South Padre Island, morning of 5/21/15

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

By the time we got to South Padre Island, I had already gotten 25 life birds on this trip. The primary purpose for stopping at South Padre Island was to try once again for a Least Bittern along the boardwalk marsh next to the convention center. We could have spent a lot of time adding shorebirds to our trip list while we were there, but that was not our objective, and we had one more stop after this before heading north back to San Antonio.

We started out on the boardwalk, and could see a variety of gulls and shorebirds on the coastline and farther up the coast. A Least Tern flew by us, and we saw a Black-necked Stilt in a clearing in the marsh. We also heard a Least Bittern, but did not see it.


Least Tern


Black-necked Stilt


Marbled Godwit


Reddish Egret

We saw a white-morph Reddish Egret off in the distance, but decided not to try for a closer look, as I already had some great close-up photos of a white-morph Reddish Egret taken in Florida.


Reddish Egret (left); white-morph (right)

We were almost at the end of the marsh boardwalk when I held up my hand for Walt to stop behind me. Finally, some great looks at a Least Bittern!


Least Bittern


Least Bittern


Least Bittern


Least Bittern

Click here to continue on the trip to Laguna Atascosa NWR and north to San Antonio


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