The Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center at 1356 Ross Ave is a 700-foot wheelchair-accessible boardwalk over a freshwater pond and surrounding wetlands at the north end of town. Entry is free and the site is open every day from sunrise to sunset. An ADA-compliant observation tower gives a panoramic view over the marsh, where roseate spoonbills, black-bellied whistling-ducks, least grebes, and a rotating cast of herons, egrets, and shorebirds can reliably be found.
The center is a designated stop on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, and guided naturalist walks are held on Wednesday mornings at 9am — binoculars are available to borrow. Port Aransas has six Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail sites in total; the Birding Center is the most accessible and the most reliably productive. If you are a serious birder, this stretch of coastline should be on your list regardless of season.