Right Now, in May, Beaumont Is Hosting One of the Great Bird Migrations in the Country. Here Is Where to Stand. |
Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands |
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Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands sits at the edge of Beaumont and does not charge admission. The 900-acre preserve includes a boardwalk, a viewing platform, and access to one of the most remarkable wildlife corridors in Southeast Texas. It sits on two migratory flyways, which means right now, in May, during active spring migration, this city is hosting one of the most spectacular bird movements in the entire country.
Over 250 species have been documented at Cattail Marsh. Pelicans. Roseate spoonbills. Egrets. Ibis. Ducks. Red-winged blackbirds. On a good morning in May you can stand on that boardwalk and see things that birdwatchers travel across the country to find, ten minutes from downtown Beaumont.
A roseate spoonbill is standing in the shallows of a 900-acre wetland sanctuary inside Beaumont's city limits right now. So are pelicans, great blue herons, egrets, and species that birdwatchers travel across the country to find. The sanctuary is free. It is ten minutes from downtown. It is open every single day.
Beaumont is also home to 28 of Texas's Coastal Birding Trail stops within just a few miles of the city. The geography of this place, the bayous, the wetlands, the coastal prairies, has always made it a sanctuary. Cattail Marsh is located at 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive inside Tyrrell Park. Take the Walden Road exit off I-10, go south half a mile, follow Tyrrell Park Road, then turn left into the park and follow Babe Zaharias Drive to the parking lot. Hours are daily 6am to 9pm, free for all ages. And here is the detail that makes it even better: the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau runs free guided van tours every Tuesday at 2:30pm and Thursday at 9:30am. No cost. All supplies provided. Just show up. |