Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year

Nice way to spend the last day of the year; sitting on the beach with the kids, watching the grandkids play in the water.






Happy New Year!



Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Having a good time with the kids

Becky and family arrived last Sunday. Doing things together each day, we’ve visited, eaten, played on the beach, driven, shelled, pizza’d, aquariumed, birded, shopped, toe ringed, Dairy Queened, sword fought, bikini bought, and toy helicoptered. So far.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Jon's truck

Why would he paint his truck like an African Safari Jeep? We’re not in Africa. We’re in Texas. There aren’t any zebras here. All we have are gulls…










Clarification

Optical illusion. It looks like you can see right through the building but you can’t. Really, the facing just blew off without compromising the integrity of the structure.





Saturday, December 26, 2009

Saturday

The wind that blew night before last? The one that blew up our satellite dish? It did worse than that to the building down the street.

Cool and rainy. The weather seems too cool here, but I looked at the national weather forecast for tomorrow, and we probably shouldn’t complain. We’re not blue or purple.


Birded a little this morning. Got some Red-breasted Mergansers. Didn’t get the Monk Parakeets, again. Got Eared Grebes in the surf.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas

 

Mild weather until yesterday when a big wind storm blew in in the middle of the night.  We got up and put in the bedroom slide right away to quiet it down so we could sleep the rest of the night.  We tried to put the television satellite dish down too, but it was already blown up.  We may be making a trip north toward Houston in a few weeks to see our satellite dish repair guy.

 

Next morning the wind was still blowing so hard from the west we put in the port side slide too.  But all that weather went away last night.  This morning dawned bright and sunny and cold.  Forty degrees.  It should warm back up over the next few days to where it’s supposed to be; sixty or seventy.

 

A good get-together last night, Christmas eve.  Forty or fifty people.  We did dinner in the Welcome Center then had the gift exchange.

 

A pleasant day today.  Merry Christmas to all.

 

 

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Mustang Island

There is one highway that runs the length of the island. There are drainage ditches along the road, but the island is flat and barely above sea level. When it rains, there is no place for the water to go so it just stands there until it soaks into the ground. The ground is already soaked, so I guess it’s just waiting for the water table to recede.


Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Port Aransas ferry

FW: The Office

Any walk to the beach requires us to walk right through Bigfoot’s “Office”; that wide spot at the top of the boardwalk. If the weather is good, good chance you’ll find Chris (Bigfoot) there, ready for some pleasant conversation.



Trip reports

 

We’ve been having some trouble with our email.  Some of our incoming gets bounced.  About half of our outgoing gets bounced.  It looks like the outgoing is working again, so I’m going to resend a couple trip reports.  Sorry for the duplication for those who get them twice.

 

 

Monday, December 21, 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009

2009 Summer Trip

 

There are two more big bird lists to get through.  The summer trip list and the year list.  Here is the 2009 summer trip list.  It’s kind of long.  262 birds.

1

Snow Goose

Louisiana

11/10/2009

interstate 10

2

Cackling Goose

Alberta

8/20/2009

hinton koa

3

Canada Goose

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

4

Wood Duck

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

5

Gadwall

Colorado

9/19/2009

pawnee national grasslands

6

American Wigeon

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

7

Mallard

Colorado

7/11/2009

la junta

8

Mottled Duck

Florida

10/29/2009

naples area

9

Blue-winged Teal

Colorado

7/18/2009

st vrain state park

10

Northern Shoveler

Colorado

9/19/2009

pawnee national grasslands

11

Green-winged Teal

Texas

11/11/2009

port aransas

12

Redhead

Texas

11/11/2009

port aransas

13

Ring-necked Duck

Alberta

8/18/2009

jasper national park

14

Common Goldeneye

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

15

Hooded Merganser

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

16

Common Merganser

Montana

8/3/2009

yellowstone river

17

Ruddy Duck

Texas

11/11/2009

port aransas

18

Ring-necked Pheasant

North Dakota

8/24/2009

new england

19

Sharp-tailed Grouse

North Dakota

8/23/2009

dickinson

20

Wild Turkey

Tennessee

10/5/2009

clarksville area

21

Northern Bobwhite

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

22

Common Loon

Alberta

8/11/2009

vermilion lakes

23

Pied-billed Grebe

Colorado

7/22/2009

st vrain state park

24

Western Grebe

Colorado

7/22/2009

st vrain state park

25

Clark's Grebe

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

26

Masked Booby

Florida

10/20/2009

fort jefferson trip

27

Brown Booby

Florida

10/20/2009

fort jefferson trip

28

American White Pelican

Colorado

7/14/2009

chatfield state park

29

Brown Pelican

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

30

Neotropic Cormorant

Texas

11/11/2009

port aransas

31

Double-crested Cormorant

Colorado

7/14/2009

chatfield state park

32

Anhinga

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

33

Magnificent Frigatebird

Florida

10/17/2009

keys

34

Great Blue Heron

Colorado

7/17/2009

chatfield state park

35

Great Egret

Colorado

7/18/2009

st vrain state park

36

Snowy Egret

Colorado

7/18/2009

st vrain state park

37

Little Blue Heron

South Carolina

10/10/2009

Hilton Head Island

38

Tricolored Heron

Florida

10/19/2009

key west botanic gardens

39

Reddish Egret

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.  white morph

40

Cattle Egret

Texas

7/9/2009

amarillo

41

Green Heron

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

42

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Colorado

7/19/2009

st vrain state park

43

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Florida

10/23/2009

bluewater key

44

White Ibis

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

45

Glossy Ibis

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

46

White-faced Ibis

Idaho

7/31/2009

Interstate 15

47

Roseate Spoonbill

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.

48

Wood Stork

Georgia

10/7/2009

george l smith state park

49

Black Vulture

Texas

7/7/2009

north of corpus christi

50

Turkey Vulture

Texas

7/7/2009

north of corpus christi

51

Osprey

Colorado

7/18/2009

st vrain state park

52

Snail Kite

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.  Storm Water Management Area 5.

53

Mississippi Kite

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park.  pair

54

Bald Eagle

Montana

8/3/2009

yellowstone river

55

Northern Harrier

Colorado

7/19/2009

st vrain state park

56

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Missouri

10/2/2009

kansas city

57

Cooper's Hawk

Colorado

8/31/2009

chatfield

58

Red-shouldered Hawk

Florida

10/15/2009

anastasia state park

59

Broad-winged Hawk

Florida

10/21/2009

little hamaca park walk

60

Swainson's Hawk

Texas

7/9/2009

amarillo

61

Red-tailed Hawk

Colorado

7/12/2009

colorado springs

62

Ferruginous Hawk

Colorado

9/19/2009

pawnee national grasslands

63

Golden Eagle

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park.  took a great blue heron out of the air

64

Crested Caracara

Texas

11/11/2009

holiday beach

65

American Kestrel

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park. one

66

Merlin

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.

67

Peregrine Falcon

Montana

8/4/2009

garrison

68

Prairie Falcon

Montana

8/22/2009

shelby

69

Clapper Rail

Florida

10/15/2009

st augustine area.  rv park little sit.

70

Common Moorhen

Florida

10/16/2009

lion country safari

71

American Coot

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

72

Limpkin

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.  road 29

73

Sandhill Crane

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.

74

Black-bellied Plover

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

75

Wilson's Plover

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

76

Semipalmated Plover

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

77

Killdeer

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

78

Black-necked Stilt

Utah

7/29/2009

springville

79

American Avocet

Texas

11/11/2009

port aransas

80

Spotted Sandpiper

Colorado

7/18/2009

st vrain state park

81

Solitary Sandpiper

Florida

10/31/2009

south central florida.

82

Greater Yellowlegs

Alberta

8/21/2009

lethbridge

83

Willet

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

84

Lesser Yellowlegs

Alberta

8/21/2009

lethbridge

85

Whimbrel

Florida

10/20/2009

fort jefferson trip

86

Long-billed Curlew

Texas

7/7/2009

gulf waters

87

Ruddy Turnstone

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

88

Sanderling

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

89

Western Sandpiper

Florida

10/21/2009

little hamaca park walk

90

Least Sandpiper

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

91

Baird's Sandpiper

South Dakota

8/25/2009

badlands national park

92

Dunlin

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

93

Short-billed Dowitcher

Florida

10/24/2009

Bahia Honda State Park

94

Long-billed Dowitcher

Texas

11/11/2009

port aransas

95

Wilson's Snipe

Colorado

9/17/2009

st vrain state park

96

Laughing Gull

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

97

Franklin's Gull

Colorado

9/24/2009

walden pond

98

Ring-billed Gull

Colorado

7/21/2009

st vrain state park

99

California Gull

Utah

7/29/2009

springville

100

Caspian Tern

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

101

Forster's Tern

Alabama

11/9/2009

interstate 10

102

Royal Tern

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

103

Sandwich Tern

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

104

Black Skimmer

South Carolina

10/11/2009

Hilton Head Island

105

Rock Pigeon

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

106

White-crowned Pigeon

Florida

10/26/2009

miami area

107

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

108

White-winged Dove

Texas

7/7/2009

corpus christi

109

Mourning Dove

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

110

Common Ground-Dove

Florida

10/15/2009

st augustine area.  rv park little sit.

111

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

112

Eastern Screech-Owl

Florida

10/29/2009

naples area

113

Great Horned Owl

Colorado

7/21/2009

st vrain state park

114

Barred Owl

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

115

Common Nighthawk

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

116

Chimney Swift

Illinois

10/3/2009

horseshoe lake state park

117

Vaux's Swift

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

118

White-throated Swift

Colorado

7/25/2009

glenwood springs

119

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

120

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

121

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

122

Rufous Hummingbird

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

123

Belted Kingfisher

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

124

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Texas

7/7/2009

north of corpus christi

125

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tennessee

10/5/2009

madison bell state park

126

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

127

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Texas

7/9/2009

lake colorado city state park

128

Downy Woodpecker

Montana

8/4/2009

garrison

129

Hairy Woodpecker

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

130

American Three-toed Woodpecker

Montana

8/6/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

131

Northern Flicker

Colorado

7/19/2009

st vrain state park. red shafted

132

Pileated Woodpecker

Montana

8/6/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

133

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

134

Western Wood-Pewee

Colorado

7/17/2009

chatfield state park

135

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Florida

10/14/2009

st augustine area

136

Alder Flycatcher

Alberta

8/14/2009

cave and basin trail

137

Willow Flycatcher

Montana

8/6/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

138

Least Flycatcher

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

139

Hammond's Flycatcher

Montana

8/6/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

140

Dusky Flycatcher

Idaho

7/31/2009

craters of the moon

141

Eastern Phoebe

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

142

Say's Phoebe

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

143

Western Kingbird

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

144

Eastern Kingbird

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

145

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Texas

7/7/2009

north of corpus christi

146

Loggerhead Shrike

Colorado

9/17/2009

st vrain state park

147

White-eyed Vireo

Georgia

10/7/2009

george l smith state park

148

Yellow-throated Vireo

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

149

Warbling Vireo

Montana

8/3/2009

yellowstone river

150

Philadelphia Vireo

Georgia

10/6/2009

cartersville koa

151

Red-eyed Vireo

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

152

Gray Jay

Alberta

8/13/2009

banff national park

153

Steller's Jay

Colorado

7/26/2009

glenwood springs

154

Blue Jay

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

155

Western Scrub-Jay

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

156

Pinyon Jay

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park. about 50

157

Clark's Nutcracker

Idaho

7/31/2009

craters of the moon

158

Black-billed Magpie

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

159

American Crow

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

160

Fish Crow

Georgia

10/10/2009

george l smith state park

161

Chihuahuan Raven

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

162

Common Raven

Colorado

7/17/2009

chatfield state park

163

Horned Lark

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

164

Tree Swallow

Colorado

7/14/2009

chatfield state park

165

Violet-green Swallow

Colorado

7/26/2009

glenwood springs

166

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

167

Bank Swallow

Colorado

7/22/2009

st vrain state park

168

Cliff Swallow

Texas

7/7/2009

north of corpus christi

169

Barn Swallow

Texas

7/7/2009

mustang island

170

Carolina Chickadee

Illinois

10/3/2009

horseshoe lake state park

171

Black-capped Chickadee

Colorado

7/14/2009

chatfield state park

172

Mountain Chickadee

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

173

Boreal Chickadee

Alberta

8/19/2009

edith cavell trail. heard.  over and over.  saw one fly.

174

Tufted Titmouse

Tennessee

10/6/2009

madison bell state park

175

Bushtit

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

176

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

177

White-breasted Nuthatch

South Dakota

8/25/2009

badlands national park

178

Cactus Wren

Texas

7/9/2009

lake colorado city state park

179

Rock Wren

Colorado

7/16/2009

chatfield state park

180

Canyon Wren

Colorado

9/9/2009

castlewood canyon

181

Carolina Wren

Missouri

10/4/2009

Webster's Groves

182

House Wren

Colorado

7/16/2009

chatfield state park

183

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Alberta

8/14/2009

cave and basin trail

184

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Alberta

8/14/2009

cave and basin trail

185

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

186

Eastern Bluebird

Tennessee

10/5/2009

madison bell state park

187

Western Bluebird

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

188

Mountain Bluebird

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

189

Townsend's Solitaire

Montana

8/3/2009

yellowstone river

190

Swainson's Thrush

Alberta

8/12/2009

cave and basin marsh

191

Hermit Thrush

South Carolina

10/12/2009

Audubon Newhall Nature Preserve

192

Wood Thrush

South Carolina

10/12/2009

Audubon Newhall Nature Preserve

193

American Robin

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

194

Gray Catbird

Montana

8/4/2009

garrison

195

Northern Mockingbird

Texas

7/7/2009

north of corpus christi

196

Sage Thrasher

Idaho

7/31/2009

craters of the moon

197

Brown Thrasher

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

198

Curve-billed Thrasher

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

199

European Starling

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

200

Common Myna

Florida

10/27/2009

miami area

201

Cedar Waxwing

Colorado

7/25/2009

glenwood springs

202

Tennessee Warbler

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

203

Orange-crowned Warbler

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

204

Northern Parula

Florida

10/19/2009

key west botanic gardens

205

Yellow Warbler

Colorado

7/19/2009

st vrain state park

206

Black-throated Blue Warbler

South Carolina

10/12/2009

Audubon Newhall Nature Preserve. male

207

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Texas

7/8/2009

hill country

208

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

209

Townsend's Warbler

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

210

Yellow-throated Warbler

Florida

10/27/2009

everglades

211

Pine Warbler

Georgia

10/6/2009

cartersville koa

212

Prairie Warbler

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

213

Palm Warbler

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

214

Black-and-white Warbler

Georgia

10/10/2009

george l smith state park

215

American Redstart

Montana

8/6/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

216

Ovenbird

Florida

10/24/2009

Bahia Honda State Park

217

Northern Waterthrush

Florida

10/19/2009

key west botanic gardens

218

Common Yellowthroat

Colorado

7/19/2009

st vrain state park

219

Wilson's Warbler

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

220

Summer Tanager

Georgia

10/8/2009

george l smith state park

221

Western Tanager

Colorado

7/25/2009

glenwood springs

222

Green-tailed Towhee

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

223

Spotted Towhee

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

224

Eastern Towhee

South Carolina

10/13/2009

Hilton Head Island

225

Canyon Towhee

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

226

Chipping Sparrow

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

227

Clay-colored Sparrow

Colorado

9/17/2009

st vrain state park

228

Brewer's Sparrow

Idaho

7/31/2009

craters of the moon

229

Vesper Sparrow

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

230

Lark Sparrow

Texas

7/8/2009

highway 87 north of San Angelo

231

Black-throated Sparrow

Texas

7/9/2009

lake colorado city state park

232

Lark Bunting

Colorado

9/19/2009

pawnee national grasslands

233

Savannah Sparrow

Alberta

8/11/2009

banff national park

234

Grasshopper Sparrow

Colorado

7/12/2009

cheyenne mountain state park

235

Song Sparrow

Montana

8/3/2009

yellowstone river

236

Lincoln's Sparrow

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip

237

Dark-eyed Junco

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

238

McCown's Longspur

Colorado

9/19/2009

pawnee national grasslands

239

Northern Cardinal

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

240

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Alberta

8/16/2009

inglewood bird sanctuary trip. 

241

Lazuli Bunting

Idaho

7/31/2009

craters of the moon

242

Indigo Bunting

Florida

10/19/2009

key west botanic gardens. female

243

Red-winged Blackbird

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

244

Eastern Meadowlark

Texas

11/11/2009

tivoli area

245

Western Meadowlark

Texas

7/9/2009

amarillo

246

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Colorado

7/18/2009

st vrain state park

247

Brewer's Blackbird

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

248

Common Grackle

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

249

Boat-tailed Grackle

South Carolina

10/10/2009

Hilton Head Island

250

Great-tailed Grackle

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

251

Brown-headed Cowbird

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

252

Orchard Oriole

Colorado

7/19/2009

st vrain state park

253

Bullock's Oriole

Texas

7/8/2009

lake colorado city state park

254

Pine Grosbeak

Colorado

7/27/2009

glenwood springs

255

Cassin's Finch

Idaho

7/31/2009

craters of the moon

256

House Finch

Colorado

7/11/2009

john martin reservoir state park

257

Pine Siskin

Colorado

7/28/2009

rifle gap state park

258

Lesser Goldfinch

Texas

7/7/2009

buckhorn lake rv park

259

American Goldfinch

Colorado

7/14/2009

chatfield state park

260

Evening Grosbeak

Montana

8/5/2009

hungry horse and glacier national park

261

House Sparrow

Texas

7/7/2009

corpus christi

262

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Missouri

10/4/2009

Webster's Groves