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Birding hot spots on Galveston Island and nearby
Bolivar
Galveston
Island from East to West
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EAST LAGOON, BIG REEF NATURE PARK,
EAST BEACH: Starting from where Broadway meets the
Seawall Boulevard, drive east on Seawall Boulevard and
begin birding the Long Lagoon on the south side of the
Seawall, just east of First Street. Continue down Seawall
Boulevard to the end and turn right at the blinking
light (Boddeker Drive), then, after just a short distance,
park on the left and take a walk across the short bridge
to the northern end of Big Reef Nature Park. This will
often produce good gulls, terns, skimmers, many marine
swimming birds, avocets, and many species of sandpipers,
is a great spot for photography and gives a great view
of the shipping lanes. Return to car and travel down
to East Beach (Apffel Park) keeping an eye open for
marsh birds (rails and bitterns in season) as you go.
Entering East Beach, curve east toward the ship channel
and jetty. In the cool season, many of the rare gulls
seen in recent years have come from this roost. This
is also the south end of Big Reef Nature Park which
happily, is a protected area. In the spring there is
usually a colony of nesting Least Terns sheltering in
small sand drifts with clumps of grass.
CORPS WOODS: This location is
also east of where Broadway meets Seawall Boulevard
and can be visited on the return leg from East Beach.
It is located on Ferry Road. Take Ferry Road as if you
wished to take the ferry, then turn right at the second
set of lights, onto Hwy 168, which bends around to the
left. Corps Woods is on the right at about quarter mile.
Once used by the U. S. government as a training ground
during the Vietnam War, this area is now one of Galveston's
best kept birding secrets. Trails through the park lead
to wetlands. It is excellent for migratory songbirds
and waders.
PELICAN ISLAND: From Seawall,
take Broadway as if one were leaving town, and turn
right on 51st street, then across Harborside Drive,
and over the Galveston harbor channel bridge. Drive
on until you reach the last (dirt) road, on the left
hand side, before the entrance to Seawolf Park. You
may miss it the first time, it is a rough dirt road
with numerous potholes, flanked by large mulberry trees,
Hercules club and brush where Painted Buntings and scissor-tails
nest and good for songbird migrants. But go further
and eventually a large lagoon with mudflats will open
out to your right. This is a great vantage point for
great flocks of shorebirds, waders and waterfowl. Up
ahead is the proposed site of BP's new, massive LPG
port. On the return journey, approaching the channel
bridge, check the small pond on the right hand side,
across from TAMU, where a very large flock Black -Crowned
night herons are often spied.
OFFATS BAYOU: Retrace route to
Broadway, and turn as if leaving town toward Houston.
Stay on the feeder and turn left under I45, onto 61st
street. This street crosses an expanse of water (named
Offats Bayou on the west), some of the deepest in the
bay, and the source of materials to raise the city after
the 1900 storm. This is a good area for loons and grebes
in the cool season.
POND AT WEST END OF SEAWALL:
From 61st street, turn right ( west) and drive on Seawall
Boulevard until you just leave the elevated Seawall
and just pass Seascapes condos. You are now on a divided
highway (FM 3005). Across the median you might check
the shallow lagoon on your left; it's a good place for
waders and shorebirds.
8 MILE RD: Continue on Hwy FM3005 for a short distance
and turn right on 8 Mile Rd, just west of Michael Burger.
You will pass a man-made lake on your left, one of many
on the island where dirt was "borrowed" to build up
property. This is a good spot of night-herons, waterfowl
and grebes. Continue to Stewart Rd, jog left then right
(i.e. north toward the bay) to continue on 8 Mile Rd.
This road dead ends into Galveston Bay, but about half
way along, a culvert goes under it, connecting obvious
wetlands running east-west. These long low lying swales
and the ridges of east-west uplands that parallel them
are the remains of ancient dune and inter dune systems
which can be seen throughout the length of the island.
These brackish wetlands are often connected all or part
of the time to bay inlets. They are very valuable habitats
and support much emerging life. The obviously large
ranch on the east side of this road, with its buildings,
large palm trees and extensive stands of live oaks seen
in the distance, is the Moody Ranch. It is one of the
best areas for migrant songbirds during the spring and
fall but it is private and off limits without special
arrangements. The end of 8 Mile Rd is a messy land filled
area, with some shrimp boat docking, but it is a good
vantage point for wintering bay birds, mergansers, loons,
cormorants, goldeneye etc., and there is usually several
egret and heron species, including Reddish egret, and
often an American Oystercatcher or two.
SPORTSMAN'S RD: Turn out of the
messy land filled area, back onto 8 Mile Rd, and turn
immediately right (west) onto Sportsman' Rd. This dead
end road, with great close views of salt marshes and
lagoons, provides the best spot for photography, and
viewing marsh birds, such as Seaside Sparrows, Clapper
Rails, and Marsh Wrens, plus most species of egret/herons,
sandpipers etc. Now backtrack to 8 Mile Rd, then Stewart
Rd, and turn right (west).
STEWART RD: parallels FM 3005
west to 13 mile Rd, and between 8 Mile and 11 Mile Rd,
there are fresh and salt water marshes, ponds and uplands.
The uplands are favorite wintering pasturelands for
cranes, the mudflats and ponds for shorebirds and waterfowl,
heavy in winter and modest year round. It is a great
place to take photos of Roseate Spoonbills, Black-Necked
stilts etc
SETTEGAST RD: runs toward the
bay, off Steward Rd, about 1 mile west of 9 Mile Rd.
The east-west ancient dune and inter-dune swales topography
is again evident either side, but soon the road rises
to the spine of the island. This is upland, ranchland,
and the pasture after the first left hand curve, is
excellent for grasspipers in migration, cranes and sparrows
in winter. It is the last place where an Eskimo Curlew
was unquestionably seen. At the second curve (right)
there is a nice stand of Live Oaks, with roots well
out of salt harms way and often great for spring songbird
migrants. On the left (east bank of Eckert's Bayou)
is land that is owned and being bird-scaped by one of
our Galveston residents and birding enthusiast. Now
return to Stewart Rd and turn right (west)
LAFITTE'S NATURE PRESERVE: The
premier public woodland birding site on the island.
It is located just west of 11 mile Rd, off Stewart Rd.
It is actually in the Lafitte's Cove neighborhood, entered
using Eckert's Drive and park on the right. This preserve
is the result of negotiations that attended the permitting
of Lafitte's Cove, and saved part of the huge stand
of Live oak trees that had developed along the spine
of the island, part of which had been part of the pioneer
Eckert homestead. Also preserved were parts of the inter-dune
swales. A nice boardwalk passes over a freshwater marsh,
with Soras, MarshWrens, and water loving warblers, kingbirds
and flycatchers in season. The path continues along
a shallow freshwater pond, excellent according to the
season for shorebirds, waders, waterfowl including whistling
ducks and the site of a nesting pair of Least Grebes
a few years ago. At the east end of the pond, near the
gazebo there are numerous Mulberry and Hackberry trees,
which support colorful migrating tanagers, grosbeaks,
and orioles in April and May. Follow the side walk into
the oak forest, sit, listen and watch for spring (or
fall) warblers, vireos, flycatchers etc. In these woods
one can also see and hear birds common to mainland woods
but uncommon on the island such as woodpeckers, blue
jays and cardinals and a few stray chickadees.
STEWART MANSION: About another
mile west on Stewart Rd, past the Golf course and the
Waterman restaurant, is a large building set back behind
large gate and with a great stand of live oaks trees.
These trees with some nearby mulberries provide a great
resting and feeding place for neotropic migrants, especially
during fallout in the spring. This was once the home
of Maco Stewart and headquarters for his ranch and the
family burial plot is nearby. This area is privately
owned and cannot be visited without permission. It is
slated for redevelopment and one can only hope that
most of the grand trees will be preserved.
GALVESTON ISLAND STATE PARK:
Just beyond the Stewart mansion, Stewart Rd curves left,
becomes 13 mile Rd and meets FM 3005. The land from
beach to bay, between 13 mile Rd and the city of Jamaica
Beach, two miles further west, was once part of the
Maco Stewart ranch, and was purchased by the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Dept. in 1970 and was opened as the Galveston
Island State Park in 1975. There is a fee to enter the
park or need a TPWD pass. The park is the only large
contiguous piece of land running from beach to bay that
is in a somewhat natural state. It offers a wide selection
of macro and micro habitats, and several miles of pathways,
from which to study all types of animal and plant life.
Entering the park by the south (toll booth) entrance
give access to Gulf views, the beach and dunes and to
various small inter-dune wetland swales. Over the gulf
a wide variety of seabirds ply their fishing trade and
the shoreline supports plovers and sandpipers, especially
during migration. Entering the park by its north entrance
take you though upland prairie to the bay. The coastal
prairies support nesting Eastern meadowlarks and many
species of wintering sparrows, and overhead there are
all years raptors like White-tailed kites ( several
pairs), Northern harriers, and Crested Carcaras (one
pair nested in the park for 5 years), and seasonal buteos,
accipitors, ospreys, kestrels etc. Gull-billed terns
are often seen. In winter fresh water ponds the will
often reveal a wide variety of dabbling and diving ducks,
and salt water bayous reveal mergansers, loons and bayducks.
Trails out into the salt marsh will often scare up year
round Clapper rails and Seaside sparrows, wintering
Marsh wrens and sparrows, and perhaps the occasional
Coyote intent on finding a meal. There are two main
clumps of trees on the north ( bay) side, one is by
the Nature Center ( worth a visit) and one is on Interpretive
Trail Rd. which runs east west off the main park road.
These trees are well used by neotropic migrants in spring
and fall. For a really special look at birds, take a
kayak or canoe and follow signs toward Bay-edge sand
socks, which protect the marsh edges. The marshland
peninsulars are the nesting grounds for Laughing Gulls,
several different species of terns and the occasional
oyster catcher.
DOS VACAS (MUERTAS): About five
miles west on FM 3005 from the park, and just before
the Sea Isle development, and sitting back from the
road on the right (north), is this Houston Audubon managed
site, donated by Dr. George and Jane Clayton.The area,
protected by a stand of salt cedars, includes a pond,
slat marshes, mulberry and wax myrtle, live oak and
hackberry trees, is a good place during the spring and
fall migration. There is a quiet seating area with a
water drip which will allow good close up photos.
SAN LUIS PASS: Sadly this area
is now under massive development, but much of the wetland
will be "saved", but population pressures will not be
good for the nature. This is a premier spot for shorebirds,
gulls and terns, waders, bay ducks, seagoing grebes
etc. It is also a site for nesting skimmers and some
plovers. This is at the extreme (west or southwest )
end of the island and the best way to visit if permitted
* is to drive onto the beach just where the blue water
tower is and before Point San Luis development. Drive
slowly along the firm sand at waters edge and avoid
the dunes etc. The birding gets better as you near the
end of the island. The tidal pools are always changing,
and it is always interesting. Staying on the water line,
you may be able to pass under the bridge and follow
the shore to the bay side shore line. Depending on wind
directions and tide levels, the best birding areas move
around but this is an area to see thousand of birds,
including great flocks of avocets. There is a grove
of salt cedars just on the south side of the tool bridge
that will often give good views of black crowned night
herons, although a better view may be had across the
toll bridge and about a half mile on left hand side
across a road side pond.
* Recently driving has been prohibited on much of the
west end beach. But there is vehicular access and one
just has to park and walk more, not a bad thing !!
Bolivar Peninsula
BOLIVAR FLATS SHOREBIRD SANCTUARY:
This Houston Audubon Society property is a unique complex
of salt marsh, mud flats and gulf-facing beach on the
southwest end of the Bolivar Peninsula. The Bolivar
Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, dedicated in April 1992,
was the first shorebird sanctuary on the entire gulf
coast. In 1993, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird network
recognized the importance of Bolivar Flats to 25 species
of shorebirds by declaring it a Site of International
Importance, as it supports at least 100,000 shorebirds
annually. Many thousands of birds can be seen on a single
day.
To get to the Flats, off the ferry, take Hwy 87 east
until Rettilon Rd, turn right and head to the beach.
Turn right on the beach and proceed to the bollards.
There is a viewing stand within sight.
A good way to see the western edge of the Flats, where
it abuts the granite east jetty, is to turn leave the
ferry and proceed along Hwy 87, past the first few houses
and turn right on 17th street and head for the North
Jetty. The long jetty traps sediment moving west, so
that there are excellent shallow waters and mudflats
and great bird viewing to the east from the jetty.
HORSESHOE
MARSH: The other Houston Audubon Society property
Is less than one mile away from Bolivar Flats. It
is a 650-acre wetlands system, comprising salt marsh,
coastal prairie, and freshwater wetlands surrounding
a 328 acre tidal lagoon. The acreage is the most recent
purchase by Houston Audubon.
Currently access is limited due to lack of facilities
and current uses of the property, but the following
locations can be viewed.
Frenchtown Road. Off the ferry, take the first road
left (Frenchtown Rd.). The marsh on the north side
of the road is a good place to see Clapper Rails.
There is a short bridge on this raod that goes over
the inlet to the lagoon, this is a favorite place
for wade fishing and crabbing.
Loop 108 crossing. Off the ferry, head east past the
Lighthouse, and turn left on loop 108. A bridge crosses
the lagoon, giving expansive views. Oyster reefs and
mud flats are exposed at low tide, good for shorebirds
and waders.
Rodeo Arena marsh overlook. Continue on loop 108 as
it turns right (east) and parallels Hwy 87. About
two miles, turn right, on 20th street to the Rodeo
Arena which is a good place to look closely at the
marsh channels and adjacent coastal prairie.
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