Winter in Texas is a very good time to chase birds. And, if expanding your bird life list is your goal or you just like seeing unusual birds, this winter is shaping up to be an interesting season, particularly in south Texas. So far there have been great opportunities to see birds like the Bare-throated Tiger Heron has been lurking in Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park, a Northern Jacana has been making itself at home in Choke Canyon State Park, a Northern Wheatear is lingering at a private property near Beeville, and now an Amazon Kingfisher has been discovered in the Laredo area. Besides the great-sounding names, these birds have wandered way out of their normal range into our neck of the woods. Birders are flocking to these locations to get a look–sometimes just a glimpse–at these rare visitors to the lower 48 states.
To keep up with rare bird sightings across Texas, check out the Texas Rare Bird Alert link or try subscribing to the Texbirds listserv.

Sunday I decided to bird around La Grange. The Travis Audubon Society is offering a series of monthly field trips called the Outer Limits Bird Survey. It’s a chance to explore some of the less-well-traveled counties around Austin. This weekend’s survey was in Fayette County, so it became my excuse to check out some parks I’d never visited. The group spent most of the day around Lake Fayette at the two LCRA parks on its north shores—Oak Thicket and Park Prairie (www.lcra.org). While these parks are very popular with fishermen, I really enjoyed the hiking trails along the lake. They traverse a mix of habitats—woods, water and prairie, which makes for more diverse (and interesting) birding. I’d like to come back during migration—who knows what may show up here. I was also curious about the cabins at Oak Thicket and plan to check those out some day for a longer weekend trip.

By lunchtime Sunday this group was ready for a break (some had been at it since early Saturday). We stopped at Las Fuentes in La Grange for a Mexican food fix and to compare notes. The species total came to 90. Not too shabby for a weekend’s work!

Before heading home I decided to check out Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Site (www.tpwd.state.tx.us). It’s a scenic little park on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River and La Grange. And though I’ve seen pictures of the monument, I didn’t realize that the environment is kind of unusual for this area, it’s a small outcrop of Hill Country. The canyon trail around the ruins of the old brewery and along the little creek felt like I was west of Austin. It was a very relaxing way to end the day.

A few years ago, I joined a group that conducts surveys on the lower Colorado River. I joined partly to acquire volunteer hours for my Master Naturalist certification, but mostly because it combines birding and being near (and in) water—two of my favorite pasttimes.

On the survey we kayak (or canoe) different sections of the Colorado between Longhorn Dam on the east side of Austin to the Lost Pines Recreational Trail east of Bastrop. It’s a non-extreme paddling experience, which is fine by me. My kayaking skills are pretty basic and I can create plenty of excitement for myself simply by trying to stop the boat to “get” on a bird. This has probably provided some Lucille-Ball-style entertainment for many fishermen along the way.

Still, I love how quickly I can get away from urban Austin onto the quiet of the river. Being able to bird by ear comes in very handy on these trips, and seeing nature from that point of view has shown me a side of Central Texas that I never noticed before. You can find birds (as well as plants and animals) that aren’t often visible from the shore. Last Saturday, we spotted all three Kingfishers–the Belted is common in the Austin area, but we also regularly see the more rare Ringed and Green Kingfishers, as well. Bald Eagles and Osprey often make appearances. And fall and spring migrations are always full of surprises.

For the surveys, we’ve had to make some special arrangements for put ins or take outs, but there are parks along the river that provide easy public access. Little Webberville Park to Big Webberville Park makes a good starter trip.

For more information on paddling the Colorado, check out Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Web site.