Michigan's Upper Peninsula - A total miss

A trip to the U.P. for bird photography has always been for me a hit or miss journey.  After seeing recent reports of Long-tailed Ducks, Hawk Owls, and Snowy Owls, I had hoped to try and catch theses northern species before they left.  As I crossed the bridge I was hoping to see some snow cover remaing but 5 straight days of temperatures in the sixties had erased all signs of snow-even the lakes were opening up.  I started out at De Tour where several thousand Long-tailed Ducks had been seen.  I scanned the water at the Drummond Island Ferry dock but found no sign of them.  I then began a search of the fields south of the Soo for Hawk Owls and Snowy Owls but came up blank there also.  I gave up at sunset and found a hotel for the night at the Soo.  Believing warm weather had driven all Boreal birds north I headed west.  My first stop was Hulbert Bog for Gray Jays and/or Boreal Chickadees.  Except for a few Black-capped Chickadees the place seemed devoid of life.  My next stop was the Bear Butt Bar in Ekerman which always produces some Evening Grosbeaks, and this year was no different as a flock of a dozen flew back and forth across the road from feeder to feeder just north of the bar.  The only problem was they would not come down from the tree tops and when they did they stayed tight in some shrubbery.  I finally gave up, hoping Whitefish Point would break my string of misses.


Northern saw-whet Owls had been banded recently and I had hoped to find some, but besides chickadees, starlings, and a flock of Snow Buntings the Point was rather dead.  I stopped off at Taquamenon River State Park and had a quick look at a Ruffed Grouse.  Becoming discouraged, I decided to make a final run to Seney NWR.  On the way I had a Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Harrier flyover.  At Seney everything was closed including the Marsh Road.  I debated heading to Munising but decided that this trip was probably going to be in the complete miss column no matter what I did.  Too late for Boreal species and too early for the migrants. 

Trumpeter Swans at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

Arriving home earlier than usual from the southern states this year, I found the lakes still frozen and decided to get some "white on white" images.  Our largest swan, the Trumpeter Swan, became nearly extinct by the turn of the century and completely disappeared in Michigan.  Thankfully, restoration efforts reintroduced them and they are now holding their own.  One of the best places to view them is at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary near Gull Lake.  The sanctuary played a large part in their reintroduction to Michigan and is a great place to photograph them.
I arrived early in the morning to find two small open areas where the local Mallards were swimming alongside one Hooded Merganser.  A few Trumpeter Swans and Mute Swans were sleeping out on the ice.  As the morning progressed Trumpeter Swans began to arrive from the surrounding area in small groups of two or three.  Each arrival was greeted with noisy trumpeting from the birds already on the ice.  Some of the arrivals were met with polite socializing while a few were greeted with downright hostility that only swan culture could predict.  When photographing these white on white scenes you have to open up the camera a bit but the results are worth it.
About midmorning the staff came around to fill the feeding stations which probably explains the daily fly in from neighboring marshes and lakes.

Lake Martin, Louisiana

Five years ago I spent a week photographing nesting wading birds at Lake Martin near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.  At the time it was listed as one of the top ten bird watching spots in the U.S. by the National Audubon Society.  An estimated 20,000 birds nested there, entertaining visitors and photographers who could park along Rookery Road while the birds went on with their daily lives practically ignoring all the human traffic.  The following images were taken that year:

Sadly, two weeks after I left, some unexplained event caused most of the birds in the southern half of the rookery to desert their nests and leave.  They did not return.  The northern section however continued to have a normal year but in 2006 after a good start, catastrophe struck again.  Reports indicate on Friday, March 17 all the birds were there, but on Saturday the entire colony had deserted.   There was a lot of fingerpointing and various theories but the mystery is still unexplained.  Possible natural causes included water levels, poor water quality, and a hurricane.  The sudden desertion on two separate weekends, however, caused many to blame a human component.  Reports of tour leaders disturbing the birds, kids shooting fire works, hunters, and unhappy locals all surfaced but nothing was ever proven.

Since I had some great experiences at Martin Lake I wanted to see if things had improved 5 years later.  Sadly, although there is some improvement, the rookery photography is very poor.  Some birds have returned but their relative numbers are small and they are far from the road.  The area is still great for scenics, large alligators, and flowers but if you want to photograph wading birds during the nesting season you would be better served to go elsewhere.

Cajun Country

A better reason for visiting this area is to experience some Cajun culture.  Breaux Bridge (http://www.breauxbridgelive.com/) is a small tourist town where you can get your full of Cajun and Zydeco music, crawdads and other Cajun cuisine, or immerse yourself in the rich Acadian history.  It gets my vote for being one of the friendliest towns you could find.  Don't be surprized if you are invited inside some of the older  homes while taking the historical walking tour through town, or walk into one of the stores and stay for an hour to listen to one of the local groups jamming.

 

Another good place to visit is Mulates Cajun Restaurant.  Although I can't say the food was extraordinary, the live music and dancing is well worth it.  The mental image of an eighty-something little Cajun lady in her black high lace-up shoes dragging her husband out on the dance floor will always be one of the first things I remember whenever Breaux Bridge is mentioned.  The New Orleans Mulates has a web site which give you a feeling for the place (http://www.mulates.com/) while a youtube video shows a typical night there (www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7LW64TS_IA).

A little exploring in the nearby area will reveal other attractions such as the tribute to Evangeline, a poem about an Acadian girl during the relocation of the Acadians to Louisiana from Canada.  The poem by Longfellow is his most famous work.

Lovers of "hot and spicy" should make a pilgrimage to Avery Island and tour the Tobasco factory there (http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_history/visit_avery_island.cfm#targ)

Matagorda Bay Nature Park-Undiscovered or Unwanted?

Matagorda Bay Nature Park seems to be a bundle of contradictions.  Located where the Colorado River enters the Gulf, it has the river along with beautiful beaches, jetties, fishing pier and new facilities.  Most Texas Gulf areas are filled to capacity with the "Winter Texans", but here the RV park was about twenty percent capacity for the entire 9 days we spent here.  A brand new bridge was built a year ago replacing the old swing bridge over the intercoastal waterway providing  hassle-free access.

After crossing the new bridge there is a six mile drive along the river past cottages before reaching the Nature Park.  The RV park adjoins the visitor center.

So why are the RV's staying away?  The six mile drive from Matagorda on the mainland should not be a factor.  Perhaps it is the lack of stores and restaurants at the small village of Matagorda itself.  There is only one all-purpose store at the single four-way stop and only a couple restaurants in town-one of which is located in a house.  The only restaurant close to the park was not especially rewarding.  Although it had a nice location on the river, the higher prices and mediocre seafood determined that our first visit would be our last.  Most people drive the 30 miles to Bay City for groceries and restaurants.

Perhaps construction on the new east jetty was keeping people away.  The last hurricane had rearranged the landscape tremendously moving a lot of land from the west jetty and moving it onto the east side.  The construction closed the jetty and pier and a section of the beach.

All the sand in the picture was moved there by the last hurricane.  The west jetty is in the background.

The beginning of the new east jetty due to be completed in 18 months.

Another contradiction for me was the lack of good bird photography despite the great number of birds present.  In my opinion there is too much good habitat and the birds are very spread out.  Great for birders but not for photographers.  I watched large flocks of shorebirds, skimmers, pelicans, and gulls at the mouth of the Colorado but that area was all closed off because of the construction.  When the jetty work is completed perhaps good opportunities will present themselves to the photographer.

View from the back of our RV.

Beaches and Shells

Since a nearby site had the highest Christmas bird species count in the country for several years running I thought I would see a lot of winter birders here, but I never did see anybody carrying binoculars.  Instead the park's inhabitants were into collecting shells.  Picnic tables by many RV's were covered with shells.  So, following the adage "When in Rome.....", we paid $10 for a yearly truck permit, pushed the four-wheel drive button, and hit the beach.  Edie was a little apprehensive at first since you can drive for miles and a few places were soft but she soon became the "Shell Queen" and wanted to collect at every low tide.  I always thought of Sannibel when collecting shells but this was much more fun.

Those are all shells-not stones!!!

There is a lot of infrastructure work here and a couple more years may produce the answer as to whether this becomes a winter magnet for northeners.

Brazos Bend State Park

Brazos Bend State Park http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/brazos_bend/ is located a short drive southwest of Houston.  This proximity to a major city along with 6 lakes and miles of hiking and biking trails makes it a popular destination on weekends.  Alligators are common and bird are somewhat habituated to humans especially around the well-used lake routes.  Many programs are run for visitors and Houstonians drive the short distance to take advantage of them.  We attended a raptor program with free flying birds which was well attended by home-schooled students and their parents

We arrived on the weekend with all the activity but once Monday arrived the park seemed almost deserted.  The gigantic lots for each RV added to this feeling.  Perhaps the cold had something to do with this as two mornings produced a little frost on ground.  The days, however, warmed up nicely.

Where are all the R.V.s?

Out 5thWheel was being attacked daily by a pair of Tufted Titmice who saw their reflections in the windows but since I had many images of them I was trying to get photos of a Carolina Wren that had a favorite singing perch nearby.  I spent an hour in my blind wondering why he wasn't showing up.  I finally packed up and walked back to the truck.  The bird apparently had flown into the truck through an open window and needed my help to get out.  I got a picture but not the one I wanted.

Rockport

Rockport, Texas has a lot going for it.  Not only is it a destination that draws birders from all over the country (and foreign locations also) but it is a resort town and home base for part of the Gulf shrimp fleet.  The birding here is some of the best on the Gulf Coast.  The endangered Whooping Crane, the tallest bird in North America, winters in the nearby Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.  The latest census puts the population at 263 birds.  There is a business built around the birds and especially the Whooping Cranes as several companies (http://www.birdrockport.com/) take birders out in their boats to see the birds.  It is the easiest and most reliable way to see the birds since they give a money-back guarantee if you do not see them.  Edie and I had taken the boat "Skimmer" to see the birds on our last visit but I wasn't satisfied with my images.  This year I located a group of eight cranes on the Lamar Peninsula and from land was able to get the following pictures.

We stayed at Goose Island State Park (www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/goose_island/), a place where you can back your RV within a few feet of Aransas Bay, or if you prefer stay in the live oak wooded section.  It doesn't take long before you realize this is a park for birders and fishermen.  The fishermen love the long pier and boat ramp.  Birders are led by "bird guides" who camp in the park and lead morning walks or evening "owling" hikes or give interesting lectures in the recreation hall.  Recent topics included Birding 101, Shorebirds, The Whooping Crane, and Short-eared Owls.  Edie slept in one morning only to find the following group in her backyard.

The Rockport Beach Park is a favorite spot of mine since they have a fenced off breeding colony of Black Skimmers and Laughing Gulls.  Since it was still February the colony had not started nesting and the birds were loafing getting ready for their upcoming parental duties.

Wintering American White Pelicans are also common.

Weather continues the same pattern as before- a few good days followed by cold cloudy ones.   Temperatures have been about 20 degrees cooler than normal and Northern Texas is getting snow while SanAntonio got hit with another frost.  With warm-temperature activities curtailed, we have a good excuse to visit the area restaurants in our quest for good seafood.  So far Joe's Crab Shack in Corpus Christi has the best lunch (http://www.joescrabshack.com/ ) while the Bakery Cafe should be passed up by everyone.  Charlotte Plummers in Fulton has a great view and great gumbo while the Big Fisherman (http://www.bigfishermanrestaurant.com/)  draws the largest lunch crowd of what seems to be composed entirely of retired RV winter Texans from almost every state.  It opens at eleven and the line goes out the door.  Before you get inside you get to keep company with a bunch of tame cats which seem to think they own the place as they run along the porch railing-definitely a negative for me.  One dollar margaritas are served while you wait which allowed me to tolerate the cat population better.  I think most of the patrons were drawn there by their advertised $5.95 lunch specials but Edie and I passed on that for the broiled mini-seafood platter which was a little disappointing although the Texas gumbo was very good.  The table next to us ordered the $3.95 "all you can eat chicken liver and gizzards", which drew more than a few negative comments from my wife, a chicken-farmer's daughter.  Something about "pieces and parts which should be thrown away".  Come to think about it-that may explain the cats.

South Padre Island

Threatened Species

As you leave the mainland heading to South Padre Island on the Queen Isabella Causeway it is easy to think that you are headed to a typical barrier island with great beaches and high rises catering to tourists.  In reality Padre Island is one of the longest and least developed barrier islands in the world.  The area composed of  Padre Island, the Laguna Madre (one of only five large hypersaline lagoons in the world) and the Laguna Atascosa NWR contains 17 endangered or threatened species.  The most endangered sea turtle in the world (Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle) nests on the beaches here.

The Laguna Atascosa NWR lies along the shores of the Laguna Madre and is known for its work in preserving disappearing species.  It is working hard to preserve the ocelot which breeds in the refuge.  Earlier this year a female ocelot was killed on the main driving loop by a car driving too fast.  The drive now opens an hour later and closes an hour earlier in the hopes that this will minimize ocelot-vehicle tragedies during the hours the cats are moving.

This is hawk country.  The resident birds have to share space with wintering hawks from the north along with birds drifting up from Mexico.  This mixture makes raptor lovers giddy since you can't drive a mile on the area roads without spotting birds of prey.  One of the rarest is the Aplomado Falcon.  It disappeared from the Texas landscape but is now being brought back by releases of birds raised in captivity.  I was fortunate enough to watch one make a kill and even more fortunate to have it pose for some photographs.

Another handsome hawk is the White-tailed Hawk.  This species is also making a comeback.  I found this adult finishing up a rather large rabbit meal.  You can see the distended crop.  Normally hawks will fly off at your approach but they are reluctant to leave a kill and will often give you time to get off a few shots.

Rear-ended in Roma
The insurance company finally caught up to us on South Padre.  Our trusty truck had been viciously attacked from behind by a Ford Super-Duty.  The Sunday, Pearl Harbor-like impact was enough to give both Edie and me identical headaches for an hour and sore neck muscles for a couple days. Our rear bumper was toast and the truck bed had been pushed far enough ahead to tweak the back of the cab.  Nationwide came out and wrote us a check to cover all damages plus a rental for a week.  Since our truck was eager to keep on schedule and functioned fine we decided to wait until we get back to Michigan to get it fixed.

Dirty Al's  (http://www.yelp.com/biz/dirty-als-restaurant-south-padre-island)
There are a lot of seafood restaurants on the Island but within hours of arriving here we can always be found at Dirty Al's.  It is located within walking distance of the park and true to its name appears to be ready for a shut down by the health department.  The food is fantastic, however, and apparently everyone else agrees since Dirty Al has been opening other successful restaurants all over town lately. 

Weird Winter Weather
We haven't had any rain since Falcon but the pattern seem to be one in which every warming trend ends with a cold front that comes racing down once a week and we start the pattern all over again