The Living Coast

A large flock of Forster's terns fly and rest together on the jetty rocks at South Packery Jetty on Padre Island. In the background, a brown pelican rests on the jetty rocks.

An ongoing wildlife photography project documenting the birds of the Texas Coastal Bend.

Birds of the Coastal Bend is a long-term wildlife documentation project focused on the bird species of the Texas Coastal Bend. Through consistent, place-based observation, the project highlights the region’s ecological diversity and migratory significance—challenging the dominant narrative that frames the area solely as a tourism and beach destination.

By centering birds as indicators of environmental health, the work aims to foster conservation awareness and a deeper public connection to the region’s living systems. This project is about slowing down and paying attention. Watching how birds move through shallow water, rest along jetties, gather during migration, and adapt to changing coastlines.

Over time, those quiet moments begin to tell a larger story about the place we live and the ecosystems that support it.

Seabirds

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican seated on the South Packery Jetty railing looking directly at the camera. This pelican was alternating between looking at the fisherman and fishing in the shallows near the jetty rocks.