Bexar Audubon Society – Bexar Audubon Society promotes the conservation of habitat for birds and other wildlife, supports National Audubon Society efforts and encourages responsible local action through education, research, and advocacy.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos are just two of the bird species bringing 150 members of the Texas Ornithological Society (TOS) to San Antonio May 2-5 for the TOS Spring Meeting. Local hosts Bexar Audubon Society and San Antonio Audubon Society have arranged for their members to take TOS participants on field trips to more than 30 parks, natural areas and other birding hotspots in 11 counties, including Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Gonzalez, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Medina and Wilson.
In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to hear speakers discuss a variety of topics of interest to birders during presentations at The Hilton Garden Inn at the Rim, 5730 Rim Pass, TOS headquarters for the event. Representatives from organizations such as the San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Zoo and the University of Texas at San Antonio are scheduled to give presentations. TOS registrants who purchase tickets for the Saturday evening banquet will hear keynote speaker Dr. Bruce M. Beehler, Research Associate, Division of Birds, Smithsonian Institution. His presentation is “North on the Wing: Travels with the Songbird Migration of Spring,” which is also the title of his recently published book about his 100-day field trip in 2015 following the spring migration of songbirds from the coast of Southeastern Texas up the Mississippi River and into the boreal forests of northern Ontario.
“Having the TOS Spring Meeting in San Antonio gives the local Audubon societies a great opportunity to show TOS members the wide variety of migratory and resident birds that can be found in this part of Texas,” said Anne Parrish, president of Bexar Audubon Society. “Our location at the confluence of four diverse ecological regions means that birders can find water birds, songbirds, raptors and rare birds such as the Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo that breed in our area. San Antonio also offers TOS attendees an abundance of retail stores, restaurants, historical sites and other attractions that they can visit during their stay.” TOS was founded in 1953 as a nonprofit organization. TOS is committed to promoting the discovery and dissemination of knowledge and understanding of birds and encouraging the observation, study, and conservation of birds in Texas. Learn more at texasbirds.org.
Title: Taking your Love of Birds to that Next Level!
During the month of April (& Earth Day) your donations at the checkout line at HEB make a big difference. Let your friends and neighbors know that the local National Audubon Chapter–Bexar Audubon Society–benefits, and that the portion of the statewide total funds BAS receives will be used locally.
Please join us for a San Antonio information session about the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. During the meeting, Texas Alliance for America’s Fish and Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will tell us more about the need for, and benefits of this bipartisan legislation, specific benefits to the greater San Antonio area, 2018 Texas successes, and the many ways you can get involved in the months ahead.
The San Antonio River Authority conducted a multi-year study of the birds within the Mission Reach between 2015 and 2018 to document which species and how many individuals were using the restored habitat. During that period,196 bird species and 62,484 individual birds were recorded. A variety of species indicative of the project’s success have been identified, including range-restricted species, wary species, and habitat specialists.
Notable species recorded include Black-billed Cuckoo, Cassin’s Kingbird, Lazuli Bunting, Hooded Oriole, Sprague’s Pipit, Great Kiskadee, Rufous Hummingbird, Wood Stork, Anhinga, Least Grebe, Sora, and remarkably, a territorial Black-capped Vireo!
Martin Reid was born and raised near London, England. In 1986 he had an epiphany with birds and birding that changed his life, causing him to travel widely in search of birds and move to Texas in 1991, his home ever since. Martin has found four new bird species for Texas, five dragonfly species new for the U.S., and two butterfly species new for the U.S.
Lee Marlowe is the Sustainable Landscape Ecologist for the San Antonio River Authority. She is a restoration ecologist with over 19 years of professional experience working in the field of ecological restoration and natural resource management including sustainable landscape practices and applications for improved ecological functions.
Meet in the parking lot at Friedrich Wilderness Park, 21395 Milsa Drive. Wendy Leonard, Nature Preserve Officer, City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Natural Areas, will lead us. For details and to RSVP, contact Sherie Gee at slgee18@yahoo.com or 210/367-1625.
Leader: Richard Redmond of Bandera, TX. Meet at the park at 8:00 AM or carpool from the San Antonio Park & Ride at I-10 & 1604. A great time for spring migrants! Bring a picnic lunch. For details and sign up, email Patty at outings@bexaraudubon.org or call 210/837-0577.
Join leader Fred Loxsom to hike up the Joe Johnson trail into the heart of Government Canyon where we will view the 110 million-year-old dinosaur footprints and explore the geology, plants and birds. Meet at the Backcountry Trailhead (inside the park) by 8:00 AM. You will need to have a Texas State Parks Pass or pay a $6/person entrance fee.
The park gate opens at 7:00 AM. The hike is about 5.7 miles round-trip and of moderate difficulty. Bring plenty of water and refreshing snacks, and wear sturdy shoes for hiking on rocky terrain. The round trip takes between 3 and 5 hours. We will finish in time for lunch in the picnic area near park headquarters. Contact Fred to RSVP and for further information at floxsom@trinity.edu or 860-455-3422 (text or call).
Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We’ll take a walk and document what we see in the park (birds, plants, insects and more), contributing to community science for Earth Week. For details and sign up, email outings@bexaraudubon.org or call Sherie at 210/367-1625.
Leader: Lora Reynolds. Meet at the parking area on Red Oak just off of Mulberry Avenue in Brackenridge Park. We’ll stroll along the SA River looking for resident and migratory birds (and whatever else we see)! Since this is still Nature Challenge Week, those wishing to may also document plants, insects and more. For questions and to sign up, email outings@bexaraudubon.org or call 210/837-0577.