APRIL 1, 2 Days 32, 33 At Smith Point

No Foolin’ It’s April all over.  And here in SE Texas it is just about staying 75-85 F  degrees every day.  The sun shines some, and the clouds come and go.  There had been only one short night time rain until today. Then this morning, (Monday April 2)  at about 8:00 AM, the storm clouds blew up and the winds cranked up and down came the rain.

Ruth and I were in the process of getting breakfast and I realized that this was going to be a “blow”. (storm) . We had an awning out over the slide out on the trailer as we usually did, and we had lost one in North Dakota last year so didn’t want to lose another one.  I ran out into the site and grabbed the bar of the awning and held on. The awning was flapping very energetically and t was all I could do to keep it from tearing up. Ruth came out with the “roll down” crank but we needed to untie the two stays that are attached to the trailer first (they would get torn away in this wind). Ruth was struggling with the ties and it looked hopeless. I managed to grab the bar that held the windward side of the awning and held on. Just about then when all seemed lost THREE Good Samaritans came from neighboring trailers and assisted us to secure the awning at least enough until later. They got soaking wet as well, but we were grateful for their help. They had seen us struggling and came to the rescue. People can be helpful. (Thanks guys). Incidentally, all the workers who are in this RV Park are from Louisiana and experienced the “Katrina” and “Ike” Hurricanes, so they know what dangers lurk in the weather. This is a team of seismic explorers looking for deposits of possible rock layers that would yield oil or gas. They use prop driven marsh buggies of all sizes to get through the marsh and wetlands.

ENVIRONMENTAL BOATS DOING SEISMIC STUDIES

A "PROP" BOAT TO RUN THROUGH THE MARSHES FOR SEISMIC 

So today was a late start, but we managed to get a load of washing  before lunch and then do a “around the neighborhood” drive to see if we could add to our bird list. We did see two new birds , so the list continues to grow. Those two were two Wilson’s Snipe at the side of a rural road, and by what is known here as the Abisher Hawk watch, we did see a Ferruginous Hawk. That was coincidental as the Hawk Watch is in the fall when they move south again. The roads around Smith Point are all residential roads that generally lead to the Bays. That is because Smith Point is actually a large peninsula with East Bay, Trinity Bay and Galveston Bay meeting at its’ shores.  Surrounding the very flat land are many channels where the oyster boats and fishermen move in and out. Here at the RV PArk are slips enough for more than 50 boats. Some of them oyster boats  and part time fishermen. Remember this place is 100 miles from Galveston by Ferry, and 60 miles from any town of consequence.

Geri’s Seafoods  located here, has some 20 boats for oyster farming and even though the waters have been closed since last October there is some opening of the units for them to farm the oysters again. Geri’s is an old established firm that has been here 50 years or so. Ben and Geri Nelson have owned it in the past. 

Yesterday was a bit different as after doing a larger washing, we ate lunch and headed to the Anahuac NWR (love that place) of course to look for birds but also to partake and watch a “Rail Sweep”. That has nothing to do with trains (somebody reminded me of that) but is a way to collect data on the Marsh birds like the 5 kinds of Rails, the Moorhens, Bitterns and the like. Here’s the way it works. Two people  stand about 100 feet apart with a long rope stretched from one to the other. Attached to the rope are plastic gallon jugs  tied at intervals. These two walk through the fields where the Rails are and other people walk behind the rope to “flush” the birds into the air. A few long areas are covered and the data is collected. One can just walk along, see the birds in their binoculars, or collect data.  This day the area was about 4 miles from the Refuge Center, and behind a normally  closed gate. After about one hour the “Sweep”was finished . This day no birds were seen, as the population was down.It is a good way, however,  to see these elusive, secretive birds.  It was a new experience for us. 

Getting instructions for the "Rail Sweep"

The "Sweep" takes place , slowly and one step at a time.

Our bird counts the last three days were ,47, 53 and 46.  We did add some new birds,however, and they were:

ROUGH WINGED SWALLOW, MOTTLED DUCK, COMMON MOORHEN, MISSISSIPPI KITE, WILSON’S SNIPE, FERRUGINOUS HAWK.

Both the Kite and the Hawk were new to us. 

Tomorrow we will attempt to get to Rollover Pass, (not named after a car accident) where we have timed  a low tide and may see more of the shorebirds than we have seen before. No word on any migrant songbirds yet, but there is still time.

American Bittern 

Hurricane "Ike" damaged many tall trees