Are you looking for new places to go birding? Or maybe you are new to birding and are looking for a place to start?
With Texas’s extensive birding trails and parks, you can start your birding journey by simply exploring the outdoors.
If you are looking to dive deeper into birding in the Alvin area, we have a few places and tools to help you along the way.
Click here for a downloadable PDF-Version of the Alvin Bird Watching Guide
Alvin is a part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, which attracts birdwatchers from all over the world. The hugely successful Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail winds through 43 Texas counties, encompassing the entire Texas Coastal region. Completed in April 2000, the Trail features 308 distinct wildlife viewing sites. Enhancements such as boardwalks, parking pullouts, kiosks, observation platforms, and landscaping to attract native wildlife have been constructed at a number of sites.
Each section of the trail (upper, central and lower coast) has a map showing 12-16 separate loops. The color-coded loops encompass an array of associated sites and birds and provide easy access to related information. Each site on the Trail is marked with a unique sign and site number designed to coincide with the site description on the map. The trail maps have information about the birds and habitats likely to be found at each site, Migrations and Winter are the best seasons to visit and Alvin makes an excellent base to explore the entire trail with several options for food and lodging available.
UTC 086A RESOFT COUNTY PARK
20020 TX-35, Alvin, TX
Suggested Seasons to visit: N/A
Site open for day use only.
Turn right onto TX-35 N/Alvin Bypass and continue to follow TX-35 N for 3.8 miles. Turn left onto Cornett Rd. and continue for .2 miles. The entrance to the park is on the left.
349 CR 281, Alvin, TX 77511
Resoft County Park has 80 acres of playgrounds, pavilions, sports fields, horseshoes, trails, a basket disc course, and two stocked ponds for fishing. Birders consider Resoft Park a premier rookery location, with Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Cormorants, Mallards, Muscovy Ducks, and Egyptian Geese nesting early in the year on the three islands in the lake. Later in the year the Little Blues, Snowies, and last of all the Cattle Egrets will build nests on the islands. It is very easy for birders to view the rookeries from trails in the park.
Resoft Park eBird hotspot – https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1879846
(979) 864-1541
www.brazoriacountytx.gov/departments/parks-department/resoft
UTC 086 PAUL HOPKINS COMMUNITY PARK
1000 FM517, Dickinson, TX
Suggested Seasons to visit: N/A
Site open for day use only.
Continue south on TX 3 to FM 517, then west on FM 517 to Paul Hopkins Community Park.
This pocket park has a nature trail along the bayou, and migrant land birds often pass along this waterway in spring. A number of eastern woodland birds, including the Red-shouldered Hawk, nest in this woodland.
UTC 087A JOHN HARGROVE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLEX
5800 Magnolia St. Pearland, TX
Suggested Seasons to visit: Spring
Site open for day use only.
Head north on TX 35 to Pearland, exiting at Magnolia St. Turn left onto Magnolia and the entrance to JHEC will be about 2 miles down on the left.
Situated on a 108-acre retention pond protected on two sides with a light tree line, this site offers viewing opportunities year-round. With waterways and green space allocated for water run-off and detention, these open spaces are permanently protected for use by wildlife and birders. Worth a visit to see a variety of wading birds and songbirds.
UTC 087 MUSTANG BAYOU TRAIL
200 Depot Centre Blvd., Alvin, TX
Suggested Seasons to visit: Migrations, Winter
Site open for day use only.
Located off Business 35 from State Highway 6 is the Mustang Bayou Trail in Alvin. A trailhead is located at the restored Historic Alvin Train Depot. While in the area, check the woodlands along the Mustang Bayou Trail.
Latitude: 29.42475
Longitude: -95.24389
UTC 107 Village of Oyster Creek Municipal Park
Suggested Seasons to visit: All Seasons
Site open for day use only.
From Surfside travel west on TX 332 to FM 523, then go north on FM 523 to the Village of Oyster Creek Municipal Park.
These woodlands, situated along Oyster Creek, are worth checking for migrants as you travel toward Brazoria NWR. Red-shouldered Hawks are often seen perched on the power poles around the parking area. Look for Belted Kingfishers along Oyster Creek.
UTC 108 Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
Suggested Seasons to visit: All Seasons
Site open for day use only.
Travel north on FM 523 to CR 227, then east on CR 227 to Brazoria NWR.
The refuge consists of nearly 50,000 acres of coastal grassland, bluestem prairie, mud flats, fresh and saltwater marshes, and a bewildering assortment of potholes, lakes, and streams. The observation platform overlooking Teal Pond allows close views of the waterfowl (geese, Sandhill Cranes) congregations there. Also, walk the nature trail across Big Slough, behind the visitor’s pavilion. Wood Storks are common during the late summer and fall in the impoundments along the driving loop. In addition to the remarkable diversity of waterbirds and waterfowl that reside here, this refuge contains over 5,000 acres of native bluestem prairie. In this grassland look for Sedge Wrens and Le Conte’s, Henslow’s, and Grasshopper sparrows. White-tailed Kites and White-tailed Hawks frequent the prairies in winter. In wet years, Black Rails can be heard calling along the road to Salt Lake and Seaside Sparrows are common here. The tidal flats at low tide often overflow with shorebirds. Call ahead, access to the site is restricted; visitation may be arranged by contacting the managing entity at the address and telephone number provided. Call ahead, access to the site is restricted; visitation may be arranged by contacting the managing entity at the address and telephone number provided.
(979) 964-4011
www.fws.gov/southwest
UTC 109 Camp Mohawk County Park
Suggested Seasons to visit: All seasons
Site open for day use only.
From Angleton – Go north TX-35N for approximately 14 miles. Turn left onto Camp Mohawk Park Dr. and continue for approximately 0.2 miles. The destination will be on the right.
From Alvin: Head south on TX-35 BUS W/S Gordon St toward W Sidnor St and continue on TX-35 S/TX-35 Loop for 4.5 miles. Turn right onto Camp Mohawk Park Dr. for approximately 0.2 miles. The destination will be on the right.
110 CR 193 Alvin, TX 77511
Camp Mohawk is fifty-five acres of heavily wooded forest, the only native pine forest in Brazoria County, and it is situated on Chocolate Bayou. In addition to the pines, the woods contain maples, elms, hickories, willows, and at least six types of oak trees. Over 150 species of birds have been sighted at Camp Mohawk, including many types of migratory songbirds as well as water birds and raptors. Twenty species of butterflies have been seen at Camp Mohawk, and it features many types of wildflowers. Many reptiles make Camp Mohawk their home including all of Texas’ venomous snakes and the American alligator.
(281) 756-2319
(877) 226-7664
brazoriacountytx.gov/departments/parks-department/camp-mohawk
UTC 087B SHADOW CREEK RANCH NATURE PARK
1801 Kingsley Dr, Pearland, TX
Suggested Seasons to visit: N/A
Site open for day use only.
Continue west on Magnolia St. to TX 288 and head north. Exit FM 2234/McHard Rd. and turn left following McHard Rd. west to Kingley Dr. Turn right on Kingley Dr. and the park will be on the right.
This 29.5-acre park borders Clear Creek and has paved hiking/biking trails throughout that are enhanced with interpretive signage. The site offers views of raptors, herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, and songbirds.
Birding Etiquette
Some of the items that are useful when it comes to bird watching are a field guide, bird ID App, and a pair of binoculars. You can find some of these items locally at Stanton’s shopping center, Patco hardware, and Steinhauser’s Feed Store. Birds are most active at sunrise or sunset. Dawn is the best time for seeing diurnal species, while dusk is generally the best time for spotting nocturnal species.
RESPECT THE BIRDS: Maintain a safe distance from the birds and their habitat. Avoid moving into sensitive areas where birds may be nesting.
SOUND: Many people bird by ear, so keep your voice low enough that you can hear the sounds of nature around you. If you need to take a phone call, simply step away from the group.
SHARE THE VIEW: By all means, bring your camera to capture beautiful moments! Be sure you give others a chance to see that great view, too, by stepping aside once you’ve had your fill.
OBSERVE THE OBSERVERS: A neat way to find a bird without having to ask is by examining where everyone is looking. Make note where the binoculars are pointing, follow your eyes/binocs to that location, and frequently you can “get on” the bird in no time.
