Saturday, April 20 - Sunday, April 21
$125 per person, max. 15 people

Experience peak spring migration on the upper Texas coast! This trip will include stops at High Island, Bolivar Peninsula, and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. With the exceptional diversity of shorebirds, songbirds, and wading birds in the area, participants will rack up their year list quickly on this adventure.

This trip will kick off on Saturday afternoon at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Here, participants will meet up with shorebird scientists from Manomet who have been conducting research on this refuge and the surrounding agricultural fields. If the scientists know about any fields outside of the refuge that have large numbers or uncommon species of shorebirds, the group will make a quick trip to view them. Then, we’ll take a driving tour of the refuge to look for birds like Fulvous Whistling Duck, Purple Gallinule, Boat-tailed Grackle, and King Rail. We may even see an alligator or two! The evening will culminate with the group watching hundreds of shorebirds flying overhead as they head to their evening roost. The total number of species reported on eBird at this location in April is 301.

On Sunday morning, participants will meet Houston Audubon staff at their High Island sanctuary, Smith Oaks and learn about the sanctuary’s history and bird life. High Island is infamous for its abundance of migrating songbirds, occasional fallouts, and up-close views of nesting waterbirds. The group will first traverse the canopy trail where we’ll get to watch songbirds feeding high in the trees, from above! We’ll then make our way to the rookery viewing platforms where we’ll get close-up views of nesting Anhinga, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret, and others. This will be an excellent opportunity for photographers! From there we’ll walk the wooded trails below to look for several species of warblers, orioles, vireos, thrushes, and flycatchers. The total number of species reported on eBird at this location in April is 321.

If timing allows, we will drive along the peninsula to Houston Audubon’s Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Here we will sift through thousands of birds on the beach, which may include species like Snowy Plover, Marbled Godwit, American Avocet, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin, and Common Tern. The total number of species reported on eBird at this location in April is 276.

For this trip, you’ll be joined by Sam Wolfe of Manomet, who was the speaker for our January 2024 Speaker Series. You can find her presentation here.

Logistics:

• Lodging fills up quickly here, so don’t hesitate to book your stay.
  • Several hotel options in Winnie
  • RV or tent sites at High Island RV Park
  • Many Airbnb homes in Bolivar/Crystal Beach
  • Tent camping in the picnic area of Smith Oaks is free, but tents need to be taken down before sunrise
• Entry to Smith Oaks requires a $10 day pass (bought on site), or a $30 patch which allows access to all Houston Audubon sanctuaries for the entire year. If purchasing a $30 patch, please do so ahead of time via this link. If you choose the $10 day pass, please bring exact cash with you to expedite the entry process.
• Entry to Bolivar beach requires a beach parking pass. This can be purchased at several local stores, including High Island Food Mart which you’ll pass on your way in and out of Smith Oaks.
• Recommended gear- binoculars, spotting scope if you prefer to use your own, rubber boots (trails at Smith Oaks may be muddy), insect repellent, water, snacks, cash for entrance to High Island sanctuaries.

Learn more and register for this trip by navigating to our events calendar and selecting the event.

Can't attend but want to support this fundraiser? Use the Donate button on the righthand side of this page to make a contribution!

Birdathon is Travis Audubon’s most entertaining way to engage in our mission to protect native birds! Teams of birders compete to see as many birds during one trip as possible. All registration fees and team donations benefit Travis Audubon. All skill levels are welcome to join a trip, start a team, or compete as an individual.