On our way from Big Bend National Park to Houston, we stopped for a couple of weeks at Padre Island National Seashore. We stayed on the free beach facing the Gulf of Mexico for a few days, but the high winds and blowing sand drove us to the leeward side of the island. There we found the Bird Island Campground sitting on the shores of Laguna Madre, which is a favorite of the local windsurfers.

There were lots and lots of birds too. In fact, more than 600 species of birds have been identified here, most of which migrate through on their way to and from their breeding and wintering grounds.

In addition to the birds captured above, we saw Royal Terns, Sandhill Cranes, Brown Pelicans, and Crested Caracara. They were either too far away for a good picture, or too skittish to pose for us. We’ll try harder next time we’re through here.