A Long-billed Curlew on the shore.
By Jaya Ramanathan
We visited Padre National Seashore in late February. Since birds typically migrate north on the Central Flyway much later, we doubted if we would see any exciting birding sights. We were pleasantly surprised we could observe interesting bird behavior in a serene and non-crowded setting.
Sandhill Cranes in the grass.
It was an ‘away from it all’ experience, as expected of a National Seashore. We drove through preserved wilderness with grasslands and dunes on either side, and spotted at a hazy distance, migrant Sandhill Cranes and all-season White Ibis. We were the only birders on Bird Island Basin, so we observed birds in solitude, sharing this windy, serene habitat with surfers.
A Brown Pelican on the ocean.
Brown Pelicans, deemed endangered by our state park system, flapped their long wings, flew gracefully over water, and periodically dived to catch fish. Willet walked around, pressing its bill deep into the water to catch prey. Snowy Egret sometimes took short runs in water, maybe to fend off strong winds?
A Willet with its beak in the wet sand.
Long-billed Curlews, winter migrants, flew above us, calling loudly. One landed, walked on the shore, and later thrust its long curved bill deep into a burrow, extracting what looked like a crab. It walked hurriedly to the water to wash the sand off its catch. We noticed many such burrows on the shore, with piles of sand near them. We now realized these are home to crustaceans. We were lucky to visit during low tide which exposed them.
A Western Meadowlark perched on grass.
Black-bellied Plover foraged in the water, and Western Meadowlark perched on grasslands near dunes, both winter migrants. The latter had a distinct yellow throat that we did not notice initially. We saw its vibrant color only when it turned to look our way.
Whooping Cranes flying over the water.
We also visited Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, a preserved habitat, where we saw birds at a scale we had never experienced before. Winter migrant sights included Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal grooming themselves, Lesser Yellowlegs, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and four endangered Whooping Cranes, which arrived just that morning, and delighted us with a short flight.
A Reddish Egret standing in water.
All-season residents included Reddish Egret (considered threatened by our state park system), Great and Snowy Egrets, Tricolored, Great Blue, and Little Blue Herons with distinct fishing strategies, deep pink plumed Roseate Spoonbill, American Coot, Common Gallinule, Willet, White Ibis, American Avocet, and Black-necked Stilt both standing one-legged, and an alligator that we would have missed if not for fellow birders. I could not tire watching American White Pelicans that flew down from the sky, glided low near water for a while, flapped their wings a bit, and gently landed, precisely near their flock. Such a sight could have easily inspired humans to invent flight.
A large group of American White Pelicans standing at the edge of the water.
Coincidentally, after this trip, we watched Cornell Lab videos about National Fish and Wildlife Foundation‘s project about a shared vision for grasslands. These featured both Western Meadowlark and Long-billed Curlew, in their northern grasslands habitat. It made us realize the importance of preserved areas such as the ones we visited, as they provide crucial habitat for such birds during winter, and also for all-year residents.
Reviewed by Sarita Yeola. All photos courtesy Jaya Ramanathan.
