South Padre Island

Port Isabel lighthouse is seen just before crossing the 2.6 mile causeway to South Padre Island, the world's longest barrier island.

 

 

Sea Turtle Inc is a rescue center for Kemp's ridley sea turtles. The number of turtles dropped from 40,000 in the 1940's to 250. Last year they had 7,000.  Meet resident sea turtle, Jerry.

 

The highlight of our visit to the island was our visit to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, one of nine unique locations of the Rio Grand Valley World Birding Center. Here is a sampling of the many beautiful birds we saw.

 

                                         Tri-colored Heron                                  Reddish Egret (white morph)

       

           Sora                                                                                     Least Bittern

 

                                     Black-bellied Whistling Duck 

                                                                                                                                      Mottled Ducks
 

Blue Winged Teal and babies

 



                                             Purple Gallinule                                                     Yellow Crowned Heron

 



            

                                                      Green Backed                                                 Clapper Rail

 

                                               
                                             Greater Yellowlegs                                                       Lesser Yellowlegs

                                                                                      Black-necked Stilt

                                                                                   Tennessee Warbler