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Photos courtesy of Mike Gray, Greg Lavaty, TPWD, and GCBO staff. October 2011 A Fantastic XHX!
We had an historic Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza this year
with more hummingbirds than we've ever seen before. For the
first time ever, the banders had to ask the trappers to stop
trapping so they could catch up. A total of 123 Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds were banded. XHX would not be possible without all
the volunteers that help us pull it off. More than 30 volunteers helped us in the gift shop, with
plant sales, parking, directing traffic, showing live animals,
running booths, adopt a hummer, and of course hummingbird
banding. We really appreciate all that support! Special thanks
to our speakers Barbara Burkhardt, Mike Gray, and Dick Barrett
and of course to our dedicated banders, Robert and Kay
Lookingbill. Mark you calendar for next September 8th and 15th and join us
once more as we celebrate the migration of the tenacious
Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
GCBO will be hosting
a booth at the festival in Harlingen, Texas November 9-13, 2011. 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 fresh offerings
this year - butterfly trips, trips with less walking, and trips to lesser-known
hotspots. 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.
. En-Raptor-Ed Family Day
Put this date on your calendar now! Saturday November 5th at 11:00am, GCBO will host our En-Raptor-Ed Family Day event at the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX. The program will feature raptors from The Raptor Project on display and in flight. Jonathon Wood will take us on an aerial extravaganza with his raptor entourage which includes live birds of prey from every habitat on the planet: Arctic, Desert, Rainforest, Wetland, Prairie, Woodland, and Tundra. This year's event is honoring Jan Cato and awards will be given for Volunteer of the Year and Site Partner of the Year. Come see some of the most magnificent birds on earth and enjoy a delicious lunch from Beck's Prime for your contribution of $100 per adult, $10 per child. Please check our website or call our office at 979-480-0999 for more information. We hope you will make every effort to attend because it will be great fun for all ages! Goose Island State Park Walkway to Wetlands
This recently completed project was partially funded by a Great Texas Birding Classic conservation grant. The walkway is a critical piece of an incredible marsh restoration project which allows access to the marsh restoration area and interpretive signage regarding salt marsh and whooping crane ecology. As the coordinating organization for the Birding Classic, we are pleased to see this multi-year project completed and hope you will visit the park soon to learn more about critical coastal ecology and stroll the boardwalk.Houston Zoo Wilderness Day
Join us for a WILD day of exploring Houston's wilderness from 10:00 to 3:00 on Saturday, October 8th. The zoo has invited key area non-profit's (including GCBO) to share insights on the importance of protecting the species and wildlife native to our home town. You will also have a chance to learn more about the Houston Zoo's conservation mission, and visit with live animals found right here in Houston! Wilderness Day Information Booths Include:
Armand Bayou Nature Center Bayou Land Conservancy Brazos Bend State Park Buffalo Bayou Partnership Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council Green Team America Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Hermann Park Conservancy Houston Arboretum and Nature Center Houston Wilderness Association Turtle Island Restoration Network
Monthly Bird Banding at GCBO
We reached 3000 birds banded at GCBO! Research Associates Robert & Kay Lookingbill are shown above holding lucky number 3000, an adult male Orchard Oriole banded on July 16th. Join us from 8:00 until noon on Saturday, October 15th for our next monthly bird banding session. Fall migration will be winding down and we should start catching our winter residents. Come see who has returned to spend the winter with us! This is a great way to get kids excited about wildlife, but all ages are welcome. See the map on our webpage for directions or find a map by going to Mapquest or GoogleMaps. Note that some other navigators will not take you to the correct location. |
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| www.gcbo.org | Telephone 979-480-0999 | Contact Us |
103 W. Hwy 332, Lake Jackson, TX 77566
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