South to Texas

We traveled south along the Mississippi River from Illinois, to Missouri, Arkansas into Louisiana,  we knew we were "south" when we saw the Bald Cypress along the water's edge hanging with Spanish Moss.  This was Lake Bruin in Louisiana, a great place to camp.

Two Striped Walking Stick - female and small male

Young raccoon eating fruit

Alligator at Lake Bruin

Sweet Gum fruit

Mason Wasp sealing cavity

Red-headed Woodpecker

Bald Cypress knees

Seaside Dragonet

We drove through Sabine National Wildlife Refuge on the Western coast of Louisiana into Texas.  We were pleased to find that Sea Rim State Park was open again after several years of being closed because of hurricane damage.

Roseate Spoonbill

Short-billed Dowitcher

What a crowd!  Herons, egrets, ibis and spoonbills

Black-necked Stilt

Blue Dasher

Just another pretty face!

Black Tern Juvenile 

Black-bellied Plover

Common nighthawk - abundant migration

Giant Darner 

Tricolored Heron juvenile walks the balance beam

White Ibis reflection

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Bolivar Flats

Long-billed Curlew

White-tailed Kite
Galveston Island

Roseate Spoonbill tries to hide behind Great Egret

Galveston Beach State Park

Sanderlings - serious disagreement 

We then went south to Galveston Island State Park and had two great days birding the beach and the marsh areas on the bay side of the island.

Royal Terns spout off in unison 

Black Skimmers surf fishing

Yellow-crowned Night-herons hunting in the dunes

Semipalmated Plover

Ghost Crab - 6 inches

Catclaw Sensitive Briar

We experienced some thunder showers in between the sun coming out and giving us beautiful rainbows.  As we travel south we are seeing the damage done by last year's hurricane Harvey.  Still much that needs fixing and many people still hurting from the wind and flooding.  They are in our prayers.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann

Last Days in Southern Wisconsin

Our Madison sunrises were enhanced by fog and smoke from the forest fires out west.  We had a great two weeks with our son Troy and his wife Carmen while we camped at Lake Farm Campground.  We were not affected by the floods that inundated the western part of the city and beyond.

Fungi - 20 feet up in a tree

Ruby-throated hummingbirds coming to Troy's feeder
On his 3rd floor balcony

House Finch checking out his feeders

Bladder Campions

Wild Cucumber seedpod and blossom  

Yellow Jewelweed or pale Touch-me-not

Spotted Sandpiper - already in winter plumage 

Killdeer

Killdeer showing off his beautiful rump patch

Coral Vine Blossoms

We walked the trails to Lake Waubesa to the Yahara River Boardwalk where many birds and animals were to be found

Green Heron going for the catch

Oh darn!  All I got is a stick

Smile!!  See what big incisors I have!

Hey brother Muskrat, how's the water?

Let me fix my hair before you take that shot.

Belted Kingfisher at Lake Waubesa

Elderberry bumpercrop 

Male Cardinal fluffing up

Common Whitetail Dragonfly

Northern Crescent Butterfly

Great Blue Heron catches a painted turtle
Do you think I can eat this thing?

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Our campsite wildlife 

Water Smartweed

Ha!  I got away from that heron

Guess I'll have to settle for a minnow

Least Sandpiper

American Dragonhead - flowers have spines

Orange Hypomyces Mushrooms

We drove to Janesville to visit our good friends Bill & Glenda Berger who allowed us to park on their new driveway.  Thank You!!

Cicada exuviae - shed hatch skin

Dog Day Cicada

Wild Turkey broods in downtown Janesville

White-tailed Deer fawns - where did Mom go?

Red-tailed Hawk

We will now be heading south to Mission Texas and the Rio Grande Valley State Park to help in the Citizen Science Project - Hawk Watch.  Looking forward to the soaring migrants heading south for the winter.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann