Saturday, April 29, 2017

Goose Island State Park, Rockport, TX

Im surprised I've been able to find Wifi in the campgrounds so as I wait out the long nights I  can blog...
Sunday I drove to Goose Island State Park 230 miles south of where I was.  I passed by Houston, It was easy Sunday morning, traffic was pretty good.  This is I-10 west...then I got I-69/59 South to Victoria then Hwy 77 S  to 239 E, then to Hwy 35 S. 




I had to U turn to snap this photo of 2 Crested Caracara, Life Bird!







 I started out on the bay side and moved to the woods side the next day.  As I found out the bay side is for fishermen and they make a lot of noise and they fish all dang night...this is Aransas Bay, and the fish are in here...



found some waders and shorebirds hanging around the pier...



a mighty fine Willet in breeding plumage. 



yes he had 2 legs...Fooled me. 



...and some interesting birds in the water, the common loon above, and the brown pelican in silhouette. 



and some not so popular but always handsome birds, like this Black Vulture...And the Laughing Gull 






The next day before I left the park I asked to be moved to the woods side...That's where all the birder's were!  So I picked a site then headed off to Aransas Natl Wildlife Refuge. The best time to come here is in winter they get Whopping Cranes in winter. 





It was pretty dead on the day I visited..but I had a look around...

they have a very interesting butterfly garden...


Left my butterfly book at home....so what is it?

and a Baltimore Oriole, thanks Jen for helping with the ID, these Oriole's all look so similar. 

  




Aransas Marsh and Bay beyond, they have some amazing tall observation towers...



And I'm hoping this is a Brown Crested Flycatcher!




I just barely saw the eye on this White Eyed Vireo..



not new these guys nest in my woods back home...but I sure do enjoy seeing one!

there's deer...



White Tailed Deer, both of these does look pregnant.

and they have wild hogs...this one looks thin, poor little guy...

 

he had his head buried in that grass and I made all sorts of sounds hoping he would look up he didn't....

and there was this cool looking dude, 


appropriately named the blue bellied lizard! 
and a sleeping tree frog of some sort...


and these reptiles...


American Alligator

Back at Goose Island here is my site  on the Woods Lantana Loop site 143 



amazing big Live Oak Trees...

I found an Inca Dove on the ground, new bird for me ca'ching!





I took a late afternoon hike, and the trees came to life with the light...







In the morning I headed out...and stopped to put my trash in the big bin, and in the parking lot was a Killdeer nest...I stopped in the office to tell them to put something around it I hope they did!!





the mother to be...

and at the feeder by the VC  I picked up another lifer, the Black Crested Titmouse!



Tuesday Morning I headed for San Padre National Seashore...stay tuned!!





PEACE
Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

12 comments:

  1. You sure are ticking off some new to you birds that's great. You had a nice spot there. I was wondering about bugs, skeeters and gnats mostly. Did you bring your curtain?

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    1. I Hang the screens over my doors and windows every night till its time to close up for sleeping, so far once the sun goes dwon the bugs go to sleep!!

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  2. Wow! You're getting lots of new life birds! I went on a boat ride out of Rockport many years ago and saw Whooping cranes. Our guide knew everyone - who was married, who got a divorce, etc. It was amazing!

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    1. I want to come back in winter and do that boat ride, the whoopers are not there this time of year!! You had the Peyton Place guide...lol recall that old tv show..omg.

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  3. Really enjoying this trip with you. Some amazing birds.

    If I ever win the lottery ................. :-)

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    1. I hope you win Keith...it's worth a try. I have enjoyed trying to figure out what birds Im seeing...they can be so similar...the flycatchers and kingbirds are making me crazy!

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  4. Yes great bird spots, I think my favourite this time was the Oriole. How lucky to spot that nest, lets home it survives. Hwy 35 looks interesting with lots of bridges to go over.

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    1. Poor bird was having a time with her nest right in that busy area hope the eggs make it.

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  5. We stayed in Rockport/Fulton one winter (commercial RV Park, cuz you know, I'm a wuss)... but we visited Goose Island .... no camera back then. You got some lifers! Wow. Congrats.

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    1. Fulton beach looked really nice..I drive up that way, but was in a hurry and I may have taken one photo of the boats...

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  6. Ooh congrats on all the lifers! You're cleaning up in Texas. The sleeping tree frog is my favorite I think.

    I am looking at your oriole photo and wondering if it could actually be a Baltimore? Scott's should have black way down the breast to the belly. Either way, it's a gorgeous bird!

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    1. I think you are right...I have some other shots but fuzzy I have to review all when I get good light and a long time to ponder!!

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