VanOrman Roadtrips: Birding Mecca for North American Birders

The Rockport and Fulton area has gained a reputation as one of the best destinations for birders in North America. It has a great mixture of habitats which produces exceptional bird diversity. A good winter day can produce over 100 species. We started at Rockport Beach Park ($5.00/person admission) and found it almost deserted due to the weather. Laughing Gulls, of course, mobbed a car whose inhabitants threw out some chips. Several hundred Black Skimmers sat near the beach and possibly 500 avocets loafed close to shore on Aransas Bay. A few large waders worked Little Bay but for the most part the park was disappointing for such a usually productive park.

I decided to drive the short distance to the Lamar Peninsula in hopes of seeing Whooping Cranes which I have seen there before. I talked to a birder parked along Lamar Beach Road who said several cranes had been there earlier. While waiting, I visited "The Big Tree", a 1000 year old Live Oak Tree, with a diameter of eleven feet. Yellow-rumped Warbers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Ladder-backed woodpeckers, Black-crested Titmice, and Common Ground Doves played in its branches. The Whooping Cranes never showed up, however, and we decided to call it a day. One of the better restaurants is Charlotte Plummer's Seafare Restaurant. Edie and I both ordered the Shrimp Linguini Veracruz.

In the morning we took the ferry across Redfish Bay to Port Aransas. Our first stop was the John and Scott Holt Paradise Pond. This is a small, well-hidden oasis with a freshwater pond that has a tremendous history as a "migrant trap" during April and May. Almost all birders in the spring visit this little gem daily to see what new species have dropped in overnight. They exchange information and write observations on the chalkboard found at the entry. There is signage for it but it can be tough to find. Look for the San Juan Restaurant and drive to the back. On our visit we found several birders visiting but the pond was dry although a small drip set up attracted Northern Flickers, Gray Catbirds, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

In my opinion, the best site at Port Aransas for birders and bird photographers is the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. It is next to Nueces County Water Control Facility and as you exit your vehicle you will notice a rather funky smell. A large, fairly new, birding mural painted on the side of the facility does nothing to mask the odor but the effort is appreciated. Walk through the landscape area and follow the signs to the boardwalk. You will probably run into a number of birders and photographers with big glass. The boardwalk is quite narrow so that photographers should set their tripod legs close and not impede traffic. The birds are quite tame and many ducks sleep near the boardwalk or swim under it. Because of this, it is one of the best places to bring a youngster who is getting interested in birds. Some of the birds there included both Pelicans, Black-necked Stilts, both Night Herons, and a Roseate Spoonbill. The duck list included Redheads, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.