Here is a list of five common species you can see and hear during spring in Texas, using Houston eBird data for Harris County.Yellow-billed Cuckoo Dan Vickers/Macaulay Library (S55087581) This sometimes skulking species occurs regularly in Houston, as evidenced by the eBird range maps (including current reports in orange). During migration, you may see it […]
Read MoreSpring bird migration is in its peak over Texas, filling Houston with a plethora of colorful, melodious visitors. Turning out nonessential lights from April 19 – May 7 is one of the most impactful local actions you can make to save the lives of birds on their journey. As an extension of the city-wide Lights […]
Read MoreCerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea)Family: Parulidae Everyone’s favorite blue warbler has started to arrive in Texas, all the way from South America and on their way to more northerly breeding grounds. Male Cerulean Warblers are stormy blue, with faint gray streaking on top with white throats, bellies, and wingbars. Females are more dusky on top, have […]
Read MoreWe\’d like to share this wonderful report from Jim Winn of Birdathon team Eager Egrets, which includes our friends Skip Almoney, Ben Hulsey, and Betsy and Jim Winn. It\’s a great example of how to participate in Birdathon during these unprecedented times. In addition to a \”virtual team,\” you can also participate in Digital Birding! […]
Read MoreAre you running out of home projects to keep busy during the quarantine? Here’s one my hubby made for me that you can try: a DYI Dripper. I’ve long wanted a bird dripper to complement my yard’s wildlife habitat, and with spring migrants on the way, I was keen to provide a drip that will […]
Read MoreYellow-billed Cuckoo(Coccyzus americanus)Family: Cuculidae Spring migration is often synonymous with the arrival of flashy yellow birds flitting through the treetops. But the Yellow-billed Cuckoo – our Beak of the Week – has only a little bit of yellow to add to the mix. Yellow-billed Cuckoos appear slender and clean-cut, with their upperparts brown and undersides […]
Read MoreNext time you visit Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, you will notice 35 new native trees and shrubs, all marked with green tape. These new additions were procured and planted by Caleb Wilson, an intrepid young Boy Scout working to earn his Eagle Scout ranking. Caleb led a group of about 20 other scouts, students […]
Read MoreAmerican Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)Family: Parulidae It’s a monarch butterfly, it’s a flying jack-o-lantern, no it’s an American Redstart! The mature male American Redstart looks like it’s perpetually dressed for Halloween with its stark black head, breast, back, wings, and tail, and bright orange patches on the flanks, wings, and sides of the tail to contrast […]
Read MorePrescribed Fire for Habitat ManagementPete Deichmann, Coastal Sanctuaries Manager On March 5, 2020, we executed a prescribed fire at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary with our friends at US Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. March 5, 2020Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryTemperature – 55 degrees Relative humidity – 60% Surface winds – Northeast at 21 […]
Read MoreIndigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)Family: CardinalidaeFeeling blue because you’ve been staying inside all the time recently? You’re not alone! Indigo Buntings spend all of their time outside, and they’re quite blue too. Indigo Buntings are in the same family as Cardinals and Grosbeaks – a group that includes many vibrantly colored species. However, Indigo Buntings are […]
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