Beach Birding Update

By Billy Sandifer

On August 17th, Mel Cooksey reported 700 Buff-bellied Sandpipers at the sod farm off Highway 664, a Zone-tailed hawk and Least Grebes being regular at Pollywog Pond and an unusually high number of shorebirds on the mud flats on the West side of Oso Bay. We saw our first Orchard Oriole of the season on July 22nd, and the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are beginning to move though in small numbers. This will increase dramatically in September. By the third week of September, we usually have over 70 Ruby-thoated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds in our yard here in Flour Bluff daily.

There are LOTS of birds on the beach. I observed 2 Hudsonian Gobwits on July 20th. These birds are typically not seen here this time of year. I'm seeing more than 20,000 Black Terns daily as well as good numbers of Tri-colored, Little Blue and Great White Herons, Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and occasional Reddish Egrets migrating daily. Some Red Knots are usually seen daily in the area between the 15 1/2 and 20 mile beach although numbers are small. Piping, Semi-palmated, Snowy and Wilson's Plover are seen daily as are RuddyTurnstones, Sanderlings, Willets, Long-billed Curlews, Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls, Brown Pelicans and all of the resident and migrating Tern species. Occasional "peep' and Spotted Sandpipers are seen as are Turkey Vultures, Caracaras and White-tailed hawks. September is THE month to see a Sabine's Gull in Texas, and the Padre Island National Seashore is the most reliable place to see this bird in TX. I have 1-3 sightings every September. The tremendous numbers of birds on the beaches of the Padre Island National Seashore this time of year is genuinely spectacular and one of the most overlooked wonders in the Natural World of Texas. Enjoy.

Capt. Billy

The hummingbirds are coming!

(Rockport-Fulton, Texas – August 3,2009) What bird is known as the

acrobat of the air? This same bird can cruise at 25 miles per hour and dive at more than three times this speed. It can hover at a standstill and even fly upside down. Of course, we’re talking about the tiny gem of the bird species, the hummingbird. They will come through Rockport and Fulton in waves by the thousands beginning mid-August.

This is the time to give our feathered friends a little extra help to fuel their continued migration south so get those feeders out.

Remember to always start with clean feeders. Any time you see or suspect mildew or mold you may clean them with a bottle brush and a mixture of one part bleach to ten parts water, but rinse very thoroughly. To refill the feeder, use a sugar solution of one part sugar (no sugar substitutes or honey) to four parts water. Do not vary this formula. If the sugar solution is more concentrated, there is a possibility of it being harmful to the birds by dehydrating them. Heat the water to a slight boil, remove from heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Fill feeders with the solution after it cools. Adding color is absolutely unnecessary, and may even be injurious. The red color of the feeder attracts the birds. Unused sugar water can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (a covered container). Feeders should be cleaned and refilled with sugar water every two to three days or immediately at the first sign of mold. To make your yard even more inviting to hummingbirds, plant some hummingbird attractant plants.

Hummingbirds are bullies, always have been, always will be. And there isn’t just one bully; they’re all combative. Hanging feeders in a cluster can ease some of the competition but not all. The hummingbirds rarely hurt each other so just enjoy the show.

We may not want the hummingbirds to leave but leave they will. Let’s all help them out and send them on their way with a good store of energy for their journey and look for their return in spring.

Your chance to view these fascinating birds will be at the 21^st Annual Hummer/Bird Celebration in Rockport and Fulton, Texas which is set for the peak of the migration Sept. 17-20, 2009. The event will feature keynote speakers daily, bus and boat birding trips, workshops, over 80 exhibitors, and much more. Brochures are available at the Chamber office or go online at www.rockporthummingbird.com.

Billy Sandifer nominated for Heroes of Conservation Award

By: Michelle Horine



Nicknamed the "Padre of Padre Island", local fishing guide, birder, & conservationist Billy Sandifer received a shocking phone call from Field & Stream Magazine recently. The magazine's editor and chief informed Sandifer that he had been nominated for their "Heroes of Conservation Award". Sandifer was selected for the August Edition "Heroes of Conservation" which pays $1,000 and a an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. in October for the semi-finals. If selected for the overall award, Sandifer has a chance at winning $4,000 and a brand new Toyota Tundra. "I don't feel as if I've done anything to justify all of this, says Sandifer. It has been the back breaking work of volunteers that has caused all of this to transpire."

For years, the humbled Captain has been recognized locally for his work as the recipient of a Conservation & Environmental Stewardship Award given by the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation as well as the organizer of the "The Big Shell Beach Clean Up" for the past 14 years. This year's clean-up was featured on the Texas Country Reporter with Bob Phillips where more than 500 volunteers cleaned up 800,000 pounds of debris from the Padre Island National Seashore.

Without fail, Sandifer hand writes his daily fishing and birding reports with intent detail. At the end of each quarter he types up those reports and turns them into the Padre Island National Seashore and the Texas Bird Records Committee for research and conservation purposes. He does this, not because he has to, but because he wants to. This type of documentation is a tremendous resource in evaluating and protecting each and every species that can and has been spotted in the area.

"You are a Texas Icon and a Texas Treasure" replied, Dr. Ray Emerson, friend and supporter of Sandifer after hearing of the news.

Corpus Christi Wins 'America's Birdiest City'

Birding Title Awarded to

Corpus Christi for the 7th year in a Row!

Corpus Christi- The results are in and Corpus Christi once again celebrates the title of 'America's Birdiest City'. Corpus Christi has held the title consecutively each year since 2003.

The annual nationwide contest determines the best city for birding after hundreds of avid birders from around the country count the number of species seen betweetn April 1 and May 31. Within the two-month span of the contest, participating cities and counties selected a 72-hour window to count birds, making it a fast-paced competition somewhat like a scavenger hunt.

Local birders united again this year and counted a total of 217 species of birds in our city. The team was made of members from the Audubon Outdoor Club, Coastal Bend Audubon Society and many other birders. San Diego, California came in second with 198 species of birds.

"The win for our area was bigger than it might appear, because of the weather conditions," said Keith Arnold, CEO of the Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau. "In spite of the gale force wind, we were able to regain the 'America's Birdiest City' title while the American Birding Association was holding its national convention in Corpus Christi. This distincting continues to embellish the CVB's nature tourism marketing for the region."

The 2009 results released the morning of Monday, June 15, 2009 declared Corpus Christi the overall winner as 'America's Birdiest City'. Nueces County was named the Birdiest Coastal County along the Gulf Coast with 238 birds.

Avid Birder and this year's local competition organizer Larry Jordan said the competition was intense not just becasue of the wind, but also the drought and high tides forcing the participants to overcome obstacles not typically present.

Link to Corpus Christi Caller Times Article: http://caller.com/news/2009/jun/15/corpus_christi_is_birdiest_city/

Announcing Bird the Bend

CVB Launches New Interactive Web site Aimed at Birders Press conference to announce BirdtheBend.com

 

(Corpus Christi, TX - April 13, 2009) The launch of a new interactive Web site, BirdtheBend.com, aimed at attracting birders from the area, nation and world will be announced at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 15, 2009 during a press conference in the Antigua Room of the Radisson Beach Hotel North Beach, 3200 E. Surfside Blvd.   The Web site, Birdthebend.com created by the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitor's Bureau, will be one of the most technologically advanced birding sites available worldwide featuring tools such as E-bird, which allows birders to post the birds they spot throughout the Corpus Christi area and an interactive blog allowing them to "tweet" using Twitter.   BirdtheBend.com is the model Web site for future nature tourism sites, each focused on our unique outdoor experiences. The next sites will be developed in the following order: Fishing and Hunting, Kayaking, Windsurfing, Surfing, Sailing & Kiteboarding, and Wildlife Photography. Once all of the components are designed the sites will be grouped together in a convenient portal to serve as a one-stop-shop for the ultimate outdoor experience in the Coastal Bend.   BirdtheBend.com was created as part of the Corpus Christi CVB's Nature Tourism Initiative which is currently in Phase II of the project with the assistance of Fermata, Inc., a Houston-based nature consulting firm.  The Coastal Bend alone has an impressive 153 nature & birding sites in the area available to bird watchers and nature lovers year round.  The CVB believes BirdtheBend.com will propel Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas into the nature tourism spotlight making it the premiere destination.   Before the press conference about 30 area birders will receive hands-on training to learn how to fully interact with BirdtheBend.com thus preparing them for the annual American Birding Association's 2009 conference being held April 27 to May 3 in Corpus Christi. The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau's mission is "to drive overnight visitor$ to the Corpus Christi Area".  For more information about the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau or to plan your next trip to Corpus Christi, visit www.corpuschristicvb.com or call 1-800-678-6232.

Blucher Park Improvements Press Release

Blucher Park Improvements are for the BIRDS... Birders and Nature Lovers will benefit too! (Corpus Christi, TX - February 20, 2009) Almost half of the seven million visitors that flock to Corpus Christi each year are bird watchers and nature lovers. The Coastal Bend is the perfect place to view birds and is one of the top birding destinations in the world located at the point where two migration 'super highways' converge. Hundreds of different bird species stop to rest and fuel during spring and fall migrations. And Blucher Park is one of the major "Fall Out" or resting stops along the way. Blucher Park provides a green space in the heart of downtown Corpus Christi. Several footpaths have been created throughout the park to allow visitors a chance to explore the natural surroundings of the park. Known worldwide the park attracts bird watchers year round in search of flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, warblers, chimney swifts and dozens more species. This densely wooded park with a small creek flowing through its center contributes to the coveted title, "America's Birdiest City" claimed by our city six years in a row. Just a little over 4 acres in size, Blucher Park was donated to the city by the Blucher family in 1914. In 1990 a small group of birders raised $5,000 from Conoco Phillips and committed to the creation of a richly diverse bird habitat in Blucher Park. To this day, some of those same birders meet at the Park every Monday afternoon during daylight savings time to clean and maintain it. They call themselves the "Blucher Bunch" and can tell you where nearly every plant in the park originated. Their passion and knowledge of Blucher Park is priceless. The Blucher Park Enhancement Project was generated from the Coastal Bend Nature Tourism Initiative, a project of the Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau. Keith Arnold, President/CEO of the CVB, believes "Growing and marketing nature tourism in the Coastal Bend is the answer to gaining new business from leisure travelers. Birding, hunting, wind surfing and kite boarding, wildlife photography, fishing, kayaking, etc. are exceptional in the Corpus Christi region. As we work to package these products to increase essential visitor spending, it is equally important that the CVB serve as a catalyst and a facilitator to improving our nature sites and experiences. Blucher Park was selected as a model project for enhancement of an existing site that draws international nature tourists, but with meaningful, thoughtful improvements can migrate from a good attraction to a great attraction." The improvements will include a defined trail system mulched with native wood chips, pedestrian bridge, seating stones, way-finding markers, removal of invasive plants and a chimney swift tower kiosk. The Chimney Swift (a cigar shaped bird with slender wings) is believed to be declining in numbers, partly due to the disappearance of many old chimneys. To help conserve the Chimney Swift the CVB is designing a chimney shaped tower above the kiosk to provide the much needed habitat for the birds to roost and nest. The project will also include signage, graffiti removal, improved park maintenance, and increased bike patrols. The total expenses for the enhancement project including in-kinds services totals $85,710. The CVB has committed a dollar for dollar match up to $50,000 to support this and several other park improvement projects in the city. In addition the American Birding Association (ABA) has granted $2,500 to the project as part of their Convention Conservation Project. Richard Payne, President of ABA commented, "We are very proud to join the Corpus Christi CVB as well as the City of Corpus Christi in recognizing the value of such a remarkable urban oasis and sharing that desire to enhance its habitat value for the birds that reside and visit there." ABA will be hosting their convention in Corpus Christi this spring. The support of financial partners and grants will help the CVB and its Coastal Bend Nature Tourism Initiative stakeholders the ability to improve several sites throughout the area that can draw significantly more visitors when improved, interpreted and packaged for aggressive marketing. The Nature Tourism Initiative is currently in Phase II of the planning stages for an interactive website, informational kiosks and marketing collateral with the assistance of Fermata, Inc., a Houston-based nature consultant firm. The Coastal Bend alone has an impressive 153 nature & birding sites in the area available to bird watchers and nature lovers year round. Contact: Michelle Horine Communications Director Corpus Christi CVB 361-881-1818 office 361-446-4152 cell 361-888-4998 fax mhorine@cctexas.org

Coastal Bend Shines in Great Backyard Bird Count

The 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) has finished its four-day run (the last day being Monday, President's Day) and Coastal Bend communities lead the nation! Corpus Christi reported the most species in the nation (176). Rockport is third (160), Aransas Pass is tied for fifth (152), and Kingsville is in ninth with 146.

The GBBC is an annual four-day event when birders count the birds they see in the backyard, at their feeders, at a neighborhood park, even at a local wildlife refuge. Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

The GBBC engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event.

According to count organizers (Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, National Audubon Society), as the count progresses anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.

Check the GBBC website to see a current list of the top cities. For 2009, though, the Coastal Bend has hold on four of the top ten spots!