Did the early ferry ride and had good numbers of royal terns followed the
boat across
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165605804
The pair of horned larks on Retillon was active
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165605803
A winter plumage dunlin was one of the first birds on the flats
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606359
The summer ring-billed gull was there
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606360
Good numbers of semipalmated plovers were roosting
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606361
And one not so neat
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606362
semipalmated sandpipers were the common peep
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606364
but a flock of western sandpipers flew in
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606368
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606369
American avocets were eating tiny shrimp up the beach
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606525
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606524
eastern willets are doing very well and on all of the fenceposts
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606527
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606532
The swainson's hawks continue
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606675
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165606678
Black-crowned night herons make good scavengers as well as predators at the
nests of other herons. here one stalks a very dead fish being worked on by
a laughing gull
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608251
Nice yellow feet
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608254
But it was too dead
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608253
He did beg from fishermen
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608256
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608255
A really good look at the bird and plume
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608258
A single plume remains on the bird
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608259
Over the years, the white phase reddish egrets are increasing as a percent
of the reddish egret population
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608260
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165608261
And snowy egrets also mooch
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610660
And American avocets are also in the area
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610659
The tricolored heron uses a different strategy to stalk prey compared to
the reddish egret that runs around
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610670
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610661
The system works
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610663
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610664
But fish do not go down tail first
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610665
Do some flipping
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610666
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610667
And down the hatch
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610668
Young brown pelicans were feeding in the channel and catching infinite
large fish which the humans were not catching.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610860
The just make a scoop
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610858
Start letting the water out of the pouch
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610863
Draining. and this is where the laughing gulls sitting on a pelicans head
get a chance
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610864
Make sure the fish is in position
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610865
and down it goes
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610866
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610870
Back on Retillon road a passing northern harrier drew the attention of a
local white-tailed kite
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610872
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165610873
The winter plumage dunlin was stretching
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611148
Still 3 breeding plumage birds
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611152
Red knots are one of the shorebirds that shake weeds to dislodge prey like
the ruddy turnstone also do. The 3 summering birds are losing their few
reddish feathers.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611154
Some summer plumaged ruddy turnstones remain
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611155
Almost all of the short-billed dowitchers are in winter plumage
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611158
but a few have so brighter feathers
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611159
the semipalmated sandpipers show off their semipalmations
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611179
Most of the feeding on the beach is by picking food
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611178
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611170
Learn the calls of the peeps which are distinctive and it is easier to sort
them out
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611177
White-rumped sandpipers normally are in fresh water but lingering birds are
on the beach
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611189
And get down in there more than the semipalmateds
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611191
But their squeak like a mouse call says look at me
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611194
A forster's tern had most of its tail missing
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611203
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611204
Royal terns often eat long fish which lets you see what they are eating.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611207
And are already molting out of their breeding head feathers
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165611206
Lots of good birds out there.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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