Category Archive

By Amanda Anderson Even though it’s getting late in the season, the birds are still getting down and dirty in the hot, dry Texas summer. Least Terns, Black Skimmers, and Wilson’s Plovers are pretty rowdy at yet another chickpalooza happening in Freeport and Matagorda. The Least Tern colony at Matagorda is hopping with near fledged and two downy chicks (pictured … Read More

By Amanda Anderson Bryan Beach was pretty quiet until two weeks ago when 3 Wilson’s Plovers breeding pairs got a second wind and laid 3 new nests! It appeared the nesting season was coming to an end at Bryan Beach after I observed Wilson’s Plovers beginning to flock up and the only chick had disappeared. As usual, these Wilson’s Plovers … Read More

By Amanda Anderson There has been a chickpalooza happening at Matagorda Bay Nature Park the last two weeks! Since the last blog, we have resighted 15 chicks. Just this past week, we banded 8 chicks! Below is a montage of cute Wilson’s Plovers chicks. I was even more pleased that a nest located within the main beach area survived to … Read More

By Amanda Anderson It has been an exciting week at Matagorda Bay Nature Park! Two nests hatched with a total of 3 chicks. Two chicks hatched from a nest that I had not found, so it took me by surprise. Pictured below are the surprise chicks. As you will see from the second picture, the chicks are very well camouflaged. … Read More

By Amanda Anderson Over the last two weeks we finished putting up the symbolic fencing and area closures at Matagorda Bay Nature Park. We closed off the remaining side roads to provide protection for birds nesting around the ephemeral wetlands and among the dunes. There are now 97 signs at the nature park thanks to the muscle power of several … Read More

by Amanda Anderson The nesting season for Wilson’s Plovers has officially begun at Bryan Beach and the Matagorda Bay Nature Park! The breeding habitat at Bryan Beach is located behind the primary dunes and consists of predominantly mudflats and ephemeral wetlands with some upland/dune areas along the edges. This nesting habitat is preferred because it provides abundant food resources. I … Read More

By Susan Heath We kicked off our Beach Nesting Birds project this week! This year we are fortunate to be joining Houston Audubon and the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program monitoring nesting Wilson’s Plovers through an American Bird Conservancy grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Our shorebird technician, Amanda Anderson, will be monitoring nesting Wilson’s Plovers at … Read More