Tern, Tern, Tern

We took the birding tour of Padre Island offered by two National Park volunteers, Mary and George. 

We saw 49 species that morning, a respectable start on a life list. 

(I think I just became a birder.) 

Caspian Tern

Sandwich Tern

Royal Tern

Laughing Gulls that sound like hyenas

Ring-billed Gulls

the return of the pinkies (the Franklin Gull migration)

herons and egrets and shore birds abounding

a scissors-tailed flycatcher

even a broken UFO

(an unidentified floating object)

actually escape pods for the oil rigs

the tide brings in astonishing amounts of large junk

from hurricane debris

ships that sank

waves sweeping over bows

and general trash

the dump was full so they piled it here

for now

oh, and pelicans!

white and brown, a self-appointed shore patrol

looking for fish guts to recycle.