The Edge Of Texas

Wow!  Has it really been over two weeks since we’ve posted?  Given that we are so far behind, we probably do not have to tell you that we are no longer where we are posting that we are.  We’ve told you anyway in case we needed to tell you.  If we didn’t need to then just pretend you didn’t read it.

Anywho...

Despite our intense weather experience in Indianola, TX, we had been looking forward to getting to the coast again.  So, after a short inland journey we dipped southward.  Soon Surfside Beach, TX, came into view.  The weather had turned cold and the ocean was rough but the air was full of salt, Annie had a solid layer of fracking dust to protect her and we were happy to be there taking it all in.

Oh!  Before we go too far too fast we must show you these shots that we finally got of a new to us (in the wild anyway) bird.  We thought that we had been seeing them for several days but never long enough to confirm until two of them perched on a fence post to keep an eye on their dinner (which was in the middle of the road we were driving on).

                           Crested Caracara

                                     Awesome Looking Bird

Our first stop as soon as we hit the coast was an unexpected one.  Shortly after the turn onto Bluewater Highway and just across from the beach is a Crabbing Pier with a nice long boardwalk across a marsh.

We saw no crabs but surprisingly we had quite a showing of birds who were very satisfied with the meal selections.  In fact, it was difficult to get shots of just one kind of bird.  So, here’s a few group photos.

                                A Spoonbill, Ibis, Heron Trifecta.

       A nice line up of Rosette Spoonbills photo-bombed by an American White Ibis!

      Attempted Ibis shot interrupted by a Blue Heron.

                                       Brown Pelican drop-in.

Triple-play: A Spoonbill, Little Blue and a Neotropic Cormorant who suddenly popped up.

It was cold out there so after a fairly quick (30 degree temperature) walk on the boardwalk, we pointed the windshield toward the sun and the marsh and spent a great deal of time enjoying the show.

Here’s a bit more of the show...

                                                 Killdeer

                                       Was this Gull Laughing at us?

                              Snowy Egret

                                          Tri-colored Heron

                                              Great Egret

                   It’s awesome when you can really see the Tri-colors.

              Great Blue Heron looking a little gray.

                             It was a little windy but the decoy didn’t mind.

                                   A little blue.

                                           A Little Blue.

                                               Cute Couple.

                               Great-tailed Grackle (in brown)

                               Great-tailed Grackle (in black)

                          American White Ibis

                                             Brown Pelican

    We were so excited when this cute little one showed up - a first for us.
                                           Belted Kingfisher

                             It was so neat to watch him ‘fish’.

            Afterward, he was rocking the ‘wet look’.

               Equally as exciting was watching this Tern on the hunt.

            The dive was super graceful and quite something to witness.

After leaving the pier we continued along the coast admiring the floral accents.

                             Texas Bluebonnet

                                              Spiderwort

                                     Neither spider nor wort.

           Eventually, we stopped for the night.  More on that later...