Passport to Texas

 Recreation: Go Coastal, 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wondering what you’ll discover on a visit to the Texas coast?

02—There’s always something new and surprising.

Writer… Melissa Gaskill…should know. She grew up on the coast and although she lives in Austin now, she’s a frequent visitor to her old stomping grounds. She says if you steer clear of the Texas’ sandy shores because you’re looking for something more tranquil…you need to check out her article in the June issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

19—[In] Port Aransas you’ve got the busy beach, [but] you can get on a ferry and ride over to St. Joe Island, and walk off and be all by yourself. You can do that at Sea Rim; you can do that on Matagorda Island, and you can even do it in Matagorda County on the Beach, or South Padre island, where you can go down past where all the people are and just keep on going.

Melissa says wildlife viewing, dining, kayaking, swimming, and fishing just scratch the surface of the activities awaiting coastal visitors…activities such as instruction on sandcastle-making taught by experts.

16— It’s a class you pay for. You typically get an hour with one of these people; they’re on the beach – that’s where the sand is. And they’ve got all the tools. You’re usually under a little shady tarp. The place I went, they gave you a drink. And they start showing you from the basics up; over that hour, you build something pretty impressive.

Check out Melissa Gaskill’s article, titled Go Coastal in the June issue of Texas parks and Wildlife magazine.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Image courtesy of www.destination360.com

 Recreation: Go Coastal, 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Writer Melissa Gaskill is never at a loss for things to do on the Texas coast.

09—I spent my middle school and high school years on the beach; I have spent my adult life all along the coast. Believe it or not, that article only scratches the surface.

The article Melissa’s referring to is one she wrote for the June issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine titled: Go Coastal. It’s a compendium of diverse activities.

10—I just made a list right off the top of my head and sent it to the editor and said, ‘how does this look?’ and she goes ‘great!’ And we refined it a little bit, but for the most part these are things that I’ve been doing my entire life and loving.

Melissa says the first place to start a coastal visit is on the beach…but you needn’t stay there.

26—There are places to hike… you can get in a kayak; a kayak is a wonderful way to explore. You can charter a boat, you can go offshore. You can go out on a fishing pier. There are all of the touristy things: you can go to the pier and ride a Ferris wheel, you can go to a restaurant, sit out on the deck and feed fish– that sort of thing. Or you can go off the beaten path: ride a horse, kayak, or hike off into some pretty remote areas.

Melissa Gaskill returns tomorrow and shares more about her Go Coastal article for the June issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

Funding for the show’s provided in part by RAM Trucks: Doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW Magazine: Going Coastal

 TPW Magazine June 2013 Preview: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With summer looming, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine editor, Louie Bond, says the June issue of the magazine is going coastal.

58 – We are going coastal in June. Melissa Gaskill is going to take us on a grand tour of the coast. Melissa is one of those writer’s who’s been everywhere and done everything – so we thought she was the perfect person to tell us what the best things to do on the coast are. And that’s everything from kayaking to birding to fishing to swimming to riding your horses on the beach – there’s just a million things to do. There are great aquariums; great food to eat… there’s lots of recreation whether you’re quiet or an adventurous daredevil. So, we’re taking everybody down to the coast this month. Of course, there is one danger of living on the coast, and that’s hurricanes. So, our own Lance Robinson takes a look at the damage after hurricane Ike. It’s hidden damage; it’s salt marshes and oyster beds. And it takes a long time for those to recover. But there have been some great efforts made to help those get back to their natural health. And he’ll help us see how they’re recovering. So get on your flip flops and come to the beach with us this month.

Thanks, Louie.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife restoration program supports our series and funds coastal conservation and fisheries projects in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Blue Mockingbird

 Birding: Vagrant Species, 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Vagrant birds are those who stray from far outside their expected range. But why do these birds end up so far from home?

04— There are various reasons why a bird might show up in an odd place.

Noreen Damude, wrote an article about vagrant bird sightings for the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

31— Weather has definitely a lot to do with it. Storms, hurricanes – things like that. Or, extended droughts in certain areas. There was one in Northern Mexico that drove many birds up across the border that we usually don’t see, like white throated robins and masked tyras, and things like that.

But Noreen says Mother Nature can’t take all the credit. Birding is one of the fasted growing hobbies in the US, and more eyes in the sky mean more surprises.

23— There are more birders. And the technology that’s been developed: computers and camcorders, and internet, and there are sites like eBird…. Let’s say you’re going to take a trip to Washington, DC, you can right away find out what’s been seen (besides politicians) in Washington that might be worth looking at.

You’ll find Noreen Damude’s article on vagrant bird sightings in the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW Magazine May 2013 Issue

 Birding: Vagrant Species, 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sometimes, for reasons we cannot explain, birds end up in Texas that don’t belong here. They’re called vagrants.

16— Basically a vagrant is defined as a bird that strays far outside its expected breeding, or wintering, or migrating range. In other words, it’s a bird that shows up unexpectedly because it’s not supposed to be here.

Noreen Damude, retired from Texas Parks and Wildlife, is a birder, and wrote an article about vagrant bird sightings, called Unexpected Guests, for the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

31— One of the ones that struck me is the Stygian Owl. It has a very large range in Central and South America, but it’s very hard to see even where it’s supposed to be. And it was seen in Benson Rio Grande State Park in 1996; this young boy and his parents were just going through the park, and he saw this little ‘fuffing’ in a mesquite tree. And he discovered it. He was a kid! That was very exciting.

We’ll have more with Noreen Damude on vagrant bird sightings in Texas tomorrow.

Support provided by Ram Trucks. Doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.