§ Springtime is Showing Signs of Reappearing...

To continue, it was a beautiful, quiet, spring morning. I took advantage, and drove over to the islands to scout out for birds. While walking along one new trail, I happened upon an elusive [uncommon] bird in our vicinity. Excitement and a lot of snapping of the shutter button occurred, up until it disappeared into the overgrowth beyond where I could walk [we are supposed to stay on the trails in order to keep the landscape in pristine condition for the wildlife]. At another stop, I saw that at last, the repair work for the damaged jetty that broke to pieces during the hurricane a couple summers ago... allowing salt water to flow into the fresh water lake at Charlie's Pasture [another wildlife refuge]. Soon? Perhaps in another year's time, they will once again have access for us to walk the boardwalks of the Salt Flats? I also noticed the green finally showing up everywhere I looked. Even the resident alligator [video of it in previous post] was the most active I've seen in decades. Plus a few wildflowers are showing off in all their glory. The drive back home was mostly uneventful except for the mention of the falcon nest platform in my previous post.

I have a cardiologist check-up today, so won't be online much. Maybe, after the appointment, I'll walk the Marina!!

§ Tempting Fate?

I was late getting out on Monday!  Late for me.  Sun-up had already occurred. And driving to the islands with the bright morning sun in my eyes was a challenge for a while.  The sun was at a position in the sky that even the visor on the car's windshield didn't help,  I got on the right lane of the freeway and slowed down during the rush hour traffic and made it over the JFK Causeway where finally, the sun was on my right, and I could see well enough.  The island highway was not deserted as I had hoped, but all drivers were pretty well "sane".  I had a chance to pull off onto the shoulder about half way from Corpus to Port A and check the nesting platform of the rare falcon.  One was there, and through my viewfinder, it looked like it may have had nesting material in its mouth!  I will make sure I check up on it periodically.  Hopefully, another successful breeding year for the couple,

I made it to Port A [Port Arnasas] and stopped at my first wildlife refuge.  I walked the distance, hoping that a little exercise would loosen the tight, pulled, muscle in my neck from the weekend before.  It didn't, but walking didn't make it worse either, so I got some fresh air.  It felt great.

While at the refuge, one of the resident alligators was actually MOVING around in the shallow area, close to the observation tower.  I grabbed my camera, pushed the recorder and followed its movement for a little over a minute.  I couldn't help but think that the Stilt [the black and white bird] nearby was either tempting its fate, or teasing.  Not knowing just how swift those alligators could move.  

I share the video...

§ 2020 in Review...Part V

This is the last of the series. Most of these images is of the unreal, the odd, or the creepy. Of course, there's sometimes beauty in what I see too and I can't help but stop and admire what nature can dish out, taking my breath away and I ogle in silence. For instance, deer. But, I can very easily get the jitters with other subjects. Why? Just 'cause. When I'm out walking, I can come across something that freaks me out too, startles me to a stand-still. And then, of course picture time; if I am not running away that is. So, here are examples of beauty AND the beasts of 2020...

You can't escape the alligators of Texas swamp lands! The first image is of the alligator as it is gesturing a 'snout lift'! This is more typical of the female...males bellow deep from within and mostly submerged. Trust me, both critters are really not that close to me, I opt to use the high powered zoom lens at this time.

This next one in the series will probably be a tinge on the bizarre. Hey, I have a feet fetish when it comes to birds. Their talons, their shape, their use, their size, some...webbed while others are built for walking on swamp grass without sinking, etc. I tend to check out the feet. This also helps with IDing, color, shape, size, etc...

Curious? This is a Great Blue Heron

As I walked a trail on the Oso Bay Wetlands once, I stepped up on the platform to walk the edges for the Paraque ...didn't find it. But the creepy crunchy looking critter at my feet, jumping somewhat like a cricket gave me goose flesh at first sight!! It was about the size of a paper dollar from its antenna to its hind legs!! Dang. Heebie Jeebies! I then regained composure and before it leaped off the deck, I snapped a photo. Took a few days for me searching when time was free of anything else, and found out it was indeed related to the cricket...a huge Camel Cricket. All I can say it was a good thing it wasn't a centipede. I'd still be running for my life.

...two for one!

Lastly, beauty is not always a beast. Take a look at this intricate pattern on this tree fungus. I thought it was gorgeous.

That concludes my 2020 in Review. I coulda done more I guess. I have thousands of photos still to be shared. But, enough already. It's January 1st 2021!! Time to move on and leave 2020 behind. Happy New Year.

Part I [Lensball photography]
Part II [heart shapes in Nature]
Part III [Flowers around my World]
2020 Review - Part IV [Beach Life]

§ ...and "Bears"! Oh My!

I'll get to the part of seeing a bear in a bit.  But first, a bit of an intro to my morning walk....

When I left home to drive to the islands  the sky above was overcast...gray and high cloud cover. By the time I twisted around from Park Road 22 to Hwy 361, it became foggy! And it was foggy all morning. In fact it was soupier by the time I left three hours later. This is what I saw:

...looking across the pond [look closer, upper center; the white along the reed] and then zooming in -White Pelicans. And off to my left, in the pasture land, more white pelicans [at quite a distance, showing another zoomed in photo]

Both alligators, Boots and Bags, were out in the open today. And just a few feet away from the boardwalk!

Again, I used the zoom lens. Was he [Boots] watching me?

...leaving this area where the gators were, I walked across the refuge's street and found the mudflats were dried out, so I walked across the flats, going way back yonder to the open ponds:

Hidden in the misty air; treasures:

Since there was very little bird activity other than a seagull or two and one reddish egret, I turned back and headed toward the car. Then, I heard a killdeer calling. I could not find it. I stopped and listened closely. Scanning the ground cover; nothing. I turned my head over my shoulder and I saw this BEAR coming after me!!! It was huge, quite viscous looking. Its mouth was ajar. Tho silent, it was threatening....

[does the bush resemble a bear to you? At first glance, I was sure it was a critter!!!!!  Mother Nature is good at pulling pranks on me some days.]


...and then, leaving, this is what I drove home in all the way into Corpus! Visibility wasn't even a quarter of a mile!! The first photo is 'regular' off the camera; thru the windshield. There IS a car on the oncoming lane [look to the right of my watermark]...can you see it through the fog? The 2nd one is the same image, but cropped, so you can find the headlights of oncoming car.

§ Step Right Up...the Main Attraction today is....

A drive to the island on Saturday morning, I stopped several times along the way 'cause raptors and kingfishers were hanging to the power lines, and atop the power poles. I saw hawks, kingfishers, osprey, American kestrels, more grackles than I could chart, cormorants...all perched high above the highway. Pulling off the road onto the shoulders and ditches away from the traffic flow, I took photos and drove on. It took me a lot longer than normal to arrive at my first stop. Once I arrived, I walked up the ramp to the observation deck and boardwalk, and the lake was truly a sea of white!! This photo really doesn't show you the numbers of winter migrants!! White pelicans by the hundreds, dozens of egrets, and a huge number of white ibis. Of course there were other birds, with the likes of heron, egrets, stilts, gulls, ducks. But....the highlight was one of the resident alligators just 3-4 feet away from the boardwalk, in shallow water! It was amazing to me to see this massive creature so up close. It was sleeping in the warm sun. I took photos of course, and took time to use the zoom lens to filter through the shallow swampy water to get details of its feet. Come, take a look....





These two look like they were cropped  - but they are TWO different photos.  Just in sequence as they came off the camera card.

Once all the birders on the deck realized and saw me leaning over the railing with my camera, they decided to investigate what I was taking photos of, and eventually a crowd gathered. I then left this area for my 2nd hotspot...

After the massive waterfowl crowding the lake, this next area was very quiet. Five ducks [blue teals] and one lone warbler greeted me only. I left shortly after taking photos. Can you see the warbler in the reed grasses?

Look...Upper left center.

§ From E T...the quote: ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER

Sunday morning, driving to the islands, I left home with clear skies and mild temperatures around 6:30. By the time I got close to the bay waters, I ran into a lot of ground fog. I stepped on the accelerator and crossed the JFK Causeway to then pull off the island highway to stop at Packery Channel Park to take photos of the ground fog as the sun came up in the east. Here's what I saw:

Behind me, as I was watching the sunrise, the moon was over my shoulder; through the misty air, I zoomed in...

Arriving at Port Aransas, I went to Paradise Pond first. Only grackles, warblers, doves, grebes, and one heron atop the power pole. So, I hopped in the car and drove just down the road to turn off to go to another refuge. This one, highly damaged with Hurricane Harvey is still in disarray, but when I reached the barricade on foot, beyond the temporary fencing I could see that the town's park maintenance crew has been laying railroad tie pallets in the pond! That means a new boardwalk is being built to replace the one that was torn apart in 2017 [as you can see the new poles being set if you enlarge this photo]!! I stepped onto the ties and walked a bit. Beyond the very large willow I could see to the other side pretty well, I started taking pictures...

On the temporary railroad tie boardwalk, I continued a few more feel, and then a light bulb went on!!! I said to myself "What the heck am I doing?" I stopped, turned around....

...six feet from my OWN feet was an alligator. There I was with nothing protecting me from him and my legs being bitten off or worse. I walked slowly away, speeding up the further I made more distance between him and me!! For over a year's time, I haven't seen either of the two alligators, and I assumed they were moved so they could do the repair work. I was wrong!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

For the holiday, I will be back online with a pre-scheduled year wrap-up of all twelve months for 2018 [in two parts].  December 29th and 31st. And, a pre-scheduled post for my bird photography blog. Otherwise, time off for blogging for me.