Galveston Island

Birds Fishing at Low Tide

Posted January 16, 2016 by Chris Cunningham

If the earth should cease to attract its waters to itself all the waters of the sea would be raised and would flow to the body of the moon.—Johannes Kepler, Astronomia nova (1609)

Among all the great men who have philosophized about this remarkable effect, I am more astonished at Kepler than at any other. Despite his open and acute mind, and though he has at his fingertips the motions attributed to the earth, he nevertheless lent his ear and his assent to the moon’s dominion over the waters, to occult properties, and to such puerilities.–Galileo Galilei, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632)

Great Blue Heron with fish, Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas — *Great Blue Heron with Killifish,* tidal channel near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Last weekend offered up the most spectacular weather imaginable, and we headed to East Beach, Galveston and Frenchtown Road, Bolivar. Arriving at low tide, our timing was perfect. Both these localities present exceptional naturalist experiences, especially at low tide. Where else is there evident a more elegant connection between the astrophysical, geological, and biological worlds than in an intertidal zone?

Cormorant with fish, Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas — *Neotropic Cormorant with Killifish,* tidal channel near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

At East Beach we watched Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs hunt among the ripple marks, tidal channels, and pools abandoned by the retreating tides. Vast flocks of Black Skimmers whirled overhead and large numbers of gulls, terns, and American White Pelicans gathered on emergent sand bars.

Near Frenchtown Road, low tide means that oyster patch reefs are exposed, and Red-breasted Mergansers, cormorants, and waders fished in the tidal channels between the reefs. Shorebirds like American Avocets, Willets, and dowitchers hunted among the exposed clusters of oysters. Forster’s Terns were plucking small fish from the surface waters of the channels. I was surprised to observe the Willet below catching fish in the shallows between patch reefs—usually these birds are grabbing crabs from among the oysters.

Frustratingly, I realized that (being a landlubber from Minnesota) I do not know my Gulf Coast tidal zone fishes, so I could not identify any of the birds’ menu items. To remedy this situation, this week I ordered a copy of Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters by Hoese and Moore. It will sit next to my Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of North America North of Mexico—so soon I’ll at least have a shot at identifying piscine prey, no matter the salinity.

Willet with fish, Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas — *Willet with Blenny,* oyster reef near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Double Take

Posted November 14, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks.—William Shakespeare, Macbeth (Act 4, Scene 1)

Young Red-tailed Hawk, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas — *Young Red-tailed Hawk,* Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. Elisa captured this image of a hawk that was hunting among the thickets. Most young hawks don’t make it into fully adult plumage. I rediscovered this image while perusing our archives on a miserable rainy day. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS. Natural light.

During the dreary, rain-spoilt part of last weekend, in bitter anticipation of the next monster rain storm (Monday into Tuesday), I perused our photo archives in search of interesting tidbits to brighten my mood. Some nice shots I’d forgotten about did resurface, like the hawk above.

But birds do often lead a more hardscrabble life than we sometimes think. Not surprisingly, close re-inspection of images sometimes yields evidence of disease or parasites. The Bay-breasted Warbler below–that frustratingly stayed in the shadows of a thicket–turned out to have a tick above the left eye, for example. Birds are subject to infestation by a variety of disease-causing ticks, and some researchers worry about the introduction of diseases into North America by migrating Neotropical birds.

Bay-breasted Warbler, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston island, Texas — *Bay-breasted Warbler with Tick,* Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. This bird was part of small wave of Bay-breasted Warblers that showed up at Lafitte’s Cove for a few days during spring migration 2015. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

In addition to evidence of parasitism and disease, I sometimes find physical injury to birds when I return to the archives and really scrutinize the images. In the field I didn’t notice the spine-like projection under the lower jaw in the Lesser Yellowlegs below. At first, I thought the spine might really be a spine—as in a fin-spine that pierced the floor of the lower jaw, perhaps when the bird attempted to swallow a fish. But clearly a fish with a fin spin that large would be too large to attempt to swallow. On closer inspection, it appears (based on color and texture) that the spine is a shard of the lower jaw that continued to grow, perhaps after being fractured. If any readers know more about the origin of such injuries, I would be interested in hearing about it.

The result of these sorts of searches serve to remind that nature, like the world of Man, can be a harsh place. Birds face a gauntlet of challenges, and I often regret not being able to do more to preserve them and their world.

Injured Yellowlegs, lagoon near Bryan Beach, Texas — *Injured Lesser Yellowlegs,* lagoon near Bryan Beach, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Quest for the New

Posted October 17, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Of all the passions of mankind, the love of novelty most rules the mind. In search of this, from realm to realm we roam. Our fleets come loaded with every folly home.—Foote, in Treasury of Wisdom, Wit, and Humor by Adam Wooléver (1891, 5th ed., p.301)

Green Kingfisher, World Birding Center, Edinburg, Texas — *Female Green Kingfisher,* World Birding Center, Edinburg, Texas. Although cagey and suspicious, kingfishers are among my favorite birds. Whenever I hear their clicking (or clattering, depending on species), I hope for a photo-op . . . but they rarely oblige. This was my first quality encounter with a Green Kingfisher. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

As one tied to the work-a-day world most of the time, finding new things in the field is always exciting. First (quality) encounters with species are my favorites, but observing new behaviors by familiar ones often must suffice. Last weekend, for example, a naturalist friend (RD) pointed out the barn spider below apparently eating her own web—something I’d not seen a spider do before. It is widely held that spiders do eat webs to re-utilize protein, and the one below appeared to be doing just that.

A Barn Spider Consumes her own Web, Pilant Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas — *A Barn Spider Consumes Her Own Web,* Pilant Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. Eventually the spider ate the entire strand to the upper right. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS. Natural light.

But based on the severe limitations of time and money, I usually have to find “novelty” where I can. For example, the recent shot below of a newly-returned-from-the-Arctic-for-the-winter Black-bellied Plover may reflect my closest contact with this species.

Admittedly the self-imposed pressure of always looking for new things can sometimes defeat the purposes of amateur nature photography: learning about nature and relieving the stress and strain of daily life and possibly extending life itself. Elisa is clearly better at simply getting out there and enjoying the sights and sounds and sensations. I have to (paradoxically) work on not working so hard.

Portrait: Black-bellied Plover, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Portrait: Black-bellied Plover,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. By October, many shorebirds have returned to the Texas Gulf Coast for winter. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The Odyssey of the Brown Pelican

Posted October 10, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

The story as told in The Odyssey doesn’t hold water. There are too many inconsistencies.–Margaret Atwood

Juvenile Brown Pelican in Flight, near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas — *Juvenile Brown Pelican in Flight,* Galveston Bay, near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Last weekend we made the most of the phenomenal weather and birded the Coast, specifically East Beach, Galveston, and Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula. Although the weather was amazing, not many birds were around, Brown (and a few American White) Pelicans, excepted. A spectacular frenzy of diving for fish that I observed near Frenchtown Road got me thinking about Brown Pelicans.

A Brown Pelican Manipulates a Fish into Swallowing Position, near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas — *A Brown Pelican Manipulates a Fish into Swallowing Position,* Galveston Bay, near Frenchtown Road, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. Canon EOS 7DII/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

I was tempted to repeat the oft-told (and published) tale of how how DDT usage caused the decline of these birds in the U.S. through egg shell thinning, and how they rebounded once the pesticide was outlawed. An offhanded recent comment by an astute friend with a chemistry background (DT) that “DDT doesn’t cause egg shells to thin” gave me pause, though.

A quick internet search revealed a wealth of information about the numbers of Pelicans present in Texas and California in the early to mid-20th Century, as well as other potential causes for the collapse of Brown Pelican populations. I would encourage readers to do their own search and come to their own conclusions . . . . but by my reading of history, in California, the story involves oil spills (note ingested oil does cause thinning of egg shells), disease (Newcastle Disease, specifically), and (horrifyingly) the outright killing and disturbance of nesting birds by, of all people, government employees.

In Texas, the story appears more straightforward: hunters and fisherman in the early 20th Century (before DDT) simply shot most of them. Since the Brown Pelican was placed upon the Endangered Species List in 1970, its numbers have rebounded—and I for one am delighted.

A Pacific Brown Pelican Comes in for a Landing, Offatt's Bayou, Galveston Island, Texas — *The Holy Grail of Pelican Sightings in Texas: A California Brown Pelican Comes in for a Landing,* Offatt’s Bayou, Galveston Island, Texas. Atlantic and Gulf populations of Brown Pelicans have blackish-green throat pouches. Pacific Coast populations have brilliant red throat pouches. This photograph was taken the same day we saw a Pacific Loon, another Texas Gulf Coast rarity. Sometimes birds don’t read the field guides. Canon EOS 7D/500mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Dreaming of Cold Weather Coastal Birding

Posted October 3, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.–Jacques Yves Cousteau

Cormorant Portrait, Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Mustang Island, Texas — *Neotropic Cormorant,* Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Mustang Island, Texas. Unperturbed, this bird fished a few feet from the photographer. Neotropic Cormorants are far more tolerant of humans than their Double-crested cousins. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The time is almost here . . . the time when the wretched heat finally breaks once and for all, and we can look forward to the longest stretch of pleasant weather on the Texas calendar. And the place to spend this glorious time is undoubtably on the coast.

Long-billed Curlew, Indian Point Beach, Corpus Christi, Texas — *Displaying Long-billed Curlew,* Indian Point Beach, Corpus Christi, Texas. This bird was trying unsuccessfully to communicate with me. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Once those blue northers start blowing in, it’s off to the field at every opportunity! We’re already hatching plans for visits to Frenchtown Road, Galveston, and Mustang Island. Beaches, estuaries, and lagoons, here we come!

American White Pelicans Discover a School of Fish, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *American White Pelicans Discover a School of Fish,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. White Pelicans steam along the shallows single-file until they encounter a school of fish—when they form a ring of co-operative feeding. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Birds: Sleeping with One Eye Open

Posted May 23, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.–Friedrich Nietzsche

Green-wing Teal, Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Port Aransas, Texas — *Green-winged Teal Hen,* Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Port Aransas, Mustang Island, Texas. Late fall. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Birds live in a dangerous world. Never is this more evident than when they are trying to sleep. Ground-roosting birds like waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls can often be seen drifting in and out of sleep, one eye open, intermittently surveying the environment for dangers (and photographers).

Sleeping Sanderlings, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Sleeping Sanderlings (Nonbreeding),* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Note the beautiful ripple marks. Late winter. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Herring Gull in Sleeping Position, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Herring Gull (Nonbreeding) in Sleeping Position,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Late winter. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Many birds sleep (or merely rest) with their heads supported on their backs, beaks nestled in the scapulars. This rests the muscles of the neck and keeps the delicate skin around the beak warm. Breath expelled into the feathers keeps the back nice and toasty warm. On some cold and windy days, it’s common to see sandpipers balanced on one leg (like the Sanderling on the right above). This, of course, reduces the amount of bare skin exposed to the hostilities of the environment.

Soon Texas birds will be much more concerned about keeping cool—and I’ll keep an eye out to document their interesting thermoregulatory behaviors!

Sleeping Black Skimmer, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Sleeping Black Skimmer,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Late fall. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Spring Migration 2015 Tapers Off

Posted May 16, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

And I, what fountain of fire am I among
This leaping combustion of spring? My spirit is tossed
About like a shadow buffeted in the throng
Of flames, a shadow that’s gone astray, and is lost.

—Enkindled Spring, D.H. Lawrence

Singing Golden Swamp Warbler, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas — *Tsveet tsveet tsveet . . . Singing Male Golden Swamp Warbler,* Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. This fellow is nesting in Nest Box 24. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

The primaveral combustion of brilliantly colored Neotropical migrant songbirds and shorebirds molting into breeding plumage is giving way to the vernal, thermal Texas combustion. But every spring migration is a bit different. It seems that we saw less than last year, and certainly far less than the previous one—but not for want of trying. And I’ve got the bites, scratches, and poison ivy blisters to prove it.

Immature Male Summer Tanager, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas — *Immature Male Summer Tanager,* Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

This was the year of seeing Tanagers (Summer and Scarlet), Eastern Wood-pewees, and Bay-breasted Warblers. Of the Pewees, we heard even more than we saw. Everywhere we went in April and May the pee-ah-wee or wee-ooo could be heard. But luck would have it that we saw far fewer warblers and other songbirds than usual—no swarms of Hooded, Yellow, or Magnolia Warblers, just the odd bird here and there poking around in the woods.

Eastern Wood-pewee at Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas — *Eastern Wood-pewee* at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Many flycatchers are like peas in a pod, but Eastern Wood-pewees can be identified by their weak, partial posterior eye-ring, two weak wing bars, and yellow lower beak. Eastern Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

So, as the migration tapers off, it’s time to transition into summer birding mode. My time and mind will soon be filled by planning for the upcoming big birding trips (Yea, mountains!) and stalking waders around the swamps and marshes as they hunt and fish their way through the broiling Texas summer.

Short-billed Dowitcher, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Short-billed Dowitcher,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Short-billed Dowitchers winter along the Texas Gulf Coast and breed across Canada and Alaska at the latitude of Hudson Bay. Short-billed Dowitchers and Long-billed Dowitchers are very hard to tell apart. In breeding plumage, Short-bills are orangish and Long-bills are brick-reddish, but light can play tricks. I always measure the proportions of the bird’s head in my images to be sure. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

American Avocet Courtship and Mating, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas

Posted May 9, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May . . . . –William Shakespeare

Last weekend the weather was spectacular, and Elisa and I took full advantage. East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas was our first stop of the weekend. We were surprised to find a large flock (100+) of American Avocets, mostly in breeding color (rusty-red/cinnamon head, neck, and breast) in the main lagoon just south of the parking area.

The main breeding range of the American Avocet is from the Texas Panhandle to south-central Canada, west to the Pacific Coast. American Avocets also breed along the South Texas Gulf Coast. There is a wintering population of Avocets all along the Gulf Coast, but we don’t typically see them in breeding colors this far north.

As we watched the ruddy-faced flock, we soon we noticed that some pairs were engaged in their charming and elegant courtship and mating behaviors. All images in this post taken with a Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC) under natural light.

*Mating American Avocets 1: The Female Presents.*

After photographing birds in the lagoon for a time, I walked south along the strand line of the Gulf. On the return hike, about a dozen Avocets flew from the lagoon and landed right in front of me in a few inches of Gulf water. One pair began courtship behavior almost immediately, as shown in this sequence of images. First, the female presented herself to the flapping and splashing male by holding her body parallel to the ground.

*Mating American Avocets 2: Mounting.* Note the more strongly upturned beak of the female.

The male soon mounted the female and copulation began. In about a minute, the act was complete, and the elegant post-mating dance began . . . .

*Mating American Avocets 3: Interplay of Beaks.*

The pair crossed beaks as they walked along together. They then separated bills and walked together side-by-side, necks strongly inclined forward.

Mating American Avocets 5 — *Mating American Avocets 4: Leaning Forward.*

After a few seconds, the birds rotated their necks into a vertical position, with bills pointed strongly downward. The pair walked along together in this posture for a few paces. Necks became more vertical as the pair promenaded along together for a few paces, then separated. Soon, they were again threshing the water for prey.

*Mating American Avocets 5: Elegant Promenade.*

Marbled Godwits in the Texas Springtime

Posted April 25, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Marbled Godwit in breeding colors with orange bill, April, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Marbled Godwit in High Breeding Colors* (with orange-based bill), first week in April, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Having read a report of a sighting of a Hudsonian Godwit on Galveston several weeks ago, I recently kept an eye out for them among the flocks of Marbled Godwits on East Beach. For a few minutes I thought I had a Hudsonian Godwit in the viewfinder: The bird above has a bright orange bill base, and the back appears quite dark. The colors and barring on the underside of the bird, however, really seem to indicate that this is a Marbled Godwit. The vast majority (all but one it turns out!) of Marbled Godwits I have ever seen have had pink bill bases—even all the other Marbled Godwits I saw in the same flock on the same morning in early April (next two images) had pink-based bills. So what gives? Could this be sexual dimorphism? Breeding color? A little reading was in order.

Marbled Godwit in breeding colors, April, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Marbled Godwit in Breeding Colors* (with pink bill base), first week in April, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Note the barring on the breast and underside. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

As far as field marks are concerned, Marbled Godwits show only a hint of sexual dimorphism, females being slightly larger (by millimeters on average) than males (Ayala-Pérez et al., 2013), but no reported obvious color differences—so no help here. In Arthur Morris’ Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers (1996), however, he explained that the orange-based bill in Marbled Godwits is a result of hormone level—during a time of “full breeding plumage.” I suppose that this is similar to the case of the Snowy Egret. The lores and feet are yellow in “breeding” and pinkish red in “high breeding.” I have seen Snowy Egrets sitting on nests in both breeding and high breeding color, though, so I’m not clear if there are any behavioral differences tied to these color differences, or what specific event in the reproductive cycle, if any, is tied to the appearance of high breeding color. More research and observation on my part are clearly required.

Marbled Godwit in nonbreeding colors, April, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Marbled Godwit in Nonbreeding Colors* (with pink bill base), first week in April, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

In spring on the Texas Coast, Marbled Godwits appear in a variety of color schemes before they depart for their breeding grounds in the Upper Midwest, Canada, and Alaska. When they return in the fall, they show up in faded breeding colors, but will be sporting (you guessed it!) pink bill bases. Given that Marbled Godwits winter along the Gulf Coast, this is probably how most Texas birders see them—but it’s fun to see them in other colors.

Marbled Godwit in postbreeding colors on wintering grounds, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Marbled Godwit in Faded Breeding Colors on Wintering Grounds* (with pink-based bill), late October, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light (the second, lower catchlight is from the sun’s reflection off the surface of the water).

References

Ayala-Pérez, V., Carmona, R., Baker, A.J., Farmer, A.H., Uraga, and Arce, N. 2013. Phenotypic Sexing of Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa): A Molecular Validation. Waterbirds 36(4): 418-425.

Morris, A. 1996. Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers (Northword Wildlife Series). Econo-Clad Books. 160p.

To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.—George Orwell

Spring Migration: Chasing the Sun

Posted April 18, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Let me recommend the best medicine in the world: a long journey, at a mild season, through a pleasant country, in easy stages.—James Madison

Female Summer Tanager with mulberry, Pelican Island, Texas — *Female Summer Tanager with Mulberry,* Pelican Island, Texas. Tanagers *love* mulberries. Unfortunately a major Texas A&M building project on Pelican Island has restricted access to most of the mulberry trees that were a reliable place to see migrant tanagers, orioles, buntings, Dickcissel, and others. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

This is the time of year for visiting migrant songbird traps! In these special places it’s easy to see what migration is all about—chasing the warming rays of the sun north as they bring their bounty of flowers, nectar, pollen, fruit, and succulent bugs!

Although it will probably have to wait for retirement, I dream of an April road trip, drifting slowly down the Gulf Coast from Dauphin Island, Alabama to Grand Isle, Louisiana to Sabine Woods, High Island, Pelican Island, Lafitte’s Cove, Quintana, perhaps ending at Paradise Pond, Mustang Island, Texas.

Male Indigo Bunting in Breeding Colors, Pelican Island, Texas — *Male Indigo Bunting in Breeding Colors on Mulberry Tree,* Pelican Island, Texas. Indigo buntings are generalist feeders and eat buds, seeds, fruit, and insects. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Male Scarlet Tanager with bee, Pelican Island, Texas — *Male Scarlet Tanager with Bee,* Pelican Island, Texas. Scarlet Tanagers are generalist feeders, but prefer bees, when available. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Many of these classic migrant traps are oak mottes, slightly elevated patches of woods, on the very edge of the land and provide desperately needed food, water, and shelter after an exhausting flight across the Gulf of Mexico. One of the most exciting parts of being out in these migrant traps during spring is observing and photographing Neotropical migrants hunting and gorging on fruits and other botanical goodies.

In the oak mottes, birds are often covered in pollen as they poke around flowers. Sometimes novice birders, field guides clutched in hand, are puzzled by a bird that looks somehow familiar—but it has a yellow face! There’s usually an old-timer around, though, who explains kindly how the birds are sometimes painted with pollen at this magical and all-too-short time of the year.

Male Orchard Oriole with Pollen on Face, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas — *Male Orchard Oriole with Pollen on His Face,* Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Orchard Orioles eat primarily insects during the breeding season, but will supplement their diets with seeds, fruits, pollen, and nectar. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Those Ridiculously Good-looking Terns

Posted April 11, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Mated Pair Sandwich Terns, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. — *Sandwich Tern Mated Pair 1,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. It’s easy to imagine that the gulls are looking on jealously at this drop-dead gorgeous pair. Photo taken in early April. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas is one of my favorite birding spots—especially in cool weather. Flying birds will often follow the strand line predictably from the north allowing flight shots of gulls, pelicans, skimmers, plovers, sandpipers, terns, and others. At low tide, exceptional, text-book sedimentary structures are visible over wide areas. But of all the natural wonders observable at East Beach, terns are my favorites. Caspian, Royal, Sandwich, and Forster’s are especially common, but careful searches of U’s will occasionally turn up Least, Common, or Gull-billed Terns. I continue to hold out hope for rarer species.

Caspian Tern, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Caspian Tern,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Caspian Terns are the largest terns in the world and have a nearly worldwide distribution. Photo taken in early April. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Another alluring aspect of East Beach is the fact that you often have the entire area to yourself, especially in cold weather. After a blue norther, there may be no one else at all around. This being said, rare encounters with yahoos can occur at East Beach, as they can anywhere. They are just much less probable here than at places like Brazos Bend or Lafitte’s Cove, even during nice, warm weather.

Forster's Tern, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *Avian Narcissus: Forster’s Tern,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Photo taken in early November. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Terns have a wide variety of interesting behaviors to observe and (at least attempt) to document photographically. These include spectacular dives for fish, courtship-feeding (the male bribes the female with a small fish, a “nuptial gift,” prior to copulation), and elegant dances and promenades involving mated pairs, as below in the case of Sandwich Terns. Sandwich Terns minuet with shaggy crown feathers and necks erect, pointing beaks skyward or nodding occasionally, wing-tips directed parallel to the ground or slightly upward. And, because terns are doting parents, it’s worth watching for adults feeding “chicks” as large as themselves well after the nesting season.

Royal Terns, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *A U of Royal Terns,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Photo taken in early November. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Every time I review my images from East Beach, I get excited about the prospect of returning. Now especially, during the Season of the Runny Nose, the prospect of fresh sea air mercifully free of pollen is indeed attractive.

Sandwich Tern Mated Pair 2, East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas — *A Nod to My Love: Sandwich Tern Mated Pair 2,* East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas. Note the bitterly resentful gull in the background. Photo taken in early April. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.—Lord Byron

Splish, Splash! Birds Taking a Bath!

Posted March 28, 2015 by Chris Cunningham

Bathing Tennessee Warblers, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas — *Bathing Tennessee Warblers,* Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. The bird on the left is clearly a male Tennessee Warbler. The bird on the right resembles an Orange-crowned Warbler, but it has bright white undertail coverts and a very short tail: I think it is a female Tennessee Warbler. Some Tennessee Warblers are circum-Gulf migrants, and others are trans-Gulf migrants. Photo taken in early May during spring migration. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Most birds are enthusiastic bathers. They bathe in standing water, rain, dew, wet leaves—even dust. This bathing keeps feathers in optimal condition for flight and thermoregulation. Excess oil and bits of detritus that can clog or dishevel the fine structure of feathers (barbules and barbicels) can be removed by a good rinse. After a flight across (or around) the Gulf of Mexico, it probably feels pretty good, too. Many birds wade out into to shallow water and splash around a bit, usually producing a spectacular shower of droplets. The salinity seems not to matter much, as birds bathe in fresh, brackish, and salt water with equal gusto. For a discussion of bird bathing in gory detail see that monumental tome, Terres (1991).

Bathing White Ibis, Paradise Pond, Mustang Island, Port Aransas, Texas — *Bathing White Ibis,* Paradise Pond, Mustang Island, Port Aransas, Texas. Paradise Pond sits on a perched water table, and provides an oasis of fresh drinking water in a land- and seascape of salty habitats. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). Natural light.

Portrait: Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Lafitte's Cove, Galveston Island, Texas — *Portrait: Bathing Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak,* Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. Note the berry stains on her beak and the glistening droplets of bath water on her feathers. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

The best place that I knew of to watch bathing Neotropical migrant songbirds was the main dripper at Lafitte’s Cove, Galveston Island, Texas. During past migrations it was commonplace to observe Northern Parulas, Tennessee, Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Yellow, Hooded, Yellow-rumped, Black and White, and sometimes other less common warblers, plus vireos, cardinals, catbirds, grosbeaks, tanagers, and orioles bathing in the shallow water. Typically after bathing, birds would fly up to a low branch to fluff and preen—thus avoiding the snakes and cats that prey on drinking and bathing birds in the sanctuary.

A visit to the site this week, though, revealed that the dripper area has been (Gasp!) remodeled! A Wooden table-like platform now sits where the main pool used to be. This new arrangement seems much less conducive to bathing, but further observation is required to make a final pronouncement. (Sidebar: for anyone thinking of visiting Lafitte’s Cove, as of last Sunday, Hooded and Black and White Warblers and Yellow-throated Vireos were about—but, the flood of migrants hadn’t yet started.).

Bathing Black Skimmer, Hans and Pat Suter City Wildlife Park, Corpus Christi, Texas — *Bathing Black Skimmer in the Steel-gray Light of Dusk,* Hans and Pat Suter City Wildlife Park, Corpus Christi, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Birds display a wonderful range of behavior to be observed and photographed. Much of it involves water, including drinking, bathing and fishing. Waders will even dip prey items into water before swallowing to rinse off grit and provide lubrication. Clearly the best places to go birding are around water. Although I enjoy observing all types of bird behavior, my favorite type of bird photography is still documenting hunting and fishing strategies (and predator-prey interactions—you knew I had to sneak one of those in!).

Great Blue Heron Eating Bullfrog, Pilant Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas — *Gulp! Great Blue Heron Eating Bullfrog,* Pilant Lake, Brazos Bend State Park, Texas. Canon EOS 7D/600mm f/4L IS (+1.4x TC). High-speed synchronized fill-flash.

Reference

Terres, John K. 1991. The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. Wings Books. New York. 1109 p.

I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.—Rodney Dangerfield

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