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Because of our supporters, volunteers and staff, Houston Audubon's work is impactful year-round, but it comes alive in fun ways in the spring. Seeing birds and people fill our sanctuaries and watching friends and supporters come together in fellowship and festivities has been wonderful, especially this year. From growing sanctuary visitation and great birding to new Houston Audubon events like Evening on the Canopy, the groundbreaking of the Morse Field Station, and the ribbon-cutting for the Entergy Coastal Natives Nursery, April was busy and buzzing with activity. And there is more to come in May!Â
~ Helen Drummond, Executive Director
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World Migratory Bird Day, May 14, 2022:
"Dim the Lights for Birds at Night"
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Learn how you can celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with Houston Audubon »
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Monday, May 2
City Nature Challenge is an annual international bioblitz where cities engage in a friendly competition to see who can gather the most observations of nature, find the most species, and engage the most people. Help the Houston/Galveston team secure first place again!Â
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Saturday, May 7
The final event in the Witness Series will explore the historic ER and Ann Taylor Park and offer an artistic experience that examines space, nature, and time. We invite you to join Houston Audubon on a bird walk in conjunction with this event.
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Birdathon is our annual spring fundraiser where teams count as many bird species as they can in a 24-hour period in a friendly competition while fundraising for bird conservation. There's still time to participate or make a donation! We need your support to reach our goal!
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Thursday, May 12
Join us at the United Way for our first in-person speaker event since 2020! Rice University geology professor Dr. Cin-Ty Lee will speak about bird migration and his data from continuous acoustic recording of nocturnal migration calls during COVID. We will livestream the event on Facebook. Spots are limited, so please only register if you can attend in person!
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Saturday, May 14
If you enjoy art and birds, our new Art with Raptors class is for you! Sit with one of our raptor ambassadors and learn step-by-step how to draw birds from tail to talon. Learn about bird anatomy, art history, and watercolor techniques while creating your own masterpiece! Our model for this class is Simon the Great Horned Owl.
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Support Houston Audubon and join us for an a private boat ride to get an up close view of North Deer Island. Partially owned by Houston Audubon, North Deer Island is the most productive waterbird colony in Galveston Bay and is only accessible by boat. Learn from our conservation director about the importance of the habitat and our efforts in land management, science and monitoring.
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Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
April brought the birds and the birders out in droves to Edith L. Moore. We saw the return of community bird walks and the return of turtles to the trails and logs in the pond. We have new Barred Owl nest boxes up for use next season, thanks to Eagle Scout Michael DeVaull! Trail and walkway improvements are ongoing so come out and see what’s new.
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Raptor and Education CenterÂ
Spring has sprung at the Raptor and Education Center! Gardens are popping with color thanks to our wonderful volunteers. New plants were added to the butterfly gardens and front entry gardens, which are swarming with butterflies! We found lots of Giant Swallowtail caterpillars on the orange and lemon trees in the garden and a pair of Polyphemus Moths left us many caterpillars to take care of.Â
Spring also takes us on the road with our outreach programs to schools, civic organizations, special events, senior residence facilities, and much more. Be sure to look for us this summer supporting the city and county Summer Reading Programs at local libraries.
As we transition towards summer camp, the center will be open by appointment only. Just call us and let us know when you would like to visit!
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High Island and Bolivar Flats
The weather on the coast this spring has been great so far for the birds, but not so great for the birders. A small front came through early this week, and the birds dropped in to High Island. Visitors on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Apr 25-27) were treated to large numbers of Magnolia Warblers, thrushes, tanagers, and catbirds, but the winds have since shifted. It seems most are following these favorable tailwinds further inland, but High Island will be here when they need it most! The rookery is still in full swing and Roseate Spoonbill chicks have started hatching!Â
High Island was featured on KPRC2 in a story about birding on the Upper Texas Coast and our region's importance to birds - watch it here!
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Support our education ambassador animals by adopting a bird! Funds from honorary adoptions go towards all care of the animals, including food, housing, healthcare, and more.Â
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Support birds during your grocery trip now through May 24! Add a small donation to EarthShare of Texas at checkout in stores and online at H-E-B & Central Market. Houston Audubon and other environmental organizations receive a portion of the proceeds.
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Support Houston Audubon and get great membership benefits like free admission to the Raptor Center, free member birding trips, discounts at our Natives Nursery Open House events and nature stores, and more!Â
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