The next day was set aside for a much anticipated visit to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Sadly this huge coastal sanctuary was in between seasons - most of the wintering waterfowl, including the Whooping Cranes, had already left, and few of the summer migrants had arrived.
There were still plenty of new birds, and things kicked off well with a flight of half-a-dozen
Black Skimmers drifting over the highway from one lagoon to another, while an
American Kestrel, several
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and 3 Crested Caracaras were good wire birds. 25
Franklin Gulls flying over the road were totally eclipsed by the Pickled Pelican bar, a glowing testament to the ingenuity of the good people of southern Texas, which offered midget wrestling and
belt sander racing.
For reasons unknown the exterior of the Aransas visitor centre looks like a cross between a large tiled toilet block and a sunken command centre from the Maginot line. While the carpark was filled with fine old trees I was surprised that it did not overlook any significant habitat feature as reserves in the UK tend to do.
Anyway, I did get my first
Wild Turkey stalking casually through the carpark and enjoyed the noise made by a big group of
Great-tailed Grackles, Bronzed Cowbirds and
Red-winged Blackbirds. A guided tour with a group of non-birders is often a frustrating experience, but we were all agreed on the undoubted excitement of seeing several good-sized
Alligators at close quarters, and a
Virginia Rail, panicked into immobility by our appearance, was a quality bird an highly reminiscent of Water Rail. A
Tricoloured Heron posed nicely above one of the alligator pools.
A stop at Jones Lake provided a burst of new birds, including five
Redheads and an
American Purple Gallinule scrambling about in a tree by the water, but I could not string any of the
Pied-billed Grebes into Least Grebes and many calling passerines remained stubbornly out of sight.
The final stop was an elevated viewing platform looking over some tidal mudflats and marshes. A mixed flock of juvenile and adult
White Ibis exploring the water's edge were joined by a gorgeous
Roseate Spoonbill, but the waders were a disappointment - a couple of
Grey Plovers four
Lesser Yellowlegs, and a flock of
Dowitcher sp. were the only birds within decent viewing and I did not have enough time to sort out the Dowitchers.
On the way back we drove through the affluent Rockport suburb of Fulton Beach and a group of
Blue-winged Teals floated serenely on one of the ponds.
And finally, the tap/faucet in the fifth pic reminded me of that incredibly annoying character in one of the later Star Wars movies.
Cheers
Mike