STEVE'S SIGHTINGS

Summer birding is a challenge, but not hopeless.
Many birds are at their nesting grounds farther north and some of the remaining birds are going through their summer molt and their appearance is less than beautiful.
In addition, the heat makes it uncomfortable during most of the day to walk around looking for birds. They’re probably doing what you wish you were doing taking an afternoon nap.
So, what’s the solution?
Try birding early in the morning or late in the day, when what birds there are tend to be active. Many birds feed early in the morning and again before they pack it in for the night.
While waiting for a nice Laguna Madre sunset to photograph, I stopped by the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center around 6:30 p.m.
There were four wading birds competing for fish in one pond — a juvenile great blue heron, a juvenile little blue heron, a juvenile reddish egret and adult tri-colored heron.
The great blue heron had couldn’t catch a thing. Likewise for the little blue heron and reddish egret. But the adult tri-colored was gorging on small fish and had no trouble catching them. Maybe experience does pay off.
And as they sun began to set, I moved over to the Laguna Madre to get a few photos.
There were only a few wading birds around, but one just happened to be a reddish egret.
Watching it twist, turn, leap, dance, etc., was worth the price of admission (assuming there was an admission price).
Every once in awhile, a black skimmer would come in skimming for small fish.
There were also brown pelicans and a few shorebirds around.
Eventually, the sun went down and I headed home.
The moral of this story is that summer birding can still be good. It’s just a mater of timing.
And there was a nice bonus at the end of day in the form of beautiful sunset over the Laguna Madre.