Highway 59N (we drove two “N” highways today, so I guess we're officially heading home) is a nice drive through small Texas towns, with notable billboards:

• Berclair Ranch: Where President Bush Hunts
• Victoria's HUGE Sheriff's building with three Bail Bonds Offices across the road
• FullAutoFirearms.com
• “Eat, Fuel, Flush” (for a truck stop and restaurant)

As we joined the lineup to enter Brazos Bend, we weren't optimistic since we had no reservations and it was the first Saturday of Spring Break! And yes, there was no room for us. Though disappointed for a few minutes, until we realized the park was FULL of families and lots of kids. Not our favourite way to camp. So we decided to head to Louisiana.

That meant Houston! It was a fairly decent passage through this big city, somewhat slowed by traffic for Spring Break, a Gun Show and a Rodeo. But we survived and hoped to stay at the Welcome Centre in LA.

As was our luck for the day, it was closed for renovation, so we drove farther until the Sulphur Walmart. It was safe, reasonably quiet and looked like all Walmarts, so no view from my chair!

SW16: Mission Accomplished

Bird's Eye View

The sunsets are not as spectacular here, but the birds are. So I'll start with a favourite bird picture this time: “twin” Green Jays at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park in Mission, Texas:

Day 32: March 8

We leave Falcon and head slightly south to Salineno, where Merle and Lorna (and this year Bob) tend feeders for Texas Fish and Wildlife, right on the Rio Grande. And to prove it, here's a shot with Mexico on the left, Texas on the right, and a Border Patrol boat in between!

The birds are still plentiful:

And we saw what we REALLY came for, Audubon Orioles:

We stayed for a couple of hours and enjoyed the comings and goings and Merle and company. Strangely, Bob relished firing pebbles near the Red-winged Blackbirds using his slingshot. Odd for a birder, but effective. It was a beautiful stop.

On we went to another “perennial” stop for us, The Chimney RV Park in Mission. Our “neighbours” for the past three years, now, Dan and Patty from Kansas, welcomed us back. It was HOT! We hung out in our site 39 ($21 Full Hookups-PA), enjoyed the air conditioner, and hoped we'd avoid the storms they were predicting.

Day 33: March 9

It was a crazy night. First a train went through, blowing its whistle LOUDLY around 11:30. Then the storm DID come around 3:30. Then a little later, there was a lot of commotion with cars and sirens either in or near the park (I was determined the last was to do with a very fit senior man I saw climb UP the levee wall yesterday and, when he got to the top, shifted his handgun from his pocket to his waistband-seriously).

And all that led to non-stop rain all day. We were housebound. I read, David tagged pictures, and Mandy slept.

I did get out for a short walk during one break in the weather and got this view from my chair:

Day 34: March 10

We've had such great weather every day until yesterday, so hoped this would all end. Despite overcast skies, we packed up and drove to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park for some more birding.

It's a great biking and birding park, so it's made for us!

Here are some shots of birds and little beasts from two feeding stations and the Comfort Station:

...and a Roadrunner from the road (he posed for David in all his glory):

...and a group of Hawk lovers on the Hawk Tower that helped us see a Life Bird, a Hooked-billed Kite (only a speck in the binoculars, but confirmed all around).

We got back and, after lunch, decided to ride along the levee (and no, the Border Patrol wasn't following David):

We saw a turtle:

...and visited La Lomita Chapel:

...and rode through an amazing county park. Over my right shoulder is the park in Texas:

...and over my left, the sister park in Mexico!

This was a very busy day after the day of nothing yesterday!