It is light enough to see and the nesting birds are actively foraging to feed their young. By midmorning, the heat dampens the enthusiasm of birds and kayakers. It is always a thrill to be in a kayak when a black skimmer flies by inches above the water's surface. Several species of sparrows hide in the tall marsh grass. Herons and egrets are present along with brown pelicans, white ibis, and roseate spoonbills.
Many species nest in large colonies on isolated islands.
One of the most characteristic birds of the Texas coast is the reddish egret. It is a year-round resident though not as common as the great egret or great blue heron. It is dark gray with a rusty neck and head. Ten to fifteen percent of the reddish egrets are white-phase birds that is, snow white. To distinguish such a reddish egret from the similar snowy egret, birders compare the legs and feet, which are entirely black in the white-phase reddish egret, unlike the snowy egret, with its black legs and very yellow feet.