By Isaac Boden, Beach-Nesting Birds Conservation Technician Out on the beaches of the Bolivar Peninsula, a nesting season can change in an instant. One day, the sand is dotted with tiny shorebird tracks, adults are shuttling back and forth from the surf, and nests are tucked into the dunes. Next, a storm surge or unusually […]
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By Lili Banta, Wildlife Photographer A Least Tern descends on folded wings toward its chick, a small silver fish curved in its bill. The chick, a powder-puff bundle of gray down, stretches upward. The sky, the sand, the wings, everything is in perfect alignment. It is a photograph that required extraordinary patience, the right light, and a bird […]
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By Lili Banta, Wildlife Photographer Every spring, birders from across the country head to High Island, a small coastal community on the upper Texas Gulf Coast that quietly transforms into one of the most important migration sites in North America [1]. Thanks to its unique position atop a salt dome and its proximity to the […]
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By Robert Buckert, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician By now you’ve likely come across the idea of Christmas Bird Counts (CBC), but if you’ve never participated, you likely have a lot of questions. How did they come to be, why do they matter, and how can I join? During the 1800s, it was popular tradition […]
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Caroline Evans, Volunteer Coordinator, Houston Audubon Houston may be known for its freeways and skyscrapers, but it’s also a city shaped by water, sky, and the creatures that move through both. Perched at the intersection of coastal prairie, piney woods, bottomland forest, and estuarine wetlands, the Bayou City is uniquely positioned at a vibrant ecological […]
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Wyatt Egelhoff, Sanctuary Manager, Houston Audubon We’re excited to introduce everyone to a “new” Piping Plover at Bolivar Flats – “VGV” (short for ”Violet, Dark Green, Violet”)! This female Piping Plover was born in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Lake Superior), Wisconsin in 2023. She returned to the area in 2024 and this past summer […]
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By Sharon Young, Friends of Keegans Bayou Trail As part of the Witness Series event, “Blooming into History: Beautiful, Fierce and Free,” held on April 26, 2025, Houston Audubon staff Jed Aplaca and Carolyn Klein led a walk that helped participants identify wildflowers, grasses, pollinators, and birds along Keegans Bayou Trail in southwest Houston. Among […]
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By Kassandra Robles, Art Teacher, Elsik High School This spring, our students from Alief ISD’s Elsik High School had the incredible opportunity to visit Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary with Houston Audubon, a first for us, and hopefully the beginning of something that continues to grow. As an art teacher in one of Houston’s most diverse […]
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Article and photos by Amanda Jerng I recently collaborated with Houston Audubon to host our first bird walk for students at Cullinan Park, an event that ranks among the most inspiring experiences of my life. I had so much fun sharing everyone’s excitement, talking to parents about the origins of their children’s interest in birds, […]
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By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician With 2025 fully underway, spring migration is right around the corner! Exciting vagrants are already finding their spotlight in and around our High Island sanctuaries, such as a Spotted Towhee, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hooded Oriole, and more! It’s time to start studying your field guides and strengthening your […]
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