Ummm, somebody has some explaining to do and I think that person is Mother Nature. Every winter since retirement, Linda and I pack up the RV, toss (gently) the boys in and drive all the way down to south Texas. What is the primary factor in that decision, pretty easy…WARMTH. We have lived our whole lives in the Midwest tundra and we’ve lost our interest in the bone jarring windchills and fluffy white stuff. We still get a taste of it when we return, but we can enjoy the relief while we can. Which brings me back to needing an explanation – it was 39 degrees today here in South Padre Island…let me say it louder for the cheap seats THIRTY-NINE. Granted it is 4 degrees currently at home, but I’m not there…I’m HERE. I am definitely not insinuating that our friends from home had anything to do with bringing these temperatures down with them when they came to visit us yesterday…that would just be cruel hehehehe. Anyway, the real concern down here isn’t us, that’s for sure, but our thoughts are on the Sea Turtles that are on the brink of a cold stun. We visited the Sea Turtle Rescue facility today and they were busy preparing for the worst. Best of luck to the 6 Green Sea Turtles we saw off the SPI jetty 2 days ago (link here).
I was looking through the photo queue to decide what to feature today when I came across this series of shots from last year’s trip down here.
Long time readers of the blog might recognize that log as I featured it many times in the past. It happens to be one of my favorite photography setting. Each visit I look forward to seeing what birds I’ll find perched there.
I have an update on this cherished spot after the jump.
Actually, I am going to wait on that update until later. Let’s first enjoy last year’s tins. For those not familiar with this log, it can be found at the South Padre Island Bird Viewing and Nature Center – specifically, on the back boardwalk that leads to the parking lot exit of the center. There is a larger pond on the north side (left) and this log sits closer to the near side of the bank making for an excellent viewing angle at all times of the day.
Said log has a super power – a magnet if you will, that draws birds to it. Every visit there is a different species on it, strutting its stuff and working for whatever camera happens to be pointed in that direction. Not sure how the log “reservation” system works, but there is usually only one bird in the spotlight at a time. That is until this particular visit when there were two birds on parade, a rather peeved Great Egret and an extremely self-assured Neotropic Cormorant that was rather dismissive of attention grabbing accusations.
“Hey, you ugly, scrawny, feathered rodent, get off MY log!”
“Feathered rodent!?! where is it?”
“Right THERE at the end of my bill you idiot! – now one more time, GET OFF MY LOG, and out of my spotlight you green-eyed lily-livered feather duster”
“Flap those yellow lips all you want knobby knees, that black barrel over there is pointed directly at me and my gorgeous white feathered facial detail and my sassy black slippers, so take your green-lored face and get the flock out of here.”
I don’t think that Great Egret was expecting to be sassed back like that. Those Cormorants, especially the Neotropics can be rather self-absorbed. How many times have you seen them with their wings out on a podium quoting The Warriors movie – “Now, here’s the sum total: One flock could run this bird viewing center! One flock. Nothing would move without us allowing it to happen. We could tax the bird guides, the photographers, because WE got the waters and skies, suckers! Can you dig it?”
There was certainly a lot of drama unfolding on that log that day. I kept the finger on the shutter assuming there was going to be quite a dust-up at any moment, but cooler heads prevailed. The Great Egret simply moved to the far end of the log and there they sat content to watch the rest of the day pass. The show was over, I applauded their ability to resolve their differences verbally, refrain from ruffling each other’s feathers and retreat to neutral ground – all hail the politics of the log!
Now for that update I promised. We had the chance to visit the birding center last week and was absolutely shocked to see they had drained most of the water from the inner channels. In their defense, there was a noted on the entrance that mentioned they were doing work on the center but I didn’t comprehend the extent. Beyond the channel along the first boardwalk (straight out from the center) it was bone dry. Without water, the back boardwalk was absolutely birdless including that open water area where the log was. The log was still there, but now sitting dejected and lonely in the dirt. My favorite shooting location here in south Texas was gone. It was truly disheartening and adding the fact they still expected the full entrance fee ($12) soured me quite a bit on the whole experience there. Their plan is to dredge the area due to excessive silt built up over the years with a completion date sometime in March. Unless you really want to see their rescue Alligators and large Tortoises, I would recommend taking the free Laguna Madre boardwalk trail that runs adjacent to the SPI boardwalks until this work is completed. That trail starts on the south end of the Convention Center. Fingers crossed once this work is completed they will find a way to put that log back in its original position.
For all those in the wake of this cold snap, stay warm, stay safe and lift with your legs and not your back. We will be keeping our eye on the Sea Turtle situation here and will let you know how it goes. With their new medical building, the Sea Turtle Rescue facility should be well prepared to house out all the stunned Turtles they can find and hopefully get them warmed up and returned to the open waters as soon as the front passes.
Wildlife Intrigued 
Beautifully told and just as beautifully captured. There’s a quiet David-and-Goliath tension in the frame, the small cormorant set against the much larger egret, which makes the moment even stronger. And yes, cormorants are peculiar birds — stubborn, unapologetically self-contained, and very much their own thing. Hard not to love them.
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Thank you Bushcrafter! I have to say, if I was forced to put money down I’d have to put it on the Cormorant as they seem to drip with confidence – pretty sure it’s those green eyes ha. Gotta love how they tool around the water with their bills pointed up just daring the other birds to mess with them! Take care and appreciate you coming by.
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Don’t you find that cormorants in general are a bit haughty? I like the way you were able to capture the egret’s feathers in the wind. Hopefully, someone will preserve the log habitat if the area is dredged. Oh, and we might hit 8F today near Intrigued HQ and the regional office.
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So, the running joke with Linda and I whenever I see a Cormorant with its inevitable nose tilted up in air is to refer to it as the “Arrogant Ass” Apparently we brought some of that south Texas warm air back with us – we will be taking up a collection hehehehe.
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I’m glad I got this construction update before high-tailing it down there. Houston is 29F this morning, but fortunately the state’s electrical grid is performing very well (unlike during our Little Ice Age in 2021). I’m about ready for some above-freezing temps!
I really enjoyed your photos, and marvelled at the perfect exposure, keeping the whites crisp and clean, and the blacks rich and deep. I need to practice that!
Stay safe and warm!
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I absolutely remember that 2021 ice age – we were able to high tail it out of there days before that hit you – for the record, I had nothing to do with bringing that cold IL weather down to you ha. You Sam, assuredly have a photographer’s eye. I didn’t really talk about the struggle that it was to get that shot in the tin for those very conditions you pointed out – I was stuck with both ends of the spectrum and it took some time to get that the way I wanted it – typically with the white end I way underexpose because I want that feather detail – figured the resulting loss on the Cormorant would go less noticed. It still saddens me that water was gone and having to look at my favorite log just laying in the mud was disheartening – with all the dredging they are going to do, they will assuredly take that log out not knowing the value to photographers and the birds that enjoyed perching on it. When Linda and I opted to use the free Madre Trail next door we were met with workers cutting down all the reeds along the boardwalk – I don’t have high hopes for this place warranting their high price over the next couple of years, but will do some inspecting when I get back there next year (before I $12 of course). Take care Sam and apologies for the delay in responding.
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Humorous and very informative to what’s happening on South Padre currently!
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Glad you enjoyed the post TD, we always strive to give something worthy of our reader’s precious time. South Padre Island was, unfortunately for us, on the cold side this year. That deep freeze that cut across the Midwest dipped down into southern Texas – it is a bad day/week when I have to wear a coat on SPI – oh well, still better than what back home was getting. Thanks for coming by and hope all things are going well for you.
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Beautiful photos where I can see the blue eye of the cormorant and the yellow one of the regret.
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Sorry, I wrote “egret” but AI changed it to “regret.” This is one of many things I don’t like about a robot correcting me
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Understood, as a former IT professional, I can wholeheartedly say I want no part of AI in my life!
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Thank you Anneli, those eyes on the Cormorants always captivate me – on the other hand, they appear to annoy the crap out of Egrets ha.
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Sorry, weather gets you whether you are down there or up there or over there. I love those two birds together. Wonderful photos.
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Yep, this one managed to make it down to us – bad weather man, very bad. I saw these two subjects on the log and thought the composition was perfect – reminded of Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney at the piano singing Ebony and Ivory (which I almost titled the post but then decided not to go there). Hope all is well out your way!
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It was 13ºF for our twilight walk this morning. Jake loved it.
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Well, those with thick furry coats should be more considerate of us smooth skinned breeds – I hope he at least snuggled up with you afterwards to warm you up.
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While Jake likes attention, he’s not much of a snuggle dog. I have the cats to snuggle with.
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Hmmm, disappointed in Jake – his job is to counter the Cats who spend their time scheming on how to overthrow the large biped overlord.
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Jake ignores the cats in general, but he’s been warming up to Marble’s advances.
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Isn’t there some saying about what happens when Dogs and Cats mix….
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LIke, “Dogonit! There’s a CATastrophe in the making?”
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Hahaha, you got that right.
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Ah, the Odd Couple. Ok Felix. No Oscar. And no, I don’t feel sorry for the snow birds escaping a little northern cold, but getting a slight reminder. It was a -22 in Siouxland Monday morning at 8 a.m. Just a day for a larger pot of coffee.
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What!!! you don’t feel sorry for us having to put on an extra layer of clothing over our beach clothes?? You’d think the doomsday clock was hitting striking midnight the way the locals were running around with their ski coats and stocking hats on and we only made it to 31. I do feel back for the hundreds of Sea Turtles that got cold stunned this weekend – the volunteers were busy scooping them out of the Gulf and Laguna. Regardless, you can keep those negative temps up there ha. Take care and stay warm Jerry.
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