Sunrise over Aransas Bay

Each morning I wake up early and after a cup of coffee I grab my pole and head down to the rv park shore front. Sometimes I am joined by a friend Dan, who also casts for the speckled trout, (Dan and Barb are friends here and we spend happy hour with them while keeping a correct social distance).

This morning the sky cleared and even though the wind was strong, we enjoyed the sunrise, while trying to cast our lures into a strong east-southeast wind. It doesn’t really matter if Dan or I catch anything, it’s just being outside and of course keeping a correct social distance.
This morning the fish did hit and after losing three fish, I managed to catch a sixteen inch keeper along with an undersized speckled trout. Another fisherman joined us and he even though he used live shrimp, he never had a bite, (I have gained a lot of confidence in throwing crankbaits).

This time of year, we should be in Louisiana, birding at the Grand Isle Biding Festival along with enjoying the Blessing of the Fleet, and we miss our time with my sister Connie and her husband. I know they are also practicing safety first and are keeping to their house.

A few days ago, Renita and I, along with Barb and Dan, (we traveled in separate cars), traveled to Port Aransas to go birding at three birding areas. Renita had called the day before and they all were open as long as we practiced social distancing and wearing, masks. Crossing the ferry, the first stop was at the Leorna Turnbill Birding Boardwalk.

Dan takes great wildlife images and he and Barb had never been to the birding sites. As we walked out on the boardwalk, we pointed out different species. There were fewer birds than the last time, so I concentrated on trying to take some good shots of some of my favorites.

The black necked stilts were engaging in courtship dancing which consisted of jumping up and down. Three males were trying to attract the attention of a nearby female and she seemed to be enjoying the display.  It was a short drive to Paradise Pond. They were two other vehicles parked there but each only had one other person and wearing masks, all of us practiced social distancing.

The male American avocets were in their breeding plumage and I took a great image of one of them. I also got some shots of a blue winged teal, mottled ducks, and the ever present northern shovelers. Returning to the cars we drove to the next stop.

It was a short drive to Paradise Pond.There were only a few birds there but one bird. A Baltimore Oriole flew back and forth pausing in nearby bush for a nice image,( or at least as good as I could take). Other birds there were mottled ducks, common grackles, and a little grey bird that none of us were able to identify. Next stop was at Charlies Pasture. Deciding it was a good place for lunch we headed up to the pavilion where an online yoga class was being filmed. Renita and I once took a yoga class and while it was fun the instructor had a difficult time keeping from laughing as I fell over in some of the poses. Deciding it was best to just watch we tried to be silent until the instructor was finished and then set up or picnic lunch.

During the meal, several eastern meadowlarks landed near us. Barb spotted a Cara Cara across the bay and a yellow warbler flew back and forth between bushes allowing me to get a fairly good image.

There were also American White Ibis feeding in the nearby bay, which had formed when a breach occurred during Hurricane Harvey.

On the way back to our rv park Renita and I stopped at a new birding area near Paradise Cove. No one else was there, and we spotted huge mullet, working their way in the muddy shallows. A tricolor heron posed, along with a reddish egret, but the best image I took was of a common tern in flight.

It was a good day birding with friends and now we have settled down to keeping safe for the next fourteen days before we head north by northwest to our place in Wyoming. It is time to leave the flat Coastal Bend of Texas and see Mountains, bears moose, and antelope. The snow in the park has melted and is scheduled to be open May 15^th. Clear skies