Friends, family recall 'Bird Lady' Barbara on SPI

Friends and family crowded the South Padre Island birding center Saturday afternoon to remember “the famous bird lady of South Padre Island.”

Recalling fond memories of Barbara Kennett, who at the age of 87 passed away Aug. 19 at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville, long-time friend Scarlet Colley said, “She was like a mother to me.”

Colley remembered that she and Kennett quickly bonded over their love for birds and wildlife, saying she’d often go help Kennett in the garden at her now-famous South Padre Island home.

Those present at Saturday’s memorial service remembered Kennett as a South Padre Island icon, the face of the Island’s birding scene. Over the years Kennett transformed the yard of her Island home into a thriving habitat for migrating birds.

Her bird garden, the subject of numerous newspaper articles over the years, has long been considered a must-see destination for national and international bird enthusiasts, Colley said. Among Kennett’s many visitors over the years were former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn.

Looking out at South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, Colley remarked, “I hope having her memorial service here will inspire the birding center to plant more neo-tropical habitat for the birds, just like (Kennett) did.”

Friend Laurie Howell called Kennett a “wonderful lady who was happy to share her home with so many people.” Kennett, as many remembered Saturday, often played host to bird enthusiasts and wildlife photographers from all over.

“She was certainly a wonderful representative of the Island,” Howell said.

Accomplished wildlife cinematographer John Bax remembered his frequent visits to Kennett’s home, saying she was always a wonderful friend. “She was a tremendous lady, and I’m sure we will all miss her greatly,” he said.

In addition to remembering her contributions to birding on the Island, friends and family also called Kennett a loving mother, wife and grandmother.