Jane Tillman

The many Travis Audubon field trips I have been on over the years have definitely helped me become a better birder, and I enjoy helping newer birders discover the pleasures of bird watching.

I spend a lot of time working on my Travis County bird list alone and with groups, and love to bird by ear. (Bird lists can take many forms: day list, location list, year list, county list, and life list are all important to me.)

One of my favorite things to do is give talks about Austin area birds, and how to attract them to yards, greenbelts and parks with native plants. On field trips I enjoy pointing out various native plants that are bird favorites but, no, I don’t know them all.

 

 

 

Dennis Palafox

I love being a field trip leader because it’s a great way to give back to TAS for all the great classes and field trips I’ve been on that have fed my love of birding.  I’m also motivated by the enthusiasm and joy expressed by participants for just being outdoors and seeing our beautiful central Texas birds.

 

 

 

 

Virginia Rose

What in the world is more fun than being outside all day spying on birds? Being a field trip leader allows me to do that with fun, interesting, and enthusiastic people. I love playing an active role in an organization that has brought and continues to bring such richness to my life. Thank you Travis Audubon!

 

 

 

 

Celeste Treadway

Celeste Treadway is a small animal veterinarian, and has had a lifelong interest in birds, wildlife, and conservation. She birded casually for most of her adult life, but became much more active in birding in 2015, when she hosted her first Birdathon event to raise funds for Travis Audubon Society. Since retiring from her veterinary practice in 2017, she’s enjoyed having more time to dedicate to birding and TAS. She loves spending time with other birders during field trips—she thinks birders are just the nicest people! She volunteers with the Field Trip Committee, and with Golden-cheeked warbler surveys at Baker Sanctuary. Her very favorite birds are the Eastern phoebes and Golden-cheeked warblers that nest every spring on her property in the hill country.

 

Amy Sugeno

Ever since identifying my first Dark-eyed Junco nearly 40 years ago in my parent’s backyard, I have loved watching birds. My favorite places to bird are in the desert southwest and the Rocky Mountains. When I’m not birding, I love being outside hiking, camping, and running. I also love teaching people about birds and nature, especially those who are new to birding. Because I live near Marble Falls, most of my walks are in western Travis County and the Hill Country. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I also lead monthly Let’s Go Birding Together walks for my rainbow community and our allies. I always want my walks to be welcoming and friendly and a safe space for everyone to enjoy birding and nature together.

 

Terry Banks

I have been birding for at least 20 years, probably more, and am the classic “bird nerd”. I love to lead field trips for Travis Audubon, and my favorite place to go is a park, usually the state parks. (In this picture I was at Caddo Lake State park on a steamy July afternoon.)  Somehow I was lucky enough to be gifted good birding ears, so more often than not I can hear birds before I seen them. I confess this has made me a little lazy in the bird spotting and field identification department, but I am working to rectify this situation.

I think that now more than ever we birders have the opportunity to teach our community about the importance of birds and nature. We need to draw everyone into the fold – young, old, people of all colors and nationalities, abilities, beliefs, even those who have different political persuasions than us. I believe there is nothing more important to our survival than being good stewards of our planet, and helping birds survive is being a good steward. I think we can work together to help everyone to see this important truth.

 

Jeffrey Jackson

Jeffrey has been birding since 2012 after a family trip to Rocky Mountain National Park where he bought his first pair of binoculars.  He loves birding and spends most of his free time traveling all over in search of birds. He currently works for Travis County Parks where he leads monthly bird walks at Milton Reimers Ranch Park.

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Gunter

Meet Chris Gunter! He believes field trips are a great way to learn about birds and make new birding friends. Leading trips is fun and as much a learning experience for me as it is for those who come on my walks. The birds are certainly the center of attention, but he also enjoys pointing out cool plants and trees and other flora and fauna we come across. Come join us!

 

 

John Bloomfield

John has been active with Audubon organizations in New Jersey and South Carolina and jumped right in with Travis Audubon when he moved to Texas in January 2021. His favorite places include Hornsby Bend, Commons Ford Prairie, Milton Reimers Ranch Park and the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment (Aquarena Springs) in San Marcos. John also blogs for Travis Audubon and serves as chair of its Advocacy Committee. John’s goal on field trips is to share his enthusiasm for every bird and to inspire new birders to come back looking for more.

 

Rich Kostecke

Rich has a BS in Biology from the University of Kansas, MS in Zoology from North Dakota State University, and PhD in Wildlife Science from Texas Tech University. Over the last several decades, mostly in the non-profit sector, Rich’s work has focused on the conservation, ecology, and management of birds and their habitats in Texas, land conservation in general, and conservation planning. Currently, he works for Hill Country Conservancy.  Rich has long been involved with recovery efforts for the Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler and has also worked on grassland birds and on sky island bird communities in west Texas. Rich has been an avid birder since 1995 and is currently the eBird reviewer for Terrell and Williamson counties in Texas. Although birds are his foremost passion, Rich is interested in all biodiversity, is active on iNaturalist (moths and other insects are a new-found interest) and spends a fair bit of time and effort in propagating/landscaping with native plants in his NW Austin yard.

 

 

 

Jessica Womack

Jess has been a lifelong birding sidekick to her naturalist father and expert birder. She owned her first pair of binoculars and a birding field guide at the age of 8 and hasn’t stopped learning since! Growing up in CT, she has very fond memories of participating in bald eagle surveys as a kid, marching around lakes in the bitter cold and snow at sunrise, hoping to catch a few glimpses of the elusive “bald” heads among the trees. Now with a little one of her own, she loves encouraging the next generation to cherish birds and their natural habitats. It’s a joy to see new and young birders fall in love with the excitement of bird watching and share in the community of learning and camaraderie on a field trip.