2018 Update on Nesting Shorebirds in Galveston County presented by Kristen Vale of American Bird Conservancy

The Galveston County Audubon Group (GCAG) of the Houston Audubon Society hold monthly meetings jointly with the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council (GINTC). The meetings are held in the Wortham Auditorium on the first floor at the Rosenberg Library, 7 – 8 p.m. They welcome guests to come early at 6:30 p.m. to visit with other birders about their recent outings and sightings before the meeting. Membership is free and meetings and field trips are open to the public. Membership in Houston Audubon Society is encouraged but is not required.

Texas City Dike Field Trip: Saturday, November 17: 8:30 a.m. – Noon

Meet at the Texas City Dike Pavilion parking lot.

This meeting of the Bay Area Sierra Club will feature a slideshow that will help you take more interesting photos of all of your holiday guests, of all of the flowers you receive, etc. Local Member Peter Bowman will teach four techniques that he learned from his famous Vietnamese teacher Do Anh Tuan.

At the end of the lesson, attendees themselves get a chance to identify these four techniques in photos which Peter will show without comment.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for social hour.

Register online at www.houstonaudubon.org or contact Juanita Perkins at jperkins@houstonaudubon.org

Secretive and challenging to identify are what make this group of birds fun. The Upper Texas Coast is a great place to see wintering sparrows. Learn the key principles of identification that will enable you to separate the 17 different species that are possible. After this class you will no longer call sparrows little brown birds, you will recognize them as sparrows.

Comes with a field trip for Saturday, December 1, 7:30am-4:00pm

Member cost: $75

Non-member cost:$90

Register online at www.houstonaudubon.org or contact Juanita Perkins at jperkins@houstonaudubon.org

In this class we will focus on the many species who winter in our region, including raptors, waterbirds, sparrows, and other land birds.

Comes with a field trip for Saturday, December 15, 7:30am-4:00pm

Member cost: $75

Non-member cost:$90

Houston Audubon Nature Photography Association (HANPA) is an informal photo club for Houston Audubon members. They hold meetings monthly, September through May, on the first Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary headquarters library.

Presentation: The Upper Texas Gulf Coast provides a variety of habitats that attract winter waterfowl and other water birds such as loons and grebes, making it a wonderful birding destination during the fall and winter months. Identification of these birds can be somewhat tricky, however. This interactive presentation will cover the different family groups and provide information about behavior, habitat, and plumage that can aid in identification. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and everyone is encouraged to come early to share about recent outings and sightings.

Field Trip: Jan. 19, 2019, 8:30 a.m. – Noon, @ Moody Gardens south Aquarium Parking lot, 1 Hope Blvd

Meet at Moody Gardens as a starting point and give everyone the game plan for the trip. Attendees can consolidate into carpools. Narration broadcast will be available on an FM radio channel for caravan options.

Hawks, falcons, owls and more await you at Houston Audubon’s Raptor Photo Shoots. You will have the opportunity to photograph Houston Audubon’s education raptors in an intimate setting at the Houston Audubon Raptor & Education Center. Whether you use a simple point and shoot or serious photography equipment, you will enjoy meeting and learning about these awesome birds. Light refreshments will be served on the deck for all to enjoy during the shoot. Space is limited to 15 participants.

Houston Audubon Nature Photography Association (HANPA) is an informal photo club for Houston Audubon members. They hold meetings monthly, September through May, on the first Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary headquarters library.