Galveston Island
Galveston Island, TexasGalveston, Texas is located on the Gulf and is part of the great flyway. I have been there a couple of times and have found it a great place to bird. The best time was in late April where I saw more than 30 new birds.
Just some of the birds that are common there are: Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Bonaparte's Gull, Brown Pelican, Double-crested and Pelagic), Roseate Spoonbills, Snowy and Great Egrets, etc. During migration many passerines and ducks fly through.
Below is a few of the places that I have visited and found enjoyable. I know there are more, and hope to get to them the next time I visit Galveston.
- Eckert Nature Preserve
- The ferry connects Galveston to the Bolivar Peninsula. It is free and takes about 15 minutes. Good for Grackles, Gulls and Brown Pelicans.
- Lafitte's Cove
- Lafitte's Cove is a small park that is just west of Galveston. It is small, but a great place for seeing migrating vireos and warblers.
- Galveston Island State Park
- Another good place to visit is the Galveston Island State Park. I saw the most raptors there and the highlight of my visit was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. They also have an interesting visitor center.
- Sportsman Rd & 8 Mile Road
- Good place to look for a variety of ducks, shore birds and waders.
- 11 Mile Road
- Another good place to look for a variety of ducks, shore birds and waders.
- San Luis Pass
- The turnoff to a good birding area at San Luis Pass is just before the eastern side of the toll bridge. Be careful if you drive on the sand. While there in April, I saw hundreds of Black Skimmers, three kinds of tern, and an assortment of shorebirds. It was fantastic!
View Favorite Birding Places in a larger map