By Jim Stevenson
First, I am kinda excited about birding this weekend, with a frontal system passing tonight. We will probably get our last real songbird migrant push of the year, as well as other migrants like falcons, waterfowl and whatever. Try to get out and do some birding if you can. (I told the NCAA to make the #5 FSU vs. #3 Clemson game at night so the
Birding
Jim Stevenson is the Director of the Galveston Ornithological Society:www.galvestonbirders.org You may receive his recent bird pictures name suppressed in PDF form for free by writing him here [email protected]
Waders
Posted in 
Texas Whooper Watch
Texas Whooper Watch is a volunteer monitoring program that is a part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Texas Nature Trackers program. While the traditional wintering grounds on and near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge are well-known, biologists have much less information about locations used by Whooping Cranes in migration. In addition, as the Whooping Crane population continues to
Non-bird critters
By Jim Stevenson,
First, I’m glad for those of you who got to see the immature Groove-billed Ani that was in my yard last week. It has left, but they show up somewhere each year around the end of September. This poor female, marooned away from her parents, will surely be known in future circles as “Little Orphaned Ani.”
Fall Shorebirds
By Jim Stevenson
The Wednesday morning field trip (8:30 am till noon) is ON. October is a very birdy time, so catch the migration! $25 Parking Lot at the West End of the Seawall. We’ll also have a Sunday morning FT; same deal. Friday, we are having a terrific birding field trip to the east side of Galveston Bay. We will probably visit the hawk-watch tower, plus
Songbird Families
By Jim Stevenson,
Is there anyone who would like to help stuff envelopes (with calendars) Wednesday morning, while we sit by the window with binoculars? Lunch is on the GOS. We’ll get together around 9 am. Leave when you need to. Amazingly, the Sunday morning field trip was EVEN BETTER than last week! We will NOT have one this week on account
Early Fall Warblers
By Jim Stevenson
Welcome many new people!
First, some goodies attached, includes a fall bird migration article, a shorter article for the GCDN on how Galveston has morphed ornithologically (both written by me), some totally goober jokes about how hot it’s been this summer and many of the birds we saw on last Sunday morning’s
Recent Sandpipers
By Jim Stevenson
The initial Sunday field trips turned out to be really, really birdy, from the gobs of waterbirds at San Luis Pass to the many warblers at Laffite’s cove. Most favorite was a male Canada Warbler in my yard. We will have another one next Sunday. 8:30 to noon, $25. We’re coming into the height of the fall migration. Down below is a list of
Items for sale by the GOS
Folks, it’s that time of the year. The Galveston Ornithological Society needs your help, and your generosity will help us continue for another year. Calendars have over 200 of my pictures, plus important GOS dates (and national holidays, etc.). Four of my books are at rock-bottom lows, and the two bird courses I created on disk have been reduced to $40 EACH.
TAKE YOUR TIME DECIDING WHAT YOU WANT! THERE’S NO HURRY! Here are the simple instructions and please take the thirty seconds to read it carefully! IT HAS CHANGED SINCE LAST YEAR!
1) Pick out what you want from the list below and e-mail it to me WITH YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. DO NOT SEND A CHECK before you receive your goods!
2) The bill will be on the FRONT OF YOUR PACKAGE and YOU WILL ADD THE POSTAGE TO YOUR TOTAL AMOUNT.
3) Upon receipt of the merchandise, please send a check to the return address, GOS, Rt. 1 Box 185C, Galveston, TX, 77554. Yes, I trust you.
Thank you for your generosity, allowing us to survive now for 18 years. We charge NO dues, you don’t have to attend any trips and I am at your service 365 days/year for help with bird matters. Or jokes.
Items for sale by the GOS
2014 Calendars: $20 each; $75 for 5; $100 for 10.
Anyone wishing past calendars may purchase them for $5 just for the bird pictures. 2009-2113
—————————————————————————————-
Jim’s Books: Collection of four- $25 (book titles below) All signed. Or $10 ea. (please specify which one):
Wildlife of North Florida
Jamaica, Queen of the Air (fictional account of a Red-tailed Hawk)
Birds and Mammals of Alaska
Quest for 5000 Birds (Jim’s world travels to see 5000 species)
——————————————————————————————–
Bird Classes on CD: Learn all about Birds with Jim’s PDF classes! Each daily lesson comes with pictures of birds discussed.
Birding A2Z- 200 lessons on the Life History of Birds: Ecology, Plumage, Migration, Reproduction and much more. A steal for $40.
Birding A2Z2 – 100 lessons on identification of North American Birds. Not recommended for West Coast birding. $40
Texas Birds
By Jim Stevenson
First, if you missed the information on the annual calendar sale to support the Galveston Ornithological Society, CLICK HERE for everything you need to know. And, see the attachment on March Mania. Also, our Sunday and Wednesday morning field trips will begin NEXT Wednesday and run most of this fall. We meet 8:30 am at the
California Mammals
By Jim Stevenson
“Back to birds very soon!” Some of you may be interested in the fact that the cool front (high pressure) we enjoyed late last week was the likely result of the tropical depression (low pressure) hovering in the ocean south of us. Opposites attract. We wouldn’t normally get cool fronts in mid-August but the depression “sucked” the cooler air
California Songbirds
By Jim Stevenson
Hi Folks,
I will be sending out the dates and times (and other information) for our big Labor Day Open Houses coming up, next Monday, with another California Gallery. They will begin the Thursday before Labor Day. If you forgot to sign up for Bobwhites, please do it immediately,
Raptors in Alaska
By Jim Stevenson
I have a very modest report on raptors from this summer. Remember, two years off (2015) I’m putting together a package of trips to Alaska, some extremely reasonable. Next summer (2014) is the Western Trip. Let me know if you’re interested!
Alaskan Birds
By Jim Stevenson
Good Morning Folks, In our continued series on Alaskan birds, I hope you enjoy this mono-specific, close look gallery at a unique species chosen to be in the ten most beautiful birds on North America. Happy reading!
If there is anyone else interested in the Florida
Western Birds
By Jim Stevenson
I am trying to decide whether to schedule one or two California and/or Australia birding trips next summer. Please let me know if there is a reasonable chance you could go. Not necessarily a commitment! California, two weeks, $3000, month of June. One would be first two weeks, second would be second half of June. Australia, two weeks,
Our National Bird, Happy Fourth of July!
By Jim Stevenson
First, I join all Americans in being proud of our Great Nation, and praying we continue to grow and mature as good citizens of Earth. Are there those of you who might be interested in a relatively inexpensive, week-long tour of the best birding spots in South Florida? It would be the first week of December, we’d have a few target birds like Limpkins and Snail Kites, etc., and the photography
Western Birds
By Jim Stevenson
This Gallery deals with the more primitive land birds (non-songbirds) we saw out West. Hope you enjoy them! I would be remiss if I didn’t say what a wonderful group traveled with me in Alaska, and I was truly sorry to see them leave! Partly owing to them, we had a fantastic AK trip, really missing very few species we had hoped to see.
Western Shorebirds
By Jim Stevenson
Our Alaska trip is winding down and it is no doubt the best birding trip I’ve ever run! I mean, we saw nearly everything! Many Photos to follow once the Great Plains are over. This Gallery is many of the birds from our May Great Plains trip. Enjoy! Have a good Monday and week.
Last of the Spring Migration
By Jim stevenson
I’m well into the Alaska trip so the Great Plains/Rockies birds will start very soon. Today is the conclusion of the spring pictures from Texas, with some interesting (I hope!) waterbirds. The seven Alaska travelers are just terrific and we are having (so far) a trip for the ages. Can’t wait to send pictures! And do you remember what I sent
The Great Eight
By Jim Stevenson
Every year I string together a gallery with the eight medium-sized songbirds (a pair in each of four different families), taken during April of the spring migration. So here are the buntings, orioles, tanagers and grosbeaks of 2013 that frequented my humble abode. I am almost as fond of them as the wonderful people who came there to visit.
Peeps and empids
by Jim Stevenson
This lesson is a more advanced one than usual, more intended for the experienced birders than typical articles. Just a little meat to chew on. Many of you I met at FeatherFest, and I have a question: Would it be helpful for you to have a “program,” like a 6-8 page booklet, with schedules, pictures, events, maps, leaders and other information
Spring Waterbirds
Hi Folks,
I’m near the Canadian Border with my group but still have loads of pictures from our spring migration.
Here are a few from the aquatic realm. Enjoy!
New event for birders
By Jim Stevenson
Thanks to a conversation with my friend Jean Booth, and her leadership and enthusiasm in the birding community, we are gonna try a brand new event for birders in the Houston/Galveston area. I know you’re excited and you haven’t even read about it yet! >I’m gonna organize field trips, free, of course, in y’all’s area while I’m gone
Vireos
By Jim Stevenson
First, I am enthusiastically recommending Saturday’s field trip, despite the likelihood of some rain. The precipitation will “down” the birds arriving off the Gulf and could make it quite a good day. We’ll meet at my house at 8 am and quit late afternoon when we can’t look at any more Empidonax flycatchers.
Other Land Birds
By Jim Stevenson
By First of all, there may be a bird-producing frontal system this Saturday, and it might provide some of the tough-to-see late migrants like various Empidonax flycatchers, Mourning and Canada Warblers and other mid-May specialties. I am considering changing the Big Thicket venue for Saturday to a coastal one, but would welcome feedback from
Ducks & Friends
By Jim Stevenson
If there is anyone you can think of who might wish to receive these photos, please send me their name and e-mail. Or have them contact me below.
Migrant Birds
By Jim Stevenson
I took a little time off the last two afternoons to shoot in my yard with Alan Murphy and Brian Small, probably the best two bird photographers in the Country. They do their migrant songbird photography here. Rather than a PDF, this time I’m sending the pictures of medium-sized birds (no warblers) with numbers, so you can test your
March Songbirds
By Jim Stevenson,
Hi Folks, Last call for the field trip Saturday on the Island’s West End.
EVERYONE INTERESTED IN THE ARIZONA TRIP PLEASE CONTACT (OR RE-CONTACT) ME. I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THE LIST! Ooops. We also have room for several more on the Great Plains (Montana) Trip, 19-30 May.
This report is on early migrants, mostly, and we have a ton of them right now on the Island! Jim
Houston Audubon Open House
Houston Audubon will have an Open House at their High Island sanctuaries Saturday, April 6. Admission to the sanctuaries will be free. The Smith Oaks Sanctuary on Old Mexico Rd is world famous for the Rookery where herons, egrets and spoonbills nest. There is no place in Texas to get a better look at the birds and their nests. You can also get a great look at the alligators
