By Jennifer Horton, with help from Siri Sanketh, Lily Bonser, Ashton Reed, Brandon Weeks, Daniel Faulk, Lauren Faulk, Gage McMillan, Hayden Dietrich, Ainsley McGee, Nikolai Leatherwood, and Ellie Madsen. Summer bird camp at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory just wrapped up its eighth year of engaging children ages 8 to 11 in fun activities related to birds, nature, and wildlife. … Read More
GCBO June Bird of the Month – Least Bittern
Geography/Habitat: In Texas, Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) is common summer resident along the Coastal Prairies and the eastern portion of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Inland, they are rare to locally common in the eastern third of the state. In the western portion of the state, it is a very rare and local summer resident due to lack of habitat. … Read More
Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 16
By Susan Heath On Tuesday, Alan Wilde and I went out to do a reef survey in Bastrop and Drum Bays both of which border parts of Brazoria NWR. The refuge biologist Jennifer Wilson and I have been talking about building some oystercatcher nesting platforms out there because the habitat is so eroded. The refuge doesn’t encompass the small islands … Read More
Snakes 101
By Amelia Grider There is no group of organisms that elicits more varied reactions than that of snakes. Even the bravest, animal-loving individuals may squeal or jump at the sight of one of these scaly critters. Our fear response to seeing a snake can’t be helped. We are taught from a young age that snakes are dangerous and our brains … Read More
Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 15
By Susan Heath Well I thought the wind was over but I was oh so WRONG! We had to change our monitoring day from Wednesday to Tuesday to avoid the high winds and rain from the tropical low that made its way to our area on Tuesday afternoon. Alan was out of town (having a blast in Costa Rica!) so … Read More
Nature Notes: Life’s a beach, especially if you’re a Wilson’s Plover
By Taylor Bennett The Wilson’s Plover is a type of shorebird that breeds along the Texas coast. It is not federally protected currently, but it is definitely a species that we should be more concerned about due to its population decline. It is considered threatened and endangered in some parts of the U.S., but because the majority of the population … Read More
Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 14
By Susan Heath I THINK the crazy winds might be over finally, but that didn’t happen until Thursday and we had to go out to West Galveston Bay on Wednesday in 18 mph winds again. What a drag! I was joined by Alan Wilde, Scott Buckel, and Bev Morrison for a bumpy tour of West Galveston Bay. There were white … Read More
Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 13
By Susan Heath WIND. That is the defining word for the past week. The wind was blowing 20+ mph every day until Friday so needless to say we couldn’t go out to check on the oystercatchers until Friday. This meant I had to combine two days of work into one because I was scheduled to monitor Black Skimmers and do … Read More
Nature Notes: “I found a baby bird — now what?”
By Susan Heath This is the time of year when birds are busy making babies and people start spending a lot more time outside. These two things combine to create a situation that’s played out again and again: Someone finds a baby bird and wants to help but doesn’t know what to do. At the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, we … Read More
Nature Notes: The Hazards of Fishing Line
by Kaitlyn Braddock There are invisible shackles hidden in all of our oceans, lakes, and waterways. They imprison our wildlife in the very ecosystems they live in, leading to cuts, amputations, starvation, and even death. Unfortunately, this is no natural, circle of life situation. Humans are responsible for this material in the water and we need to be aware of … Read More
Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 12
By Susan Heath It was quite a week folks! On Monday John Wright escorted Alan and I and our Experiences Auction winners Jean Booth, Sandy Parker, and Liz Garney around West Galveston Bay in his very nice boat. The weather was beautiful for this excursion and I was very glad we had postponed from the original date which was the … Read More
Nature Notes: Thunderhead Prong
The feeling, whatever it is, is totally enveloping. Your eyes take it all in… your mind relents to the heart and soul… allowing you to become one with the place. It is hard to break away… as if you get a feeling of restraint. You have found a place of sense so magical, so powerful… you must leave a part of you here.