FeatherFest Chronological Events by Day
Friday, April 13, 2012
| Register |
Event descriptions below include the birds and habitats most likely to be seen, the recommended skill level, what to bring, and mode of transportation in hopes of preparing you for the most enjoyable experience possible. Activities with a 5-star designation are led by recognized birding and photography experts and showcase Galveston birding at its best.
Skill levels are: 1 for Beginner Birder/Photographer; 2 for Intermediate; and 3 for Advanced.
All trips, including walking and boating events, will depart in front of Old Galveston Square, 2215 The Strand, downtown Galveston, unless otherwise noted. Please assemble 15 minutes ahead of the listed departure time, as trips WILL leave on time! Except for Drive Your Own Car trips, the listed times relate to departure from and arrival back at Old Galveston Square. Boat and kayak trips will occur as scheduled, based on weather conditions. Please check with the Registration Desk for status.
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Greet the Dawn at Virginia Point 
Price: $50
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 5:30a.m. – 11:30a.m.
Bring water, snacks
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
The location of this event is not normally publicly accessible, so that in itself is exciting!
Virginia Point is a historic location across the bay and within the wonderful acreage of mainland bay margin which Scenic Galveston, Inc. has acquired to be preserved for all time. Visitors coming into or out of Galveston on I-45 see the results of this non-profit’s work on both flanks, and those areas are open to the public.
On this trip, guests will be taken to Scenic Galveston’s vintage Airstream trailer camping spot in time to arrive pre-dawn. You will sit over coffee and bird, first by ear with dawn song (including rails, and normally including Black Rails), then watch flyovers until the sun comes up. You’ll see 40-50 species without ever leaving your chair!
Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to walk along a primitive, but mowed, birding trail across the Virginia Point Prairie. This has freshwater adjacencies and a very productive oak mott at the end. It's a mile or so one way and can be shortened at any juncture.
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Bluewater Highway & Special Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge Tour
Price: $55
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 5:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Bring water, snacks, lunch
Field Experts: Jim O’Donnell, Glenn Olsen
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: All
Explore the mainland beyond the western tip of Galveston Island, along Bluewater Highway and en-route to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge with guides who know this very pleasant trip well. BNWR is a 40,000 acre refuge famous for its spectacular birding. With special permission we anticipate being able to explore areas not normally open to the public.
Snooze for the first part of the trip, then leave Galveston Island by way of the San Luis Pass toll bridge as the sun comes up behind you. If the tide is low, take a quick look for shorebirds on the sand flats of Follets Island, on the west and north side of the bridge (or make a note to stop there on the way back), then move west along Bluewater Highway where there are small lagoons on the beach side of the road with salt cedar brush, nesting herons and usually some remnant wintering waterfowl.
The land on the north side is flat and you can see from beach to bay. Keep an eye open for raptors, harriers, Osprey, caracaras, and hawks. Then make tracks for Brazoria NWR and a broader range of birding. A number of rare bird sightings have been reported from this refuge. In winter, thousands of migrating ducks and geese stop over, relishing the fresh water marsh habitats, and some are likely to still be present. Neo-tropic migrants will also be on view, plus late wintering raptors. It is also a place to see alligators and many marsh animals. The return journey, along the coastal highway, close to the sea and bay in the afternoon, will again be spectacular under a different light, with some predictably “birdy” stops along the way as time permits.
Targets: Dabbling and Diving Ducks, Black- and Yellow-crowned Night Herons, White and White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, Mottled Ducks, grebes, gulls, terns, geese, moorhens, coots, Purple Gallinules, Seaside Sparrows, Sora Rails, bittern, hawks, “peeps,” and early migrant songbirds.
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Advanced Nature Photography Field Trip
Price: $60
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Bring water, snacks
Photo Expert: Larry Ditto
Bus & Moderate/Strenuous Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
This is a unique field trip for a limited group of photographers with advanced skills. The trip will take you to San Luis Pass, an area of beaches located on the west end of Galveston Island where mud flats and dunes hold a wide variety of photo opportunities of area birds.
You will learn what equipment you need to capture awe-inspiring images and how to get the most benefit from the equipment. Larry will share his tips for getting more interesting shots by changing perspective, finding the right location, and using color and lighting. He will also cover the benefits of learning behavior to anticipate what the subject is about to do so that action shots are not missed. Plus he’ll answer the question, “Will I know a good photo when I see it?”
When paired with the Advanced Nature Photography Workshop, guests will benefit from an even broader experience. Please note that the field trip is on either Thursday or Friday, and that the workshop is on Saturday.
Suggested equipment: Digital SLR camera with a 300mm or greater lens, 1.4x or 2.0x extender for added magnification, flash, tripod, small camera bag, water sandals, towel, hat. There is the possibility most of the trip will be spent on foot outside the bus.
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San Luis Pass Photography
Price: $60
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Bring water, snacks
Photo Expert: Sean Fitzgerald
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 1, 2
San Luis Pass is a series of beaches located on the west end of Galveston Island. The mud flats and dunes hold a wide variety of photo opportunities for area birds. The exact location will be selected based on light, wind, tides, and availability of birds.
Suggested equipment: Digital SLR camera with a 300mm or greater lens, 1.4x or 2.0x extender for added magnification, flash, tripod, small camera bag, water sandals, towel and hat.
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Bolivar Birding with Kevin Karlson
Price: $60
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 6:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Field Experts: Kevin Karlson, Bill Saulmon
Bring water, snacks, lunch
Bus & Strenuous Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
Join Kevin Karlson at what he calls “one of the finest migratory locations in North America” – the southern end of the Bolivar Peninsula. Shorebirds, terns, herons, egrets and other water birds will give participants an unforgettable field experience. A limited number of spaces are available to allow for more personal interaction with Kevin and the other birders.
Targets: Expect to see at least 80 – 100 species! For example, 5 species of plovers, 7 species of terns, 4 species of gulls, dowitchers, Peregrine Falcons, Marsh Hawks, Marbled Godwits, Long-billed Curlews, Whimbrels, Red Knots, White-tailed Kites, Marsh Wrens, Seaside Sparrows, Nelson Sharp-shinned Sparrows, and Ospreys.
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Photography on East Beach
Price: $40
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Bring water
Photo Expert: Debbie Ferrell
Bus and Walk
Skill Level: All
East Beach is a small spit of land with shoreline and gentle surf on one side and tidal marsh on the other. Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, the many different herons and egrets, Laughing Gulls and other birds fly overhead as they move through the area. This trip will concentrate on capturing images of birds in flight, but won’t pass up a great opportunity to photograph a Tri-colored Heron or Reddish Egret feeding in the marsh.
Suggested equipment: Digital SLR with a 300mm or greater lens. Smaller digital cameras with a 10x or 12x will be adequate. Other equipment including a tripod, flash, and 1.4x or 2x extender will enhance your experience. Bring a small to mid-sized camera bag to carry your equipment in the vehicle.
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Christmas Bay Birding by Kayak
Price: $70
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Bring water, snacks, lunch
Field Experts: Artist Boat
Bus & Strenuous Kayak
Skill Level: All
A bus will provide your transportation to Christmas Bay located west of San Luis Pass. Enjoy the eye-level appreciation of the wetlands and wildlife watching that kayaking offers. Paddle within feet of nesting Roseate Spoonbills, Tri-colored Herons, Great Egrets and other wading birds. Paddlers will hear the sounds of active nesting birds, float over natural stands of sea grasses, and experience the diving habits of the Brown Pelican at close range. The trip will offer at least three hours on the water. Note that restrooms are not available onsite.
Guests are advised to wear sunscreen, lace-up, close-toed footwear, and fingerless cycling gloves. Be ready to get a bit muddy, and bring a water-proof bag for your gear. Guests will be supplied and required to wear a life jacket. The activity level for this trip is strenuous. A signed waiver of liability will need to be shown prior to the trip.
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West Isle Marsh and Shorebirds
Price: $50
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 7:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Bring water, snacks
Field Expert: Jim Stevenson
Bus, Frequent in-and-out Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
Participants will travel to Galveston Island West End shorebird hot spots to bird the freshwater ponds, coastal marshes and bay waters. These areas provide habitat for Clapper Rails, Black-necked Stilts, Common Loons, diving ducks and “peeps.” Private piers on Sportsman Road provide excellent viewing for oyster-catchers, dowitchers, Dunlins, gulls, terns and Ruddy Ternstones.
At the far end of the Island, the San Luis Pass mudflats and marshes provide close-up viewing of avocets, white pelicans, plovers, Marbled Godwits, Long-billed Curlews, and several varieties of migrating shorebirds, terns and “peeps.”
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High Island Famous Sites
Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oaks, The Rookery, and more!
Price: $70
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Bring water, snacks, lunch
Field Experts: Mike Austin, Damien Carey, Stennie Meadours
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: All
High Island is the surface expression of a salt dome on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to its elevation above the saltwater table, it supports wooded habitat that supplies food, water and places to rest for tired trans-Gulf migrants.
The Houston Audubon Society has two large sanctuaries in the area, Boy Scout Woods and Smith Oaks, which are known worldwide for their spectacular variety of spring migrants. Smith Oaks contains the spectacular heron rookery, safely located on an island within a lake, where visitors may get close views of nesting herons, ibis, egrets, and spoonbills. April weather fronts can produce 30 or more species of songbirds in a single day!
On the lower levels of the “island,” there are producing oil fields, and the roads through the marshes there can also provide some good views of sandpipers and rails.
The “island” and sanctuaries have taken a heavy hit from hurricanes since 2004. Many large trees have been lost or damaged but many remain and new trees are growing. That scenario is the history of such wooded motts along the Gulf Coast.
Read more about High Island on the Houston Audubon Web site.
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Coastal Birding Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Expert Leader: Alice Anne O’Donell
Skill Level: 1, 2
Birders will find this workshop the perfect introduction to coastal birding. The focus will be on the identification of wintering and early migrating birds on the Upper Texas Coast. Best when paired with the Coastal Birding Field Trip.
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Moody Gardens Aquarium Photography
Price: $65
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
No food or drink allowed in the Aquarium
Photo Expert: Kathy Adams Clark
Meet at Site & Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
Join Kathy Adams Clark as she takes you deep beneath the waters of Moody Gardens Aquarium for instruction on shooting aquatic subjects. Get up close to underwater subjects without even getting your feet wet! You’ll have lots of space to move around, as the Aquarium will not be open to the public during the hours of this trip. And as a bonus, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like afterwards to roam around on your own. Kathy will share techniques on using the available light to capture images that will impress.
You need to drive your own car to this event. Please allow 45 minutes to travel from downtown to Moody Gardens, park your car, unload equipment and walk to the entrance of the BLUE pyramid, which houses the Aquarium. Your trip liaison will meet you there and you will go in as a group. Driving directions to Moody Gardens will be emailed to you and also available at the festival Registration Desk. Admission to the Aquarium is included in the trip price.
Click here to download a map of Moody Gardens.
Suggested equipment: DSLR camera body, wide angle and mid-range telephoto in the 100-300 range.
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Warbler Watching Trip Just for 12
Price: $50
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Field Expert: Louise Zemaitis
Bring water, snacks, lunch
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
A dozen lucky people will visit the best places on the Island to watch for migrating warblers with Louise Zemaitis. Louise has extensive experience with warbler identification and will help guests improve their powers of observation. Places visited will depend on weather patterns and reports from Thursday’s birding activities.
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Photography from a Bird’s Perspective Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Photo Expert: Tim Timmis
Skill Level: 2
Learn how to enhance your bird photos by getting down to the bird’s level for a more intimate perspective. We will discuss techniques and what equipment to use.
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Organize and Manage Your Photos Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Photo Expert: Scott Buckel
Skill Level: 1, 2
With the development of digital photography, we’re now overwhelmed with hundreds and thousands of files! After you’ve taken all of your photos, how in the world do you find them? This class will discuss how to manage our images by creating and archiving files in order to find images when you need them. We'll discuss several software packages, from free to several hundred dollars. Many of these tools can be used to manage all of your file types, from PDFs to digital video.
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Coastal Birding Field Trip
Price: $35
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 9:00 a.m. – Noon
Bring water, snacks
Field Expert: Alice Anne O’Donell
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 1, 2
This fascinating trip is an introduction to coastal birding and habitat. Emphasis will be on identifying common resident and migrating shorebirds. The trip will go to the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve beach area where you’ll see many species of shore birds, gulls, terns, skimmers, sandpipers, plovers, avocets, Black-necked Stilts, and more. Stops along the way will highlight birds preferring marsh habitat.
This area is located at the East End of the Galveston Seawall and Boddecker Dr. The City of Galveston owns 686 acres of land at the eastern tip of the island and the intent is to transform it into a world-class natural recreational area and nature preserve with an interpretive center. All the habitats associated with a barrier island - beach, uplands, fresh water ponds, brackish lagoons and wetlands - are present.
Time permitting, the trip may move on to Corps Woods. This is a heavily wooded area located adjacent to a large spoils area and the Galveston Ship Channel and serves as a local migrant songbird trap.
Participation in the Coastal Birding Workshop will enhance your experience in this field trip.
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Birding 101
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 9:30 a.m. – Noon
Bring water, snacks
Field Expert: Peggy Boston
Leisurely Walk
Skill Level: 1
This inside workshop and outside walk are for those who are new to birding and want tips on using binoculars and watching and identifying local birds. After an hour inside discussion, you will take a leisurely walk (about two city blocks) over to the docks, where numerous species of birds are easily seen around the shrimp boat fleet.
Targets: Brown and White Pelicans, cormorants, gulls, terns, herons, grackles, doves.
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It’s All about the Light Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 11a.m. – Noon
Photo Expert: Tim Timmis
Skill Level: 1, 2
In this workshop, you will learn how lighting affects bird photography, how to get the “golden light” in your photos, how to create unique photos through silhouettes and back lighting, and how to use fill flash.
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Shooting for Photoshop Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Photo Expert: Scott Buckle
Skill Level: 2
Have you taken photos that just do not look the way you want them to look? This class will introduce you to several features of Photoshop that may be new to you. You’ll be introduced to the basic principles of merging multiple images to create panoramas and collages. You’ll also learn to create complex lighting situations by lighting only one part of a scene at a time, how to use layer blend modes, and how to increase the depth of field.
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Harbor Tour and Birding by Boat
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Expert Leaders: Sid Steffens, Richard Mayfield
Bring water, snacks, lunch
Short Walk to Dock & Boat Trip
Skill Level: All
For those who are not able to take the longer boat trip to North Deer Island, this shorter trip aboard the SS Seagull II will provide a one-hour view of Galveston from the water and some interesting facts about the Port, plus an opportunity to see the dolphins. The Seagull II is a 45-passenger catamaran hulled boat. This is an easy trip suitable for young children and those less mobile. Meet your trip liaison in the bus loading area to walk over to the dock as a group. Note that there is no restroom on the boat.
Targets: pelicans, cormorants, herons, terns, gulls.
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Digiscoping and Optics Tips Workshop
Price: FREE
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Expert Leaders: Representatives from Optics Companies
Skill Level: All
Don’t miss this free and informative presentation on digiscoping, which is a unique form of long-distance photography using a digital camera and a field spotting scope. Representatives of optics companies will cover equipment basics of a good digiscoping set-up and provide digiscoping tips and general information about advances in optics.
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Coastal Birding Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Expert Leader: Mort Voller
Skill Level: 1, 2
Birders will find this workshop the perfect introduction to coastal birding. The focus will be on the identification of wintering and early migrating birds on the Upper Texas Coast. Best when paired with the Coastal Birding Field Trip.
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Songbirds on the West End
Price: $50
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Field Expert: Jim Stevenson
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 2, 3
This field trip searches for the spring songbird richness found on West Galveston Island, with a special emphasis on songbirds such as warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks and buntings. Guests will walk through Lafitte’s Cove Nature Preserve, Galveston’s crown jewel for migrating songbirds. Eight species of vireos and over 30 species of warblers were seen in the oak mott this spring. Freshwater ponds at the entrance to the preserve gave up¬-close views of migrating shorebirds, ducks, Wilson’s Phalaropes, both species of dowitchers and yellow legs, Solitary and Stilt sandpipers, Marsh Wrens, Sora Rails and “peeps.”
Dos Vacas Muertas, a small Houston Audubon sanctuary, was also very productive for the aforementioned birds last spring. Post Ike, many of the live oaks were lost, however the surrounding salt cedar, yaupon and the remaining dead trees and small water feature make this sanctuary a bird island for migrating birds. Dos Vacas is located on the east side of Sea Isle.
There will be a stop at Jim Stevenson's home, Heartbreak Hammock. His yard list is now at 315 species. Several dozen species of land migrants should be recorded, and likely many neat water birds seen incidentally.
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Mastering Composition Photography Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Photo Expert: Debbie Ferrell
Skill Level: 1, 2
Debbie will discuss how to identify the key elements of a good photograph. You will learn how to begin to develop vision for your own style of photography. The basics of composition will also be discussed before continuing on into intermediate composition techniques. The use of color, lighting and lines to create pleasing images are very important to interesting compositions. You’ll discover how to use these elements both when looking through the viewfinder as well as post capture. Discussions also will include how to use the rule of thirds, how to use power points, and where to place the subject in the frame in different action situations. You’ll learn how design elements can lead the viewers’ eye, how to find opportunities to maximize or create drama in lighting situations, and how to use color to hold the viewers’ attention.
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Creating Attractive Sets for Wildlife Photography
Workshop for OPTION 1
Price: $100 (includes Field Trip on Friday, April 13, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Photo Expert: Larry Ditto
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 3
This event includes a WORKSHOP ON FRIDAY and a later FIELD TRIP ON FRIDAY. Both parts are included in the $100 price.
The goal of these combined activities is to learn to maintain control in the “natural world” to achieve more pleasing and interesting images. The workshop will teach participants how to create a studio “in the wild,” work with lighting, and control backgrounds and perches so that a natural look is maintained. On the field trip, you will learn how to plan the setup from start to finish, assist with an actual setup, and photograph migrants and other birds as they visit your natural studio.
Suggested equipment for trip: tripod, DSLR camera body, telephoto lens 300mm or larger, 1.4 and/or 2.0 teleconverters tripod, flash preferably off camera; no equipment needed for workshop.
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Creating Attractive Sets for Wildlife Photography
Workshop for OPTION 2
Price: $100 (includes Field Trip on Saturday, April 14, 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.)
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Photo Expert: Larry Ditto
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 3
This event includes a WORKSHOP ON FRIDAY and a FIELD TRIP ON SATURDAY. Both parts are included in the $100 price.
The goal of these combined activities is to learn to maintain control in the “natural world” to achieve more pleasing and interesting images. The workshop will teach participants how to create a studio “in the wild,” work with lighting, and control backgrounds and perches so that a natural look is maintained. On the field trip, you will learn how to plan the setup from start to finish, assist with an actual setup, and photograph migrants and other birds as they visit your natural studio.
Suggested equipment for trip: tripod, DSLR camera body, telephoto lens 300mm or larger, 1.4 and/or 2.0 teleconverters, tripod, flash preferably off camera; no equipment needed for workshop.
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North Deer Island Rookery by Boat
Price: $50
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Field Experts: Richard Mayfield, Winnie Burkett, Alice Anne O’Donell
Bring water, snacks
Short Walk to Dock & Boat Trip
Skill Level: All
On this fabulous boat ride to the rookery on North Deer Island in West Galveston Bay, you will hone your skills for identifying bay birds in flight: white and Brown Pelicans, Royal and Caspian Terns, cormorants, gulls, plus pods of dolphins.
North Deer Island has 1.7 miles of protected shoreline which supports habitat for the threatened
Reddish Egret and White-faced Ibis and 16 other bird species. This rookery is located in
Galveston Bay between Tiki Island and West Galveston.
The SS Seagull II will drift around this protected, no-trespassing rookery, observing thousands of nesting herons, Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills and other wading birds in their full breeding plumage. The viewing distance will be determined by the tides and prevailing winds.
On the way to North Deer Island, you’ll have an opportunity to see many species of birds at the Harborwalk Marina freshwater ponds. While you’re stopped at the marina to bird, you’ll also be able to purchase snacks and use restrooms. Your trip leader will decide how long to spend at the marina based on the birds.
The boat is a 45-passenger catamaran and there is no restroom on board. Please meet your trip liaison in the bus loading area to walk over to the dock as a group.
Saving North Deer Island Bird Rookery: Texas Parks and Wildlife video
North Deer Island: Houston Audubon webpage about North Deer Island and the shoreline restoration project
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Coastal Birding Field Trip
Price: $35
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Field Expert: Mort Voller
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 1, 2
This fascinating trip is an introduction to coastal birding and habitat. Emphasis will be on identifying common resident and migrating shorebirds. The trip will go to the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve beach area where you’ll see many species of shore birds, gulls, terns, skimmers, sandpipers, plovers, avocets, Black-necked Stilts, and more. Stops along the way will highlight birds preferring marsh habitat.
This area is located at the East End of the Galveston Seawall and Boddecker Dr. The City of Galveston owns 686 acres of land at the eastern tip of the island and the intent is to transform it into a world-class natural recreational area and nature preserve with an interpretive center. All the habitats associated with a barrier island - beach, uplands, fresh water ponds, brackish lagoons and wetlands - are present.
Time permitting, the trip may move on to Corps Woods. This is a heavily wooded area located adjacent to a large spoils area and the Galveston Ship Channel and serves as a local migrant songbird trap.
Participation in the Coastal Birding Workshop will enhance your experience in this field trip.
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Pelican Island Birding
Price: $45
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Field Expert: Jim Stevenson, George Regmund, Adam Wood
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: All
Originally a small shifting sand bar which protected Galveston’s fledgling port, Pelican Island is now an enlarged area of maturing, vegetated dredge spoil. It provides a wide range of habitats including extensive mud flats, fresh water ponds, open grassy areas and small wooded motts with hackberry, mulberry and live oaks. Use of the area is not well controlled, parts of it are not too “tidy” and one road will be bumpy, but the birding is usually fine.
Targets: Sandpipers, avocets, stilts, waterfowl, prairie birds, sparrows, raptors and early migrant songbirds.
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Turtle Research Station Tour
Price: $15
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
No food allowed in facility
Field Expert: Susan Lewis
Meet at Site & Walk
Skill Level: All
Don’t miss this special tour of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sea turtle facility, where more than 350 turtles are housed in 30 saltwater tanks. Known as the “turtle barn,” the facility is the only one of its kind in the world dedicated to captive rearing of sea turtles for research. For the short amount of time these turtles are under NOAA's care, the primary focus of this research is the modification of commercial fishing equipment to avoid the incidental by-catch of sea turtles.
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Shooting and Processing Raw/Lightroom Workshop
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Photo Expert: Sean Fitzgerald
Skill Level: 1
This class will focus on how to shoot and process RAW images so that you get the most out of your image. You will learn how to use Lightroom Program tools to create workflows and improve already captured images.
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Video Workshop: Capture to Show the Natural World in Motion
Price: $20
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Photo Expert: Kathy Adams Clark
Skill Level: 1
Video is a great way to preserve the sound and movement of the natural world. Click here to see a Gray Catbird bathing! Join this session to learn how to capture video with a traditional video camera or a digital SLR camera. Kathy will discuss what settings are needed for a good digital capture, how to capture the right digital scenes to tell a story, how to process and edit the clips, and how to upload to YouTube and other online sites. No need to have a camera with video, but if you do, bring it to class for reference.
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Lasagna Landscaping for Birds Workshop
Price: $15
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Expert Leader: Glenn Olsen
Skill Level: All
According to the Organic Gardening Web site, lasagna gardening is a no-dig, no-till organic gardening method that results in rich, fluffy soil with very little work from the gardener. The name "lasagna gardening" has nothing to do with what you'll be growing in this garden! It refers to the method of building the garden, which is, essentially, adding layers of organic materials that will “cook down” over time, resulting in rich soil that will help your plants thrive. Also known as “sheet composting,” lasagna gardening is great for the environment, because you're using your yard and kitchen waste and essentially composting it in place to make a new garden. Glenn will explain how to use this gardening method to benefit birds.
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Creating Attractive Sets for Wildlife Photography
Field Trip for OPTION 1
Price: $100 (includes Workshop: Friday, April 13, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.)
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Photo Expert: Larry Ditto
Bus & Walk
Skill Level: 3
This event includes a WORKSHOP ON FRIDAY and a later FIELD TRIP ON FRIDAY. Both parts are included in the $100 price.
The goal of these combined activities is to learn to maintain control in the “natural world” to achieve more pleasing and interesting images. The workshop will teach participants how to create a studio “in the wild,” work with lighting, and control backgrounds and perches so that a natural look is maintained. On the field trip, you will learn how to plan the setup from start to finish, assist with an actual setup, and photograph migrants and other birds as they visit your natural studio.
Suggested equipment for trip: tripod, DSLR camera body, telephoto lens 300mm or larger, 1.4 and/or 2.0 teleconverters tripod, flash preferably off camera; no equipment needed for workshop.
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Birding by Habitat Workshop with Louise Zemaitis
Price: $25
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Expert Leader: Louise Zemaitis
Skill Level: All
Birding can become a lifelong pursuit. One can easily focus on the finer points of identification or the quest for life birds without seeing the big picture. In this presentation, Louise will talk about birds within their natural habitats, shared with other organisms. Learning more about the context within which you see birds will heighten your awareness of how birds live and improve your birding skills.
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Shorebirds Made Simpler Workshop with Kevin Karlson
Price: $25
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Expert Presenter: Kevin Karlson
Skill Level: All
This interactive workshop shares some of the tips that Kevin feels are necessary for taking your birding skills to the next level. Basic field ID approaches are covered, and specialty tips are given for finding and viewing various bird family groups, including shorebirds, sparrows, warblers, raptors and terns. While this workshop is targeted to beginning and intermediate birders, even the experienced birder will find it an excellent review of useful field information. Digitized composite photos from Kevin’s soon-to-be published book, "Birding by Impression," will be used to compare similar species in the same image, to allow participants to test their evaluative ID skills.
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Photography on East Beach
Price: $40
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Bring water
Photo Expert: Kathy Adams Clark
Bus and Walk
Skill Level: All
East Beach is a small spit of land with shoreline and gentle surf on one side and tidal marsh on the other. Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, the many different herons and egrets, Laughing Gulls and other birds fly overhead as they move through the area. This trip will concentrate on capturing images of birds in flight, but won’t pass up a great opportunity to photograph a Tri-colored Heron or Reddish Egret feeding in the marsh.
Suggested equipment: Digital SLR with a 300mm or greater lens. Smaller digital cameras with a 10x or 12x will be adequate. Other equipment including a tripod, flash, and 1.4x or 2x extender will enhance your experience. Bring a small to mid-sized camera bag to carry your equipment in the vehicle.
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Set Your Sights Social – Cameras, Optics & More, Oh My!
Price: FREE
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Old Galveston Square, 2215 The Strand
There’s no better place to socialize with other birders and photographers than at this free Friday evening social! Enjoy a glass of wine and light hors d'oeuvres while you catch up with old and new friends. And since you’ll be in the heart of Birders’ Bazaar, this will be an ideal opportunity to check out the latest in photography and optics equipment.
Houston Camera Exchange, official sponsor of the festival’s 2012 photography track, will have their latest cameras, lens and accessories on hand for both beginner and experienced bird photographers. Representatives from Canon, Nikon, Sony and other manufacturers will be on hand to demonstrate their products.
You’ll also want to talk shop with optics experts from manufacturers like Eagle, Leica, Kowa, Nikon, Swarovski and Takahashi, and browse their wares. Pick up your festival souvenir from the FeatherFest sales table, which will be chock full of 2012 T-shirts, jewelry, puzzles, books and more!
Click here for a map to Old Galveston Square.
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Light Painting Photography
Price: $40
Date: Friday, April 13
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Bring water, snacks
Photo Expert: Sean Fitzgerald
Walking
Skill Level: 2
This event begins with a brief explanation of light painting as the sun goes down. Once night falls, participants will begin photographing the Strand area in the dark and accentuating details with flashlights and flashes. Expect the unexpected on this trip! Meet your trip liaison in the bus loading area to walk The Strand as a group.
Suggested equipment: Digital SLR camera with a wide angle lens. Smaller digital cameras that can be operated in the manual or aperture priority mode are acceptable. Tripod, flash, camera manual, flash manual, a flashlight or two, extra batteries for camera and flash. Small camera bag that will hold equipment. Sturdy walking shoes. Expect to cover several blocks during the evening and cover rough terrain.
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For Further Information
Email: NatureTourismGalv@juno.com
FeatherFest Hotline: 832.459.5533 or 1.888.425.4753
Nature Tourism Info: 409.789.8125
Mail: Galveston FeatherFest, P.O. Box 1468
Galveston, TX 77553-1468
FeatherFest is a project of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council which supports nature tourism and education, and promotes the value of area natural habitats.
www.GalvestonNatureTourism.org
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