The
Naturalist Celebrating 40 Years of Bird Conservation
January/February 2010
Contents:
Grand Parkway, Segment E . . . . . 2
North Deer Receives Award . . . . . 2
Exciting Times on the
Bolivar Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Grow Seedlings for
Restoration Projects . . . . . . . . . . 3
CEC Honors Flo Hannah . . . . . . . . . 3
2010 High Island Patch . . . . . . . . . 4
Species Profile
Prothonotary Warbler . . . . . . . . . 5
Winter Bird Counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Summer Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Membership Meetings
Place: United Way Center
50 Waugh Drive
Time: 7:00 p.m. Social
7:30 p.m. Meeting
January 13, 2010
The Great Alaskan Birding Adventure
Speakers: Winnie Burkett
Julia Garrett
A week in Nome ... Great Gray Owl chicks
in a campground ... camping on the Denali
Highway where Hermit Thrushes call all
night long ... lynx in Denali National Park ...
rafting through the magnificent Arctic NWR
... what is a growler anyway? Winnie Burkett
and Julia Garrett will give you the highlights
of their great Alaskan Birding Adventure.
Find out how you too can plan a great
Alaskan Birding Adventure.
Winnie Burkett currently serves as Houston
Audubon’s Sanctuary Manager. She has
worn many hats for Houston Audubon, from
Executive Director to cleanup crew to author.
In 2002 she was awarded the CEC’s Army and
Exciting Times on the Bolivar Peninsula
by Winnie Burkett, Sanctuary Manager
T
hese are exciting times on the Bolivar
Peninsula. Recent heavy rains are finally
leaching salt from the soil, and Houston
Audubon is able to offer peninsula property
owners free native trees and shrubs as part of
the Trees for Bolivar Project. Property owners
sign up for trees, and Houston Audubon
staff conduct a site visit to determine what
species of trees are appropriate and if their
soil is ready. Peninsula residents are excited
about replanting, and many have signed up
to participate in the program. This project is
funded by Together Green, a project of National
Audubon and Toyota. The Apache Foundation
donated 500 trees and shrubs for the project.
Shorebirds have returned to Bolivar beaches
as the invertebrate population has finally built
back up. Ike moved tons of sand off the beach
and with it the invertebrates that feed “beach”
Denali National Park
Sarah Emmott Environmental Conservation
Award for her conservation work on the Bolivar
Peninsula.
Julia Garrett, a member of the Board of
Advisors, likewise has expended tremendous
energy for Houston Audubon in multiple ways
from education to sanctuaries to Birdathon
enthusiast. She was named the Laura
Singleton Exceptional Volunteer in 2006 for
her outstanding contributions to Houston
Audubon.
Photo: David McDonald
This Burrowing Owl at Bolivar Flats was
first spotted during the Houston Audubon
October field trip to Bolivar Flats.
birds. It took almost a year for invertebrates
to settle in to the new beach. It is great to see
plovers and Sanderlings working the beaches
again.
continued on page 3
February 10, 2010
Watching Hummingbirds in Texas –
Better than Reality TV
Speaker: Cliff Shackelford
In a humorous as
well as informative
presentation, Cliff will
cover the detailed
lives of several of our
state’s hummingbirds
by poking fun at the
titles of several reality
television shows.
Copies of his book,
Hummingbirds of
Texas, will be available at this presentation.
Cliff, a 5th generation Texan, is the statewide
Nongame Ornithologist for the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department in the Wildlife Diversity
Program. He has also authored nearly 60
publications on birds and birding. He and his
family live in Nacogdoches and, in their spare
time, they build screech owl boxes known as
Owl Shacks. (See our website for details.)
Vol. 29, No. 1 January/February 2010 Grand Parkway, Segment E
Houston Audubon Society by Gina Donovan, Executive Director
is a chapter of the National Audubon Society

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Jim Winn F or years, birders from around the
world have visited the unique natural
area west of Houston – the Katy Prairie.
and commercial
and residential
development. The U.S.
PAST PRESIDENT Joy Hester
PRESIDENT-ELECT Mary Carter This unique prairie ecosystem serves as Fish & Wildlife Service
CORPORATE SECRETARY Judith Boyce critical habitat for thousands of geese, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department,
TREASURER Andrew Lopez ducks, herons, egrets, hawks, songbirds, too, wrote letters opposing HCTRA’s permit
DIRECTORS and numerous rare and endangered application. The Segment E portion of the
John Bartos Ginger Coleman species of plants and other wildlife. The Grand Parkway project could directly impact
Lynn Forster Richard Goldfarb 45.63 to 72.79 acres of wetlands, and mitigation
Katy Prairie Conservancy has done a
Kathryn Hale Bernice Hotman
remarkable job in protecting 13,000 acres plans submitted by HCTRA will not adequately
Ben Hulsey Jeffrey Mills
Geoffrey Newton Laurie Williams of this habitat, which is only a remnant mitigate project impacts.
Jeffrey Woodman of the great tallgrass prairie that once Even though Harris County officials requested
Galveston Group stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to $181 million in federal stimulus funds be shifted
Representative: Alice Anne O’Donell Canada. to other projects after determining the Segment
BOARD OF ADVISORS Houston Audubon has fought diligently E toll road project wasn’t “shovel-ready,” the
Gerard A. Bertrand Sara Bettencourt over the last couple of decades to lawsuit will remain in effect since it’s based on
Peggy Boston Caroline Callery protect this vital area from development inadequacies of the FEIS and Harris County Toll
Claire Caudill Gary W. Clark (residential, commercial, airports) and Road Authority’s (HCTRA) permit application to
Fred Collins Scott Davis now, the organization has joined a lawsuit fill wetlands.
Victor Emanuel Ted Eubanks, Jr. filed by the Sierra Club taking to task the
Julia Garrett Stephen Gast In its permit application to the USACOE, HCTRA
Gene Graham Terry Hershey
Federal Highway Administration and the failed to fully disclose right-of-way (ROW)
Ford Hubbard, III Ann Wier Jones Texas Transportation Commission (Texas boundaries; thus, not including the total
Mavis P. Kelsey, Jr. Robert McFarlane Department of Transportation - TXDOT) potential wetlands destruction. Generally,
Jeff Mundy Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. for the negative environmental impacts ROWs are 400 feet, but HCTRA’s plans include
Heidi Rockecharlie Rob Rowland expected from the proposed construction an additional 300 feet (150 feet on each side of
Andrew Sansom Steve Smith of the Grand Parkway, Segment E. the 400 foot ROW) that was not mentioned in
Kathryn Smyth James R. Stewart, Jr.
Lucie Wray Todd John L. Whitmire On September 14, 2009, Houston the wetlands permit application. This additional
Lettalou Whittington Audubon mailed a letter to the U.S. Army ROW footage will assuredly include additional
Corps of Engineers Regulatory Branch impacts to wetlands and require additional
STAFF
(USACOE) opposing the permit to fill mitigation.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gina Donovan
SANCTUARY MANAGER Winnie Burkett wetlands submitted by Harris County At this juncture, Houston Audubon sees its role
SR. SANCTUARY STEWARD Flo Hannah Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) citing the in the suit as one of fighting for following the
SANCTUARY STEWARD Andrew Beck Final Environmental Impact Statement law as set forth in the National Environmental
EDUCATION DIRECTOR Mary Anne Weber (FEIS) didn’t adequately address wetlands, Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act,
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR Vicki Vroble flood control, water and air quality, and the Clean Water Act.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIRECTOR Robin Leonard
COMMUNITY RELATIONS ASSOCIATE Andrea Ritchie
CONTROLLER Barbara Thompson
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Juanita Perkins North Deer Island Protection Team Receives
CONTACT INFORMATION Coastal America Partnership Award
HAS Office 713-932-1639
Education Office 713-640-2407
FAX
E-mail
Galveston County Group
713-461-2911
info@houstonaudubon.org
409-772-3126
O n December 2, the North Deer Island
Protection Team received the Coastal
America Partnership Award – the only
Partners barged in 24,100 tons from a rock
quarry in Missouri—using the Mississippi River
and the Intracoastal Waterway as a route—to
AUDUBON DOCENT GUILD environmental award of its kind given create 6,450 feet of stone breakwater and
COORDINATOR Bethany Foshée by the President of the United States armored shoreline.
docent@houstonaudubon.org 713-464-4900 – for their efforts to protect the most The large and diverse partnership includes:
www.houstonaudubon.org important colonial waterbird rookery on Audubon Texas, EcoNRG, EPA Gulf of Mexico
www.narba.org the Upper Texas Coast: North Deer Island. Program, Houston Audubon, Harris & Eliza
The Naturalist is published bimonthly. The Coastal America Awards Program Kempner Fund, Meadows Foundation, Reliant
Editor: Susan Billetdeaux recognizes outstanding efforts and Energy, Shell Marine – National Fish and
A full color version of The Naturalist in PDF format excellence in leadership for protecting, Wildlife Foundation, Texas Commission of
is available on our website. preserving, and restoring the nation’s Environmental Quality - Galveston Bay Estuary
Naturalist E-News is published monthly. coastal resources and ecosystems. Program, Texas General Land Office, Texas Parks
To receive The Naturalist by e-mail, sign up for
and Wildlife Department and U.S. Fish and
Naturalist E-News on our website. The North Deer Protection Partners
Wildlife Service.
worked for eight years to armor
The Naturalist is made possible by a generous approximately 1.7 miles of North Deer Read more about this award, North Deer
gift from Terry Hershey. Island’s rapidly eroding shoreline. Island and the North Deer Island Erosion
Project on our website.

2 The Naturalist • January/February 2010

 Exciting Times on the Bolivar Peninsula
continued from page 1
R odent populations are picking back up on
the peninsula, and raptors are becoming
more common. It is wonderful to see harriers
cruising the marshes once again. A Burrowing
Owl took up residence in the power pole
pile in Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary for a
couple of weeks but may have moved on due
to the regular presence of Peregrine Falcons
in the area. Barn Owls have returned to the
peninsula and hopefully will soon find our
nest boxes. We have more boxes to put up
this winter.
Photo: Joanne Kamo
American Avocets at
Bolivar Flats, November, 2009
Houston Audubon staff is involved in the
development of the Bolivar Blueprint, a vision
for the long-term recovery process. The
community is looking to ecotourism as one
of the keys to economic recovery, and that
is good news for birds and bird watchers.
The peninsula’s rural nature has retained
wildlife habitat and made it a popular birding
Grow Seedlings for Restoration Projects
by Flo Hannah, Sr. Sanctuary Steward
H ouston Audubon and the Coastal Prairie
Partnership (CPP) are involved in native
plant restoration projects at several locations,
Houston Audubon’s land outside of the Ft.
Travis Seashore Park in Port Bolivar, and a CPP
project at Hermann Park (Project Blazing Star).
Partners include the NRCS, several Master
Naturalists chapters, a Together Green grant
sponsored by National Audubon and Toyota,
and the Apache Tree Foundation.
The biggest roadblock to coastal prairie
restoration is the lack of available native plant
material specific to the Upper Texas Coast. We
have collected native seed all summer and fall
and are asking individuals to propagate the
seed at home for restoration projects in early
spring 2010.
www.houstonaudubon.org
destination. The restoration of that habitat will
help with economic recovery. To find out more
about the Bolivar Blueprint process, visit www.
bolivarblueprint.com.
Two recent work days focused on restoration
of habitat in the “bird lots” adjacent to Ft
Travis in Port Bolivar. Once 4 acres of yaupon
thickets where Painted Buntings nested and
many migrants stopped, these lots were
scraped bare by hurricane cleanup operations.
Habitat restoration specialists from the Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) came
to the peninsula to evaluate the site, and then
brought 5,000 native salt-tolerant grassses,
150 trees and shrubs, and grass and wildflower
seeds for the site. The grasses were planted
on October 31 by 40 volunteers who included
Houston Audubon sanctuary volunteers, master
naturalists, and peninsula residents.
On November 17, thirty volunteers showed up
to plant the trees and shrubs and were then
treated to a yummy gumbo lunch provided by
Port Bolivar resident Edith Watson. What would
we do without volunteers?
It is immensely gratifying to witness the wildlife
and the habitat upon which they depend
return to Bolivar Peninsula, helped along by the
cooperative efforts of our volunteers, Bolivar
residents, donors, and partners.
Find more information about our Bolivar projects
in the Sanctuaries section of our website.
Participation is limited to the first 25
respondents and we are requesting a donation
of $20 or more. I hope you will join in this fun,
important wildlife enhancement project. I will
mail you the native plant seed along with a
photo of the native plant you are growing. Full
instructions on native plant germination are
available at coastalprairiepartnership.org. Jaime
Gonzalez has prepared a restoration handbook,
available on that site, which explains everything
about seed collecting and propagating.
Once your plants germinate, and are hardy
enough to bump-up to 4” or 1-gallon
containers, you can join us at a potting-up work
day, or drop off the seedlings and we will do the
rest. The plants will be used in one of our many
restoration projects. We encourage you to
retain some of the native plant material for your
CEC Honors Flo Hannah
O n November
4, the Citizens’
Environmental
Coalition honored
Houston Audubon
Sr. Sanctuary
Steward Flo
Hannah along with
Jaime Gonzalez
of the Katy Prairie
Conservancy for
their leadership in native plant rescue
events held at Saums Road Prairie during
the summer of 2008. Native grasses and
wildflowers were relocated from this site
before its destruction for a development
project and transported to sites across
the city of Houston to create small
pocket prairies. Their efforts led to the
creation of the Coastal Prairie Partnership,
the first local group dedicated to the
conservation of coastal prairies.
Flo and Jaime were the 2009 Army &
Sarah Emmott Conservation Award
Winners. This award recognizes local
individuals and organizations for
their notable environmental projects
and achievements. The winners are
chosen from nominations made by the
environmental community at large.
Congratulations, Flo and Jaime! Houston
Audubon is thrilled that your outstanding
efforts to save our coastal prairies are
being recognized.
Photo: Flo Hannah
American Basketflower
own backyard, helping to create a wildlife
corridor throughout the Houston-Galveston
region.
If you’re not able to propagate plants but
would still like to participate, there are many
ways to help. You can join us for one of our
work days or assist with a donation.
Find full details in the Sanctuary section
of our website.
3
 High Island Work Days
Saturday, January 9, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, February 13, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
High Island work days this winter will
focus on habitat restoration efforts,
which means attacking privet and
planting native trees and shrubs. It is
rewarding to see how well previously
planted trees and shrubs are growing.
We work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., but
volunteers are welcome whenever they
show up. Houston Audubon supplies
lunch, water, and some tools. If you
have favorite tools, please bring them
along. Please sign up with Andrew
Beck, abeck@houstonaudubon.org or
713-932-1639.
2010 High Island Patch
L inda Feltner has once again donated
her talent to Houston Audubon to
create the design for the 2010 High
Island Patch and t-shirt. This year’s bird
is a Prothonotary Warbler, a common
spring migrant in the High Island
sanctuaries and a species that has been
sticking around during the summer.
Nesting? We can’t prove it yet.
Linda is an artist who specializes in both
the aesthetics and science of natural
history. Her work adheres to the strict
standards of scientific accuracy, while
combining the creativity of artistic
design and the realism of nature into
what has become her trademark. As
a naturalist guide, she spends many
hours observing wildlife in a great
variety of habitats worldwide. To find
out more about Linda’s art, visit her
website, http://lindafeltner.com. We are
very lucky to have an artist of Linda’s
caliber donating her talent to Houston
Audubon.
4 The Naturalist • January/February 2010
Houston Audubon Field Trips
Reservations are required for all Houston Audubon field trips. For more information about the field
trips and resource links, see the description in the Birding section of our website. Participants, please
check the website for any last minute updates.
Kleb Woods Nature Preserve
Saturday, January 23, 8:00 a.m.
F red Collins will lead us through Kleb
Woods Nature Preserve, which is a 133.5-
acre Harris County park located only 40 miles
northwest of downtown Houston. It is one
of the few places in Harris County where
the Brown-headed Nuthatch is resident,
and it’s the only publicly accessible park to
have resident Greater Roadrunner. Elmer
Kleb’s family farmed this land beginning in
the 1870s, and when he died in 1999, he
had transformed his prairie into a pine-oak
forest. The park’s southern tract has been
open to the public since September 2006,
and it has already become a regular stop for
Houston area birders. The Kleb Woods bird
list includes more than 200 species. Day
lists often total 40 species or more and we
will likely see the following wintering birds:
Blue-headed Vireo, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Brown Creeper, Pine Warbler, six woodpecker
species, Pine Siskin, and American Goldfinch.
Fred Collins is the director of the Kleb
Woods Nature Center and the Cypress Top
Mayes Trace & Lake Charlotte
Saturday, February 27, 8:00 a.m.
B ill Saulmon will lead this trip to the J.J.
Mayes Wildlife Trace near Wallisville in
Chambers County. Located in an area set
aside at the Wallisville Lake Project, Mayes
Trace consists of a complex of roads, trails,
boardwalks, and picnic facilities designed to
allow close-up viewing of both marsh and
riparian habitats located along the river. The
heart of the complex is a 4-mile nature trail
located along the top of a levee. Observers
are able to view the marsh area as they
drive along at an elevation of about 10-feet
above the surrounding marsh. The trail is
anchored by a small picnic area located
under a grove of large, historic oak trees
just south of I-10. A 2.5-mile trail follows
an old road along the banks of the Trinity
River through beautiful riparian habitat. The
middle portion of the trail is paved and is
part of a .8-mile handicapped accessible
loop trail containing over 1,000 feet of
board walk only a few feet above the marsh.
Observation decks overlooking the Trinity
River and the marsh are also provided. In
Historic Park, both
of Harris County,
Pct 3. He is also a
Houston Audubon
past president. Fred
does freelance
consulting, primarily
on bird related
Photo: Wayne Wendel
topics as well as
endangered species
habitat analysis in SE
Texas. He is currently
doing research on
the Eastern Spotted
Skunk. Past research Greater Roadrunner
has included the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Snowy Plover, Piping
Plover, Mountain Plover, and Long-billed Curlew.
Reservations: Sign up at the HAS Membership
Meeting or with Skip Almoney (skipalm@aol.com) at
713-524-4285
Directions: We will meet in the parking lot at the
education center. From Houston, take Hwy 290/
Hwy 6 north, exit at Mueschke Rd, and drive 7 miles
to Draper Rd. To reach the Nature Center, turn left,
go 400 yards, and turn left into the parking area.
Please make every effort to car pool to this event.
addition, a small pavilion and restroom are near the
Wallisville Navigation Lock at the south end of the
auto/nature trail.
After exploring Mayes Trace, the group will travel
to nearby Cedar Hill Park on Lake Charlotte to look
for more woodland birds and possible looks at Bald
Eagles that nest on the lake. You can bring a sack
lunch and we’ll picnic at the park.
Bill Saulmon has served as field trip coordinator for
Houston Audubon and the Ornithology Group. He is
a volunteer counter at the Smith Point Hawk Watch
and leads birding field trips for various nature groups
around the Houston area.
Reservations: Sign up at the HAS Membership
Meeting or with Kevin Poling at 832-689-6959 or
kevin.poling@gmail.com.
Directions: We will meet in the parking lot at the
entrance to Mayes Trace. From Houston, take I-10
East. Just after mile marker 805 and just before
the Trinity River bridge, look for signs on the right
indicating the exit for the Trinity River Boat Ramp
& Turnaround. Take this exit and continue on the
service road to the Mayes Trace entrance road on
the right. The parking lot is just inside the entrance
road. Please make every effort to car pool to this
event.
Species Profile
Birding Classes
Prothonotary Warbler
with Glenn Olsen
by Glenn Olsen Sparrow Identification
January 21 – February 6, 2010

T he Prothonotary Warbler is the iconic

Class meetings at ELMNS & field trips

Photo: Greg lavaty

breeding warbler of bottomlands, wooded
bayous, creeks, rivers, and swamplands of the
eastern United States, including those habitats
in the eastern half of Texas.
This breeding warbler of the dark
bottomlands and swamps glistens like a
golden flame as it darts about defending
territory or in search of food. The head,
throat, breast, and belly of the male are a rich,
bright, golden yellow. The blue-gray wings
and yellow-green back go almost completely
unnoticed, so compelling is the bright yellow.
The female looks very similar but is not as
brightly colored. A.C. Bent thought that a
more befitting common name for this species
should be Golden Swamp Warbler. This name
seems quite appropriate both for the color
and habitat of the bird, but it just makes too
much sense to be accepted. The common
name and the genus are derived from the
Latin protonotarius and refer to yellow robes
worn by Vatican Registrars.
This species begins arriving in Texas mid to
late March. Many more arrive in April and
Prothonotary Warbler – Protonotaria citrea
most continue northward to other breeding
ranges. Once a suitable territory is located, the
Golden Swamp Warbler begins to search for
nesting cavities. This species has the unique habit
of nesting in natural cavities and abandoned
woodpecker holes within bottomlands and
swamps. It is the only eastern warbler known to
do so. Females arrive, courtship begins, and the
timeless story of raising a family is retold. Once
the young are self sufficient, individual birds begin
their fall migration to the southern areas of Central
America and northern South America where
they will remain until the following March. Most
individuals have left the U.S. by the end of October.
Unfortunately, this species, like many others,
faces the potential of even more declines in
its population due to loss of bottomlands and
Spring Warbler Identification
March 23 – April 10, 2010
Class meetings at ELMNS & field trips
Shorebirds of the Upper TX Coast
February 25 – March 25, 2010
Offered through the Susanne M. Glasscock
School of Continuing Studies
at Rice University
Details at www.houstonaudubon.org
freshwater swamps where it breeds as well as
loss of habitat in non-breeding areas.
During migration, these warblers can be found
at the Houston Audubon sanctuaries at High
Island. During breeding months, look for them
along secluded wooded bayous, in bottomlands
or a swamp. I encourage you to search for this
strikingly beautiful bird when they begin arriving
in our area.
Find this profile in the Bird Gallery of our website:
www.houstonaudubon.org

Bird Counts

Houston Audubon Counts National Counts

Houston Bird Survey
Join us for the next survey during
the month of January. Report the
birds at your home, office, school,
local park – anywhere you find birds
in the greater Houston area. Find full
details and online report forms in the
birding section of our website.
Armand Bayou Survey
Leader: Andrew Hamlett
Monthly on the second Saturday
West 11th Street Park Survey
Leader: Mary Dodson
Monthly on the third Tuesday
Willow Waterhole Survey
Leader: John Schneider
Monthly on the third Saturday
Check www.houstonaudubon.org for
details and any last minute updates
Christmas Bird Counts
Christmas Bird Counts continue through January 5 with many exciting counts on the Upper
Texas Coast still to be held. See our website for details on these and other Texas counts.
Houston (Baytown) Dec. 26 Bolivar Peninsula (High Island & Anahuac NWR) Dec. 27
Trinity River Dec. 28 Old River Dec. 30 Cypress Creek (Katy Prairie) Jan. 1
Orange County Jan. 1 Buffalo Bayou (ELMNS) Jan. 2 Huntsville Jan. 2
San Jacinto Wilderness Jan. 2 Brazoria – revived! Jan. 3 Sea Rim State Park Jan. 3
Rusty Blackbird Blitz: January 30 – February 15
The Rusty Blackbird has been steeply declining, with estimates of an 85-99% population drop
over the past 40 years. Although the cause for this alarming decline is not known, winter
habitat loss and degradation are likely candidates. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is
asking us to help locate local, but predictable wintering concentrations of Rusty Blackbirds.
You can go wherever you like, whenever you like, and as often as you like anytime within
the blitz period. Submit your observations via e-Bird, and they will do the rest! Find more
information and links in the Birding section of the Houston Audubon website.
Great Backyard Bird Count: February 12 – 15
This is the 13th annual count, hosted by Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Submit
your counts online. Send in your photos, some of which may be displayed online. There is
no registration fee – all ages and skill levels are welcome. Details at birdsource.org/gbbc.

www.houstonaudubon.org 5
 On Your Marks ... Get Set ... Taylor High School Work Day at SBUNC
Birdathon! by Vicki Vroble, Environmental Educator

March 27 – May 2, 2010

It’s not too early to start forming your 2010
Birdathon team. Birdathon is a great way to
introduce others to the joy of birding while
raising money for Houston Audubon so we
can continue to promote the appreciation
and conservation of birds and wildlife
habitat. Plus, you’ll
be competing for
Prothonotary Warbler: Joanne Kamo
O n November 21, while many people were
still snuggled in their warm beds, a group of
girls from the Taylor High School Environmental
Club arrived for a work day at the Sims Bayou
Urban Nature Center. It was cold and wet, but
the weather conditions didn’t slow productivity.
In order to combat our recent infestation of
Raspberry crazy ants, our focus was to remove
as many logs, stumps, and fallen branches from
the property as possible to reduce habitat for
the ants. the energy and dedication of the Taylor Team.

fantastic prizes!
It was an incredibly ambitious project, but with
Experienced, novice,
adult, and youth teams the assistance of Sanctuary Steward Andrew
Beck and me, the girls hauled an amazing
– everyone’s welcome.
amount of tree waste and loaded it into a
Come join the fun! giant dumpster in the parking lot. When the
dumpster was filled to the brim, the girls started
working on re-mulching the trails in our prairie.
We couldn’t have accomplished this feat without
Thank you, Irnela Bajroni, Lauren Cardenas,
Rachel Gosch, Mariel Hooper, Corinne Jones,
Anju Kannappan, Emily Mills, and Meagan Wey!
The Environmental Club has aided us in the past
and is helping at our Holiday at the Cabin event
on December 5. We look forward to continuing
our partnership with the environmentally
conscious students at Taylor High.

Thanks to Houston Audubon’s Generous Donors!

$5,000+
John Biesmann • Lalise & Greg Mason • National Audubon Society • The Powell Foundation • Temple-Inland Inc.
$2,500-$5,000
Ann Wier Jones • Magnolia Charitable Trust • Betsy & Jim Winn
$1,000-$2,499
Amegy Bank • Cindy & John Bartos • Mary Carter • Steven Damuth • Jeffina Evans • ExxonMobil Foundation • Rick Goldfarb • John Knighten
Evelyn & Kevin Shanley • Ellen & Buddy Temple • W. Wamsley
$500-$999
BP Foundation, Inc. • Patsy Cravens • Mary Gwen & Ben Hulsey • Kay & Larry Medford • Stewart Mill • Alice Anne O’Donell
Joanne & Albert Smith • Lucie Todd • Kelly Walker
$100-$499
Anonymous • Jonni & Skip Almoney • John Ashmun • Victoria & Robert Bartlett • Susan & Sandy Baum • Kristin & Jason Bonilla
Robin & Richard Brooks • Jan & Jack Cato • Ginger Coleman • Carlton Collier • Karen & Gerald Cullar • Carolyn & Scott Davis
Nancy & Bob Davis • Mary Dodson • Gina Donovan • Marianna & Rufus Duncan • Michael Eisemann • El Paso • Julia & Phil Garrett
Cynthia Gersch • Jean & Don Gray • Joyce & Eric Haufrecht • Tracy Hester • Maxine Johnston • Marcia & Stan Katz • Wendy & Mavis Kelsey
Lynn & John Old • Glenda & Calvin Perry • Lee & Don Richardson • Robert Richter • Beth Robertson • Judith Schott
Linda Shead & Tom Douglas • Nancy Simpson • Barbara & Mark Thompson • Eliot Tucker • Stephen Turnipseed • Sarah Vickers & Andrew Beck
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Brenda & Mort Voller • W. Wamsley • Mary & Thomas Whitworth • Laurie Williams • Elizabeth Zivley
$1-$99
Lilibeth Andre • Geoff Butcher • Alicia Bennett & Amit Kshatriya • Peggy Boston • Chevron Humankind Matching Gift Program • J. Cooper
Mary Jo & Jack Gorden • Aaron Greenberg • Halliburton Global Impact • Sarah Hannah • Joy & Bill Hester • Daniel Jacobson • Alice Keaton
Michael Lynch • Sarah Mason & Caleb Crow • G. Middlebrooke • Keely Miers • Deborah & Ellis Pickett • Sonia Raizes • Andrea Reynolds
Judith Schott • Sempra Energy Foundation • Barbara Shurberg • Spring Oaks Garden Club • Merrie Talley • Texas Master Naturalists, Heartwood
Chapter • Marjorie Thompson • Glenda & Terry Waldman • Mary Anne & Ric Weber • Lettalou Whittington • Connie & Jeff Woodman
Gifts In-Kind
Buchanan’s Native Plants • Caroline & Charles Callery • Katy Emde • Bernadette & Jeremy Weidenhof

And finally, we thank all our new and renewing Members, the lifeblood of Houston Audubon.
Donations received and processed by November 19, 2009

6 The Naturalist • January/February 2010

 Houston Audubon Summer Camps
at Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center
Nature Detectives
June 14 – 18 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Nature Detectives Camp lets your curious
youngster explore the mysteries of the natural
world. Campers will learn how to look for and
interpret clues in nature. Each day they will
add a tool to their personalized detective kit
that will aid them in cracking the case of the
day. Join us as we discover “Who Dung It?” at
the nature center. (Ages 5 – 7)
WILD about ART
June 28 – July 2 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
“Art takes nature as its model” - Aristotle. A
combination of science and art, this camp
will unlock the creativity in your child. We’ll
explore the beauty of nature and attempt to
capture it through various media. In addition
to many original pieces, campers will bring
home new ways of expressing themselves
through art. (Ages 8 – 12)
Volunteers Needed
for Spring Festivals!
WILD about BIRDS NatureFest
July 12 – 16 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. March 6
Bird camp is the place to be this summer! We Jesse Jones County Park
will explore the world of birds both in and out
of the nest. Campers will learn to identify local Houston Audubon has a booth at this
birds, make amazing bird crafts, and play lots of fun festival in Humble for the entire
educational bird games. Your camper will be family. We will need at least two
“bird” crazy by the end of the week. (Ages 5 – 7) volunteers for the whole day or a few
more that can take a morning shift
and then an afternoon shift.
Habitat Heroes
July 26 – 30 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Habitat Heroes Camp will literally transform your 8th Annual
child into a Planet Earth Protector! Campers will
learn how living things are connected and why FeatherFest
conserving habitat is important to maintaining
April 8 – 11
balance in nature. Each day their knowledge will
be tested as they don their capes and respond
Galveston
to an eco-emergency. The future of the Earth is
sure to be in better hands with Habitat Heroes on
the scene! (Ages 5 – 7).

Audubon Docent Guild Summer Camps

at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
Come Along Camp
May 24 – 28 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Outdoor fun and nature adventure await your
eager preschooler and a grown up chaperone of
their choice! (Ages 2½ – 5)
Nature Explorers Camp
Five 1-week sessions in June & early July
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Meet the animals of the Bayou City and hike
the trails each day as we go on eco-adventures.
Make nature crafts to take home. (Ages 5 – 10)
New! Frontier Camp
July 19 – 23 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Learn about the Akokisa Indians who used to
roam the banks of Rummel Creek. Explore the
forest like our earliest pioneers. Make your own
arrowheads and pottery, fish in the ponds, tell
campfire stories, and play frontier games.
(Ages 5 – 10)
Survivor Camp
July 26 – 30 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
We’ll test our nature survival skills as we learn to
build shelters, filter our own water, cook using
the sun, and make a tasty snack from plants (and
bugs!) found here in our forest. (Ages 11 – 12)
Registration for all camps begins in January. See www.houstonaudubon.org for details and forms.
New! Backyard Bugs Camp
July 12 – 16 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Spend the week investigating the incredible
diversity of earth’s largest group of animals. Make
bug trappers, build an insectarium, design buggy
costumes to wear, and spend lots of time up
close with our tiniest backyard neighbors.
(Ages 5 – 10)
New! Art in Nature Camp
August 2 –6 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Explore the beauty in nature all around us.
We’ll spend the week adding to our nature
scrapbooks, painting watercolors along the creek,
designing crafts using natural materials, and we’ll
even create our own whimsical animal creatures!.
(Ages 5 – 10)
X-treme Pond Camp
August 9 – 13 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
For our most daring adventurers, we’ll spend this
last week of the summer exploring
the exciting, underwater world
of our creeks and ponds. We’ll
design our own pond aquariums,
investigate the animals that live beneath the
water’s edge, and explore the hidden habitats of
Rummel Creek. (Ages 10 – 11)
We need volunteers to run the
booth at the Birder’s Bazaar and
handle sales on all days. Even if
you can only work for a few hours,
it would be a big help.
Houston Audubon presents
5th Annual
Festival on the Bayou
May 8
Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center
Mark your calendars now to
celebrate International Migratory
Bird Day with us!
Activities for all ages, live animals,
crafts, games, special guests, food,
and fun! Volunteers have a great
time – come join us!
To volunteer and for more information,
please contact Juanita Perkins:
jperkins@houstonaudubon.org
713-932-1639

www.houstonaudubon.org 7
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All funds remain with Houston Audubon

in support of its mission and local sanctuaries.

Mission Statement
Houston Audubon Society promotes the conservation and
appreciation of birds and wildlife habitat.

Bulletin Board
January February
Weekly Bayou Buddies on Friday, SBUNC Weekly Bayou Buddies on Friday, SBUNC
Weekly Titmouse Club on Tuesday & Wednesday, ELMNS Weekly Titmouse Club on Tuesday & Wednesday, ELMNS
1-31 Houston Bird Survey (see p. 5) 4 Sparrow Identification Class, ELMNS (see p. 5)
9 High Island Work Day (see p. 4) 6 Sparrow Identification Field Trip (see p. 5)
9 Armand Bayou Nature Center Survey 10 Membership Meeting: Watching Hummingbirds in Texas
with Cliff Shackelford (see p. 1)
13 Membership Meeting: The Great Alaskan Birding Adventure
with Winnie Burkett and Julia Garrett (see p. 1) 13 High Island Work Day (see p. 4)
16 Family Nature Explore Club: Kleb Woods 13 Armand Bayou Nature Center Survey
16 Willow Waterhole Survey 16 W. 11th St. Park Bird Survey
19 W. 11th St. Park Bird Survey 17 HANPA Meeting, ELMNS
20 Galveston Group Meeting (see website for details) 18 After-School Nature Explorers Club, ELMNS
20 HANPA Meeting: Uganda: Gorillas, Chimps, and Birds – Oh, My! 20 Family Nature Explore Club: San Jacinto Battlegrounds
with Steve Matherly, ELMNS 20 Willow Waterhole Survey
21 After-School Nature Explorers Club, ELMNS 24 Galveston Group Meeting (see website for details)
21 Sparrow Identification Class, ELMNS (see p. 5) 26 Owl Prowl, ELMNS
23 HAS Field Trip: Kleb Woods (see p. 4) 27 Flying WILD Workshop, SBUNC (see website for details)
23 Sparrow Identification Field Trip (see p. 5) 27 HAS Field Trip: Mayes Trace & Lake Charlotte (see p. 4)
23 Galveston Group Field Trip (see website for details) 27 Galveston Group Field Trip (see website for details)
29 Owl Prowl, ELMNS
Audubon Foundation of Texas represents Houston Audubon in the
Earth Share of Texas payroll deduction plan for charitable giving.

The Naturalist is printed with soy-based ink on recycled paper.