Doesn't look like a water park to me

Some photos

I don't have too much to say today, so I figured I would just put up a couple of photographs taken while walking on one of my turtle patrols. I used to make my walking patrols at right about sunrise, which provided many photo opportunities.  This year, I'm doing the patrols later in the day - I'm not seeing the gorgeous sunrises, but I'm also extending my route. Using the bicycle, I'm getting in many more miles per day and hopefully I will come across a nesting sea turtle.

A UTV from Padre Island National Seashore

with a biotech and volunteer pass by while

engaged in a Turtle Patrol North.

Some American Avocets (Recurvirostra 

americana) a plover and a sandpiper at the shoreline

on North Padre Island.

Turtle Patrol

Yes, I know, I am horrible at coming up with titles.  On the blog, on my photographs, on everything.

Another turtle patrol today.  It started with a massive horsefly attack, progressed to a walk through an extremely stinky section of beach near Bob Hall Pier, and then settled down to a standard patrol.  There were a number of vehicles on the beach involved in picking up and emptying trash cans.  Here is one of them, from the City of Corpus Christi.

 There is never a shortage of birds to be seen during the patrols, here I'm passing mile marker 250 with a Great Blue Heron while a gull makes a fly-by.

 This truck is emptying trash cans.

 Behind the truck is a UTV from the National Seashore, involved in a Turtle Patrol North.

Pteranodon attacks Corpus, film at eleven.

Brown pelicans always make me think of pterodactyls, the perspective on this shot increases this feeling.

There are times when I am really disappointed in people

This is a photograph that I took while walking down the beach on North Padre Island.  Vehicles are always getting stuck in the sand, and the owners of the vehicles usually get themselves out; either by themselves or with the help of others. I am originally from New York City, so I'm used to stripped vehicles, but it really disturbed me to come across this one and to see all of the damage that people had inflicted on it.  It's not obvious, but the entire rear windshield is busted out.

CCA Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup

A late entry, but I want to start getting more content in here. This is going to be very short.

On Saturday, the 28th of April, I joined a number of my friends from the Corpus Christi Atheists in cleaning up Cole Park in downtown Corpus Christi. CCA gets involved in many community oriented activities around Corpus Christi.

Don't look for me, I'm taking the photo :D

Off on a Turtle Patrol

Heading out on a sea turtle patrol, looking for nesting Kemps Ridley turtles.  This year, all of my patrols are walking patrols, I generally do about 10 miles on the beach, using my bicycle.

Today, I ended up doing about 15 miles - no turtles, but it was good exercise, and as always, there were photographic opportunities.

Not part of a well-balanced sea turtle diet.

I won't be driving a UTV this year.

My transportation, and a turtle poster

on a trash can.

Things are afoot

There have been many positive changes in my life over the last fifteen months or so. I will be discussing the changes in future blog posts; for now though, I simply wanted to put the word out for any friends or acquaintances that might have been wondering what I was up to for the last year or so.

I am still, unfortunately, a social phobic. However, I am working on handling real life encounters more effectively. In addition, I am attempting to be more active on social networks.

I have opened a store on Etsy: QNR Photography . I have not made very many sales yet, but those that I have made have been exciting - I hope to sell many more items once I have learned how to market myself properly.

A photo or two.

You just never know what you are going to come across during the course of the day. Luckily, sometimes I have my camera available when I do encounter something interesting. Driving down (well, being driven down, technically) Whitecap Blvd on North Padre Island on the 17th of April, we  came across these two on the corner of Park Road 22. The longhorn is Tex, and the Cowboy is Kenny.

Took a trip to the Texas State Aquarium on the 22nd of April and got to watch some otters getting it on. We have a video of it, but I'm not posting it - here is a more innocuous photo of one of the rapscallions.