We finished getting our Durango fifth wheel ready for its summer storage and headed out. Taking a meandering route our first stop was not far away, High island, Texas. Its one of our favorite places to stop and as always, we hoped for a fallout, (a fallout is when the migrating birds flying against a strong north wind across the Gulf of Mexico and seem to fall out of the sky as they reach the first piece of land).
After spending the night in a motel in Winnie, Texas we drove twenty miles south to the Boy Scout Woods, where we paid the eight dollar per day fee, (the Houston Audubon Society collects and maintains the areas). Right away we got to see a Carolina wren as it perched over our heads!
Sitting down by the first drips, (drips are places where a
bathing area is maintained by providing piping into a large bird bath
structure), we waited and waited. Usually this is a good spot but here we did
not see any birds, so we headed north along the first trail.
The next drip was also empty and further on the only birds were a cardinal and a Great blue heron. The most exciting thing was a caterpillar.
Disappointed we drove to the next spot at Smith Oaks Woods. Starting down the trail another birder motioned us over to tell us she had seen a yellow billed cuckoo, a bird we had seen only once before. Joining her at the spot, Dons Drip, it did not take long before two black and white warblers arrived and seemed to pose for some images, after they left they were soon replaced by a black throated green warbler/golden cheeked warbler.
The lady was a more knowledgeable birder than us and said it was probably a rare bird, a golden cheeked warbler. Word spread and soon there were quite a few birders waiting to spot it. Down the trail one of the local experts arrived and after looking at the picture announced that it was a black throated green warbler.
She further stated the golden cheeked warbler did not inhabit the area, ever, (nothing like watching two birders argue, it was civil)!
We later posted out picture on the Bird Id group on Facebook and it was identified as the one she had named, (we fact check everything).
Our next stop was at the Rookery. It is in area where the Audubon Society has constructed a new walk was and many new breeding platforms for rosette spoonbills, great and snowy egrets, and neotropical cormorants, to name a few.
It is one of our favorite places and is so crowded with birds that their noise surrounds you. Birds were fighting over sticks, building nests, defending them, and viscously attacking any intruders! One should also mention that they are displaying their plumage as they attempt to attract a mate.
Some of the egret chicks had already hatched and were calling to their parents to feed me!
We watched several rosettes get into a fight with each other, (it was perhaps bill snapping, a mating behavior, and then getting into a fight with a snowy egret.
The egret came out better as it stabbed the rosettes with it sharp pointed bill!
Meanwhile down below a huge leather backed turtle swam
and an alligator rested hoping for a meal of a careless bird. On a previous visit a rosette got careless, and the alligator made a quick meal of the bird!
After taking numerous images we stopped and just listened to the bird’s racket. Below is a picture of a beautiful tri color heron, and then images of many of the birds in flight!
Where else can you sit among the descendants of the dinosaurs, (they did not die out just evolved),
Too soon it was time to head back to the motel and dinner. Clear skies
Ps masks were required in large groups. It was nice to see
that birders are not like the idiots that deny covid exists and refuse to get vaccinated,
we have gotten our shots!
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