Unexpected Gems of the Gulf Coast
I knew Port Aransas, Texas wouldn’t have turquoise blue waters like the Caribbean, or waves you’d see on a surfer’s Instagram. At least that’s what I told myself as I prepared to spend the first half of my summer there so I wouldn’t be disappointed. However, I was determined to enjoy my time near the ocean, and I wound up finding something else to make the trip worthwhile.
On the drive there, when the Google maps ETA finally fell below one hour, concrete buildings faded and were replaced by bushes and scrubby oak trees. Then from the vegetation emerged troves of wild birds, they darted in and out of the vegetation moving in flashes of yellows, reds, browns, and oranges. The sky looked like it belonged in a BBC nature documentary on that introductory drive.
The next day we visited Port Aransas beach for the first time. We got there before school let out for the summer which meant empty beaches, clear parking lots, and more birds than people. The sanderlings were some of my favorites to watch during this time, they seemed to enjoy the empty beaches. Their tiny black legs would scamper back and forth with the waves, while their eyes darted around to scan for food. The sanderlings were also accompanied by ruddy turnstones, the occasional willet, and seagulls of course, all living out their lives on the beach.
Then, in the skies, were the brown pelicans — a staple of the Gulf Coast. They seemed unbothered by noisy seagulls and rowdy humans, flying high above the beach and venturing far out over the water, occasionally swooping in after a fish. They’re a common sight, but I always pulled out my binoculars when I saw one.
Even away from the coast, there was an abundance of birds present. Our house was across the bay and a few miles inland, but there was a pond less than 50 yards from our back porch that was filled with life. There were always herons and egrets there, one great blue heron in particular put on a spectacular show. He stood motionless on the edge of the pond, focused on the water he snatched a four-foot water snake with his beak and whipped it around like a dog with a rope toy. While this happened, my fiancé and I spent the next 15 minutes passing my binoculars back and forth, watching the heron smack the snake off the ground. The snake slowly lost body tension throughout the assault, and eventually hung from the beak like a noodle from a pair of chopsticks. After a few final lashes the heron slurped it down within seconds, an abrupt end to the fight.
The rest of the wildlife we watched from the porch was a bit more tame. There was an assortment of bright yellow warblers that trickled up north to continue their migration, leaving behind cardinals, titmice, wrens, doves, hawks, and a single pair of black crested cormorants that visited at 3 o’clock each day. There was a family of mottled ducks, too. I even caught a glimpse of a crested caracara on my way home from Walmart one day. The large black and white bird sat atop a telephone pole and made me do a double take when I realized what it was. I watched as long as I could, driving 25 mph below the speed limit, looking backwards while I drove until I couldn’t see the bird anymore. I added it to my bird sighting list as soon as I pulled in the driveway.
The last spot we frequented on our trip was a bay between the mainland and Port Aransas Island where an assortment of shorebirds flocked to the shallow waters. I pulled off the road nearly every time we passed by on our way to the ferry to look at the different birds. There was one resident here that stood out from the rest — a reddish egret. While the others sat like statues waiting for fish to swim by, he would hop through the water, pausing occasionally to strike. His wings waved at his sides and then over his head, like a salsa dancer waving around a flashy dress. I watched for a while, committing this spectacle to memory, before I pulled away for the summer.
By the end of my time in Port Aransas, I had become the guy who gets excited to see a different species of warbler visit the yard. I went into this trip expecting to be underwhelmed by mediocre beaches and cloudy waters but was pleasantly surprised by the unique wildlife in this part of the Gulf. What it lacks in crystal clear waters and coral reefs, it makes up for in unique birds with memorable personalities.
