Birding at Port Aransas, After the Hurricane

The news reports said that over four hundred whooping cranes, (a record number with sixty-five young), arrived at Texas this year, and that they are expanding their territory. So, when we read that two were now feeding in the marshes at Port Aransas, on Mustang Island, we knew we needed to take a birding trip.

The hurricane had devastated the Port, but we were pleased to see how much had been restored. Crossing the ferry, we turned into the access to Charlies Pasture only to find that the road was closed. There wasn’t any parking so turning around, we headed to another of our favorites, the Leona Turnbill Birding area.

The boardwalk had been destroyed but a group, (flock), of other birders crowded the one small piece that still remained’ Two had set up their spotting scopes and invited us to look at a black necked stilt and an immature white ibis. Meanwhile a beautiful green heron stood nearby, and a nutria chewed on marsh grass.

Common yellowthroats were everywhere, and a yellow romped warbler posed in the brush, letting us take a brief image.

An osprey was perching on one of the remaining post and it took off hunting for a fresh meal.

It made several dives and finally catching a large mullet. It was a huge fish, and the osprey labored to fly back to its feeding spot.

An alligator’s nose peered out from the reeds looking to see if one of the birders were close enough for a meal, but we all remained safely on the walkway.

An adult bittern hunted for a lizard, and the usually reticent bird put on quite a show (you can see the birds eye swiveled forward in the first image and the second image shows a lizard impaled on its beak, blurry).

Northern shoveler’s, great blue herons, snowy egrets, and a common gallinule rounded out the birding.

We never did see the whoopers, even after two different people gave us directions. Still the bittern had made our day, it wasn’t a new bird, but it still had posed in such an open place!

Later we drove to one of our favorite restaurants, Virginia's, and as usual had excellent meal of fish and shrimp. From there it was a short drive to the south Jetty. There wasn’t much being caught but a huge flock of black skimmers rested in and next to a shallow pond.

While there is so much work to be done we were happy to see so many places open! The people of Port A, and all the surrounding areas still need help and one of the best way to help is to visit and spend  some money. The birding is certainly worth the trip!  Clear skies

ps That evening, next to the rv park, a flock of black bellied whistling ducks flew in to their nightly roost and I was able to catch them perching high up in an oak tree. Have you ever seen ducks in a tree?