Saturday April 30th (Day 19) and May 1st (Day 20) were spent on Galveston Island with a fair amount of time spent at the State Park. I had an early session at Corps Woods were a superb Black and White Warbler was the Star turn...
I never tire of seeing or watching this remarkable Bird. Late morning found me down the east End and I finally fluked a Gull-billed Tern fly-by!
Mid-afternoon found me down at the State Park. It was still rather warm! The Common Nighthawk observed form the Observation Tower at around at 4.20pm seemed to be enjoying it though! I also learnt about the Eskimo Curlew monument...
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| Poignant |
To be honest this isn't my favourite location BUT it does pick up the Birds. It's "open" with little to no shade and the paths I took were...dead!
To counteract this on Sunday morning I was there pre-dawn (5.30am)...
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| No Barn Owl |
I stayed 4.5 hours and managed a respectable 42 species.
An early Northern Harrier (6.30)...
I covered all areas of the park including a path I had to get a combination for the padlock. Nice exercise BUT nothing new or noteworthy seen. I was going to try the observation deck (no cover) but there was a group already present. Looking at eBird some of them were there for SEVEN hours!!! They must be acclimatized...or something! I'd have fried!!
After cooling down and having lunch I had a couple of hours in the shade at Corps Woods. As I walked towards the entrance gate I saw a shape moving slowly along the path...
By the time I'd got in, it had disappeared...or so I thought...
This time it walked off into the undergrowth. Nice. I started to scan. It was quiet again as conditions weren't favourable and it WAS early afternoon. Still, there's always something to watch...
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| Green Heron |
As I returned towards the car I felt a "presence". As I lowered my bins the Racoon was stood right next to me (3 feet) on its hind legs, looking right at me!!!!!! Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough with my phone to record the moment. No aggression was experienced it just wondered off to start eating Mulberries...
A wonderful Wildlife experience...
As I'd bought a day pass for the Park I intended to get my money's worth by returning for the evening. So after an early meal I drove South towards the Park again. On a whim I called in briefly at Lafitte's...
I must admit I was feeling my early start and I ended upon a bench by the drip. It was almost 6 now and the area was in heavy shade. A couple of Catbirds and a female Painted Bunting were "about".
Then...this...
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| American Redstart (male) |
Stunner!!!
It was VERY wary of coming into the water feature but eventually it did. I watched the Bird for a good 15 minutes. Bliss! There was no-one else present. A couple more...
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| That Tail! |
Onto GISP. I arrived at 7 and walked the boardwalk a short distance to the Monument...
It was (mercifully) much cooler and I was ready for the Nighthawk show...and maybe a Barn Owl? I made my way up the steps to the Observation Deck...
A few dusk shots from here...
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| Brown Pelicans over the Eskimo Curlew monument |
The Icon...
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| Incoming |
I'd only been there a couple of minutes when a Common Nighthawk flew low over my head! I was soon watching 3 birds hunting over the Marsh. Brilliant!!! A charismatic species of ever there was one. I never did get my Barn Owl...but I tried.
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