Travis Audubon Field Trips

Travis Audubon Society
3710 Cedar St., Box 5
Austin, Texas 78705

512.300.BIRD (2473)
info@travisaudubon.org

Two Hour Tuesdays!

Seasonal eight-week series of free, accessible bird walks,
perfect for students, seniors, newcomers to Austin, or anyone
who can spare two hours on a Tuesday morning. Most sites
visited will be in the city limits and convenient (on alternate
weeks) to those who live north or south of downtown - it's a
great way to explore your own neighborhood hot spots! No
registration required, just follow the published directions and
spend a couple of hours birding with a group led by TAS field
trip leaders. Beginners welcome, but bring your own binoculars!
Scroll down for upcoming dates and locations or check out our
calendar.

COMING SOON:

Southeast Arizona with TAS & VENT!

Travis Audubon is excited to announce our second
collaboration with Austin-based Victor Emanuel Nature tours
(VENT). Designed especially for members of Travis Audubon,
our next field trip will be a summertime visit to the renowned
birding haven of Southeast Arizona.

This trip, Jewels of Arizona: Trogons, Hummingbirds, Warblers &
More, will be led by VENT leader Brennan Mulrooney, July 25-
August 1, 2010. A second leader will be added as group size
warrants.

Each year around mid-summer, tropical moisture flowing up
from Mexico falls over the hot Sonoran desert and sky-island
mountain ranges of Southeast Arizona in the form of
regenerating monsoon rains. Once again, the deserts turn
green and water flows in the depths of the shaded canyons.
Our Jewels of Arizona tour is timed to take advantage of this
second coming of spring and all of the avian riches it brings. On
this week-long trip we will seek out the majority of the
southwestern specialty birds and rare Mexican strays that
occupy the beautiful canyons, forests, and grasslands of
southeast Arizona.

One of the greatest attractions of birding Southeast Arizona at
this time of year is the hummingbird show. The combination of
breeding residents, southbound migrants, and rare summer
visitors means that up to 15 species could be present! We
expect to see Broad-billed, Violet-crowned, Blue-throated,
Magnificent, Black-chinned, Anna's, Broad-tailed, and Rufous
hummingbirds. Costa's, Calliope, Allen's, and Lucifer
hummingbirds are also very possible. Perhaps most exciting,
such rare Mexican species as Berylline and White-eared
hummingbirds, and Plain-capped Starthroat routinely appear at
this time of year.

In addition to hummingbirds we'll seek out the majority of the
Arizona specialties including Montezuma Quail; Gray Hawk;
Elegant Trogon; Arizona Woodpecker; Greater Pewee; Sulphur-
bellied flycatcher;Thick-billed Kingbird; Mexican Chickadee;
Bendire's Thrasher; Olive, Virginia's, Lucy's, Grace's, and Red-
faced warblers; Painted Redstart; Hepatic Tanager; Abert's
Towhee; Rufous-winged Sparrow; Yellow-eyed Junco; Varied
Bunting; and many more. Summer is also a great time for
vagrants, as this trip has recorded Short-tailed Hawk, Rose-
throated Becard, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Aztec Thrush,
Rufous-capped Warbler, and Flame-colored Tanager in recent
years.

The fee for this trip is $1,995 in double occupancy from Tucson,
Arizona. Limit 14. As part of our arrangement with VENT, 10% of
your tour fee will be donated to Travis Audubon. To register for
this event, or for more information, contact Edna Murray at
VENT by phone at 328-5221, or email.

MARCH

Tuesday, March 16, 8 am to 10 am
Two Hour Tuesday at Camp Mabry

Registration required. Contact Jake for more information. Like
many military bases, Camp Mabry has some good bird habitat
that is rarely birded, at least by us civilians. Take advantage of
this unique opportunity.

Saturday, March 20, 7:30 am to noon
Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby Bend

Austin's premier birding site. Field trip leaders for March are
George Kerr and Ken Zaslow. Go to website for more
information -- no registration required.

Tuesday, March 23, 8 am to 10 am
Two Hour Tuesday! -- Brushy Creek Greenbelt, led by Dan
Callaway

From Interstate 35, go west on 734 (Parmer Lane) for nine and
3/4 miles. Turn right onto Brushy Creek Road, then take an
immediate right into the park. No registration required.

Saturday, March 27 all day
The Outer Limits -- Llano County Bird Survey

Contact Stan to register. Limit of 12 participants. Group and
area assignments will be made beforehand so that groups can
choose their own meeting place for carpooling. Countdown
restaurant to be announced.

Sunday, March 28, 7:30 am to mid-afternoon
The Outer Limits -- Llano County Field Trip

Contact Stan to register. Limit of 12 participants (but not
necessarily the same 12 as the day before). We may break into
two or more groups: I promise we won't all go to Enchanted
Rock.

Tuesday, March 30, 7:30 am to mid-afternoon
Super Tuesday! -- Fayette County, led by Stan VanSandt
Contact Stan to register. Limit of 12 participants. Plan to have
lunch at a restaurant in La Grange, then bird for another hour
or two.

APRIL

Saturday, April 3, 6:30 am to lunchtime
***Field Trip is FULL
Field Trip to Fort Hood led by Rich Kostecke

Limited to 12 participants. To register contact Stan. Fort Hood
contains one of the largest populations of Golden-cheeked
Warblers and Black-capped Vireos anywhere, thanks to the
successful conservation efforts of Rich and his co-workers at
the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army. We can almost
guarantee you will see these birds if you are quick enough on
the draw. Almost. These are really shy and sneaky little birds.

Saturday, April 3, 9 am to 11 am
Beginners Bird Walk at Riata Pond, led by Virginia Rose

Directions: exit Highway 183 at Duval, if going north continue
straight through the light (stay on the access road), if heading
south loop under the freeway and go back north. In less than a
mile turn right onto Riata Trace Parkway, then follow it about
one mile until you see the pond on the right. Turn into the
parking lot just past the pond and park near the small bridge.
Bring binoculars, if you have them.

Tuesday, April 6, 7:30 am to mid-afternoon
The Outer Limits Bird Survey-- Guadalupe County

Limited to 12 participants. To register contact Stan. Home of the
famous Warbler Woods, which some of us will visit while others
search less-explored habitat in Seguin. Draw straws?

Saturday, April 10
Baker Open House

Saturday, April 10, 7 am and 4 pm
Monthly Bird Count at Hornsby Bend
Contact Eric for more information. Sponsored by the Hornsby
Bend Bird Observatory.

Sunday, April 11, 6:45 am to 12:00 pm
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, co-
sponsored by TAS and Friends of Balcones Canyonlands
NWR

This trip will focus on finding Golden-cheeked Warblers and
spring migrants at the refuge. Shelia Hargis and Laurie Foss will
lead participants to an area of the refuge not open to the public.
Due to the narrow trail that we will be following, the maximum
number of participants will be kept very small, so that all
participants will have a good opportunity to see the birds. The
trip is limited to eight participants and reservations are required.
The steep and rocky trail will require good hiking boots and
adequate physical condition. Bring water and snacks. If you’re
interested, contact Laurie or call 751-3677, for more details and
to make reservations.

Tuesday, April 13, 7:30 am to mid-afternoon
Super Tuesday! in Gillespie County, led by Stan VanSandt

Contact Stan to register. Limit of 12 participants. Let’s add
some migrants and summer residents to the list we started in
January. We’ll have lunch in Fredericksburg – I hate to eat a
sandwich when there’s so many good restaurants around.

Saturday, April 17, 7:30 am to 11:30 am
Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby Bend

Austin's premier birding site. The walk will be led this month by
Stu Wilson and Jim Hargrove. No registration required -- visit
for information and maps.

Tuesday, April 20, 7:30 am to mid-afternoon
Super Tuesday! -- Kendall County, led by Stan VanSandt

Contact Stan to register. Limit of 12 participants. We will
concentrate on Cibola Nature Preserve in Boerne, but might hit
another possible migrant trap or two after lunch.

Weekend of 4/24 -- Songbird Festival -- no separate field
trips

Tuesday, April 27, 7:30 am to mid-afternoon
Super Tuesday! -- Lee and Burleson Counties, led by
Stan VanSandt

Contact Stan to register. Limit of 12 participants. If Flag Pond
and Nails Creek are as good as I hope, we may not get out of
Lee County.

Saturday, May 1, 7 am to early afternoon
***Field Trip is FULL
Bastrop County and Back Again, led by Barry Lyon

Hooded Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes, and Yellow-
throated Vireos nest east of Austin in Bastrop County along
Alum Creek. We will begin the morning searching for these and
other eastern birds, then work our way back to Hornsby Bend to
catch the migrating shorebirds, swallows, raptors, and whatever
else might be around. Limited to 15 participants -- contact Stan
to register.

Click on the image above to
enlarge the view of a mother
and baby Northern Cardinal
near their nest in a North
Austin front yard, June 2006.

A Yen to Lead?

Have you thought
about leading an
informal bird walk for
Travis Audubon? You
do not have to be an
expert. To find out
more, contact Laurie
Foss at fieldtrips at
travisaudubon.org.

Travis Audubon Field Trips

Northern Cardinals
(Evan Quenon)