Some from yesterday and today

Last nights Sunset

Awesome clouds

Purple Martins in the RV compound.

Went to Galveston today and these were hanging out at the Ferry launch.

None of the birds here were affected by the oil spill over the weekend.

Lots of oil booms were out and the clean up boats were every where.

They didn't waste any time getting out to get the oil up.

One of the big skimmers.

They left nothing in the water.

They are all clean up vessels.

Some Gulls following the Ferry.

He was tired of flying and landed next to our car.

An Osprey carrying a really big fish.

Stopped by the Railroad Museum .

Historic Marker for the Museum.

They give rides in the Summer on the scale models.

Lauren will talk to most anyone or did she think it was me.

High water mark from Hurricane Ike inside the old station.

A better idea of just how high the water really was inside the station.

Hopefuly Spring has arrived.

A hillside full of blue Bonnets

The Trinity River Rookery full of nesting Spoonbills and Egrets

Every bird is sitting on a nest.

The Turns are starting to pass through the Refuge

We don't have a snake book but this one was sunning on the Refuge road.

There are flowers everywhere.

All colors

They are all pairing up

Fluffing his feathers for the ladies.

It's warm and the grass is just fine.

A Bittern hunting on the ponds edge

A Moore hen showing his fine feathers for his lady.

She was not very receptive to his advances.

Some Roseate  Spoonbills passing through.

The two on the right are just ruffling some feathers.

Are you looking at me.

This is what most of the road sides look like right now in our area.

One of the earlier born calf's still feeding from his Mom

About two days old and enjoying the Sun

Spring is here

All the little flowers are blooming

Everything is green

All along the roads in the Refuge

A Cattle Egret in his mating Plumage

The Rosette Spoonbills have the Snowy Egrets and Shoveler Ducks for company on a windy day.

A Ribbon Snake warming himself on the Refuge entrance road.

       Another week has raced by and just where does the time go. The weather here has been a roller coaster of up and down with some frost added in for good measure. Yup, that's Spring here in south East Texas. Thing are really greening up and wild flowers are coming up every where, I will take some pictures this week. This area of Texas  is finally out of the three year drought that still has much of the region still listed with some severe areas in the North part of the state. The change of drought status has allowed the Refuge to burn off some of the fields that had become well over grown for the last few years and it is really something to see. The need for the burns is mainly to control invasive plants and to add much needed nutrients to the soil. The Fire crews are extremely well trained and they can start and then put out fires almost at will. The five burns this week were done and as soon as they had finished they were called to fly out and fight a wild fire in Oklahoma. You have to really respect their dedication. Being a fire Fighter for the Refuge System means you are called on to go wherever the need arises. That's the same for the NPS. Right now we have had a couple of thunder showers and the wind is ripping through here which makes our 68 degrees fell a bit cool and tonight back down in the low 50's . Hope your snow is finally melting.                             G

A few pictures from the past week.

Sunrise over the RV Pads

The Suns up on the pond by the VIS

A Crested CARA CARA

A Common Moore HEN

Just fishing

A Cormorant enjoying the warmth .

Some Shoveler Ducks and a lone Coot.

Just hanging around and waiting for lunch.

Some Rosette Spoonbills

A Turkey Vulture with his catch.

The snake never knew what caught him.

A tasty meal.

And off with the snake to a better place to eat.

Black Necked Stilts all turned into the wind.

For the ones that did not get the message that it was less windy on the back side of the dyke.

Are you looking at me, really.

Should have checked the tide chart . This is the entrance to the boat ramp less 5 feet of water.

    Well we are having another weekend of not so great weather here. The temperatures are in the 60's but we have seen very little Sun for the last week. One really nice day with a beautiful Sunset and then back to clouds and showers. The rain is much needed but it would be nice to have a couple of days in a row with Sun light to really bring things to life. Despite the lack of Sun all the trees are shooting out their greenery and the grass is growing an inch a day. All the plants are giving out their pollens and it covers the water with a thick yellow and brown coating. It covers everything in the water, even the baby Gators.  Even with the cooler temperatures Nature knows when it's time and Spring is here no matter what the temps are or the lack of Sun. The time change this weekend will make it light out here tonight till almost 8  . It's hard to believe we have been here nine weeks already as time moves by very fast when there are so many things to do and see on the Refuge. We had some new friends stop by that we Volunteered with in Wyoming and we spent a pleasant day with them showing them around the Refuge. There is far more life here than in Jackson Hole . This Refuge also has more Roads open to the public then the Elk Refuge as this Unit is almost three times the size and geared more to easy access for the public. But being on a Coastal Wet Land brings in far more animals to see , there are no Mountains but plenty of green and a lot of life. More birds for sure and a whole range of mammals and amphibians. I guess it's all in the mind set of what you are looking for and we are  ready to one again go wandering about to figure that part out. Been looking for next years Refuges already , so we will see what is in store for us next.                                               G

Our First Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle found some good eating on the Moist Soil Unit in the Refuge.

We watched him eat for 20 minutes and then he moved on.

Love is in the air as a Shoveler Duck and his Lady swim by.

The baby Gators are getting big.

Catching some trash from the Boardwalk on Shoveler Pond.

Two more little fellers, as they are referred to down here laying in the pond, that's pollen on the water.

A Mocking bird has taken a fancy to the vent pipe on one of the fuel tanks.