Texas 22 - Day 14

Back in the groove and still 9 FULL days left. I feel like I'm still there lol! I wish!! So here we are on Monday April 25th. I had to make the most of this for two reasons...a) I hadn't been for 3 Years b) my next visit is...shall we say...is unscheduled.!?

The trip so far had panned out as expected with some great highlights and constant interest and involvement. I'm always the same on holiday...like a kid in a sweet shop...boundless energy and enthusiasm as every situation is fresh and new. Brilliant! Oh and the Birds are quite smart also. The vibrancy of Texas is infectious. We both enjoy the incredible sights this State has to offer. The standard of the infrastructure and facilities are second to none...which obviously enhances your Holiday. The weather is like transferring to instant Summer, ranging from 22 to 27C. We like it!

The day started pre-dawn on Settegast Road. My Common Nighthawk experience was brief and to be honest disappointing, as I only had a single brief sighting of a lone bird. Again, no sign of any Bobolinks. A retrospective mention of an Osprey (my only sighting) flying low over our car, the previous evening at this Site, is worth another showing I feel...

Now then, we all have specific targets on Trips. Some are migrants and some are breeding birds. If you remember I'd set myself a target of seeing as many Species as possible on Galveston Island. A bird that fits the "possible" category is Least Bittern. As with all Bitterns though...it's shy. This is were the beauty of eBird comes in (I need some help sometimes).  I'd had a brief "recce" to this Site (Becker's Bayou) the evening before. A dense reedbed on Stewart Road but fortunately there's a wide grass verge to park on.

I arrived at 7.20am. After much scanning at 7.59 a potential candidate flew across and fortunately landed distantly on some reeds...

Success!

Legs Akimbo!

REALLY chuffed to connect with this difficult species on the Island. To see two birds was surprising. Thanks eBird...and the contributors! 

So, onto yet another Species difficult to connect with on the Island...or generally to be honest. I'd tried for this bird at least half-a-dozen times at various locations without success. I returned once again to Sportsman's Road checking various jetties and rocks as I went. At the dead end there's a turning circle with a view of the breakwater...

This time...

American Oystercatcher

I took Louise for lunch to celebrate at our favourite spot...

I think she enjoyed it...

I left her for some retail therapy in the outstanding Historic District while I returned "home" for a strategic "power nap"! After picking her up at 5pm, I dropped her off and returned to Corps Woods as there had been some rain during the afternoon. This turned out to be a VERY good decision. As I entered it felt...Birdy! Plenty of movement amongst the vegetation. The jist is here. I always enjoy the challenge of grabbing a decent pic...and it can be a challenge with fast moving albeit colourful Birds. I also like to think I FULLY appreciate the birds with my Bins. It's a fine balance?