Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 16

By Susan Heath On Tuesday, Alan Wilde and I went out to do a reef survey in Bastrop and Drum Bays both of which border parts of Brazoria NWR. The refuge biologist Jennifer Wilson and I have been talking about building some oystercatcher nesting platforms out there because the habitat is so eroded. The refuge doesn’t encompass the small islands … Read More

Snakes 101

copperhead snake

By Amelia Grider There is no group of organisms that elicits more varied reactions than that of snakes. Even the bravest, animal-loving individuals may squeal or jump at the sight of one of these scaly critters. Our fear response to seeing a snake can’t be helped. We are taught from a young age that snakes are dangerous and our brains … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 15

By Susan Heath Well I thought the wind was over but I was oh so WRONG! We had to change our monitoring day from Wednesday to Tuesday to avoid the high winds and rain from the tropical low that made its way to our area on Tuesday afternoon. Alan was out of town (having a blast in Costa Rica!) so … Read More

Nature Notes: Life’s a beach, especially if you’re a Wilson’s Plover

wilson's plovers

By Taylor Bennett The Wilson’s Plover is a type of shorebird that breeds along the Texas coast. It is not federally protected currently, but it is definitely a species that we should be more concerned about due to its population decline. It is considered threatened and endangered in some parts of the U.S., but because the majority of the population … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 14

By Susan Heath I THINK the crazy winds might be over finally, but that didn’t happen until Thursday and we had to go out to West Galveston Bay on Wednesday in 18 mph winds again. What a drag! I was joined by Alan Wilde, Scott Buckel, and Bev Morrison for a bumpy tour of West Galveston Bay. There were white … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 13

By Susan Heath WIND. That is the defining word for the past week. The wind was blowing 20+ mph every day until Friday so needless to say we couldn’t go out to check on the oystercatchers until Friday. This meant I had to combine two days of work into one because I was scheduled to monitor Black Skimmers and do … Read More

Nature Notes: “I found a baby bird — now what?”

baby Northern Shrike

By Susan Heath This is the time of year when birds are busy making babies and people start spending a lot more time outside. These two things combine to create a situation that’s played out again and again: Someone finds a baby bird and wants to help but doesn’t know what to do. At the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, we … Read More

Nature Notes: The Hazards of Fishing Line

by Kaitlyn Braddock There are invisible shackles hidden in all of our oceans, lakes, and waterways. They imprison our wildlife in the very ecosystems they live in, leading to cuts, amputations, starvation, and even death. Unfortunately, this is no natural, circle of life situation. Humans are responsible for this material in the water and we need to be aware of … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 12

By Susan Heath It was quite a week folks! On Monday John Wright escorted Alan and I and our Experiences Auction winners Jean Booth, Sandy Parker, and Liz Garney around West Galveston Bay in his very nice boat. The weather was beautiful for this excursion and I was very glad we had postponed from the original date which was the … Read More

Nature Notes: Thunderhead Prong

water rushing over rocks in a stream

The feeling, whatever it is, is totally enveloping. Your eyes take it all in… your mind relents to the heart and soul… allowing you to become one with the place. It is hard to break away… as if you get a feeling of restraint. You have found a place of sense so magical, so powerful… you must leave a part of you here.

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 11

By Susan Heath Well the weather really messed me up this week. We were supposed to do our American Oystercatcher Experiences Auction trip on Wednesday and on Friday I was supposed to go and count Black Skimmer colonies in West Galveston Bay. On Wednesday the wind was blowing 18 – 20 mph so I had to reschedule the auction trip … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 10

By Susan Heath Wind, wind, wind. Where does it end? I could go on but I’ll stop there. You get the drift. That’s a boat joke in case you didn’t catch it. There wasn’t an option to change our Wednesday monitoring day so even though the wind was predicted to be 18 mph we made a go of it. Alan … Read More