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

512.300.BIRD (2473)
info@travisaudubon.org

       Our General Membership Meetings

We work hard to bring to you interesting, knowledgeable speakers on
birds, wildlife, and conservation topics. We also put together resources
for you to expand your knowledge on the topic; see below.

****NOTE THE NEW PERMANENT LOCATION:










March 18, 2010
Guest Speaker: Dr. David Kattes
Topic: Insect Diversity

It is common knowledge that insects are an important component of any
ecosystem. Insects feed on plants, eat other insects, and serve as food
for birds and other animals. They are also important pollinators and in
the recycling of organic matter. Nut have you ever really considered the
diversity of these tiny creatures? In this program, we will explore the vast
niches that insects occupy and discuss how they can survive in this peril-
filled world.

The program will begin with an overview of the importance of insects in
the food web and the interdependence of these creatures with other
organisms.  We will then explore the numerous methods used by
insects to find food and to keep from becoming food themselves.

Dr. Kattes is a full professor at Tarleton State University as well as the
author of Insects of Texas; A Practical Guide, published by TAMU Press.
His current research covers a variety of topics including insects, wildlife,
native and exotic grasses throughout Texas.

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PAST SPEAKERS:

February 18, 2010
Guest Speaker: Paul & Georgean Kyle
Topic: Chaetura Canyon: Preserving a small but special piece of
Central Texas

Georgean and Paul Kyle grew up in Houston, met in high school and
were married in 1969. They moved to a small canyon in northwest Travis
County in 1972. Over the next three decades they built their house with
their own hands, founded Austin’s only all wooden toy store (Rootin’
Ridge Toymakers) in 1975, rehabilitated wildlife for 19 years, ran a U.S
Fish and Wildlife Service bird-banding station for 15 years, and created
the world’s only Chimney Swift observatory.  All the while they were
building trails, restoring habitat, and buying up adjacent property as it
became available.  

In 2006 they donated their house and property and the rest of their lives
to Travis Audubon creating the Chaetura Canyon Bird Sanctuary.
Located in a subdivision that was platted in the early 1970s long before
the term “Green Belt” was coined, this deep cleft that drains into the
Colorado River just below Mansfield Dam is home to more than 30
nesting avian species.

Today, TAS members can enjoy Chaetura Canyon by participating in
educational workshops, taking guided tours of the trail system, watching
Chimney Swifts raising their young via live video feeds, attending various
fundraising dinners and other special events. We joined the Kyles for a
presentation about their remarkable 40-year journey to their current
status as Sanctuary Stewards and the creation of this jewel in the TAS
sanctuary system.

January 21, 2010
Guest Speaker: Prof. Robin Doughty
Topic: What bird is that?

Robin Doughty asked a very simple question: “What bird is That?” Robin
provided answers given by painters and poets, and illustrate and read
from art and literature that explores our relationship with birds in
unusual and interesting ways.

Robin Doughty is a faculty member in the Department Geography
and the Environment at the University of Texas, Austin. He has
written a number of books and articles about wildlife conservation,
especially related to birds, and remains committed to promoting
concerns for wildlife diversity and habitat protection both in North
America and elsewhere.
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no December meeting

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November 19th, 2009
Guest Speaker: Jim Hailey
Topic: Birds in Alaska

The talk featured photos taken from the trips he led in Alaska each year
for the Texas Ornithological Society.  Jim Hailey has been leading these
trip for the past 5 years.  It focused on birds but also had shots of
animals and the beautiful scenery there.  He also had a short portion
focusing on the TOS and what it does.

Jim Hailey is a retired business man.  His last position was as CEO for
a company with 100 + employees and 5 locations.  He has also been an
adjunct Professor at TAMU--Kingsville for the past 10 years.  Hailey has
25 years of teaching history experience and a MS from Texas A & I
University as well as an ABD from Texas A&M University in History -- his
field is Texas History.  As for birding, he has been President of the Monte
Mucho Audubon Society for the past 7 Years, served a 3 year term on the
board of Texas Audubon and is currently Vice President of the TOS and
Field Trip Director.  He has been an active (actually fanatical) birder
since 1990.  Hailey is married to Ermine (a half-day birder) and recently
moved from our ranch in South Texas to Georgetown where they now
reside.  Hailey is currently enrolled in the Texas Master Naturalist
program in College Station and on the steering committee to form a
TMN chapter in Williamson County.  He continues to teach internet
courses for TAMUK.  His hobbies are birding, hiking, nature photography
and travel.  


October 15, 2009
Guest Speaker: Lynn Barber
Topic: An ABA Big Year

Lynn Barber talked about and showed pictures from her  “ABA Big      
Year” adventure that began in Rockport, Texas in January 2008. During
that year, she sought birds from Alaska and California to Newfoundland
and Florida, plus many places in between, including Texas, Arizona,
Colorado, Maine, and Minnesota. She tallied 723 different species of
birds in the continental United States and Canada (the ABA area) that
year, before ending in Arizona.

Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in several states including
Alaska, Oregon, North Carolina and Texas. In 2005, she broke
the previous record for the most bird species seen in Texas
during a single year. When she’s not birding, she is a registered
patent attorney in solo practice in Fort Worth, Texas. She has a
Ph.D. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
and a J.D. from Duke University Law School. Currently, Lynn is
the President of the Texas Ornithological Society, and Treasurer
and Past President of the Fort Worth Audubon Society. She is
an avid photographer and maintains her own birding web site, where
you can see some of her photos.

September 17, 2009
Guest Speaker: Jim deVries
Topic: The Birds of Australia

As an amateur photographer and avid birder, Jim with his wife Karol,
now in their retirement years travel the world for birds. Jim shared some
of the amazing birds he photographed in October of 2007 with Victor
Emanuel Nature Tour Guides Dion Hobcroft and Susan Myers.  These
amazing guides took them all over the central and eastern part of
Australia. This fascinating country has a lot of biodiversity.  They travelled
to the cool green surrounds of the Sydney area, to the hot humid lush
steamy tropical Top End in the Northern Territory and Queensland, and
to the semiarid mulga shrubs, mallee and sand dunes of the centre of
the country.

Adding to the wonderful variety of birds in these various habitats are the
exciting and interesting areas visited.  Hattah Lakes, Deniliquin, O’
Reillys, Kingfisher Park, Mt Lewis and Molloy, Quaid Dam, Daintree
River, Cairns Esplanade, Cassowary House, Michaelmas Cay,
Centennial gardens, Royal National park, Katoomba, the Blue
Mountains, Capertee Valley, Palmerston Sewage Treatment Ponds,  
Fogg Dam, Nourlangie, Bardedjilidji, Cooinda, Mataranka, Edith falls,
Katherine, MacDonnell Ranges, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, just to name
a few.

Over 200 species were shown.  A handout was provided listing the
species, families, where the photograph was taken, endemics, size and
wingspan both metric and non-metric.


May, 21, 2009
Guest Speaker:  Adrian Binns
Topic:  Watching East Africa's Unique Wildlife

Whether he's leading birding trips around the globe or presenting
programs to local clubs, Adrian brings passion, enthusiasm and humor
to all experiences.  Raised in Morocco and educated in England,
Adrian's diverse background and interests led him to southeastern
Pennsylvania where he worked in ecological landscape design and
began leading eco-tours for a variety of organizations.  Now the Field
Director for Wildside Nature Tours, Adrian leads groups to experience
birds and other wildlife in many different countries.   Adrian has served
as past president of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC),
one of the oldest bird clubs in the country, and was part of many winning
Nikon/DVOC World Series of Birding Teams.  He is currently a member
of Nikon's Birding ProStaff.  Adrian is an accomplished avian illustrator
and well-published photographer, as well as a popular speaker and
field trip leader at birding festivals.

Watching East Africa's Unique Wildlife

From the savannahs of Kenya to Uganda's rainforest, from the
Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania to the lakes in the Rift Valley, the
abundant display of wildlife in East Africa is unparalleled. With such a
large concentration of both mammals and avian species it is not
surprising that a number of different inter-actions and relationships can
be found between them. We explored some of these unique
relationships and took a look at some of the 14 (of 16 African) endemic
avian families that East Africa hosts.

April 16, 2009
Guest Speaker:  Wayne H. McAlister
Topic:  Paddling the Guadalupe

For more than forty years, Wayne H. McAlister has canoed the
Guadalupe River, sometimes called the "top recreational river in Texas."
In his talk, based on his book Paddling the Guadalupe, Wayne
described and showed slides of the 400-mile river whose waters spring
from the limestone of the Hill Country in Kerr County, meander across
the broad Coastal Plain, and finally empty into the Gulf of Mexico at San
Antonio Bay.

Wayne introduced his audience to the places, people, plants, and
animals--large and small, aquatic and terrestrial--that depend on the
Guadalupe for either their livelihoods or their existence. He  also
discussed the development and consequences of  human activity along
the river's course, from the headwaters west of Kerrville to its mouth
near Tivoli, just east of Refugio. His love of the natural world enhances
anyone's knowledge of the Guadalupe, from experienced birders to
canoers and  family vacationers.

Wayne H. McAlister was born in Cuero in 1935 and grew up mostly on
the family ranch near Cuero. After schooling in Cuero, he went to UT
Austin for BA, MS and PhD in Zoology. He is married to Martha and they
have two grown daughters.

Wayne spent 2 years as Instructor at Universtiy of Chicago, but decided
the big city didn't suit and returned to be an Instructor in Biology at
Victoria College. After 30 years he retired from the college to take on the
job of Environmental Education Specialist with US Fish & Wildlife
Service, developing a program for Matagorda Island NWR.

After 10 great years on the island, other aspects of life beckoned and he
retired, again. He now lives on the family land where he grew up, on the
Guadalupe River near Thomaston, spending many hours just as he did
as a boy, walking around the place observing wild things. He spends
many more hours working on identifying plants and animals.

All those years teaching and observing Nature qualifies Dr. McAlister as
a WGA, a World's Greatest Authority on Texas outdoors, and especially
around the coastal area. In addition to lab manuals for his classes,
including Trees of Victoria, he has written Guidebook to the Aransas
NWR, A Naturalist's Guide to Matagorda Island, Life on Matagorda Island
and Paddling the Guadalupe, published in June 2008 by Texas A&M
Univ Press.

March 19, 2009
Guest Speaker: Jim Giocomo
Topic: Bird Habitat Joint Ventures in Texas: Partnerships for Habitat
Conservation

Jim’s presentation introduced the new habitat Joint Venture (JV), the
Oaks and Prairies JV, and how Joint Ventures brings new opportunities
for cooperation among conservation groups to help focus scarce
conservation resources.  Joint Ventures are regional, self-directed
partnerships of government and nongovernmental organizations,
corporations and individuals that work across administrative boundaries
to deliver science-based conservation, focusing on bird populations. JVs
work in support of national and international conservation plans by
helping step the larger plans down to regional or landscape scales, and
are organized by landscape areas with similar communities, habitats,
and resource issues called Bird Conservation Regions.  

In Texas, two new Joint Ventures recently formed to bring the total
number of JVs in North America to 18, covering most of the United
States and parts of Canada and Mexico.  The Oaks and Prairies Joint
Venture covers almost 60 million acres of Texas and Oklahoma,
basically running from San Antonio, TX to Tulsa, OK, including the Post
Oak Savanna, Blackland Prairies, Cross Timbers, and the Edwards
Plateau.

JVs focus on a broad spectrum of activities including “on the ground”
projects like habitat protection and restoration as well as landscape
scale conservation planning, outreach, monitoring and research, and
they raise money for these activities through partner contributions and
grants.  Joint Ventures will bring new opportunities for cooperation
among conservation groups to help focus scarce conservation
resources.

Jim Giocomo has been the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture Coordinator
working for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department since 2007.  Jim
has done research and monitoring of bird productivity in forest and
grassland settings since 1992. His work focused on Ovenbirds in
Pennsylvania (at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary), and Henslow’s Sparrows
in Tennessee and Kentucky (at Fort Campbell Army Base working in the
drop zones used for training by the 101st Airborne Division).  Jim
received a BS in Biology from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, an
MS in Ecology from the Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD in
Natural Resources from the University of Tennessee in 2005

.February 19, 2009
Victor Emanuel
Topic:  Bird Tours of the World

Victor’s presentation described over 30 years of bird tour leading, how
his company, VENT (Victor Emanuel Nature Tours), got started, and
some memorable moments along the way.  VENT is the largest
company in the world specializing in birding tours.  VENT has played a
pioneer role in helping develop ecotourism and is a strong advocate of
supporting local conservation organizations.

Victor Emanuel started birding in Texas 60 years ago at the age of eight.  
His travels have taken him to all the continents, with his areas of
concentration being Texas, Arizona, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.  He is
the founder and compiler for 50 years of the record-breaking Freeport
Christmas Bird Count, and served a term as president of the Texas
Ornithological Society.  Birds and natural history have been a major
focus throughout his life.  He derives great pleasure from seeing and
hearing birds.

Speaker:  Ted Lee Eubanks
Topic:  Faces of flight – Birds of the Upper Texas Coast

Ted’s presentation covered aspects of the avifauna as outlined in his
two books (copies will be available).   He described the impacts of
Hurricane Ike, and what we can expect as a recovery over the next severa
years.

Ted Lee Eubanks, currently residing in Austin and Galveston, received a
BA in Journalism from the University of Houston in 1978, and since 1984
has been involved in the founding and development of a series of
businesses.  Eubanks founded Fermata  in 1992, and since that time
has been engaged in studying and promoting experiential tourism and
outdoor recreation as sustainable approaches to community
revitalization and conservation.

Eubanks frequently speaks and conducts workshops on nature-based
tourism and its economic potential for communities, agencies, and
landholders.  Eubanks addresses state tourism conferences, wildlife
meetings, and economic development forums.  Eubanks’ natural history
writings and photographs are widely published.  His books, published
by Texas A&M press, include Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the
Upper Texas Coast, coauthored with Bob Behrstock and Ron Weeks,
and Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, coauthored
with Bob Behrstock and Seth Davidson.

Robin Doughty
The Whooping Crane

A very Texan Bird, given its status fifty years ago, North America's tallest
and most iconic bird, the Whooping Crane has staged a remarkable
comeback.

A whole range of efforts from bird laws and habitat preserves to hands-
on experiments in breeding, transplanting, and releasing birds into the
wild has counteracted the hunting and killing trophies that brought the
great white crane to the brink of extinction.  The US Fish and Wildlife
Service continues to dedicate time an effort into saving the Whooping
Crane from extinction.  Robin Doughty detailed these efforts through his
research and experiences with these birds that resulted in his book, and
updated and explained recent moves to return birds to their former
ranges within the US.

Robin Doughty is a faculty member in the Department of Geography and
the Environment at the University of Texas, Austin.  He has written a
number of books and articles about wildlife conservation, especially
related to birds, and remains committed to promoting concerns for
wildlife diversity and habitat protection both in North America and
elsewhere.

Bob Petersen
Images for Conservation Fund
Texas Hill Country Nature Photography Alliance

Images for Conservation Fund (ICF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization,
creates sustainable development of rural economies through the
establishment and prosperity of the Private Lands Nature Photo Tourism
Industry. Ninety-four percent of Texas land and 90% of the Western
Hemisphere is privately owned.  ICF photo tournaments, programs and
economic incentives encourage private landowners to restore, preserve
and enhance wildlife habitat.  The inaugural Pro-tour photography
tournament was held in the Texas Hill country in April 2006.  The second
Pro-tour event was recently complete in April of 2008 in the Texas
Coastal Bend region.  

The Texas Hill Country Nature Photography Alliance is a group of
conservation minded landowners who have opened their ranches up to
guests for the purpose of nature photography, bird watching and eco-
tourism.  All member ranches were participants in the ICF  2006 Pro-tour
of nature photography and continue to promote the Texas Hill Country
region as a destination for Nature Photographers.

Mr. Petersen presented an overview of these two organizations and the
important role that private landowners play in conservation.  The
presentation was filled with magnificent images take by the professional
photographers that participated in the ICF 2006 Pro-tour.

Mr. Petersen has spent 25 years in the high tech industry.  He holds B.S.
degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University-
Carbondale.  He has held numerous development and executive
positions in the aerospace, robotics and computer industries, most
recently with Dell Computer Corporation.

An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Mr. Petersen has been a
supporter and member of numerous environmental causes and
organizations over the years.  Mr. Petersen is Vice-Chairman of the
Images for Conservation Fund, served as chairman of the 2006 ICF Pro-
Tour of nature photography.  Mr. Petersen serves on the Texas advisory
board for The Environmental Defense Fund, the advisory board for the
Texas State University Freeman Ranch and the advisory board for The
Hill Country Alliance.  Mr. Petersen is the founder and serves as
President of The Texas Hill Country Nature Photography Alliance.  

Mr. Petersen owns a ranch in central Texas where he has been focusing
his conservation efforts on managing the ranch and restoring its habitat
to benefit of endangered species and other wildlife native to central
Texas.  

Mr. Petersen believes that the future of conservation is dependent upon
the activities of private landowners and has been working to educate
landowners and the public about conservation activities taking place on
private lands.  He is very interested in developing opportunities for
landowners to manage their properties for the benefit to wildlife while
also generating income from those activities to sustain the habitat over
the long term.

Kitty Coley
The Galapagos

Kitty Coley is the perfect naturalist to talk about the Galapagos, a  
unique archipelago  through which she has led more than 20
expeditions.  She has been photographing, diving, snorkeling and
hiking throughout the islands since 2001. Trained as a geologist,
Kitty's knowledge of volcanoes combined with her love of nature and
ornithology make her knowledgeable about  the volcanoes, birds,
and marine mammals of these remarkable islands. She is an
enthusiastic lecturer who took us on a stunning and informative
photo tour of the Galapagos, in September's opening lecture to the
2008/09 Audubon program year.

As a geologist, naturalist, and avid birder, Kitty Coley has been
leading and teaching on expeditions since the mid-90’s.  Working
with National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Victor Emanuel Nature
Tours, among others, Kitty has led more than 80 expeditions --
spending extensive time in remote rain forests and rugged geologic
settings around the world. Her love of nature has led to exploration
through scuba diving, backpacking, white-water and sea kayaking,
and biking. Kitty is an enthusiastic teacher, an experienced observer
and an excellent lecturer.

Dr. Andrew Kasner
State of the Birds:  Audubon Texas Bird Conservation Programs
May 15, 2008

Dr. Kasner gave an overview of the Audubon State of the Birds reports
and the new Audubon Watchlist, and also spoke about our Texas bird
conservation programs, spending most of the time on the Important Bird
Areas Program.

Dr. Andrew C. Kasner is Director of Bird Conservation and Deputy
Director for Audubon Texas.  He obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in
Biology from Angelo State University and Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries
Sciences from Texas A & M University.  He has conducted research on
freshwater fishes in West Texas, ecology and natural history of
shorebirds and waterbirds, and ecology and conservation of
endangered Interior Least Terns in Texas.  While on the biology faculty at
Lamar University, he taught courses such as ornithology and marine
biology and directed student research on passerines, waterbirds, and
shrimp.  In his current role with Audubon, Dr. Kasner directs the on-the-
ground conservation efforts of Audubon Texas, focusing on their Coastal
Stewardship Program, Quail and Grassland Birds Initiative, and
Important Bird Areas program. In addition, he continues to collaborate
on research and management efforts on colonial waterbirds,
shorebirds, grassland birds, and endangered species such as Black-
capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler.

Kevin Connally
Sr. Environmental Resource Management Specialist Travis County
Natural Resources and Environmental Quality
April 17, 2008

"The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve: A Community-Based
Conservation Model"

Travis County and the City of Austin recognized by the early 1980's
that our region's unique rugged beauty was home not only to a vibrant
and rapidly growing center of higher education, medical advancement,
technological innovation, a rapidly diversifying economic engine and the
seat of state government, but also to a host of plant and animal species
found nowhere else on earth. In order to ensure the continued strength
of the local economy while protecting the area's unique native wildlife,
the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (or BCCP) was created.

The BCCP is a US Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Act
permit jointly-held by the City of Austin and Travis County.  The Plan
provides a quick and efficient pathway for the permit holders and private
landowners to comply with federal law and mitigate for impacts that their
land use practices may have on protected species. In exchange for local
management of the mitigation process, USFWS required that 30,428
acres of habitat and a number of unique cave features and rare plants
be set aside and managed in perpetuity as the Balcones Canyonlands
Preserve.

The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (or BCP) protects 8 endangered
species, including the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped
vireo, as well as 27 species of concern throughout 7 watersheds in
western Travis County.  The BCP preserves a unique cross section of
the flora and fauna along the Balcones Escarpment of the Edward's
Plateau and strives to maintain functioning ecosystems by managing for
the  benefit of all our native vertebrates, invertebrates and plants,
regardless of their regulatory status.

Today, almost 28,000 acres (including Travis Audubon Society's Baker
Sanctuary) have been set aside to create the BCP for the benefit of our
unique native wildlife. Thousands of visitors each year have the
opportunity to visit and learn about the natural treasure in our collective
backyard. Volunteers annually dedicate thousands of hours to  
maintaining and restoring the different habitats found in the BCP.
Students from elementary grades to graduate schools visit and explore
the preserve each year. The BCP Hike and Lecture Series provides
monthly guided hikes with the managers of the BCP as well as
opportunities for the public to delve into the issues related to managing
wild lands from some of the leading experts in the field of conservation
throughout the year.

Perhaps most importantly, national attention is being focused on the
model of community-based conservation that seeks to balance a heathy
economy with healthy ecosystems that was created right here is Austin
by the BCP.

Biographic info:

Travis County's Senior Environmental Resource Manager Kevin
Connallyl spoke at the April Membership Meeting about the history and
current status of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. As the very first
multi-species regional Habitat Conservation Plan in the nation, the BCP
forged a model that is being emulated and tailored to meet the needs of
communities across the country.

Kevin spoke about the "Funnel Effect", described how the Lone Star
State is changing right before our eyes, and discussed how local efforts
are working to save what National Audubon has described as one of the
nation's "10 Most Endangered Birds": the Golden-cheeked Warbler.

For more about the BCP, see Travis County's website at:
Travis County.  

Kevin Connally has been working on land management and natural
resource issues for eighteen years, and has been dedicated to the
Balcones Canyonlands Preserve since 2001. His previous resource
management experience includes time with the Nature Conservancy in
remote west Texas, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
performing salmon and steelhead research in Hell's Canyon and
working to restore declining fisheries on the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Kevin is
a member of the Travis Audubon Society and the Wildlife Society and
uses his time as a TPWD-certified Master Hunter Education Instructor to
forge a wider conservation consciousness among current and future
generations of
Texans. When not scrambling around in remote corners of hidden
wilderness chasing fish or watching birds, he is often found
volunteering his time to engage the public in wildlife and conservation
issues.


Dr. Wayne H. McAlister
March 20, 2008

MATAGORDA ISLAND--an Enchanting Ribbon of Sand.

Matagorda Island is not pristine but it retains much of its natural  
aura: royal terns and brown pelicans loaf on the beach, sheepshead  
killifish dart amid stalks of smooth cordgrass in the bayside  shallows,
wands of sea oats wave over the sand dunes and ghost crabs  scuttle
across the sand. The routine number and diversity of birds  rises to a
veritable plethora during spring and fall migration.  Although it is not
really disjunct from the rest of the world, the island is an isolated,
discrete ecosystem. It has a well-defined  
edge, a topography absolutely dominated by the whim of the Gulf of  
Mexico and a select cadre of well-adapted creatures forced into tight
alliance by the unforgiving barrer environment. A visit to the island  
is a lesson in ecology, a rare delight at experiencing a wild place  
still wild, a chance to release and indulge yourself and always, in  
one way or another, an adventure.  At your March meeting they took a
photo tour of the island to whet your appetite for a scheduled  
visit on  April 12th.

Dr. Wayne H. McAlister is a retired instructor in biology at Victoria  
College who took a position as environmental education specialist  
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was stationed on  
Matagorda Island from 1993-2003. He and Martha immediately fell
under  the trance of their barrier island home.While leading field  
excursions with visiting groups they learned many of the island's  
secrets, some of which they reveal in Life on Matagorda Island.  The
McAlisters now live near Victoria. When the opportunity arises they  
still enjoy returning to Matagorda to guide tours and renew ties.

February 21, 2008
Speaker:  Steve Shunk
Where the woodpeckers are:
Woodpecker distribution in Texas, and Beyond

Texas hosts over half of the North American woodpecker species at
some time of year, and ten species breed regularly in the state. Owing to
its immense land area, many Texas woodpecker populations occupy
distantly separated eco-regions, with only the East Texas Pineywoods
supporting a broad diversity of nesting species. How did the different
species get where they are today, and what adaptations have they
acquired that restrict them to certain habitats?

Oregon naturalist and woodpecker specialist Steve Shunk mapped out
Texas woodpeckers and shed light on their unique natural histories and
behaviors. Steve discussed prehistoric and current distribution in Texas
and beyond, as well as hybridization and range fluctuations occurring in
the state.

For the last 10 years, Steve Shunk has studied woodpeckers on the east
slope of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and across the continent, and he
is nearing completion of the Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers
of North America. Steve leads birding tours across western North
America through his company, Paradise Birding, and he coordinates
bird surveys for various agencies and organizations from his home base
in Central Oregon. Steve co-founded the East Cascades Bird
Conservancy and served as its first President. He also co-founded the
Oregon Birding Trails program and coordinated its flagship project, the
Oregon Cascades Birding Trail.

January 17, 2008
Speaker:  Steve Holt
Winter and spring in the Rio Grande Valley

Climbing a giant redwood, getting licked by a Brazilian tapir and
slogging through waist-deep mud are just part of the job for Steve Holt.  
Steve started his professional photography career when he lived in
Austin just over 20 years ago. He received his degree in wildlife
management from the University of Maryland, and to this day, he
remains broadly focused on wildlife, threats to the natural environment
and constructive solutions to environmental problems.  He has
photographed in Ecuador the Caribbean, Mexico, New Zealand Australia
and New Guinea as well as every state in the
Union and most in Canada.  His photographs have been published
internationally by TV networks, newspapers and magazines, including
ABC, Audubon, BBC Wildlife, Birder's World, Defenders, Discover,
Environment, International Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Scientific American,
Sierra, the New York Times, and many others.  He has been sole
photographer for three children's books and his photographs have been
exhibited at numerous museums, including the Academy of Natural
Sciences, the Field Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. Steve lives
in the Southern Coast Range of Oregon with his wife and "too damn
many cats".

Steve showed his stunning images of birds and wildlife of the Rio
Grande Valley and talked about the great places to go in the valley to see
its specialties for yourselves.  He also discussed the history of the
Valley's habitat and the present wildly contradictory impulses in federal
policy of increasing habitat connectivity and installing border fences. We
saw a mix of migrants and native specialties of the Rio Grande Valley.

Steve visits the Valley often, and he and his wife have entered the
Valley Land Fund Contest three times.   He won first place for Deer in the
most recent VLF contest.  We viewed a broad range of wildlife photos
from snakes and scorpions to deer and a broad variety of birds.

For more information on Steve Holt, go to Stock Pix

November 15, 2007
Sonia Ortiz El Cielo, a Model for Sustainable Development through
Birding In Tamaulipas, Mexico

Ms. Ortiz spoke about El Cielo Biosphere Reserve located in the State of
Tamaulipas in northeast Mexico, the northernmost cloud forest in the
American Continent.  This reserve is important not only because of its
richness in biodiversity, but also for its role as a major watershed.  Ms.
Ortiz told the story of sustainable development through nature tourism
efforts carried out in the area since 2003, including the training of local
birding and butterfly watching guides and the festivals that are held every
year in El Cielo.    Her presentation included pictures of the beautiful
landscape and some of the most representative birds, including
endemics such as Altamira Yellowthroat and Bronze-winged
Woodpecker.  Ms. Ortiz was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico.  She
received her chemistry degree from the University of Colorado in 1983.  
Since 1996 she has been actively involved in conservation and
sustainable development projects throughout Northeast Mexico such as
the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Team and Laguna Madre’s
Management Plan.  She is founder and President of Gestoria Mexicana
de Turismo Sustentable A.C.  She is the author of Tamaulipas Birding
and Butterfly Map, and is currently working, as a co-author, on Northeast
Mexico Birding Guide, to be published in 2008.


October 18, 2007 Greg Lasley Birds and Other Wildlife of the Prairie
Grasslands

Greg presented images taken on a trip he took in June, 2007, from west
Texas to New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Montana to
photograph some prairie nesting birds.  Some of the nesting bird
species included Burrowing Owl, Grasshopper Sparrow, Savannah
Sparrow, Baird’s Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Chestnut-collared
Longspur, Lazuli Bunting, Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s
Phalarope, Short-eared Owl, Eared Grebe, both Clark’s and Western
Grebe and others.  Also included were images of the rare and elusive
Swift Fox and an American Badger.  Greg first pointed a camera at a bird
in 1971, a Horned Lark at Great Salt Lake, Utah, while he was in the U.S.
Air Force.  By 1976, as a novice, but enthusiastic bird-watcher, he
became interested in documenting appearances of rare birds by
photographing and tape-recording them.  From the late 1970s until the
late 1980s, most of Greg's wildlife photography focused on documenting
rarities and obtaining slides of birds to illustrate his lectures for
Audubon Societies or other nature-oriented groups. In 1988, Greg took
some photos of the Golden-cheeked Warbler, an endangered species
which nests only in Texas. One of these photos was published on the
cover of a birding guide-book, which led to other requests to publish
Greg's bird photos. In the next several years many of Greg's photos were
published in Texas Highways Magazine, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Magazine, American Birds, Wildlife Conservation, and a few of other
publications. After these initial publication successes, Greg became
more serious about his photography. Over the next few years he
continually upgraded his camera equipment, developed the skills
necessary to become a good wildlife photographer, and traveled the
state of Texas and much of the United States photographing birds.
Through the 1990s, hundreds of his photos found their way into various
publications.    In 2000, Greg, along with Larry Ditto of McAllen, Texas, a
fellow photographer and friend, entered the Valley Land Fund Wildlife
Photo Contest as partners. The contest is a six-month-long wildlife
photo competition in far south Texas.  Participants included more than
100 other accomplished photographers from around the country. Greg
and Larry spent long hours on a single piece of land, working to capture
wildlife images in 50 different categories. This contest forced Greg out of
his "photographic comfort zone" of birds and into the world of spiders,
dragonflies, mammals, and other types of wildlife. Greg and Larry won
first place in this prestigious contest in 2000 and finished third in 2002.
Since then Greg has continued to branch out with his photography,
finding new subjects at which to aim a lens. Dragonflies and
damselflies have been a favorite subject for him in recent years,
however birds are still a prime focus as well. Greg's photo credits now
exceed 2000 published images in more than 100 books and different
magazines. Please see Greg's photo image use page for a listing of
these publication credits.

Greg spent 25 years in law enforcement, retiring from the Austin Police
Department in 1997 as a lieutenant. From 1997 through early 2005 he
divided his time between photographing wildlife and leading bird-
watching trips over much of the western hemisphere for Victor Emanuel
Nature Tours. He had also led trips for VENT part-time from 1985 to
1997. In March, 2005, Greg decided to take a sabbatical from regular
tour leading and now concentrates on photography and other wildlife
pursuits. He still leads occasional trips for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
(VENT). His photos appear regularly in a variety of nature and wildlife-
oriented books and magazines. He and his wife, Cheryl Johnson, reside
in Austin, Texas.

September 20, 2007
Lynn Barber
Great Big Year of Texas Birding

Lynn Barber spoke about the highlights of her record-breaking Texas Big
Year in 2005 and will show pictures of some of the birds seen and the
sites visited. During that year, she drove more than 90,000 miles and
observed 522 bird species in Texas. Her quest, in a year with a
remarkable influx of birds from the south, took her to practically every
nook, canyon, forest, and beach in Texas.

Lynn has been a birdwatcher/birder since she was seven years old, and
has birded across much of the United States and in many other
countries. She has given many talks about her birding travels, and since
her big year in 2005, she has spoken to many groups about the
experience. She has also taught a number of courses in beginning
birding at local colleges.

She was born in Wisconsin and has lived in Alaska, Oregon, North
Carolina and, since 2000, Texas. She is a registered patent attorney in
solo practice in Fort Worth.  She has a Ph.D. in bacteriology from the
University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a JD from Duke University Law
School (1985).  She has been active in local Audubon organizations for
many years, and is currently president elect of the Texas Ornithological
Society and past-president of the Fort Worth Audubon Society.

Information about birds she saw in her big year and a few pictures of
them, as well bird lists for some of the other years since she’s been in
Texas can be found at www.lynnbarber.com

Thursday, May 17, 2007
Jeffrey Green and David Bamberger

"Award-winning author Jeffrey Greene provides a portrait, by turns lyrical
and provocative, of J. David Bamberger’s unlikely transform-ation from
first, a vacuum cleaner salesman, then co-founder and CEO of Church’s
Fried Chicken, to a locally and internationally recognized conservationist.
In fact, Greene tells two integrally related stories: the evolution of one
man’s business sense, applying profit incentives to land restoration and
nature conservancy; and the creation of a Texas Hill Country preserve
where he effectively demonstrates his own principles, prevailing over
skeptics.”
- From the book jacket of Water from Stone.

Jeffrey Green received his PhD from the University of Houston. He is the
author of the memoir French Spirits, appearing in nine countries, and
three collections of poetry. He is the winner of the Discovery/  The Nation
Award and the Randall Jarrell Prize and has been supported by the
National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Commission on the
Arts, and the Rinehart Fund.
Texas conservationist J. David Bamberger will speak about his work and
his ranch, which is open to visitors for selected tours, educational
workshops, and field days. Bamberger bought what he describes as
“the sorriest piece of land in Blanco County” and spent decades
restoring the ecological balance of 5,500 acres that had been virtually
destroyed by more than a century of misuse. Naming his preserve
Selah, from the Old Testament term meaning “pause and reflect,”
Bamberger dedicates himself and his resources to protecting species
and educating school children, conservation groups, government
officials, and everyone else who will listen to his central message: We
must take care of the earth, and anyone can help. David and his wife,
Margaret, have received many awards, and he has been featured in The
New Yorker, in Audubon, and on CNN and network news. Copies of
Water from Stone will be available for signing and purchase at the
meeting.

__________________________

Thursday, April 19, 2007
Dwight Wilson
Exploring Nature through Tracks and Sign

Have you ever wondered who left those footprints in the mud or what
prompted a robin's alarm call? Dwight Wilson will share his
experiences exploring nature through reading the tracks and signs
that are left behind. He will share personal stories and photographs.
Learn how birds lend an amazing element to tracking because they
vocalize what is going on in the forest floor. It is possible for you to
understand the signs that nature gives and add a new dimension to
your outdoor experiences.
Dwight Wilson has over 20 years of tracking experience with wildlife and
humans, and has trained with Charles Worsham, Paul Rezendes,
Stanley Liston, Nate Kempton, Jon Young’s Wilderness Awareness
School, and Tom Brown’s Tracker School. He has been asked to
provide his services for the National Park Service, Texas law
enforcement officers, and the Dallas FBI (ERT). He also gives classes
on wildlife tracking and behavior, land navigation, and wilderness
survival.  

From the TAS office on nature tracking:
On-line resources:
www.princeton.edu/~oa/nature/tracking.shtml  The Outdoor Action
program at Princeton University, this site includes a section on
animal tracking with very detailed guides, instructions, tracking
cards, and more.
www.bear-tracker.com/birds.html This commercial site features bird
tracks including excellent images of 16 species’ tracks. It also has
sections on tracks of many mammals, some reptiles, and other
animals.
On-line for kids:
www.concord.org/~btinker/guide/tracks/tracks_activities.html
From the Concord Consortium, a nonprofit educational organization,
a set of interactive activities and “lessons” that teach tracking and
will definitely appeal to kids.

Recommended reading:
  • Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-watching, Shore
Walking by Jim Arnosky (HarperCollins, 2002)
  • Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species by
Mark Elbroch (Stackpole Books, 2003)
  • Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks: Third Edition, by Peterson
Field Guides (Houghton Mifflin, 2005)
  • Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and
Signs by Paul Rezendes (Collins, 1999)

__________________________

Thursday, March 15, 2007
Mike Leggett, Austin American-Statesman
Birding in a Hunting World

Leggett will be talking about bird watching in a hunting world. He writes,
"I've come to appreciate birds more and more over the years and they
add a dimension to hunting that makes it that much more enjoyable for
me. Birding and hunting are compatible in any number of ways and we'll
talk about how that works and how it could work even better."  He will
also present a short slide show of wildlife photos. he has taken during
hunting trips.

Mike Leggett has been Outdoor Writer at Austin American-Statesman
since 1985. Prior to that he was a news editor at the Houston Post and
managing editor at Huntsville Item and Marshall News Messenger.
Leggett has received Associated Press Managing Editors and Sports
Editors awards for column writing, environmental stories on endangered
species and canned hunting, and Dallas Press Club awards for stories
on Texas Parks and Wildlife. He lives in Burnet County with wife Rana
and three dogs.

__________________________

Thursday, February 15, 2007
Richard Donovan, Texas Committee on Natural Resources
Paddling the Wild Neches

This talk and slide presentation chronicles Donovan's 235-mile canoe
trip down the Neches River from U. S. 175, just northwest of
Jacksonville, downriver to B. A. Steinhagan Lake. The purpose of the 24-
day camping trip was to call attention to the natural beauty of the area
that threads the very heart of the Central Flyway and to create an
awareness of the great variety of birds and animals that inhabit the water
and the hardwood bottomland forest along the river's trace. Donovan
writes, "I was totally surprised at the abundance and variety of the birds
and animals that crossed in the front of the canoe each day. I was also
surprised at the wildness, remoteness, and beauty that still exist along
much of the Neches bottomland forest."

A Texas native, Donovan chairs the Texas Committee on Natural
Resources' Forest Task Force. His book, Paddling the Wild Neches,
published in May 2006 by Texas A&M University Press, is now in its 2nd
printing. The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club awarded him the
Evelyn R. Edens Award, and the National Wildlife Federation named him
a Conservation Hero for his efforts to protect the Neches and the 200
species of trees, 300 species of birds, 50 species of animals and
countless species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles that live in the river
and its bottomland hardwood habitat.

__________________________

Thursday, November 16, 2006
Mark McClelland, TAS Member
Birding Panama's Canopy Lodge and Canopy Tower

TAS members Mark and Teri McClelland spent 10 days at Canopy Tower
and Canopy Lodge this past January (2006), and took hundreds of
digital and digi-scoped photos of the accommodations, surroundings,
plants, insects, reptiles, mammals, and (mostly!) birds. Panama is a
wonderful destination for tropical birding, and Canopy Tower is the
country’s top birding location. Canopy Lodge was newly opened at the
time of their visit, but is quickly becoming a top birding destination as
well. Mark’s presentation will focus on the various habitats visited during
their stay, and the birds and other treasures located in those areas. He’ll
also discuss accommo-dations at the Tower and Lodge, the guides, the
food, and anything else that potential visitors might be interested in
exploring. Mark has lived in central Texas since 1968, and became
interested in birding at the age of 20. He has taken nearly all of the TAS
birding classes, and has led field trips to Bastrop and Pedernales Falls.
Their trip to Panama was the third tropical birding trip taken by Mark and
Teri. They had previously visited and birded Trinidad/Tobago and Belize.

_________________________

Thursday, October 19, 2006
Alicia Craig, American Bird Conservancy
The Mexican Grasslands Project

Alicia Craig will talk about an area, located near the city of Saltillo in
northern Mexico, that is a biologically rich grassland owned by private
individuals and communities, and is threatened by conversion to potato
farming. The Saltillo Savannas comprise a patchwork of key grassland
sites maintained as shortgrass prairie by the grazing of the endangered
Mexican prairie dog. Several migratory bird species of conservation
concern are dependent on these grasslands, including globally
significant concentrations of the Mountain Plover (11% of the global
population) and Long-billed Curlew (15% of the global population). The
endangered Worthen’s Sparrow has its global stronghold in the area.
Other priority birds in the area include Burrowing Owls, Sprague’s Pipits,
and Ferruginous Hawks. The presentation includes photographs of
these key bird species and the significance of the conservation work in
the area.
Alicia Frances Craig is Director of the Bird Conservation Alliance for the
American Bird Conservancy. The Bird Conservation Alliance is a network
of organizations whose focus is the conservation, study, and observation
of birds. More information about the Mexican grasslands project is at
Bird Conservation Alliance.

_________________________

Thursday, September 21, 2006
Walt Dabney, Director of State Parks
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Dabney's presentation is an overview of the park idea, the purpose of
parks, the Texas State Park System, the economic importance of parks,
the budget problems in the park system, and the future needs of parks
in Texas. Dabney is responsible for 8 regions, 120 state parks, and over
1,200 employees. Texas has the third largest state park operation in the
US.

From the TAS office on public parks:
On-line resources:
www.environmenttexas.org
www.tpwd.state.tx.us
www.texasoutside.com/parks.htm
www.wildtexas.com/parks

Recommended reading:
  • The Future of the Wild: Radical Conservation for a Crowded World by
    Jonathan S. Adams (Beacon, 2006)
  • The Invention of the Park by John Wills and Karen Jones (Polity, 2005)
  • “Once Again, Why Public Parks? The Meaning of Nature: Wilderness,
    Wildlife, and Ecological Values in the National Parks,” article by
    James A. Pritchard (PDF file)
  • Our National Parks by John Muir (Houghton Mifflin, 1901)
  • Parks & Recreation, the journal of the National Recreation and Park
    Association (www.nrpa.org)

__________________________

Bird of the Big Woods: An Ivory-Bill in the 21st Century
Thursday, May 18, 2006
David Luneau, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Travis Audubon is delighted to bring to Austin, for our last  member-ship
meeting until Fall, a key member of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
research team, who will speak about the search. David Luneau was a
member of the core team on the recent year-long search for the Ivory-
billed Woodpecker in eastern Arkansas and is a veteran of previous
ivory-bill searches. He confirmed the rediscovery of the ivory-billed
woodpecker in the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas in 2004 with the only
video ever taken of the bird. Previously, he was a member of the six-
person international team that searched the Pearl River area of
Louisiana in 2002, and he organized and led a search for the
woodpecker in the White River National Wildlife Refuge in 2003. He
continues to search for the bird, and he serves on the species recovery
team for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

From the TAS office on Ivory-billed Woodpeckers:
About the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (IBWO):
- Latin name: Campephilus principalis
- Status: Rediscovered or extinct?
- Threats: Loss of habitat
- Habitat: Mature forests, esp. cypress swamps, large hardwoods
- Where: Formerly in Eastern Texas and Southeast U.S.; Cuba

Did you know that IBWOs …
  • Are 18-20 inches in size (wingspan about 30 inches)
  • Eat insects, fruit, and nuts
  • May mate for life
  • Have a bill (in adults) more than 7 cms. long

Recommended reading:
The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, by Tim
Gallagher (Houghton Mifflin, 2005)
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, by Phillip Hoose (Farrar, Straus &
Giroux, 2004)
In Search of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, by Jerome A. Jackson
(Smithsonian Books, 2004)
Big Woods Bird: An Ivory-bill Story, by Terri Roberts Luneau (Kury Lane,
2005) [for children]

Web sites:
www.ibwo.org David Luneau’s site
www.ivorybill.org The Big Woods Conservation Partnership
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/rediscovery/ Rediscovering the Ivory-
billed Woodpecker
www.livescience.com/animalworld/060316_woodpecker_debate.html
Current state of the debate

Joining the search:
The Arkansas Field Office of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has issued
a set of guidelines for those considering a visit to look for the IBWO.
Seasonal and other restrictions apply. The Web site includes links to
Cache River and White River National Wildlife Refuges with maps,
suggested viewing areas, and more:
www.fws.gov/arkansas%2Des/BigWoodsBirding

__________________________

Black-capped Vireos in Northern Mexico
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Craig Farquhar, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

The Black-capped Vireo (BCVI) is a special bird to Central Texans and
we delight in seeing it in our area. But only sparse information is
available on Mexican populations of the federally endangered BCVI
during the breeding season. Breeding habitat and a handful of nests
had been described only from northern Coahuila, prior to a collaborative
study by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Universidad
Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México. This 4-year project, funded
by the Endangered Species Act, began in 2001 and was recently
concluded. Researchers, including Farquhar, now have significant new
data on habitat, nesting, geographic distribution, and conservation
threats for breeding populations of this species as far south as SW
Tamaulipas. These new data offer advantages and challenges to the
conservation of this federally endangered species, and Farquhar will
discuss these topics with special attention to the BCVI’s recovery and
listing status.

From the TAS office on Black-capped Vireos:
About the Black-capped Vireo (BCVI)
Latin name: Vireo atricapillus
Status: Endangered (on U.S. and Texas lists)
Threats: Loss of habitat; Brown-headed Cowbirds
Habitat: Low thickets in scrub-oak woodlands, arid hills
Where: Largest concentration of BCVIs is in Central Texas

Did you know that BCVIs …
  • Nest in Texas April - July
  • Winter on the western coast of Mexico
  • Build cup nests only 2-4 feet from the ground
  • Live 5-6 years
  • Return year after year to the same area to nest

Some places to look for the BCVI in Texas:
- Black Gap Wildlife Management Area
- Colorado Bend State Park
- Devils River State Natural Area
- Kerr Wildlife Management Area
- South Llano River SP
- Balcones Canyonlands NWR
- Government Canyon SP
- Buck Wildlife Management Area

On-line information about the BCVI:
animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr
www.friendsofbalcones.org/birding.htm
www.fws.gov/endangered/
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/bcv/

On-line images of the BCVI:
www.greglasley.net/bcvireo.html
www.windowsonnature.com

_________________________

Backyard Wildlife Habitats
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Bill Stout, National Wildlife Federation

The Backyard Wildlife Habitat program gives people the knowledge to
turn their backyards into valuable wildlife refuges and teaches them the
rewards of connecting with nature by inviting wildlife into their lives.
Through this program people learn that habitat restoration is critical for
wildlife survival in urban and suburban settings, where commercial and
residential development has eliminated most natural areas.  

From the TAS office on backyard habitats:
On-line resources:

Recommended reading:
- Kids' Easy-to-Create Wildlife Habitats: For Small Spaces in City-
Suburbs-Countryside by Emily Stetson et alia (Williamson, 2004) [for
kids aged 9-12]
- National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard
Wildlife by David Mizejewski (Creative Homeowner, 2004)
- The Natural Habitat Garden by Ken Druse (Timber, 2004)
- Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife by Noreen Damude and Kelly
Conrad Bender (Texas Parks and Wildlife Press, 1999)

Related local organizations:
- Capital Area Master Naturalists www.camn.org
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center www.wildflower.org
- Native Plant Society of Texas www.npsot.org
- National Wildlife Federation Gulf States Natural Resource Center www.
nwf.org

__________________________

Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas
Thursday, February 16, 2006
John C. Abbott, University of Texas

The last five years have seen an amazing increase in the interest
surrounding dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) in the United States.
As with birds and butterflies, Texas is a fabulous place to observe and
learn about these insects. There are 223 species of Odonata (over half
the North American fauna) known from Texas and more are being
discovered every year. John will provide an introduction to the behavior,
life history, and biogeography of this group, with special emphasis on
Texas and Austin area species.  He will also discuss how this growing
interest in odonates can be utilized by scientists through citizen science
projects. Abbott's book, on Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the
South-central United States, will be available at the presentation.

From the TAS Office on odonates:
What is a dragonfly (or damselfly)?
In a sentence, it’s a large, predatory, aquatic insect with two pairs of net-
like wings.

Major organizations and their Web sites:
- Dragonfly Society of the Americas
- International Odonata Research Institute
- Worldwide Dragonfly Association

On-line resources and images:

Recommended reading:
A Dazzle of Dragonflies, by Forrest Mitchell and James Lasswell (Texas
A & M University Press, 2005)
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United
States: Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, edited
by John C. Abbott (Princeton University Press, 2005)
Dragonflies through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North
America, by Sidney Dunkle (University of Oxford Press, 2000)
Dragonflies (Wild Guide), by Cynthia Berger (Stackpole Books, 2004)

Did you know?
Dragonflies and damselflies have popular colloquial names such as
darner, darning needle, devil's darning needle, mosquito fly, mosquito
hawk, needle, skeeter hawk, and spindle.

_________________________

Native Prairies in Central Texas
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Jason Spangler, Native Prairies Association of Texas

"Prairie" is defined as a diverse community of native plants and wildlife,
dominated by native grasses and flowers in successions throughout the
year with sparse to few trees. Prairie once made up over half of Travis
County and most of Williamson County, but now is almost completely
gone due to plowing for both fertile soils and development. The tallgrass
prairie is the most endangered large ecosystem in North America with
less than 1% remaining, and even less is left of Texas' own Blackland
Prairie. Grassland birds, whose native habitat is the prairie, have shown
more declines than any other group of North American species. We
need to protect what little remains of our prairies as habitat for the birds,
other wildlife, and native plants that live there, and restore prairie to
recreate habitat that has been lost. Jason's presentation will give an
overview of Texas's Blackland, Grand, and Coastal Prairies, grassland
birds whose habitat is the prairie, and highlight the few remaining prairie
remnants in the central Texas area that need protection.

From the TAS Office on prairies:
Read the Austin Chronicle's December 22, 2005 feature on prairies,
"Dreaming of Buffalo," in which Jason Spangler and other local experts
discuss Texas prairies.

Prairie definitions (from the Environmental Literacy Council)
• Tallgrass prairie: The tallgrass prairie in the easternmost third of the
Great Plains is predominantly made up of Indian grass, switchgrass,
and especially, big bluestem. The tallgrass prairie has much taller and
denser grasses than the western prairies. An acre of intact tallgrass
hosts between 200-400 species of native plants - 3 out of 4 of them
wildflowers.
• Mixed-grass prairie: Here the soil is less productive and native grasses
don't grow as tall. This section is known as the mixed-grass prairie and
is basically a transition zone between the tall grasses of the Midwest
and the very short grasses that lie just east of the Rocky Mountains.
Typical grasses of the mixed-grass prairie are little bluestem, green
needlegrass, and prairie dropseed.
• Shortgrass prairie: The far western prairie in the shadow of the
Rockies is the shortgrass prairie. This region is dominated by drought
tolerant plants that grow only 6-12 inches high. The dominant grasses
are blue gamma and buffalo grass. Sagebrush and other shrubs are
numerous and cacti are fairly common.

Major organizations:
- Native Prairies Association of Texas
- Friends of the Prairie Learning Center
- The Prairie Enthusiasts

General information on prairies:
- National Park Service Tallgrass Prairie

Recommended reading:
The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: For Prairies, Savannas, and
Woodlands ed. by Stephen Packard & Cornelia Mutel (Island, 1997)
Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide by Doug Ladd (Falcon, 1995)
Where the Sky Began: Land of the Tallgrass Prairie by John Madsen
(University of Iowa Press, 2004)

__________________________

Watching Hummingbirds in Texas: Better than Reality TV
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Cliff Shackelford, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Cliff discussed the new book (of which he is senior author),
Hummingbirds of Texas: With Their New Mexico and Arizona Ranges
(2005, Texas A&M University Press). He also covered the detailed lives
of several of our state's hummingbirds by poking fun at the titles of
several reality television shows, in a humorous as well as informative
presentation. Cliff and one of his collaborators on the new book were on
hand to sign copies, which was for sale by the Naturally Curious
bookstore. Royalties from book sales go back into the TPWD's
Hummingbird Roundup Program.   

From the TAS Office on hummingbirds:
- The major organization is the Hummingbird Society.  
- The Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory has excellent information
on seeing hummers in Arizona.  
- Texas Parks & Wildlife's Hummingbird Roundup Program has a
wonderful, rich resource on Gardening for Hummingbirds.  
- In a hurry? Read the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center's brief on
gardening for and safely feeding hummingbirds (PDF file).
- Amazing on-line images of hummer nestlings - a must-see.  

Did you know that hummingbirds:   
  • Generally weigh 2 to 20 grams  
  • Number approximately 330 species  
  • Feed on nectar and insects  
  • Can fly up, down, left, right or hovering  
  • Have feet designed for perching, not walking  
  • Live only in the Western Hemisphere  
  • 28 species are endangered or vulnerable   

A few recommended books:   
Hummingbirds of Texas: With Their New Mexico and Arizona
Ranges, Shackelford et al., Texas A&M University Press, 2005  
Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide, Steve      
Howell, Princeton University Press, 2003  
A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America (Peterson Field
Guides), Sheri Williamson, Houghton Mifflin, 2002  
Hummingbirds of North America, Paul A. Johnsgard, Smithsonian
Books, 1997  
Hummingbirds: Their Life and Behavior, Esther Quesada Tyrrell,
Crown, 1985    

__________________________

Bird Window Kills in Downtown Austin and Beyond  
Thursday, October 20, 2005
David W. Hall, University of Texas

Annual U.S. window-kill mortality is estimated to be 100 million birds or
more. Dave presented his ongoing research that seeks to reduce
window kills in general and to determine the extent of window kills in
Austin. He also discussed how Travis Audubon members can help with
these projects, such as adopting a particular Austin building to monitor
or monitoring a site for specific dates each year. Dave welcomes you to
contact him at davehall(at)uts.cc.utexas.edu.
A senior lecturer in biological sciences at the University of Texas at
Austin, Dave also talked about UT's collection of "study skins," a
teaching collection of preserved birds.

From the TAS Office on window collisions:

This is one of first research articles on avian window collisions, by
scholar Daniel Klem, Jr.:   
"Bird-Window Collisions," Wilson Bulletin 101: 4 (1989) [PDF file]   

Organizations doing key work on window kills and to informational
reading (including preventative how-tos):
- Chicago Bird Collision Monitors  
- Toronto’s Fatal Light Awareness Program  
- Birds and Buildings   

On-line reading materials:   
- “Window Collisions” from Bird Conservation Network  
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology's “How To Avoid Window Collisions”  
- Audubon’s “Minimizing Window Collisions”vvOctober 15, 2009
Guest Speaker: Lynn Barber
Topic: An ABA Big Year

Lynn Barber will talk about and show pictures from her  “ABA Big      
Year” adventure that began in Rockport, Texas in January 2008. During
that year, she sought birds from Alaska and California to Newfoundland
and Florida, plus many places in between, including Texas, Arizona,
Colorado, Maine, and Minnesota. She tallied 723 different species of
birds in the continental United States and Canada (the ABA area) that
year, before ending in Arizona.

Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in several states including
Alaska, Oregon, North Carolina and Texas. In 2005, she broke
the previous record for the most bird species seen in Texas
during a single year. When she’s not birding, she is a registered
patent attorney in solo practice in Fort Worth, Texas. She has a
Ph.D. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
and a J.D. from Duke University Law School. Currently, Lynn is
the President of the Texas Ornithological Society, and Treasurer
and Past President of the Fort Worth Audubon Society. She is
an avid photographer and maintains her own birding web site, where
you can see some of her photos.
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  • Exploring Nature through
    Tracks and Sign
  • Birding in a Hunting World
  • Paddling the Wild Neches
  • Birding Panama's Canopy
    Lodge and Canopy Tower
  • Mexican Grasslands
    Project
  • Texas State Parks
  • Ivory-billed Woodpeckers
  • Black-capped Vireos
  • Backyard Habitats
  • Dragons and Damselflies
  • Native Prairies
  • Hummingbirds
  • Bird Window Collisions
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Westminster Presbyterian Church
3208 Exposition Blvd, Austin, TX
Date: March 18, 2010
Social Hour: 6:30
Program: 7:00