Day Trips

Photo by Gerald E. McLeod

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast outside of Austwell expects to welcome a record number of winter guests this year. The high-water mark that naturalists are excited about will be set by whooping cranes, not by Yankee retirees escaping arctic blasts.

The whooping crane is one of the most majestic birds native to North America. The snowy white cranes stand nearly 5 feet tall and have a wing span of about 7½ feet. They are identifiable by a red patch on their heads and black wing tips visible during flight.

In 1944, the whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction. Only 21 of the birds were left, and 18 of them wintered along the Texas coast.

The other half of the year, they live in the Northwest Territories of Canada. By November, most of the whooping cranes will have completed their 2,500-mile migration to the coastal marshes. With a little luck, wildlife officials hope that of the 450 whooping cranes in the wild, 285 will make the northern migration in March. That would be 19 more than last year.

The birds can often be spotted from the observation tower or boardwalks at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The federal wildlife agency purchased the former cattle ranch on Blackjack Peninsula in 1937 using funds raised from the sale of migratory bird stamps. Since then, the refuge has added four other parcels for a total of 115,000 acres.

As you drive the 16-mile tour loop or hike one of the eight trails, it is easy to see how inhospitable this land was to the first human visitors. Pirate Jean Laffite is said to have buried treasure in the vicinity. It took work crews a year to build the first road through the marshes.

The tangled jungle is a great environment for wildlife. The refuge hosts numerous species of birds and mammals and an impressive variety of plants. There's a good chance you'll see some of the residents, such as armadillos, javelina, or alligators. From the top of the 40-foot observation tower, you can see the edge of Texas transition into muddy waterways. Among the tall grasses, the whooping cranes walk on stiltlike legs looking for a meal.

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is about 30 miles north of Rockport. The closest fuel is 14 miles away in Tivoli, but volunteers at the refuge sell snacks, water, and souvenirs. There is no camping at the refuge. Visitors are welcome year-round for $3 per person or $5 per car. For more information, call 361/286-3559 or go to www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/aransas.

Reservations are required for refuge van tours, which are offered from January through April every Saturday and Sunday at 10am and 1pm. For information on whooping crane tours by boat, contact the Rockport Chamber of Commerce at 800/242-0071 or www.rockport-fulton.org.

904th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips" 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.