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Friends of
Balcones Canyonlands
National Wildlife Refuge
 
Celebrating 150th Anniversary of the Golden-cheeked Warbler

BSF Registration

Balcones Songbird Festival April 23-26, 2010

Just a few tips on using our new registration module.

1. It will be possible to register multiple participants for individual field trips or events.

2. It will NOT be possible to register for multiple field trips/events under one transaction. Sorry, I realize that was a cool function of our previous service, but not available with this one...;( Sorry if this causes any difficulties, but in order to keep control of our space limits we needed to separate each field trip to unique events.)

3. You can pay by paypal, credit card or check using online registration. However, if paying by check, your registration will not be confirmed until payment is received. Many of these field trips do sell out.

4. If you would like to be placed on a waiting list, email us what field trip and we will try to accommodate you.

5. Got questions? call us on 512 965-2473. It is our message center line and it may be forwarded to a live person so even if the voice recording does not mention the Festival, leave a message. You can also email us at

You may download the printed version to register by mail, but many of these tours sell out fast and mailing will delay your confirmation.

SCHEDULING UPDATES
Once tours are confirmed, we will do our very best to minimize changes, however, the schedule and tour leads are subject to change. You will be notified of updates as soon as they become available.
WEATHER POLICY
There are no guarantees with respect to Hill Country weather. WE WILL SEND TOURS OUT REGARDLESS OF RAIN OR TEMPERATURE. Some may be delayed but we will keep the tours within the same day of the event. Call 512 965-2473 for an update, but be prepared to leave on schedule.
ddtacoLogoMaster.PNG
Dee Dee's will be serving all weekend!

Breakfast Tacos
Hamburgers
much more!
Vegetarian options available

 
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Upcoming events

  • Wine & Star Shine Benefit

    • April 23, 2010
    • 05:30 PM - 09:30 PM
    • Flat Creek Estate Winery
    • 85
    Register

    group.jpgWine & Star Shine Fundraiser!

    Share in the joy of accomplishment and benefit our festival programs.
    Join us at 5:30pm for a Sculpture Stroll through the vineyard. Enjoy elegant art works brought to you by the Texas Society of Sculptors.

    At 6:30pm - Chef Sean Fulford will delight you with food pairings to complement Flat Creek Estate award winning wines.

    At Dusk - Jeffery Phillips will provide tales and lights of the sky.

    This event starts at the winery. View the Menu
    Show details

  • NT1 - The Endangered Ones with Chuck Sexton

    • April 24, 2010
    • 07:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 0
    Registration is closed

    masterlogo artwork.pngNT1 - The Endangered Ones

    This tour will span the refuge in search of its two endangered songbirds. Experts on the species will take you to shady, relatively moist woodlands of oak and juniper to listen and look for Golden-cheeked Warblers.At the other end of the refuge, we will listen for the raspy songs of Black-capped Vireos in and around thickets of scrubby oaks, sumacs, and greenbriars. Easy to moderate hiking. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    CHUCK SEXTON

    Dr. Sexton has been active in environmental issues for over 25 years in Austin and around Texas. He grew up in southern California and migrated to Austin in the mid-1970's to attend graduate school at the University of Texas. Dr. Sexton received his doctorate in 1987 studying the impacts of urbanization on birds. Chuck is an acknowledged expert on the biology of both the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. He came to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the staff biologist for the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in December 1994. Chuck is an accomplished botanist and butterfly enthusiast and has presented programs on Texas natural history to a wide range of groups. He writes extensively about Texas birds, most notably with his friend and co-author Greg Lasley in American Birds/Field Notes/North American Birds for the past 17 years.
    Show details

  • NT2 - The Endangered Ones with Bill Reiner and John Chenoweth

    • April 24, 2010
    • 07:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 2
    Register

    masterlogo artwork.pngNT2 - The Endangered Ones

    This tour will span the refuge in search of its two endangered songbirds. Experts on the species will take you to shady, relatively moist woodlands of oak and juniper to listen and look for Golden-cheeked Warblers.At the other end of the refuge, we will listen for the raspy songs of Black-capped Vireos in and around thickets of scrubby oaks, sumacs, and greenbriars. Easy to moderate hiking. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    BILL REINER
    JOHN CHENOWETH

    Bill Reiner and John Chenoweth have been birding together since they worked as a team on the refuge from 2001 to 2004.  In those years, they mapped territories of the refuge’s two endangered bird species, though their primary task was monitoring and control of the oak wilt fungus, earning them the nickname The Oak Wilt Boys.  Today they are both employed as biologists with the City of Austin, where they continue to monitor and protect Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos on lands of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.  They enjoy challenging each other’s bird and plant identification skills, and sharing with refuge visitors their passion for exploring the natural communities of the Texas Hill Country.
    Show details

  • NT3 - Explore Hill Country Birding with Joe Beach

    • April 24, 2010
    • 08:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 0
    Registration is closed

    trail_build_photo1.gifNT3 - Explore Hill Country Birding

    Join top Texas birders to look for some of the special Hill Country birds that nest on the Refuge. Multiple tours will go to separate destinations to look for Painted Bunting, Canyon Wren, Canyon Towhee, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-throated Sparrow, and Grasshopper Sparrow possibilities to name a few. Easy to moderate hiking at several destination spots on the refuge. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    JOE BEACH

    Joe birded with his family from before he started school then assisted with Puerto Rican Parrot field work as a teenager. Joe surveyed Golden-cheekeds and Black-cappeds with Travis County and city of Austin and now surveys for Golden-Cheekeds at Bright Leaf Preserve. After earning his BA from Williams College, he did his graduate work at Tulane University. Joe moved to Austin in 1994 and works for Texas Parks & Wildlife.
    Show details

  • NT4 - Explore Hill Country Birding with Byron Stone

    • April 24, 2010
    • 08:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 0
    Registration is closed

    trail_build_photo1.gifNT4 - Explore Hill Country Birding

    Join top Texas birders to look for some of the special Hill Country birds that nest on the Refuge. Multiple tours will go to separate destinations to look for Painted Bunting, Canyon Wren, Canyon Towhee, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-throated Sparrow, and Grasshopper Sparrow possibilities to name a few. Easy to moderate hiking at several destination spots on the refuge. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    BYRON STONE

    Dr. Stone is an Austin physician and naturalist with a lifelong love of the outdoors. He has been an avid birder for over three decades, and has traveled all parts of Texas to observe birds and wildlife. Recently, his sparrow identification talents were touted in the Wall Street Journal (Birdwatchers Find Sparrows Often Are A Tough Nut to Crack, dtd Feb. 23, 2006).
    Show details

  • NT5 - Backyard Habitat with Joan Mukherjee

    • April 24, 2010
    • 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 9
    Register

    IMG_1810.JPGNT5 - Backyard Habitat

    This is a tour of Cedar Stump Ranch. Joan will take you around her home and down along Cow Creek in search of plants, trees and wildlife that can be found along the beautiful creek. She has identified over 500 species of plants and trees, some of these are unique to the area. Wear your hiking boots because of the loose rocks along the creek. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    JOAN(Jo Ann) MUKHERJEE

    After retiring from 3M , where she was head of a chemical research lab, Joan relocated to the Texas Hill Country. In 1989 she purchased the 100 acre ranch she lives on today. Because she is an avid wildlife observer, she became fascinated with the plant diversity and started researching what they were. Today she has identified over 500 different species of plants and trees just on her property. She is a Certified Master Naturalist and the search for new plants still goes on today.
    Show details

  • NT6 - Useful Wild Plants of the Refuge with Jean Nance

    • April 24, 2010
    • 12:45 PM - 04:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 12
    Register

    IMG_0017.JPGNT6 - Useful Wild Plants of the Refuge

    If you have a toothache in the wild, which plant should you search for? Why is the American beautyberry bush being researched by our United States military? Which plant did Euell Gibbons call the "supermarket of the swamp" and why? Join us for a leisurely afternoon as we tour several locations on the Refuge and learn about some of the many ways that native plants have been employed by Native Americans, early pioneers, and even today's modern technology. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    JEAN NANCE

    Jean is a native West Texan, living in Austin and the Hill Country since 1971. She is a long-time avid birder and nature-lover, and a certified Texas Master Naturalist, with a special interest in the plants and animals of the Hill Country.. She is a member of Travis Audubon Society and Capital Area Master Naturalists, and often volunteers for these and other organizations.
    Show details

  • NT8 - Breeding Birds of Balcones with Shelia Hargis & Judy Bell

    • April 24, 2010
    • 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 0
    Registration is closed

    NT8 - Breeding Birds of Balcones

    Join Shelia Hargis and Judy Bell as they seek out some of the birds that breed on the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. This tour will focus on providing a more in-depth understanding of these birds. Aspects of natural history such as distribution, habitat, migration, and behavior of these species will be discussed as well as any conservation concerns. This tour is for those who want to know more about our birds than just the field marks.

    SHELIA HARGIS

    Shelia Hargis loves birds. She has been birding for 13+ years and regularly leads field trips for Travis Audubon and Friends of Balcones Canyonlands NWR. Shelia is also passionate about conserving birds and their habitats. She has held various leadership positions with Travis Audubon and is currently President of the Friends of Balcones. Join her for a field trip and you will have a blast. Guaranteed!

    JUDY BELL

    Judy Bell was born at an early age in Chicago. Adulthood found her raising a family in upstate New York, where she also was a federally licensed bird bander for twenty years. Judy operated an Atlantic Flyway Banding Station for thirteen years, and also banded migrating hawks for Braddock Bay Raptor Research on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. After retiring from a career in education in 2006, she hit the road fulltime in her RV to travel around the country. She spends most months of the year volunteering at various state and federal facilities. She has lead birding tours at Laguna Atascosa NWR, Anahuac NWR, Balcones Canyonlands NWR and Dinosaur Nat'l Monument.
    Show details

  • NT7 - New Birders Explore Balcones with Theresa Bayoud

    • April 24, 2010
    • 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 7
    Register

    IMG_2277.JPGNT7 - New Birders Explore Balcones

    Are you a new or relatively new birder? Are you somewhat intimidated to go birding with a group of experienced birders? Would you like to go on a tour with a leader who takes the time to point out field marks of all birds seen? If you answered yes to any of these questions, join Theresa Bayoud for a tour specifically designed for you. Theresa will take the time to point out field marks, help participants identify birds using a field guide, and answer any questions. After this tour, you will feel much more comfortable birding alone or with others.

    THERESA BAYOUD

    Theresa Bayoud has been birding for more than 25 yrs - 16 of which has been in Central Texas. Theresa started birding in Southern California and has birded in Central and South America as well as Africa.  She is a former member of the Travis Audubon Board of Directors and is interested in bird photography also.
    Show details

  • PP1 - Monitoring Backyard Birds with Jim Giocomo

    • April 24, 2010
    • 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 7
    Register

    birds.jpgPP1 - Monitoring Backyard Birds (FREE!)

    Have you ever wanted to know more about the nesting activities of birds in your backyard or at your neighborhood park? Jim Giocomo will present information to help you understand how difficult it is for parent birds to raise a family even in the best of habitat conditions. It is typical for songbird nests to succeed producing young less than 50% of the time in a season, and the populations still persist. Jim will draw on his 15+ years of experience monitoring nesting bird populations to discuss the history of nest searching and Oology, tips and techniques for finding and monitoring nests, breeding ecology of neighborhood birds, and how this information is being used to inform large scale bird conservation efforts. The presentation will include pictures and video clips from many of the grassland and forest birds Jim worked with over the years.

    JIM GIOCOMO

    Dr. Jim Giocomo is the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture (OPJV) Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy. Jim moved to Texas in 2007 to start building the OPJV for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Joint Ventures (JV) are regional, self-directed partnerships of government and nongovernmental organizations, corporations and individuals that work across administrative boundaries to deliver science-based conservation, focusing on bird populations. The Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture covers almost 60 million acres of Texas and Oklahoma, basically running from San Antonio, TX to Tulsa, OK, including the Post Oak Savanna, Blackland Prairies, Cross Timbers, and the Edwards Plateau. JVs focus on a broad spectrum of conservation activities and will bring new opportunities for cooperation among conservation groups to help focus scarce conservation resources. Jim has been studying songbird productivity in forest and grassland settings since 1992. His nest monitoring work focused on Ovenbirds, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireos, and Scarlet Tanagers in Pennsylvania (at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary), and Henslow’s Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows, Field Sparrows, Bachman’s Sparrows, Dickcissels, and Eastern Meadowlarks in Tennessee and Kentucky (at Fort Campbell Army Base working in the drop zones used for training by the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division). His nest life list includes over 130 species, and Jim and his field crews have monitored over 2,500 nests. Jim received a BS in Biology from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, an MS in Ecology from the Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD in Natural Resources from the University of Tennessee in 2005.
    Show details

  • NT10 - Creeks to Canyons with Chuck Sexton

    • April 25, 2010
    • 07:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 2
    Register

    IMG_1779.JPGNT10 - Creeks to Canyons

    Led by the Refuge's biologist, this trip will explore the natural history of the Hill Country--the wildlife, vegetation, and geology of the area. We'll learn about the canyons of the Balcones Canyonlands, study the creeks which run through the area, and explore the woodlands, savannahs, and shinneries which make up the Refuge. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    CHUCK SEXTON

    Dr. Sexton has been active in environmental issues for over 25 years in Austin and around Texas. He grew up in southern California and migrated to Austin in the mid-1970's to attend graduate school at the University of Texas. Dr. Sexton received his doctorate in 1987 studying the impacts of urbanization on birds. Chuck is an acknowledged expert on the biology of both the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. He came to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the staff biologist for the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in December 1994. Chuck is an accomplished botanist and butterfly enthusiast and has presented programs on Texas natural history to a wide range of groups. He writes extensively about Texas birds, most notably with his friend and co-author Greg Lasley in American Birds/Field Notes/North American Birds for the past 17 years.
    Show details

  • NT9 - The Endangered Ones with Judy Bell

    • April 25, 2010
    • 07:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 1
    Register

    masterlogo artwork.pngNT9 - The Endangered Ones

    This tour will span the refuge in search of its two endangered songbirds. Experts on the species will take you to shady, relatively moist woodlands of oak and juniper to listen and look for Golden-cheeked Warblers.At the other end of the refuge, we will listen for the raspy songs of Black-capped Vireos in and around thickets of scrubby oaks, sumacs, and greenbriars. Easy to moderate hiking. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    JUDY BELL

    Judy Bell was born at an early age in Chicago. Adulthood found her raising a family in upstate New York, where she also was a federally licensed bird bander for twenty years. Judy operated an Atlantic Flyway Banding Station for thirteen years, and also banded migrating hawks for Braddock Bay Raptor Research on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. After retiring from a career in education in 2006, she hit the road fulltime in her RV to travel around the country. She spends most months of the year volunteering at various state and federal facilities. She has lead birding tours at Laguna Atascosa NWR, Anahuac NWR, Balcones Canyonlands NWR and Dinosaur Nat'l Monument.
    Show details

  • NT12 - Exploring the Backcountry with Jean Nance

    • April 25, 2010
    • 08:30 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 7
    Register

    projects_photo1.gifNT12 - Exploring the Backcountry

    Explore one of the most beautiful parts of the Refuge as we walk along Post Oak Creek and venture into the backcountry in an area normally not open to the public. We'll talk about everything we come across, from geology to local wildlife and native plants to weather's influences on habitats. Moderately difficult hiking: wear ankle-supported, waterproof shoes as uneven footpaths and stream crossings will be encountered. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    JEAN NANCE

    Jean is a native West Texan, living in Austin and the Hill Country since 1971. She is a long-time avid birder and nature-lover, and a certified Texas Master Naturalist, with a special interest in the plants and animals of the Hill Country.. She is a member of Travis Audubon Society and Capital Area Master Naturalists, and often volunteers for these and other organizations.
    Show details

  • NT11 - We Walk the Line with Carl Schwope and Joe Beach

    • April 25, 2010
    • 08:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 10
    Register

    firefws.jpgNT11 - We Walk the Line

    See how fire is used as a dramatic tool to create and enhance habitat for songbirds. The tour will take you through previously burned areas, both recent and past, to show how fire effects the landscape. Learn about grassland and ecosystem restoration. The tour will start with a slide show of before and after photos of areas that will be visited. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    CARL SCHWOPE

    Carl Schwope graduated Texas State University in 1994 with a degree in wildlife biology. In 1995, he started working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a seasonal firefighter. He is now the Fire Management Officer for the Balcones Canyonlands NWR and is a Division Supervisor for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.

    JOE BEACH

    Joe birded with his family from before he started school then assisted with Puerto Rican Parrot field work as a teenager. Joe surveyed Golden-cheekeds and Black-cappeds with Travis County and city of Austin and now surveys for Golden-Cheekeds at Bright Leaf Preserve. After earning his BA from Williams College, he did his graduate work at Tulane University. Joe moved to Austin in 1994 and works for Texas Parks & Wildlife.
    Show details

  • NT13 - Nature Photography Workshop with Karen Kilfeather

    • April 25, 2010
    • 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 9
    Register

    Monarch_Cowpen_sm.jpgNT13 - Nature Photography Workshop

    Karen will emphasize basic outdoor photography in this workshop. Film or digital cameras are welcome. Karen will cover composition, lighting, depth of field, and some basic field tips for bird and nature photography. The use of settings for greater control of your images will be covered. All cameras are different, so be sure to bring your camera manual with you to class!

    KAREN KILFEATHER

    Award-winning photographer Karen Kilfeather is currently consulting and developing varied eco tourism programs and nature photography workshops with local ranchers, including photo documentation with GPS mapping of various wildlife and their lands. Having attended Florida State University and the Art Institute of Florida, Karen has pursued her life-long dedication to the environment and its wildlife throughout the U.S. and overseas. Karen has worked with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S State Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before migrating to the Hill Country. Karen teaches nature photography classes, volunteers with local schools, and is an active participant in “Bridges to Birding,” and other Refuge programs.
    Show details

  • NT14 - Learning to Bird by Ear with Jeff Patterson

    • April 25, 2010
    • 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 1
    Register

    singingBird.pngNT14 - Learning to Bird by Ear

    Wherever there are birds, there are bird songs!  And springtime in Central Texas is certainly no exception.  Bird songs and other vocalizations provide a wealth of information that birders can use to quickly identify familiar birds, distinguish between closely related species and perhaps to decipher some of the complex communications that go on between birds.  Join Jeff Patterson for a brief introductory lecture and hike intended to introduce you to the springtime bird vocalizations of Central Texas.  Learn some of the keys to identification, the purposes of birdsong, digital resources and responsible use of recordings, while taking a hike through the beautiful hill country of the Refuge

    JEFF PATTERSON

    Raised in a Texas birding family, Jeff Patterson has been birding almost as long as he can remember; over 35 years and counting.  He is employed as a technical specialist at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and continues to explore and bird natural areas throughout the state.  Jeff became curious about the sounds that birds make during the mid-1980s.  But with today’s digital resources he has become fascinated with all aspects of bird sounds, including: the reasons birds sing, bird vocal anatomy, sound spectrograms and birding by ear.  Over the past few years Jeff has been developing and preparing to teach a class for the Travis Audubon Society on the bird vocalizations of central Texas.
    Show details

  • PP2 - Getting to Know the Birds with Laurie Foss

    • April 25, 2010
    • 01:00 PM - 01:45 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 7
    Register

    PP2 - Getting to Know the Birds (FREE!)

    The Hill Country of Central Texas is well known for its diversity of bird-life. With so many kinds of birds around, how do you know what you're looking at? To get you started, we'll focus on a few of the birds that people are most likely to see here and learn how to identify them. In the process, you will learn what characteristics to look for that you can apply to any bird you see in order to help you find their ID in a field guide. This is how to begin to know the birds around you.

    LAURIE FOSS

    Laurie Foss started birding in 1971 at the urging of her high school science teacher in Wisconsin. Since moving to Austin in 2003 she has discovered the joys of Hill Country birds and birding. A member of Travis Audubon and the Friends of Balcones as well as other local, state and national birding organizations, Laurie is active leading field trips, teaching birding classes, traveling to see birds and working for habitat conservation.
    Show details

  • PP3 - What You Need to Know to Be a Birder/Birdwatcher with Theresa Bayoud

    • April 25, 2010
    • 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 8
    Register

    PP3 - What You Need to Know to Be a Birder/Birdwatcher (FREE!)

    It's not hard to get hooked on birds, but then what do you do? How do you identify birds? Which binoculars are the best? Where do you go to see birds? If you are new to the birding/birdwatching scene and would like a little help getting started, this presentation is for you. Theresa Bayoud's presentation will include topics such as binoculars, field guides, journals, where to go birding in Central Texas, birding/conservation organizations, and resources to learn more. Get your new hobby (or obsession) off to a great start with the information Theresa provides.

    THERESA BAYOUD

    Theresa Bayoud has been birding for more than 25 yrs - 16 of which has been in Central Texas. Theresa started birding in Southern California and has birded in Central and South America as well as Africa.  She is a former member of the Travis Audubon Board of Directors and is interested in bird photography also.
    Show details

  • PP4 - Gardening with Binoculars with Jane Tillman

    • April 25, 2010
    • 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 10
    Register

    PP4 - Gardening with Binoculars (FREE!)

    Landscaping with Native Plants – Give your yard “Bird Appeal!”
    What is the connection between wildlife and plants?  Our plant choices and gardening practices make a huge difference to resident and migrating wildlife. You will learn about some of the best native bird and butterfly plants that provide food, shelter and places to raise young. Some specific bird-plant connections will be explored and you will learn  how gardening practices can enhance wildlife habitat at home.  After this talk you will be gardening with binoculars!

    JANE TILLMAN

    Jane Tillman is a National Wildlife Federation Habitat Steward Host and a Capital Area Master Naturalist. She has been the chair of the Travis Audubon Society’s Urban Habitat Committee since 2003.  She has a Best of Texas Backyard Habitat, which hosted a rare Green Violetear hummingbird in July 2008.  She has hosted and co-hosted annual Habitat Steward trainings since 2003, and has given many presentations on gardening for wildlife and backyard birds.
    Show details

  • NT16 - Explore Hill Country Birding with Shelia Hargis

    • April 26, 2010
    • 08:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 4
    Register

    trail_build_photo1.gifNT16 - Explore Hill Country Birding

    Join top Texas birders to look for some of the special Hill Country birds that nest on the Refuge. Multiple tours will go to separate destinations to look for Painted Bunting, Canyon Wren, Canyon Towhee, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-throated Sparrow, and Grasshopper Sparrow possibilities to name a few. Easy to moderate hiking at several destination spots on the refuge. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    SHELIA HARGIS

    Shelia Hargis loves birds. She has been birding for 13+ years and regularly leads field trips for Travis Audubon and Friends of Balcones Canyonlands NWR. Shelia is also passionate about conserving birds and their habitats. She has held various leadership positions with Travis Audubon and is currently President of the Friends of Balcones. Join her for a field trip and you will have a blast. Guaranteed!
    Show details

  • NT15 - The Endangered Ones with Chuck Sexton & Judy Bell

    • April 26, 2010
    • 08:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Refuge Headquarters
    • 15
    Register

    masterlogo artwork.pngNT15 - The Endangered Ones

    This tour will span the refuge in search of its two endangered songbirds. Experts on the species will take you to shady, relatively moist woodlands of oak and juniper to listen and look for Golden-cheeked Warblers.At the other end of the refuge, we will listen for the raspy songs of Black-capped Vireos in and around thickets of scrubby oaks, sumacs, and greenbriars. Easy to moderate hiking. Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.

    CHUCK SEXTON

    Dr. Sexton has been active in environmental issues for over 25 years in Austin and around Texas. He grew up in southern California and migrated to Austin in the mid-1970's to attend graduate school at the University of Texas. Dr. Sexton received his doctorate in 1987 studying the impacts of urbanization on birds. Chuck is an acknowledged expert on the biology of both the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. He came to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the staff biologist for the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in December 1994. Chuck is an accomplished botanist and butterfly enthusiast and has presented programs on Texas natural history to a wide range of groups. He writes extensively about Texas birds, most notably with his friend and co-author Greg Lasley in American Birds/Field Notes/North American Birds for the past 17 years.

    JUDY BELL

    Judy Bell was born at an early age in Chicago. Adulthood found her raising a family in upstate New York, where she also was a federally licensed bird bander for twenty years. Judy operated an Atlantic Flyway Banding Station for thirteen years, and also banded migrating hawks for Braddock Bay Raptor Research on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. After retiring from a career in education in 2006, she hit the road fulltime in her RV to travel around the country. She spends most months of the year volunteering at various state and federal facilities. She has lead birding tours at Laguna Atascosa NWR, Anahuac NWR, Balcones Canyonlands NWR and Dinosaur Nat'l Monument.
    Show details

 

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