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Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566
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Hello Friends,
I am sure everyone is aware of what Texas is going through with the aftermaths of Harvey. I hope that this finds everyone safe, and hopefully dry. If you suffered losses in the storm I am truly sorry. What a crazy mess this is. So far all GCBO staff are safe and not horribly impacted. (I’ve evacuated from my house, a stilt house with just a garage on first floor which is flooded now, but 2
nd
floor living quarters are fine so far.)
However, the rising water in the Camp Buffalo Bayou (from flooding of the Brazoria River) is now threatening the GCBO grounds and buildings. We have sandbagged the field house, and prepped it for flooding, as well as the grounds best we can. We have also prepped the headquarters building in case flood waters get in. We are told that flood waters should be higher than they were in June 2016. In 2016 the water came within inches of entering the field house. So prognoses for the field house are not good, but maybe the sandbags will help. We hold all hope that the headquarters building will stay dry. The flooding is predicted to last at least one week. As the water gets up to a point we will shut it down, seal the field house, and leave. This will most likely happen today.
We will send out an update as we know how the GCBO fared. In the meantime, this issue of eNews highlights what is coming up… and we hope we can just pick up and carry on with all the fun stuff coming up!
Stay safe!
Martin Hagne
Executive Director
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Looking Ahead at the Good Things
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September is the peak of hummingbird migration season and an excellent time to both celebrate these remarkable birds and to share their journey with others! We are very excited to host two hummer-themed events in September:
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Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza
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XHX is less than a month away! As always, we will hold our
Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza
at the peak of hummingbird migration on Saturday, September 16th and Saturday, September 23rd from 8am-12pm. Don’t miss your chance to see hummingbirds up close and in the hand, listen to guest speakers, pick out a new plant for your garden, and visit the booths of other environmental organizations! The success of this event depends greatly on volunteer participation, and we still need some slots filled! If you want to volunteer, contact
Emma
.
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Hummingbird Photography Workshop
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Learn to photograph hummingbirds with Kathy Adams Clark! A renowned photographer and teacher, Kathy will show you how to best capture these fast-moving and beautiful birds with your camera. In addition to teaching photography tips and tricks, Kathy will also talk about hummingbird behavior, making it easier to get the best shot! Stop-action photo studio will be available for use based on the number of people in the class and shooting conditions. Classes are limited to 10 people and will be held in north Houston from 9:30 to 12:30 on
September 19th
and at GCBO from 1:30 to 4:30 on
September 21st.
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Sunday, October 14, 2017
C
elebrate GCBO's 20th anniversary with us at Brew on The Bayou! Join us this October for a fun evening on the GCBO’s wooded grounds located along the Buffalo Camp Bayou in Lake Jackson. A beer tasting event and celebration rolled into one! There will be many Texas specialty brews to try out, live music, good food, and much fun in our beautiful, natural setting. Please join us for the festivities on Sunday, October 14 from 4:00am - 8:00pm.
Tickets are $25 per person.
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Raptors in Flight Workshop
at GCBO & Smith Point
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Bill Clark will be hosting a raptor identification workshop at GCBO in October! On Saturday, October 7th, he will present a series of lectures on how to identify raptors in flight. On Sunday, October 8th, participants will spend the day at the Smith Point Hawk Watch putting everything they have learned to use in the field. In addition, Robert and Kay Lookingbill will catch live raptors to show participants at Smith Point. What a great deal! The cost is $150/participant and there are only THREE spots still available! Call Tricia today to sign up at 979-480-0999. For more information please check our website
here
.
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Bill Clark Raptors of Mexico and Central America Talk
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On Friday, October 6, 2017 at 7:30pm, join us to hear Bill Clark speak on the raptors of Mexico and Central America at GCBO. Bill will describe his new field guide, show all of the color plates, and discuss the various parts of the guide, including the species accounts.We will have Bill's book on hand so you can purchase a copy and get it signed. A $5 donation is suggested for attending the event. For more information on this talk, please contact
Sue.
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Great news Volunteers! You can now log your GCBO volunteer hours online on our website. We will still have the book inside and the log out at the nursery so feel free to add your hours there if you prefer. Volunteer hour logging can be found on our website on the Get Involved tab that is on the Connect pulldown or just bookmark this
page.
The first time you add hours, you will be required to create an account. Rest assured GCBO never shares your information with anyone so no worries with creating an account. This will also allow you to bid on any of our online auctions!
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Adult Life Learning Program: Birds and Art
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Brazosport College will feature Adult Life Learning Courses to seniors (55+) this October and again in the spring. This year GCBO will be offering a program called "Birds and Art" as part of the ALLP schedule, which will teach the basics of bird identification and natural history through wildlife illustration and naturalist sketching. The first lesson will begin in early October, there will be 4 unique lessons in total, and the entire program will be offered again in the spring. To learn more, contact Emma at eshelly@gcbo.org
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Great Animal Migrations Course
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What better time than hummingbird migration season to announce that GCBO is proudly co-sponsoring a course on Great Animal migrations? This 2017 fall course, taught by Glenn Olsen from Olsen Nature Tours, and offered through Rice University, will open your eyes to the incredible spectacle of animals on the move – from birds to butterflies to great whales traversing the oceans. Register for this course
today
and learn all about how and why animals embark on such voyages!
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New GCBO Work Truck Thanks to Freeport LNG
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The GCBO is grateful for the donation of $50,000 from Freeport LNG in Quintana, TX. The funds have been used to purchase a work truck with 4x4 capability to take out staff on survey work otherwise hard to gain access to. Further funding for the purchase of a boat and trailer to assist with all of our bay conservation work is also forthcoming.
Freeport LNG has been a long time financial supporter of the GCBO and we are extremely grateful for their aid!
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With GCBO’s 20th anniversary on the horizon, it is an exciting time to be a part of our organization. Looking back on the last 20 years, it’s clear that our mission to protect all birds and their habitats, not only on the Gulf Coast but also south into the tropics, is more relevant today than ever. In fact, with increasing pressure from habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance, our work and your support is crucial to maintaining bird populations. How can you help us further? We humbly ask for your support, particularly for the programs outlined in our
mid-year appeal
, but appreciate any donation you wish to direct to any of our programs. Unfortunately we are currently unable to accept program specific donations via our web portal, but we don’t want to miss your valuable contributions! Please call our office with your donation request or print the form
here
and mail it. Thanks so much for your support!
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GCBO is extremely grateful to receive items from our wish list. We would like to extend a huge thank you to:
JIM STEVENS for the donation of an extension ladder and to
PETE and PEGGY ROMFH for a 55 gal. trash can, trash liners, sledgehammer, post hole digger, and a wedge spike.
Take a look at our September wishlist and see if you can donate any of these items. We will be happy to provide you with a tax donation letter for your efforts! Thank you in advance!
- bags of black oil sunflower seed
- bags of chicken scratch
- one gallon black plastic pots, used or new
- flammable storage cabinet for our gas cans
- sugar for hummingbird feeders
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Bird banding's a little different in September. Due to the Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza on the 16th and 23rd, we will not be having our regular banding session this month. Instead, our banding team will be working hard at XHX to catch as many hummingbirds as they can. If you are interested in seeing these beautiful little birds up close, this is a perfect opportunity for an incredible experience. We hope to see you there!
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GCBO is a registered charity through Kroger's Community Rewards Program. This means that you can register your Kroger Plus Card online and select GCBO as the organization of your choice. Every time you use your Kroger Plus Card, Kroger will donate a portion back to GCBO! This is a fantastic way to support GCBO while you shop - your donations help us continue to protect birds and birding habitat around the Gulf Coast and beyond. To register your Plus Card, click
here
.
Our charity number is #80345.
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All photographs are courtesy of GCBO staff unless otherwise noted.
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