Houston Audubon

2009 Coastal Sanctuaries Report

Yellow Warbler: Joanne Kamo

High Island – April 17, 2009
by Winnie Burkett, Sanctuary Manager

H
urricane Ike came ashore on September 13, 2008 and
was an amazingly destructive storm. The calls started
coming in to the office as soon as the phones were
working again. “Are the sanctuaries still there?” “Will there be
birds?”
All of Houston Audubon’s coastal sanctuaries were impacted.
At Bolivar Flats the storm surge moved the beach and mudflats
inland, and tons of debris, including huge containers from
container ships, were left on the shore and in the marsh. The
vehicular barrier and many fences were washed away. Whole
houses were left in Horseshoe Marsh along with the contents
of local stores. Most upland trees and shrubs were killed by
the salt water. Mundy Marsh wound up with sand from the
beach across the highway plus pilings and air conditioners
from the houses that used to be on the beach. It appeared
that the houses floated across the bay. The salt marsh grasses
in these three sanctuaries were still in pretty good shape.
Although the storm surge had flattened them, they were still
green.
Our High Island sanctuaries lost trees but not as many as were
lost to Hurricane Humberto on September 13, 2007. Of course
we had fewer trees to lose. The trees in Boy Scout Woods
were hit hardest, with water oaks and hackberries down, and
mulberries cracked and broken. Smith Oaks lost a couple of
the big oaks in the picnic area, smaller oaks and hackberries
Kentucky Warbler: Greg Lavaty
High Island – April 6, 2009
throughout the woods, and some limbs off the big oaks in the
middle of the woods. Smith Pond was inundated with salt
water, which killed many of the cypresses and willows that had
been planted along the shore. The Rookery in Claybottom
Pond, Eubank’s Woods, and the S.E. Gast Red Bay Sanctuary lost
trees.
Cape May Warbler: Greg Lavaty
Smith Oaks – May 3, 2009
As for the birds, well, we didn’t see a lot of mortality although
undoubtedly there was some. We did find Brown Pelican
bodies on the beach, but other than that, we could only make
assumptions. At Bolivar Flats we assumed that Clapper Rails
and Seaside Sparrows were drowned by the storm surge, and
shorebirds and waders were pushed inland. Most land birds
were gone from the Bolivar Peninsula as was most of the land
bird habitat. Starlings and Rock Pigeons were the common
birds on the peninsula a week after the storm. What they were
eating was never obvious. There were mockingbirds here and
there in places where there was a yaupon bush or two. At High
Island, doves, particularly the big ones, seemed to have been
blown away, but other resident land birds were there after the
storm, and fall migrants showed up immediately.
The fall and winter were spent cleaning up and planting.
At Bolivar Flats volunteers and the state picked up tons of
debris, and some fences were rebuilt. The vehicular barrier
was replaced with power poles downed by the storm, cable
donated by Schlumberger, and funds from ConocoPhillips.
We tried to clean up Horseshoe Marsh, but it was beyond us.
FEMA contractors came in and demolished the houses and
scraped up everything else. Pilings and air conditioners remain
in Mundy Marsh. We decided it would do too much damage to
the marsh to get vehicles in there to drag them out.
Professional tree crews were needed to handle the big
complicated tree work at High Island, and the volunteers
cleaned up everything else. It was months of chain sawing,
hauling, and burning. Once we got areas cleaned up, the
replanting began. Three hundred plus trees and shrubs were
planted in the sanctuaries during the winter. All together,
more than 3,000 volunteer hours were spent cleaning up and
planting. What would we do without volunteers?
As spring approached and the High Island sanctuaries greened Summer Tanager feasting on a mulberry: Joanne Kamo
up, the phones continued to ring. “Are the High Island High Island – April 17, 2009
sanctuaries still there?” “Will there be birds this spring?” Too
many people only saw pictures of the devastation. Of course, Low water levels also attracted a nice variety of shorebirds.
the news rarely shows what survives. Some birders thought Birds like Stilt Sandpipers became a sanctuary regular.
that because of the hurricane, the birds wouldn’t come, but the The most unusual bird of the spring was a Hooded Oriole that
birds didn’t know. They just migrated, and when they reached fed in Cape Honeysuckle in a High Island neighbor’s yard.
the Upper Texas Coast, they looked for habitat, and we had lots Western Tanagers were seen on and off for several weeks, and
of habitat ready. Black-whiskered Vireos were found on several occasions.
The changes at Bolivar Flats made birding from the beach
difficult, but lots of birds were there, and at low tide birds
could easily be viewed from the jetty. Our assumptions about
Clapper Rails and Seaside Sparrows proved to be wrong and
they were present in all the appropriate habitat. (What did
they do during the storm??)
Horseshoe Marsh wound up being the place to find Bobolinks
and Dickcissels. Had we not looked there before? We were
always so confident about finding them in Gilchrist, we may
have overlooked them.
We had fewer birders then usual on the Upper Texas Coast
this spring, but birders came from 45 states and 15 foreign
Warbling Vireo: Greg Lavaty
High Island – Spring 2009
countries, and they were not disappointed. Birding was great.
The daily reports by our Tropical Birding guides available on
our website at www.houstonaudubon.org in the High Island
Spring came, and with it came the birds, birders, and our section of Sanctuaries give a colorful picture of a wonderful
wonderful volunteers. This was the second year of Houston spring.
Audubon’s partnership with Tropical Birding at High Island, and
the partnership has been great fun. Several Tropical Birding
guides spent the spring at High Island leading free bird walks
in Houston Audubon sanctuaries. There were four bird walks
every day from March 28 to May 3, and they were all well
attended. Having the extra expert birders there seems to result
in more unusual bird sightings and more birding energy.
The last couple of years we have started the spring with
consistently strong south winds, which is great for migrating
birds but not too good for birders, but that was not the case
this spring. Cold fronts regularly reached the coast bringing
nice numbers of a good variety of birds.
Activity started late in the Rookery, most likely due to the
drought that started before Ike hit and stretched through the
spring. The lack of rain meant low water in the pond and fewer Roseate Spoonbills: Joanne Kamo
nesting sites for water birds, but the birds that nested did well. The Rookery at Smith Oaks – April 25, 2009

2 Houston Audubon 2009 Coastal Sanctuaries Report

 High Island Kiosk Volunteers
Shirley Adams • Beverly Adderholt • Skip Almoney • Mary Lou Anderson • Ann Barb • Norma Barnes • Betsy Black
Peggy Boston • Craig Bourgeois Marcie Brown • Debbie Burnett
Jack Barnett • Richard Carey Ginger Coleman • Marty Coyle
Sue Davison • Donna Diggons Nancy Dobbs • Dianna Eickhorn
Mike Fredericksen • Joanna Friesen Shirley Garies • Julia Garrett
Carol Beth Gore • Lucille Gottschius Doris Graham • Jean Hackney
Mary Hannigan • Bill Harwell Jean Harwell • Betsy Harwood
Sergio Heano • Wanda Henao Barbara Hickl • Ed Hickl
Lisa Holmes • Bernice Hotman Fae Humphrey • Bernice Jackson
Ed Jackson • Linda Kuhnen Bette Lester • Paul Lester
Andy Loker • Carol Lynn Loker Barbara Massey • Dick Massey
Sandy McHone • Sandra Moore Celeste Newton • Paul Newton
Maureen O’Conner • Pat Park Pat Pease • Glenda Perry
James Saxon • Elsie Smith Sam Smith • Billie Strickland
Gretchen Thoman • Barbara Tilton Debbie Valdez
Lettalou Whittington • Jana Whittle Painted Bunting : Joanne Kamo Carl Wilkerson • Sherry Wilkerson
Betty Williams • Laurie Williams High Island – April 17, 2009 Mary Yurkovich • Liz Dear-Zivley

Hurricane Cleanup Volunteers

Skip Almoney • Deb Aronson • Judy Aronson • John Arvin • Bill Baker • Barbers H.S. Key Club • Norma Barnes • Cindy Bartos
John Bartos • Mary Ann Beauchemin • Betsy Black • Peggy Boston • Judy Boyce • BP’s Gulf of Mexico Exploration Unit
Vicky Briones • Marcie Brown • Mary Brown • David Burkett • Debbie Burnett • Jack Burnett • Caroline Callery • Jan Cato
Jessica Clark • Jean Clark • Ginger Coleman • Carlton Collier • Susan Davis • Sue Davison • Lucy Downey • Kevin Ellis
Nancy Ellis • Clare Erne • Charles Erwin • Harlan Evans • Sue Fennewald • Nancy Fite • Laurie Foss • Phyllis Frank • Tony Frank
Joanna Friesen • Andrew Fulton • Julia Garrett • Mary Goldsby • Marshall Graham
Gary Gray • Mike Gray • Milton Gray • Adam Grier • Veda Hackell • Kay Hale
Dale Hamilton • Shelia Hargis • Bill Harwell • Susan Heath • Judy Heffner
Susan Henry • Denise Herzberg • Jenny Herzberg • Joy Hester • June Hill
Chantz Howell • Josh Howell • Lori Howell • Nealy Howell • Bernice Hotman
Ben Hulsey • Mary Gwen Hulsey • Charlona Ingram • Bernice Jackson
Ed Jackson • Carol Jones • Andy Jordan • Wendy Keitel • Kerry Kerns
John Kirschner • Earle Krause • Deanna Krause • Corey Leboff • Andy Lopez
Wallace Lowery • Mrs. Lowery • Catherine MacGregor • Theresa MacGregor
Sheryl Maruca • Steve Matherly • Tess McElvaney • Sandra Moore • Sandy McHone
Kendall Murphy • Megan Neal • Janet Neath • Goeff Newton • Ria Nicholas
Wayne Nicholas • Anton Nielsen • Boogie O’Conner • Lynn O’Conner
Carolyn Ogden • Frank Ohrt • John Old • James Penny • Becky Phillips
Steve Powell • Mary Helen Pritchett • Albert Ramierz • Carol Ramsayer
Barbara Rapstein • Jane Rierson • Fred Rogers • Bill Saulmon • John Schneider
Jack Schwaller • Sue Schwalller • Richard Senechal • Pauline Singletary
Jim Skogsberg • Lillian Skogsberg • Becky Smith • Sam Smith • Pam Smolen
Dede Snavely • Al Starr • Mike Stelling • Aaron Stoley • Dominic Stolle • Jane Stormer
Jay Stormer • Billie Strickland • David Swaim • Tom Taroni • Barbara Tilton
Jetta Todaro • Tobi Troxell • Debbie Valdez • Don Verser • Sarah Vickers • Mort Voller
Kelly Walker • Ben Wardwell • George Watanabee • Ruth Webb • Ron Weeks Black-whiskered Vireo: Greg Lavaty
Rhett Wilkins • Jim Winn • Marc Winn • Jessica Woodson • Tara Wutke Smith Oaks – May, 2009

Special Thanks ...

To Joanne Kamo and Greg Lavaty for supplying all the photogaphy in this report.
All the photos were taken in the spring of 2009 at High Island and Bolivar Flats.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: Greg Lavaty

www.houstonaudubon.org 3
 Spring 2009 Bird List for the Bolivar Peninsula
March 1, 2009 – May 31, 2009

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Purple Gallinule Barn Owl Tennessee Warbler

Fulvous Whistling-Duck Common Moorhen Great Horned Owl Orange-crowned Warbler
Gadwall American Coot Common Nighthawk Nashville Warbler
American Wigeon Black-bellied Plover Chuck-will’s-widow Northern Parula
Mottled Duck American Golden-Plover Chimney Swift Yellow Warbler
Blue-winged Teal Snowy Plover Ruby-throated Hummingbird Chestnut-sided Warbler
Northern Shoveler Wilson’s Plover Black-chinned Hummingbird Magnolia Warbler
Northern Pintail Semipalmated Plover Buff-bellied Hummingbird Yellow-rumped Warbler
Green-winged Teal Piping Plover Belted Kingfisher Black-throated Green Warbler
Greater Scaup Killdeer Red-bellied Woodpecker Blackburnian Warbler
Lesser Scaup American Oystercatcher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-throated Warbler
Surf Scoter Black-necked Stilt Downy Woodpecker Pine Warbler
White-winger Scoter American Avocet Northern Flicker Prairie Warbler
Black Scoter Greater Yellowlegs Pileated Woodpecker Palm Warbler
Red-breasted Merganser Lesser Yellowlegs Olive-sided Flycatcher Blackpoll Warbler
Common Loon Solitary Sandpiper Eastern Wood-Pewee Cerulean Warbler
Pied-billed Grebe Willet Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Black-and-white Warbler
American White Pelican Spotted Sandpiper Acadian Flycatcher American Redstart
Brown Pelican Upland Sandpiper Willow Flycatcher Prothonotary Warbler
Neotropic Cormorant Whimbrel Traill’s Flycatcher Worm-eating Warbler
Double-crested Cormorant Long-billed Curlew Least Flycatcher Ovenbird
Cormorant species Hudsonian Godwit Eastern Phoebe Northern Waterthrush
Anhinga Marbled Godwit Great Crested Flycatcher Louisiana Waterthrush
Magnificent Frigatebird Ruddy Turnstone Western Kingbird Kentucky Warbler
Least Bittern Red Knot Eastern Kingbird Common Yellowthroat
Great Blue Heron Sanderling Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Hooded Warbler
Great Egret Semipalmated Sandpiper Loggerhead Shrike Wilson’s Warbler
Snowy Egret Western Sandpiper White-eyed Vireo Canada Warbler
Little Blue Heron Least Sandpiper Yellow-throated Vireo Yellow-breasted Chat
Tricolored Heron Baird’s Sandpiper Blue-headed Vireo Eastern Towhee
Reddish Egret Pectoral Sandpiper Warbling Vireo Chipping Sparrow
Cattle Egret Purple Sandpiper Philadelphia Vireo Lark Sparrow
Green Heron White-rumped Sandpiper Red-eyed Vireo Savannah Sparrow
Black-crowned Night-Heron Dunlin Black-whiskered Vireo Nelson’s Sparrow
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Stilt Sandpiper Blue Jay Seaside Sparrow
White Ibis Buff-breasted Sandpiper Horned Lark Song Sparrow
White-faced Ibis Short-billed Dowitcher Purple Martin Lincoln’s Sparrow
Roseate Spoonbill Long-billed Dowitcher Tree Swallow Swamp Sparrow
Wood Stork Wilson’s Snipe Northern Rough-winged Swallow White-throated Sparrow
Turkey Vulture Wilson’s Phalarope Bank Swallow Harris’s Sparrow
Osprey Laughing Gull Cliff Swallow White-crowned Sparrow
Swallow-tailed Kite Franklin’s Gull Barn Swallow Northern Cardinal
Mississippi Kite Bonaparte’s Gull Carolina Wren Summer Tanager
Northern Harrier Ring-billed Gull House Wren Scarlet Tanager
Sharp-shinned Hawk Herring Gull Winter Wren Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Cooper’s Hawk Glaucous Gull Sedge Wren Blue Grosbeak
Red-shouldered Hawk Gull-billed Tern Marsh Wren Indigo Bunting
Broad-winged Hawk Caspian Tern Golden-crowned Kinglet Painted Bunting
Swainson’s Hawk Royal Tern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Dickcissel
Red-tailed Hawk Sandwich Tern Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Red-winged Blackbird
Crested Caracara Common Tern Veery Eastern Meadowlark
American Kestrel Forster’s Tern Swainson’s Thrush Yellow-headed Blackbird
Merlin Least Tern Hermit Thrush Common Grackle
Peregrine Falcon Black Tern Wood Thrush Boat-tailed Grackle
Clapper Rail Black Skimmer American Robin Great-tailed Grackle
Sora Rock Pigeon Gray Catbird Bronzed Cowbird
Eurasian Collared-Dove Northern Mockingbird Brown-headed Cowbird
White-winged Dove Brown Thrasher Orchard Oriole
Mourning Dove European Starling Hooded Oriole
Inca Dove American Pipit Baltimore Oriole
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Cedar Waxwing Goldfinch
Black-billed Cuckoo Blue-winged Warbler House Sparrow

Upland Sandpiper, Northern Parula, and Blackpoll Warbler images courtesy of Greg Lavaty

4 Houston Audubon 2009 Coastal Sanctuaries Report