Return Route to Pensacola (FL) from the Winnie (TX) Birding Trip

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I have been doing as much gulf coast birding as possible during the peak of spring migration before leaving later this week to spend a few months in Colorado. This accounts for the circuitous route back to Pensacola last Friday. From Winnie I drove to Sabine Woods (well south of the shortest interstate route home), made a quick visit to the Sea Rim State Park, crossed the Texas/Louisiana line and checked out Peveto Woods, Rutherford Beach, Rockefeller NWR, and the Jefferson Island Rookery before I stowed the camera gear and headed for home.   

Images of Waterthrush, Scarlet Tanager and Summer Tanager seen at Sabine Woods and one of two Common Nighthawks I saw at the Sea Rim State Park are shown below.

Waterthrush - Sabine Woods, Texas

Scarlet Tanager - Sabine Woods

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Summer Tanager, Sabine Woods

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Common Nighthawk - Sea Rim State Park, TX

I walked by the water drip, through the Live Oaks, and followed several of the paths in the Peveto Woods Sanctuary without viewing a single bird through the viewfinder of my camera. The surprise of the trip occurred when I came to a T-junction in one of the paths and saw a Bobcat in the path to the left. We visually examined each other for a short time before heading on our separate ways.

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Bobcat - Peveto Woods, TX

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Bobcat - Peveto Woods, TX

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.