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·AUDUBON
SOCIETY
Volume X)/, No. 2
February, 1997 BEXAR
TR CK San Antonio
Texas
TPWD Offers Rare Species Conservation Incentives
As part of a new approach to rare
species conservation, the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department is offering
to pay landowners to help conserve
threatened or endangered species on
their property. The agency is now ac­cepting
applications for grants of up
to $10,000 to qualified landowners.
"It is no secret that the traditional,
regulatory approach to endangered
species conservation has met .with
some opposition among rural land­owners
and property rights advocates
in Texas," said Andrew Sansom,
TPWD executive director. "We have
a different approach which we think
will work."
"We want to try the carrot instead
of the stick by offering financial in­centives
instead of disincentives. If
we can demonstrate scientifically
valid results from this small pi­lot
program, it will prove to .
other agencies and organiza­be
used for include habitat improve­ments
or habitat protection.
In addition, funds can be used to
provide a "bonus" for an actual in­crease
in the number of rare species
individuals, populations, or occupied
areas as a result of conservation efforts.
Funds could also be used to help pay
legal fees associated with establishing
a conservation easement.
"An important key to achieve the
successful conservation expected by
the publid is for government to facili­tate
the conservation of rare species
on rural landscapes," said Dr. Gary
Graham, TPWD endangered re­sources
branch chief.
tions that incentives and vol­untary
s~ewardship can work.
Hopefully, this will stimulate the
wider use of incentives as a pre-ferred
means of achieving rare ... .\lJ
species conservation on private ~ T!/~ !:'\
land." · I~} •
The program is flexible, with · , ·
hopes that landowners will be creative
in ways they can protect or even in­crease
rare species on their land, while
still engaging in traditional land man­agement
practices such as farming and
ranching. Some ideas that funds could
"Rare species conservation in
Texas will succeed or fail on private
land, since 97 per cent of the land in
our state is privately owned. The rural
landowners of Texas have the habitat,
and most of them are good stewards
of natural resources. Our job is to as­sist
with practical, financially viable
options for them to do so."
For years, biologists in TPWD's
wildlife. division, stationed in almost
every county in Texas, have been pro­viding
technical guidance to help
landowners manage their property in
ways that benefit both game species
like turkey and deer, and nongame
species like migratory songbirds. Dur­ing
a recent reorganization, the largely
Austin-based endangered resources
branch was moved to the wildlife di­vision
from the resource protection di­vision.
Now, Graham's team is
working more closely with the state-wide
corps of field biologists to
provide integrated technical
guidance that focuses on volun­tary
cooperation and incentives.
Biologist Peggy Homer of the
endangered resources branch is
coordinating the landowner in­centives
program
For the purposes of the incen-tive
program, "rare species" include
those on the state or federal threatened
or endangered species lists, as well as
selected vertebrates, invertebrates,
and plants included in the 1995
TPWD Endangered Resources Action
Plan.
Learn more about this program, .
including selection criteria and finan­cial
and deadline details, at Bexar
Audubon's February 20 meeting. See
inside for more information on our
speaker and the rest of the program.
February 20 Meeting: More on the TPWD Incentives Program. See Page 2.
BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY
P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209
210-822-4503
Chapter of the National Audubon Society
Th~ Chapter's primary goals are to promote
species and habitat conservation, and
environmental education in the community.
OFFICERS AND BOARD
Prt'llidcnt
Vice Prt'llident
Treasurer
Secretary
Bo~rd Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Past President
Harriet Wiygul 534-7505: fax 534-7319
Katie Nava-Rag~zzi 804-1226
Bill Sa in 408-77 3 I
Joyce Pipes 281-2452
Claire Drenowatz 599-4168
Chris Dullnig 82 8-40 I 7
John L~ngan 491 -0692
Richard Pipes , 281-2452
Bill Woller 696-31 86
Susan K. Hughes 532-2332: fax 532-2023
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Adopt-~-Park Bill Woller 223-3281
Aud. Adventures Betty Minyard 3 44-612 8
Bird~thon Kim Fluetsch 65 5-05 4 3
Conservation Richard Pipes 2 81 -2452
E~rth Day Dana Bohne 738-1342
Education Katie Nava-Ragazzi 804-1226
Hospitality Nancy Johnson 655-1 338
Membership Susan Hughes 532-2332
Natural Initiatives Debbie Reid 698-1 05 7
Outings Patty Leslie Pasztor 824-1235
Programs Chris Dullnig 82 8-40 I 7
Publicity Susan K. Hughes 532-2332
SAEN Coordinator Russell Smith 733-7639
Ways li Means Bill Sain 408-7731
R~xar Tracks Editor Claire Drenowatz 590-1381: fax590-1369
seedy@txdirect.net
Bexar Tracks is your newsletter. We welcome
your contributions. Next paper (hard copy,
fax) deadline Feb 24, electronic (diskette,
email) deadline Feb 27. Please send fax or
email to Claire Drenowatz, as above; diskettes
and hard copy should he sent to Claire at
16407 Crested Butte, San Antonio, TX 78247.
Bexar Audubon Society general meetings are
held on 3rd Thursdays at 7:00 pm, at the
Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia; board
meetings 2nd Thursdays at 7:00.
Introductory memberships to NAS, including
AUDUBON Magazine, cost only $20. Send
check to BAS (payable to NAS) at address
above. Note chapter code W19, and name,
address, and phone number of new member.
210-733-8306
210-698-1709
210-227-6143
February 1997
Local bird sightings
Wildlife Rescue & Rehab
To report local water waste.
February Meeting: TPWD Incentives_ Program
At the February meeting of the Bexar Audubon Society, Linda S.
Campbell, regional biologist with the Endangered Resources Branch
of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will speak on the new land­owner
incentive programs of the Department and the hope they hold
for improving endangered species work in Texas. Since the state is 97 -
percent privately owned, private lands initiatives are critical to our suc­cess
with habitat and species protection.
Campbell holds an M.S. degree from Texas A&M University in
Rangeland Ecology and Management and received a B.A. in Wildlife
Ecology from the University of Florida. She worked twelve years with
the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conser­vation
Service) as a resource specialist assisting private landowners.
She has published a number of scientific and popular articles dealing
with range and wildlife management in Florida and Texas. She is the
author of the recently published Endangered and Threatened Animals of
Texas, a hook which provides life history information and management
guidelines on federally-listed animals occurring in Texas.
In addition to our program, we will introduce Catriona Glazebrook,
the new director of Texas Audubon. Come meet Catriona, give her a
warm Texas welcome, and hear about her plans and progress for
Audubon in Texas. For your information the Texas Audubon office has
new telephone numbers: 512-306-0225, voice, and 512-306-0235 fax.
Meeting Specifics: Monthly meeting of the Bexar Audubon Society,
Thursday, February 20, 1997, 7 pm. Free and open to the public. For
more information, call 822-4503.
Location: Ruhle Center, 410 East Magnolia (between McCullough
and IH-37, Hwy 281). Nearest freeway exit is North St. Mary's, off
Hwy 281.
Public Transportation: VIA Route 5 (St. Mary's-McCullough- North
Star Mall) to Magnolia Street.
Audubon Needs You
... and You Need Bexar Audubon!
"Volunteers live longer" screams the headline! According to L.M.
Boyd's column in the Express-News, "People who regularly do volunteer
work tend to live longer lives than those who don't."
Is this true? Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't-but why take the
chance?
Volunteer to help BAS in one of its many projects and help yourself
while helping the world. Spring is always a busy time for BAS. We
have a number of events like Earth Day and Viva Botanica at which
we set up booths. We need leaders for outings, people to join us at the
Basura Bash, folks to help mail newsletters, design brochures and edu­cational
programs, assist in scientific research ... the list goes on.
Whether you have a few hours a month or a few hours a day-we
can use you. Come join the BAS family and help conserve the wildlife
and habitat in Bexar County and the surrounding areas.
-Bill Sain
TX State Audubon Office
Greetings everyone. We have new phone and fax numbers and get­ting
Catriona Glazebrook, Texas State Director on-line. The new tele­phone
number for our State Office is 512-306-0225, fax:5 12-306-0235.
She will be cglazebrook@audubon.org.
- Sandra Skrei
Bexar Tracks
CHAPTER NEWS
Bexar Audubon in Action
Or What I Do for Fun on Saturday!
Saturday morning and I'm in an­other
meeting. I have yet to figure out
why we spend so much time indoors
discussing the outdoors. I spend many
a Saturday this way, representing
Bexar Audubon in one form or an­other.
This is an exciting time for
Audubon in TX, as we take another
giant leap in a bringing together all
facets of the Audubon family here in
TX. As of6 Jan, we have our first Stat~
Director, Catriona Glazebrook. She
was introduced to BAS members in
last month's newsletter and is planning
to come visit us in the near future.
Catriona takes her place as a part
of a long Audubon tradition in Texas.
John James Audubon visited the Texas
coast in the spring of 1837. The first
Audubon society was formed in Texas
in 1898 and the first Audubon Sane-·
tuary in TX was established in 1923.
I was very impressed with Catriona
and congratulate those Tx Audubon
chapter members who were a part of
the selection team. Our own Susan
Hughes and Dick Pipes served on this
committee.
Audubon Council of TX/ Audubon
Foundation ofTX (ACT/AFT)
January 17 and 18 found me at
South Padre Island (SPI) attending the
Audubon Council of Tx meeting. A
large part of the meeting was focused
on how best to organize in support of
the Texas Audubon family. We did vote
on a name change, pending a little re­search,
to the Texas Audubon Society
and discussed a variety of structural
and by-laws ideas. We also heard pres­entations
on the Lower Rio Grande
Valley Wildlife Corridor and some of
the environmental problems related to
bridge-building across the Rio Grande.
Scott Hedges and Karen Chapman,
sanctuary managers for the Coastal Is­land
and Sabal Palm Sanctuaries, re­spectively,
gave reports on their
ongoing efforts to manage the sanctu­aries
and to educating the public.
Bexar Tracks
It was not all work and no play.
We did spend an hour at the SPI Na­ture
Trail which consists, for the most
part, of a , boardwalk through a w~t­lands
area on the bay -side of SPI next
to their convention center. If you are
ever in the area be sure to check out
the nature trail and the Weyland mu­rals
(whales and other sealife) on the
convention center walls. I also made
it to Bentsen State Park but had no
luck finding the Blue Bunting. I did
manage to add a number of birds to
my Life List so it was not a wasted
trip.
SAWS Community Conservation
Committee (CCC)
On Saturday, Jan 25, I attended the
inaugural meeting of the SAWS CCC.
This committee is being formed by
SAWS " ... to act as a force for advancing
the concept of water as a precious re­source
by promoting water conserva­tion
and conservation practices among
the population of San Antonio and
Bexar County." SAWS hopes that this
committee " ... will also serve as a source
of ideas for the SAWS staff, consultants
and board on how to educate and in­volve
the community in conservation
efforts." We were briefed on a variety
of conservation programs already on­going
and the status .of water usage in
San Antonio. I will inclu~de an article
in next month;s newsletter which pro­vides
additional information on these
two subjects.
For now, I would like to encourage
each and every one of you to contact
me if you have any ideas regarding po­tential
water conservation programs
and/or improvements to existing pro­grams.
I also ask that you think before
you turn on the tap or use water in
any other way.
Think about how precious water
is and think of ways you can reduce
your own water usage.
As for me, I have to go finish xer­iscaping
my yard and fix that leaky toi­let.
Till next month!
-Bill Sain
Basura Bash
Saturday, March 8 1997 is the date
of the 3rd Annual Basura Bash, San
Antonio River Cleanup. Meet at Mis­sion
County Park at 8 am for registra­tion.
For further information contact
Sande Hafer at 662-1649 or Laura
Bradshaw at 828-8893. Their address
is Adopt-a-River Basura Bash, 2118A
Goliad Rd., Box 162, San Antonio TX
78223. Come out and explore the San
Antonio River and put in a little com­munity
service.
Rain or shine-don't forget to
bring a water bottle, sunscreen, and
work gloves. Wear appropriate foot­wear!
Party after the cleanup at the Trash
Bash including free lunch, entertain­ment,
souvenirs and door prizes.
· iResta lime!
Calling all Earth Day Volunteers
Mark your calendars for the best
family-oriented, environmentally­friendly
event on the Fiesta calendar,
Earth Day 1997. This year the Earth
Day Fiesta event will be held on April
19 at Woodlawn Lake, lOam to Spm.
There will loads of good food and
drink, children's activities, music of all
types and the annual All-Species Pa­rade.
If you are interested on having
a booth or volunteering to organize or
work at the event call the Bexar County
Master Gardners at 930-3086.
If you are interested in helping to
organize a Bexar Audubon booth for
Earth Day, call Bill Sain at 408-7731.
Earthwise Living Day
Leon Valley's annual community
celebration of nature is coming up fast,
and BAS will operate a booth at this
event on 22 February. Is anybody in­terested
in helping me with this?
I received a brochure on this event
in the mail the other day and guess
what I found? A picture of last year's
booth with Katie N ava-Ragazzi and
another of our volunteers sitting in
front of our banner.
-Bill Sain
February 1997
CHAPTER NEWS
An Hour a Day for Water
Serving on the Mayor's Citizens
Committee on Water Policy the past
seven months has been a gratifying
and satisfying experience. The sum­mary
report, presented to City Council
on the 23rd of January, has been well
received, and I believe it does represent
a significant step toward achieving a
regional solution to our water prob­lems.
Another achievement of the Com­mittee
was the formation of new un­derstandings
and, I would hope,
coalitions among sectors of San Anto­nio's
leadership that have not tradi­tionally
been allies-business,
environmental, social justice, and
neighborhoods.
While the natural urge was to
bring our issues and positions to the
table as the Committee began its work,
we were wisely led to start by defining
the interests and values each of us
brought to the table, and we followed
this with intense efforts to identify our
common interests and values. By do­ing
this we learned that we all cared
about a healthy environment for our­selves
and our children, about having
San Antonio be a place that is well re­garded,
about having an attractive city,
about having pure water, about foster­ing
an ethic of stewardship, about re­gional
sustainability for the future,
about fairness and equity for all sectors
of our city and our region, and the like.
Working from these common de­nominators
made it much easier to
build a framework for progress that we
could agree to because it was the right
thing to do to achieve these goals.
Rather than delve into the details of
Consider the auk
Becoming extinct because he forgot
to fly, and could only walk.
Consider man, who may well be­come
extinct
Because he forgot to walk and
learned to fly before he thinked.
- Ogden Nash
February 1997
the summary report, which was
printed in full in the San Antonio Ex­press-
News on Saturday, January 25th,
and which is available for free distri­bution
at public libraries throughout
San Antonio or by phone from City
Hall (207-7060), I will highlight some
of the elements that were discussed
that were of particular concern to me
and to other environmental interests
on the Committee.
There was broad support for
strong state.ments regarding water
quality, reflected in a "nondegrada­tion"
standard and emphasis on con­tinuing
and strengthening water
quality studies and programs. Conser­vation
was endorsed as an key concept
and practice. Improving land manage­ment
techniques, focusing on ran­gelands
in the catchment basin and
recharge zone, was also recognized as
an important program for further re­view-
it has implications not only for
water retention, but also for habitat
impr~vement and sustainability in
these fragile regions.
Finally, one of the most important
elements of this report is the emphasis.
on the regional nature of our water re­sources
and the importance of regional
cooperation, commitment, and prob­lem-
solving to our eventual success.
Considering the number of formal
Committee meetings-every Wednes­day
evening and every-other Saturday
morning; meetings of the working
groups on information, community
outreach, and writing in which I par­ticipated;
and independent time writ­ing;
reading, coordinating, faxing, and
on the telephone discussing the Com­mittee's
efforts, I figure at least an hour
a day for the past seven months have
been dedicated to this Committee. It
was time well spent, full of personal
rewards, and I appreciate the oppor­tunity
to have represented Bexar
Audubon on this Committee. Now,
let's ensure community support to see
these recommendations brought to ac­tion.
4
- Susan K Hughes
Past President
SAEN- March
Perspectives on Planning
San Antonio's Future
Panelists:
Bill Telford, Director Comprehen­sive
Planning, San Antonio Planning
. Department
Steven Tillotson, Chairman Urban
Affairs Committee, American Insti­tute
of Architects - San Antonio Chap­ter
Mike Greenberg, Journalist &
Author, San Antonio Express-News ,
In the past, planning could be
found near the bottom of City Coun­cil's
list of issues of importance to San
Antonio. Increasingly, however, citi­zens
and local organizations repre­senting
diverse interests have
expressed concern over the apparent
lack of vision and planning. Might this
signal positive changes to come?
The final section of the City's Mas­ter
Plan is scheduled to be presented
to Council in a few weeks, and other
major planning documents have re­cently
been and/or are about to be in­corporated
into the City's Uniform
Development Code.
Several Council and Mayoral can­didates
are making planning a key is­sue
in their campaigns. Community
groups are more active now in local
planning initiatives than ever before.
Concept planning activities patterned
after the AlA's very successful 1996
Environmental Design Charrette are
becoming more 'and more common.
The media is devoting an increas­ing
amount of air time and print space
to covering planning issues. Is this a
passing phase or is it the beginning of
a new era?
San Antonio's Open Space Advi­sory
Board will sponsor the quarterly
SAEN Public Issues Forum, 7:00pm,
on March 4th to examine the issue of
planning for San Antonio's future.
The San Antonio Environmental
Network hosts fre~ public issues fo­rums
quarterly to discuss topics of con­cern
to citizens of the San Antonio
area. Plan to attend and encourage oth­ers
to attend as well. Additional Infor­mation:
826-4698 or 532-2332.
Bexar Tracks
CHAPTER NEWS
Bexar Audubon Election lime
Below is the slate of nominees for the officer and board positions for Bexar Audubon as presented by the BAS
Nominating Committee. The election will take place at the BAS general meeting on Thursday, February 20, 1997 at
7:30pm. Please be there to make your interests and concerns known, and to take an active role in the future of BAS.
If you cannot attend the meeting, but wish to vote by mail ballot, please mark and cut out the ballot and mail it
in time to be received by February 19.
You are encouraged to write in your own candidate for any position. Write-in candidates must be current members
of BAS. Ballots with write-ins must be accompanied by a statement signed by the candidate indicating willingness to
serve if elected.
Your name and address as it appears on your newsletter label must be clearly marked on the outside of your mailing
envelope in order to validate your vote. To protect your privacy, however, you may enclose your ballot in another
envelope inside your mailing envelope.
Mail Ballot to BAS Elections, P.O. box 6084, San Antonio TX 78209
Circle proposed candidates or write in your own:
President Bill Sain Write in
Vice President Dick Pipes Write in · .
Secretary Deborah Robinson Write in
Treasurer Betty Minyard Write in
Board Mem?er-2 year Mike Mecke Write in
Board Member-2 year Kim Hoskins Write in
Board Member-2 year Harry Noyes Write in -
Board Member-1 year Katie N ava-Ragazzi Write in
Bill Sain has served on the BAS
board for the three years, the last two
as Treasurer. He has also represented
BAS on a number of projects. He is
the current Treasurer of the Mitchell
Lake Wetlands Society (MLWS) and
is on the Board of the Audubon Coun­cil
of TX (ACT). Bill is a Kelly AFB
employee.
Dick Pipes has served on the BAS
Board for a number of years and is also
the Chair of the Conservation Com­mittee.
He also serves on the MLWS
Board and is the Education Chair for
ACT. A resident of Pleasanton, Dick
is a retired educator/administrator
from Northside School District.
Deborah Robinson has been active
with BAS in a number of activities
over the last few years. She has vol­unteered
at various outreach booths
and assisted with our Natural Initia-
Bexar Tracks
tives and Earth Day projects. She is a
Master Gardener and has recently left
Kelly AFB to start Deborah's Pet &
House Sitting Service.
Bette Minyard is rejoining the
BAS board after a two year hiatus. She
has previous served BAS in a number
of capacities including a previous stint
as Treasurer. She is a retired teacher
and is chair of our Audubon Adven­tures
Committee.
Mike Mecke is being nominated
for his first term on the BAS board.
He l.s a water resource planne-r with
the San Antonio Water System. A na­tive
of San Antonian, Mike ha's two
degrees and almost 30 years of expe­rience
in the areas of natural resource
protection/management. .
Kim Hoskins is being nominated
for her first term on the BAS board.
She is the Volunteer Coordinator for
5
the SA Zoo Education Department.
Kim, also a San Antonio native, has
degrees in Wildlife & Fisheries: Re­I).
ewable Natural Resources and Range
& Ranchland Management from Texas
A&M.
Harry Noyes is also being nomi­nated
for his first term on the BAS
Board. He is the Assistant Editor for
the Newspaper of the Army Medical
Command at Ft. Sam Houston. He is
a docent at the S.A. Zoo and a volun­teer
with Wildlife Rescue and Reha­bilitation.
Katie Nava-Ragazzi has served on
the BAS board for two years, the last
as Vice President. She is also Chair of
our Education Committee and has
made a number of appearances on local
English and Spanish radio and televi­sion
stations on our behalf.
February 1997
BIRD TALES
Banding at Mitchell lake Wetlands
Undoubtedly, anyone reading this
article has birded at or at least knows
the location of Mitchell Lake Wetlands
(MLW) and has probably run into me
and my project partner, Sumner Dana.
Sumner and I proposed our Up­land
Bird Study to the Mitchell Lake
Wetlands Society (MLWS) in the fall
of 1994. It was readily approved and
since then we have put in many a week­end
visit to the lake.
Our initial objectives were to
1) identify the upland bird species
by visual and audio sightings and mist- .
netting, and
2) generate a bird checklist of the
upland bird species for MLW.
Prebanding work required recon­naissance
of the area for greatest bird
activity and then partial clearing of
these areas so we could erect our nets.
The count point lines for the visual
and audio study were measured,
flagged, and weed whacked. All of this
was quite labor intensive but well
worth the hard work.
Our data has been compiled from
October 1994-1996. Our list includes
162 species the oddest being a Great
Kiskadee. We have banded 839 indi­viduals
representing 49 spe-cies.
Nineteen birds have
been recaptured.
A Savannah Sparrow
and Myrtle Warbler were
recaptured this fall. Origi­nally
they were banded
two years ago from the
same net site! Data like
this is really exciting. Not
only does it show the
bird's amazing hom­ing
capability it
also lets us know
that these indi­viduals
have sur- .
vived another two
years through the hazards
of migration, breeding, and life in
general!
San Antonio Water System
(SAWS) plans to develop the wetland!!
into an educational and recreational
area for the public. Our data will con-
February 1997
tribute and help guide this c;levelop­ment
and is beneficial to show species
utilization of the MLW over time.
· Already we have seen some
changes. When we first began our pro­ject,
Dickcissels sang from the tops of
sunflowers in the summer. Waterfowl
were common in Skip's Pond and Cor­morants
bred there the year before.
One summer, I remember seeing a Pur­ple
Gallinule in the marshy area along
the western property line.
Last winter we dubbed MLW
"Hawk Haven" because it was brim­ming
with Red-tailed Hawks of differ­ent
morphs and many other raptor
species including the "Gang of Five"
or "the Bad Boys", a very active group
of Harris Hawks. This year, hawks are
few and far between. Much of the
change may be due to the 1996
drought, but whatever the case, we are
able to chronicle these variations with
our project data.
Science, although important, is
not the only reason to spend a day at
MLW. The lake has become my get­away
where I can leave my troubles
behind. Whenever I arrive, Mitcheli
Lake has something new and exciting
to reveal. Countless beautiful sunrises,
springtime in bloom, and foliage quiv-ering
with butterflies not to mention
dramatic bird behavior and new
sightings.
One early morning when the
sky was painted rosy from the
rising sun, a flock ·of
over two hundred
American White
Pelicans rose from the
east polder and their plumage
flushed pink. Beautiful!
We encourage anyone in­terested
in birding to join us ·
for a morning at Mitchell
Lake. Typically we are there
on Saturdays if the weather
is agreeable. I can be reached
at 210-226-3807 or by email at
DG29814@Jswt.edu. We'd wel­come
the support and the company!
6
- Dawn Garcia
BAS Member
Birding at Kenedy Ranch
Do your part for bird conservation
by rewarding your hard-working self
with an exclusive weekend trip to his­torical
Kenedy Ranch, March 21-23.
The natural history of the ranch
includes coastal prairie and dunes, oak
woodlands, bays and beaches. With its
close proximity to Mexico and its com­bination
of marine, freshwater and ter­restrial
habitats, the Kenedy Ranch
has an unparalleled diversity of avian
species.
A private game preserve, closed to
the public for more than 100 years, the
ranch is now opening its gates to bird­ing
tours on a limited basis. The trip
is a fundraiser for the Gulf Coast Bird
Observatory (GCBO) and limited to 22
participants.
Cecilia Riley, the new Director of
the GCBO, will lead you to exotic and
rare birds like Ferruginous Pygmy­Owl,
Northern Beardless Tyrannulet,
Tropical Parula, Hooded Oriole, Buff­bellied
Hummingbird, Green Jay,
Great Kiskadee, Audubon's Oriole and
dozens of migratory songbird and
shorebird species.
The tour will begin at the ranch
headquarters in Sarita, TX at 4:00pm
on Friday the 21st and end at 1:00 on
the following Sunday. The group will
st~y in an original ranch house (semi­rustic
but very comfortable) on a beau­tiful
part of the large ( 400,000+ acres)
ranch and be fed south Texas fare.
Should be lots of fun as well as a
rare opportunity to see one of the last,
vast undeveloped coastal prairies in
North America. The cost is $325.00 per
person (double occupancy) and half of
that amount will be a donation to the
GCBO.
Cost also includes a ranch bird
checklist at).d a beautiful ranch T-shirt.
Participants will receive a one-year In­dividual
Charter Membership to the
GCBO, includings our biannual news­letter,
updates to the program and fu-ture
tours.
To get more specific information
and to register email Cecilia Riley at
criley@Jaccess.texas.gov or call 512-
385-5398 as soon as possible.
Bexar Tracks
While Texas has always been well
known for its deer, turkey, and quail
populations, the word is getting
out-Texas is also · the Hummingbird
Capitol of the U.S. ·
While this designation may be un­official
as of yet, the support for this
'claim is growing. Twenty species of
hummingbirds have been confirmed
in Texas-more than any other
state-and the TPWD Nongame and
Urban Program's survey, the Texas
Hummingbird Round-Up, has com­piled
one of the largest databases on
backyard hummingbird observations
in the nation.
The Texas Hummingbird Round­Up
is a five year study whose mission
is essentially two-fold: 1) to gather ob­servational
hummingbird data from
the public, and 2) to educate the public
about hummingbird behavior, identi­fication,
and perhaps most impor­tantly,
methods of providing habitat
via native plant species in their own
backyard.
Along with survey forms, we send
packets of Scarlet Sage seeds to our
Round-Up participants. However, just
about any native plant that produces
red or orange, tubular flowers will pro­vide
an attractive nectar source for
hummingbirds. , .
While there are still two years left
in the survey, there have already been
some interesting results from the data
that Texans have· sent in about their
tiny annual visitors.
Perhaps the most surprising infor­mation
that survey participants have
reported in the last three · years is the
frequency of overwintering humming­birds
in Texas. While it has been well
documented that individuals of some
species, such as Ruby7throated Hum­mingbirds,
may remain in Texas for
part of the winter, no one could have
predicted the number and diversity of
overwintering hummers that have
been reported since the first year of
the Round-Up.
Species observed in Texas between
the months of November and February
include: Rufous, Black-chinned,
Bexar Tracks
BIRD TALES
Rounding Up Texas Humm·er,s
Ruby-thro;:~ted, Anna's, Blue-throated,
Broad-tailed, Allan's, Buff-bellied,
Calliope, and Broad-billed. This is a
greater species richness than JllOSt
states report all year-and these are
just our post-migration stragglers!
Another somewhat surprising re­sult
of our study has been the numer­ous
reports of s.pecies previously
thought to be restricted to either the
Trans-Pecos or the Gulf Coast regions ·
of the state.
For example; Broad-tailed Hum­mingbirds,
a species thought to ne~rly
exclusively roam the Trans-Pecos, has
been showing up all over Texas from
Randall County in the High Plains to
Hays County on the Edwards Plateau.
In addition, sightings of rare spe-,
cies such. as the Broad-billed Hum­mingbird
have increased since the
inception ofthe Round-Up. A primary
focus of the project, however, contin­ues
to be the .promotion of native habi-tat
for these fascinating birds. ·
Some of the best wildflower spe­cies
for attracting hummingbirds in­clude
Salvi-a, Honeysuckle, Lantana,
and Scarlet Sage. Along with the Scar­let
Sage seeds for your yard, we will
send you a sur~ey form and a range
map showing where the most common
species may be found.
After recording your year-long
hummer observations, send in your
completed survey form to us and we
will send you a newsletter which sum­marizes
the results of the Round-Up
and a 'Texas Hummingbird Round-Up
Participant' decal for your window.
To sign up, just send your $6 do­nation
to: Texas Hummingbird
Roundup, Texas Parks & Wildlife
Dept., 4200 Smith School Road,
Austin, TX 78744 . .
All of your donations are deposited
into the Nongame and Endangered
Species Conservation Fund, which
supports the research, education, con­servation,
and management of hum­mingbirds
and other nongame and
endangered wildlife.
- Jereme Phillips
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
7
DID YOU KNOW. .. ?
Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
represent the second largest family
of birds in the western hemisphere
(367 species)
The smallest warm-blooded
vertebrate in the world; the Cuban
"Bee" Hummingbird, is only 2.2
inches long
Hummingbirds are the only
birds that can fly backward
The relatively largest breast
muscles of all pirds provide the
· power for the hummingbird's flight
Hummingbirds have the rela­tively
largest brain of all birds
( 4.2% of body weight).
M_artin Reports Requested
Keith Kimmerle at Central Mis­souri
State University is requesting in­formation
on e·arly sightings of Purple
Martins this spring, including Texas
sightings. You should send your infor­mation,
especially any reports of
. banded martins, directly to Keith at
progne@ iland.net
February 1997
TOURS & CAMPS ·
I 99 7 Summer Pelagic Trips Announced
The dates have been set for the
1997 pelagic trips. The Port O'Connor
trips are scheduled for June 28, July
26, Aug. 23, and September 20. Details
for these trips are the same as in past
years.
We will also be leading a trip spon­sored
by the Houston Audubon Soci­ety
that has the potential to be the most
exciting Texas pelagic trip ever!
It .will be on a much larger boat
(100') than the Port O'Connor boat,
with sleeping births for 34 passengers
and leaders, a full service galley, indoor
seating for all with excellent air con­ditioning,
an upstairs open air observ­ing
area with more than enough area
for all, and a shaded observing area for
those who wish to be outside but out
of the sun.
Passengers will embark on this
HAS-sponsored trip in Freeport, TX
at 9pm on Sunday June 22. We will
sleep onboard enroute to the deep
water, will awaken at dawn with 4500'
of water under us, and will start bird­ing
in prime pelagic waters at the best
birding time of the day.
We will have the entire 14 hour
daylight period for birding, and then
will return to port during the night
while we are sleeping. Passengers will
not have to disembark until 9am on
June 24.
The boat has freshwater showers
in the bathrooms for passengers use.
This boat is usually used to take scuba
divers to the Flower Gardens Reefs
and the boat operators are very expe­rienced
with offshore conditions and
travel.
The cost for this special trip will
include the 2 nights lodging on the
boat, 3 meals on June 23 and breakfast
on June 24, and the entire day of bird­ing
on June 23 and will be $180.00
which will include a tip for the crew.
Compared to a Port O'Connor trip
(where I estimate costs to be: boat trip
$90.00, food 15.00 (minimum, more if
on eats at restaurants), lodging $40.00
for a total of $145.00), the cost will be
comparable but we will spend over
twice as much time in birding waters
and the boat will be much more spa­cious
and comfortable.
I should point out that $15 .00 is
going to the Houston Audubon Soci­ety)
the trip sponsor, to support their
programs.
As you may have guessed, I am al­ready
excited about this year's trips.
Since we are working with a new (but
enthusiastic) boat operator, I hope to
have the HAS trip filled by April, so
let me know ASAP if you are interested
in that one-feel free to tell your friends
about it.
- Dwight Peake
30 LeBrun Ct.
Galveston, TX 77551
dpeake (r1lmail.phoenix. net
TAMUG Sea Camp
Sea Camp offers kids a hands-on
marine biology experience along the
Texas coast or the Caribbean. Young­sters
will come face to face with rare
sea turtles, cruise aboard a Texas A&M
University at Galveston (TAMUG)
marine research vessel, and have fun
while learning toappreciate and con­serve
the natural world.
During the week-long camp, Sea
Campers will live on the TAMUG
campus on Pelican Island. Each day
the young explorers will investigate
the rich coastal habitat of Galveston
Bay while using scientific sampling
techniques to study marine animals
such as fish shrimp, and crabs. Dredg­ing
for oysters from a lugger boat
brings the realms of science and com­mercial
industry together to give
campers a more complete picture of
the importanceof this environment.
A variety of Sea Camps are offered
for kids from aged 10-16. A special
Spring Break Sea Camp is also offered
to youths 10-16 on March 23-29.
Spaces in the camps are limited
and are filled on a first-come, first­served
basis. Tuition includes all room,
board and transportation during camp.
Teachers may attend free and for
credit by serving as counselors.
For full information, contact Sea
Camp registrar at 409-740-4525 or
http//www.tamug.tamu.edu/-seacamp
San Pedro Valley Bike & Bird Tours Set
Riders have a choice of several 2- and 3-day options,
held between April 25-30, 1997. All of the options feature
low daily mileages between 20 and 35 miles. Riders will
enjoy pedaling through the U.S. Bureau of Land Manage­ment's
beautiful San Pedro Riparian National Conservation
Area and touring the historic towns of Bisbee and Tomb­stone,
Arizona. There are many bird watching activities
along the way. Each day includes one SAG/lunch stop and
one water stop.
Every day, a 'bag' vehicle will make sure that riders'
luggage reaches the day's destination. Packages A (and 2-
day) and Combo Package 1 include a ride on the historic
San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad! All riders will receive
commemorative ride T-shirts.
February 1997 8
Package B is for the true birder-the area was recently
voted a 'Globally Important Bird Area' by a national birding
organization. Each of the three days begins and ends in
Sierra Vista and highlights a unique Southeast Arizona bird
site, including Ramsey Canyon (hummingbird capital of
the West), the Bureau of Land Management's San .Pedro
House, and the San Pedro River and Riparian National
Conservation Area (home of the vermilion flycatcher).
There will be guided hikes and opportunities to view bird­banding,
including hummingbirds!
There are several packages and combinations, so call
for more information. For general information, call Brian
Fellows at 602-280-1427. To register, call Pat & Dennis
James at 520-825-2469.
Bexar Tracks
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Messages for Bird Lovers and Coffee Fanatics ...
The Rainforest Alliance has been
working with local conservation
groups in Central America to develop
a program that will stop the "defores­tation"
of traditional coffee farms. As
you know, coffee was forever grown
under a multistory canopy of native
trees, which provided shade, fruits,
medicinal plants, watershed protec­tion,
natural fertilizers and other bene­fits
for the farmers. In addition, these
agroforests offer good to excellent
habitat for birds and other wildlife.
In many areas, shaded coffee farms
are the only "forest" left. Now, they
too are disappearing as producers rush
to replace the traditional systems with
treeless fields of tightly packed hedge­rows
of "sun coffee." These "outdoor
coffee factories" are more productive,
but require lots more chemicals, cause
erosion, pollute streams, and are nearly
worthless to wildlife. They also put the
farmers at risk, because the costs of
maintaining these fields are high and ·
the coffee market is notoriously vola­tile.
The old-fashioned farms are much
more sustainable over the long
term-and they often produce the best
coffee.
Coffee farms that meet the ECO­O;
K. standards developed by biologists
in Guatemala will be awarded this
"green seal of approval." That's your
guarantee that the coffee is good for
birds and for farmers.
Dynamite ECO-O.K.- certified
beans are now for sale in the United
States. For a taste, call 1-888-LUV­JAVA,
which will put you in touch
·with European Roasterie, the first
roaster in the country to get with the
program.
An activist kit for coffee-slurping
conservationists will soon be available.
You can order one be writing to
Sabrena Rodriguez, Rainforest Alli­ance,
65 Bleecker Street, New York,
NY 10012-2420, fax 212-77-2187, e­mail:
srodriguez@Jra.org, or you'll be
able to download it from our web site:
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org
MEANWHILE, why don't you
join our coffee club for news and views
of this issue from environmentalists,
birders, ' coffee farmers, coffee roasters
and the kind of people who carry push­pots
and tiny grinders in their back­packs.
You can share your coffee-flavored
ideas and observations on this chat
line. Free and uncensored. To join,
write· to: majord.omo(riJigc.org
Send the following message, leav­ing
the subject line blank, "subscribe
coffee-hot -line."
The majordomo will add you to
the club right away.
-Rainforest Alliance
Apdo. 138-2150, Moravia, Costa Rica
tel 506-240-9383,/ax 506-240-2543
e-mail: infotrop@!sol.racsa.co.cr
Lost in the Ozone
Industry's $5 million "grassroots"
campaign to fight new EPA clean air
rules by downplaying their health ef­fects
has caught the attention of AI
Kamen's "In the Loop" column in the
Washington Post.
"The effects of ozone are not that
serious," Kamen quotes an auto indus­try
spokesman. "People exposed to
ozone actually adapt to it," an oil com­pany
spokesman argues.
Considering a suggestion from an­other
oil lobbyist that "asthmatic kids
just need not go out and ride their bi­cycles,"
Kamen suggests that might be
a good idea. "If they were out jogging
or riding, they might run down an oil
lobbyist," Kamen observes.
. .. and Beer Drinkers
Beer-Backed Bovines
Besiege Wilderness
The Sierra Club is asking citizens
to write to August Busch III, president
of Anheuser-Busch, urging him to pro­tect
the trout in the Golden Trout Wil­dernes~
by "removing livestock from
ecologically sensitive public lands."
The Club says Anheuser-Busch,
owner since 1987 of a ranch in CA's
Owen Valley, has "contributed to over­grazing
along the wild and scenic
South Fork of the Kern River and
Golden Trout Creek," threatening
habitat for the Volcano Creek golden
trout in the lnyo National Forest.
Busch's address is One Busch
Place, St. Louis MO 63118.
Money Talks
A study released by the Center for
Responsive Politics "found that corpo­rations
that poured money into [the
104th] Congress typically got the votes
they wanted," Greenwire reports from
several sources. An example was the
timber industry's ability to "persuade"
Congress to keep the Rescissions Act
Logging Rider.
The 54· Senators [editor's note: in­cluding
Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey
Hutchison] who voted not to repeal the
law received an average of $19,503 in
political action committee contribu­tions
from timber companies, while
the 42 who opposed the industry re­ceived
an average of $2,675.
Similar results were found on
votes affecting . the sugar, mining and
oil industries.
- GREENLines, Fri. Jan. 24, 1997
from GREEN, the Grassroots
Environmental Effectiveness Network
A project of Defenders of Wildlife.
202-789-2844x288
or emaillfeather@clark.net
Oh beautiful, for smoggy skies,
o'er insecticide waves of grain,
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee!
And hides the pines, with billboard signs,
and strip-mined mountain's majesty,
above the asphalt plains!
Bexar Tracks 9
from sea to oily sea!
- George Carlin
February 1997
Bexar Audubon Society, Inc.
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio. TX 7 8209
Address Correction Requested
Non-profit
Organization
U. S. Postage Paid
San Antonio, TX
Permit #590
SPRING/SUMMER PLANNING CALENDAR
t Bexar Audubon Event §4 San Antonio Environmental Network I 2/1 3 !Viva Botanical I 0 - 6, San Antonio
§ Mor.e Information Inside Public Issues Forum, 7pm. Witte Mu- Botanical Gardens, Karen Pipken at
seum Auditorium. Perspectives on 826-0012 if you are interested in
CONTACTS FOR RECURRING EVENTS Planning San Antonio's Future. 826- having a booth.
First Saturday at Friedrich Park. guided gen- 4698 or 532-2332.
eral natural history hike. free. 698-105 7 for t8 Friedrich Park. 9-1 I am. Wild Edible 19 Earth Day 1997, Woodlawn Lake.
reservations. Plants. Recipes by Debbie Reid. $2 I Oam to 5pm.
Second Saturday at Friedrich Park sponsored per person. 22 Native Plant Society of Texas, lmpor-by
Bexar Audubon. $2 donation requested. §8 3rd Annual Basura Bash, San Anto- tant Women in the Study of Texas
698-105 7 for reservations. nio River Cleanup. Sande Hafer 662- Plants, 7 -~m. Lions Field Club
Second Saturday: Beginners Bird Walk at 1649 or Laura Bradshaw at 828- House, 28 9 Broadway at Mul-
Alamo Heights Nature Trail. Georgina 8893. berry. 824-3776 Harry Clif(e. Free
Schwartz of SA Audubon Society 342-2073. 13 Friedrich Park. 4-Spm. Master Natu- and open to public.
Fourth Saturday: Birdin~ morning at Mitchell ralist Volunteer training. I st class of MAY
Lake with Ernie Roney. MS. Meet at ML at I 0, learn the basics of the natural 3 Friedrich Park. Bird Count, 7 -9am.
8 am. 733-8306 for more info. world. $2 5. manual included. Park closed until count is completed.
Every Saturday: Canyon Hike, Honey Creek §21 Weekend trip to Kenedy Ranch. 7/9 Terrene Institute Conference, Com-
SNA. 9-11 am. Fee $2. $5 family. 2-mile email Cecilia Riley at criley@ac- munities Workin9 for Wetlands. AI-guided
walk with interpretation of the environ- cess.texas.gov or call 512-385- exandria, VA. Call 800-72 6-4 8 53; e-mental
and cultural history of the Hill Country. 5398. mail terrene@gnn.com
210-438-2656 22 Eco-Fair. Saturday. March 22nd. 10 Friedrich Park. For the Love of Trees.
I I :00 to 3:00. at Whole Foods in I 0-3. Special event, identification of
FEBRUARY Colonies North. David Wilder, 696- Hill Country trees, shrubs 5 flowers.
§t20 BAS General meetintt· elections. pro- 6331. Free seedlings: activities for use: us-gram.
7:30pm. 25 Native Plant Society ofT ex as. Folk- ing natives in landscape.
20522 Primitive tour. Kickafoo Caverns SP. lore and Legends ofT exas Wild flow- JUNE
Bracketville. Adults 5, children un- ers. 7-9pm. Lions Field Club House, I 3/14 Texas Land Trusts: Grassroots
der I 2 $2. Flashlight tour of an un- 2809 Broadway at Mulberry. 824- Land Conseruation in your Commu-devel~
ped Hill Country cave. 2 I 0- 3776 Harry Cliffe. Free and open to nity. statewide land trust conference
563-2342 public. sponsored by TPWD. National Wild-
§t22 Leon Valley Earthwise Living Day. 29 Friedrich Park. Bird Count. 7-9am. flower Research Center. Austin.512-
Bill Sain. 408-7731. Park closed until count is completed. 389-4779. 512-389-4868~ fax
25 Native Plant Society ofT exas, Plant APRIL 512-389-4469.
Propagation by Cuttin~s, 7 -~m. Li- 4 Mini Symposium on Biodiversity. SA §22 Overnigl~t pelagic trip. Freeport, .
ons Field Club House, 809 road- Museum of Art. Tom Lovejoy. Key- HAS sponsored. Dwight Peake. 409-
way at Mulberry. 824-3776 Harry note Speaker. Molly Stevens. 512- 740-4621 evenings.
Cliffe. Free and open to public. 478-5161. §28 Pelagic trip. Port O'Connor. Dwight
MARCH §5 Environmental Workshop for Teach- Peake, 409-7 40-462 I evenings.
3/5 De Lange Woodlands Conference, ers K-5, 8am-3pm. Mitchell Lake Other conservation organizations: please add
Sustainable Deuelopment: Manag- Wildlife Refuge. 210-7 3 5-5 392 Bexar Audubon to your mailing list if we're not
in9 the Transition. Rice University. §5 1997 Girl Scout World Wide Games, already on it, and we'll be glad to include your
Judy Howell 713-737-5674, e-mail 8-5:30. at UTSA. events in our calendar each month.
jmhowell@rice.edu. 12 Friedrich Park. Bats!:* Kurt Menking
will tell all on bats. $2.
1-
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