86 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • March/April 2018 TheCoastalBend.com Located in the Central Flyway, the island boasts hundreds of native and migrating species. Encoun- ters with Coastal Bend nesting species such as the Roseate Spoonbills, Least Grebes, Reddish Egrets, Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, Bitterns and Rails bring birding enthusiasts back to this island sanctu- ary time and time again. With five sites along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail: Wetlands Park, Paradise Pond, the Birding Center, Mustang Island State Park and the South Jetty, Port A hosts many must-see look outs for avid birders and wildlife photographers. Boardwalks and observation towers are built over wetlands with vegetation pockets specially designed to attract birds. The Birding Center, Wetlands Park, Paradise Pond and The Nature Preserve were designed to give birders the“up-close”ability to observe hundreds of species in their natural habitats. The Port Aransas Nature Preserve encompasses 1,217 acres of undeveloped land in an area formerly known as Charlie’s Pasture, where early island residents once grazed their cattle. Located between the ship channel, the community park, State High- way 361 and Piper Channel, features at the Nature Preserve include over three miles of hike and bike trails, a pavilion, boardwalks over algal flats, crushed granite trails on the uplands, covered seating sites and two towers overlooking wetland areas around Salt Island. The natural area’s extensive tidal flats provide feed- ing areas and important habitat for shorebirds and endangered and threatened species such as the pip- ing plover. There are two entrances to the Preserve: the end of Port Street and off State Highway 361 near Mustang Beach Airport. To keep the preserve unspoiled, certain environmental rules apply. Birding year- round in Port A