Texas 16 - South Bolivar

Rollover Pass

It's a big fishing spot with a wide channel across the peninsular. It's also great for birds!

A nice comparison of the larger Double-crested and Neotropic Cormorants...

American Avocets...

Ruddy Turnstones...

The beautiful Tri-colored Heron...

Last stop for the day was the world-famous Bolivar Flats which is just east of the Ferry. The numbers here are incredible. Fortunately the beach is cordoned off to protect the roosting and breeding birds. This was the first time I'd visited late afternoon and what a pleasure it was to stroll down the beach viewing these great birds. I was completely alone in the late afternoon sunshine.

Brown Pelican...

This bird is an iconic sight all along Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsular. They fish with effortless ease, not surprising really...

...and glide along the beach, sea and over the hotels and beach houses.

The even larger White Pelican is far less obvious. I've never seen any drifting along Galveston Island/Bolivar. This species is huge. 62 inches in height with a wingspan of 9 feet!. Maybe that's why they don't fly very often!! I'd seen some distantly loafing at Rollover...

...but I was hoping for a better view here. I wasn't disappointed...

The Americans Avocet add scale!!!

REALLY chuffed to see these giants close up.

At the other end of the spectrum there were plenty of Least Terns resting on the beach...

Scanning further down the beach I picked out another bird I was hoping to connect with. I'd had brief and distant views early morning but I hoping for a closer look. The whole area is very open with no cover at all. I'm not the smallest but I tried to walk stealthily along the tideline. I then noticed some Birders coming the other way. My target bird never flinched, so I continued. Too be honest the only way to view the birds is by walking the tideline.

I give you the magnificent Reddish Egret...

Can't follow that!

Stay tuned...