Isla Verde or Green Island as it is known in English is an oasis of lush and thorny habitat in the Lower Laguna Madre.
It is one of only a handful of naturally occurring islands in the bay, and the most important nesting island in the Lower Laguna Madre.
While the island measures some 110 total acres at low tide, the thick brush used for nesting by colonial waterbirds consists of approximately 27 acres.
Nesting season is almost over on Isla Verde, as most of the dozen or so species that raise their young here have moved off.
Now, the island's residents are primarily juvenile snowy egrets and a few ibis, but they too will be fledging soon.
Early in the spring, when the island's brushy interior was still mostly wintry brown the great blue heron's were the first to arrive.
After the great blue herons settled in for a few weeks and the island began to green up other colonial waterbirds began to join them.
Soon, magnificent great egrets in spectacular breeding plumage started their nuptial displays. As the great egrets settled in, other species flocked to the island in mass, and soon it seemed just about every tree and bush was home to a reddish egret, spoonbill or other bird.
It has been a very successful year for the birds of Isla Verde, and hundreds of coastal denizens have been raised on the island.
Early, next spring they will return to their birthplace to start their own families, and the birds of Isla Verde will have come full circle.
With your Nature Report I'm Richard Moore.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT