Tag: texas coast

Texas Birding Classic Raises Much Needed Funds

The 14th annual Great Texas Birding Classic wrapped up Sunday in the Rio Grande Valley. This marked the sixth year that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory have worked together on the birding event, which is held every April to coincide with the annual spring bird migrations in the state. TPWD employees Cliff Shackelford and Shelly Plante represented the department this weekend.

The winning Energy Saver team has won now for three years in a row in this competition category to see the most species of birds per mile, with a 50-mile minimum. The winning Weeklong team has won for six years straight. Continue reading Texas Birding Classic Raises Much Needed Funds

Texas Coast Duck Hunting Report

Duck hunting along the Texas coast had been hit and miss this season, even with the cold weather pushing down some new ducks. Duck hunting reports indicate ice was a problem on the coastal prairies for waterfowl hunters. Ponds iced over two inches thick in some places, and that made for tough duck hunting. Few birds moved, according to several outfitters submitting duck hunting reports.

Many hunters along the coast reported seeing an influx of birds overnight, probably because the area had the most open water and feeding areas. However, coastal hunters on the bays said the bird flight was slim as well, but not for lack of birds. Port O’Connor and Rockport are holding large rafts of red heads, lesser scaup, pintails, and some gadwall. Continue reading Texas Coast Duck Hunting Report

Record Cold Weather Impacts Texas Coast

Texans have been busy winterizing facilities, businesses, and residences and otherwise managing a record of sub-freezing days, but the biggest natural resource impact so far appears to be fisheries along the Texas Gulf coast. Texas has about two million acres of bays and estuaries susceptible to freezes. There were three major freezes during the 1980s, including one in 1989 when the temperature at Brownsville dropped to 16 degrees and an estimated 11 million fish were killed.

This week, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) issued a news release asking saltwater anglers to voluntarily help protect red drum, spotted seatrout, snook and other aquatic resources, including flounder. The release said “in addition to killing game fish in shallow bay waters, a hard freeze can also cause surviving fish to congregate in a few deeper areas where they become sluggish and prone to capture” and asked anglers to avoid catching fish populations in these natural refuge areas. Continue reading Record Cold Weather Impacts Texas Coast

Red Tide Plagues Texas Coasts

It seems an unusually persistent bloom of toxic red tide has been strengthening in Corpus Christi Bay despite the fact that winter is just around the corner. Usually, cooling bay temperatures stave off or diminish concentrations of red tide, according to Meridith Byrd, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) harmful algal bloom coordinator. But the expert said red tide blooms have been known to thrive in the 40-degree range off the East Coast.

This fall’s red tide was first reported in early October on the southern coast. As it moved north to the central coast, it killed millions of fish periodically throughout October and November. The bloom had been declining in December until last week, when by late Friday dead fish were being reported along the Corpus Christi bayfront. Continue reading Red Tide Plagues Texas Coasts