Birding with Ben

My grandson Ben is spending his Spring Break with me this week. We're staying in McIntosh and have been hiking,

Down some dusty roads...

and Geocaching.

 Did you know there are camels in McIntosh?

But today I introduced Ben to birding, and he's getting pretty good at IDing the ones we saw. This grasshopper was almost big enough to be mistaken for a bird.

 We walked out on "Orange Lake" until we could see a little patch of water in the distance. And look at that flash of pink! We think it might be a Roseate Spoonbill. (Also a Coot and an alligator in the pic)

 All that time looking for Spoonbills in TX, and here is one in my own backyard, so to speak. Lot's of heat shimmer, but we can tell it's a Spoonbill. 

 A Coot, and I think that's a pair of Blue-winged Teal.

 A Wood Stork flying in...

 To join some others on the ground. Looked like the one on the right just dropped his fish.

 We saw some Great White Egrets and Greater Yellowlegs.

 Here's the Spoonbill again with a Black-necked Stilt, and not sure in the background, but possibly a Green Heron....Birdie will know.

 Little Blue Heron and a Glossy Ibis.

Ben has been taking some pictures too with my old camera. He got a good shot of these lizards through the window.

 Grandma looks surprised.

 A squirrel at the neighbor's site.

 And a self-portrait.

Maybe in the next week I'll catch up on some past posts....between having work done on the RV.