Pelican sentry caught eyes wide shut.

I captured this shot of this Pelican thinking he was looking out from the ferry landing, waiting for the next ferry (i.e. the next meal to come rolling in.  However, when I blew up the shot, I discovered the real truth:  Look at the eyes -- he is SLEEPING!

Hiding lizard is outed

 

I caught this crafty little guy hiding in one of our outdoor wall ornaments.  He was hiding between the letters in "God Bless Texas."  Despite his cloak and dagger posture, he was willing to pose for a couple of shots before he went off to his clandestine duties.

Grasshopper get going when the door opens

This new best friend, and me got a real good close look at each other when I opened the garage this morning.  As much as he appreciated our new friendship, I am sure that spending the night in the garage was not what this grasshopper considers luxury.   He quickly made his exit with hardly a word.

Moths also share the bees' secret meal

This moth was siphoning the nectar from a flower that just appeared this week in our front yard.   He has his proboscis firmly in the center of the flower, and our moth buddy was show no concern for my looking on to his sweet-tooth meal.

New flower looks blooming good

I don't have a clue what they are called but this is one of the new flowers that appeared last week on a bush in our front yard.  It's a real beauty.

Bees buzz through palm trees flowering bonnet.

This is the palm tree in our neighbor's yard.  The flowering tree attracted a couple hives worth of bees into its bonnet of flowers.   Our palm trees' flowering is covered under branches and never attracts much of a bee following, but the buzzing bonnet bouquet bumblers swarmed, putting on a flower power show.  Must be some pretty good nectar.

Mosquito Hawk --- a mosquito's worse enemy.

This Mosquito Hawk landed right in front of me.  After all the rains if this week, I was glad to see him on duty, preying on mosquitos.

Laughing Gull gets the last laugh (and bravado)

This brave Laughing Gull landed on the hood of our car as we waited for the Bolivar ferry to Galveston Island. His was not just a quick landing and a scoot, either. He spent time enjoying the stay -- he probably went back to his buds and bragged about his coup.

Comorants take the lofty watchout

The Comorants are the generals of the birds that trail behind the ferry from Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston Island.  Gulls lead the charge, flocking up close to the boat to catch pieces of food thrown by the ferry riders. The pelicans follow close behind ready to swoop to a landing in the ferry's wake if they see something worthy of a meal.  The Comorants come in behind the noisy crowd only after the ferry is about a half mile from the dock.  They take the soaring overlook, with an eye out for anything that is worthy of their lofty watchout.

Angry skies trumpet a fierce summer storm

Angry skies rumbled in ahead of a drenching thunderstorm this evening. The lightning, while not quite a fireworks show, had some deep earthshaking booms to it.

Tree houses pose dangers for birds

Life is dangerous for creatures who live in trees.  This year was a good example of that.  I found five dead birds in my yard this spring.  They seemed to be victims of stormy winds that blew them from safety before they were ready to fly.  This seems to be number six.  It is hard to make it out from the ground, even with a powerful lens.  But it looks like a young chick didn't get very far before it was flipped over the side.  The nest is at the very top of a large azalea tree.  Such is life.

Thistle is bugged

This must be a bug's dream: slightly shaded from the wind and sun, and entangled enough to ward off lizards and birds that might pass by. Still, it seems a strange place to find rest, but what do I know -- I am not a bug.

Flowers advertise to passing bees

Summer flowers abound these days.  Just along the roadside, this bee attractor was advertising its remaining nectar and pollen.  It had several buds that had not yet bloomed, so this business was going to be open for a good while.

Gull turns on a feather

We need some air breaks here!  Time to do a quick correction change. Feathers, don't fail me now.  (I am interpreting here for the gull.  My gullian may be a little rusty). This was shot from the rear of the Galveston to Bolivar ferry.

Pelican's flight floats above the froth

A brown pelican shows off his gliding skills as he skims across the Galveston, TX, shore waters looking for breakfast.

The long art of pruning your pelican feathers

Can you imagine combing your hair with a brush with a handle this long?  This pelican seems to have mastered the art, but it does give his neck a good workout. He was displaying his mastery at the Bolivar Peninsula ferry landing recently.

There's more than flags flying on the Fourth

On the Fourth of July, when the flags start waving and the barbeque starts burning, the fearsome comes out in us all.   Slade demonstrates how to stick the perfect dive (to celebrate the USA, of course).

Fourth of July Celebration was an eye-feast

We enjoyed the fireworks display last night in downtown Beaumont.  We were running late and pulled into downtown just as the booming started.  No wait at all.
The sky-lighting zingers were right overhead.

Raindrops bounce on the pool

You know the rain has gotten to you when you are sitting shooting pictures of raindrops hitting the swimming pool.  At least last week's rain is now history.  On to the oppressive heat -- weather du jour.