Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza

Autumn is hummingbird season in Texas, as thousands of these tiny creatures move through the state on their southward migration to Mexico and Central America. Many Ruby-throats will travel 600 miles straight across the Gulf to the Yucatan Peninsula while others will fly around the edges of the Gulf to points in Mexico.  Join us Saturdays in September from 8:00 to 12:00 for our Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza.  You can watch hummingbird banding, adopt a hummingbird, browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, or buy a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.  Each Saturday, a different informative lecture will round out the festivities.  See the GCBO webpage for more details. We need some "gung ho" volunteers to help with this event.  If you are interested, contact Reba Craft.  We will also be collecting used cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras and ipods for Recycling For Charities (see below) at XHX so bring your used electronics by and let GCBO recycle them for you.

Hawk Happening at Smith Point

Join GCBO and HawkWatch International staff as we celebrate raptor migration at its peak on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area at Smith Point.  Observe bird banding demonstrations of both raptors and passerines, learn about hawk migration and hone your identification skills with tips from the experts.  Barbeque, beverages, field guides, books on raptor ecology, and other nature store items will be available on site with all proceeds benefiting the Smith Point Hawk Watch.  No reservations are necessary.  Free admission.  Visit our website for directions.

En-Raptor-Ed

Have you ever had a Harris's Hawk land on your head, stood next to a Golden Eagle, or felt the rush of air as a Gyrfalcon flies by?  If not, please join us on Saturday, November 7th, for our fourth annual En-Raptor-Ed fundraiser at the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX.  Jonathon Wood will once again put on a fantastic show with his raptor entourage including birds of prey from every habitat on the planet including Arctic, Desert, Rainforest, Wetland, Prairie, Woodland, and Tundra.  Come see some of the most magnificent birds on earth and enjoy a delicious lunch for your donation of $100 per adult and $15 per child.  Please call our office at 979-480-0999 to purchase your ticket and check our website for more information.

A New Invasive - Rasberry Crazy Ants

Texas has long been popular among birders because of the exotic birds that show up occasionally.  Unfortunately, Texas also gets other exotic species and now a new ant is threatening our wildlife and homes as well.  The Rasberry Crazy Ant, first discovered by Tom Rasberry in Pasadena in 2002, has now spread through many east Texas counties unintentionally aided by humans.  Little is known about this ant, including where the U.S. populations originated, but it has the potential to decrease home and property values, devastate the nursery industry and agriculture, and have untold impacts on nesting bird species.  Crazy ants cover the ground and trees in masses and can even displace red imported fire ants.  Crazy ants are so invasive that residents prefer fire ants after experiencing a crazy ant infestation.  Over the counter pesticides are ineffective against these ants and currently the only way to slow their spread is through expensive professional pest control.  Refer to the Center for Urban & Structural Entomology for information on how to identify this species and what to do if you suspect you have an infestation.

Photo credit: Forest & Kim Starr, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org

Join GCBO on Facebook

Recently we established a Support The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory cause on Facebook.  If you have a Facebook page, consider joining our cause and helping us build our network.  Invite your friends too!  Receive notifications about upcoming GCBO events, donate funds, help spread the word about GCBO's conservation initiatives all through Facebook.  Click here to view our cause page.