The Laguna Madre is a long, shallow, hyper saline lagoon along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The Laguna Madre Bay is on the east side of Padre Island, between South Padre Island and Port Isabel.

Louie’s Backyard at South Padre Island is a large, multi-level bar and grill that sits on the shore of the bay. Louie’s is one of our favourite spots to bird watch during a leisurely lunch at a table right next to the water.

The grackles are sneaky and will swoop down quickly to nab anything that falls to the floor. I was pleased with this shot because I believe I caught the nature of the bird in the photo.

Of course, there are pigeons who fight for their territory, but they’re no match for the speed of the grackles. Perhaps it’s because the pigeons are in a food coma from overeating. 😂

My feature photo was a fun event to watch. The Pelican swam up to the platform, hopped up onto it, and did a lot of posturing and wing–flapping until the noisy seagulls left. Once he had the platform to himself, he settled in for a peaceful nap. Gotta love birds!

“Every day, birds that are defined as common are overlooked. However, as you immerse yourself in the world of birdwatching, you come to appreciate the beauty in the common species as well as the scarcer ones.”

Joe Harkness