Have been at Goose Island State Park, near Rockport, Texas for the past week. Glad to find it pretty much the same as last year. The big tree also made it through the hurricane ok.

Above, a rail, I think a clapper rail. Saw it while driving in the park and quickly grabbed my camera. My first picture of a rail.

Think this is a ruddy turnstone.

Drove 30 miles to Mustang Island State Park on a cold and windy day. The heron and the terns above were on the park beach. Maybe next year I’ll stay here a few days. It is a lot like South Padre Island, just not quite as over-developed. I like Goose Island State Park. I have an ocean view, good evdo internet coverage, and am near the town of Rockport and the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge sustained severe hurricane damage from salt water in the fresh water marshes. Most of the fresh water marshes are dry and you see piles of salt everywhere.

Birds seen but not pictured: night herons, crested caracara, roseate spoonbill, sandhill cranes, kestrel, snake bird. Also, saw a large group of ducks fly by as it got dark. 99.9% sure they were black-bellied whistling ducks just from their whistles.

Saw this muscovy duck last year near a privately owned pond near Goose Island park. There were two of them, but the second one has since been killed by a car. Feel sorry for this guy/girl, by itself. Guess the people around the pond give it a lot of attention.

Little blue heron at the same privately owned pond.

Have been trying to get a picture of a kingfisher for a long time. They are small and so quick to fly away, it’s hard to get close enough to get a good picture. Last year I saw a kingfisher on one of the private piers near the Goose Island park. Sure enough, found one again in the same area.