It's an area I've always liked. Plenty of different habitats and some excellent migrant traps. Again a bit of a self-indulgent trip down memory lane but hey...just glad to be able to do it!
We stopped off at Goose Island to try for a late Whooping Crane but no luck there...
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| Big Tree |
Onto Port Aransas for a couple of nights. I just intended to bird the peninsular. Things never work out as planned...well rarely.
One of my favourite places to bird in this area is Paradise Pond, not 5 minutes from our Motel...
On previous visits I'd enjoyed many an hour getting "crippling views" of many species of Warbler. I was in for a shock...
Hurricane Harvey had visited!
A tragedy.
As you can see plans are afoot to restore the habitat but it will obviously take some considerable time. On a brighter note birds were still being recorded in the fringe vegetation, including Magnolia Warbler (not seen) and this female Rose-breasted Grosbeak...
...and this beautiful Scarlet Tanager...
The other major site at the North End of the magnificently named Mustang Island is the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Centre...
A grand title and a superb reserve...but it is by the Sewage Works! It can get pretty ripe in sub-tropical temps!!
The bushes by the car park have an excellent reputation for migrants. We spent some time here...
Blackburnian Warbler...
Yellow-billed Cuckoo...
Seen briefly in thick cover initially...
...then further views as we were leaving...
...as was this Chestnut-sided Warbler...
Out on the Marsh I added Ruddy Duck to the trip list...
There was an impressive number of White Pelicans present...
A dapper American Avocet in the early morning light...
Then as we made our way back to the car for lunch I got lucky with amazing views of the remaining Scarlet Tanager...
The afternoon was a pleasant affair checking out various sites but it was very quiet migration wise. I did manage to add a distant White-tailed Hawk to the trip list...
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