Archive for the ‘Birds’ Category

Fall Bird Count

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Date: September 24, 2011
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center

Birds are the proverbial canary in a coal mine when it comes to shifting landscapes. Consistent and ongoing monitoring projects are vital to understanding bird ecology and population dynamics. Help us document what  bird species are visiting the Nature Center this fall. Birders of all levels of experience are welcome to participate in this important citizen science project. Learn more about bird monitoring at the Nature Center.

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Free Admission on Museum Day

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Date: September 24, 2011
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center

In conjunction with Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day, the Nature Center is offering free admission on Saturday, September 24. Besides enjoying our hiking trails, exhibits and botanical gardens, visitors can watch a hummingbird banding demonstration and participate in our Fall Bird Count. Download your free admission ticket for two from the Museum Day website.

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Birding the Devils River

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Guides: John Karges & Dr. Selma Glasscock
Date: April 29 through May 1
Location: Devils River State Natural Area in Val Verde County
Registration fees (includes food and housing): Bunkhouse $90/$115; Camping $70/$95

The Devils River is a gem of Texas. Its waters, not easily accessible, bubble up at the headwaters—crisp and clean—and eventually flow into Amistad Reservoir, an impoundment of the Rio Grande.

Habitat along the river provides a home to such bird species as the Green Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Kiskadee, and the Black-Capped Vireo. If you are a birder, or simply a lover of nature, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to bird, butterfly, or simply enjoy the Devils River.

John Karges of The Nature Conservancy and Dr. Selma Glasscock of the Welder Wildlife Foundation will be our birding guides.

This trip is currently full. Call 432.364.2499 if you are interested in being put on the waiting list.

Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Events, Field Trips | 1 Comment »

Build (or Paint!) a Bird House

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Date: May 14, 2011
Time: 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Place: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
Cost: Free! (Due to support from a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Community Outdoor Outreach Program Grant)

In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, we’re hosting a workshop on bird house construction. Drop by the Nature Center and choose the style you like, the bird type you’d like to build for, or even the amount of “building” you’d like to do. Supplies, including a selection of gourds, pre-cut lumber, and recycled materials, will be available.

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Turkey Vultures: Signs of Spring 1

Saturday, March 20th, 2010


Spring has arrived in the Davis Mountains. Today, three turkey vultures were soaring the skies above the town of Fort Davis. Soon, the cottonwood trees will be full of vultures as they come to roost in the evening.

Other places have other harbingers of spring. Perhaps swallows or tiny butterflies. But for us, we know spring has arrived when the turkey vultures return.

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Hummingbird Banding Demonstration

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Instructor: Kelly Bryan
Dates: July 22, August 6, August 20, September 10, September 24, October 8. Banding starts at 8:00 a.m.

Local ornithologist, Kelly Bryan, continues collecting data on these tiny gems throughout West Texas, including those that visit the oak-juniper woodlands and mixed grass prairie of the Nature Center. In 2011, Kelly will be banding hummingbirds as part of a study on their migratory behavior. He invites anyone who is interested to come and watch as he captures, bands, and releases these amazing birds.

For more information about Kelly’s research project, be sure to visit his website: West Texas Hummingbirds.

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