Back to Brazos Bend State Park

.We wanted to show a visiting friend some alligators and so drove down to BBSP yesterday morning.

We started at the fishing pier at 40 Acre Lake and spotted a group of four baby gators as soon  as we stepped on the boardwalk. 

Four larger alligators were lurking nearby.

A Pied-billed Grebe paid us no attention as it fished in the shallow water. 

A stroll around the lake turned up 16 more alligators and lots of Red-eared Sliders.

However, there were surprisingly few birds. The trail had a few Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrows and the occasional Little Blue Heron and White Ibis.

White Ibis

The water had groups of American Coots, Common Gallinules, Pied-billed Grebes and Blue-winged Teal but only a handful of big waders: a Great Blue Heron, a Tricolored Herons, a Snowy Egret or two, and a Great Egret.

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Creekfield Lake had more water than 40 Acre and had scores of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Unfortunately, they were all too far away to photograph.

The trees around Elm Lake held American Crows and a solitary Red-shouldered Hawk while the little water remaining had American Coots and Common Gallinules. An Eastern Phoebe was flycatching from reeds in the water. Just before we left, I noticed a flash of red in the bushes by the water's edge. I hurried over and had good views of one of my favorite birds, a male Vermilion Flycatcher.

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