Brown Noddy at Boca Chica Jetty, 8/2/25

Not much has been going on lately birdwise.  I've been spending most of my time with insects. But yesterday afternoon the WhatsApp dinged.  Young up and coming birder Hector Duran had just sighted a Brown Noddy on a buoy from the South Padre Island jetty.  Last week he had a rare Sooty Shearwater from the SPI beach so Hector is on a role.  Anyway I've only seen Brown Noddy once and that was from the tip of the Port Aransas jetty years ago.

I hate walking the long rough South Padre Island jetty and figured I would be just as close from the end of the much more user friendly Boca Chica jetty.  So I drove out to Boca Chica, passing through congestion of the bizarre Elon Muskland.  The beach was quiet for a hot Saturday morning.  Early fall migrants included Willets and Sanderlings.

First Red Knots of the fall.

Just a few fisherman on the jetty.  I made the third of a mile walk out passing by a few Ruddy Turnstones.

At the end of the jetty I saw the buoy.  According to Google Earth it was 400 yards distant.  I set up the scope and there was the Brown Noddy!

Not much of a look.  I don't know why I didn't bring the 1.4x extender though I don't think it would have helped much.  I tried digiscoping but that was worse.  Here's a few more poor shots.

Well I'll take it.  Brown Noddy is my 440th species for Cameron County.  There was been several reports of this tropical tern species along the Texas coast this year including a very coopertive individual at the Bob Hall Pier on Padre Island by Corpus Christi.

This fisherman was cleaning up on Redfish.  He left burdened with five big ones.  I'm not sure if that is legal or not.

Not much exciting on the return drive down the beach.  A flock of four Yellow-crowned Night-Heron flew south.  Not sure what's up with that.

Back at Elon Muskland things were busy.  They had a rocket on the pad but I would wager it was there for tourist purposes.  They have been blowing up the huge Super Heavies lately.

Don't think you would want to reenter the atmosphere with a bunch of heat shield tiles missing.

This huge building was new.

Looks like someone had defaced the Overlord.  Bet this is a frequent problem.  There was bright paint on the other side.  Here's a link to more info.

Well Boca Chica beach was nice as usual but the long drive out there is becoming a real pain.  But I guess I would do it again for a Red-footed Booby.