2009-10-15 Our 5th Anniversary

Day 6 - October 13th Part 2


There were so many photos of the lake around the nature center (previous page) I thought it best to split them up.  Here are the other photos I promised.  There were lots and lots of birds.  Here's another Killdeer.


Not sure what most of these birds are but this one's really pretty.


There was a bird on nearly every post of this roped area.  We really laughed at the seagulls.  Linda told me to watch what they did.  Since almost every post was occupied, when one came along he would pick out a bird that was smaller than he was and take his spot.  The smaller bird would move along looking for the next free post available.  I guess this is what they call "Pecking Order."  It was really funny when we saw an especially large seagull bully his way onto a post of his choosing.  When this crane came along the "big" seagull had to give way.  Haha.  None of them wanted to mess with the crane.


And they especially didn't want to argue with this heron.


Here are a few more photos of those trees I promised.


Aren't they interesting?


The limbs stretched out in such decorative patterns.


Here's a long shot so you can tell just how wide the trees were.


We went to another spot for more bird photos.  Here's another I have no idea what type.  This was a rather large bird.


These guys look like they're ready to dive in the water.


And here's one just taking flight.


As we drove around the lake we spotted an older couple fishing for crabs.  I told the man what I used to use when I was a kid visiting realtives in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama.  Linda fished for them too when she was a young girl in Mississippi.


You use a large piece of meat or fat and toss it into deep water then drag it very slowly back toward you.  The pier we fished off of when I was a kid had water deep enough you could just drop it in the water.  Leave it down there a few seconds before retrieving it.  You can feel the crabs bite.  If you pull it back slowly enough they'll cling to the fat and you can drop them in a bucket and have crab claws for supper.


This was some native marsh land called the "coastal birding trail", an appropriate name.  GSP = Gulf State Park.


And once again the sun sets over the sea oats.




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