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