South Padre Island Bird Center and Oliveira Park

It didn't take long for us to return to South Padre Island to visit the Bird Park. The park is made up of numerous boardwalks that take you to different areas of the bay. It is a protected area for the birds and many different species make it their home or use the area during migration. There are no feeders to attract them. It's all natural environment.

We loved walking the boardwalks and discovering all the birds along the way. I'm sure we'll visit it again during our stay in Texas. Most people visiting are birders so are careful not to make noise when they see you photographing or are quick showing you what they have spotted so you get a chance to take a picture.

Least Grebe

Great Blue Heron

Immature Black -crowned Heron

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill sharing space with an immature Ibis

Ibis bathing

A Spoonbill showing off its wonderful pink feathers

Little Blue Heron

American Wigeon

Black-necked Stilts

Northern Pintail

American Wigeon

Brown Pelican

Northern Pintail

Common Sandpiper

Immature Little Blue Heron

Sanderling

Green Heron

The center has a boutique and this tower which
can be accessed by elevator to the top of the
observation deck. Lovely view.

Now for something totally different. We had seen in one of the brochures that some parrots congregate just before sunset at Oliveira Park where they roost or the night. It isn't too far from our campground, so we decided to go and see what it was all about.

We thought it would be a bird park but to our surprise, it's a sports park with soccer fields, etc. and games were taking place when we went. The brochure had mentioned that when the parrots first arrive they all perch on telephone wires so we parked at that end of the park where there were visible wires. And we waited. Soon Glen said to me, I hear them! And sure enough, a cacophony of bird chatter could be heard. Then we saw them! Waves of green birds flew overhead to land on the telephone wires. They kept chattering and playing, some grooming themselves. We counted 40. The brochure had said they were red-fronted parrots but after looking at our pictures they are definitely White-fronted Amazons! Maybe we saw another flock. We were busy taking pictures when another bigger flock arrived. Now they were about 100! So very cool to see parrots flying and being free. It soon got darker so we left but apparently they then roost in the trees for the night. They obviously fly elsewhere to feed for the day but always return like clockwork to this park. So weird. Why this particular park flooded in lights and activity when they could find refuge in one of the many bird parks around? Maybe it's safe there since there are no other animals, no predators.

Enjoy the pictures.

A beautiful Golden-fronted Woodpecker seen before the parrots arrived.

A pigeon peeking out from the loft of a red barn at the park

Some of the parrots

It's easy to see the white band on their forehead which makes them
to be White-fronted Amazons

Then, driving home, we saw wires on a corner of a street that were completely covered with Boat-tailed Grackles. The grackles imitate a lot of sounds so it's really fun to listen to them doing all kinds of whistles and computer game-type sounds.

The photo (taken from the truck) doesn't really do it justice.

Texas never ceases to amaze us! More to come!