Last days at South Padre Island

Our time on South Padre Island is coming to a close.  Many days walking the beach and volunteering at the Birding Center have made the the days go quickly.

Bottlenose Dolphins frolic in the bay

Portuguese Man-O-War jellyfish washed up after a storm

Goose-neck Barnecles on an old barrel 

Angry waves with a strong northeast wind

Our daily beach walk shell collection which we donated to the Birding & Nature Center for the children's programs.

Willcox's Sea Hare - mollusk with internal shell

Shore Crab

One of our many birding groups on the boardwalk at the Birding Center

 

Birding Center Boardwalk on Laguna Madre

Spectacled Owl

The Birding Center had a special event and part of it was a Birds of Prey program featuring live birds.  We enjoyed the presentation and visiting with the falconers.

Icelandic Gyrfalcon

Sleepy Greater Yellowlegs

Mottled Duck

Black Skimmer skimming for fish

Lesser Scaup on a pond nearby

American Kestrel stayed close for his photo

Pair of Tropical Kingbirds

Roseate Spoonbill getting Spring breeding plumage

Amazing he can preen with that bill

Blue-winged Teal shows a little green in those speculums 

Clapper Rail makes a rare appearance

Black-crowned Night-heron

Caspian Tern

Common Gallinule flares his tail at interloper

Reddish Egret dances and shades the water to fish

Reddish Egret raises hackles

Completely submerged Anhinga pursues fish

Anhinga pokes his head out for a breath before going back under

What's that bird hiding in the cattails?

It's a rare Least Bittern!  Everyone was looking for it.

American Oystercatcher in the sparking sunset

Female Red-breasted Merganser

Osprey works hard on the Needlefish that it caught

We went on a field trip with the local bird club to Rio Hondo and found quite a few passerines in the cemetery.  This White-eyed Vireo was enjoying the fruit.

Wintering Lark Sparrow

Full Moon halo on the statue of Jesus that stands at the south end of our RV Park.

We have also enjoyed our eight Sundays of worship at Chapel by the Sea that we can walk to early in the morning.  We have met many great people that share our passion for birding and enjoying God's creation.

Love & Prayer's,
Ty & Ida Baumann