Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566
 Brew on the Bayou Coming Up!
Brew Needs You!
Donate:

Our 2 nd annual Brew on the Bayou is scheduled for Saturday, March 23 and we are looking for donations for our Silent Auction.  Are you a crafter, painter, photographer, woodworker or have another talent that you would like to share? Or do you have a high-quality item you would like to donate?  You could even donate gift cards for our local restaurants!  This event is our primary fundraiser so your help is greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Please contact Tricia Patton at 979-480-0999 or tpatton@gcbo.org if you can help!  
Volunteer:
We are looking for volunteers to help run Brew including serving the brews, assisting with parking, grounds set up, ticket selling, nature store cashiers, etc. Volunteers should be available from 3:30-9 Saturday, March 23rd. Please contact Tricia (tpatton@gcbo.org) or Janet (janetmondlak@gmail.com) if you would like to volunteer! Meal vouchers and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided for volunteers.
Adopt-an-Oystercatcher
The oystercatchers are gearing up and we found our first nest yesterday! You can adopt a pair of oystercatchers for a $100 donation and you will receive a certificate for each member of the pair with their banding data. Additionally, Sue will update you monthly on your pair's progress throughout the nesting season and you will receive photos of nests and chicks. You can adopt your pair here: adopt a pair of birds or call and talk to Tricia or Sue. Thanks everyone for your continued support of this important project!

Still 2 Spots Left for Ohio/Michigan Birding Tour!
Warbler Capital of the World at Magee Marsh, Ohio
Migration at Tawas Point, Michigan
Breeding Kirtland's Warblers, Michigan
MAY 11-17, 2019
Max 10 People
Join Tour Operator and Birding Guide Glenn Olson, and GCBO’s Executive Director Martin Hagne, for this great spring trip chasing warblers and so much more!

Magee Marsh in Ohio, is a prime migrant trap for North American warblers and songbirds during spring migration, and is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Standing on the boardwalk surrounded by large numbers of warblers, grosbeaks, thrushes, orioles, and other songbirds preparing to migrate across Lake Erie to their breeding grounds in the north is an unforgettable experience not to be missed.

Tawas Point in Michigan is another migrant stopover site for warblers and song birds as they continue to move north into breeding territory in Canada. Tawas Point projecting into Lake Huron is a protected state park that rivals McGee Marsh for birding but is less well known. In addition to warblers and songbirds this is also an excellent location for shorebirds, gulls, ducks, swans and grassland birds!

Grayling , Michigan, is a short drive from Tawas and nearby there are extensive areas of jack pine at the right age to create the proper breeding territory for the Kirtland’s Warbler. Almost all individuals of this species breed in a small area of Michigan where the jack pine habitat is managed specifically to maintain proper breeding range for this species. We will be right on their breeding grounds!

TOUR OUTLINE:
May 11 Fly into Detroit, MI, drive to OH, possible birding in the afternoon
May 11-13 McGee Marsh area, and nights in OH
May 14-15 Tawas Point, and Kirtland’s, and nights in Tawas, MI
May 16 Morning birding, and night near Detroit, MI airport
May 17 Return flight from Detroit, MI 

Join Us at the Matagorda Bay Bird Festival
The Matagorda Bay Bird Festival is February 15, 16, 17 and our own Robin Bjork will be giving a presentation on our Nonbreeding Shorebird and Beach Nesting Birds Programs. This festival is in its third year and offers field trips, kayak tours, talks, art and photo contests, and the fabulous bird parade down main street. Don't miss the fun! You can find out more here.



Spring Fling is Right Around the Corner
It may be winter now but Spring Fling is just around the corner. Spring Fling takes place at Quintana Sanctuaries, from 9 am - 4 pm daily beginning April 6th and running until May 5th. Pete and Peggy Romfh have once again agreed to apply their fantastic organizational skills to this event and they will be heading it up for us. Thanks Pete and Peggy! If you would like to volunteer please contact Peggy .

Quintana is the place to go to see thousands of migratory songbirds as they arrive at stopover habitat along the coast and this year we have a new bigger and better tower! We will be scheduling a clean up day at the sanctuary to get ready for all the visitors so be on the lookout for an email asking for help! You can learn more about Spring Fling here .
Summer Intern Program
We are accepting applications for our summer intern position which runs from May 15 through August 15. If birds are your passion and you want to get some great experience then submit your resume and a letter expressing why you want to be a summer intern at GCBO to Sue . The application deadline is March 15th and a decision will be made in late March.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for all your generous support in 2018 and continuing on!

We are humbled by your belief in GCBO and our mission.

We just wanted to say how much your support means to us all.
Get Involved: Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue
Bird Banding 2/16/2019
Join us the 3rd Saturday of the month from 8 am - noon for our monthly bird banding session. Come see birds in the hand and learn about the science of bird banding. The earlier you arrive the more birds you'll see.
And while you're here, why not check out our native plant nursery or wander our trails too? Perfect nature outing for the family!
New Donation and Membership Platform Up and Running
We've revamped and completely updated our Membership and Donation pages on the GCBO website!
These new platforms should be much more streamlined and easier to use!
Please help support GCBO’s mission and join us in carrying out our bird research and education!
 
Check out how you can help, and what members receive:
Wish List
Your in-kind contributions help us tremendously by freeing up much needed funds for our research and projects. Thank you!!

Black Oil Sunflower Seed and Chicken Scratch
We feed year-round here at GCBO, and during migration at Quintana. We stock our GCBO feeders to help augment natural foods, and this also helps our monthly banding research project. 
 
1 Gallon Plastic Pots
We can use your used 1 gallon nursery plant pots for the Growery. We go through a lot of 1 gallon pots when potting up new plants. Let’s recycle them here. We’ll take one or a hundred! 
 
Now when you shop at Kroger, you can support GCBO!
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 an easy 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 #DN782.

Donate to GCBO!
Telephone:  979-480-0999  |  Email Us
All photographs are courtesy of GCBO staff unless otherwise noted.