Passport to Texas

Looking for migrant bird species coming through Texas.

Birding/Wildlife: Bird Migration Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texans perk up as the monochromatic birds of winter give way to their colorful counterparts of spring.

11—Like the orange and black of the Baltimore Oriole, or the red and black of a Scarlet Tanager. So, all of a sudden you see this splash of color that you haven’t seen in months, and it’s very exciting.

Cliff Shackelford, Parks and Wildlife’s non-game ornithologist, says to witness these colorful migrants, location is only part of the equation.

14—Location is important, but if a storm hit – like a blue norther – in late April, that grounds those birds just like it would ground small aircraft. And so, they’re seeking shelter, and that could be your backyard.

Public hot spots where you can view large concentrations of migratory birds are plentiful – the Texas coast is one of the best.

23— Places like High Island, Sabine Woods near Sabine Pass, Blucher Park near downtown Corpus Christi, the South Padre Island Convention Center. Birdwatchers go to those spots, typically in April and May. They can be very productive. Those are just a few of the really important hot spots we call “migrant traps” that are great for the birds and the bird watchers.

Find birding information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Battleship TEXAS

Event/History: Celebrating Battleship TEXAS at 100 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wrap up spring break March 15 with a family to trip the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic site to celebrate the centennial of Battleship TEXAS.

08—The family festival that we’re going to have on March 15, is going to be a party the likes of which we probably haven’t seen out here before.

Andy Smith oversees the upkeep of the antique dreadnought (now a museum), which saw action in both World Wars. In addition to many family-friendly activities, there’s live music throughout the day, featuring headliner Robert Earl Keen.

08—He’s bringing his Texas Uprising, which is a music festival to the site. And he’s very excited to help raise the awareness of the ship.

Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, Reckless Kelly and Charlie Robison join the lineup at the site.

21—We have a 12-hundred acre facility here; we’re going to have these festivities on and around the battleship – on the smaller side of the park. And it’s going to be a really great event. Tickets are available right now and can be purchased at battleshiptexas.org, and that’ll be march 15 starting at noon and running until 10 p.m. at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.

Andy Smith says money raised from the event will fund much needed repairs to the 100 year old vessel. For more information and tickets go to battleshiptexas.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fishing at Colorado Bend State Park

Recreation: Spring Break in State Parks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sometimes things sneak up on us before we’re ready. Take spring break, for example. Are you at a loss for what to do with the family this week? Robert Ramirez with Outreach and Education at Texas Parks and Wildlife says there’s something for everyone when you visit a state park.

There is something for everybody: everything from hikes to geocaching, to stargazing at night. The little “techies” can grab their iPads and get out there and utilize them for those activities only. The adults will also have plenty to do. There’s a Go Fish program for the kids and adults; the Go Fish programs they teach families the basics of fishing.

Yes. Definitely. Go to our website, and under the ‘calendar’ tab, click on ‘kids’ and the mid two weeks of March are chock full of events and activities and things for them to do.

Remember: Life’s Better Outside. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW TV: Turkey Calls Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Making sounds like a hen turkey can mean the difference between bagging a bird this spring and going home empty handed.

06—Now you want the call of a hen turkey to try and attract the Tom, or male turkey, over to your position.

Steve Hall, Executive Director of the International Hunter Education Association, says a box calls can make enticing sounds.

53—One is called the basic cluck [clucks]. Now, a cluck is a call that says: ‘Hi. I’m here.’ And if you put the cluck in a series of calls, it would be a yelp [yelps]. Now a yelp call says: ‘Come over here; I’m having fun.’ Now, a slate call is much the same as a box call and you can make that basic ‘cut’ sound [cut sound]. And, you can also make a purr, which says ‘I’m on my daily rounds.’ Now, I like to use a diaphragm call; it’s a little more complicated
call. But it allows me, if I’m hunting, to move my arms and hands with my bow or my gun. It fits in the top of your mouth, and you can do it quite easily [cackle]. That was a cackle or a yelp. If you hear a ‘put’ though, that’ll scare a bird away – and that’s the alarm call [put call]. Put them all together and you can have fun imitating a flock of turkeys. [07-of turkey calls…fade]

More tips for talking turkey this week on the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS TV Series. Check local listings.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Paddlefish

Conservation: Creating Flow for Paddlefish Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With a huge mouth and long paddle-shaped snout, the prehistoric paddlefish is a threatened species in Texas. In water systems like Big Cypress Bayou, their decline followed river modifications and dam construction [for Lake O’ the Pines reservoir] which altered in-stream flows necessary for their survival.

18—The in-stream flows that are released from the Lake O’ the Pines reservoir are critical for maintaining habitat within the river, as well as for initiating spawning conditions paddlefish need to reproduce.

Kevin Mayes, an aquatic biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, says after years of study and restoring key features of the Big Cypress system, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Caddo Lake Institute, TPW and others, are returning this “big river” species to the ecosystem.

16—Part of that [work] was identifying that paddlefish require spring spawning pulses to support their reproduction So, we integrated those pulses into a flow regime that we call “in-stream flow building blocks” for the Big Cypress Creek.

This spring, researchers plan to release up to 50 radio-tagged paddlefish into the newly restored system, monitoring their movements, and making adjustments to flows based on the data.

The Wildlife and Sport fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.