One of the country's top bird watching sites is in Port Aransas, Texas and the surrounding area. The Port Aransas Birding Center with a variety of botanical planting is a hub on the Great Texas Birding Trail, and home to hundreds of permanent and visiting birds.
Of the nearly 800 species of birds in North America, almost 500 are here in the Coastal Bend. Spring brings over 200 species a day. Summer hosts 100 nesting species. Fall invites spectacular raptor flights and a tremendous number of hummingbirds. Winter lures the rare whooping cranes to nearby areas and over 100 other species a day.
You can track the Fall migration and population of the endangered Whooping Crane at http://www.operationmigration.org/. Be sure to join us in February for the Celebration of Whooping Cranes.
For more information, call the Port Aransas Tourist Bureau at 361-749-5919 or 1-800-452-6278 (1-800-45-COAST).
Birding Areas of Port Aransas
Port Aransas Birding Center, Ponds on 11th street, Paradise Pond, Gulf of Mexico Beaches,
Jetties, Redfish Bay, Aransas Bay, Along the Ferry and Hwy. 361 to Aransas Pass, Mustang Island Road,
Harbor Island, Shamrock Island, Spoil islands in Aransas and Redfish Bays, and San Jose Island.
To earn your official Port Aransas / Mustang Island Birding Patch, you must find fifteen (15) of the birds listed above during a specified season. Pick up a checklist at the Port Aransas Tourist Bureau, 421 Cotter between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. There is a $5.00 participation fee. Return your checklist to the Port Aransas Tourist Bureau.
CTC 057: Port Aransas Birding Center
Season: Winter, Migration
Port Aransas Birding Center (take Cut-Off to the right to Ross Avenue). This birding facility is a vivid example of what a community may do to attract birds and birders alike. The boardwalk extends into a freshwater marsh associated with the adjoining wastewater treatment plant. Little fresh water is available for much of the year on barrier islands such as Mustang, and the ponds here offer a consistent supply of water for a wide variety of wetland species. The boardwalk here allows for close observation of many birds. Walk to the observation platform and look for waterfowl (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Cinnamon Teal), grebes (Least included), heron and egrets, cormorants, shorebirds (such as Black-necked Stilt), and flaming pink Roseate Spoonbills. The parking area and and along the boardwalk are being planted in native species, so be alert for landbirds here in migration.
CTC 058: Port Aransas Jetty
Season: All Seasons
Return to Cut-Off Road, turn right, and continue to Alister. Turn left, and continue north to Port Aransas Park and the Port Aransas Jetty. The jetty extends for several hundred yards into the Gulf, and furnishes an excellent vantage point from which to look for a variety of open water species. Gulls and terns often roost at the base of the jetty, and shorebirds may be seen feeding along the beach. Scan the Gulf, particularly in winter, for species such as Northern Gannet, Bonaparte's Gull, and jaegers, and in summer for Magnificent Frigatebird, Masked and Brown Booby (also seen at times perched on rocks of the jetty itself), and Sooty Tern. Day use is free, with a fee for overnight camping.
It is possible to ride as an observer on a fishing boat out of Port Aransas. The snapper boats travel out to deep water, and at times (particularly in the fall) a number of pelagic species such as boobies, shearwaters, and jaegers may be seen. Contact the Fisherman's Wharf in Port Aransas (361-749-5760, 361-749-5448) for information about offshore birding opportunities (such as on the Scat Cat). In addition, boat trips to The Nature Conservancy of Texas Shamrock Island may be arranged by contacting the Port Aransas Area Chamber of Commerce. The island hosts immense numbers of nesting herons, egrets, and spoonbills in the summer.
CTC 059: Port Aransas Wetland Park
Season: Winter, Migration
Enhancements: Parking, Landscaping, Boardwalk, Observation Platform. Return on TX 361 S to Cut-Off Road. Continue south on TX 361 for 0.3 miles from this intersection to the new Port Aransas Wetland Park (look for the sign on your right). This park is a joint project of the City of Port Aransas, TXDOT, and TPWD. The observation platform overlooks a freshwater basin that may be thick with a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds during wet periods. As with the Port Aransas Birding Center (SITE 57), in dry periods this location may offer the only freshwater habitat within miles. However, unlike the ponds at the Birding Center, this site is ephemeral. The park itself has been landscaped to establish a native dune community, and during migration the scrubby vegetation and grasses may attract a number of migrant landbirds.
CTC 060: Mustang Island State Park
Season: All Seasons
As you resume the trip south along Mustang Island, cut back to the beach whenever possible to look for gulls, terns, and shorebirds. A Lesser Black-backed Gull returned each winter for over a decade to the beach near Port Aransas, and Glaucous Gull are seen here with some consistency in early spring. At high tide check along the beach for small flocks of Piping and Snowy plovers, as well as Red Knots. Mustang Island SP is located on PR 53 (TX 361) approximately 14 miles south of Port Aransas. The state park subsumes an entire barrier island ecosystem, encompassing dunes, coastal grasslands, marshes, and bayside tidal flats, and sloughs. The beach may be particularly rewarding in winter for gulls, terns, and shorebirds (scan the Gulf for seabirds), and a walk in the coastal grasslands should uncover Sedge Wren and perhaps LeConte's Sparrow. Look for nesting Wilson's Plover along the beach and on the tidal flats in summer, and Horned Lark among the dunes themselves. Camp sites with hookups are provided in the park. Mustang Island State Park, P.O. Box 326, Port Aransas, Texas 78373, (361) 749-5246.
CTC 061: Corpus Christi Pass
Season: All Seasons
As you proceed south along Mustang Island toward Corpus Christi, you will cross several hurricane wash-over sites. These inlets or passes have been cut through the island by the scouring action of past tropical storms, and are a relatively common phenomenon on coastal barrier islands. Corpus Christi Pass slices across the island south of Mustang Island State Park, and the bayside flats here are the wintering haunts of such species as Piping Plover and Long-billed Curlew. Search the inlet waters for waterfowl (such as Hooded Merganser), and look for nesting Snowy Plover in late spring.
CTC 062: Packery Channel
Season: All Seasons
Continue south to Packery Channel, another "boca" that divides the island. The bayside flats at Packery Channel may retain thousands of shorebirds at low tide, and search the flocks for Marbled Godwit, American Oystercatcher, and Long-billed Curlew. Ruddy Turnstone, Black-bellied Plover, and Snowy Plover often scurry along the edges of the pass, and watch for diving ducks, loons, and grebes in the clear waters of the channel.
CTC 063: Padre Island National Seashore
Season: All Seasons
Continue south on TX 361, and turn left (south) on PR 22 to Padre Island National Seashore (TX 361 / PR 22 also continues to the right or west to Corpus Christi). Untrammeled and pristine, a visit to Padre Island National Seashore (along with Matagorda Island) is unrivaled among Texas barrier island experiences. Continue along PR 22 to the entrance and visitor's center (approximately 10 miles). Ask for a bird checklist, as well as a map of this 133,000-acre park. The national park extends south for over 80 miles to Port Isabel, and most of the beach is accessible only in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. From the visitor's center, it is possible to drive approximately 5 miles beyond the end of the paved road before encountering soft sand. However, the flavor of Padre Island may be tasted near the visitor's center and along the entrance road. Peregrine Falcons pass through the park by the hundreds in fall, and migrant landbirds swarm the scrubby vegetation in the spring. Gulls, terns, and shorebirds line the beaches, and a variety of raptors (White-tailed Kite, White-tailed Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk in winter) may be seen perched on the power poles along PR 22. Also try Bird Basin Road, which can be reached 2.6 miles north of the visitor's center as you leave via the park entrance road (look for the signs on your left as you depart the park). In the marshes along this road you may find gallinules, bitterns, and shorebirds, and nesting colonies of colonial waterbirds (herons, egrets, terns, Black Skimmer) may be seen by scope from the end of the road. Both primitive and developed camping facilities are furnished in the park. Padre Island National Seashore, 9405 S. Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas 78418, (361) 949-8068
CTC 064: Packery Channel Park
Season: Winter, Migration
Return north on the park entrance road, and turn left (west) on PR 22 toward Corpus Christi. After a short distance turn right into Packery Channel County Park. The park offers another view of Packery Channel (see site 62), and the birds normally associated with the "bocas" are present here. As you enter the park, however, notice the oak mottes to your right among the private houses. These woods attract landbirds in migration, and birders from Corpus Christi consider this to be one of their most fruitful spots in spring. Walk along the public roads (do not trespass), and examine the trees for migrants. A number of rarities have been discovered here in the past, including Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Gray Kingbird, and Black-whiskered Vireo.
CTC 065: JFK Causeway Wetlands
Season: All Seasons
From Packery Channel County Park, return to PR 22 and turn right (west) toward Corpus Christi. After traversing the bridge over the Laguna Madre, the JFK Causeway becomes a rather low crossing that offers opportunities to park and view the bay. The flats along the causeway may be awash with herons, egrets (look for Reddish), pelicans, and shorebirds. Toward the west end of the causeway you will notice an area of beach that is protected for nesting Black Skimmers. The skimmers and their young may be seen here in summer, and also look for nesting Least Terns and Wilson's Plovers.
CTC 066: Redhead Pond Wildlife Management area
Season: Winter
Continue west on the JFK Causeway (which becomes South Padre Island Drive west of the Laguna Madre) and enter Flour Bluff. Exit South Padre Island Drive on Waldron Road, turn left (south) under the freeway and return to Laguna Shores Road. Turn right and continue south on Laguna Shores to Redhead Pond WMA. Redhead Pond is a joint project of TNCT and TPWD, and the observation platform here affords a protected view of the waterfowl that winter in the ponds. Redhead is particularly common, but a number of duck species (as well as grebes and Black-crowned Night-Heron) winter here. Watch for Common Goldeneye and Hooded Merganser, two species that may be difficult to see elsewhere along the coast.
CTC 067: Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens
Season: All Seasons (Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday)
Return to Laguna Shores Road, and turn right (south). Continue to the intersection with Yorktown Boulevard, and turn right (west) again. Travel on Yorktown Boulevard to the intersection with S. Staples Street, and turn left (south).Continue on S. Staples across Oso Creek to the entrance to the Corpus Christi Botanical Garden on your right. The Corpus Christi Botanical Garden preserve boasts an impressive assortment of south Texas habitats, including wildflower fields, nature trails through virgin mesquite, an herb-lined "Bird and Butterfly Trail," and a cattail-lined "Gator Lake" which can be observed from both the "Palapa Grande" (an open-air, thatched-roof gazebo), and a birding tower. The nature trails, which at some locations border Oso Creek, offer a glimpse of south Texas scrub birding, with species such as Groove-billed Ani, Long-billed Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Pyrrhuloxia, and Olive Sparrow relatively easy to see here. At the lake and creek search for waterbirds, including Least Grebe (also look for Couch's Kingbird in the trees that border the lake). The Botanical Garden is in the process of planting more bird attractors in individual garden areas, as well as screen and border plantings and native trees. Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens, 8545 S. Staples, Corpus Christi, Texas 78413, (361) 852-2100
CTC 068: Oso Bay Park
Season: Winter, Migration
Travel north on Staples Street to proceed to South Padre Island Drive, then turn right (east) on South Padre Island Drive and continue to the Ennis Joslin Road exit. Turn left (north) on Ennis Joslin Road and continue along Oso Bay. Stop at the first small park on your right, and scan Oso Bay for pelicans, waterfowl, and shorebirds. This site (as well as sites 69 and 70) are best birded on a falling tide, so be sure to check the tide tables that are published in the local newspaper. Few tidal flats along the central coast can boast of a birdlife spectacle equal to Oso Bay. Thousands of waterbirds pack these shallow waters, and a sunset here in winter should be unforgettable.
CTC 069: Hans A. Suter Wildlife Area
Season: Winter, Migration
Continue north on Ennis Joslin for a short distance to Hans A. Suter Wildlife Area (on the right). The boardwalk here provides access to the lagoon, and be sure to check the tidal pools bordering the boardwalk for rails and shorebirds. The short nature trail that connects the parking lot with the boardwalk may be teeming with landbirds in migration, so don't be so quick to rush to the lagoon. As with site 68, the waterbird display at Hans Suter is staggering, so check the tides and be prepared to spend an hour or two relishing the show.
CTC 070: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Nature Trail
Season: Winter, Migration
The third site from which to view Oso Bay is the nature trail at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi. Continue north on Ennis Joslin to its merger with Alameda Street, and veer right as Alameda ends at Ocean Drive. Turn right on Ocean Drive and take the first entrance into the campus. The guard at the security kiosk can give you parking instructions. As you walk the nature trail that follows the Oso Bay shoreline, inspect the tidal flats here for Piping and Snowy plover, and watch for flocks of Roseate Spoonbills in the shallow waters of Oso Bay itself. Each of these three sites (68-70) offers a different view of Oso Bay, so watch both the tide and the angle of the sun for determining which vantage point to choose.
CTC 071: Blucher Park
Season: Migration
Exiting Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, turn west on Ocean Drive and travel into downtown Corpus Christi. Ocean Drive becomes Shoreline Drive as you enter the waterfront area, and continues north to the downtown business district. Blucher Park is located on Carrizo Street, next to the Central Library. Turn left on Williams off Shoreline Drive, and continue up the hill (Williams will make a slight jog to the left and become Lipan) to Carrizo Street. Turn left on Carrizo, and travel a short distance to Blucherville and Blucher Park (the corner of Carrizo and Tancahua).
This densely wooded park with a small creek flowing through its center attracts migrating landbirds. Stroll through the park and check every nook and cranny for flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, and warblers. Several original Blucher family homes have been restored by the Junior League of Corpus Christi along N. Carrizo (the Blucher heirs, in fact, donated the land for Blucher Park to the city), and an environmental education and information center is being established here. The Audubon Outdoor Club conducts birdwalks every Saturday and Sunday in April (meet at Blucher Park at 7:30 a.m.). Information on these birdwalks, as well as a pamphlet on Birding in the Corpus Christi Area, may be obtained from the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 1201 N. Shoreline Dr.
CTC 072: Texas State Aquarium
Season: All Seasons (Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday)
Return to Shoreline Drive, and continue north on I-37. Take TX 35 / US 181 north across the high bridge over the turning basin toward Portland, and exit at Surfside. The aquarium is located on Corpus Christi Beach to your right. Although dedicated to the conservation of the oceans, the aquarium considers seabirds to be an integral part of the marine ecosystem as well. A bird rehabilitation center is operated out of the aquarium, and a number of injured and orphaned birds (such as pelicans) are kept on display. The aquarium also offers a rather extensive environmental education program, and information on area birds and birding is always available here. Texas State Aquarium, 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas 78463, (361) 881-1200 or (800) 477-GULF.
CTC 073: Indian Point / Sunset Lake
Season: All Seasons
Continue north on TX 35 / US 181 toward Portland, and exit at Old Portland Road. Indian Point is located to your immediate right on Corpus Christi Bay as you exit (follow the signs). With two new boardwalks jutting into the surrounding marshes, Indian Point is an exceptional spot for observing waterbirds. Look for various shorebirds on the tidal flats and along the beach, and search the bay for gulls and terns. Old Portland Road continues toward Portland for another 2 miles, eventually coming to Sunset Lake (look for loons, grebes, and diving ducks here). However, the road is rutted and rough, so drive with caution. The salt cedars along Old Portland Road are worth checking in migration for landbirds.
CTC 074: Fred Jones Nature Sanctuary
Season: Migration
Return to TX 35 / US 181 and continue north to Portland. Exit at Moore Avenue (FM 893), and turn left (west). Travel on FM 893 west approximately 6 miles until reaching CR 69E. Turn left on CR 69E, and continue for approximately 0.5 mile until reaching the Fred Jones Nature Sanctuary (on your left). Park along CR 69E, and enter.
This sanctuary, owned and managed by the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi, is well worth the sidetrip during migration. Situated on the upper reaches of Nueces Bay, and well vegetated with native brush (mesquite, blackbrush acacia, brasil, agarita, Texas olive), this tiny site is an oasis in the middle of miles and miles of barren agricultural fields. Landbirds crossing the bay are naturally drawn to this spot, and the selection of vireos and warblers here in spring may be sizable. Donations are requested.
CTC 075: Nueces River Park
Season: Winter, Migration
FM 893 continues west until reaching FM 1074. Turn right on FM 1074 (eventually north), and continue to the intersection with FM 631. Turn left (west) on FM 631, and continue to the intersection with US 77 in Odem. Turn left (south) on US 77, and return to I-37. Take I-37 east toward Corpus Christi, and exit at Nueces River Park. The riparian woodlands along the river here attract migrant landbirds in spring, and kingfishers (Belted) often perch on low-slung branches over the water.
CTC 076: Hilltop Community Center
Season: All Seasons
Continue east on I-37 and exit at Violet Road. Turn right (south) on Violet, and continue to the intersection with Leopard Street. Turn right (west) on Leopard, and drive a short distance to the Hilltop Community Center (on your left). The nature trail here traverses native brush habitat, so search for migrants as well as for residents (Groove-billed Ani, Pyrrhuloxia, Olive Sparrow). Walk along the creek and look for a variety of sparrows in winter (Swamp, Lincoln's), and listen in late spring for the incessant "chick three beers" song of the White-eyed Vireo.
CTC 077: Pollywog Pond
Season: All Seasons
Return east on Leopard Street to Violet Road, and turn left (north). Cross I-37 and continue to Up River Road. Turn left (west) on Up River Road, and travel a short distance (approximately 2 miles) to Pollywog Pond (marked by the sign on your right). Used by the water department as settlement ponds, this collection of lakes and pools provides habitat for a rich assortment of waterfowl (Black-bellied Whistling-Duck). Look for Least Grebe here, as well as Least Bitterns in the summer. The willows that line the ponds attract migrants (as well as White-winged Doves and Great Kiskadee), and Groove-billed Ani is often seen here in the low scrub. Tule Lake (off the 7200 block of Up River Rd. ) is often worth checking for waterbirds as well.
CTC 078: Hazel Bazemore County Park
Season: Winter, Migration
Continue west on Up River Road to US 77. Continue west on Up River Road (which becomes FM 624 at US 77) to the sign marking the entrance to Hazel Bazemore County Park. Ask for a map and bird checklist as you enter the park. Hazel Bazemore County Park is renowned for its hawk migration in September and October. Tens of thousands (at times perhaps hundreds of thousands) of Broad-winged Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Mississippi Kites, and accipiters pass along the Nueces River and through the park each year, and birders from around the world travel here to witness the display. Hawks will migrate on the first cold fronts of the fall (arriving this far south in late September and early October), so watch the weather reports. The nature trail here is also worth checking for Olive Sparrow, Groove-billed Ani, and Long-billed Thrasher, and search the ponds for rails and waterfowl.
