Today Kay and I visited the very nice urban Houston Audubon Society’s Edith L. Sanctuary as a storm driven alternative to High Island. We fled the coast in the midst of the historic downpour yesterday, spent a comfortable night at our Priceline bargain of the day, the Westin, and got up this AM for a Read More…
One Day Only at High Island
Thankfully yesterday Kay and I had a pretty good day at High Island before being chased by torrential rain, flood conditions and a dismal 4 day forcast today. We started at Boy Scout Woods, the Houston Audubon Societies refuge, and spent an hour or so ourselves before joining the first of 3 free guided walks Read More…
A Morning at Upper Swan Creek
Today Kay and I took Dan and Patty Anderson to the upper Swan Creek area to see some of the early arriving passerines. It was cool but dry and as is often the case at this location birding by ear was great. Purple finches, Pacific wrens, Spotted towhees, and RB Nuthatches were incessant, and we Read More…
Listing Over Birding
Today listing took front and center as Jean agreed that we could leave Miami Beach early in order to leave time to visit an e-Bird hotspot near the airport called Ocean Bank. We were both surprised when we got there and it was in fact a bank. A big urban bank building with underground parking, Read More…
South Point Park Miami Beach
Last day in FL today, and I got up and spent an hour or so at South Point Park on Miami Beach this morning. It was another beautiful sunrise, clouds hiding the rising sun drawing water from the Atlantic. Very windy so no passerines in the few trees there. I did add Greater Black-backed gull Read More…
Prairie and Palm Warbler Day
Today Jean and I got up early to go to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne. It really is a great place. I need to remember to read the fine print. We arrived at 7 AM, tightly locked gates open at 8 AM. Decided to backtrack to Crandon Park where we parked Read More…
Florida Day’s 1-2
Thursday night I caught a red-eye from SEA to MIA, rented a car and drove first to a stakeout for Mangrove Cuckoo at Black Point Park and Marina, in Miami-Dade Co. It was right on the way to Long Key and then to the place Jean had her business meeting. I looked for a bit, Read More…
Owling Pierce County
I got out this morning owling in known owl haunts in the Tacoma area. Started about 5 AM at the Fife Hylebos waterway spot at the curve on 8th St. It does not look like the screech owl has been seen there this year and I did not hear one today. I played recordings for Read More…
Purple Martin
Today after seeing a really excellent movie, Eye in the Sky at the Grand Kay and I stopped at Ruston Way to see the early Purple Martins in box 4 off Dickman Mill Park. It was cool to see the female peeking out of the box hole with her gray forehead. After a while the Read More…
Local Pierce County Wetlands.
Today after church a quick rounds of the Fife and Puyallup wetlands, Levy Pond, Sha-Dax, wet area off 70th, 56th Street Stormwater Ponds, and Gay Road Mitigation. Really very little unexpected to be seen. The 56th St. Stormwater area was still locked up, so tough to see much. Sha Dax is getting overgrown, as is Read More…