Houston Audublog

Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) Family: Troglodytidae Sedge Wrens are small, round, nutmeg-colored birds, with curved bills, inconspicuous eyebrows, finely streaked heads, lighter chests and bellies, and thicker brown and white streaking on the backs, and tails. Their tails are short and are often raised. You are likely to hear them before you see them, due to their secretive behavior. This wren tends to stay hidden deep within prairies, grassy marshes, and sedge meadows; much to the frustration of birders and photographers alike. When they sense danger, sedge wrens will run away and fly short distances back to the safety of the dense vegetation or sedge meadows to avoid predation. Sedge wrens forage close to the ground, searching vegetation for insects, such as spiders, ants, grasshoppers, flies, and moths. They will sometimes fly short distances to catch their prey in the air. These wrens build small spherical nests out of grasses and sedges, three feet or less from the groun...

Tree Swallow ( Tachycineta bicolor ) Family: Hirundinidae A bird must be very adept in flight to be able to catch and eat insects in mid-air, and the Tree Swallow is just that! Tree Swallows are often found flittering high above ponds, marshes, and open fields in search of their next insect meal. Tree Swallows get their name from their habit of building nests in trees – and they are particularly fond of holes excavated by woodpeckers – but they will also commonly nest in bird houses where those are available. During the winter months, Tree Swallows can be found along the Gulf Coast and in Central America, but they migrate north to almost all of North America for the summer breeding season. By Aidan Healey, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon Photos by Greg Lavaty Visit our Bird Gallery to learn more about the Tree Swallow and other local birds!

by Joe Smith Whether you’re a photographer or just a birder, inviting birds to your backyard feeders is a great way for some leisure birding. Be on the lookout for some that may not be regular visitors, such as the Orange-crowned Warbler and the Pine Warbler that came to my suet feeder in January. The Orange-crowned Warbler is an early migrant to Texas, so it was likely migrating when it stopped over in my backyard. It foraged for food in the shrubs before snacking on my suet feeder. The Pine Warbler could have been either a migrant or a resident. I typically see them in my backyard only in January or February. While I don’t have pine trees, there are plenty in my subdivision. They normally feed on pine seeds but will eat suet from raised feeders. So, what’s my secret for getting good shots of these birds? It’s simple. I sit in a patio chair with my camera and telephoto lens on my lap, usually while reading a book. When I see or hear a bird arrive, I slowly pick u...

Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ) Family: Anatidae The Bufflehead is the smallest duck in North America. Male Buffleheads are small ducks with short dark grey bills, black backs, rumps, tails and wings, white underside, with thick vertical white stripes going across the wings, and a thick white patch going around the purple-green iridescent head. Female Buffleheads are dark grey-brown, and have white cheek patches. The preferred feeding ground for the Bufflehead is in shallow, open bodies of water, sometimes over submerged mudflats. They dive for, and consume their food underwater. Buffleheads feed on small crustaceans, mollusks, fish eggs, insect larvae and invertebrates such as brine shrimp. In fall and winter, Buffleheads substitute these food items for plant materials, such as pondweed and bullrush seeds. Buffleheads build their nests in unused northern flicker nesting cavities, which limits their breeding range to aspen woodland habitat, and boreal forests in Alaska ...

We know that Houston is a vital city for birds, but now it’s official . Houston Audubon’s Conservation Team worked tirelessly in partnership with Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) Natural Resources Program to submit the application, and it paid off. Houston was honored as one of the first four cities to receive the Bird City Texas certification – an inaugural program by Audubon Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). So, what exactly does being a Bird City mean? The big picture is that we have demonstrated that our community cares about birds, habitat, and conservation. The growing popularity of planting native plants, restoring prairies, bird-friendly education programs, and the Houston Lights Out for Birds program to reduce collisions for migrating birds were among the many efforts and programs that got us this designation. ( Go Houstonians! ) I personally witnessed the large amount of work that went into this application and was curious about...

Herring Gull ( Larus argentatus ) Family: Laridae Distinguished from other local gulls by its larger size and generally bulky shape, the Herring Gull can be found in our area during the cooler months. While wintering in the Gulf Houston Area, Herring Gulls will scavenge for food along coastlines and in mudflats – as well as in agricultural fields, urban areas, and wherever else they can get a bite to eat. If you spot a Herring Gull flying close by, you might notice that it has a distinctive red spot near the tip of its yellow bill. When standing, a Herring Gull’s pink legs can also be a helpful identifier. Most adult Herring Gulls will have some gray mixed in with the white feathers on their head and neck during the winter and will molt into a cleaner white just before the summer breeding season. Juvenile Herring Gulls don’t grow into the familiar light gray coloration until they are about four years old. They’re about the same size and shape as adult birds, but younger Herrin...

Last week, we bid a happy farewell to Juanita Perkins, Office Manager at Houston Audubon. After over a decade of service to Houston Audubon, she has retired and is now entering the next chapter of her life. This beautiful soul will be very much missed by all of the staff, board members, volunteers, and anyone else that had the pleasure of working with Juanita over the years. As our Office Manager, Juanita kept things running smoothly (which is a BIG job), managed volunteers, took great care of the visitors at our Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, and made Houston Audubon a special place to work. We wish her the best on her future adventures. Farewell, Juanita!