Texas 17 - Day 21

Last full day...so needed a belter!

It was time for a trip on the iconic Galveston Ferry...

Always a treat...and it's free!

I'd got the good lady out of bed at 5.30am so I'd better give her a great day as well! She'd gone back to sleep at this point. Nothing unusual was seen on the crossing. As we docked the fog rolled in!!! More "luck"!

Never mind. First stop was going to be Frenchtown Road were fortunately you can usually get close views of the birds present. Visibility was sufficient to make it worthwhile to linger.

A Willet appeared out of the gloom. Will one ever make it across the "pond"?

More Ring-billed Gulls...

Then the little guys started to appear. From being disappointed with the poor weather this turned out to be an excellent session with more best ever views...of Nelson's Sparrow...

Great to get such prolonged, close views of this typically elusive Ammodramus Sparrow...

FR is also famous for Rails. Last year I saw both Clapper and Sora, this year I managed a brief running Clapper...

It was Foggy!

A lovely Marbled Godwit dropped in...

Half-way up the peninsular is Rollover Pass...a channel that cuts right through and is a magnet for feeding and resting birds...

A Royal Tern drifts over the Skimmers, Terns and Gulls

A wonderful vista...

We then turned north and headed through the fabled High Island. Probably THE most famous migrant hotspot in the US. No lingering today but a record shot just HAD to be taken...

We headed through Beaumont to the Edgewater Picnic Area

Again in search of Woodpeckers but again I drew a blank. I had seen Red-headed here last year. Pileated may be the largest but it's not the easiest to see! I did sneak a brief view of a silent Hermit Thrush...

There was some amazing habitat...

Looks good for IVORY-BILLED!!!

I was determined not to spend too much time in the car. So I scrubbed a site and decided to spend the rest of the day at Cattail Marsh just west of Beaumont. I'd been here many moons ago but the site has been developed and thankfully secured for the future.

We spent a wonderful last three hours of daylight here. Slightly better than yesterday.

I finally found a superb male Cinnamon Teal amongst the thousands of ducks present, far further North than anticipated...

with females I do believe

Winter plumaged Pied-billed Grebe...

Black-necked Stilt...

Blue-winged Teal...

White-faced Ibis...

American Avocet...

Plenty of birds today!

We'd had a great chat with a retired local couple who visited the Marsh regularly. Interesting how they said we'd visited at the best time of year...both for Birds...and weather. They said they'd lived here all their lives but "you don't want to be here in summer"! Hurricane territory.

I'd seen a record of Bald Eagle on eBird. I asked them f they'd seen one lately. They said they hadn't but they pointed out a nest at the far end (and I mean far end) of the reserve...

See it?

He also said there were some diving ducks in the deeper water at that end. I was tempted and I still had an hours light. No further species of Duck were seen unfortunately but I needed the exercise!

Here's the corny but. Strange but true!

It was time to head back to Louse and the couple as the sun was sinking fast. I had a last look at the nest and thought..."Be nice if the eagle flew in now"...IT DID!!!

Told you it was corny! I set the scope up and tried for a last minute record shot...

Evidence!

A VERY satisfying day.

Going home tomorrow. I wonder if I can sneak a last sesh early doors?

Stay tuned...