Located on the Laguna Madre side of North Padre Island, the nature area is a 38-acre park. Primary activities are kayaking (two launches), fishing, and birdwatching. During our visit we walked along the boardwalk that heads toward the water. The paths beyond the boardwalk (to the shoreline) were roped off as the area is undergoing a natural habitat restoration.
Interpretive signs provide information about the habitat and wildlife of the area. To the south is a coastal prairie and to the north a seasonal, fresh-water pond.
There are two hummingbird and butterfly gardens near the pavilion on the boardwalk, but, of course this is not the time of year to see them. We did see a few flowers here.
We heard so many birds in this densely forested area, but we did not see any.
For information about Packery Channel Park, go to nuecesbeachparks.com/phone/packerychannelpark.
Near the entrance of the park, we had seen a sign for the Texas Sealife Center. We stopped for a quick tour.
From the outside, this place does not look that impressive. But there is lots more to see inside and in the back. And important conservation work is underway here. A donation of $5 is recommended.
The organization rescues aquatic wildlife (injured or stranded), provides rehabilitation services for them, and releases them back to their natural habitat. Visits to the center are educational and promote conservation efforts in the area.
Below are some of the animals inside the center. The display case contains skulls of waterfowl found in the area, Check out the huge bill of an American White Pelican!
During the recent cold weather, the center helped rescue and rehab 400 green sea turtles that were cold stunned in Laguna Madre. Most have been returned to the Gulf, but a few remain as the vet deals with some of the medical issues or injuries the turtles have.
Some land-based turtles also have found a home here.
The facility also rescues, rehabs, and releases native birds. They have a 40’ indoor flight building that supports their rehab efforts. A volunteer provided a tour of the outdoor area.
Check out their website for information about the work they do here and how you can help if interested: www.texassealifecenter.org.
Our last stop for the day was at South Packery Channel Beach located between Mustang Island State Park and Padre Island.
Numerous wind surfers were enjoying the beautiful day here.
Sadie had a blast making new friends with two puppies on the beach. They had so much playing chase in and out of the water.
Fetching the ball was fun, too, and they all took turns retrieving it!
Lucky, the little puppy, is an Australian shepherd like Sadie. He was just adorable trying to keep up with the bigger dogs.
We also enjoyed chatting with their owners who live and work in the area.
Continuing our beach walk, we came to the North Packery Channel jetty. There were fishermen on both the north and south channel jetties and in boats, too.
Surfing near the jetty is also popular with locals. We enjoyed watching them catch some waves.
What a lovely day as we wrap up our one month stay here in Corpus Christi.
No comments:
Post a Comment