Odd ends

The new Alligator display in the main Visitor Center



A Crested Cara Cara  looking for some thing to eat

Rain drops on the lotus pads , some are 30 inches across

Hunting in the lotus field, I do believe it's his favorite spot. We see him almost every day there.



A little Heron saying it's too hot, you have to love it's long head feather.

A Turn hunting on the pond.

A honey comb hanging from the roof of the old visitor center

More babies

A couple of  Whistling Ducks out by our RV

Our new neighbors have just moved in.



Babies and such

Waiting for some more rain . Our view from the Visitor Information Station.

Just some thunder and lightning , no rain.

The first Bob White Quail I have seen in 50 years . They were 25 feet from the RV.

Our resident Bull frogs hanging out at the RV Pads.  Since I took this picture the little ditch they were in has dried out.

Walking on water again.

Moorhens and babies .

They are more than a dozen family groups on Shovelers pond right now .

All ages from just hatched to a week old .

Mom and dad are always near by.

Getting too tired to swim about.

Just too cute.

Wading by the Lotus field.

More little ones .

A Great Tail grackle trying to dry it's wings .

Passing through.

A Pied billed grebe and her one young.

Just so much green after 6 years of drought.

Just so beautiful.

Babies and flowers.

!0 days of rain

It's been very wet here and all the critters are looking for some dry ground. Even though the rivers all around us are flooding the Refuge has been very wet but no flooding here.

This has been what almost everyday has looked like at some point in the day.

You see the clouds come in and then an inch or two of rain in an hour.

A Boat Tail Grackle on East Galveston Bay

Watching the storms come in is just awesome.

Watching the Thunder heads form is amazing.

So much lighting and power failures , the most we have had since we went on the road.

Hard to see but she is sitting three eggs right under her, they blend in so well.

One of the rare, almost sunny days on East Galveston Bay.



A couple of Snowy Egrets fishing . love their yellow feet.

One of the Blackface Vultures

One of our feeder birds at the RV pad.

A Cattle Egret looking for nesting material. The Egrets and Ibis have formed a Rookery in the middle of Shovelers Pond .

One of the Ibis hunting for dinner.

A Heron coming in for a landing

A Purple Gallinule walking it's way across the Bayou

A Moorhen walking on the Lotus Pads.

There are thousands of Lotus Blossoms in bloom on the pond right now.

Taking a break to spruce up

Our two Blackface Vultures from the last couple of years are still here and together .

This Red Face Vulture was hanging out by the RV and was not welcomed .

By the Mocking bird who had a nest in the RV ladder of our neighbor .

A big old Red ear turtle who we moved off the entrance road of the Refuge.

A Tri Color Heron on the prowl

The birds on the wing.

A couple of Rosette Spoonbills working the rice field on the entrance road of the Refuge



You know it's been wet when the Blue crabs start to come up on the road to dry out .