Events

6:00 am
Bolivar Flats on the Bolivar Peninsula offers unique bird photography opportunities with its shallow water and exposed sand bars. Tim will take a small group of photographers out to Bolivar Flats to demonstrate the techniques he routinely uses to capture images of shorebirds down low at their own eye level. Participants will use a ground...
Find out more »7:00 am
The tip of the Bolivar Peninsula offers a wide variety of photographic opportunities and you are in for a treat on this morning photography adventure. Begin your trip with a ferry ride across the Houston Ship Channel. The group will be meeting Sean on the Bolivar side where there will be opportunities to photograph birds at the ferry landing. From there you will caravan to the North Jetty for an opportunity to photograph American Avocets and other wading birds. Finally, the group will photograph wading birds in several marshes nearby. Locations are subject to change based on tide, wind, and location of the birds.
Find out more »7:30 am
Back by popular demand, for this trip, you will be guided by one of our most experienced birders and all-around nature lover, Glenn Olsen. Glenn leads nature tours in the US and overseas but he calls the upper Texas coast home. His extensive knowledge of local birding areas is sure to yield excellent views of migrating warblers as they move through our area on their way to nesting habitat. As a bonus, Glenn is also a Texas Master Naturalist and has served as the president of the Native Plant Society of Texas. His knowledge in these areas should greatly enhance your trip experience. Our group will focus on techniques for improving field identification skills. We will be traveling by bus and places visited will depend on weather patterns and reports from the previous day’s birding activities.
Find out more »7:45 am
Galveston is a Gulf coastal island renowned for its many habitats. On the Gulf beaches, you’ll scan out on the swells and incoming surf for rafts of waterfowl and seabirds. Walking along the beach the edge of the surf is active with the antics of the island’s year-round and migrating peeps, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, and shorebirds foraging on “what the tide brung-in.” Away from the water among the dunes of San Luis Pass, East Beach and GISP, Savannah Sparrow and Horned Lark flit about. Beyond the dunes are briny ponds holding roosting seabirds, Nelson’s and Seaside Sparrows, rails, coots, and water birds. In the bay and tidal marshes migrating and nesting herons, egrets and cormorants in their breeding best, forage. The avian fauna is always in flux with the advance and retreat of the tide moving the food chain in and out. Among the tidally influenced habits and the open coastal prairies and oak mottes migrating songbirds need to refuel and find fresh water.
Find out more »8:00 am
We are excited to offer this first-time FeatherFest field trip with two festival favorites – Kristine Rivers and Mark Scheuerman! Join them for a rare look at these two remarkable properties that are not open to the public.
Find out more »Enjoy zipping along on a quiet and easy electric bike that allows you to get up close and personal with the resident and migratory birds species seen at this time of year. This nearly effortless ride allows you to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of our wetlands and beaches.
Find out more »Join Jon Dunn, one of North Americas most knowledgeable ornithologists, in exploring areas of Galveston Island that bring together our most prolific species, shorebirds. As a leader for Wings Birdwatching Tours for 45 years, he has acquired extensive knowledge in how to parse out and identify the many varieties. While viewing these birds, Jon will...
Find out more »We love birds for so many reasons: their beautiful songs, their fascinating behaviors, their incredible life histories. And, of course, their gorgeous plumage! This watercolor workshop will focus on capturing the amazing colors and patterns of birds in an expressive, splashy watercolor painting style that is simple to use and requires basic, easy to obtain...
Find out more »Galveston Island State Park protects 2,000 acres of upper Gulf Coast barrier island ecosystem. Barrier islands like Galveston move and change constantly with the action of waves, wind, and tides to support a mosaic of coastal habitats, including beaches, prairies and wetlands. These habitats host a surprising variety of wildlife. Join Kyle O’Haver Assistant Park...
Find out more »This is your opportunity to explore “the other side” of Galveston Bay. We head over the causeway bridge to explore birding areas on the Mainland side of Galveston Bay in the Tiki Island, Texas City, and La Marque areas. One of our best kept secrets and most under explored areas, participants will be surprised at...
Find out more »10:00 am
Calling all neighbors! Pollinators, birds, and other wildlife face many challenges to their survival, and they need our help. The good news is that we can take simple steps to help them―right here, right now, right in our own gardens. In this workshop, Lauren Simpson introduces our pollinators and—using a local garden as a classroom—shares simple techniques for transforming our own garden into a beautiful, native-plant paradise―one that supports wildlife and pleases neighbors!
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