Goose Island is near the Rockport-Fulton Beach area. It is a small state park with a beach made of sea shells. At least here, when the wind arrived, we got it head-on instead of broadside. We had many pleasant walks and saw folks catch some huge (23-25 inch) redfish. There were many dead jellyfish. I'm guessing the cold weather got them.
A word to the wise, do not stay at Goose Island during duck season. The airboats left the docks at around 5 am and sounded like they were coming in the front door. At one time, we counted 8 boats at the dock.
While there, we visited the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. We talked to a very knowledgeable volunteer about where to see whooping cranes. We walked some of the park trails and saw a variety of shore birds and an alligator lying immediately after the sign about not feeding the alligators.
We saw herons, a successfully fishing osprey, and a flock of sandhill cranes.
Our surprise of the day was seeing a bobcat.
Back to the whooping cranes, this is their nesting season with many in south Texas. We drove to Port Aransas to the Leonabelle Turnbull Natural area. We did see three cranes there, with the assistance of some other birders, but the cranes were a distance away. The Turnbull, close to Mustang Island, will make a return appearance.
Our closest viewing of whooping cranes was within the village of Lamar, just outside the state park. The volunteer we talked to at the wildlife center told us there were people in Lamar who had corn feeders that the whoopers enjoyed. And, at exactly where he told us, we saw probably 10 adult whooping cranes and a chick. Plus, an up close look at some sandhills.
This heron also posed.
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