A trip to the Birding Center and Laguna Madre Bird Trail. Laguna Madre separates Texas and Northern Mexico from its barrier islands. It is one of only three hypersaline bays in the world. Ample sunlight reaches the bottom promoting sea grass growth which serves as a nursery for developing marine life .
A walk up to the top deck
View of one of the Boardwalks
Several boardwalks traverse the wetlands to "bird blinds"
The refuge is nestled in the otherwise developed vacation resorts.
Great Blue Heron
I saw my first Roseate Spoonbills!
Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret and Tri-Color Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret Catching a Fish
Brown Pelicans and Gulls
The Laguna has the largest concentration of breeding Redish Egrets in the World. This one was performing a "dance" of sorts in the shallow water. It was funny to watch - hard to focus on!
Had to look these up - Common Moor Hens
Tri-Color Heron
The birds have plenty to eat! Over 1/2 of the fish catch in Texas comes from the Laguna Madre
Just down the road is the Turtle Rescue Center - Sea Turtle, Inc. It was founded in 1977 by Ila Fox Loetscher, better known as "The Turtle Lady of South Padre Island.
The building houses several tanks where injured Kemp Ridley, Green Sea Turtles and Loggerheads are being nursed back to health and rehabilitated before being re-released.
Young Atlantic Green Sea Turtle
Rogue - a Kemps Ridley Turtle stranded in missing all of it's front right flipper and a piece of its shell due to a predator attack. Another Green Turtle named Allison was given the first successful sea turtle prosthetic in the world.
Sea Turtles are often injured by marine debris. Plastic bags and balloons are mistaken as jelly fish- their favorite food. Discarded nets, fishing line and six pack rings cause many strandings and injuries. Turtles are notorius for eating trash. If they eat plastic it does not digest and they can starve to death because their stomaches are full so they are not hungry.
Here's a link to their "Turtle Cam"
Sea Rescue Inc - Turtle Cam - South Padre Island, TX
We ate Dinner at Louie's Backyard on the deck overlooking the Laguna. An all you can eat Seafood Buffet with Peel & Eat Shrimp, Shrimp Scampi, Cajun Shrimp, Fried Shrimp, Scallops, Crab Legs, Blackened Fish, Prime Rib and BBQ Ribs and more . . .
The next day we head to the Beach - We find the trucks are out plowing the roads.
We walk the Beach to walk off Dinner
In hopes of becoming shadows of our former selves!
The beach was pretty open - there was no one within 50 yards of us in any direction. A family arrived and plopped down 3 feet next to us. The kids were down by the water with the father and the mother would yell to them from her spot. No nap for me! We finally had about enoughand headed to Dirty Al's for "Linner" - more scrumptious fresh shrimp!
We leave the Island - unfortunately since we work New Years Day we will not be able to participate in the "Polar Plunge" Yes - they have one - I told them it isn't a Polar Plunge if you don't have to chisel ice out of the way!
Return Home with a stop at Bobz World - a Beach Shop on steroids
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I have bragged in the past about the Co-Habitant's wonderous winter commuting skills. But truth be told, is that really so impressive to accomplish on a cushy modern Pashley? Yesterday, he tried riding Rodney - his vintage Raleigh DL-1 with rod brakes - and reports his experience:
In a vintage bike, the freezing temperatures can really effect the brakes and steering. The cold stiffens the grease in the headset, making the steering extremely stiff. Of course you can rebuild the headset, but this takes either skill and time, or money to spend at the bike shop - so it is yet another issue to take into consideration when buying old bikes. Similarly, old brake pads tend to harden in the cold, compromising braking performance considerably. On regular caliper brakes, the brake pads can be replaced with new salmon KoolStops to remedy the problem. But rod brakes are incompatible with the KoolStop pads, so there is not much that can be done really. 
And we're out there having funin the cold Boston winter sun
