At Last....

Yes, more heron and gull chicks, they're so darned cute....but I do have another 'special' bird, so skim on down, you'll see!!

For a couple of weekends now, I've posted photos [here and here] taken on three trips to a small town on the coast...Rockport, Texas. For days on end, I faithfully watched the TXBirds forum for repeated postings of a pelagic bird that was spotted in that vicinity near the town's beach park. Several times, those that posted about spotting it gave very vague coordinates for those of us who wanted to get a photo of the rare occurrence. Twice Bud and I drove and parked/walked/searched for several hours before returning home without seeing. Another time I went alone. Again, without luck. Then, a few days later, I said to Bud "I'm gonna go back for the 4th time, you wanna come with me?" "We could stop at the bookstore by the marina afterwards?" Well, with the promise of perusing a book store, Rockport's BOOK NOOK, Bud was ready in a jiffy!! We arrived, parked the car near a picnic table, in the shade and I walked to the area with the tri-color heron families and the tons of hatching/fledgling laughing gulls and royal terns off in the distance. I climbed the observation deck to view through the lens, the "Little Bay" rookery.

I stopped to talk with several other birders and we all chatted about the specific bird we all wanted to find. "Have you seen it today?" "Where?" "When?" "Oh it was here about 15 minutes ago, and then left." "Yesterday it was clear over on the other side of the beach." "Just minutes ago, it swooped down, landed on the silver leaf sunflowers and dipped down to the ground level to disappear."

Back by the car, with Bud, I sat atop the picnic table with my binoculars focused on the very vast sunflower patch. Watching, watching, watching. I told Bud I was gonna take another walk-about, toward the other side of the beach, hoping it may be THERE. 

I walk about 1/2 mile from where Bud stayed to watch for it by the car, and just as I was taking my cellphone out to get a photo of a baby gull and its parent, the texts started coming in rapidly. It was Bud. "It's HERE!" "Come Quick!" I did an about face and walked quick as my little legs could go without looking funny trying to run... hoping it would stay there long enough for me to use my camera's zoom. More texts..."Where are you?" "It's gonna leave before you get here!" "Hurry!"

I got there, a crowd of birders was on the park road, with cameras aimed and spotting scopes focused. Bud was right there with them all, making use of his binoculars. He motioned for me by circling his arms in a "Move Faster Anni" motion.

I spied it. Right where Bud Pointed. In the sunflower field, on top of a plant stem....preening.

As I stood there, watching it through the lens, I clicked the zoom to full-out and snapped some more. Altho, it didn't quite cooperate and give us birders a 'full view' while preening, it did stay there for 30 minutes...or more. I say "more" 'cause when we left after taking dozens of photos, it was still there!! The pelagic bird that was capturing everyone's interest? A Sooty Tern!

While most terns inhabit marshes and shores, the Sooty Tern has the life of a true seabird. A long-winged flier, it wanders tropical oceans, nesting on remote islands. If you click on the habitat map link, you'll find that they are only considered VAGRANT on the mainland.  And very rare in Texas!!

We got our water bottles out and celebrated by quenching our thirst with the icy drinks.  We boarded the car, cranked up the engine and moseyed out of the park grounds...Afterall, we had to get to the bookstore!!


SOOTY TERN
photos taken: Rockport Texas
habitat map: Tern


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