A sleepy evening in Rockport
We had dinner at a little place on the water. It was a dark and foggy evening, and the boats coming in late made for some spooky shots.
The next morning we boarded the boat to tour the refuge from the water. It was very cold by my standards (40's).
The boats from last night still looked eerie in the fog.
Luckily, once we got out on the water, the fog cleared. The sun even came out at times! However, the temperatures did not rise very much. A few brave souls and I braved the top deck of the boat in the biting wind to get fantastic views of White Tailed Hawk (a new one for me) and Whooping Cranes.
Catching Blue Crab, an essential part of their diet while wintering in South Texas.
We saw two pairs with chicks. At one point, when the wind died down, you could hear the peeps of the chick begging for food.
The cranes are territorial when breeding. This pair spotted the "resident" pair approaching and hurried away.
It was great to see the Whooping Cranes soaring over the salt marsh. I am grateful that I was able to go and see them, and hope that they will be around for many years to come.