Padre Island National Seashore - Photo Gallery (U.S. National Park Service)

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Padre Island National Seashore

Hatchlings are about two inches in length, more or less, depending on their species.

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	Padre Island National Seashore Photo Gallery

Common Checkered Skipper

Dwight Sokoll

Common Checkered Skipper

Grape Leaf Skeletonizer Moth

Dwight Sokoll

Grape Leaf Skeletonizer Moth

Red Admiral

Dwight Sokoll

Red Admiral

btpics04[1]

Dwight Sokoll

Great Southern White

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Dwight Sokoll

Gulf Fritillary

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Dwight Sokoll

Funereal Duskywing

btpics22[1]

Dwight Sokoll

Painted Lady

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Dwight Sokoll

Pipevine Swallowtail

crspotp[1]

Dwight Sokoll

Pearly Crescentspot

Birds

Gallery Description: Birds of Padre Island National Seashore

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), is a year round resident of Padre Island Nationsl Seahore. This big bird measures 46" (117 cm) in length and 72" (183 cm), in width.

Great Blue Heron

Photo by Tracy Parris

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Roseate spoonbills can sometimes be seen feeding in the park wetlands. This photo is in the the public domain.

Roseate Spoonbill

Photo by USFWS photo

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Tricolored herons are a common wading bird in south Texas. This photo from Naturespicsonline is in the public domain.

Tricolored heron in flight

Photo by Naturespicsonline

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Great-tailed grackles are very common around the Malaquite Visitor Center. They song/call most resembles erratic whistling or radio static. The female grackles are brown. This photo is in the public domain.

Great-tailed grackle

Photo by USFWS photo

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Sandhill cranes winter at Padre Island National Seashore. Usually they can be seen in families of either two mates or two parents and a juvenile. This photo is in the public domain.

Sandhill Cranes

Photo by USFWS photo

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Piping plovers may be see at almost any time of the year on Malaquite Beach not far from the Visitor Center.

Piping plover

Photo by USFWS photo

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Mottled ducks may sometimes be seen in park ponds or marshes.

Male and female mottled ducks

Photo by US Government photo

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Ospreys can often be seen sitting on telephone wires along the JFK causeway, watching the water for fish. Occasionnally, an osprey may be spotted hovering over a distant pool in this position, about to pounce on its prey.

Osprey

Photo by NASA photo

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Northern pintails can often be found in the Corpus Christi area.

Male and female northern pintails

Photo by USFWS photo

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Sooty terns are uncommon at the National Seashore, but do occur here.

Sooty tern

Photo by USFWS photo

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Wigeons are common to the Corpus Christi area in winter.

American wigeon

Photo by Phil Slattery

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Willets are common around the Malaquite Visitor Center. When disturbed, they take flight quickly, squawking loudly, with broad, bright black and white stipes flashing on their wings. This is a public domain photo from Wikipedia Commons.

Willet

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South Texas is the northern extreme of the white-tailed hawk's range. At the National Seashore, they may often be seen sitting on the tops of sand dunes, eyeing the surrounding grasslands for prey. This is a public domain photo from Naturespicsonline.

White-tailed hawk on a post

Photo by Naturespicsonline

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The Northern Aplomado Falcon is listed as endangered on both federal and Texas lists.

Northern Aplomado falcon

Photo by Dwight Sokoll

The wood stork is considered a threatened species in Texas.

Wood storks in flight

Photo by Dwight Sokoll

Dowitchers are a common and gregarious bird of the South Texas area.

Dowitchers

Photo by Phil Slattery

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The laughing gull is perhaps the most common bird on Padre Island. It is an aggressive thief always on the lookout for unguarded sandwiches and bags of potato chips. Please remember though, that feeding the wildlife in a national park is both illegal and potentially harmful to the animal. This photo is in the public domain.

Laughing gull in flight

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The Eastern meadowlark is distinguishable from the Western only by its song.

Eastern Meadowlark

Photo by NPS photo

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Green-winged teal are common in the south Texas area.

Male and female green-winged teal

Photo by USFWS photo

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The federal government lists the black tern as a species of concern.

Black tern

Photo by Dwight Sokoll

The Interior Least Tern is listed on both federal and Texas lists as endangered.

Interior Least Tern

Photo by Dwight Sokoll

The cerulean warbler is listed by the federal government as a species of concern.

Cerulean warbler

Photo by Dwight Sokoll

Public domain photo from Naturespicsonline

Long-billed curlew

Photo by naturespicsonline

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Public domain photo from Wikimedia Commons

American bittern

Photo by Jerry Segraves

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Public domain photo from Wikimedia Commons

American coot

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Public domain photo from Naturespicsonline

Brown pelican

Photo by Naturespicsonline

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The black skimmer's lower bill grows with age. Chicks' upper and lower bills are the same length.

Black skimmer

Photo by Phil Slattery

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Most of the North American population of redhead ducks winters on the Laguna Madre, not far from South Beach.

Redhead ducks over Padre Island

Photo by NPS photo

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Seashells

Gallery Description: Shells of Padre Island National Seashore

Shown are the average-size sundial, augur, and wentletrap in relation to an average-size paperclip.

Sundial, augur, and wentletrap

Photo by NPS photo

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Stimpson's cones normally occur off southwest Florida and in the deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Somehow this one made it to Padre Island. Chance, time, and the currents in the Gulf can bring many objects to Padre Island's beaches, including seashells, Japanese fishing floats, and sea beans.

Stimpson's cone

Photo by NPS photo

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Slipper shell

Photo by NPS photo

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This scallop is nearly covered with many small barnacles.

Scallop with barnacles

Photo by NPS photo

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The small, twisting shapes attached to these oysters are the tubes of terebellid worms. Terebellid worms attach themselves onto oysters and form tubes out of calcium in the surrounding water for their homes.

Oysters with terebellid worms

Photo by NPS photo

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Atlantic ribbed mussels derive their name from the many longitudinal ridges on their exterior.

Atlantic ribbed mussel

Photo by NPS photo

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Southern moon snails feed on other mollusks by filing a hole through their shells as can be seen in this ark. If the prey doesn't manage to escape and the moon snail manages to complete its hole, the hole will have beveled edges and will be perfectly circular top and bottom.

Ark with moon snail hole

Photo by NPS photo

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Baby's ears are normally white, but their color may change depending on their diet.

Black and white baby's ears

Photo by NPS photo

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Sometimes a seashell's color vary with its diet. Arks are normally a whitish-gray. This well-worn one apparently fed on something that turned it black, then on something else that turned it gold, and then went back to its original diet.

Ark with gold band

Photo by NPS photo

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Shown here are some of the more common seashells found on Padre Island.

Common seashells of Padre Island

Photo by NPS photo

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Shown with this lightning whelk is a typcial string of egg capsules produced by a lightning whelk (though not the whelk shown). Each capsule may contain around 20-30 baby whelks. These strings may be up to three feet long and are commonly found on Padre Island beaches in spring.

Lightning whelk with egg string

Photo by NPS photo

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Atlantic winged oysters are not often found on the National Seashore. They average about 2-3 inches in length.

Atlantic winged oyster

Photo by NPS photo

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The lion's paw is from deep water and very seldom found on Padre Island, whose surrounding waters are shallow. Lion's paw are a kind of scallop and can come in a variety of colors. They can reach up to 6 inches in length.

Lion's paw

Photo by NPS photo

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Channeled duck clams are very common on Padre Island, and are about as fragile as an eggshell. They average around two inches in width.

Channeled duck clam

Photo by NPS photo

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Artifacts

Gallery Description: Artifacts of Padre Island

A four-real piece of the late series minted between 1542-1572

PAIS 1575A

Photo by NPS photo

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A two-real coin of the Carlos and Johanna late series (minted between 1542-1572).

PAIS 1590B

Photo by NPS photo

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A four-real coin of the Carlos and Johanna late series (minted between 1542-1572).

PAIS 1575B

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A two-real coin of the Carlos and Johanna late series (minted between 1542-1572).

PAIS 1590A

Photo by NPS photo

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These were made during the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who commissioned Columbus's initial voyage to the new world. Note that it is a completely different design than that of the later Carlos and Johanna series.

PAIS 1525A

Photo by NPS photo

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This is the reverse of the rare Carlos and Johanna early series coin.

PAIS 1616B

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This is the reverse of the Ferdinand and Isabella coin.

PAIS 1525B

Photo by NPS photo

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This coin was produced in Mexico City between 1539-1542 and is known as one of the "early series" of reales produced during the reign of King Carlo and Queen Johanna of Spain. There are an estimated 200-300 of these in existence in the world. The National Seashore is quite fortunate to have a few of this very rare piece.

PAIS 1616A

Photo by NPS photo

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Archaic dart point (2800 BC to 500 AD)

PAIS 1181

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Refugio type point of the Middle to Early Archaic periods (2000 BC to 500 BC)

PAIS 1226

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Archaic dart point (2800 BC to 500 AD)

PAIS 3385

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This Angostura-Plainview type of point dates from the paleo-Indian to the early Archaic periods (8000 BC to 6000 BC). Note that the latest this point was probably made is about 3,000 years before the island formed at its earliest (3000 BC). This may have washed up from sites now submerged offshore that were land before the Gulf rose to its current levels.

PAIS 2927

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Archaic projectile point (3000 BC to 1000 AD)

PAIS 1232

[Download 1 kb]

Early archaic period banner stone (7000 BC to 3000 BC). This very rare piece is made of a greenish, almost jade-like stone. Normally associated with burials in eastern North America, banner stones have been found at only one other location in Texas. Banner stones have been found only in association with burials. Their use is unknown, but they may have been burial offerings.

PAIS 1502

[Download 1 kb]

Adze of the Clear Fork gouge type dating from the paleo-Indian to the Archaic period (8000 BC to 1000 AD). Adzes were used to shape wood or other materials into objects such as bowls.

PAIS 1501

[Download 1 kb]

Archaic knife point (2800 BC to 500 AD)

PAIS 3386

[Download 1 kb]

"Sand roses" also known as "gypsum roses" are rocks that form as water rises and falls depositing layer upon layer of gypsum crystals into sand. The gypsum crystals grow, trapping the sand into patterns resembling flowers. The Laguna Madre is the only place in Texas where sand roses may be found. However, they are rare.

Sand rose

Photo by NPS photo

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This broken specimen makes for an excellent illustration of a fulgurite cross section. The center of the sand was vaporized by the lightning resulting in a tube.

Fulgurite 3

Photo by NPS photo

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This large fulgurite sample shows how the exterior of a fulgurite column. Note that the broken ends indicate this was a section of a larger piece. Fulgurite may extend deep into the ground and form branches just as a lightning bolt may.

Fulgurite 2

Photo by NPS photo

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pais 3757

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dscn3617

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Pistol

Photo by NPS Photo

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Plants

Gallery Description: Plants and Flowers

Sand rose gentian is one of several small flowers that occur on the National Seashore.

Sand rose gentian

Photo by NPS photo

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Sea ox-eye daisy is plentiful around Bird Island Basin.

Sea ox-eye daisy

Photo by NPS photo

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Daisies derive their name from the "day's-eye" or sun.

Lazy daisy

Photo by NPS photo

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Meadow pink is another of the small flowers that must be sought diligently among the tall grass.

Meadow pink

Photo by NPS photo

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Five-pointed phlox is a small plant; each of these blossoms was about the size of a nickel.

Five-pointed phlox

Photo by NPS photo

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Goat's-foot morning glory, also known as railroad vine, is very common at the National Seashore. Because it is adapted to a narrow range of salinty in the air, it usually exists in a narrow band on the front of the fore-island dunes. Several runners, each possibly reaching 30 feet in length, can make up one plant, with each putting down roots to find water.

Goat's-foot morning glory

Photo by NPS photo

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Indian Blanket is also known as firewheel. It is common around the Malaquite Visitor Center in spring and early summer.

Indian Blanket

Photo by NPS photo

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Although goat's-foot morning glory usually grows on the fore-island dunes, sometimes it can be found in dune fields near the center of the island. Here can be seen easily the extensive runners from a single plant.

Goat's-foot morning glory in a dune field.

Photo by NPS photo

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Mexican Hat derives its name from its similarity to sombreros often seen in old movies.

Mexican Hat

Photo by NPS photo

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Coreopsis can be found around Bird Island Basin, where it can nearly cover the ground in yellow patches.

Coreopsis

Photo by NPS photo

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You have to search the tall grass meticulously to find Tiny Tim, which is very small, only a few inches high on a thin stalk with a blossom about the size of a fingernail.

Tiny Tim

Photo by NPS photo

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Texas baby blue eyes is not easily found within the park.

Texas baby blue eyes

Photo by NPS photo

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Sea turtles

Gallery Description: Sea turtles of Padre Island

Look for tag scar, living tag, or metal tag.

Nesting Kemp's ridley 3

Photo by NPS photo

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This photo is in the public domain.

Nesting Kemp's ridley

Photo by NPS photo

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Do not approach until after laying eggs. This photo is in the public domain.

Nesting Kemp's ridley 2

Photo by NPS photo

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This photo is in the public domain.

Ridley and tracks 3

Photo by NPS photo

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The transmitters attached to the backs of a few Kemp's ridleys each year allow the park to track their movements throughout the Gulf outside of nesting season by satellite for up to a year.

Kemp's ridley with transmitter attached

Photo by NPS photo

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Because mothers are seldom found with their nests, one method of locating a nest is to search for the distinctive sea turtle tracks--if they haven't been blown away by the wind or obscured by mounds of seaweed.

Ridley tracks

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Hatchlings are lined up facing the sun at releases. Movement by one then stimulates the others into moving.

Hatchlings lined up

Photo by NPS photo

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Kemp's ridley nesting

Nesting Ridley 1

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Nesting Kemp's ridley

Nesting Ridley 7

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Nesting Kemp's ridley

Nesting Kemp's ridley 9

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Kemp's ridleys are the only species of sea turtle that normally nest during the day.

Kemp's ridley mother returning to sea

Photo by NPS photo

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Loggerheads usually nest at night, as do most sea turtle species.

Nesting loggerhead

Photo by NPS photo

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The difference in coloration between the upper and lower sides of a Kemp's can be clearly seen here.

Photo by NPS photo

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The scutes on a loggerhead's head can be clearly seen here. The only way to postively identify a species of sea turtle is by counting the scutes between their eyes.

Loggerhead

Photo by NPS photo

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This is a very young hawksbill. Adults weigh over 95 lbs.

Juvenile hawksbill

Photo by NPS photo

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A few green sea turtles nest each year on Padre Island.

Green sea turtle on shore

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Green sea turtle hatchling faces the Gulf surf.

Green sea turtle hatchling faces the Gulf surf.

Photo by NPS photo

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Every year the National Seashore attaches transmitters to the backs of a few ridleys so that their movements can be tracked over the next year.

Kemp's ridley with transmitter

Photo by NPS photo

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By incubating Kemp's ridley eggs, the National Seashore hopes to increase the survival rate of hatchlings to adulthood by 3 to 5 times.

Three Kemp's ridley hatchlings

Photo by NPS photo

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Last Updated: July 14, 2011 at 10:47 MST