Hawk Happening at Smith Point

Join GCBO and HawkWatch International staff as we celebrate raptor migration at its peak on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area at Smith Point.  Observe bird banding demonstrations of both raptors and passerines, learn about hawk migration and hone your identification skills with tips from the experts.  Barbeque, beverages, field guides, books on raptor ecology, and other nature store items will be available on site with all proceeds benefiting the Smith Point Hawk Watch.  No reservations are necessary.  Free admission.  Visit our website for directions.

En-Raptor-Ed

Have you ever had a Harris's Hawk land on your head, stood next to a Golden Eagle, or felt the rush of air as a Gyrfalcon flies by?  If not, please join us on Saturday, November 7th, for our fourth annual En-Raptor-Ed fundraiser at the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX.  Jonathon Wood will once again put on a fantastic show with his raptor entourage including birds of prey from every habitat on the planet including Arctic, Desert, Rainforest, Wetland, Prairie, Woodland, and Tundra.  Come see some of the most magnificent birds on earth and enjoy a delicious lunch for your donation of $100 per adult and $15 per child.  Please call our office at 979-480-0999 to purchase your ticket and check our website for more information.

Keep Pearland Beautiful

Keep Pearland Beautiful invites all to the 6th Annual Plant Thyme Fall Luncheon in conjunction with the 5th Annual Herb Sale - at the Pearland Community Center, 3523 Liberty Drive, on Friday, October 9.  Luncheon tickets are $30, with proceeds benefiting Keep Pearland Beautiful projects and their new Environmental Education Center Building Fund.  GCBO's Executive Director, Cecilia Riley, will be the speaker this year.  Cecilia will be speaking about gardening for wildlife, a topic near and dear to our conservation work here at GCBO. Tickets and information about the luncheon can be found on the Keep Pearland Beautiful website or by calling 281-652-1659

XHX - A Smashing Success!

Thanks to our ever dedicated cadre of volunteers, our Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza was again a smashing success.  During the four Saturdays of XHX, Robert and Kay Lookingbill banded 80 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and 70 were symbolically adopted by participants before they were released to continue their migration south.  We can't thank our volunteers enough for helping with this event.  We couldn't have done it without you!  Our special thanks go out to our weekly speakers Cherie and Glenn McBride, Mike Gray, Dick Barrett, John Arvin, and Barbara Burkhardt.  Mark you calendar for next September and join us once again as we celebrate the southward migration of the tenacious Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Join Us at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

GCBO will be hosting a booth at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in Harlingen, Texas November 12-15, 2009.  GCBO Advisory Board member Bill Baker is a keynote speaker and will be talking about his experiences with the Birding Classic.  The Rio Grande Valley boasts the biggest concentration of eye-popping tropical species, birds not found anywhere else in the U.S. and the birding festival is long-famed for the quality of its field trip leaders.  Bird with the big names, the authors and editors of your favorite books and publications.  Check out their new photography trip. Read more about the festival on their website and come by the GCBO booth while you are there to get an update on our programs, buy a Birding Classic t-shirt, and visit with our staff.