Today I went out to Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve. I’d been wanting to go out there for a few weeks but something always just kept being more important.

As I was driving out there, I saw a large metal sculpture of a heron with a fish in his mouth looming on the horizon. As I drove up, it turned out, it was a welcome to the preserve. The parking lot was well landscaped and clean.

The learning center was closed, it being Sunday, but I could still walk the trails. There was this cute little crayfish climbing out of the marsh and under the porch of the learning center and there were lots of little fish swimming in the pond.

Around the back side of the building was an open area with some low balance beams (which I did cross), some plastic stumps (which I did walk across), a cute bench with woodland creatures carved into it and a small man-made waterfall. I sat on a bench and watched the waterfall for a while. A painted bunting came for a drink of water and a rest before taking off to finish his day.

I got up and started down the trails. The ground beneath me was a clean brown gravel that crunched when I walked (it was a very satisfying sound), all the trees where green and lush and ready to hide any small creature, and the sky was blue with fluffy white clouds floating, a beautiful day. I started following a gecko down the path. Every path I went down, there seemed to be a large brown bird flying across the path. It was always too far away to see what type of bird it was. I did see vultures, black-necked stilts, pelicans, cardinals, egrets, herons, sea gulls along with the painted bunting. There wasn’t much water in the bay, but still enough for he animals to get what they needed. I want to go back when there is a little more water.

I cam across a crossroads and took a right along a yellow, “cobblestone” (sort of) path. I got the feeling this path was wet a lot, there was a bit of mud. I had to dodge large fire ants, bees and wasps and keep my footing in the mud. But I made it to the prairie outlook and the end of this yellow brick road.

On my way back from Pelican Porch, the furthest outlook I walked to, on my way to the playground, I was looking at a small tree. In one of the branches, there was a small mess of twigs. I looked closer and it turns out it was a bird’s nest and it had a baby bird in it. It raised its head, I guess it was waiting for its mom to bring back with dinner. The walk back was full of little ones, more geckos to follow back (so I didn’t get lost), mocking birds flying around and a Texas tortoise eating the plants along the side of the path. To top everything off on the way back to the car a caracara flew over the lot.

I spent about three hours out there. It was about a thirty minute drive from my house, but I would definitely go back. I would want to go back when it was a little wetter and earlier in the morning so the temperature is a little cooler, although it is south Texas. I suggest bring a hat and water bottle and make sure you look around and take everything in.