Fortunately today's storm caused no significant damage at High Island. We have definitely had our share with Rita and Humberto. When we were preparing for the storm yesterday several Broad-winged Hawks were circling over head. Not an unusual sight in Sept. but I don't remember them in August.

Last Thursday7/31 there were good numbers of hummingbirds all over and quite a few Orchard Orioles in the hummingbird gardens. We have had little time for "real" birding as there has been much work to be done.

On Thursday July 31, 4 volunteers from the Student Conservation Association joined Houston Audubon Sanctuary Steward Andrew Beck and Summer Intern Logan West to work on privet in Boy Scout Woods. Sweat poured off of everyone as the day was very hot and there was no air moving in the woods. We sure do appreciate the help as there is lots of privet to get rid of.

Andrew and Logan spent Friday sprucing up Smith Oaks for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson's visit August 13.

Hummingbirds and orioles were moving through the sanctuary on Thursday. Not as many were found on Friday.

By the way I spent Thursday and Friday watering the trees and shrubs planted in March. As of 5:30 pm August 4, it is still VERY dry on High Island. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some rain and not much wind.

Rough Green Snake that found its way onto a branch that I was using to clear Golden Orb Weaver Spiders from the path.

Bolivar Flats was full of birds this morning as terns and gulls park their chicks there while they feed in the gulf and shorebirds return. Many pelicans are have finished nesting and chicks and adults are everywhere.

During the late summer and fall Bolivar Flats is a fun place to be at sunset. You can watch thousands of birds come in to roost as the sun goes down. Not a bad way to end the day.

The tallows are reacting well to the hack-and-squirt treatment that Peterson ForestLand Management has been applying. After nearly 14 days, 70% of the tallows are showing signs of stress which radiates a very beautiful spectrum of color throughout the marsh. The herbicide mixture is 80% water and it is believed that during this dry time, the trees are so thirsty that the mixture is absorbed very quickly, making the effects of the treatment almost instantaneous.

Friday, Logan and I continued the prairie reclamation project by continuing to remove the tallow trees in the field. We now have two chainsaws in High Island, and when they are both humming in unison, you know there is ample work being accomplished. The tallow pile is growing, while the prairie is opening up more and more.

Later in the afternoon, I assited Logan as we removed the last of an old fence that once kept cattle in the prairie and out of the oak woods. Logan has been working hard at removing the wire and coiling it in neat spools. Friday afternoon, all that was left was for us to figure out how to get the trusty John Deere in some areas and use a chain and the tractor bucket to pull up the old obsolete T-posts.

As the photograph shows, we are always finding more and more useful ways to employ this great machine, and the summer projects on the coast are going well because of it.