It,s getting a little cooler

The rice fields on the Skillern Tract are ready to be harvested and the Herons have moved in for some easy eating .So many fine bugs to eat and so little time until the harvest .

One of the new rice fields in the main refuge are drawing in the Roseate Spoonbills and the Wood storks . We had several hundred Wood Storks here for almost a month. Now this one seems to have forgotten to move on with the rest.

We are still doing some odd jobs the best we can as the refuge has received over 26 inches of rain in the last two weeks and things are a bit muddy here. I even got the car stuck the other day on a path that we have driven on all summer . Needed to get one of the other government vehicles to pull us out .Yes we are still in Texas . We did finally get the truck all squared away  and then Lauren has had a recurring medical issues that we have to get resolved before we head east again. It appears we will miss our family week in Nags Head this year and once again we will miss another wedding . We hate missing family functions as we miss seeing family in the north East .

Some of our Whistling duck babies are now almost grown and are just so much fun to watch the parents training them .

Just a lazy day on the ranch fields . Egrets and cows just go together .Part of the Refuge is leased to the local Cattle Ranchers and it helps with defraying the cost of keeping the Refuge operating .

It's been raining and he is just so miserable .

Whistling ducks are moving around in large groups now. Getting ready to migrate as the young mature .

Water lilies are now chocking off many of the water ways here and this is just a small batch shot of a 1 mile back up on the refuge Bayou boat ramp. And yes the locals are still using it .Funny that as soon as the temperature drops into the low 70's they will all fade away.

Young Roseate Spoon bills trying their wings .

Their just so beautiful in flight.

After one of the many thunder storms this Rainbow popped up behind the RV. on some days we will se several and we even get to see both ends. Just no pot of gold has been found. We keep hoping.

Young Cattle Egrets trying their wings over the Pond Rookery

Some Herons hanging out on one of the dikes in Shoveler Pond

A few Stilts drying their feet on the pond loop road .On some days we see several thousand bird on the loop .

A heron coming in for a landing

So many different birds in the pond rookery. The government vehicle we drive is a hybrid and when we are taking pictures we go into electric mode and the racket the birds put up in the rookery is just awesome. Thousands of bird conversations all at once . Just neat to hear.

A small group of Spoonbills on one of the new rice fields. If it stops raining for a week or so the field can be completed. It still needs a few finishing touches.

A Heron waiting for us to leave so it can continue it's fishing for lunch .

A huge Clutch of Whistling ducks .
So now as it stands we won't be on the east cost until mid October if all goes well with Lauren's tests. We shall see?