Great Backyard Bird Count 2012

The Great Backyard Bird Count took place on February 17 - 20. This is the first year the I participated in the count and had a great time. I only had one day off during the count but I also made a quick count during my lunch break on another day. I chose Cattail Marsh and Beaumont Botanical Gardens for my count locations. Both are located in Tyrell Park in Beaumont. I had a total of 308 birds and 19 species. I also added 5 life birds to my list, bringing that to a total of 53 birds. Below are photos of the 5 life birds that I spotted during the count.

American Wigeon on the right.

Blue-winged Teal

Black-crowned Night Heron

Northern Shoveler

Red-Shouldered Hawk

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• The Great Backyard Bird Count

Pleasure Island Part 3

Continuing south along T. B. Ellison/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive you find photo opportunities on both sides of the road. The left side of the road away from the ship channel is mostly high reeds and some areas of stand water. The photo below was taken in this area.

Snowy Egret and Common Gallinule hiding behind it. 

For about a mile and a half, past the hurricane damaged road mentioned in the last post ( see Pleasure Island Part 2 ) the road moves away from the ship channel. Then it parallels the channel all the way to the Causeway Bridge. The pilings, barricades, rocks and mud flats attract shore birds.

Barricades to prevent erosion

Ships travelling in the channel produces powerful wakes, which pound the shore line. 

  Snowy Egret in the path of destruction.

Neotropic Cormorant 

Herring Gulls on pilings. 

Variety of Gulls

Related articles

• Pleasure Island Part 1
• Pleasure Island Part 2
• Pleasure Island Part 4