Thursday, May 10, 2018

A Saturday Adventure: Birding at High Island and a Quick Trip to Galveston

On the last Saturday of April, we headed out to High Island for our annual birding adventure. It's one we look forward to each year!  If you haven't been to High Island, it's an incredible breeding colony of waterbirds. Each spring, hundreds of birds build nests and raise their chicks at the rookery at Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary. Though we always see some alligators, the little island is pretty safe from predators and it's an incredible place to visit.

We always start of visit at Boy Scout Woods to get our wristbands and then have a barbeque lunch at the nearby church (so good!).


The highlight is the rookery, which is noisy and active.



We found a huge bullfrog this year. We heard him before we spotted him!


Roseate spoonbills




Baby great egrets


Great egrets








Huge turtle


 Cormorants


And our friendly neighborhood alligator! The alligators eat some birds but also act as guards and protect the birds from other predators.


 Walking back through the woods



It is such a pretty place.




After a morning bird watching, we took the Bolivar Ferry to Galveston for a quick stop. We stocked up on coffee and books from two of our favorite shops and then headed to LaKing's for some celebratory ice cream (and taffy, of course).


As always, birding at High Island was great fun and we look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come. 

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