Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Coffee is an agricultural crop that thrives in the tropics.

14—These areas oftentimes are coincident with biodiversity hot spots; that is, areas of really high biodiversity, whether in birds, or insects, amphibians—what have you.

Dr. Robert Rice works with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, which certifies coffees “Bird Friendly” when growers meet certain stringent criteria. Studies suggest shade grown coffee offers the greatest benefit as habitat.

15—Where coffee still is managed with a shade cover of the kind that we like to see and have defined with “bird friendly” criteria, then coffee oftentimes is some of the last remaining canopy cover—even though it’s not forest—it’s acting very much like a forest.

With habitat loss from deforestation, shade grown coffee estates serve as refuge for neo-tropical migratory bird species that travel through Texas, including the Black and White Warbler, the Baltimore Oriole, the Cerulean Warbler and others.

15—So, they just hang out there. They might be running around with mixed species flocks, and trying to stay alive and ultimately fatten up before they make the trip back north again. So this quality habitat becomes quite important for them in terms of making the trip back.

So next time you order a cup of coffee, you might ask your barrista if it’s for the birds.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

This month folks who reside in the Central Flyway of Texas may get a treat if they cast their gaze skyward, because whooping cranes are in migration.

18—Usually on a route down from the Muleshoe National Wildlife refuge area through the Hill Country and down to the coast. These birds are on migration so they’re on a pretty direct flight. And usually they’re moving during the day and they roost in good numbers at the various national wildlife refuges along the Central Flyway.

Mark Klym is with Wildlife Diversity. Whooping cranes are an endangered species, numbering slightly more than 260 birds—that’s up from a low of fewer than 20 animals in the early 20th Century.

Whoopers migrate in small groups of six or less, as well as on the fringes of migrating sand hill crane flocks. Klym asks that you contact him if you see these big birds along their migration path.

19—Once we’ve got a confirmation, our biologists use that to anticipate where we would see them next and try to follow them as they’re coming south to give us an idea if they’re going to run into any problems. You’ve got migratory bird hunting season at that time and we encourage the hunters to know what they’re shooting at. And, if there may be a problem, we may have to look at other actions to protect the birds.

We have the phone number for you to call to report seeing these birds at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program… for Texas Parks and Wildlife …I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Whooping cranes are protected by federal and state endangered species laws, and Texans can help safeguard this national treasure by helping to prevent harm or harassment to whooping cranes. Anyone sighting a whooping crane is asked to report it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112, extension 4644 or alternatively at (512) 847-9480. Sightings can also be reported via e-mail at leeann.linam@tpwd.state.tx.us.

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This is Passport to Texas

This time of year when you look high overhead, you might just see whooping cranes.

10—Every year, about this time of year, we start getting emails and telephone calls from people all excited that they’ve seen whooping cranes flying over; and usually it’s between 50 and 100 birds.

But, Mark Klym, with the agency’s Wildlife Diversity program, says if you do witness a huge flock of big birds in the clouds…

07—I’m sorry, that’s not whooping cranes. Whooping Cranes never fly in a flock larger than about 10 birds, and very rarely more than six birds.

Well, maybe what you saw were sand hill cranes. Even so, North America’s biggest bird could still mingle in the mix.

05—Usually they’re off to the side. You’ll get the sand hills in a group and the whooping cranes off in a group on their own.

Whooping cranes, on the endangered species list, come through Texas’ Central Flyway this month on their way to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to overwinter.

15—We are optimistic that we are going to see a good population at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Certainly a recovery from what we saw in the past winter.

Well, with the drought, we had very few blue crabs in the bays and as result suffered; we had a few losses.

If you do see whooping cranes in migration, contact Mark Klym. You’ll find his information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… for Texas Parks and Wildlife …I’m Cecilia Nasti.
_________________________________________________________

Whooping cranes are protected by federal and state endangered species laws, and Texans can help safeguard this national treasure by helping to prevent harm or harassment to whooping cranes. Anyone sighting a whooping crane is asked to report it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at (800) 792-1112, extension 4644 or, alternatively at (512) 847-9480. Sightings can also be reported via e-mail at leeann.linam@tpwd.state.tx.us.

Check out this YouTube video of whooping cranes at Aransas national Wildlife Refuge.

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This is Passport to Texas

Be on the lookout for the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. It’s the much anticipated annual birding issue. Editor Louie Bond.

I noticed just today out on my morning walk how many birds were singing. It just fills you with such delight. In may, not only do we have the spring birding calendar, which tells everybody where you can go to see birds, where there are festivals, where there are classes.

And they call these colonial water birds, because they’re instinct is to gather together in these great colonies of all these different water birds and have their babies all together. So, it’s this gigantic, squawking, screaming, and unfortunately, stinky nursery where all these babies are born. Without these protected nurseries, our water birds are quite threatened. So, we have an excellent article this month. So, we encourage you to go outside to look up….see what’s up there.

Thanks, Louie

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

[ticking clock] Hear that? That’s time running out to register your team in the thirteenth annual great Texas Birding Classic. Shelly Plante.

The Birding lasts for an entire week. And we have events for all ages and all different kind of groups of people.

Plante oversees nature tourism for Texas Parks and Wildlife. If you don’t mind paying a late fee, you may register your team up until the day of the tournament, which is April 24. The event is open to birders of all skills and abilities.

With birding, everyone is equal. If you’re blind or visually impaired you can do birding by ear. And we actually have a tournament category for that in the birding classic—the Outta Sight Song Birder Tournament. We have ADA accessible trails throughout the Texas coast, so, anyone with mobility impairments can get out there and bird. It really is an equal opportunity activity.

It’s easy to register your team in this tournament.

To find out about registration for this year’s event, go to birdingclassic.org online.

Registration deadline is March 22. The event is April 24 through May 2, and concludes with an awards ceremony.

Winning teams decide which proposed avian habitat conservation projects receive funding this year.

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

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