BrazosBend_051228

Halloween

We live just a few miles from Brazos Bend State Park but we just don't take advantage of it. Joanie and I were off for a few weeks around Christmas and we decided to remedy the situation. We went out that way one Wednesday afternoon (Dec 28th). The day was amazing - a few days after Christmas and the temperature was in the high seventies! We arrived mid afternoon and walked the trails for several hours. We took a lot of pictures on the way - ponds, birds, ducks, alligators, reflections, trees etc. Late afternoon - we were about to head back home but decided to stay and watch the sunset. What a perfect day!

Elm Lake : We started our afternoon at elm lake. It's a small pond with a backdrop of trees. Lotsa birds and ducks and there is the occasional alligator. We especially enjoyed watching the hundreds of birds take flight when startled by some far off sound...

Looks like black ice. The pond in a shadow with a duck swimming in the middle. Just a big ole gator. Just like ducks on a log. (I think that's a Mudhen in the water in the foregound) Elm Lake 409 birds in a tree Relfections on Elm Lake Just a lot of birds Birds taking flight Tweeked this picture a bit. The original is the one just before

New Horshoe Lake : After enjoying the sights at Elm Lake - we took a walk on the hiking trails around New Horseshoe lake. This is an old oxbow of the Brazos River. As well as the water foul - there were some nice big Live Oaks, Cyprus and Elms.

That's Roger! That's Joanie! Soup and Quakers A goldfinch in a bunch of deadfall New Horseshoe Lake A nudder gator Some kind of bird... We saw several of these but they all seemed to have their own areas. A Black Pheobe A series of three pictures of a duck taking flight Maybe a grey herron flying in the background? Spannish moss everywhere

Sunset on Elm Lake : We ended our day back where we started - at Elm Lake. We stuck around for a half hour or so to watch the sunset.