Category Archives: Science-Nature

Laguna Atascosa and Sabal Palm

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Today was my last day to sightsee in Texas, and although it was still overcast, thankfully, it was a bit warmer than yesterday. On the agenda for today were two birding sites, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville. Established in March 1946, Laguna Atascosa comprises nearly 90,000 acres in four units and serves as a sanctuary and management area for migratory birds.  Under the auspices of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge also protects fish and wildlife.

From South Padre Island, we drove west and then north, and in about a half hour, we arrived at the Visitor’s Center, where we picked up maps and a brochure. After considering our options, we decided to drive along Bayside Wildlife Drive, a 15 mile loop, with one-way vehicle traffic. According to the brochure, we would be driving through thorn forest, coastal prairies, then along the Laguna Madre shore.  Along the mudflats, the literature informed us, we might see aplomado falcons, white-tailed hawks, or piping plovers. Inland, we might see deer, coyotes, or long-billed curlews, or if we were very lucky, the elusive ocelot.  (In fact, we did see a deer and a coyote.)

Here is a typical view of the Laguna:

Just as we were about to return to our starting point, my sister spotted a Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)!  What a thrilling sight that was.  Back at the Visitor’s Center, I photographed these Green Jays (Cyanocorax yncas), another bird found in the US only in South Texas.

By then it was mid-afternoon, but we really wanted to visit Sabal Palm, so back to Brownsville we went, driving west on 510, south on 1847, then southeast on 511 to Southmost Road. Before we reached the Sanctuary, we saw the controversial Border Fence:

"Good fences make good neighbors"?

At the Sabal Palm Sanctuary Visitor’s Center, lighted at dusk in this photo, we learned that the National Audubon Society had closed the Sanctuary in mid-2009. About a month ago, operational management was transferred to the Gorgas Science Foundation, and the Sanctuary re-opened to the public on January 3rd.  Both locals and out-of-state nature enthusiasts were heartened at the news.  A recent press release described the reserve:

The Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary sits on a 527-acre tract of land on the Rio Grande River [sic]  in Brownsville and is one of the most uniquely biodiverse habitats in the country, containing one of the last vestiges of original Sabal Palm forest in the U.S. The Sanctuary provides breeding habitat for many endangered or high-priority birds and is a critical source of shelter and food for migrating and wintering species.

Here’s a photo of the Sanctuary’s namesake:

My sister and I were excited to see nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), an iconic Texas mammal:

One of the critical tasks for the re-opening was diverting water back into the resaca, an oxbow of the Rio Grande, and thus restoring it as wetland habitat.

We wandered the trails for an hour or so, and shortly before the Sanctuary closed at 5, a staff member guided us along the newly buttressed boardwalk which allows visitors to birdwatch right at the water’s edge.

Harlingen Art, History, and Nature

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Once again, when we awoke this morning, we realized that the weather would continue windy and cold all day. I heard on the Weather Channel that a winter storm dumped two feet of snow on my hometown yesterday, so I shouldn’t be complaining, but I am simply not dressed for temperatures in the forties. Nevertheless, we vowed to drive back to Harlingen today.  We had read a news article in the local weekly about the current art exhibit at the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum, “New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Sunflower,” and we were both eager to see the show.  After a quick picnic lunch in Harlingen, we arrived at 2425 Boxwood, off Loop 499, past the exit to the airport and across from Texas State Technical College, shortly after 1 pm.

The Sunflower exhibit was curated by the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky: “Each year . . . the National Quilt Museum challenges quiltmakers to create an innovative quilt based on a specific traditional pattern [for 2010, Sunflower]. An exhibit of the winners opens at the museum and then travels for one year.”  I noted with interest that two of the quilters are from my area, from Amherst and Leverett.  My sister and I agreed that these quilts were absolutely gorgeous, with their eye-popping color, intricate designs, innovative construction, contemporary fabrics, exquisite craftsmanship, and creative artistry.

The “heritage” part of the Museum consists of three historic buildings and a Historical Museum, previously part of the Harlingen Air Base, which displays flags, portraits, clothing, and maps, as well as weapons and other implements from the past two centuries since Harlingen and Texas were first settled.  We walked through all of the buildings, including the Lon C Hill home (below), the Harlingen Hospital,

and the Paso Real Stagecoach Inn (below):

Lon C Hill is considered the founder of Harlingen; he was a lawyer, storekeeper, hotel owner, farmer, sugar mill owner, developer, builder, brick kiln owner, canal builder, and statesman. He began construction on his home in 1904, and after the death of his wife and ninth child, raised eight children in this house.

Founded by two women, Mrs. Ida Gilbert and Mrs. Marie Yeager, the first hospital in Harlingen was opened in 1923. Back in the day, surgery was like a spectator sport: on Saturday mornings, people would arrive to watch the operations. The restored building showcases a doctor’s and a dentist’s office, a library, a birthing room, a pharmacy, and two patient rooms.  Also on display are collections of antique medical and scientific instruments.

The Paso Real was built in the 1850s on the north bank of the Arroyo Colorado, the creek that still runs through Harlingen. It was the receiving point for Harlingen mail until 1904 and served as the way station for the stagecoach from Alice to Brownsville. Rooms were 35-50 cents per night, and included meals.

The Museum closed at 4 pm, and to make the most of our time in Harlingen, we returned south on 499 to the Hugh Ramsey Nature Park to walk along the trails until darkness fell.  Part of the World Birding Center, Hugh Ramsey Park is comprised of 95 acres, criss-crossed with trails and birding blinds, winding through Texas Ebony woodlands down to the reed-filled bottomlands along the Arroyo Colorado.  Here is a typical vista:

Yes, this is an arid area; cacti are abundant.

Oddly enough, we met a woman on the trail who hailed from California, originally San Diego and more recently Sacramento; she tried to convince us that this mostly dry and dusty landscape has its particular beauty.