NEWS FLASH....

FROM THE NEWS CENTER: Known as a popular place to bird watch or just enjoy the scenery, the Port Aransas Nature Preserve suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Harvey. Colleen Simpson, Manager of the Nature Preserve said “We have over $3.5 million dollars worth of damage here [PORT ARANSAS AREA including Charlie's Pasture ->> that includes the break in the bulkhead and rock revetments and all of the board walks we lost.] It’s an expensive recovery.” Port Aransas Nature Preserve Crews begin Hurricane Harvey clean-up at the Port Aransas Nature Preserve Almost a year later, the cleanup is just beginning. That hold up? Waiting on funding which comes from FEMA, several grants and donations. Also, getting the proper permits and making sure the Preserve is taken care of. Although the cleanup and construction will take several months, the Nature Preserve will be better than before for all of its guests equipped with an ADA accessible board walk and more resilient, if another storm were to come.

source:  KRIS news - no copyright infringement intended.


CHARLIE'S PASTURE[S]: 

By visiting here at I'd Rather B Birdin' Photo blog, you probably know that I do go very often to Port Aransas to go birding and just enjoy the Gulf of Mexico and the  friendly people that are residents...it's a wonderful place...very strong and as congenial as anyone on the streets of Corpus Christi [if not MORE].  I will be very  happy to have the birding areas and boardwalks repaired; I wait patiently!!!!!

If you're at all curious to the local damage there, I posted photos on my personal blog from the day AFTER the hurricane some areas of the birding hotspots that I could get close enough to. I have photos of the Leonabelle Reserve and the ripping out of the aforementioned bulkhead and damage in the Charlie's Pasture [north] section. PHOTOS HERE at this linked location.

As anxious as I am, I will share photos of the past blog posts of the area that is now under repair work:


HORNED LARK
photo taken:  Charlie's Pasture [north]
habitat map:  Lark


SNOWY PLOVER
photo taken:  Charlie's Pasture [north]
habitat map:  Plover


GREATER FLAMINGO [African - vagrant]
photo taken: Charlie's Pasture [south]

This flamingo, mostly all white, is an escapee from a Kansas zoo many years ago that shows up oftentimes along the Texas Coast. He's been surviving in Texas for years!!! Just this past season, he was seen along Matagorda Bay near Port Lavaca, Texas.

CORMORANTS
photo taken: Charlie's Pasture [south]

Altho there are a few miles of driving  in between, to get to both birding areas, north and south, they were both highly damaged during the storm, and closed since August of 2017.



LEONABELLE TURNBULL REFUGE {Port Aransas Nature Preserve}:




BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
photo taken:  Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center - Port Aransas, Texas
habitat map:  Blackburnian



BLUE GRAY GNATCATCHER
photos taken: Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center
habitat map: Blue Gray Gnatcatcher




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