Spring on the Central Texas Coast: Apr 19—24, 2009

Roseate Spoonbills— Photo: Brennan Mulrooney

This exciting new spring migration trip to the Central Texas Coast offers almost unlimited possibilities for a productive spring trip. Although the Central Coast is not as familiar to visiting birders as other areas of Texas, it is every bit as “birdy.” Many interesting habitats and birding sites are readily accessible, and because the region is still largely devoted to traditional ranching and farming activities, it has a “wilder,” less crowded feel to it. With the opening of Falcon Point Ranch, we now have a wonderful place to stay, right amidst a 6,000-acre hunting reserve fronting on San Antonio Bay opposite the vast Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The lodge is luxurious by Texas coast standards, the food is exceptional, and the sunsets over the bay are never to be forgotten.

The Texas Coast—everywhere along the Texas Coast—has long been known as one of the premier places in the world to observe bird migration. Every spring millions of birds journey north from their wintering grounds in the American Tropics to breed in the forests and tundras of North America. Many fly over the Gulf of Mexico, and if they encounter a north wind or rain, they may be put down by the thousands. Under these conditions, flocks upon flocks of shorebirds pour into the fields, marshes, and mudflats, while songbirds appear like magic in the isolated live oak “mottes” (groves). Surrounded by hundreds of square miles of coastal marsh and prairie, these small woodlands offer much-needed food and shelter to the exhausted migrants, providing some of the most exciting birding imaginable. Here birders hope for “bad weather,” to bring the birds in! This trip is timed to coincide with the peak of the spring migration, and we have a very good chance of experiencing the “fallout” phenomenon. Every day on the Texas coast in spring is exciting for birders, and even if we don’t experience a major fallout, there is always an incredible variety of birds to be seen.

The complex bay, barrier island, and marsh ecosystems of the Central Texas Coast teem with water-associated birds of a wide variety. This region harbors major nesting populations of Reddish Egret and other members of the heron family, ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, American Oystercatcher, and numerous terns. The coastal bays, mudflats, and nearby fields attract most of the North American shorebirds, while the vast marshes shelter specialties like Least Bittern, Clapper Rail, and Seaside Sparrow. Raptors are a frequent sight on the coastal prairie, including the beautiful White-tailed Hawk in its major U.S. breeding area, plus White-tailed Kite, Crested Caracara, and more familiar raptors. Woodland birds of the eastern forests reach their southern limit in this region, while a few of the South Texas birds extend their ranges northeastward to the isolated patches of brush here.

This tour is designed to provide an introduction to the rich avifauna of the Central Texas Coast. It will focus on bird migration as observed in the coastal groves and nearby coastal regions, and we will spend time carefully studying and learning the birds, as well as discussing the phenomenon of bird migration and the habitats that are so critical to the migrants. Come join us for an exciting week on the Texas coast!