Each year, in conjunction with the Great Texas
Birding Classic, an auction is held to raise additional funds for the
Conservation Grant Grand Prizes awarded. Not only is the original
artwork for the year auctioned, but also weekend trips, other original
art, books and nature related items. Take a look and I hope you find
something on which you would like to bid!
The on-line portion of the auction will close
at noon on Friday May 1st. All items will be available at the
silent auction on Sunday, May 3 in Corpus Christi, TX, during the conclusion of
the 2009 Great Texas Birding Classic at the Awards Ceremony. If the
on-line bid is the high bid at the conclusion of the silent auction, you
will be notified on Monday, May 4 that you are the winner. Additionally,
if you would like to have the opportunity to bid on an item but cannot
come to Corpus Christi, there will be GTBC staff available to bid for you at the
silent auction. (We will get your instructions and even call you that day
if you would like for us to.)
Thank you for supporting the 13th
Annual Great Texas Birding Classic!
Carol
Tournament Coordinator
For additional information please contact Tournament Coordinator Carol Jones, telephone 979-480-0999.
Place Your Bids Now!
Hidden Treasures of the Trail
The Official Art of the 2009 Great Texas Birding Classic
Original watercolor by Cherie McBride of Yellowbird Studio in Lake Jackson, TX. The original artwork is floated onto a suede mat and framed. This is a beautiful piece of art with a finished size of 23 x 30.
Starting bid: $500.00Current high bid: $540.00
Double Wren Box
Ever notice how the wrens always seem to chose the decorative box in your neighbor's yard over your standard bird box? Now you can spice up your yard and attract the wrens with this choo-choo train double wren box! The top comes off for easy cleaning during the non-breeding season and the paint will keep the box fresh for many years to come. Donated by Gordon Nunn, GCBO member from Galveston, TX.
Starting bid: $30.00Current high bid: $35.00
Green Jay
Original water color by artist Juanita Gibson. Green Jay is a common bird in the Lower Rio Grande Valley where Juanita lives. Juanita is a long time supporter of the Great Texas Birding Classic. Artwork is matted but not framed. Outside mat size is 20 1/2 x 24.
Starting bid: $80.00
Current high bid: $130.00
Bluebird Nest Box
Help the bluebirds and provide yourself with hours of entertainment. This wooden nest box, built especially for bluebirds, is a valuable addition to any open area where you want to attract bluebirds to nest. The red and gray paint will ensure a long-lasting home for the birds. One side opens for easy cleaning in the non-breeding season. Donated by Gordon Nunn, GCBO member from Galveston, TX.
Current high bid: $60.00
Titmouse Nest Box
Enhance your backyard habitat with this cute nest box sized for titmice. The red and gray paint not only looks attractive, but will also preserve the wood for a long-lasting and attractive addition to any yard. One side opens for easy cleaning in the non-breeding season. Donated by Gordon Nunn, GCBO member from Galveston, TX.
Starting bid: $30.00
Current high bid: $50.00
Set of Two Books
Looking for something to do during the summer when the birding slows down? Lose yourself in the birding tales of June Osborne or John & Gloria Tveten. June Osborne's name is nearly synonymous with Concan, a birding mecca in Texas. I'd Rather Be Birding details June's birding adventures far and near. Enjoy the best of the Tveten's as they tell about the fun of listing, banding, and other games birders play in Our Life With Birds. Donated by anonymous.
Starting bid: $30.00
Current high bid: $50.00
Set of Two Books
Here's another great birding adventure, Chasing Birds Across Texas. Follow Mark Adams back and forth across Texas as he tries to see as many birds in the state as he can in one year and relive your own adventures in each of the special Texas birding spots he visits. While you're at it, bone up on Texas mammals in The Mammals of Texas so you'll know more than just the avifauna of the state. Donated by anonymous and Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Current high bid: $20.00
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World
This is the sixth edition of the official world checklist of the American Birding Association published by Cornell University Press in 2007. This book was produced from a nearly completed manuscript left by James Clements upon his death in 2005. It contains the ever-changing list of species, subspecies, English names, and approximate distributions of all bird species. Donated by Cornell University Press.
Starting bid: $35.00
Current high bid: $45.00
Birding in the American West
From the Great Plains to the Arctic Tundra, the American West, including Alaska, is home to a stunning variety of birds. This indispensable volume, both a field guide and a site-finding guide, provides an ideal introduction to the pleasures of birding west of the Mississippi. Featuring practical but little-known tips for identifying birds, it will be welcomed by beginning as well as seasoned birders. Donated by Cornell University Press.
Current high bid: $45.00
Alamo Inn Stay AND
The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds
Enjoy birding or a quiet romantic get-away in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and spend the night at the Alamo Inn Bed & Breakfast in downtown Alamo. The Alamo Inn building dates back to 1919 when the city of Alamo was just getting established. Each room is furnished with family antiques and has a historic theme. When you get home, enjoy learning new ways to attract birds to your yard with The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds. Donated by Alamo Inn and Cornell University Press.
Starting
bid: $60.00
Current high bid: $85.00
Alamo Inn Stay AND
Birds in Flight
Enjoy birding or a quiet romantic get-away in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and spend the night at the Alamo Inn Bed & Breakfast in downtown Alamo. The Alamo Inn building dates back to 1919 when the city of Alamo was just getting established. Each room is furnished with family antiques and has a historic theme. When you get home, learn about how birds fly through Carrol Henderson's Birds in Flight. Donated by Alamo Inn and Watchable Wildlife.
Current high bid: $90.00
South Texas Brushlands Wildlife Watching Weekend
This is an incredible opportunity to spend a weekend on a 7,500 acre private ranch in Jim Wells County, part of the premiere south Texas trophy white-tailed deer brush country. The trip is for 4 people and is all inclusive for a weekend excursion. The lodging is in the family's ranch home and being a guest there is in itself worth winning this auction item.
This is truly a special opportunity for any nature lover. While drinking morning coffee on the back porch, 24 species of birds were seen on a recent weekend visit. Bobwhite are yard birds as well as nesting Vermillion Flycatchers. While driving around the ranch to various tanks and feeder locations, you will see numerous deer, javelina, wild turkey, quail, roadrunner and south Texas bird specialties like Green Jays and Audubon's Orioles. Your guide will be the renowned John Arvin, who wrote the Field Checklist for the "Birds of the South Texas Brushlands". John spent 25 years as a professional tour leader for Field Guides leading birding trips throughout the Americas before joining the staff at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.
The birdlife of the South Texas Brushlands is the most distinctive in the whole state. Many of the species found here are not found in any other part of Texas nor in any other part of the U.S. or Canada. Most of the birds unique to this ecoregion are widespread Neotropical species with ranges from southern Texas southward as far as northern Argentina. Additional examples include Black-throated Sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.
Trip dates will be determined by high bidder and tour leader. Donated by Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and McRee Ford.
Starting
bid: $400.00
Current high bid: $600.00
Photography clinic with Kathy Adams Clark
Half day photography outing
with Kathy Adams Clark. This outing can be to
Starting
bid: $175.00
Current high bid: $230.00
The Young Birder's Guide
This lively guide is an invitation to kids to get outside and look at birds. Unlike field guides for adults, which can be overwhelming, this one provides just the right amount of information to be useful and fun. Lifelong birder Bill Thompson consulted his 11-year-old daughter's class for advice on what would make the book most helpful for kids. The result is a field guide kids can use on their own, without help from an adult.
Donated by Houghton Mifflin.Starting
bid: $10.00
Current high bid: $25.00
Pentax Compact Binoculars
Pentax 8x25 UCF XII: This 8x25 glass combines a very manageable magnification and objective lens size with a close focus of just over six feet for great viewing of birds and butterflies. The 324-foot field of view makes finding and following wildlife on the move much easier, especially for the novice. The ergonomic body is easy to hold for long periods of time, the convenient center focus responds quickly, and the slide-style eyerings bring extra viewing comfort to eyeglass wearers. Donated by Pentax.
Current high bid: $80.00
Nature of the Rainforest
Nature of the Rainforest is a breathtaking tour of an environment that is the pinnacle of biodiversity and evolutionary sophistication by an award-winning author and two photographers who love the rainforest, understand its intricacies, and have spent considerable time there documenting its wildlife and complexity. It's almost the same as being there! Donated by Cornell University Press.
Starting
bid: $20.00
Current high bid: $30.00
Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State
Both an indispensable scientific work and a beautiful collection of art, The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State documents and illustrates the current distribution of breeding birds within the state and the significant change in bird distribution that has occurred since the last atlas was published in 1988. Donated by Cornell University Press
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Starting bid: $30.00
Current high bid: $30.00
Jarrett Juno Ranch Trip for Birding & Nature Viewing
This write up says it all, a memorable and once in a lifetime opportunity. Currently, the Jarret Juno ranch is actively monitoring migratory bird distribution and diversity in collaboration with Texas A&M University scientists. The ranch owner will provide a tour to get you oriented and facilitate you planning your stay. Donated by Edward Farmer & Partners.
Starting
bid: $400.00
Current high bid: $500.00
Double Suet Basket with Six Hot Pepper Suet Cakes
A winning combination for attracting birds and birds only to your yard. Birds love these hot pepper suet cakes but the pepper discourages raccoons and squirrels without harming them. We use these at GCBO and they work GREAT! Donated by Ozark Wild Bird Products.
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Starting
bid: $20.00
Current high bid: $30.00
Green Jay
Original water color by artist Maren Phillips. Maren is another long time supporter and contributor to the Great Texas Birding Classic. This bird is a resident in area of the state where Maren lives. Art work is matted but not framed. Outside mat size is 14 x 18. Donated by Maren Phillips.
Starting
bid: $30.00
Current high bid: $50.00
Swarovski Scope Bag
A great travel companion for one or two day trips. Has fixtures for spotting scope and binocular attachment. Also can be converted into a backpack if desired. All Swarovski carrying bags feature abrasion resistant fabric and reinforced and padded throughout. Measures 16.9 by 5.5 by 13.4 inches (L x W x H) and weighs 49 ounces. Donated by Swarovski.
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Starting
bid: $100.00
Current high bid: $100.00
Carol's at Cat Spring Gift Certificate
Cat Spring in Austin County is one of the state's first German/American settlements and is the site of the annual antiques fair each September. Tour the edge of the Texas Hill County and then come and enjoy a casual dining experience in an elegant lodge atmosphere at Carol's at Cat Spring, opened in 2003 by local rancher Carol Davis. Food Writer John Mariani of Esquire Magazine picked Carol's as one of four places in the U.S. that is "beautifully situated in the middle of nowhere, where relaxing is just what you do between courses". Donated by Carol Davis.
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Starting
bid: $40.00
Current high bid: $50.00
Log Feeder
This natural log feeder is beautiful all by itself but imagine it covered with titmice, chickadees, cardinals, and woodpeckers. Comes with Mama C's Cardinal Cookie Dough recipe which will attract woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees, jays, wrens, orange-crowned warblers, kinglets, and cardinals. Donated by Driftwood Wildlife Association.
Starting
bid: $12.00
Current high bid: $40.00
Kid's Kaleidoscope Kit
Great entertainment for a nature oriented child age seven and older. Kit comes with kaleidoscope parts, two nature drawings, colored pencils, dried flowers, polished gemstones, minerals, and glass marbles for an endless array of possibilities. Kids can recreate their kaleidoscope again and again! Donated by Rootin' Ridge.
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Starting
bid: $10.00
Current high bid: $45.00
Wooden Flower Press
Impress your
friends with beautiful pressed flowers using this hand-made wooden
flower press.
Starting
bid: $20.00
Current high bid: $20.00
Owlshack
A great way to encourage this beautiful little owl to take up residence in your yard, city or country! It is a shelter for them to rest in by day. Donated by owlshack.com.
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Starting
bid: $30.00
Current high bid: $80.00
Hummingbirds of Texas
Written for the
general audience, with spectacular images for birders and nature
enthusiasts at every level, Hummingbirds of Texas reveals the enormous
appeal of this tiniest and shiniest of birds.
Starting
bid: $20.00
Current high bid: $40.00
Snowy Egret Photo
This beautiful photo of a Snowy Egret comes matted and framed. Finished product measures 22 1/2 by 18 1/2. Donated by Bob Woods.
Current high bid: $95.00
Platform Feeder
This platform
feeder was ha
Starting
bid: $150.00
Current high bid: $180.00
Hoatzin Photo
This unusual photo of four Hoatzins was taken by Mike Gray at La Selva Lodge in Ecuador on the Rio Napo. Hoatzins are an unusual species of tropical bird found in swamps, riverine forests, and mangroves of the Amazon. They are the only member of their genus, Opisthocomus which means "wearing long hair behind" in Greek. The frame measures 21 x 25. Donated by Mike Gray.
Current high bid: $220.00
Purple Martin House Kit
Starting
bid: $20.00
Current high bid: $100.00
Burrowing Owl Photo
This little guy spent the winter of 2006-2007 at Fort Travis Seashore Park on Bolivar Peninsula. David happened to catch it trying to dry off after a rainy day. The frame measures 18 1/2 x 22. Donated by David McDonald.
Starting
bid: $100.00
Current high bid: $120.00
Quintana Beach House Stay
Spend two nights at the Quintana Lighthouse Beach House directly across the street from the Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary! This is a great opportunity to enjoy birding along the coast during spring migration, summer, or winter. Just two blocks from the beach so your non-birding partner can enjoy fishing or swimming. Donated by Debbie and Steve Alongis.
Starting
bid: $200.00
Current high bid: $200.00
Flying WILD Educator's Kit
Flying WILD Educator's Guide to Celebrating Birds and an adult medium Flying WILD Purple T-shirt. Flying WILD, a program of the Council for Environmental Education, introduces middle-school students to bird conservation through standards-based classroom activities and environmental stewardship projects. The activities can be used to teach classroom lessons or to set up service-learning projects about birds and their habitats. This guide can help students, teachers, and community volunteers to implement a bird festival at their school. Donated by Council of Environmental Education.
Starting
bid: $20.00
Current high bid: $25.00