The Texas coast attracts a wide variety of species of birds during spring migration. But what if you live inland and don’t have plans to visit the coast?
07— Folks that are inland can probably scout and look for big groves of trees and watch the weather.
Cliff Shackelford is Parks and Wildlife’s non-game ornithologist.
23—I’m here in Nacogdoches, and we have a place in town called Pecan Park – it’s right next to Stephen F. Austin State University – and it is a migrant trap. So what I do is I look at the weather; if it rained the night before during a window of time when I know birds are passing through, that would be late April, early May, I would immediately get out there at eight in the morning and see what’s there.
Inclement weather grounds birds as it does some aircraft. Shackelford said a location with large trees and an open understory is ideal for birders to glimpse migrants high above in the canopy. Of course, if you want to encourage migrants to visit your backyard…
26— Provide a wildscape; that’s landscaping for wildlife. And in that you’ll start to see that ‘hey if I want berry-eating birds like tanagers and grosbeaks and buntings, I should put some of these berry-giving shrubs and trees out. If you’re wanting to attract fly-catching birds, then just having a wildscape means you’re going to have a lot of insect fauna – flies and bees and things like that – that a lot of birds feed on.
Find wildscaping and birding information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.
For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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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.
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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.
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.
And what if you don’t have tackle?
Forty-three of our state parks have a tackle loaner program available. So, just look online and check to see if the park you’re going to visit has the tackle loaner program available to them.
And, speaking of online is that where people should start planning their trip?
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.
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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.
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