Port Aransas, Texas, Goose Island State Park, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge & North Padre Island wildlife tour. January 13 -16, 2017 We went out on a private wildlife tour with
Capt. Chad Verburgt, Rockport RedRunner Guide service rockportredrunner.com in his 24' Carolina Skiff. We were able get in to very shallow water which got us much closer to the birds. Whooping Cranes were classified as endangered in 1967. Biologists at
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge estimate that the number of endangered Whooping Cranes wintering in Texas rose slightly, from 310 last year to 314 this year.
Even with the shallow draft boat most of the photos were taken at 50 to 100 yards distance with our biggest lenses.
© Mark & Laurie Kmieciak Photographers