After we visited the Marine Institute Aquarium, we drove across Mustang Island, to the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. 
We aren’t birders, but we thought that we would check it out and see what sorts of other wildlife that we might find there too. It is a very pretty area, and we figured that we had discovered some place worth visiting when we were greeted by a ‘beware of alligators’ sign. We followed the short path through labeled flower beds to the birdwalk.
The path is a short one, and quickly leads out to a walkway over the swamp. There are a couple of places to sit and rest, and there are 2 viewing telescopes – you know, the ones that you find in touristy spots and they usually require $.50 to make them work. These were free.
There was also a viewing tower, which was convenient for watching the big ships going in and out of the channel,
and to see a nearby Nutria, which is a varmint, and looks like a huge muskrat or rat. We were way more excited about the nutria than any of the numerous birds! The boys had been introduced to nutria at trapping camp – you know, dead ones, so they already knew how to skin them ;), but we had not viewed a live one yet.
We also got to see lots of lizards of several different species. Since we don’t have lizards where we are from in Montana, we still think they are pretty neat, but don’t get nearly as excited over them as we did our first year down south! The littles keep us all entertained and excited with their excitement over lizard discoveries, though, which keeps the rest of us aware of how very wonderful all these different animals are. It can be easy to get callous to all the wonders in creation when we have been blessed to see so much of it!
After our little birding walk, we took the ferry to the mainland for a few sodas, and then took the ferry back to Mustang Island and then drove the bridge over to Padre Island and home.
I think that we saw more birds from our little beach-front property than we did at the birding center. The pelicans are migrating north again, so huge groups of them would fly overhead – not very high, and it was so relaxing to watch them glide by. There were also flights of these birds, which we sometimes would see walking along the water’s edge. Can’t remember what they are called, but I loved their long, curved beaks…
The kids got extra grubby at Padre, with only 110 gallons of water to last 6 days they didn’t get many baths (like none), and the showers there were only cold rinse off showers (which some of the guys braved anyway); the littles had sand under their nails, and in their hair, and caked on their feet…it was even hidden under Caleb’s second chin! If it wasn’t sand, it was dirty ocean water which left crusty hair! LOL! I would just remember that we were ‘camping’ for 6 days!
We aren’t birders, but we thought that we would check it out and see what sorts of other wildlife that we might find there too. It is a very pretty area, and we figured that we had discovered some place worth visiting when we were greeted by a ‘beware of alligators’ sign. We followed the short path through labeled flower beds to the birdwalk.
The path is a short one, and quickly leads out to a walkway over the swamp. There are a couple of places to sit and rest, and there are 2 viewing telescopes – you know, the ones that you find in touristy spots and they usually require $.50 to make them work. These were free.
There was also a viewing tower, which was convenient for watching the big ships going in and out of the channel,
and to see a nearby Nutria, which is a varmint, and looks like a huge muskrat or rat. We were way more excited about the nutria than any of the numerous birds! The boys had been introduced to nutria at trapping camp – you know, dead ones, so they already knew how to skin them ;), but we had not viewed a live one yet.
We also got to see lots of lizards of several different species. Since we don’t have lizards where we are from in Montana, we still think they are pretty neat, but don’t get nearly as excited over them as we did our first year down south! The littles keep us all entertained and excited with their excitement over lizard discoveries, though, which keeps the rest of us aware of how very wonderful all these different animals are. It can be easy to get callous to all the wonders in creation when we have been blessed to see so much of it!
After our little birding walk, we took the ferry to the mainland for a few sodas, and then took the ferry back to Mustang Island and then drove the bridge over to Padre Island and home.
I think that we saw more birds from our little beach-front property than we did at the birding center. The pelicans are migrating north again, so huge groups of them would fly overhead – not very high, and it was so relaxing to watch them glide by. There were also flights of these birds, which we sometimes would see walking along the water’s edge. Can’t remember what they are called, but I loved their long, curved beaks…
The kids got extra grubby at Padre, with only 110 gallons of water to last 6 days they didn’t get many baths (like none), and the showers there were only cold rinse off showers (which some of the guys braved anyway); the littles had sand under their nails, and in their hair, and caked on their feet…it was even hidden under Caleb’s second chin! If it wasn’t sand, it was dirty ocean water which left crusty hair! LOL! I would just remember that we were ‘camping’ for 6 days! We had some cold, windy days where we mostly stayed inside. Molly apparently had been watching the fishermen along the beach… she climbed the ladder to the loft, and was ‘fishing’ with Beth’s ipod headphones. 
Salt water and firearms don’t mix – Eli about freaked when he pulled his handgun out one day to find it rusting! The guys stayed up late that night to unpack their guns and oil them extra well to help protect them from the sea salt that seems to permeate everything. We noticed that many RVers, when they left the island, would stop at a car wash right away and rinse off the salt that had collected on their rigs while they had been parked on/near the beach.
We didn’t mind leaving that part of the beach behind!
real time: Baby Caleb is growing so fast. We are having a ball sharing with him all that we love about southern Texas (tho we didn’t get any big pink grapefruit this year 
). Hard to believe that he will be 4 months old on Monday!!! He brings so much joy to our house, and doesn’t mind a bit that we are gypsies – he’s a very laid back little guy. and handsome too 😉 …
). Hard to believe that he will be 4 months old on Monday!!! He brings so much joy to our house, and doesn’t mind a bit that we are gypsies – he’s a very laid back little guy. and handsome too 😉 …We know that Texas is in a drought, and desperately needs the rain that she is getting now, but we have been in the rain near Houston for 4 days straight now. Would desperately love to enjoy a bit of Texas sunshine before we leave her in a week!!! Not really complaining tho – will take the rain over the snow back home any day! 😉
 
  
Loved the picture of Molly fishing. Rain vs snow – no comparison. Rain any day. But now sunshine vs rain. Well, you know what I pick.