White-Faced Ibis, Moorhen feed together at Beaumont's popular wetlands marsh

A White-Faced Ibis and a Common Moorhen (the smaller black bird on the right) scour the shallow waters of the  Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands & Boardwalk
in Tyrrell Park on the South side of Beaumont, TX.
The pair was visible from the boardwalk that stretches over the artificial marsh, giving birders and naturalists a good view of the habitat of wild birds.

Swamp guards alert birds that photographer is in the swamp.

While I was out shooting at the Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands and Boardwalk in Tyrrell Park in Beaumont, TX, these Black-Necked Stilts would be quick to spring from the marsh and to warn other birds that I was a threat.  They would fly throughout the nearby marsh screeching their warning.

They would also fly over me to take a good look and apparently to let other birds know of my presence.  It was a behavior I had seen in other areas, but these watchbirds were much more aggressive.

I don't know how this Red-Winged Black Bird found something strong enough to hold him up in this sea of young plants out on Pleasure Island. But he grabbed hold of two stalks -- on in each leg and sent a message by looking up. However the wind was brisk and after a few minutes he gave up his King on the Flowers position.

Calico shore bird turns escape artist

We were down on Bolivar Peninsula checking out the pre-storm conditions (with Hurricane Harvey moving up through the Gulf of Mexico) when I shot this photo of a Rudy Turnstone.  Because of the bright conditions, I didn't notice at the time that this guy had gotten snagged in what looks like a remnant from a net.  I checked the photos I took after this and notice that he did finally get free from his bondage.

Black Skimmers having summer beach party in Port Arthur

Daragh Castillo posted on her Facebook page that Mary Meaux with the Port Arthur News had taken a photo of some black skimmers in Port Arthur.  Since I had never seen black skimmers, I took a ride down there and found these guys.  There were about 30 of them, but it was hard to get them all in the photo.  In fact, it was hard to get a picture at all -- they were so wary.

As soon as my head popped over the bushes, the call went out and they took flight. A white bird, not a black skimmer, was doing the watch-out duties and kept flying over my head and squawking -- just in case any of the black skimmers needed to know where the enemy was.

The photo below shows why they are called "skimmers" -- they fly just inches off the top of the water and all they have to do is open their beaks. The beak easily scoops up what they are after in the water.

Both pictures were taken on a sand bar beach on Pleasure Island just to the right about 200 feet where the bridge road drops out on Hwy 82.