High Island, Texas - April 2008

Terns & Skimmers

Royal Terns are common along the Bolivar Peninsula and visits to the beaches will result in many birds, especially at Bolivar Flats where a large flock contained an Elegant Tern, which I missed, during the week I was there. It was apparently only the fourth state record. Check the tern flocks carefully as I did manage to find a Caspian Tern, a species I thought would be more common. Most of these shots are an amalgamation from Rollover Pass and Bolivar Flats. As can be seen you can get really close if you use your car as a hide.

Forster's Terns were common along Bolivar Peninsula but favoured the more sheltered areas away from the Bolivar Flats. These birds were at Horseshoe Lake loop road 108 and at Big Reef Nature Reserve, Galveston.

Least Tern were numerous at Bolivar Flats, Horseshoe Lake and Big Reef Nature Reserve at Galveston. This bird was at Bolivar Flats.

Black Skimmers joined the gull and tern fest at the car park at Rollover Pass one evening at high tide. Other significant gatherings were at Big Reef Nature Reserve Galveston