South Padre Island - Sun Bookends

 

Gulf of Mexico Sunrise - East Bookend

Entrance to the Birding Center

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - Official Greeters

Black-bellied Whistling Duck 

Clapper Rail, not often out in the open

Clapper Rail preening after a bath

Tree Frog often found in the Birding Center rain gauge

Red-eared Slider Turtle 

Alligator Rescue holding pool

Talapia in the fresh water area at the Birding Center

Mangrove (Yellow) Warbler

Mangrove Warbler - heard more often than seen

White Morph of the Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Cooper's Hawk

Raccoon leaves sand footprint

Not often seen Raccoon hunting

Tropical Kingbird

Smallest kingfisher in the U.S. -  Green Kingfisher

80% of the North American Redhead population winters in South Texas

We found this rare winter visitor - Long-tailed Duck

Our favorite Roseate Spoonbill taking a bath

Many days bring red flag conditions on the Gulf side of the Island

Another great find - Surf Scoter

Sanderling

Ghost Crab blends in with the sand

Great-tailed Grackle with his ear-splitting squawk

Primrose on the Dunes

American Kestrel

White-tailed Hawk hunting along the Dunes

Common Loon heading for the Gulf

Immature Yellow-crowned Night-heron trying to eat a Blue Land Crab

Tassele

West Bookend - Sunset from the Birding Center over the Laguna Madre

With temps in the 70's, it doesn't "feel" like Christmas here but every day we can celebrate God's perfect gift, Jesus come to earth to save us.

We wish you all a very wonderful Christmas!

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann

SPI Birding Center + Jetty

 

We are volunteering at the South Padre Island Birding Center and this is part of the 3,300 feet of Boardwalk with a lot of great birds to view close up.

Green Heron is ready for his close-up.

Perching statue-like in the Black Mangrove above the water waiting for a Sheephead Minnow.

Distracted Green Heron

Reddish Egret - alert for fish

Reddish Egret fluffs up after preening

Tricolored Heron

Black-crowned Night-heron

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

 

Least Bittern

Clapper Rail

Clapper Rails are most often hard to find in dense vegetation.

Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe young of the year

We had to put another Roseate Spoonbill in the blog!

Looking Good!

Jetty at the south end of South Padre Island projects out into the Gulf of Mexico.

Lots of fishing by public and birds when the waves are not crashing over it.

Brown Pelican coming in for a landing.

Adult Brown Pelican trying to pick up some cut bait.

White morph Reddish Egret daily visitor at the jetty.

Great Blue Heron watching for a chance to steal some fish.

Willet shows it's wing pattern that is usually hidden.

Royal Tern

Wintering American White Pelicans join their brown cousins resting on the sand bar.

Back at the Birding Center we find an unusual Cattail head - split and rejoined.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Pair of wintering Redhead Ducks

Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal preening exhibits his colorful speculum.

Hen Mottled Duck 

Mottled Duck pair - drake has bright yellow bill.

Neotropic Cormorants and Laughing Gulls crowd the boardwalk railing.

Erect Day Flower

SPI's famous alligators - Big Padre & Lady Laguna.

Entrance landscape at the Birding Center where many of the songbirds are found.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Great Kiskadee feed on the fruit of...

The larger South American Turk's Cap.

Love & Prayers

Ty & Ida Baumann