~March 2021
More photos from Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX
Great Egrets
~Birding Series Texas
Tag Archives: Smith Oaks Rookery
~Wordless Wednesday
Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary, High Island, TX
~Birding in Texas, Smith Oaks Rookery Video
~A short video, taken by Howard using his iPhone, at Smith Oaks Rookery. It is amazing being there, seeing and hearing these beautiful birds. You just don’t know where to look.
Error
This video doesn’t exist
oOo
Featured photo: A Pied-billed Grebe in breeding plumage at Smith Oaks Rookery. One second he is there, the next second he is gone.
The Pied-bill Grebe is the most widespread grebe, found on small marshy ponds and waterways across most of the continent. His call when breeding is, a vibrant, throaty bark of ge ge gadum gadum gadum gaum goom gwaaaaaow gwaaaaaaow. (taken from Sibley Birds)
If you want to hear their call, go here: Pied-bill Grebe calls
oOo
Up next photos from our trip to Cattail Marsh in Beaumont, TX – Cattail Marsh
Happy Birding!
~Birding in Texas, Alligators
High Island, TX, Smith Oaks Rookery, April, 2017
“The birds are relatively safe on the island from their usual predators such as coyotes and raccoons, because alligators patrol the moat around the island in search of these mammals. The alligator “guards” occasionally take birds also that get too close to the water, and eat chicks that fall from nests.” (Taken from the Houston Audubon Organization pamphlet.)
~
He rises up,
out of river,
plops himself down,
on the ground,
stalks his prey.
~
~
I don’t know why I was surprised when I looked down and saw this Alligator heading up the bank. He made his way under the roosting birds, finally going down the other side of the island. This is the first one I have seen at the rookery. Howard and I saw a total of three and I am sure there were more.
Hopefully, they don’t eat too many birds.
Happy Birding!
~Birding in Texas, Neotropic Cormorant
High Island, TX, Smith Oaks Rookery, April, 2017
Wolf Song Blog 