Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 |
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Spring Fling is our annual month-long birding event at the Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary in Quintana. Visitors can walk through the sanctuary, bird, and come talk to our Spring Fling host volunteers, who will be selling snacks and merchandise as well as keeping up with the latest bird sightings.
Spring Fling is a great opportunity to see species that we don't normally find here in Texas. This is because these birds are passing through Quintana on their spring migration and using the habitat as a stopover site. Here, you can see orioles, warblers, buntings, and other colorful visitors!
Spring Fling is a free event, no sign-in or registration required. Address is 814 Lamar St, Quintana, TX 77541. Stop by anytime April 8- May 7 9AM-4PM to join in on the fun!
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"We want your oranges!!!... please"
Sincerely, Orioles of Quintana
If you would like to donate oranges to the orioles and other birds at our Quintana Sanctuary, please bring them by the sanctuary hut (by town hall). You can give them to the volunteers there, or leave them by the door. We appreciate it and so do the birds!
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Thanks to everyone who came out to Brew on the Bayou! 500+ people joined us for the event, a new record for Brew! We also want to thank all of the volunteers who helped plan, set up, host, and clean up the event. We couldn't do it without you! |
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Adopt an Oystercatcher Pair and Keep Up With All the Mating Season Drama! |
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It’s time again folks! We found the first American Oystercatcher nests already! Don't miss your chance to keep up with all the drama on our blog. If you would like to support this project (and we hope you do!) you can adopt a pair of oystercatchers for a $100 donation. You will receive a certificate for each member of your pair with their banding data and Sue will update you monthly on your pair's progress throughout the nesting season. When possible she will send you 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!
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As some of you know, our Director of Conservation Research, Sue Heath is retiring soon, and she leaves a huge legacy here at GCBO! We are now accepting applications to fill this role and carry on our research work.
Here is a link to it you care to apply or forward it to any interested folks you can think appropriate. We appreciate it very much!
And eventually we will think of a proper way to send her off... stay tuned so we can all thank and celebrate Sue’s huge legacy here at GCBO!
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Did you know 1 out of every 3 birds migrating through the U.S. passes through Texas? Most migratory birds fly at night, meaning the bright lights of commercial and residential buildings attract and disorient birds. This distraction can cause collisions and leave birds vulnerable to threats on the ground. Take action to protect migrating birds by turning out all non-essential lights outside and inside from 11 pm - 6 am from March 1 to June 15. Learn more and sign up for bird migration alerts: https://tx.audubon.org/urbanconservation/lights-out-texas
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Join us once again for Bird Banding on April 15th from 8 am - noon at our headquarters in Lake Jackson. Come see birds in the hand and learn about the science of bird banding. The earlier you arrive the more birds you'll see. This event is free of charge.
And while you're here, why not check out our native plant nursery and wander our trails too? We even have picnic tables set up for an outdoor lunch -- It's the perfect nature outing for the family!
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Thanks to the whopping 312 volunteers who came out to help us clean beaches for NestFest on March 14th! We were able to remove 2,358lbs of trash from the beach, and hopefully protect some nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. Great job everyone!! |
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Free SPLASh Marine Debris Tool Kit for Educators |
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Looking for free educational resources? Rent SPLASh’s tool kit for your classroom today! Our toolkits compliment SPLASh’s Marine Debris Educator’s Guide: a 4-lesson guide with a final cumulative project. The guide is differentiated for 4-12th grade, with 60-minute, TEKS-aligned lessons. The toolkits are rented out, free of charge, for 2-week increments and are intended for classroom sizes of 28-30. Kits include everything you need to lead a trash cleanup, build a watershed model, and more!
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We had a great Gulls & Terns class this March, including a field trip to Galveston East Beach, San Luis Pass, Surfside, and Brazoria NWR.
We saw all of our expected gulls and terns species and got to practice aging them. But the bird of the day was actually a waterfowl… Surf Scoters! Thanks so much to Ron Weeks for teaching the class and to everyone who participated!
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Come RV Volunteer at GCBO! |
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We can’t thank our RV volunteers enough for all the work they do to keep GCBO going and looking good. From trimming trails, to mowing, to fixing things, to feeding the birds. And so much more!
We often have a list of waiting RVers enjoying their time here at GCBO, but due to a cancellation we do have our summer slots open for the month of May through September 2023. You can do part or all! Think XHX events! We also have openings for the summer of 2024 if you or anyone you know wants a fun RV volunteer gig here. If you’re interested please send an email to Martin at mhagne@gcbo.org for more info.
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Volunteer for Spring Fling |
Would you like to spend the day at our Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary? Would you like to help visitors and feed the birds? Then sign up to volunteer during Spring Fling! You can man the host station, sell merchandise, ID birds, and much more! To learn more and sign up, click the link below. |
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SPLASh Beach Signage Challenge |
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Help protect Texas birds from marine debris and plastic pollution!
SPLASh is accepting art submissions to educate the public on proper disposal and prevention of trash pollution along the Texas Gulf Coast.
If chosen, your art will be featured on a sign posted along Texas shorelines! Click the links below to learn more.
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Come birding with GCBO and our Executive Director, Martin Hagne! Have a great time birding, exploring, enjoying some extraordinary scenery, dining on local cuisine, and of course seeing great birds! We always hook up with at least one local guide for the best experience. Here are our wonderful upcoming trips, but hurry, our trips are selling out fast!!
Our 2023 trips are all sold out! But we have just released our 2024 lineup! A few trips still need more information posted, so stay tune on those, or email Martin mhagne@gcbo.org to be put on list for more info! You can also go to our website to check for trip information and to register.
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June 24 - July 1, 2023 - SOLD OUT!
October 12-24, 2023 - SOLD OUT!
February 8-13, 2024
Birding Baja Mexico
March 2024 - Dates and info TBA
Summer Maine Birding
June 16-22, 2024
Birding Sierra Gorda, Mexico and TFFF Trip
September 2024 - Dates and info TBA
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Thank You To Our Major Grantors |
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Make an in-kind donation to support our sanctuary needs. |
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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.
Sugar
The hummingbirds are coming our way, and we are looking for granulated sugar donations for their sugar water. Please bring it by our headquarters: 299 Hwy 332 W Lake Jackson. Thanks!
Picnic Table
We are looking for a small picnic table to go outside our field house. If you have one to spare, please call 979-480-0999 so we can set up delivery/pick up. Thanks!
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Corporate Matching Programs |
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Did you know that many corporations have a donation matching program? Corporations can match their employees' volunteer hours and/or donations to nonprofit organizations like GCBO! These types of programs are great because they double your contributions to the causes that you care about! If you work (or are retired from) a corporation, ask them about their matching program today! |
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Recycle Your Old Technology and Help Birds |
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The Wireless Alliance is a company that recovers and recycles cell phones, smart phones, tablets, and other consumer recyclables.
We will be collecting these items for Wireless Alliance to keep them out of landfills as well as raise money for our conservation efforts. If you have old technology such as a phone, charger, tablet, or other accessories, consider bringing it to GCBO!
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You can help support GCBO's mission in several important ways!
Save a Tree and some $!
We are trying to go as paperless as we can to save some trees and quite a bit on printing and mailing costs. We would love if you would let us email you instead of snail mailing a hard copy of any correspondence, including your future copies of the Gulf Crossings. Please email or call Tricia to say: “Hey, GCBO, please start emailing me things! Here is my email…” Thanks!
DONATE NOW on our website to support our conservation programs.
BECOME A MEMBER and receive our twice a year newsletter and a 10% discount in our nature store.
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When you shop at Kroger, you can support GCBO! |
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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 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.
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