Our trip to the coast this summer was short but filled with many wonderful sights. We watched windsurfers, walked the piers and beaches and visited bird sanctuaries.

Here are few of my favorite photos:

Windsurfer in Rockport, Texas

Pelicans at the Padre Island Nations Seashore

The sign says “Catch of the Day” They are waiting patiently.

These two seem to have already caught theirs.

I had never seen anyone paddling like this. Look at the size of that boat in the background!

Padre Island National Seashore – Heron

Boardwalk at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center

This mama duck was kept busy.  She had seven ducklings all swimming and diving around her. This little one’s head is covered in mud.

We saw several families of birds. A sign warned of alligators but we did not see any that day.

Unidentified – any idea what kind of bird this is?

I think this is called a sand flea. Can anyone identify it for me?

“Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world.  The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life.  It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a haven for 380 bird species.  It also has a rich history, including the Spanish shipwrecks of 1554”

http://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm

With the right vehicle you could probably drive the length of the park.

Lastly – there be pirates in these waters… The ship is The Red Dragon.

Related post: Coastal fun. It’s not just about the beach.