Two weekends ago I went to McGinnis Slough. A bit later than I’d planned… weekends seem to be getting away from me, and I just can’t seem to get up and out very early. I arrived at the slough around 8:30 AM, so it was still cool. The moment I got out of the car everything else became irrelevant when I saw two Sandhill Cranes standing in the overlook area that juts out toward the slough from the parking lot. I didn’t want to disturb them, so as I started to walk toward the south end, I took pictures at a considerable distance. But later after they had left, I found the two feathers in the grass, above. I arranged the feathers a bit to photograph them and left them there. Once upon a time I collected a feather or two, but I have never done anything purposeful with them and it’s frustrating to inadvertently find them later collecting dust or stuck inside a book or…
Below is what the slough looked like. Overgrown and marshy. Very different from the flooded trails of my last visit.
Walking away from the Sandhills, there were some Wood Ducks at the south end.
I’m always happy to see a Monarch Butterfly, but then am saddened by the fact that I hardly ever see more than one anymore, anywhere.
There were plenty of dragonflies. Blue Dashers are still plentiful and posing this summer.
Below is an Eastern Pondhawk. I don’t think I’ve photographed one before.
Red-Winged Blackbirds are still a presence everywhere.
And it was nice to see Baltimore Orioles.
Some more Red-Wingeds. Those red epaulets really stand out in flight.
(Female RWBL) 
Red-Tailed Hawks. Flying together…chased by blackbirds…soaring.
And there were a few Blue Jays who were not camera-shy for a change. This one seemed to think the picnic table might have some promise.
American Goldfinches, so plentiful earlier in the year, are a bit scarce, but I attribute that to the fact that they are late breeders and likely consumed by nesting duties.
I was unable to capture a dragonfly on these roses but they turned out to be attractive by themselves.
A glimpse of a Green Heron…
and a Great Egret. There were a few Great Blue Herons but they were too far away.
So that’s my little report from McGinnis. I’ll try to go back there before I leave for my trip to New Brunswick and Grand Manan in just a few weeks. But I’m still not done with the Texas trip! And I have to find a new bird care person for the indoor crowd, which is not so easy these days. Sigh.
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