Houston Audubon Society

Great-tailed Grackle looking scruffy!

Look - it's a plane, it's a bird, it's a kite!
8/20/08
As summer comes to an end we are all feeling a little worn out and scruffy. Birds are busy molting in preparation for cooler temperatures or migration. Be sure to watch the skies above your neighborhood. Mississippi Kites have descended on Houston in great numbers as they head south. I watched several dozen stream above my house last night. They are magnificent to watch in the air! Chimney Swifts are gathering in large numbers around town. Please join us next Tuesday for Swift Night Out at the Whole Foods Market on Bellaire Blvd. Last night 272 swifts were counted entering the shaft. Whole Foods is providing snacks and everything kicks off at 7 PM in the parking lot! Thanks to Pam Smolen and Mary Ann Beauchemin at the Nature Discovery Center for keeping the counts going. It is a fun family event. Don't miss it!

Abby exploring the world of owl pellets

Flying High at Summer Bird Camp
8/18/08
Another wonderful summer is coming to a close and kids are gearing up for school across town. Summer Bird Camp was another great success. In addition to our traditional campers we were also joined by several kids from the Houston Parks Summer Enrichment Program at Charlton Park. They really enjoyed all the activities. We had a wonderful bird list by the end of the week including Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. The campers also ate lots of organic healthy food from the garden and Katerina taught about sustainability and decreasing our footprint on the planet. The kids made organic herbal vinegars and other amazing creations to take home and share. As we bid summer goodbye we are working feverishly to prepare for the new batch of Bayou Buddies, the first group of girl scout badges and our new Nature Explore Club for families. Come and visit!

Campers learning how to be "Nature Detectives"

Rescue from the storm
7/24/08
Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center is located directly adjacent to Charlton Park. Charlton Park is one of the many parks operated by Houston Parks and Recreation (HPARD). It has wonderful rolling hills and like the nature center follows the path of Sims Bayou. The kids from the HPARD Summer Enrichment Program have been joining us for our camps this summer. They have really been enjoying learning about wildlife. Today was rescue number 3 at the park. The first came last week when my son who also enjoys hanging out with the kids at the park came racing over to say there was a snake by the boy's bathroom. I headed over and found a beautiful Coral Snake resting by the coke machine. It had rained hard that night and perhaps it was looking for some shelter. A quick scoop into a box and a fast walk over to the woods behind the nature center and the snake was a "happy camper" once again. Two additional rescues took place this week. One very wet juvenile House Sparrow caught in the rains of Hurricane Dolly was rescued, dried off, and released and a young opossum who got himself into a garbage can but couldn't get out was also rescued and sent down the trails. It is never a dull moment along the bayou! The best part is that these inner city kids really do care about the wildlife they share the park with.