Updated: Sunday January 02, 2011

Spring 2008 images from the Upper Texas Coast:

• April 29th - Anahuac NWR, Texas
  
  
• April 30th - Bolivar Peninsula and Anahuac NWR, Texas
  
  
• May 1st - at the "drip", TOS Sabine Woods Sanctuary, Sabine Pass, Texas
  
  
• May 2nd - Anahuac NWR, Texas
  
  
• May 3rd and 4th - McFaddin NWR, Sea Rim Willows, and TOS Sabine Woods Sanctuary, Texas
  
  
• May 5th - Anahuac NWR, Texas (after the morning rains)
  
  
• May 6th - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
  
  
• May 7th - Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
  
  
• May 8th - at the "drip", TOS Sabine Woods Sanctuary, Sabine Pass, Texas
  
  
• May 9th - at the "drip", TOS Sabine Woods Sanctuary, Sabine Pass, Texas
  
  
• June 13th - Frijole Ranch Unit of Guadalupe Mountains NP, Salt Flat, Texas
  
  

• Common Moorhen? #4 - The bluish tint to the front half is suggestive of a Purple Gallinule, but the frontal shield is a typical Moorhen shape and color. Curious color, though.
  
  
• Purple Gallinule #7
  
  
• Boat-tailed Grackle #10 - Male
  
  
• Common Grackle #3 - Male
  
  
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak #13 - Male
  
  
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak #17 - Female
  
  
• Common Nighthawk #26
  
  
• Common Nighthawk #27 - Look at its tiny feet!
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #17 - Male
  
  
• Savannah Sparrow #2
  
  
• Scarlet Tanager #18 - Male
  
  
• Scarlet Tanager #20 - Male
  
  
• Scarlet Tanager #24 - Male
  
  
• American Alligator #8
  
  
• Red-eared Slider #8 - Female returning to the water after laying her eggs
  
  

• Short-billed Dowitcher #1 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Reddish Egret #3 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Snowy Egret #9 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• American Oystercatcher #3 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Wilson's Phalarope #47 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Wilson's Phalarope #49 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Black-bellied Plover #21 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Least Sandpiper #7 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Least Tern #3 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Ruddy Turnstone #7 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Willet #35 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Lesser Yellowlegs #9 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs Size Comparison - Rettilon Road, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs Size Comparison - Rettilon Road, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Red Knot #15 - Rettilon Road, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Brown Pelican #22 - Bolivar Flats, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Piping Plover #3 - Bolivar Flats, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Sanderling #30 - Bolivar Flats, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak #18 (Female) - the Willows, Anahuac NWR
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #18 (First Year Male) - the Willows, Anahuac NWR
  
  
• Turkey Vulture #1 - the Willows, Anahuac NWR
  
  
• Common Pondhawk #2 - the Willows, Anahuac NWR
  
  

• Gray Catbird #7
  
  
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo #4
  
  
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo #9 - taking a drink at the "drip". The fanned tail might deter interlopers while the bird's head is down?
  
  
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak #20 (male)
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #20 (first year male)
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #20 (a very bright female)
  
  
• Scarlet Tanager #25 (male)
  
  
• Summer Tanager #12 (male)
  
  
• Summer Tanager #6 (female)
  
  
• American Redstart #5 (male)
  
  
• Wood Thrush #7
  
  
• Chestnut-sided Warbler #5 (male)
  
  
• Magnolia Warbler #9 (male)
  
  
• Yellow Warbler #5 (male)
  
  
• Nine-banded Armadillo #3
  
  
• Eastern Fox Squirrel #4
  
  
• Treefrog sp. #2 - This little guy suddenly "appeared" on my telephoto lens.
  
  
• Treefrog sp. #3 - He climbed up on top of the lens.
  
  
• Treefrog sp. #6 - I returned him safely to a nearby bush
  
  

• Boat-tailed Grackle #19 - This Boat-tailed Grackle was perched on the "Shoveler Pond Boardwalk" sign at Anahuac NWR.
  
  
• Common Nighthawk #28 - There are always Nighthawks along the Yellow Rail Prairie Road in spring.
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #24
  
  
• Black-bellied Plover #31
  
  
• Sora #6
  
  
• Ruddy Turnstone #9
  
  
• Whimbrel #17 - A Whimbrel takes a bath...walking into the "tub"...
  
  
• Whimbrel #18 - Settling down into the "tub"...
  
  
• Whimbrel #20 - Time to get my head wet...just close my eyes and...
  
  
• Whimbrel #21 - SPLASH!...
  
  
• Whimbrel #23 - Now the wings...
  
  
• Whimbrel #34 - Imagine feather maintenance with a bill that long!...
  
  
• Whimbrel #28 - Smooth out those pesky wing coverts...
  
  
• Whimbrel #29 - Tail feathers next...
  
  
• Whimbrel #32 - A final fluff and I'm done!
  
  
• Willet #36 - One of the "Eastern" Willets that breed here in Texas.
  
  
• Willet #38 - A good stretch feels so good!
  
  
• Eastern Wood-Pewee #6 - View of the back.
  
  
• Eastern Wood-Pewee #9 - View of the front.
  
  
• American Alligator #9 - A trip to Anahuac wouldn't be complete without an Alligator photo.
  
  

• Osprey #1 - McFaddin NWR - Demonstrating the proper two-footed "surfer" fish carry
  
  
• Osprey #2 - McFaddin NWR - Showing off with a one-footed fish carry!
  
  
• Osprey #5 - McFaddin NWR - Check that no one is sneaking up on me
  
  
• Osprey #7 - McFaddin NWR - Yummy, you can't beat the coast for fresh fish!
  
  
• Yellow-bellied Flycatcher #1 - Sea Rim Willows
  
  
• "Bronzed" Common Grackle #4 - Sea Rim Willows
  
  
• White Ibis #3 - Sea Rim Willows
  
  
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron #3 - Sea Rim Willows - Who ordered the Crayfish?
  
  
• Blue Grosbeak #4 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #28 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #29 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Ovenbird #5 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Northern Parula #6 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• American Redstart #12 - Sabine Woods - An interesting view of the bird's underside
  
  
• Summer Tanager #21 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Veery #8 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Veery #9 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• White-eyed Vireo #6 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Bay-Breasted Warbler #6 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Black-and-white Warbler #3 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Black-throated Green Warbler #15 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Blackburnian Warbler #14 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Cerulean Warbler #3 (male) - Sabine Woods - This is the usual view looking up into the treetops...
  
  
• Cerulean Warbler #4 (male) - Sabine Woods - But sometimes the bird looks down
  
  
• Golden-winged Warbler #4 (female) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Hooded Warbler #14 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Kentucky Warbler #12 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Magnolia Warbler #23 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Magnolia Warbler #19 (female) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Mourning Warbler #8 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Prothonotary Warbler #28 (male) - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Tennessee Warbler #8 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Northern Waterthrush #12 - Sabine Woods
  
  
• Swamp Rabbit #4 - Sabine Woods - Sneaking up on the birds or the birders?
  
  
• Nine-banded Armadillo #4 - Sabine Woods - Mind if I play through?
  
  

• Snowy Egret #11 - Showing the pinkish lores of high breeding plumage
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon #8 (male) - One bird of a pair hunting together
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon #6 (male) - "I see you!"
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon #12 (female) - One bird of a pair hunting together
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon #13 (female) - "One more picture and I'll be eating YOU for lunch!"
  
  
• White Ibis #4 - Immature molting into adult plumage
  
  
• Clapper Rail #12 - Hiding in the grass
  
  
• Clapper Rail #13 - Calling for a mate
  
  

• Reddish Egret #8 - Bolivar Flats
  
  
• Snowy Egret #12 - Bolivar Flats
  
  
• Tricolored Heron #9 - Bolivar Flats
  
  
• Tricolored Heron #12 - The Snowy Egret does not want to share with the Tricolored Heron, so...
  
  
• Tricolored Heron #13 - He chases him away...
  
  
• Tricolored Heron #14 - The Tricolored Heron gracefully retreats...
  
  
• Royal Tern #15 - Bolivar Flats
  
  
• Short-billed Dowitcher #6 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Dunlin #15 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Green Heron #5 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• American Oystercatcher #5 - The Oystercatcher stalks the wily oyster...
  
  
• American Oystercatcher #6 - ...and strikes without warning!
  
  
• Black-bellied Plover #32 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Semipalmated Plover #1 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Wilson's Plover #7 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Clapper Rail #8 - This Clapper Rail was boldly hunting out in the open...
  
  
• Clapper Rail #9 - ...the reason became obvious when the downy young emerged from the reeds to be fed
  
  
• Least Sandpiper #8 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Black Skimmer #7 - How the Skimmer got its name...
  
  
• Roseate Spoonbill #9 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  

• Short-billed Dowitcher #9 (still mostly in winter plumage) - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Short-billed Dowitcher #10 (breeding plumage) - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Wilson's Plover #12 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• White-rumped Sandpiper #15 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• White-rumped Sandpiper #17 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Black Tern #4 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Black Tern #6 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Forster's Tern #7 (winter plumage) - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Ruddy Turnstone #10 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Whimbrel #35 - French Town Road, Port Bolivar
  
  
• Great Egret #11 - Rollover Pass, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Reddish Egret #11 (white phase) - Rollover Pass, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  
• Great Blue Heron #4 - Rollover Pass, Bolivar Peninsula
  
  

• Indigo Bunting #13 (male) - A little late molting into breeding plumage?
  
  
• Indigo Bunting and Scarlet Tanager (males) - Is it Christmas?
  
  
• Painted Bunting #24 (male) - A little late molting into breeding plumage?
  
  
• Painted Bunting #23 (male) - But not too late to serenade the ladies!
  
  
• Great-tailed Grackle #3 (female) - She is about to pluck a hapless frog from the edge of the pond!
  
  
• Eastern Kingbird #11 - To paraphrase Claude Rains..."Everyone comes to drips!"
  
  
• Baltimore Oriole #13 (male)
  
  
• Scarlet Tanager #29 (male)
  
  
• Swainson's Thrush #5
  
  
• Veery #12
  
  
• Red-eyed Vireo #5
  
  
• Northern Waterthrush #16
  
  
• Nine-banded Armadillo #5 - Did you know Armadillos can swim?
  
  
• Nine-banded Armadillo #6 - Safely ashore!
  
  
• Bee hive #2 (in a Screech-Owl nest box) - Beware the "Killer Bees" of the Bee Tree!
  
  
• Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) #1 - At the Sea Rim Willows
  
  

• Painted Bunting #25 (male) - A male just starting to molt into breeding plumage...check out his blue head!
  
  
• Great-tailed Grackle #4 (female) - This female Grackle caught 5 frogs to feed her young during the afternoon!
  
  
• Blue Jay #5
  
  
• Northern Mockingbird #4
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #30 (first year male)
  
  
• Orchard Oriole #31 (adult male) - The "Crossbill" Oriole...a new species?
  
  
• Scarlet Tanager #30 (female)
  
  
• Gray-cheeked Thrush #2
  
  
• Black-and-white Warbler #5 (female
  
  
• Hooded Warbler #17 (male
  
  
• Magnolia Warbler #27 (female)
  
  
• Magnolia Warbler #28 (female) - A blurry, but interesting, view of the bird's underside
  
  
• American Alligator #10 - This Alligator was almost a "speed bump" when it walked across a busy highway!
  
  
• Eyed Click Beetle (Alaus lusciosus) #3 - This large (about 1.5 inches) Click Beetle landed on my shoulder...after a few minutes it flew away
  
  

• Juniper Titmouse #3
  
  
• Juniper Titmouse #5
  
  
• Juniper Titmouse #7
  
  
• Canyon Towhee #8
  
  
• Black-tailed Jack Rabbit #1
  
  
• Robber Fly sp. #2