In Texas City, the dike and Galveston Island form a two square mile expanse of waist-deep water. The winds are steady, perfect for beginners. And there’s a nice beach and grassy area for spectators.

The Houston Kiteboarding shop is your source for rentals and lessons. They rent equipment for kiteboarding, kitesurfing, hydrofoil, and efoil and offer private and group lessons for all levels of experience.

524 9th Ave N, Texas City, TX 77590

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Locations & Schedule
R.A. Apffel East Beach Park (1923 Boddecker Drive, Galveston, TX 77550)

11:00 am – 11:45 am

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

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Thousands of birds take wing to our island each spring during an arduous northward migration across the Gulf from Central and South America. And hundreds of tourists and neighbors follow suit to see more than 200 species of brightly-colored birds strut their stuff around our hometown – a prime location along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail.

FeatherFest is a fun four days of excellent birding and nature photography field trips. Make plans to enjoy spring migration on Galveston Island at FeatherFest. This event is scheduled annually in April

Click Here to Register

Galveston Island is one of the top locations in the country for birding. It has a rich variety of habitats – beaches, wetlands, grasslands, woods, ponds, and bays – in a small area that are home to many common year-round species, as well as numerous others that visit briefly or for part of the year.

Birds visit en-route from and to Central and South America, north in the spring, south in the fall. Most pass through after stopping for food, water and rest, as very few spend their summers on the Island and breed locally. While Galveston is on the western edge of the Gulf of Mexico, it is in the epicenter of the spring migration, as trade winds bring them right to our doorstep.

The Island is also an important wintering ground for numerous species that spend most of the year farther north. More than 300 bird species may be seen throughout the year somewhere on the Island. During FeatherFest, over 200 species are typical, such as common year-round birds, spring migrants and late wintering birds.

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Are you interested in learning how to dive? We have you covered! Are you an experienced diver? We have you covered! Our team has the skills and qualifications to help you out with classes from open water to instructor, including specialties and spearfishing.

Heading out to one of the local lakes for a day of diving? Maybe even offshore? Or to a fantastic dive vacation? We have you covered! We carry a full stock of rental BCDs, regulators, computers, wetsuits, lights and more.

We offer a fantastic selection of spear fishing equipment, masks, fins, wetsuits, buoyancy compensation devices, regulators, dive slates, dive computers, and other SCUBA/snorkeling equipment.

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Texas Children in Nature Network (TCiNN) is a grassroots network of over 500 partner organizations and individuals dedicated to connecting children and families with nature in Texas to be healthier, happier and smarter. Our eight regional collaboratives across the state work directly with local communities to fulfill our mission through community outreach and engagement, nature-based programming, and special initiatives. Resources, ideas and strategies are leveraged and shared across the network.

The mission of Texas Children in Nature Network is to ensure equitable access and connection to nature for all children in Texas.

Please contact the state coordinator, Sarah Coles at scoles@texaschildreninnature.org

Mailing Address:

PO Box 492

Manchaca, TX 78652

The Lone Star Coastal Alliance is a proud partner of the Texas Children in Nature Network

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Register online https://www.artistboat.org/spring-eco-camps/

Explore!
Explore the wetland environment around Galveston Bay in a human-powered vessel and on nature walks! Learn to kayak with American Canoe Association’s QuickStart Skills: rescue skills, how to handle the weather, trip planning, and more. Learn how to seine and practice different fishing techniques such as cast netting and crabbing.

Create!
Learn hand-building in clay, watercolor painting, sketching, acrylic painting, and crafting with natural objects found in nature. Every camper will walk away with a clay sculpture, canvas painting, fish print art, and a nature journal at the end of the week.

Observe!
Study the fascinating native creatures through wildlife talks, skull studies, bug hunts, microscopes, and oyster and sea star dissections!

Session is limited to 10 campers for these week-long camps

$350 per week

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Enjoy a tranquil kayak tour on an adventure through the Coastal Heritage Preserve. Experience an exclusive area on Galveston Island. Spot wildlife! Identify native plants and taste saltwort! View our calendar for scheduled dates and register online at www.artistboat.org/public-kayak-registration

Duration: 4 Hours

All Adventures include tandem kayak, lifejacket, paddles, and guided instruction.

Registration Requirements:

If you are late for an adventure or do not cancel at least 24 hours in advance, you forfeit your adventure. There are no refunds.

Registration closes one hour before a scheduled adventure. Payment is required at time of booking.

Address and cell phone are required for your booking contact.

Pregnant women may not participate in a kayak adventure.

Age Policy:

Children must be at least 7 years old to participate in this adventure. An adult from the same party is required in the kayak with each child under 13 years of age. Adults with young children should expect to do all of the paddling. If children are under 50 pounds you must provide a Coast Guard Certified Personal Flotation Device.

Children 16 years or older may attend without an adult present as long as a parent or guardian signs the waiver and medical release.

WHAT TO BRING:

– Sturdy shoes such as boots or sneakers or sandals with an ankle strap. Your feet will get wet and muddy.

– Long pants and a light long-sleeve shirt are recommended but not required

– Drinking water, lunch, and snacks

– A hat, bug spray, sunscreen, and sunglasses

– Plastic bag for trash.  We are not allowed to leave food debris in our trashcan.  It is carry in – carry out.

– A dry bag is recommended if you plan on carrying a cell phone or camera on the kayak.

WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR:

– Cold or hot weather.  Be prepared with clothes that will keep you warm or cool. Dressing in layers is often a good idea. You will get wet.

– Wild animals. There are fire ants and bees out at the Preserve. We’ve never had any issues with them, but be on the lookout and take appropriate precautions.

– Maintain physical distance (6 feet) from the Artist Boat employee and other participants at all times.

Arrival Policy: Check-in begins 15 minutes prior to the time of the adventure. Instruction begins at the time indicated on your itinerary, and is required to participate in the adventure. If you arrive late and miss the instruction session it is considered a late cancellation and no reschedule is permitted. There are no refunds.

Reschedule Policy: There is a $7.50 processing fee for reschedules. Reschedules must be done at least 24 hours in advance of check-in time.

Cancellation Policy:

Early Cancellation – Call our office at least 24 hours in advance of check-in time. You may choose to reschedule or get a refund. In either case there is a $7.50 processing fee.

Late Cancellation – If you cancel within 24 hours of the adventure you will forfeit the refund and there is no raincheck. In consideration of our other customers we do not wait on you if you are late, and it is considered a late cancellation.

If We Cancel – We kayak rain or shine. It is a rare occurrence to cancel, but we will not kayak in unsafe conditions. Adventures will be cancelled at the kayak site ONLY at the time of check-in as weather may be inclement at one site but not another. In this case, rain checks are issued and are valid forever. There are no refunds.

13330 Settegast Rd, Galveston, TX 77554

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The vision of Sea Star Base Galveston (SSBG) is to create a place where through high adventure at the edge of, and on the water, all people, especially youth, have an opportunity for growth and discovery of their duty to God and Country, others, and themselves.  This aquatic community base will be a launching point from which many will enjoy on-the-water programs for the very first time, while others will find a means to reclaim their sense of independence.  Still, others will discover lifelong hobbies or even their vocation.  The various components of SSBG will work together, just like the parts of a sailboat, to support this course of discovery.

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide marine, maritime, and aquatics-based education programs which instill lifetime leadership and teamwork skills while fostering independence of mind, body, and spirit.

OBJECTIVES

SSBG will fulfill the Vision to become the Gulf Coast Area’s premier location through and for the following programs:
The Education and Training programs provide lifelong learning of youth and community sailing instruction as officially sanctioned by the U.S. Sailing Community Center. The Education and Training programs will also introduce, promote, and provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math instruction via our STEM-to-Stern on-the-water program. Additional Education and Training programs include kayaking, swimming; and fishing. Lastly, SSBG sponsors camps for children ages 8-18 that offer the aforementioned programs.
The Special Needs program will serve all individuals and families in need of various types of support.  Support may include physical, emotional, or monetary with an emphasis in on the water programs. Programs include all the Education and Training programs identified above as well as adaptive sports for those with physical disabilities.
Events include a host of indoor and outdoor-related activities designed to meet any need. Events include, but are not limited to, leadership off-sites, conferences, retreats, team building, weddings, family or school reunions, birthday parties, regattas, aquatic sports, volleyball, swimming, concerts, private cruises, and banquets, to name a few.

This shared-use facility on the water’s edge will serve as a community gathering place for learning and the celebration of life.

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Welcome to the Big Slough Auto Tour at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge  

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

There is parking at each tour stop so you can pull off to enjoy it. This 7-1/2 mile loop usually takes about 1-1/2 hours to drive. On this auto tour you will see managed wetland areas and the wide variety of wildlife supported by them. Throughout the tour, look skyward periodically. You may see refuge residents such as red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, and vultures.

STOP #1 – Discovery Center and Information Pavilion

The islands in the parking lot contain many native plants from across Texas. Behind the pavilion lies the butterfly garden and boardwalk. The garden is designed to attract some of the 110 species that have been recorded in Brazoria County. The water beneath the boardwalk is part of the Big Slough. It’s excellent habitat for herons, wading birds, and migratory waterfowl.

STOP #2 – Big Slough at Picnic Shelter

The Big Slough is a 20-mile freshwater lifeline through the prairie and marsh area that surrounds you. A slough is an extinct alluvial stream with slow moving water. You’ll come near Big Slough several times during the tour.

STOP #3 – Olney Pond

Olney Pond is a managed freshwater wetland. It grows stands of millet that attract and support thousands of snow geese and ducks. Water flows into the pond through a complex system of ditches and water control structures, used to hold and release water. Ditches along the road contain thousands of organisms, which provide large quantities of protein essential in the diets of ducks and shorebirds.

STOP #4 – Crosstrails Area-Fresh Water Marsh

Lots of different species feed and coexist here such as blue-winged teal, northern shovelers, and mottled ducks. You’ll see shorebirds like black-necked stilts and yellowlegs. Wading birds such as ibis and snowy egrets also feed here. On the other side of the road, you’ll see salt marsh. So, you are sitting between two different habitats existing side by side.

STOP #5 – Salt Marsh Observation Deck

Almost all marine organisms owe their existence to areas fed by both salty and fresh water. These “estuaries” are among the most fertile areas on earth.  Estuaries are nurseries for young shrimp, crabs, crustaceans, and fish. Stands of smooth cordgrass serve as home to snails, clams, and crabs. Bird residents include rails, marsh wrens, mottled ducks, blue-winged teal, bitterns, herons, and red-winged blackbirds. Large areas of the Gulf Coast bays, called mud flats, are covered by just a few inches of water at low tides. When the water is high, herons, spoonbills, and cormorants gather here. When the tide is out, the neighborhood changes! The mud flats are exposed and become feeding habitat for shore birds such as willets, long-billed curlews, and long-billed dowitchers.

STOP #6- Fly-In Café at Rogers Pond

Rogers Pond is another managed wetland. It was constructed to collect rainfall and provide freshwater habitat amidst a salty environment. Rogers Pond supports up to 10,000 ducks during the winter, and 10,000 shorebirds during the spring and fall migrations. During the summer, thousands of wading birds such as herons, egrets, and wood storks visit the pond.

STOP #7 – Mosquito Crossing

This is a good place to find out more about Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge is one of six national wildlife refuges within the same ecosystem region. It is the guardian of precious coastal prairie and a haven to more than 300 bird species. The Refuge protects one of the last remaining significant coastal prairie areas in Texas, with more than 5,000 acres of native bluestem.

STOP #8 – North Side of Crosstrails

The Texas coast is noted for fishing and the Refuge provides several saltwater fishing opportunities. The Bastrop Bayou public fishing area, open 24-hours a day to fishing and crabbing, offers a universally accessible lighted fishing pier with lights that attract fish. It also has bank fishing pull-offs and a restroom. The Clay Banks public fishing area, open for daylight use only, has access on Bastrop Bayou for bank fishing. The Salt Lake Public Fishing area provides handicap-accessible bank fishing and a non-motorized boat launch.

STOP #9 – Teal Pond

Teal Pond is a showcase for wintering waterfowl. Under the right conditions, the pond will grow stands of millet. Snow geese need to eat grit (gravel) to aid digestion and are attracted to the west shoreline where a grit pad is located. The Refuge and the rest of the Texas Gulf Coast are the primary wintering areas for most of the Central Flyway waterfowl. Flyways are the routes waterfowl follow from their northern nesting grounds to their southern wintering areas and back. Snow geese, along with smaller populations of Canada and white-fronted geese, usually reach peak numbers of 50,000 on the Refuge during December and January.

STOP #10 – Alligator Watch

This part of Big Slough is an alligator magnet because it is one of the last areas to dry up in a drought. The once endangered American alligator is the largest of all members of the crocodile family in North America. It has a large body with thick limbs, a broad head, and an extremely muscular tail to propel itself powerfully through water.

STOP #11 – Teal Pond Viewing Platform

The trail and platform here are easily accessible.  . You may see hawks, harriers, kestrels, and white-tailed kites.  Both Teal and Olney Ponds are managed for similar reasons. Good water levels are kept during the winter for geese and ducks. They are drawn down in the spring for shorebird migration. Then the ponds are drained in the summer for millet germination. In the fall, the Refuge starts to re-flood the ponds for shorebird migration. Filling continues in the late fall for the ducks and geese. Then the cycle starts over again!

STOP #12 – Big Slough Deep Water

Ruddy ducks and grebes are often found in the large opening in Big Slough where the water is deep. As you see birds feeding, notice their bills are different. Shovelers use their large bills to strain the water for aquatic organisms. The gadwalls and pintails tip forward to feed on the bottom of shallow pools. Ruddy ducks dive into the deep water to feed on bottom plants. The long up-curved bill of avocets helps sweep and probe the mud for crustaceans. Ibises and spoonbills have their own unique bills for probing. Spoonbills feed on small aquatic creatures that they catch by wading as they swing their big, opened bills from side to side. American pelicans feed by scooping up fish in their bills as they swim on the surface.

STOP #13 – Big Slough Turn to the Platform

In 1857, a shipping canal was created from Galveston to the Brazos River, which was used to transport people and goods in and out of the Brazoria area. In 1913, the canal was modernized but was later abandoned for the present-day Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

STOP #14 – Refuge Management Practices

About 62 percent of the Refuge is wetlands. Saltwater and freshwater marshes and prairie potholes are examples of wetlands. Coastal wetlands are important because marshes provide habitat and a refueling place for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The broad fringe of plants absorbs the energy of waves to stop shoreline erosion. The fine sediments and roots in the wetlands absorb or detoxify chemical contaminants. They are also great places to enjoy the wonderful combination of sun, sky, water, plants, and wildlife.

More than a million acres of Texas coastal wetlands have been lost in the last century. To combat this loss, the Refuge management activities have focused on protecting and enhancing wetlands, restoring former wetlands, and creating new ones.

Water levels are managed through dikes and water control structures, and provide feeding and resting areas for waterfowl. Herbicides control unwanted plants that compete with native plants. Removing exotic plants helps maintain natural diversity and renews native plants. Prescribed or controlled burns reduce plant litter, retard brushy plant intrusion, reduce the threat of wildfire, and improve access to the roots for waterfowl.

Safety Tips

• Refuge open sunrise to sunset
• Please do not feed the wildlife
• Pets must be leashed
• Watch for alligators and poisonous snakes
• No firearms permitted
• No off road vehicle use
• Please do not litter
• Fishing in designated areas only

The NWRS is the world’s largest and most unique network of lands and waters set aside specifically for conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first refuge, 3-acre Pelican Island Bird Reservation, in Florida. Today the system contains more than 540 units spread over nearly 94 million acres.

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San Luis Pass County Park
Here you have a great view of San Luis Pass and the sand flats are often littered with small flocks of gulls and terns. Northern Gannets often venture into swift waters of San Luis Pass to fish. Scope the nearshore waters in summer and fall for Magnificent Frigate birds. Please stay clear of the dunes as they represent a fragile ecosystem (and home to many rattlesnakes).
This is a 15-acre bay park with both day-use amenities and overnight facilities. San Luis Pass County Park features paved full-service RV spots, cabins, a climate-controlled meeting room with kitchenette, interpretive center, pavilion, restrooms, a playground, fish cleaning stations, paved parking, and a boat launch.
Natural attractions include bay fishing from the park, boating, bird watching, nature viewing, and beach combing in addition to shelling on nearby beaches.
14001 County Road 257, Freeport, TX 77541. Day-use Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. – dusk. An entrance fee may be required.

Christmas Bay
Spot Great Blue Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Royal Terns and other shorebirds in this bay. Rafts of Redheads often crowd Christmas Bay in winter, and Wilson’s Plovers and Horned Larks nest in the dunes along the shore. This is a good spot to scope for winter ducks in the bay and Marbled Godwit flocks on the reefs.
Christmas Bay has extensive oyster reefs and salt marsh ideal for fishing, bird watching or enjoying nature. It is very shallow and great for kayaks; most paddlers can comfortably stand in its waters in most areas. If you wade fish wear ray-proof wading boots or shuffle your feet to avoid a stingray strike. The trail length is 19.1 miles and there is a 3.8-mile route and a 10.3-mile route. Launch sites are along Bluewater Highway between Surfside Beach and San Luis Pass on County Roads 257J, 257S, and at San Luis Pass County Park.

Surfside Beach
You can drive the beach from any of the public access roads off of Bluewater Highway but an annual beach pass is required when you get to Surfside Beach. Gulls, terns, and shorebirds congregate in this area and Red Knots are often seen along this beach in migration. The near-shore waters are regularly jammed with Brown Pelicans diving amongst the schools of menhaden, and rafts of sea ducks may drift close enough to the shore to allow a close inspection. In winter, Northern Gannets can sometimes be seen fishing offshore from the beach.

Surfside Bird and Butterfly Trail
This is a great place to spot butterflies, herons, pelicans, egrets, terns and more. The Surfside Bird & Butterfly Trail is 2.5 miles surrounded by native plants and woodland and bordered by the Freeport Harbor. Entrance is located at the corner of Parkview and Monument Drive near Surfside Beach City Hall.

Surfside Jetty County Park
The Surfside Jetty is an easy place to go birding or saltwater fishing. It is more than half a mile long with a flat surface walkway about five feet above the water. It is the Freeport Harbor’s east jetty and extends approximately 6/10 of a mile into the Gulf of Mexico.
Scoters and mergansers may drift into these relatively calm waters around the jetty to feed. See flocks of gulls feed behind the shrimp boats in the harbor and check the rocks for rare shorebirds. A Purple Sandpiper sighting is always possible in winter.
The park has a paved parking area with easy access to the beach, harbor channel and jetty, a playground, and restroom facilities. It is located at 101 Parkview Road in Surfside.

For more information contact Brazosport Convention & Visitors Council
(979) 285-2501
www.visitbrazosport.com

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From FM 521 and FM 1095, take FM 1095 south toward Collegeport and its intersection with Brazos Tower Road. Turn left (south) on Brazos Tower Road, and then left (east) on A-P Ranch Road. After 2 miles the gate marks the entrances to both Mad Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA), managed by TPWD, and The Clive Runnells Family Mad Island Marsh Preserve, managed by The Nature Conservancy of Texas (TNCT). Both of these sites are closed to the public, although access may be arranged through the managing agencies and organizations on special occasions. In addition to seasonal public trips into these properties, Mad Island Marsh CBC is conducted each year in December or on volunteer workdays. Contact TPWD or TNCT if you wish to participate.

Mad Island Marsh Preserve, The Nature Conservancy of Texas
(361) 972-2559

Mad Island WMA
(979) 323-9579

Oyster Lake Road
This site is open for day use only.
From the interception of A-P Ranch Road and Brazos Tower Road, continue west on Franzen Road. Turn south onto Oyster Lake Road.

Oyster Lake Road continues toward Matagorda Bay for several miles as a gravel road. During most weather conditions this road is passable, but be cautious during heavy rain. Oyster Lake Road travels through an extensive salt marsh, and in winter many species such as Clapper Rail, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, and Seaside Sparrow may be found along the roadside. Scan the islands along the bayshore for American Oystercatcher, and watch for bay ducks such as Redhead, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Red-breasted Merganser. In migration the scrubby trees along the roadside may be swarming with migrants, and always remember to watch overhead for raptors and swallows. The rice fields that border the northern section of Oyster Lake Road (as well as along Franzen Road) may be packed in spring with migrant shorebirds such as American Golden-Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Baird’s Sandpiper, and White-rumped Sandpiper. Both Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes are ubiquitous in winter, and remember to examine each Snow Goose flock for Ross’s. As you return to Brazos Tower Road, you may wish to continue west toward Collegeport. Park at the end of the pavement and search the bay for loons, grebes, and ducks.

Cash’s Creek
This site is open for day use only.

Return to the intersection of FM 1095 and FM 521, go west on FM 521 to FM 2853, then take FM 2853 south.

The agricultural fields in this region of Texas (particularly rice) attract many cranes, geese, and ducks each winter. Check the Snow Goose flocks carefully; Ross’s Goose is an increasingly common winter visitor to this region. Cash’s Creek crosses FM 2853, and the freshwater marshes along the creek can be viewed from the shoulder of the bridge. Cliff Swallows nest under the bridge in the summer. Search the grasslands along FM 2853 for raptors, including White-tailed Hawk.

Bayshore Drive
This site is open for day use only.
From Cash’s Creek Bridge proceed on FM 2853 1.3 miles south to Bayshore Drive (which parallels Tres Palacios Bay to Business 35/1st Street).

The drive offers an opportunity to inspect Tres Palacios Bay and the bordering marshes for a variety of waterbirds. Look for Common Loon, Eared Grebe, and a selection of diving ducks such as Redhead, Common Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Merganser. The three species of scoters, as well as rarities such as Pacific Loon and Oldsquaw, are always a possibility in the winter.

Trull Marsh
This site is open for day use only.
This site extends for two blocks north of the intersection of Business 35 and Bayshore Drive, with Trull Marsh on the west and Brookings on the east of Business 35/1st Street.

With the water beginning where the highway shoulder ends, ducks often dabble within a few feet of the cars that whiz by. Ducks such as Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, and Bufflehead and shorebirds such as Black-necked Stilt (nesting), Greater Yellowlegs, and Long-billed Dowitcher crowd the shallow lagoons. The observation deck at Trull Marsh offer birders views of herons, egrets, ibis, shorebirds, and waterfowl.

Palacios Waterfront and Texas Baptist Encampment
This site is open for day use only.

The Texas Baptist Encampment is situated on a point of land (Hamilton’s Point) near the conjunction of East and South Bay boulevards, and may be reached by continuing south three blocks on Business 35 from Trull Marsh and turning left on East Bay Boulevard.

Park along Bay Drive near the fishing pier, and search Tres Palacios Bay for loons, grebes, pelicans, ducks (Common Goldeneye), gulls, and terns. Combined with Bayshore Drive, and Lookout Point, the time invested here in scouring the bay for waterbirds should be well rewarded.

Lookout Point
This site is open for day use only.
Proceed west on Business 35 past the turning basins, then turn left (south) on Margerum Road toward Tres Palacios Bay.

Park at the end of Margerum Road and scan the bay for waterbirds (as with the previous two sites). In addition, pay close attention to the various gulls that congregate around the fishing boats docked in the harbor. Bonaparte’s, Laughing, Ring-billed, and Herring are to be expected in winter, but each year a few oddities find their way to the coast as well.

Palacios Marine Education Center Nature Trail
This site is open for day use only.
From the intersection of Margerum Road and Business 35, drive west 0.6 miles to Camp Hulen Road and go south 0.7 miles to the entrance gate. Park in the visitor’s parking lot, and walk the nature trail beginning to the left of the pier.

At times in spring the scrub along the trail may be alive with migrant vireos, warblers, buntings, and orioles. Check the pond for wading birds such as herons, egrets, and waterbirds. In the marsh around the observation deck you should find Clapper Rail, Seaside Sparrow, and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow (winter).

Perry R. Bass State Marine Fisheries Research Station
This site is open for day use only.
Go west on TX 35 from Palacios for 7.5 miles, then turn left (south) for 5.5 miles on FM 3280 to the Perry R. Bass State Marine Fisheries Research Station.

Examine the prairies and marshes along FM 3280 for a variety of coastal grassland species such as Northern Harrier, Sandhill Crane, and Short-eared Owl (in winter), and scan the Gulf at the end of the road for loons, grebes, ducks, gulls, and terns. Shorebirds, such as Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling, may be seen along the beach. During migration, the hedge and fence rows may be lined with migrants such as Eastern and Western kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Dickcissel.

Olivia / Port Alto
This site is open for day use only.
Continue west on TX 35 to Carancahua Bay. Park at the boat ramp, and search the bay for ducks (Redhead, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser) and perhaps an Osprey or two. Although not a major stop on the trail, the bay always has the potential to produce a surprise! Continue west on TX 35 to the intersection with TX 172; turn south on TX 172 toward Port Alto and Olivia. From the end of TX 172 south in Olivia, scour Keller Bay for loons, grebes, and bay ducks, and search the adjacent marshes for rails and shore birds. Travel east from Oliva on CR 314 toward Carancahua Bay and Port Alto. This road transects thickets of Tamaulipan scrub that may be teeming with warblers during a spring fallout. Along this road you may also hear the skylark song of the Cassin’s Sparrow (summer only). Eventually you will reach the western shore of Carancahua Bay. Scan the bay for waterbirds, and at low tide, shorebirds. Turn north and take M. Johnson Ave. toward Port Alto. The scrub along this road is home to both Bewick’s Wren and Curve-billed Thrasher, South Texas species that rarely range farther north along the coast. Return to TX 172 on Spur 159, checking the fields for Sandhill Cranes in winter and grassland shorebirds in spring.

Formosa-Tejano Wetlands
This site is open for day use only.
Returning to the intersection of TX 35 and TX 172, travel north on TX 172 toward Ganado. Continue north 6.9 miles to the gate (left) of the Formosa-Tejano Wetlands.

This 245-acre site, already a popular fieldtrip venue with local school groups, is owned by Formosa Plastics Corp. There are several distinct habitats including ponds, permanent wetlands, and coastal prairie, plus woodlands that attract neotropical migrants. During fall and winter, increased water depths are maintained for the numerous ducks, geese, large waders, and shorebirds that winter here. The site is divided into six units, four of which are west of TX 172. The northernmost of the western four is adjacent to a 100-acre reservoir that provides habitat for American White Pelicans, Wood Storks, diving ducks, and other waterbirds. Parking is available at the north end of the sites west of TX 172 and the south end of the two sites east of TX 172.

For more information contact:

Palacios Chamber of Commerce
(361) 972-2615
www.palacioschamber.com

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