Bolivar Peninsula

Bob and Maggie in the field

Pauline checking out a Black Skimmer

Black Skimmers

Texas: Day Three

I never knew there were so many Subway sandwich shops! Seems like Subway is the healthiest way to eat when you are away from home... especially if you don't pack a lunch or stop at the grocery store. We made an early morning stop at a full service convenience store for snacks water, and other drinks.  Lots of snack food made its way onto the van including the favorite snack of the South... FRITOS!

Our first stop was at a great lookout over the inner waters of Bolivar Peninsula, a barrier sand dune just north of Galveston Island.  Thousand of Terns including the Black and Sandwich Terns that gave many in the group a life look and great photo opportunities. Black Skimmer, Reddish Egret, Marbled Godwit, and many more graced the five spotting scopes and four long lenses our group made good use of. We were in the company of other bird tours including an all British group. Lots of notes about where to find certain bird species were passed between tour leaders. We had a great plover day despite missing Killdeer, ironically.  Our plover list included Piping, Snowy, Semipalmated, American Golden, Black-bellied, and Wilson's; nearly the "Slam" but missed the most common!

After a stop at a grocery store – the group was desperate for some fruit and fresh produce... after eating so many snacks – we made our way to the protected waters of north of Galveston Island to find the two pacific loons, among the 15 or so Common Loons, that were reported from other birders. We had a great time discussing the finer points of identification and how not to mix-up the two.

So, south we traveled in the late afternoon, arriving not too late near Aransas, and now prepare for our rendezvous with the Whooping Crane tomorrow; let's hope.  It's been real windy so we might not want to take the boat for fear it might turn into the "Vomit Express."  Tune in tomorrow to find out how many of us were chumming for fish!

Cheers,  Andy