Saturday 21 January 2012

South Padre Island

Today was the second day of another birding weekend with Paul and Lucille. South Padre Island lies in the Gulf of Mexico off the very south western tip of Texas, joined to it by a long bridge.  Fog covered the horizon and we thought we wouldn't be able to see much; Terry and Paul were looking for a Black-legged Kittiwake, which looks like a gull with a black tail. It was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile we saw hundreds of shore birds from a boardwalk--Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, Brown Pelicans, and various ducks and gulls. Even an alligator and a turtle!  It was a pleasant, warm day, and the sun did eventually break through the fog.  Terry lugged around Paul's scope on a tripod, and Paul used his huge camera to record their finds.  After a delicious fish lunch overlooking the water, we went back to the first location, and there was the kittiwake, exactly where a local fellow said he would be. A great day!
 

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