January/February 2016 - Houston Audubon Society

The
Naturalist
C e l e b r a t i n g 4 6 Ye a r s o f B i r d C o n s e r v a t i o n
Red Knot by Greg Lavaty
January/February 2016
Volume 35, Number 1
Houston Audubon Speaker Event
Breeding Bird Surveys in Colorado's Sagebrush Steppe
Speaker: Becky Gillette
Date:
Place:
Time:
Thursday, January 14, 2016
United Way Center, 50 Waugh
7:00 p.m. – Social
7:30 p.m. – Presentation
W
orking with the Gunnison Climate Working Group,
The Nature Conservancy, and Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory, Audubon Rockies is monitoring the response of
breeding birds to a collaborative restoration project involving
more than a dozen federal, state and local agencies. Designed
to increase the resiliency of the landscape in the face of climate
change, the project uses simple rock structures that direct water
flow to rebuild and restore alpine wet meadows and riparian
areas at numerous sites across central Colorado's Gunnison
Basin.
Becky will present a slideshow
and bird songs recorded during
the June monitoring season,
and will discuss learning the
art of birding by ear in the
sagebrush steppe.
Becky Gillette is a Senior
Educator with Audubon
Rockies, based in Pagosa
Springs, Colorado. In
partnership with landowner
Terry Hershey, Becky directs
Audubon's Four Mile Ranch
Environmental Education
program, providing science
Becky Gillette
and nature education to every
student at Pagosa Springs
Elementary School, as well as students from the Jicarilla Apache
Reservation in northern New Mexico.
Greater Sage Grouse by Greg Lavaty
Through the associated Volunteer Educators Program, she has
trained nearly 70 adult community members as naturalists and
science teachers to lead field programs at Four Mile Ranch.
Becky also provides educational programming for students in
Gunnison and Telluride, and coordinates Audubon's breeding
bird surveys for the Gunnison Basin Restoration and Resiliency
Project.
Becky holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Colorado
College, and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies
from Antioch University in Keene, New Hampshire, where she
specialized in Environmental Education and Interpretation. Prior
to joining Audubon in 2008, Becky served as an interpretive
ranger with the National Park Service in Colorado, Utah, New
York and Pennsylvania, and directed environmental education
programming for nonprofit organizations in Vermont and
Colorado.
Our Mission: To advance the conservation of birds and positively impact their supporting environments.
Houston Audubon is a financially independent
501(c)3 charitable conservation organization
registered in the state of Texas and a chapter of the
National Audubon Society.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Bartos, President
Ben Hulsey, Past President
Snehal Patel, President-Elect
Mary Fitzgerald, Corporate Secretary
Andy Lopez, Treasurer
Skip Almoney
Greg Biddinger
Nigel Curlet
Rebecque Demark
Matthew Easterly
Doris Durbin Heard
Ed Hickl
Donna Rybiski
Joe Smith
Bob Westendarp
Timothy White
Martha Wright
Alice Anne O'Donell, Galveston Group Representative
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Gerard A. Bertrand
James B. Blackburn Jr.
Judy Boyce
Winnie Burkett
Caroline Callery
Claire Caudill
Fred Collins II
Victor Emanuel
Julia Garrett
Gene Graham
Joy Hester
Ford Hubbard III
Mavis P. Kelsey Jr.
Jeffery Mundy
Rob Rowland
Steve Smith
James R. Stewart Jr.
Lettalou Whittington
Sara Bettencourt
Peggy Boston
Richard L. Brooks
Dale Bush
Mary Carter
Gary W. Clark
Scott Davis
Ted Eubanks Jr.
Stephen Gast
Terry Hershey
Tracy Hester
Ann Wier Jones
Kay Medford
Heidi Rockecharlie
Andrew Sansom
Kathryn Smyth
Lucie Wray Todd
Jim Winn
STAFF
Helen Drummond, Executive Director
Richard Gibbons, Conservation Director
Flo Hannah, Conservation Specialist
Peter Deichmann, Conservation Specialist
Bethany Foshée, ELM Sanctuary Manager and
Docent Coordinator
Mary Anne Weber, Education Director
Vicki Stittleburg, Environmental Educator
Julie Gold, Development Director
Telisa Koros, Marketing & Events Coordinator
Michaele Griffith, Development Associate
Juanita Perkins, Office Manager and
Volunteer Coordinator
Barbara Thompson, Controller
Sara Flournoy, Bird-Friendly Communities
Program Manager
CONTACT INFORMATION
Houston Audubon Office
713-932-1639
Education Office
713-640-2407
Fax
713-461-2911
E-mail
info@houstonaudubon.org
www.houstonaudubon.org
The Naturalist is published bimonthly.
Editor: Susan Billetdeaux
The Naturalist is also available in digital format
on our website.
To receive The Naturalist by email,
sign up online for E-News.
The Naturalist is made possible by a
generous gift from Terry Hershey.
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THE NATURALIST • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
Increasing the Diversity of Common Birds in Houston
by Helen Drummond, Executive Director
G
rowing up in Houston was an interesting dichotomy
of positives. I loved living just one hour away from
Galveston and an even shorter distance from Galveston
Bay, one of the most ecologically productive estuaries in
the country. The short distances made family weekend
day trips to the coast very doable and very special. Most of
my childhood free time, however, was spent playing in the
neighborhood. We lived only one block from Brays Bayou,
just east of Highway 288; and both MacGregor and Hermann
parks were only a half-mile hike or bicycle-ride away. My
friends and I visited the bayou and the parks frequently; we could reach them with little
need to cross major thoroughfares. We traversed through the neighborhood and/or
trekked the trails along the bayou although the bayous were not the cleanest and the
parks really needed some TLC. However, this was all we had at the time. We didn’t see
the beauty and value that lurked beyond the muddle; but we did enjoy the freedom of
the open space and water.
Now, 30 to 40 years later, Houston looks vastly different, thanks to Houston's
philanthropic, business and conservation community, and the leaders within these
groups. Parks with natural greenspace are more prevalent. Our bayous are becoming
community assets lined with accessible trails. The beauty of our region's natural assets
and its biological diversity is becoming a priority, one that elevates Houston to being one
of the best places to live, work and play.
I have an eight-year-old daughter who birds nearly every morning on the way to school.
There are always birds around—in the nearby creek, in an oak tree, or in grassland lots
along roadways. The blooming of Houston's beauty is wonderful to see. My daughter's
experience is vastly different from mine in that she is able to see, appreciate and
experience the beauty and value of these resources at an early age. Forty years ago who
would have imagined the Houston we have today?
Very few were thinking of Houston
in this way in the '80s, but that has
changed. Our city is in the midst
of a major makeover. The vision
and leadership of many, including
Houston Parks Board Chairman, Tom
Bacon, have been an integral part of
this transformation. The Parks Board
has not only added 14,000 acres of
parkland, but its Bayou Greenways
Brays Bayou at Mason Park
initiative, will place parkland within a mile
and a half for 6 out of 10 Houstonians by creating a network of trails along all bayous.
Now, imagine restoring these areas and our backyards with wildlife-supporting native
trees and wildflowers. Not only would we be doing more of our part to help protect
resident, wintering and migrating birds throughout the Western Hemisphere, but
we would also increase the opportunities for all of us living in the city to experience
the joy and wonder that birds bring to our lives. As we implement our Bird-Friendly
Communities initiative, I imagine that one day my daughter will spot a Painted Bunting
or Common Yellowthroat in addition to the Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse or
American Robin we currently might see during our walks or visits to local parks.
One day, a greater diversity of birds will become common thanks to our efforts to restore
our urban environment. And the birds that have inspired mankind for hundreds of
years will continue to inspire each of us in our own back yards. One day, my daughter's
daughter will trek our area waterways and see beautiful birds we've never imagined we
would see in our own Houston urban environment.
Preparing for High Island's Spring Migration
by Richard Gibbons, Conservation Director
S
pring migration is on the horizon and we're preparing for birds and birders to converge
on the Texas Gulf Coast. Volunteers and staff have worked year-round to make our coastal
sanctuaries attractive and productive places for birds.
We've been busy restoring forested habitat in High Island. Regular visitors will surely notice a
difference at Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in particular with more than 20 acres cleared of invasive
plant species and understory species planted to fill the niche. This habitat restoration was made
possible with generous support from our partners and donors. We've hired full-time seasonal
technicians with a passion for bird conservation and the investment shows.
The rookery water levels are looking good for spring. The El Niño winter has provided plenty of
rain and long-term solutions are underway with Ducks Unlimited and the Gulf Coast Joint Venture
to ensure the High Island rookery remains productive and a world class spectacle for years to
come. We're also making the rookery more accessible with an ADA walkway in place of the stairs
near the main parking area. This will make it easier for all to enjoy each displaying suitor, stick
robber, sibling squabble, and first flight.
We strive to develop places where birders, photographers, and families can have profound
experiences with nature. We've invested in improving the visitor experience. Renovated
bathrooms, resurfaced roads, and new directional signage are some of the many improvements.
We're very happy to announce that the good guides of Tropical Birding will return and provide
free daily bird walks in High Island and surrounding environs. One can expect top notch guidance
for warbler walks and shorebird study.
To best take advantage of all this birdy goodness, consider purchasing the collectible and
iconic High Island season patch, good for an entire year of fee area passage. The patch
features the artwork of Houston Audubon friend and bird artist, Linda Feltner. This year's patch
bird is a buzzy Blue-winged Warbler.
We hope to see you soon and often at High Island!
HANPA
The Houston Audubon Nature Photography Association is an informal photo club for
Houston Audubon members. We meet at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary.
January 20: Bird Photography in Southern Florida with Andy MacPhillimy
Florida has a broad range of wildlife sanctuaries including shore birds, marsh birds, forest, and
prairie birds. Andy has spent a great amount of time in Florida exploring places like Ding Darling
on Sanibel Island, Corscrew Swamp and rookeries and water reclamation sites on the east coast.
He will share his great photographs and the logistics of photographing at these locations.
February 17 : Botswana's Okavango Delta with Joe Smith
Joe Smith will present images taken in Botswana in November 2015 while on a photo safari with
Andy Biggs and discuss tips for making such an experience as rewarding as possible. There will
be plenty of time for questions and answers. The small group stayed at two of the area's best
safari camps, the Nxabega Tented Camp in Southwestern Okavango Delta, and the Sandibe
Safari Lodge in Southeastern Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta region of Botswana, one of
Africa's best wildlife areas, covers approximately 9,320 square miles of water, wooded islands,
grass-covered flood plains and vast reed and papyrus beds. The ecological diversity and
grandeur of this area and the varied wildlife and birds in the delta makes this a top photo safari
location. Wildlife is accessed by boat and by jeep trips and at the camps themselves.
Many thanks to SWAROVSKI OPTIK for
loaning optics to Houston Audubon
for the Beach-nesting Bird Program,
Texas Shorebird Survey, and Gulf Seawatch.
Blue-winged Warbler by Linda Feltner
Welcome Back!
The professional Tropical
Birding guides will once again
lead walks at High Island and
shorebird locations.
Spring Volunteer
Orientation
Work in the Woods with Us.
Conserve Nature. Learn New Things!
Saturday, February 13, 2016
1:00–4:00 p.m.
Edith L. Moore Log Cabin
For more info, call Juanita
713-932-1639
jperkins@houstonaudubon.org
If you volunteered for Houston
Audubon in 2015, please join us
for our annual
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
February 20, 2016
12:00–2:00 p.m.
Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center
Please RSVP by February 13 to
jperkins@houstonaudubon.org or
call 713-932-1639
Spouses/Guests
are welcome
THE NATURALIST • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
3
Summer Camps at Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center
Every summer Houston Audubon's education team creates amazing camp experiences
for children 5–12 years old. Summer 2016 is going to be brimming with birds, amazingly
artistic, and totally Texas. Register now! To find out more, check our website or contact
Mary Anne Weber at maweber@houstonaudubon.org or 713-640-2407.
Into the Wild Camp
Crazy Mixed-up Animal Art Camp
June 27–July 1 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
July 18–22 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Simply the best summer camp ever! Campers will explore the
world of birds and other amazing wild creatures and learn about
the places they call home. Lots of outdoor exploration, live
animals, games, crafts, and more. Ages 7-12. $225 for members,
$250 for nonmembers.
Science and art come together in this fun and interactive week at camp.
Campers will learn about animal adaptations and create unique works
of art in the style of famous artists. Campers will meet live animals and
experiment with various media. Ages 5–10. $125 for members,
$150 for nonmembers.
Summer Camps at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
Registration opens February 15. See www.houstonaudubon.org for details and forms.
Email Bethany Foshée at bfoshee@houstonaudubon.org to sign up for Summer Camp E-news.
Come Along Camp
Habitat Hideaways Camp
Outdoor fun and nature adventure await
your eager preschooler and an adult
chaperone of your choice. Through crafts,
forest walks, puppet shows, and story
time, your youngest camper will learn
about the natural world all around them.
(Ages 2½–5) (Only 24 spaces—will sell out
fast.)
Set your city kids loose in this action
packed week of adventure in the woods!
We'll climb trees, build tee-pees, and hunt
for woodland animals. Having fun in the
forest will be our mission. Field games,
team building, creek picnics, and nature
hikes will be how we spend each day …
deep in the wilds of the woods and away
from any sign of city living! (Ages 5–10)
May 23–27 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Nature Explorers Camp
July 18–22 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Five 1-week sessions in June & early July
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Slimy & Scaly Camp
Let the summer adventures begin! Exciting
journeys await you as we discover the
world of wildlife here in our own Bayou
City. Hike the trails and play games in
our forest's habitats. Make nature crafts
and science projects to take home. Catch
tadpoles and fish in the ponds. Meet our
education animals. From creeks to peaks,
ponds to fronds, and bogs to logs, we'll
uncover the amazing habitats and animals
here in our own backyards. (Ages 5–10)
Spend the week investigating the "slimy
and scaly" world of amphibians and
reptiles. We'll hop, slither, and climb our
way through their fascinating behaviors
and adaptations. Through field studies, art
projects, and science games, we'll uncover
the wild ways of turtles, snakes, frogs,
lizards, and more. Each day of camp, we'll
learn the tools of the trade as we become
Junior Herpetologists. And we'll spend lots
of time out on the trails and around the
pond searching for our "slimy and scaly"
friends! (Ages 5–10)
Art in Nature Camp
July 11–15 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Explore the beauty in nature all around us.
We'll spend the week adding to our nature
scrapbooks, painting watercolors along
the creek, designing crafts and sculptures
using natural materials, and we'll even
create our own whimsical animal
creatures! (Ages 5–10)
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THE NATURALIST • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
July 25–29 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Pond Camp
August 1–5 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Time to dive in! For our water and
mud-loving adventurers, we'll spend
this action-packed week exploring the
underwater world of our creeks, ponds,
bays and bayous. We'll design our own
pond aquariums, investigate the animals that
live beneath the water's edge, and wade into the
hidden habitats of Rummel Creek. (Ages 7–11)
Survivor Camp
August 8–12 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Optional: Friday, August 12 6:30–9:30 p.m.
You're lost in the woods with no one to help! Do
you have what it takes to survive? We'll test our
nature survival skills as we learn to build shelters,
filter our own water, start a fire without a match,
cook using the sun, and make a tasty snack from
plants (and bugs!) here in our forest. We'll all
gather back together on Friday night to test our
orienteering skills after dark, camp-out in our
shelters, and enjoy a tasty campfire meal.
(Ages 11–12)
The Birdwatcher as Ecological Detective
A Simple Question—Part 1
by Robert McFarlane, Houston Bird Survey Coordinator
I
t all begins with a simple question—how many bird species
live in my neighborhood?
An honest answer is "it depends."
It depends on how often you look, how long you look,
the time of day that you look, and how many places you
look. Now "it depends" is not a very satisfactory answer,
so I set out to answer that question more definitively for
my neighborhood in the Montrose area. I established a
walking route from my residence to a local pocket park. Over
the course of twelve months I walked that route 20 times,
identifying and counting birds as I went, so that I could
include seasonal variability. Anticipating that different routes
would produce different results, I established three other
routes as well. I carefully measured the length of each route
so that I could establish birds observed per mile walked and
compare the results of the different routes. The four routes
covered about one square mile of habitat about one mile from
the central business district.
The routes differed in length (1.1, 1.2, 1.65, and 1.7 miles)
and coverage (16, 18, 19 and 20 surveys). I walked a total of
103 miles and observed 9486 birds. There were differences
between the routes; the birds/mile were 72.8, 82.7, 106.7 and
110.9. But the average number of species observed were
quite similar; 10.5, 11.4, 12.0 and 13.1. Surely I would be able
to determine how many species of birds lived in a square mile
of my neighborhood.
have lengthened the survey time. These migrants are merely tourists and do
not interest me. They alight, eat a bite, spend the night, and take flight as soon
as the weather clears. They are not a part of the resident bird community.
The chart above is a rank-abundance graph of the Montrose bird community
that is typical of animal or plant communities. There are typically one or two
species that are very abundant (House Sparrow), several that are abundant
(White-winged Dove, European Starling, Rock Pigeon), a few more that are
common (Great-tailed Grackle, Northern Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Blue
Jay), and then a lot of uncommon or rare species that tail off to the right of the
chart. The five most abundant species account for 75% of the bird observations.
Most of the species observed contribute very little to the bird community. Thus
total species richness may tell you very little about the community dynamics.
Starting with the longest route surveyed most frequently, I
had encountered 25 species. When I considered the other
three routes, the total rose to 30 species. Being familiar with
the birds of a neighborhood where I had lived for many years,
as I studied the species list, I realized that three species were
missing. Checking the data from the Houston Bird Survey
for this neighborhood, I soon added five more species. So I
already had four answers to my question—25, 30, 33 and 38
species.
Now we can start to quibble. Birds have wings. Birds fly. Birds
get lost. One January I had received a call from an excited
neighbor who had an American Woodcock in his yard. I
hurried over, observed the bird, and entered it into the winter
survey database. Another time we had a Sora in our garden
for three days. Both of these birds were lost and cannot be
reasonably expected to reappear in the neighborhood. They
should be categorized as "accidentals." Similarly, a Turkey
Vulture was observed during a walking survey. It did not land.
Although road-killed animals appear in the neighborhood,
there is little opportunity for a vulture to take advantage
of this food due to heavy vehicle traffic. Is it another
"accidental"?
Also missing were transient migrant birds. I had heard several
unfamiliar warblers singing during spring migration. I did not
take the time to positively identify these birds. That would
The chart above is a cumulative species graph for one of the survey routes.
The acquisition of new species peaked (at 18 species) with the third survey, then
rose again with the arrival of wintering birds, to reach 24 species. Theoretically,
this curve could continue to rise as rare and accidental species appear in the
neighborhood.
In essence, we are back where we started, with "it depends."
Find this article in the Houston Bird Survey section of the Houston Audubon website.
Part 2 in this series will appear in the coming months.
THE NATURALIST • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
5
Red Knot—Calidris canutus
by Glenn Olsen, GO Birding Ecotours
W
eighing in at only 5 ounces and about 10 inches in length, there is nothing about
the Red Knot that would lead one to expect heroic actions. This bird does not have
the fierce look of a hawk, the muscular, streamlined body of a Peregrine Falcon, or even
the awe-inspiring presence of an owl. But what these birds do is utterly astounding!
Greg Lavaty
Free Sanctuary Walks
Bolivar Beach Rambles
Monthly on 1st Saturday
with Pete Deichmann
2nd Saturday ELM Bird Walk
Monthly on 2nd Saturday
with Bethany Foshée & Paul Fagala
Coastal Surveys
Texas Shorebird Survey
Contact: Richard Gibbons
Gulf Seawatch Pilot Project
Contact: Richard Gibbons
With the aid of new light-sensitive geo-locators, some Red Knots of the rufa subspecies
have been tracked through their remarkable migration route. They breed in the
Canadian tundra north of the Arctic Circle, a region of rock-strewn ground, tuffs of wiry
grass, scattered puddles and shallow pools that may be iced over or covered in snow
when they arrive. But their amazing journey begins at the other end of the western
hemisphere in Tierra Del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America.
They spend our winter months in Tierra Del Fuego and Brazil where they fatten up
on marine worms, young clams, and young mussels known as spat, in preparation for
migration to breed. The first leg of their journey northward to breeding grounds is only
a short flight of about 900 miles up the coast. During the long days, their insatiable
appetite compels them to feed and pile on the fat. But they know they must move north,
and the second leg of the journey is 1,000 miles up the coast to southern Brazil. At a
national park along the Brazilian coast, they continue to eat voraciously, and by the end
of their stay they will have grown plump with fat for fuel.
As optimum weight is reached, their body begins a remarkable process of preparation
for migration. Their gizzards and other internal organs not needed during flight shrink,
the liver and gut begin to contract, and flight muscles are well developed and primed.
In small flocks they lift into the air and circle around the beach in choreographed flight
a few times to calibrate their built-in GPS system, lock on to their flight route and speed
northward. The target destination is Delaware Bay in New Jersey, nearly 5,000 miles
away! Some birds continue to hop-skip to the north coast of Brazil and then to Canada.
But the heroic ones, strike out on an exhausting marathon flight of four days and nights
of non-stop flying before touchdown at Delaware Bay!
The sandy beaches and shoreline of Delaware Bay provide critical stopover habitat for
the Red Knot's migration. For thousands of years the prehistoric horseshoe crab has
lumbered ashore to lay eggs in the beach sand around May 20, just as the Red Knots
are arriving. The knots that have survived the exhausting 5,000 mile flight are ravenous
because all their fat was converted to fuel. That's for those that made it. On this grueling
flight some run out of fat fuel, burn their body's protein, and perish in the ocean.
Loggerhead Shrike at Willow Waterhole.
Photographed by Pamela Cook during
the November Survey.
Monthly Bird Surveys
Archbishop Fiorenza Park
Leader: Mary Anne Weber
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Leader: Andrew Hamlett
Baytown Nature Center
Leaders: David Hanson
Hermann Park
Contacts: Jim Winn & Harlan Evans
Hogg Bird Sanctuary
Leader: Aaron Stoley
Willow Waterhole
Leader: Mark Meyer
Woodland Park
Leader: Jason Bonilla
Details at www.houstonaudubon.org
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THE NATURALIST • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
The thousands of soft, richly nutritious horseshoe crab eggs are perfect for the now
shriveled and reduced digestive system of the knots that are drained of energy. Once
again they feed voraciously and constantly to restore the fat burned in the flight as this
is not the journey's end. Unfortunately, horseshoe crabs have been over-harvested to
be used as bait for fishing. As a result, their numbers are down dramatically and in turn
the number of eggs laid are also down, thus reducing the food resource of the knots.
This is probably a major factor behind the dramatic decline in the population of the rufa
subspecies.
During a two-week period of constant
feeding, a knot can double its weight
in preparation for the final leg of its
marathon migration. Once flight weight
is regained, a nervousness ripples
through the congregation of rested
and restored knots. In small flocks they
lift into the air, circle around the beach
in choreographed flight a few times
to calibrate their built-in GPS system,
lock on to their flight route and speed
northward. The target destination is the
Arctic tundra in northern Canada, nearly
2,000 miles away!
This incredible bird is only one reason
I love shorebirds. Contact me for the
other 999 reasons.
Birding Classes
with Glenn Olsen
Winter Birds of the UTC
Class: Jan. 26; Field Trip: Jan. 30
Introduction to Sparrows
Class: Feb. 9; Field Trip: Feb. 13
Warblers
Class: March 29; Field Trip: April 2
Details at www.houstonaudubon.org
In the Field
Houston Audubon Field Trips
Coordinator: Vicki Stittleburg, Environmental Educator
Baytown Nature Center
January 23 8:00 a.m.–Noon
Leaders: David Hanson & Chuck Davis
Formerly a residential subdivision, the
Baytown Nature Center is a 450-acre site on
two peninsulas surrounded by three bays.
Currently an official site on the Great Texas
Coastal Birding Trail, more than 300 species
of birds depend on the area for migration,
feeding or nesting. Last January, the bird
count participants recorded 73 species. This
is a unique location within Harris County
where you can potentially see Seaside and
Nelson's Sparrows and up to three species of
rails: Clapper, Virginia, and Sora.
David Hanson graduated from Stephen F.
Austin University in 1974 with a degree in
Wildlife Biology and a minor in Forestry. He
has spent much of his life outdoors. Though
he was a waterfowl hunting guide for 15
years, he only started birding seriously about
8 years ago. He has been the birding program
leader for FeatherFest in Galveston for the
past two years. Chuck Davis will assist with
the field trip. David and Chuck have been
conducting the bird counts at the Baytown
Nature Center for the past three years.
Trinity River NWR
February 27 8:00 a.m.–Noon
Leader: Stuart Marcus
Established in 1994, the Trinity River National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) provides important
breeding, wintering, and stopover habitat
for a variety of migratory and resident
wildlife. A diversity of waterfowl and
numerous neotropical songbirds depend on
the bottomland hardwood forests, forested
swamps, open water and wet pastures.
More than 275 species of birds occur in the
bottomland forests and associated wetlands
in eastern Texas, including an estimated 100
bird species known to breed here.
Stuart Marcus is the first and current Refuge
Manager of the 30,000 acre Trinity River NWR
located in Liberty, TX. He graduated from the
University of Florida in 1977 with a degree in
Wildlife Ecology. Stuart worked as a seasonal
forester with the U. S. Forest Service in 1977
and 1978 at Pisgah National Forest in western
North Carolina. He started his career with
the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1979 as a
Biological Technician at the Lower Suwannee
NWR located in north Florida. He went on
to work as an Assistant Refuge Manager at
three other refuges, throughout different
parts of Florida. He was promoted to Refuge
Manager of the Trinity River NWR in June
1994. His long-time interest in birds and
butterflies now includes moths. He started
noticing some strange and beautiful moths
at the security lights soon after he moved
into a new headquarters office located on
the Refuge. Hundreds of new moths have
now been photographed on the Refuge and
documented for Liberty County.
Houston Audubon field trips are open to
members and a limited number of guests.
Visit www.houstonaudubon.org for more
information. Reservations are required.
Directions will be sent to the participants.
Houston Audubon Senior Bus Trips
Coordinator: Mary Anne Weber, Education Director
Sam Houston Park and
Buffalo Bayou Trail: February 5
Mayor Sam Brashear appointed Houston's first
park committee to oversee the establishment
of a city park in 1899. The 20 acres which
were chosen came to be called Sam Houston
Park. It was landscaped into a Victorian
wonderland, with footpaths laid out to pass
by an old mill and cross a rustic bridge over
a pleasant stream. The park also included a
52-year old house that had long been used as
a school. By the 1950s, the threat to demolish
the old house in Sam Houston Park, now over
a century old, brought together a group of
Houstonians dedicated to saving tangible
connections to the vanishing past. Led by
Faith Bybee, Harvin Moore, and Marie Phelps,
the Heritage Society was founded in 1954.
Their efforts to save the Kellum-Noble House
were successful, and the Society turned to
other historical preservation projects.
The result is a treasure for our city, a group
of buildings set in Sam Houston Park and
faithfully restored as a historical park. The
buildings are representative of many eras,
from a pre-Texas revolution cabin to an 1891
church built by German and Swiss immigrants
to a mansion built with all the conveniences
available in 1905. The homes show us how
diverse segments of society lived daily, from
freed slaves building new lives for themselves
to prosperous merchant families. Join
Houston Audubon for a guided tour of several
of the homes and then we will bird along the
new trails down Buffalo Bayou leading west
from downtown.
Brazos Valley Museum of
Natural History: March 1
The Junior Museum of Natural History was
founded by the American Association of
University Women in 1961 for the express
purpose of providing object and activityoriented natural science education to
young people. All efforts were volunteer
and extensively involved the Department
of Biology at Texas A&M University. Dr. C.
C. Doak, Chair of that department was one
of the founders and a primary source of
specimens.
In 1970, the collections increased several fold
when the Texas A&M Museum Collections
were orphaned. Important acquisitions
included a collection of Pleistocene
mammals, local archaeological material, and
two historically important local botanical
collections from 1883 and 1897.
Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
Join Houston Audubon for a guided tour
of the collections. We will picnic lunch at
the adjacent park and then bird some local
hotspots including Country Club Lake.
Bus trips depart at 8:30 a.m. from Memorial City
Mall and return between 4 and 5 p.m. depending
on the destination and weather. Buses are
kindly provided by Harris County Precinct 3
Commissioner Steve Radack.
Galveston County Group
Meetings:
January 20, February 17
Field Trips:
January 23, February 20
Everyone is welcome!
Details at www.houstonaudubon.org.
THE NATURALIST • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
7
Houston Audubon
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Calendar of Events
January
Weekly
Bayou Buddies on Friday, SBUNC
Weekly
Bayou Buddies on Friday, SBUNC
Weekly
Titmouse Club on Tuesday and Wednesday, ELMNS
Weekly
Titmouse Club on Tuesday and Wednesday, ELMNS
2
Bolivar Beach Ramble
4
Hogg Bird Sanctuary Survey
9
High Island Workday
9
Saturday in Nature, ELMNS
9
ELMNS Bird Walk
9
Armand Bayou Nature Center Bird Survey
9
Woodland Park Bird Survey
11
Hermann Park Bird Survey
14
Houston Audubon Speaker Event
15
16
Owl Prowl, SBUNC
Willow Waterhole Bird Survey
16
Free Introductory Yoga Class, ELMNS
20
HANPA, ELMNS
20
Galveston County Group Meeting
21
Baytown Nature Center Bird Survey
21
After School Nature Explorers Club, ELMNS
22
23
23
23
26
Owl Prowl, ELMNS
Family Workday, ELMNS
Galveston County Group Field Trip
Houston Audubon Field Trip
Birding Class: Winter Birds of the UTC, ELMNS
27
30
Archbishop Fiorenza Bird Survey
Winter Birds Field Trip
February
Location Codes:
ELMNS: Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
SBUNC: Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center
1
Hogg Bird Sanctuary Survey
5
HA Seniors Bus Trip
6
Bolivar Beach Ramble
6
Woodland Park Bird Survey
8
Hermann Park Bird Survey
9
Sparrows Birding Class, ELMNS
12
Owl Prowl, ELMNS
13
New Volunteer Orientation, ELMNS
13
High Island Workday
13
ELMNS Bird Walk
13
Saturday in Nature, ELMNS
13
Armand Bayou Nature Center Bird Survey
13
Sparrows Field Trip
17
Galveston County Group Meeting
17
HANPA, ELMNS
18
Baytown Nature Center Bird Survey
18
After School Nature Explorers Club, ELMNS
20
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic, SBUNC
20
Galveston County Group Field Trip
20
Willow Waterhole Bird Survey
20
Free Introductory Yoga Class, ELMNS
24
Archbishop Fiorenza Bird Survey
26
Owl Prowl, SBUNC
27
Houston Audubon Field Trip
27
Family Workday, ELMNS
Audubon Foundation of
Texas represents Houston
Audubon in the Earth Share
of Texas payroll deduction
plan for charitable giving.
houstonaudubon.org