South Padre Island World Birding Center

We made it out to South Padre last week before the spring break crazy started.  The two winters we volunteered at Laguna NWR we visited the birding center many times. 

Padre is at the southern tip of the world’s longest barrier island.  It is between the shallow Laguna Madre and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Birding Center has a beautiful visitor’s building on 50 acres.

Front entrance.

Back entrance.

There have been a few changes since we were here last.  Two waterfalls have been built at the beginning of the boardwalk. 

A little bit of additional landscaping has been put in.

The boardwalks are still in great shape.

This is one of the best places in Texas to get views of the many waders and shorebirds that feed on the mudflats.

Birds on the Mudflats

The boardwalks allow us to get really close to the big herons and egrets.

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Tricolored Heron

Although most of the ducks and shorebirds have departed for their breeding grounds, we still managed to find a few.

White Ibis

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

Marbled Godwit

Common Gallinule

And this Mottled Duck wants to say "See you later!!!"

Birds Seen: White Ibis, Orange-crowned Warbler, Snowy Egret, Tri-colored Heron, Great Blue Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Marbled Godwit, Great Egret, American Coot, Neotropic Cormorant, Mottled Duck, Red-winged Blackbird, Osprey, Laughing Gull, Willet, Black-bellied Plover, Little Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Blue-winged Teal, Common Gallinule, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Oystercatcher, Barn Swallow, Great-tailed Grackle, Belted Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, Brown Pelican, White Pelican, Common Yellowthroat, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, Pied-billed Grebe, Lessor Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Royal Tern, Ring-billed Gull, Marsh Wren, Ruddy Turnstone, Stilt Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Forester’s Tern, Tropical Kingbird, Common Loon.