Took the early ferry across the bay and had little due to the high wind and
spray. The rains had filled all the ponds in port bolivar leaving no edge.
There was still no wet areas at Fort Travis as the rain soaked in. A few
birds feeding around the jetty base.
Headed out Retillon Road but had no calling black rails. Clapper rails were
out and some young were almost half grown.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538873
They were feeding themselves and preening
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538875
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538878
The first bird out by the beach was an interesting seagull. Took lots of
pictures as usual and found out that it was just another herring gull for
the list of birds that could have been something else
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538889
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538891
A lesser black-backed gull was bathing in the surf
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538892
A single franklin's gull was way down the flats
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538888
A pair of shovelers was also way down around the bend
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538894
A mottled duck was in a puddle by the beach
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538893
Still bright colored sanderlings along the water
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538895
Almost all the peeps were semipalmated sandpipers
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538900
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538898
This one looked a little different
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538901
Several male horned larks were up skylarking. One Wilson's phalarope flew
in and a single marbled godwit slept. Still avocets but just 17 with more
up at rollover. A few more Caspian terns out on the beach and there are
still a few whimbrels scattered about.
A surf scoter was standing in the surf just up the beach
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538903
Showed off its big feet
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538907
It kept turning around between bouts of preening
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538909
This stretch of beach seems a favorite of surf scoters in late spring/early
summer. This bird seems to be in better feather than some.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538905
A little further east, a red-necked phalarope was feeding in the runoff
from the cut.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538935
The red-neck is very apparent as are the back stripes
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538936
The bulldozer cleaning the beach gradually moved the birds away and was
getting very close to my car so I sort of had to leave
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538934
Makes a good mystery bird
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538927
And a tail pattern
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538923
Its a small bird and looks smaller than a sanderling
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538922
The phalarope and sanderlings were catching tiny shrimp washing out of the
marsh. The phalarope could swim and was doing better at the catching.
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538920
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538918
Further up the peninsula a small group of white rumped sandpipers were
feeding
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538948
They were eating very tiny things washed up on the sand
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538951
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538949
They were in varied plumages
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538958
They never really gave a good look at the white rump
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538954
The texas city dike had a male and female red-breasted merganser
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538976
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538975
Least terns were bathing
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538978
Lots of flapping
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538980
And then preening
http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/165538984
Lots fewer birds out on the beach compared to a week ago but still fair
variety and some good ones.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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