Thursday, April 18, 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
$50 per person, max. 12 people

Bird the beautiful Los Madrones Ranch, property of the owners Mike Murphy and Julie de Wette. Julie de Wette, Maggie Carpenter, and Frances Cerbins will be your guides.

Hill Country birding does not get any better than this. Join a small group of birders and spend a morning exploring this 400-acre ranch close to Austin. Limestone outcroppings, Little Bee Creek, grasslands, broad vistas and many beautiful Madrone trees will be the backdrop for birds like nesting Golden-cheeked Warblers, Summer Tanagers and Rufous-crowned Sparrows. Who knows what surprises await us during peak migration. Learn more about Los Madrones’ history and wildlife here.

Mike and Julie have managed their property for wildlife since 2000, when cattle grazing was stopped, and the birds are responding. They also enacted a conservation easement with the Texas Land Conservancy in 2018, ensuring the property can never be subdivided nor covered with rooftops.

We will be on foot for much of the trip, on roads and trails, visiting a variety of habitats, maybe even adding to the 70+ species already recorded. Then we will adjourn to the hosts’ birdy hilltop yard to enjoy our sack lunches al fresco and depart around noon.

We will meet at the ranch gate on Hamilton Pool Road at 7:30. Note: There will be a restroom only at the lunch spot at the end of the trip.

Further details will be emailed to registrants.

REGISTER HERE

When prompted to credit to a fundraiser, please select the event you’re joining.

Payment for Birdathon events is due at registration. If you change your mind about attending an event, you may be able to transfer your registration to another Birdathon 2024 event. Event registration payments are considered donations and are non-refundable. We sincerely appreciate your generous support! Events occur rain or shine. Please contact the Travis Audubon office with your questions.

The email used to register for this trip will be used to communicate any changes or cancellations due to weather or other factors. Please ALWAYS check your email inbox on the morning of the walk, prior to leaving your home, in case of last-minute changes in the trip plan. Please also check to be sure our emails do not land in your spam folder. When in doubt, please call or email your trip leader. We encourage participants to put the leader’s email address in their safe sender list. Their contact information is included in this trip description.