Howdy, y’all…

After 15 days, driving 2366 miles, noting 275 species of bird (145 photographed at least badly), and taking about 1500 photographs, Suzanne and I are back from a fantastic trip to Texas! We took the classic loop from Houston: down the Gulf coast, inland through the Lower Rio Grande Valley, north to the Hill Country, and then finishing at High Island for migrant passerines – a pretty varied range of habitat, though all offering superb birding.

I’m battling jetlag at the moment, so no more waffle for the moment. Here are a few initial photos, though, fresh from the memory card:

Black and White Warbler: this individual was unbelievably confiding! A quick count-up suggests that we saw no less than 28 species of warbler…

Greater Roadrunner: probably the most charismatic bird of the trip, and one we were delighted to see well

And a Laughing Gull, representing the excellent water- and shorebirds seen.

Watch this space: lots more photos and a full trip report to come.