The weather conditions are very windy and cool here. It got to 50 degrees and the wind was supposed to let up by midday, but it hasn't done so yet. So we decided it was not a good day to go the World Birding Center here on the island which is a super place if it is a nice day. With the wind today, everything is hunkered down. The whole place is on elevated boardwalks and with the wind pretty wild, it would be tough. When I was here on two previous trips, heat was a factor so we went early in the day to beat the heat. What a change!
We went out today anyways. We drove south on Highway 100 and only stopped when the swirling sands were starting to turn into sandbanks on the roadway. This is just like the snow drifts at home on the highway.
We did not see any unusual birds (usual birds on South Padre Island include Brown and White Pelicans, Osprey, Great-tailed Grackles and European Starlings). We car-birded mainly. As we were going to pull into the Convention Center, in the pond just at the front Barbr spotted a duck. So we checked out the pond: American Wigeon, Northern Pintail and a Redhead. I checked the back area, the scene of the wonderful 2014 Spring Migration Fallout which Jane and I had experienced. I found out that the 2014 fallout at the Convention Center is part of the local birding history. Several guides told me about the fallout and I told them I and another birding friend were there for it and it was amazing. Both of the guides said that they had heard about it, had not been there and wished they had. Today at the same spot, there was nary a bird there in the wind and chilly weather. Out on the mudflats, there were Laughing Gulls, Black Skimmers and Royal Terns, all huddled and all facing the same direction.
The fog moved in and now we could barely see the bridge to the mainland. We did go visit the shops in Port Isabelle today. Here is the Lighthouse.
The craft stores are really nice and were doing a booming business with everyone looking for something to do. There were very few (two that we saw) walking on the beach today. On nice days, the beach has all kinds of people on it. Everyone is talking about the weather!
We did pick up a new bird today. Several White Ibis flew by and over us. Then a Roseate Spoonbill followed. When this South Padre Island part of the trip was planned, besides the birding, we were going to do a lot of beach walking. The beach is super here and one can walk for miles on a hard surf-packed beach. We did this on our first day when it was in the 80's (temperature). But on days when the temperature barely reaches 50 degrees, it is not a place one wants to be, unless one is in a warm cafe overlooking the water. Oh well, can't do anything about the weather!
Barbr is reading a book and she says it is getting interesting. I am reading "Starting out in the Afternoon" by Jill Frayne about a woma's trek to the Yukon. So I will get back to the book this evening as soon as I finish this.
We went out today anyways. We drove south on Highway 100 and only stopped when the swirling sands were starting to turn into sandbanks on the roadway. This is just like the snow drifts at home on the highway.
We did not see any unusual birds (usual birds on South Padre Island include Brown and White Pelicans, Osprey, Great-tailed Grackles and European Starlings). We car-birded mainly. As we were going to pull into the Convention Center, in the pond just at the front Barbr spotted a duck. So we checked out the pond: American Wigeon, Northern Pintail and a Redhead. I checked the back area, the scene of the wonderful 2014 Spring Migration Fallout which Jane and I had experienced. I found out that the 2014 fallout at the Convention Center is part of the local birding history. Several guides told me about the fallout and I told them I and another birding friend were there for it and it was amazing. Both of the guides said that they had heard about it, had not been there and wished they had. Today at the same spot, there was nary a bird there in the wind and chilly weather. Out on the mudflats, there were Laughing Gulls, Black Skimmers and Royal Terns, all huddled and all facing the same direction.
The fog moved in and now we could barely see the bridge to the mainland. We did go visit the shops in Port Isabelle today. Here is the Lighthouse.
The craft stores are really nice and were doing a booming business with everyone looking for something to do. There were very few (two that we saw) walking on the beach today. On nice days, the beach has all kinds of people on it. Everyone is talking about the weather!
We did pick up a new bird today. Several White Ibis flew by and over us. Then a Roseate Spoonbill followed. When this South Padre Island part of the trip was planned, besides the birding, we were going to do a lot of beach walking. The beach is super here and one can walk for miles on a hard surf-packed beach. We did this on our first day when it was in the 80's (temperature). But on days when the temperature barely reaches 50 degrees, it is not a place one wants to be, unless one is in a warm cafe overlooking the water. Oh well, can't do anything about the weather!
Barbr is reading a book and she says it is getting interesting. I am reading "Starting out in the Afternoon" by Jill Frayne about a woma's trek to the Yukon. So I will get back to the book this evening as soon as I finish this.
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