Birds, Alligators, and River Rats? (Rockport-Fulton, TX)

We have been enjoying our stay in the Rockport-Fulton area for the last three weeks.  We realized that we have missed the Gulf coast shores quite a bit, so we are making up for lost time with walks along the beach and visiting nearby wildlife preserves.

One of our first visits was to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.  This turned into a longer drive than anticipated.  We had to drive all the way around to the far side to the entrance.  About an hour later, past several farmer's fields, we finally arrived and were rewarded with close-up views of the resident alligators.

Our favorite sighting was of this little guy scavenging around the edge of water for food.  He did not seem to be too worried about us following his progress down the trail.

We saw a few birds, but none them were close enough for good photos...

Osprey

except for this Yellow-rumped Warbler that was flying over our heads.

yellow rumped warbler

We have been getting in our walking miles around the campground and at the Rockport Beach.  There are definitely better views, not to mention, a lot more entertainment at the beach.  

Rockport Beach City Park

We even saw dolphins yesterday in the canal.  No photos this time.  Hopefully, we will have a second chance for photo ops. 

Across from the park, we can see the water front homes on Key Allegro.

Key Allegro

Every house has water access by canal.

We could not ask for a more serene walk with lovely views and all of this is close to downtown and shopping areas.

On our way back to the car, we passed the fish cleaning station.  There were several pelicans floating nearby, but the Heron was the only brave one to stay close by for a snack.

We took the ferry to Port Aransas.  The ferry is free, but on busy days you are going to have a longer wait in line than the time actually on the ferry.  Still, they are quick and efficient.  The ride is so short, it is not worth getting out of the car to watch for dolphins.

ferry crossing - Port Aransas

 We wandered around Port Aransas for awhile.  Not quite sure what to do.  We were not in the mood for browsing beach wear stores or going to the beach since we would need to pay for parking.

 We had lunch at Port A Pizzeria and we were happy to find out that they accommodated vegetarians by adding a veggie pizza to the buffet for us.  So, after eating lunch, we decided to go to the Birding Center.

Roseate Spoonbills

 That turned out to be a good choice for us.

There was so much activity going on with ducks quacking, birds flying by or hunting in the water that we were having a hard time knowing where to look next.

Ruddy Duck

And then we saw this guy - a Nutria or big river rat!  According to the sign, they are considered a pest and destroy a lot of the vegetation.

 And yet, they were everywhere.  There was even a nest of little ones sleeping with the turtles.

 Just before we left, we saw this hawk perched above the walkway.  He looked like he was waiting for the sun to go down.  He ignored all the people taking his photo.  Such a regal looking fellow.

While we were at the Birding Center, Dan found out where to find Whooping Cranes from another woman.  We found them in a farmer's field across the street from the Big Tree near Goose Island State Park.

They were too far away from the fence to get a good closeup, but Sandy did manage to get a couple of decent action shots.

We realized that we  missed seeing the different wildlife along the gulf coast.  With warmer weather, we hope to see more activity and new sightings.  We will be moving north west of Houston soon.  In the meantime, we are going to soak up all the warm sunshine and breath in as much sea air as possible.

Happy Trails!