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 A GORP Content Partner Adapted from Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide by Gary L. Graham |
Discover Texas Wildlife The Islands, Marshes, and Prairies of the State's Southern Gulf Coast |
his diverse region is characterized by barrier islands that parallel the coast, salt grass marshes surrounding the bays and estuaries, remnant tallgrass prairies that historically covered the uplands, oak parklands or "oak motts" scattered along the coast, and tall woodlands in the river bottomlands. Agricultural development, industry, and urbanization have contributed to the loss of much of the native habitat and the endangered status of animals such as Attwater's prairie chickens, whooping cranes, Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, and Houston toads. The level terrain ranges from sea level to 250 feet and annual rainfall varies from twenty-eight to fifty-six inches.
Matagorda IslandDescription: A wonderful place for beachcombers and bird watchers, this barrier island also is a safe haven for nineteen threatened or endangered species. During the winter, whooping cranes are present in the bayside marshes, while peregrine falcons and piping plovers are found along the coastline. Other threatened and endangered species include the brown pelican, white-faced ibis, reddish egret, white-tailed hawk, woodstork, four species of sea turtles, American alligator, and horned lizard. More than 300 bird species have been recorded for the island, including numerous species of gulls, terns, waterfowl, wading birds, and a variety of songbirds including the seaside sparrow. The island is an excellent place to view shorebirds; up to thirty-seven species gather here by the thousands during migration. Songbird migrations can be equally dramatic. The fascinating flying methods of magnificent frigatebirds, black skimmers, and black-shouldered kites are entertaining to watch. During winter, look for sandhill crane, northern harrier, and short-eared and burrowing owls on the interior grasslands. Tracks in the sand provide evidence of raccoon, badger, coyote, black-tailed jackrabbit, opossum, and feral hogs. White-tailed deer are frequently seen. Be alert for Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins while riding the ferry to the island.
Viewing Information:Viewing probability is high for shorebirds and songbirds, especially from March to May and again from July to October. Whoopers are best seen from the shuttle during winter. Viewing chances are slim for whoopers and peregrines. The probability is high most of the year for mammals (at least their signs), brown pelican, black-shouldered kite, and skimmer. During the summer, it is high for the frigate bird and moderate for the horned lizard. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages the Matagorda Island State Park. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service owns most of the island and manages the Matagorda Unit of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The tidelands are owned by the Texas General Land Office. This island has no telephone service, food, or drinking water, and private vehicles are not permitted. Guided tours are available to holders of Texas Conservation Passports.
Directions:Take Texas 185 south from Victoria to Port O'Connor. All visitor access is by chartered or private boat, or a ferry that transports visitors the eight miles from Port O'Connor to the island every weekend and during holidays. Visitors can take a shuttle from the dock to the beach.
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Ownership: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas General Land Office (512-983-2215, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)
Size: 55,393 acres
Closest Town: Port O'Connor
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Description: This national treasure is famous as the winter home of the endangered whooping crane, one of the most magnificent birds of North America. Only about 140 remain in the wild today, and over half of these occur on the refuge. This site also boasts over 800 species of plants and almost 500 land vertebrate species, including about 390 species of birds. White-tailed deer, waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds, and frogs are abundant. Alligator, western cottonmouth and other snakes, bobcat, and javelina are relatively common. Wind-shaped live oak trees, abundant wildflowers, open grasslands, and coastal communities support the exceptional wildlife diversity of this refuge and provide outstanding photographic opportunities.
Viewing Information:Most of the wildlife can be seen and photographed from the sixteen-mile auto tour loop and trails. Bobcat and javelina are most likely seen very early or late in the day. Whooping cranes use the grassy salt flats on the southeastern portion of the refuge where the viewing probability is high from November through March. These majestic birds can be watched, usually at a distance, from an observation tower on the refuge or from boat tours originating from nearby Rockport. Alligators and wading birds are easily seen along Heron Flats Trail. Songbird watching is good throughout the refuge but live oak groves are especially productive from mid-March through May when songbirds migrate. Waterfowl are observed during winter from San Antonio Bay and from the Jones Lake viewing platform, which also is a good place to see green tree frogs during warm seasons. For your safety and to protect wildlife habitats, please stay on the trails or in your car. Alligators can be dangerous and no attempt should be made to touch, harass, or feed the animals. An excellent visitor center and interpretive signs aid the viewing experience.
Directions: From U.S. 77, take either Texas 239 or FM 774 to Austwell. One mile south of Austwell, take FM 2040 for seven miles to refuge headquarters.
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Ownership: U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service (512-286-3559)
Size: 54,829 acres
Closest Town: Austwell
Goose Island State ParkDescription: This small park offers many of the bird watching opportunities and habitats found at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and Rockport. The ponds, marshes, and shores of the surrounding bays are especially good for shorebirds, rails, and other wading birds. Look for alligators in some of the ponds. Whooping cranes can occasionally be viewed from the park. The national co-champion live oak, "Big Tree," in the northern section of the park is well worth a visit.
Viewing Information: Viewing probabilities are similar to those given for Aransas and Rockport, except for cranes, which are rarely seen at this park.
Directions: Drive ten miles north of Rockport on Texas 35 to PR 13, then two miles east to park entrance.
Ownership: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (512-729-2858)
Size: 314 acres
Closest Town: Fulton
Rockport and Live Oak PeninsulaDescription: A bird watcher's heaven, with all groups of birds well represented at least part of the year. Songbirds include veery, gray-cheeked thrush, and many warblers in groves of large live oaks during spring migration. Shorebirds, terns, and gulls are common along the coastline. Wading birds are abundant all year. From October to March, waterfowl are numerous and the long-billed curlew and marbled godwit can be seen. Sandhill cranes feed in cultivated fields around the area and endangered whooping cranes can be viewed in the bays from boat tours. Other water birds and Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins are commonly seen on these tours.
Viewing Information: Birding is great from fall to spring, good in the summer. Details for species, localities, and crane viewing tours are found in a booklet available from the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (800-242-0071 in Texas). Tours of islands in the National Audubon Society Sanctuary can be arranged through the sanctuary manager (512-643-3488). There is a Hummingbird Celebration held each September. Drive the Fulton Beach Road and FM 1781 at the east end of the peninsula, plus FM 881 to the northwest, for other viewing opportunities.
Directions: Located thirty-two miles northeast of Corpus Christi on Texas 35.
Ownership: Rockport and various others (512-729-6445)
Size: About four miles by eight miles
Closest Town: Rockport
Mustang IslandDescription: Diverse and accessible habitats, coupled with a mild winter climate, create diverse bird watching opportunities at this barrier island. The Port Aransas Ferry is a good place to see Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin, brown pelican, double-crested cormorant, laughing and ring-billed gulls, and three or more species of terns. Robert's Park, adjacent to the ship channel, is another good site for viewing dolphins and the other species. Dolphins can occasionally be seen in the gulf from Mustang Island State Park, also an excellent viewing area for shorebirds and other water birds. Colonies of water birds can be viewed as they roost on Shamrock Island. Many of these same birds, along with fish and marine invertebrates, are observed at Wilson's Cut. Woody vegetation in the state park and in Port Aransas attracts migrating songbirds by the thousands from mid-March to mid-May, especially following the passage of a cold front into the gulf. Tracks of rabbits, skunks, ground squirrels, and several kinds of wild mice can be found on the dunes.
Viewing Information: Viewing probability is high for all featured species and groups. Brown pelicans are common only in summer while cormorant and ring-billed gull are common only in winter. Shamrock Island, which is private, can be viewed only from a boat. Please do not trespass and do not disturb nesting birds by approaching too closely.
Directions: Take Texas 361 to Port Aransas from either Aransas Pass to the north or from Corpus Christi, via PR 22. After departing ferry at the north end of the island, turn south on Roberts Street and follow signs to Robert's Park. Take PR 53 for fourteen miles south to Mustang Island State Park. Drive 6.5 miles south of Port Aransas airport on PR 53, turn west on shell road for one mile to a canal called Wilson's Cut. Shamrock Island is a mile north of the cut in Corpus Christi Bay.
Ownership: Various (512-749-5246, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department)
Size: 3,703 acres (Mustang Island State Park)
Closest Town: Port Aransas
Corpus ChristiDescription: Already a well-known tourist destination, Corpus Christi is becoming famous as a city for watching birds. Numerous sites offer variety in all seasons due to habitat diversity, good climate, and close proximity to the gulf and Mexico. A complete list of these sites appears in a birding brochure available from the visitors bureau. Trees in Blucher Park, in the middle of the city, offer a good spot for songbirds during spring and fall migrations. In Hans A. Suter Wildlife Area, a boardwalk over a marsh on the western shore of Oso Bay provides excellent viewing of wading birds like roseate spoonbill and black-necked stilt, pelicans, ducks, gulls, terns, shorebirds, and songbirds like groove-billed ani. Corpus Christi State University campus is popular because the grassy fields attract long-billed curlews and other shorebirds in migration; the nearby shoreline and open water attract gulls, terns, grebes, scaup, and other waterfowl; the bushes attract songbirds. Ground squirrels are common in the fields. Hummingbirds and butterflies are viewed as they forage on the flowers of plants at the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens. The walking trail, ponds, and creek here attract a variety of other birds and additional wildlife. A viewing platform is being developed to watch the diverse waterfowl, wading birds, and shorebirds at Red-head Pond.
Viewing Information: Viewing probability is high for the featured species and groups. Waterfowl are most abundant during the winter while shorebird viewing is best in March-April and July-August. A Texas Conservation Passport is required to visit Red-head Pond.
Directions: The entrance to Blucher Park is downtown three blocks south of the courthouse on the 100 block of Carrizo Street. Take Ennis Joslin Road north from Padre Island Drive (Texas 358) along the west side of Oso Bay to the intersection with Niles Drive where Hans Suter Wildlife Area is located. Continue north to Ocean Drive and turn east along the bay to the university campus. To reach the botanical gardens from Padre Island Drive, take Staples Street (FM 2244) south to Oso Creek and look for well-marked entrance. Red-head Pond is two miles southwest of Padre Island Drive on Waldron Road, then .5 mile south on Glen Oak Drive.
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Ownership: City of Corpus Christi and others (800-678-OCEAN, Visitors' Bureau)
Size: Various
Closest Town: Corpus Christi
Drum Point and Kaufer-Hubert Memorial County ParkDescription: Most of the wading birds in Texas, including white-phase reddish egrets, white pelican, and roseate spoonbill, can be viewed all year at these sites. They also harbor abundant waterfowl in the winter, including both species of scaup and two of scoter. Shorebirds on the extensive mudflats are particularly abundant and diverse during spring and summer migration. Black skimmer, black-necked stilt, Wilson's plover, and least terns nest here. Swallows migrate in vast numbers in April and September, with all North American species represented except the violet-green. Look for migrating raptors in abundance from March to April and late August to mid-October.
Viewing Information: Viewing probability for the featured groups is high during specified seasons as it is for many species within each group.
Directions: Eleven miles south of Kingsville on U.S. 77, go east on FM 628 for six miles, then north on County Road 1120 for two miles. Take County Road 2250 east two miles, then County Road 1132 north to the bluff and continue on unimproved road to shoreline and point. To reach the park, continue on FM 628 east past County Road 2250 for about two miles as it turns southeast through Loyola Beach to the park.
Ownership: Kleberg County (512-595-3312)
Size: 100-plus acres
Closest Town: Riviera
Padre Island National SeashoreDescription: One of the most picturesque, unspoiled, and biologically diverse islands along the southern coast of the United States. Although best known for its recreational opportunities, the national seashore also is one of the best places for viewing wildlife. Beaches, dunes, grasslands, ponds, marshes, and tidal flats are constantly being changed by wind, rain, and storms. As on other barrier islands, wildlife viewing opportunities vary remarkably as bird migrations ebb and flow. Waves of shorebirds and warblers in the spring and fall bring new surprises for both amateur and experienced bird watchers. There are thirty-eight species of shorebirds and thirty-two species of warblers recorded for the area. The island also is known for the migrations of peregrine falcons that peak in late September and early October. Ghost crabs scurrying to their holes in the sand, laughing gulls swirling overhead, and sandpipers skittering in front of the waves entertain kids young and old. Bird Island Basin is an excellent place to see white pelican, reddish egrets and other wading birds, and waterfowl. The grasslands are home to meadowlarks, killdeer, sandhill cranes from fall to spring, and the Padre Island kangaroo rat, an attractive mammal found nowhere else on earth. Coyotes, ground squirrels, gophers, and jackrabbits also are common. With Atlantic bottle-nosed and Atlantic spotted dolphins common in the gulf near the beach and five species of rare sea turtles, all threatened or endangered, this island offers the best chance in Texas of seeing marine wildlife from shore. It also is a joy just to watch the abundant sea oats in motion with the sea breezes.
Viewing Information: Probability of viewing featured species, except turtles, is high all year, except where seasons are given. Chances of observing turtles are low. Although the kangaroo rat may not be seen very often, its foot and tail tracks can be seen in the sand along the Grasslands Nature Trail. Hiking across the dunes is prohibited. The seashore is more than eighty miles long, but only the northern fourteen miles can be driven without a four-wheel drive vehicle.
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Directions: From Corpus Christi, drive southeast on Padre Island Drive (Texas 358) to PR 22. Cross the causeway and continue south on PR 22 for about thirteen miles to the entrance.
Ownership: National Park Service (512-937-2621)
Size: 133,918 acres
Closest Town: Corpus Christi
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
Description: The exciting possibility of viewing an ocelot is better in the wildlands here than at any other place in the United States, but even here the chances are very slim. The rare jaguarundi, uncommon mountain lion, and common bobcat, also inhabit this refuge. White-tailed deer are common. This is one of the best bird watching sites in the United States with 392 species of birds, including thousands of waterfowl in the winter, thousands of shorebirds and songbirds during spring and fall migrations, and resident Mexican specialties like the chachalaca, great kiskadee, green jay, and Couch's kingbird. Harris' and white-tailed hawks nest here and can occasionally be viewed. Butterflies, lizards, and snakes are abundant most of the year because the climate is so mild. Two self-guided auto tours, several hiking trails, and an observation area provide a variety of excellent viewing opportunities.
Viewing Information: Whereas the viewing probability is low for the cats, their tracks and scat can be found on the trails. Viewing chances are moderate for the hawks, kingbird, jay, and kiskadee. The other species and groups are easily viewed.
Directions: From Harlingen, travel about twenty-five miles east on FM 106 to Buena Vista Road, then north on Buena Vista for three miles to refuge headquarters.
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Ownership: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (512-748-3607)
Size: 45,187 acres
Closest Town: Rio Hondo
Boca Chica Beach
Description: Large tidal flats, tall sand dunes, miles of open beach, beautiful surf, and marshes characterize this site. Shorebirds can be spectacular during migration, which usually peaks in April and late July. Gulls, terns, and wading birds also are abundant and diverse, including occasional rarities. Late September is a good time to watch the fall migration of falcons.
Viewing Information: Viewing is from the road to the beach, then south on the beach to the Rio Grande. North of Texas 4 and to the west is South Bay, which is a coastal preserve with abundant wildlife watching opportunities. Viewing probability is high during stated seasons.
Directions: Take Texas 4 east from Brownsville about twenty-five miles to beach.
Ownership: Texas General Land Office (512-541-8034)
Size: Seven miles
Closest Town: Brownsville
For more wildlife viewing opportunities just to the north-east, check out
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