We Have Arrived

We have arrived at Goose Island State Park in Rockport, Texas.  We will be leading bird walks here for two months. We led bird walks in 2016 and were scheduled to return last year, but Hurricane Harvey made landfall directly on the Lamar Peninsula and the park was closed for several months.

Copano Bay Causeway

Entering the Lamar Peninsula

We'd hoped to get the same site we had last time, but it was already occupied so they gave us one just around the corner. We like this one just fine, and there is plenty of room behind the trailer for bird feeders!

Our site

We have been coming to Goose Island State Park for over twenty years, and one of the things that keeps us coming back are the birds. This is a great spot for waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, terns, and (in the spring) warblers and other migrants.

We set out on a walk shortly after we arrived. The first birds spotted were Vultures. Both Black and Turkey Vultures are common in the area.

Black Vulture and Turkey Vulture

The Turkey Vulture has a face only a mother could love!

A little farther down the trail we came across a pair of Couch's Kingbirds. These members of the flycatcher family feed on insects that they catch while on the wing. 

Couch's Kingbirds

The stars of the show at Goose Island are the waders and other shorebirds. We didn't see too many, and got pictures of only a few, but two of the largest wading birds are the Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret. 

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

These large, showy birds are favorites on our bird walks as they are easy to see and will usually stay put while folks study them through binoculars and scopes. We get a lot of new birders on our walks and we appreciate the cooperative birds!

Later!!