Spring Break - Pleasure Pier

At the beginning of spring break Christine and I had planned to visit a couple of places in Houston, but the continued driving (mostly getting here but also camping an hour away from Bolivar and Galveston) took a toll on us and we decided to instead spend a leisurely day around Galveston. 

 

The sweetgum tree leftovers needed to be cleared for a camping spot.

We spent a hour and half packing camp and the tent in heavy fog and a light mist. The rain stopped 10 minutes after we left camp as we were driving by Anahuac NWR so we checked out Skillern Tract and went for a short walk. Luckily the rain held off long enough for us to stop by the Rookery again today as well.

 

Close views of Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egrets, and Cormorants at this rookery.

Rain hurried us back to the van and we headed toward Galveston around noon. The ferry ride offered another glimpse at dolphins and photo opportunities of flying Laughing Gulls. Danielle enjoyed tossing bread for the gulls after she tired of taking photos. Fortunately the fog thinned and we headed to Pleasure Pier after taking a quick shower at a hotel.

Danielle's Journal

Michaela's Journal

The girls had an amazing time, as they luckily take after their mother rather than father when it comes to rides. It is only appropriate the carousel had ocean creatures on their ride in addition to normal animals and horses.

 

A couple of the animals they rode.

They didn't ride everything, but Michaela got her first rollercoaster ride and all  three rode an insanely high swing and water coaster.  The videos below can be viewed in HD if you choose settings within YouTube.

 









BTW - Added Inca Dove today.

Spring Break - Anahuac and High Island

We started today at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and drove Shovelers loop.  We had many awesome sightings but perhaps most startling were the number of spider webs along a boardwalk.

Heavy fog limited visibility and we headed toward the beach, stopping along the way at a Roseate Spoonbill rookery where the lizards stole the show.

 

We found more fog at the beach unfortunately and animals were the highlights. I'll let today's follies be described with the girl's journals.... but will add bird details and pictures tomorrow once we have WiFi and a table without mosquitos to work on.  We camped two nights, but are ready for a shower and a bed that keeps air.

Michaela's Journal

Danielle's Journal and Drawings

 

The girls need more relaxation... luckily it is coming tomorrow. BTW 400 is in the mirror!

Spring Break - Camping

For the third day in a row we spent much of it in the car. Our goal was to get camp set up before dark, but not much else was planned for today. We had some highlights, but I will let you read about them on the girls journal.

Christine and I struggled to get the girls to pay attention to what was outside the windows, and tomorrow we are planning on staying close by the camp with more time walking and biking.

We were successful in setting up camp and are the only people in the city/county park.  There are bugs, but not too many.  I'm sitting out under a lighted picnic area typing this in pitch dark but not getting bit.  We are only 10 miles from the Anahuac NWR entrance and feel like the middle of nowhere.  Deer crossed the park while we ate sandwiches and salad for supper and Whip-poor-wills called at dark.  Of course the bugs and dirt have Michaela a bit freaked, but hopefully it will grow on her. 

Danielle's Journal 

Michaela's Journal

Griswolds eat your heart out.

BTW - 384 is Reddish Egret, 385 is White Ibis, 386 is Roseate Spoonbill, 387 is Crested Caracara, and 388 is Boat-tailed Grackle. 

Spring Break - Austin

For the second day in a row we got a late start. Michaela had stomach aches and was throwing up in the hotel room, a pleasant blessing in disguise rather than being in a tent. After a leisure morning we showed the girls are old apartment in Waco and headed south.

 

Along the way I spent 90 minutes looking for the striped sparrow east of Austin, which if accepted will be the first record of this species in the US. I believe I had a quick glimpse, but it was at the edge of my binoculars and I could not confirm 100% from other possible sparrows. Instead I left unsuccessful, not feeling too bad as others had looked off and on as well. One couple even showed up with folding chairs, waiting for it to appear on the road!  Michaela believes I was unsuccessful because she went for a walk and came back with three stray dogs.

 

In the afternoon we met up with old friends in Austin and played at a park.

Danielle's Journal

Michaela's Journal

We didn't get far with late night driving headed east as we were exhausted. We still have a ways to go today before we set up camp.

 

Michaela loved the palm tree/bushes.

BTW - 383 is White-winged Dove (Photos upon our return)

Spring Break 2015

All of our spring breaks coincided this year, so we are on a road trip to the Gulf.

Today was our first day of the spring break trip and we slept in (not our original plan) as Michaela has been fighting a fever for 3 days. We were able to leave shortly before 10 a.m. and spent the entire day driving. We arrived in Texas after supper and stopped in Waco.





A family photo will be added once we return and I can Photoshop two pictures together.



Not much happened today; the three girls watched Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast four times, they colored and read books, and I got to enjoy TX road construction. We plan to have the girls journal often and will share them with you, along with some pictures. They wrote the journals below thinking ahead to this trip.

Michaela's Journal  

Danielle's Journal  

 

BTW - #382 is Black Vulture

What a January

January was a wonderful month; we visited family, had friends visit, enjoyed 70+ degree days outside and are anxiously anticipating the sale of our WI house. Personally I'm still acclimating to the warmer winters with limited or no snow. I suspect the family is as well, as we are take the opportunity to get outside and visit parks more than ever.

The Overland Park Arboretum is quite close to our apartment. With no playground equipment at the Arboretum it is not the girls favorite, but it offers photographic opportunities throughout the year. Even though the temperature dropped nearly 40 degrees from Wednesday to Friday this week, Christine and I spent half an hour at the Arboretum bird feeder station taking pictures Friday morning after dropping the girls off at school. It was wonderful to spend time outside with my wife and cameras, as we do not often take time to do this activity together with the girls activities consuming much of our time.

The downside of warm winters are less days where I am housebound. As such, I am behind on our photographs.  Hopefully I'll get them edited in the coming weeks to share our ice skating adventures, visit from friends and rope park, and our trip to Oklahoma City with my parents. Until then, enjoy the birds! Any speculation on who took which photo?

Tufted Titmouse are common in the south east and here but rare at our previously locations. 

     

I prefer the beauty of the female Northern Cardinals compared to the male.

 

Dark-eyed Junco subspecies coloration vary greatly. Here are the "Slate-colored" and "Oregon" males.

Park? ... Park? .... Did someone say Park!

Last night Old Man Winter returned to Kansas City in the form of snow.  Perhaps this was expected, as the polar vortex of early November let go to mild days and included 60 degree days near the end of November and early December. This is the story of one such unseasonably warm weekend day.

Trying to get our girls out early in the morning can be a challenge, and on weekends we are rarely out the door before 10. Thus on this fine day I left early to meet a birder from Manhattan at the Overland Park Arboretum. Birds were cooperative and the his desired Purple Finches appeared at the feeders.  I even tried to take a few photos, laying on the ground and almost dozing in the warm sun.

 

A Dark-eyed Junco and Tufted Titmouse from the Overland Park Arboretum feeder station.

Waiting in the garage?

Returning home around 10, Christine and I agreed we needed to get outside to enjoy the lovely warmth and lack of wind. After lunch we told the girls of this plan, with the intention of looking for winter gulls and finding a new park near Nelson Island.  Somehow they put shoes on and were ready quickly, hoping in the car in anticipation.  Perhaps it was the new movie, or the warm weather, but this observed behavior was completely unexpected.  Christine and I packed up in peace and quite, enjoying the time to have a conversation and catch up on with each other. We must have taken too long, as Michaela came in asking if we had forgotten about them.

 

We whiffed on winter gulls at Nelson Island but found a neat climbing tree.

 

We put all my bird search endeavors on hold as the family got distracted by park. Even though it was small in comparison, the new layout seemed to captivate the girls imagination. It also happened to be quite busy, being on a frequently used trail-head.

It doesn't seem natural yet to be laying in grass at the end of November in a short-sleeved shirt....but looking back man was it nice.