Saturday, February 8, 2014

Yacht Basin Road

The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail - Upper Texas Coast
UTC057:  Yacht Basin Rd


White ibis, snowy egrets, great egrets, and willets foraged along the roadside.

It was a wet, cold weekend - the perfect time to visit a site which didn't require me to leave the warm, dry comfort of my car.  Yacht Basin Road cuts from the rolling surf of Bolivar Peninsula to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), crossing a coastal marsh.  Birds can be easily viewed from both sides of the street.  There were no other vehicles on this day, so I was able to take my time creeping along and stopping to take photos through the driver's side window, which I kept rolled down except during the brief periods of rain.            


I looked up and spotted what I thought was an osprey perched on a power line.  It wasn't until I got home that I realized I captured something even better, a white-tailed kite.  I'm always excited to add a new bird to my life list.



According to the map, there are many roads that cut towards the GIWW worth checking out and mentions three in particular.  I found the killdeer along Tuna Drive on someone's yard.  (The bird was, not me.  Don't trespass in Texas!)  


The Roseate Spoonbills are my Pink Saturday post.  I found them beside Bob's Road.


Finally, I photographed the white-winged dove on the power lines above Crystal Beach Road.  It was here that two nutria jumped out of the ditch no farther than four feet from my car and made a dash for a nearby pool of water. I was not quick enough with the camera to get pictures.    

Date of visit:  February 2, 2014
Temp: 50 F
Conditions:  Overcast, windy, periods of rain.
Time:  Midday
Species identified(13):  Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, White Ibis, Willet, Semipalmated Plover, White-tailed Kite, Killdeer, Roseate Spoonbill, Neotropic Cormorant, Tricolored Heron, Little Blue Heron, White-winged Dove

17 comments:

  1. The Spoonbill are just lovely, the dark and light pick such a vibrant look. So glad you have such a nice place for your new hobby. Thank you for your visit today.
    Ann

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  2. Yes, nice pictures, I like that place! really gorgeous birds! Greetings!

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  3. What a perfect photo for Pink Saturday! I just love birds. Have a great weekend.
    Gina

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  4. Love the pink birds....nature is wonderful HPS Michelle

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  5. love the pink spoonbills:)

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  6. PINK spoonbills .... wow...I haven't ever seen those birds. HPS!
    JM Illinois

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  7. We are going to the lake this afternoon in hopes of seeing the roseate spoonbills. This post makes me so eager to get there. Awesome shot of the kite. That is definitely a prize spotting. Hope you have a great day!

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  8. Beautiful birds of great variety.

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  9. awesome catch of the kite! the white-winged are not seen too often here, yet. :) i've been told they're as invasive as the collard-dove. :)

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  10. I always enjoy your photos of these gorgeous birds, thank you :)

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  11. I like the look of the spoonbills. I don't think I've ever seen one before.

    Regarding your question. I lived in the DFW area from 2007 to 2009 and then from May 2012 until last October. All together just under four years.

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  12. I love the Spoonbills and cool sighting of the Kite! Great outing and photos, Jen! Have a happy week!

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  13. Gotta LOVE birding by car on a cold and wet day! I do that a LOT! a car can make a good blind too.
    Beautiful captures!!

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  14. Sounds like a perfect day, in spite of the rain. The Spoonbills are magnificent!

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  15. So many finds! Most of them are birds I will never see here in Canada so I am extremely jealous. ;))

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  16. You keep photographing and I'll keep visiting. I should learn a lot. :) I love seeing birds!

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  17. Absolutely stunning - I want to see those pink birds for sure. I've never seen a pink bird in my life. Glorious photos.

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