Next stop on the Summer 2022 Galveston Area Birding Tour was the Smith Oaks Sanctuary on High Island. The highlight of every visit I've made here has been the rookery, and while I didn't expect to see babies this late in the season I was hopeful that there would still be a large population still nesting.
Encouraging signs right on arriving were all the grazing rabbits and nectaring butterflies. The rabbits stuck to shaded areas that weren't great for photos, but this Viceroy landed in some decent light.
The rookery was, indeed, crowded. Raucous and fragrant, too. I was reminded that the light in the morning doesn't come from the best angle, but still got a good look at this healthy Tricolored Heron.
There weren't quite as many spiders as I'd seen in the past, but still quite an abundance of Golden Silk Spiders hanging about.
In more comfortable conditions I might have sat and snapped birds flying in for quite a while. But it was quite hot and humid, and I still had other stops I hoped to make before driving back home. I did get a nice capture of a Cattle Egret coming in for a landing.
I was happy to not startle this Cattle Egret who was perched on the near side of the water rather than the far side like most of the other residents.
I would have preferred this Roseate Spoonbill to have been flying from left to right rather than the other way around, but I do really like the clarity and detail in his wings.
A short visit, but a rewarding one!
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