Yesterday I went to the Gulf Coast Master Naturalist meeting in Houston via Galveston, where I had arranged to get some recycled pots for plant projects. I went via the Bolivar/Galveston ferry and gave myself a little reward by stopping at the Jetty.
WOW! What a reward! Avocets, Avocets, Avocets - by the thousands - sitting and sleeping or jumping up into flight, only to land back in the same positions and get back to their naps.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigYPgw-JE1-ABqMSUWdPyXxvGY7IW6IBUGTryCiP2fT77EvQK3rzfAm3DBRjUCwOJYsFtk828RcthLXbtjI7DmLordkEi-ZHEiM5ojfZeKn7hxcWV6stJ32uCv-OtnwnZJtjEX_3q0TE/s640/11010601Avocets.jpg) |
A few of the thousands of Avocets |
And hundreds of skimmers. Several flocks came in and joined the group while I was there.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbzjzF-I741qirX_fkfZ0n_1Zvk0S5MQMIX1NvCFeqLpKpHmUEgqLiSPkLXHAk_LoCnNZjsg2GARs8SbODfGN0lYyvDB0cXMyC5mnTtAEN2sxuLXF-oP2_gh9zS9nYza_Ixze47TvO3E/s640/11010613Lotta.jpg) |
Skimmers in the sky and foreground along with godwits.
About one third of the avocets are in the background. |
Other birds there included gulls, royal terns, western willets, Hudsonian godwits, western sandpippers, great egrets and double crested cormorants.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uCFgfVkd5lGlmjJI2onRIuXAF4RDY-9Zh6gJ40St4SlnoiZt8lHD4ABEl7sOp2yGCxaZgTZWDgMyF4HuRHbUMLLa78Oxa2klf0oDV0kINTcoCEMePfJ1zhAgoZt0eqIL_hcXU6tXPNM/s640/11010602GodwitWilllet.jpg) |
Hudsonian Godwit and Western Willet |
The two subspecies of willets are very interesting to me. For years, I had to relearn willets each fall and spring. Finally I learned that we have the eastern version in the spring/summer and the western version in the fall winter. The western is paler, a little hunkier, and has a heavier bill.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4nY4CL4eGMF6PlDVjGyqFN5AiEWTvhQCyLFp9X8JIb1rSWkawADwc4QGsVFpYtJIwU0S4XOyzFsROXeqpjlI4ED-bPK3nYrXXdGM7_pmzjzvJ3IM2AjZUVwPboQhDk4AU4aXgR-zuRs/s640/11010605Godwit.jpg) |
Feeding Hudsonian godwits |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWs4ldHiGWI-iwguNm1YUG0drD-61MKGMFeX8jVOOi7GCNI8RUUyjIoJVRl5gY6bvyU6zDL1tRbPzSscbeRRcIrSNvQP2fuNgPhSKdZNG_CUCJYKbQSXXKR14osurCcWH5RJ0ywui_PN0/s640/11010610WestSand.jpg) |
Feeding western sandpipers |
I was also able to see several species of flowers in bloom. A good thing for the few monarch butterflies still around. (And by the way, my Galveston friend has two Monarch caterpillars on very small Butterfly weed that I grew from cuttings taken in August.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4Kii3LPXICx1F3fXtfOLluc6e0Ky1tlWd3knV85ru5ctle_TOHcBD0BgMQhSVF-hMv0C-fMj-bk6qWpsj2nz3NeNKTj2wCqujtEs9ENlwAwkuXtdOhHRCzhk1imRCVWTR6l4ZO7Js1o/s640/11010614Whatflower.jpg) |
Still not sure what this is. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPJnm49u_EVbZ9QoXMW5v70qO31eecPUFkjodTVJokz0JJtwOmfCoFaSGNZooSp6SaphhkNrdQjRM-z1n7yQJ_pLibSdefBfITE4-3uYVwoqkWR_oExZCZ22CEKpFRMN0I44XTRTN0Wk/s640/11010611IndianBlr.jpg) |
Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCCIes07b1XjPKfBdW4-QpWluNr1V6iIolsb9i2wQRQCVZXJMnxXXxGuVP05ZnUIw8QXGRvYKYY4IGqO1-tDquLZrG1HwGG3hLdUWBrvm3Oy-MdktQglra7t2RXXTiDAVjSnx9pLetBM/s640/11010615Whichtflower.jpg) |
Smoth Oxeye ( Heliopsis helianthoides) This is supposed to bloom June - September but
obviously it can't tell our crazy seasons. |
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And I was able to get a couple of hundred free pots. And then attend and interesting meeting. A very good day.
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