In February a group of GCBO staff, board members, and members paid a visit to our site partner in Cuba as part of a survey of Cuban birds across different habitats. Shown above are Cecilia Riley and John Arvin with Osmani Borrego at Guanahacabibes National Park and Biosphere Reserve which occupies the extreme western tip of the island nation. Guanahacabibes was the hands-down favorite spot on our survey route because outside of parks and preserves Cuba has little remaining natural habitat except on steep terrain in scattered ranges of highlands. Guanahacabibes preserves both extensive forest habitats and includes a marine reserve that protects a large coral reef system. See more pictures from Cuba in the slide show on the homepage of our website!

The Birding Classic Auction is ready for bids!  This year we have some fantastic items to bid on including the original Birding Classic art "Orioles of the Valley" by John O'Neill, birding trips, a photography workshop, bird houses, books, and much more. We will be adding new items daily through March and April so be sure to check back frequently. All proceeds go to help conservation on the Texas coast.  The auction will remain open until midnight, Sunday, May 2nd for bidding.  Winning bidders will be notified on May 3rd and all items will be shipped as soon as we receive payment.  

With generous grants from member Kathy McGovern and Ducks Unlimited we are now able to restore Quintana to it's pre-Hurricane Ike state. In mid-February, Enchanted Gardens reworked the water features (see above photo) and they are now ready to provide fresh water for spring migrants. We planted new hackberries and wax myrtles on our February workdays and now we are working with Enchanted Forest to replace the many dead live oaks and improve the water features in the birdscape across the street from the sanctuary. We hope you will join us for our Spring Fling beginning in April and come and see the new and improved Quintana.  We are also ready to schedule host volunteers for Spring Fling so give us a call or e-mail Reba if you are interested. 

On Saturday, March 20th, Susan Heath and John Arvin will lead a Beginning Birder Field Class from 8:00 to noon at GCBO for ages 12 and up. This workshop will focus on how to bird rather than bird identification beginning with a lesson on how to purchase and use binoculars. We will cover how to use a field guide, proper birding etiquette, where to look for birds, and the all important how to look for birds. Attendees will come away from this class knowing how to bird with proper equipment and how to use a field guide to identify birds when they find them. If you do not have binoculars, we will loan you some for the day! The cost is $40 for members and $60 for non-members (your fee entitles you to one year GCBO membership).  Call and reserve your spot today!  979-480-0999 

Busy, busy April

April is definitely the month to get out and do something! There are so many events happening that we can't even list them all. Galveston Island is hosting their 8th annual FeatherFest Celebration April 8-11. There are workshops, field trips, a birder's bazaar, and this year a PhotoFest with it's own field trips and workshops. The Friends of Brazoria Wildlife Refuges and the Texas Mid-coast NWR Complex are hosting the 16th annual Migration Celebration April 16-18 at the San Bernard NWR in southern Brazoria County. This event includes a live birds of prey show, bird banding demonstrations, kayaking tours, presentations on local ecology, marsh buggy tours and much more.  This event is a great way to introduce your kids to the wonders of nature. Finally, GCBO will be hosting their 2nd annual Quintana Spring Fling the entire month of April at the Quintana Sanctuaries. We will have daily bird walks with GCBO staff and/or volunteers, birding information for the area, and cold drinks, t-shirts, and field guides for sale. Come by and check it out!

Monthly Bird Banding at GCBO

Join us from 8:00 until noon on Saturday, March 27th for our monthly bird banding session.  Watch as GCBO Research Associates Robert & Kay Lookingbill band the birds and explain how to determine the species, age, and sex of birds in the hand.  We've already caught several winter returnees from previous years and are hoping for more this month.  Come out and see what surprises are in store for us. This is a great way to get kids excited about wildlife, but all ages are welcome.  See the map on our webpage for directions.  Note that mapquest and googlemaps will not guide you to the right place using our address.

NOTE: Our March bird banding will be on the fourth Saturday of the month (the 27th) and April bird banding will be on the second Saturday of the month (the 10th).