Dear friend,
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As spring migration comes to a close, we can look back on another remarkable season along the Texas Gulf Coast. Migration is one of nature’s greatest spectacles, with millions of birds traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to reach their breeding grounds across North America. For a brief time, our region serves as a critical stopover where these travelers can rest and refuel before continuing their journeys.
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While migration may be ending, the work of conservation never stops. Summer brings nesting season, and with it new challenges for many of our birds. Along our beaches, shorebirds and seabirds face increasing pressure from human disturbance. As you enjoy the coast this summer, please respect posted nesting areas and give birds the space they need to successfully raise their young.
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Summer is also a great time to spot Yellow-crowned Night Herons stalking roadside ditches, neighborhood ponds, and wetlands in search of frogs, toads, crawfish, and insects. These striking birds return to our region each year to breed and remind us that wildlife thrives all around us when suitable habitat is available.
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Whether you volunteer to plant native habitat, visit our sanctuaries, or make a donation, your support helps Houston Audubon protect and manage the places birds need to rest, nest, and thrive. Thank you for helping us conserve birds and their habitats throughout every season of the year.
With gratitude for your support,
- Jed Aplaca, President & CEO
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Houston Audubon protects over 4,300 acres of critical habitat for nearly 400 bird species. We invite you to explore these vital ecosystems and connect with nature firsthand. Here are a few highlights from our most popular public sanctuaries.
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Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
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By John LeaRussa, ELMNS Sanctuary Lead
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This May has brought heavy rains to the sanctuary, creating lush conditions throughout the property. Our newly refurbished bullfrog pond has flourished in the short time since returning to service, and the aquatic life wasted no time making it home. May also continued to provide outstanding birding opportunities, with late-season migrants mixing among the sanctuary’s resident birds.
Throughout the summer, we’ll continue our Trail Crew workdays every Tuesday from 8 -11 am. If you would like to volunteer, visit our website for more information. Not only is the work rewarding, but you'll get to enjoy the outstanding scenery this sanctuary has to offer. Plus, it's a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand how wildlife thrives during the summer months.
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On the Coast - High Island and Bolivar Flats
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By Wyatt Egelhoff, Sanctuary Manager
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As June sets in, the curtains have closed on another successful spring migration season in the coastal sanctuaries. The first ten days of May saw stormy weather and an abundance of migrants seeking food and cover within High Island, much to the delight of hundreds of visiting birders. As those migrants continue to make their way north, the local breeding birds are busy raising their chicks on the beaches and islands on the Bolivar Peninsula. Our programming winds down in the summer as sultry weather means many biting insects; however, our sanctuaries remain open year-round. Just remember to prepare accordingly.Â
Staff will still be leading our monthly Bolivar Flats Ramble on Saturday, June 6th, 10am - 12pm. Meet us at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary to learn more about the ecology of the Peninsula and the many birds that use this habitat year-round. Though overall avian diversity on the Bolivar Peninsula slumps during June, it is a good time of year to see Magnificent Frigatebirds soaring over the Bay or following trawlers offshore. By mid-June, the first Wood Storks begin to show up as they wander to Texas from their breeding areas in southern Mexico in search of food.
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Colonial Waterbird Surveys |
Each year, coastal staff count colonial waterbirds nesting at various islands throughout Galveston Bay and on the Bolivar Peninsula. We were delighted to find an above-average number of Roseate Spoonbill nests (123) at Smith Oaks, as the species has been declining on the Upper Texas Coast since the mid-2000s. Smith Oaks has supported the largest number of Roseate Spoonbills in our region over the past two decades. We were also pleased to find higher than average numbers of Anhinga (12) and Little Blue Heron (48) nests. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, and Tricolored Heron nest numbers were slightly lower than last year at this time.
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Spoiling the Birds with Dredge Spoils
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By Schyler Brown, Conservation Science Project Manager
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Along the Upper Texas Coast, many species of waterbirds historically used exposed oyster reef islands for nesting. The islands formed over time as oyster polyps attached themselves to the seafloor, creating stacked layers of reef that eventually surfaced above the water. Birds like the American Oyster Catcher and Black Skimmer relied on these islands to nest and produce young. However, in the mid-twentieth century, these islands were mined to produce oyster-based roads. As a result, many of our waterbird populations plummeted.
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Today, partnerships between infrastructure/engineering firms, local and state governments, and conservation groups like Houston Audubon and Audubon Texas have come up with a solution: restoring these islands by using the spoils dredged from nearby ship channels. So far, this has been a great success, with many species returning to nest on these new islands. But with sea-levels rising due to climate change and increased shipping traffic, the islands are facing new challenges. Once again, conservation organizations are racing against the clock as these islands begin to disappear under the waters of the Upper Texas Coast. If you ever drive over the Hwy 45 causeway on your way to Galveston, look out your window to the right. You can see some of these spoil islands for yourself, and among them, the largest remaining natural island managed by Houston Audubon: North Deer Island.
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By Christine Wehrli, Community Outreach Manager
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On Saturday, May 9, Houston Audubon partnered with Project Row Houses and Third Ward Blooms to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. We planted over 50 native plants in the newly created pollinator garden at Third Ward Blooms, a plant shop founded by Brittany Mayfield. The garden design was inspired by a campfire, a place where people gather, linger, and share stories. It features several native plants from Houston Audubon’s Natives Nursery that have blooming purple flowers, one of Brittany’s favorite colors. This includes Lemon Beebalm, American Basketflower, and Lyreleaf Sage. The bricks lining the garden were left over from the Eldorado Ballroom renovation, a historic venue that has welcomed generations of Third Ward residents for dancing and celebrations.
This year’s theme for World Migratory Bird Day was “Every Bird Counts - Your Observations Matter”, so it was only right to close out the event with a bird walk around the neighborhood. Within a block, several migrants were enthusiastically spotted: Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and an American Redstart. We hope that the pollinator garden and other native habitats continue to help these migratory birds thrive on their journeys.
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