Spring Migration in Port Aransas

Ruddy Turnstone navigating the Port Aransas Jetty

The Galveston Gals, my women birders traveling friends, enjoyed our 2025 fall migration trip to the upper Texas Gulf coast so much that we decided to head to Port Aransas for spring migration in 2026. We again rented a large AirBnB (this time on the beach), we studied the target birds before the trip, and then we spent five days chasing warblers, vireos, shorebirds and other lifers (birds we haven't seen before).

Brown Booby, a weird sea bird that was a lifer for all of us. This one was roosting on a buoy with two others in the Port Aransas ship channel.

We managed to record 151 species of birds on this trip. I spotted 10 life birds, meaning that I have now seen 441 bird species since I started keeping lists on eBird in 2019. Those statistics are only meaningful to me. It is not a competition with anyone but myself to drive me to seek out more birds and keep learning more about them.

I definitely have photography favorites when I am on the coast. Reddish Egrets never cease to entertain me with their horse-like manes and their contortions while fishing (photos are better viewed full screen).

Reddish Egrets come in an equally beautiful white morph also.

White morph Reddish Egret

Another favorite of mine is the Tri-colored Heron. We found a huge nesting colony of these on Rockport Beach. I saw at least 50 adult Tri-colored Heron heads popping up out of a weed field. The wind ruffled their feathers and made for vibrant photos.

Tri-colored Heron

I was determined on this trip to try to photograph some birds on their best behavior--doing what birds of their species are supposed to do. I had some success.

American Oystercatcher carrying an actual oyster while walking across a bed of oyster shells.

Black Skimmer skimming the water surface for food

Piping Plover with a sandy bill from poking around for food.

Sandwich Terns skimming the rocks and surf for small fish

White-eyed Vireo demonstrating why he has that name

Of course, when we bird during spring migration, we are hoping to catch more than just a glimpse of the tiny, colorful wood warblers quickly darting through the trees while resting on their journey north. On this trip, the Gal Gals managed to spot 18 warbler species. Grabbing a good picture of these constantly moving birds is difficult, but I did get a few shots worth sharing. Pictured are Chestnut-sided, Cape May, American Redstart, Prothonotary, Nashville, Tennessee, Black-and-White, Black-throated Green, and Blackpoll warblers.

The one warbler that I wanted to see most of all was the gorgeous blue and white Cerulean Warbler. It was a lifer for me. We spotted it near one of the bird blinds at Goose Island State Park in Rockport. Sadly, I never got a good angle on him before he moved behind a branch or a trunk. But I still had the thrill of seeing one for the first time.

Cerulean Warbler. Look him up in field guide for a much better view.

One of the strangest encounters we had was with a pair of fighting Common Gallinules. These wading birds with the bright red face masks had a tussle between (presumably) two males over a nearby female. We watched as the birds assaulted each other with their huge, segmented feet. Unbeknownst to me, those feet have spiky talons on the end. The two birds dug the talons into the each other's chests during the fight. Happily, they separated before either got mortally injured.

A much more pleasant birding experience was getting to finally see a Buff-bellied Hummingbird. I chased this bird at spring break when Rohn and I were camping at Goose Island, but I dipped (missed) on this bird then. Fortunately, I saw this lifer on my trip with the Gal Gals to Blucher Park in Corpus Christi. And he couldn't have posed any prettier for me.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird in Corpus Christi

Just walking along the beaches at Port Aransas yields so many photo opportunities. It is amazing to me that so many birds are able to coexist with beach buggies, boom boxes, swimmers, sun shades, seaweed and (way too much) plastic and trash.

Every once in a while, I try for a very artsy bird photo. This high key picture of a Brown Pelican was my best attempt on this trip. I also enjoyed photographing a preening Snowy Egret on Port Aransas. When the photos don't contain a bunch of branches and leaves, the simplicity of just featuring the bird really appeals to me. Alas, birds don't often pose that way.

Brown Pelican looking stylish on Goose Island

Snowy Egret preening at Leonabelle Turnbull birding center

As great as the birding and photography were on this visit to the coast, it was the wonderful company that made the trip special. I am so fortunate to have found a group that is as fun to travel with as they are interested in birds. They are each hilarious storytellers, generous travel companions, kind to strangers (not that they have ever met a stranger), eager to help novice birders and a joy to spend time with. They represent the Panhandle Bird Club and female birders in general so well everywhere they go.

Anette Carlisle, Rachel McKenna, Vicki Wilmarth, Peggy Trosper, Andrea Gerig and Holly Key taking a break at Holt Paradise Pond in Port Aransas.

We birded pretty hard on this trip, getting going earlier than the birds on some mornings. But we also walked on the beach, spotted dolphins from the ferry, ate delicious Mexican and seafood, gossiped about our waiters, shopped at touristy t-shirt shops, and enjoyed the change of scenery (literally--we kept remarking on how green the backdrops of our bird photos were--we are used to a lot of brown dirt in Amarillo).

Anette rescuing a turtle from the road

Holly and Andrea being very discerning shoppers

Celebrating Peggy's birthday

We found the place to get our "Lifer Pie", and then ended up all eating ice cream instead (it was hot and humid that day)! Rachel had to leave us early and wasn't there for this photo.

Our AirBnB on Port Aransas. We like to travel in comfort.

On Rockport Beach, the nesting Laughing Gulls decided to perch on our rental car!

Everywhere we went, there were colorful Texas spring wildflowers blooming

You don't have to tell the Gal Gals twice. We are very aware of migratory birds!

We are already discussing our next big birding trip. There seems to be a swell of interest to bird the area in and around Yellowstone National Park. Maybe I'll finally get to see a Great Gray Owl!