South Padre Island

Ocean winds rocked me awake. I drove out to the park road to beach comb, but didn't find anything that I hadn't seen on North Padre Island two days ago. Just my luck that again the skies were overcast.

Park Road 100 ends seven miles from the edge of town. RVs were already parked along the shoulders. A lone coyote ran across the road. A sign warned visitors to watch for drifting sand. Would my van still be there if I parked off the road, or would it be hidden under a sand drift?

I needed to see the island like this, in her hidden beauty and away from the annoying crowds. I can now see why so many come to South Padre Island. My first bad impression of this place from last night was washed away this morning. Now I understand why there are so many hotels, cheap t-shirt shops with Chinese goods, and the many eateries. That's because this region attracts everyone, even the birders.

The National Birding Center is building a new location next to the city's conference center on the town's north edge. A boardwalk is there now, warning visitors to not feed the alligators, etc. I walked out on the 1500' pier and saw professional birders in action, people with 600mm lenses, expensive binos with attached shoulder harnesses...some of the camera lenses made my 300mm lens feel subpar, like a man with a small penis in a sauna. I couldn't compete with some of these pros!

"Look, there's a rail in the reeds!" told me one enthusiastic birder.

"Where?!" I replied back, feigning excitement. What the hell does a [clapper]rail look like? I asked myself. I saw the little wader, it looked no different than the many other waders I've seen this week.

I stayed on SPI until 11am and then drove back to Atascosa NWR. I didn't spend enough time there yesterday and knew that place was a haven for birders. I wanted to see the place in the daylight.

And I struck it rich this time. I stayed at the visitor's center for a while, watching Green Jays feeding off of bread crumbs some visitors had dropped for them. A couple from Nebraska, here for the first time wintering, are convinced they will be back next year when the condos they are looking at will be completed. "It's only $1000 a month" said the husband. They didn't even look a day over 50.

Today I took my time around the refuge, walking the Paisano Trail, a 1.5 mile formerly gunnery trail of WWII. The pavement was still very visible but it was heavily overgrown. Later down the auto route I walked the longer Blamco Mara trail. I saw not a bird until the end, when I surprised a crested caracara in the middle of the trail. A few osprey were in the distance, chowing down on their catch but getting harrassed by hering gulls.

The trail went along a wetland toward Laguna Madre and back, but other than a few hawks there wasn't much to see bird wise. I did the walk more for exercise. There was no soul near me.

Back at the visitor's center I watched cardinals eat seeds with red-winged blackbirds and Green Jays, all eating away in peace until a flock of chachalacas, or Mexican chickens, flew down to take over the feeder. All the smaller birds immediately gave way to the bigger birds. At another bird blind I watched golden-rod woodpeckers feed along with Green Jays and morning doves.

It was a pleasant day outdoor, and an especially nice day for birding.