Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, A great walk on the Heron Flats Trail, Fall 2020

 

Besides fishing we have been watching the heavy rains as cold fronts have finally reached the Coastal Bend. It has been a severe draught here and so the much-needed rain, has been really appreciated. Along with the fronts, high winds have put the kibosh on fishing and so we decided to head over to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge for a day of birding.

It is a short drive to the refuge, about forty minutes, and the road is bordered by vast expanses of cotton fields. The cotton has been picked and the fields replanted, or at least tilled and so the black soil seems to be a nearly endless expanse.

Nearing the refuge, we passed a small place called Hoopers Landing, which is basically a few buildings, including a bar, and a small rv park with two rv I once tried to talk Renita into moving there but she said she would miss me.

Reaching the refuge, we passed lots of construction as they have finally started to rebuild the park headquarters and museum. The old buildings were destroyed by the surge from Hurricane Harvey, measured at fourteen feet.

The two new buildings are huge in comparison and we hope they replace the museum as the old one was a good example of the birds, mammals, and reptiles in the wildlife refuge. We walked out on the raised platform looking for the resident alligator, but it was probably hidden in a warm area,) we never did see any alligators).

Our first stop was at the Heron Flats Trail and we spotted whooping cranes in the distance, (in the first picture you can see them as white spots just below the middle horizon near the trees).

We started to walk the rebuilt trail and it was sheltered from the wind making the hike enjoyable. There were not any alligators, but we might have been the first people of the day to walk the trail as the birds were everywhere.

Renita pointed out the great white herons, snowy egrets, a little blue heron, and a tricolor heron, (which was at one time called a Louisiana heron).

She called to me as I was in a hurry to reach the whooping cranes and she pointed out to me a belted kingfisher.

We several spotted some Roseate Spoonbills and watched as several more flew in to join the flock. An eastern phoebe, we think, displayed in a nearby bush.

Every once in a while, an opening would present itself and we would walk through the overgrowth to catch a glimpse of the whoopers.

 

As we neared them, we spotted the two adults and a mottled juvenile, which as mostly hidden in a hollow. The male whooper flew into the air and chased away several Great White Herons, which may soon be separated into a separate species from the Great Blue Herons. The male whooper is extremely aggressive as it defends its territory and family, (over a square mile in size).

After taking some more images of the whoopers we returned back down the trail and were treated to the sight of two pied billed grebes/least grebes, as one chased another who had a large baitfish in its beak.

Forster’s terns dove on a school of baitfish, when we both heard the unmistakable sound of an approaching flock of sandhill cranes, (they make a trumpeting agar’ro-ro sound that can be heard up to a mile away. They landed in a patch of marsh not far from us and seemed unconcerned as we neared them.

Our next stop was at Jones Lake and besides five deer we did see a small flock of Buffalohead ducks. The male has a large white spot and the female and the immatures have a little one.

We did not see any alligators. so we loaded up and drove to the viewing tower. There we climbed the long pathway above the treetops. There were two whooping cranes in the far distance but again they were small spots of white, (we have really good binoculars we purchased after we retired, and they allowed us to make the identification.

As we stood on the tower strong winds blew and we quickly got chilled. Before we started back down, we did see two deer below us and one paused before it jumped a small inlet. I actually caught it in midair and it is “proof’ that deer do fly, or jump anyway, (unlike pigs).

Next, we drove drown the Eleven Mile Road carefully watching our mileage as we wanted to stop at the eagles’ nest. The pair was recently photographed next to the nest. While we ate lunch we watched for them, but we never did see them make an appearance.

A US Fish and Wildlife service person did arrive and take up another spot and was also watching for the pair, (it is the first pair to have raised a eaglet in the last fifty years on the refuge).

Finishing our lunch, we decided to head back to Rockport, and we did spot a Caracara sitting with several vultures. Caracaras are strong hunters and are related to parrots and songbirds, but in our bird, book are grouped with falcons.

Arriving back home, we unpacked our gear and got ready for our happy hour group. Two new friends safely arrived, and we sat outside being careful to maintain social distance. Clear skies