All Audubon field trips are free unless otherwise stated, and open to the public. Come join us!

The following trips are scheduled at this time. Please contact Peter Barnes or listed trip contact for additional information and to let them know you are coming. It's helpful to the leader to know how many participants to expect. Plus, you sure don't want them to leave without you!

Things you might want to bring: binoculars, spotting scope, camera, ID books, hat, rain gear, sunscreen, bug spray, water, snacks and/or lunch, WMA Public Use Permit habitat stamp if needed, any entry fees, and boundless enthusiasm.

FIELD TRIPS

Birding Field Trips with Tyler Audubon

Questions? Directions? Contact Peter Barnes (903-839-8359 or pbarnes123@gmail.com). On field trip days, call Peter at 903-343-3437 if you are lost or have questions.

Saturday, April 17. Mineola Preserve for migrants and breeding birds. The preserve has ponds, riparian habitat and fields that attract a variety of birds. There should be breeding Prothonotary, Kentucky and Swainson's Warblers, and Northern Parulas , as well as Blue Grosbeaks, Lark Sparrows and Indigo Buntings. We will also look for migrant warblers. The nearly Mineola water treatment ponds can have shorebirds if water levels are appropriate.

Directions. From I-20, take Hwy 69 north past Lindale. Just after you pass the Sabine River , take the first right and follow the signs to the Mineola Preserve. If you enter the town of Mineola on Hwy 69, you have gone too far. We will meet in the Preserve parking lot at 7:30 am. We will walk 1-2 miles on well-maintained trails, then drive to the water treatment ponds. We should be done before noon.

Late April upper Texas coast trip for migrants. High Island , Sabine Woods, Anahuac NWR and the Bolivar peninsula attract an incredible number and variety of migrant passerines, shorebirds and waterbirds in the second half of April. Passerine migrant numbers are highly weather-dependent, and best during or immediately after the passage of north winds that prevent birds from travelling further inland. We will plan a 2-3 day trip, preferably on the weekends of April 23/24 or April 30/May 1, depending on the weather forecast. If storms occur in mid-week, we will plan to go then instead. If the weather is fair with south winds throughout the second half of April, we will go from April 29-May 1, as the highest density of passerine migrants cross the Gulf on April 28-30. I will send out information to my mailing list on the timing of the trip as the time approaches.

Tyler State Park bird walks

Boyd Sanders is leading bird walks at Tyler State Park on April 3, 17 and 24. Walks begin at the park headquarters (entrance station) at 8:30 am and last approximately 2 hours. They are followed by a Birding 101 program at 10:30 at the Brown's Point Fishing Pier.

  Saturday, April 3. Morris County bottomland for early breeding birds and migrants. We will bird an area near the north-west corner of Lake O' the Pines and Lone Star, where there are bottomlands, pine forest and open fields. We will look for breeding Northern Parula , Prothonotary and Yellow-throated Warblers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Barred Owls and other bottomland species, as well as lingering waterfowl, loons and grebes.

Directions. We will meet at Old Dad's Restaurant, 803 U.S. 259, Ore City, (903) 968-3440, approximately 1.5 miles south of the intersection with Hwy 155 . We will leave from the parking lot at 7:30 am, and carpool from this point. From Tyler , take Hwy 271 north, then FM726 east, and Hwy 259 north to Ore City . This is approximately 55 miles and slightly more than 1 hrs drive from downtown Tyler . Most birding will be done by the roadside, within short walks from the cars. We will bird till around noon, depending on how the birding goes.

Friday, March 19, -Tuesday, March 23. Coastal birding trip to Fort Bend, Brazoria, Matagorda and Calhoun counties . We will plan to stay at the Angleton Best Western south of Houston on Friday and Saturday night, then at the Best Western in Port Lavaca, Calhoun County on Sunday and Monday night. Be prepared for mosquitoes, which can be numerous at some of these locations.

We will bird Brazos Bend State Park southwest of Houston on Saturday morning, then drive to the coast and bird the marshes and beaches along Follett Island, just west of Galveston, and Brazoria NWR if time permits. On Sunday, we will revisit Brazoria NWR, then drive approximately 120 miles to Port Lavaca, stopping along the way in Matagorda County to look for shorebirds and raptors. On Monday, we will bird the ricefields, migrant traps and coast of Calhoun County. On Tuesday, we will make the 6-7 hr drive back to Tyler, stopping west of Houston in the Katy Prairie and perhaps east of Houston at the Baytown Nature Center.

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Saturday, March 6. Lake Bob Sandlin. We will look for wintering landbirds at the state park and scan the lake for waterbirds. We will drive to the dam, and scan the lake for waterbirds, and check the fields and reedbeds for sparrows, rails and raptors.

Sunday, February 28, 2010
LAKE FORK
for eagles, loons, gulls, ducks and other waterbirds
Ron and Janet Cook and Jay Heppner will lead the trip. We will watch for raptors flying toward the dam in the early
morning, visit the Sabine River Authority property at the west end of the dam, and then drive to several lake viewing
areas. If it is not too cold, we will take a party barge out on the lake. Alternatively, we will look for land birds on Jay's
property on the north end of the lake. If there is time, we will check the south end of the lake. There are restrooms at
the marinas. It can be cold and windy near and on the lake, so dress warmly.
Directions. Meet at 7:30 am at the spillway below the Lake Fork Dam near the intersection of state highway 182 and
state highway 288. From Tyler, take US 69 north to Mineola. Continue north on state highway 37 to downtown
Quitman (about 7 mi). Turn Left on state highway 154. Proceed 1 1/4 miles and then bear left on state highway 182.
Go about 3 miles to the dam. This is about 37 miles from downtown Tyler

Saturday, February 20, 2010
CAMP TYLER
for wintering LeConte’s and other sparrows,
woodpeckers and other landbirds
We can also check nearby Lake Tyler for wintering ducks. This is an easy walk of approximately 1 mile. We will bird
for 2-3 hours.
Directions. Meet at 8 am in the parking lot by the barns on the left as you drive into Camp Tyler. To reach Camp
Tyler from Loop 323 in Tyler, take Spur 248 3 miles to FM 848 (Bascom Rd). Go right and travel 4.3 miles to
McElroy Rd (watch for the small Camp Tyler sign on Bascom Rd). Turn left onto McElroy Rd (CR 2127); Camp
Tyler’s entrance is ahead on the left

Saturday, Feb 7, 2010. John Bunker Sands Wetland Center w Ft Worth Audubon
for waterfowl, large wading birds & shorebirds
This location has extensive wetlands and is not yet open to the
public. We should see thousands of ducks and geese, as well as
wintering shorebirds. We will drive through the wetlands, and there
will be minimal walking. There are no restroom facilities at the
wetlands center, so come prepared.
Directions. Meet at the Rock Church, off Hwy 175, in Kaufman
County, near the Dallas County line, at 7 am. From Tyler, take I-20
toward Dallas. Past Terrell, take FM741 south to Hwy 175. Take
175 west to the FM1389/Combine exit and cross over to the left
side of the highway. The church is visible from the highway. This is
approximately 90 minutes from Tyler. This is a half-day trip.
Important. This is a Dallas Audubon field trip led by Bob Stone.
You must contact Bob Stone at 214-351-2940 before 6 pm the
Sunday before the trip, and give your name, address and phone
number to be placed on a list. You will have to sign a limited
liability waiver to be allowed to go on the property.

Saturday, January 30, 2010. Hagerman NWR. This location hosts thousands of waterfowl in the winter, and the fields and forested areas hold a good variety of wintering birds. This is a field trip that is organized by Dallas Audubon, which I have obtained permission to join. Because Hagerman NWR is a 3 hour drive from Tyler, we will plan to stay in Sherman or some other town within reasonable driving distance of Hagerman NWR on Friday night. Details will be worked out in mid-January when I get final information from Dallas Audubon.

Directions. We will meet at Hagerman NWR at 9 am, and anticipate that the trip will last until approximately 2 pm. We can caravan back to Tyler and bird along the way, if time permits.

Saturday, January 23, 2010. Lake O' the Pines. David Brotherton leads this afternoon trip for those who don't like getting up early. The lake hosts many ducks and loons in winter. We expect to see many diving ducks, including Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser. Large numbers of ducks come into Alley Creek Park in the late afternoon, and we may try for American Woodcock if suitable habitat is found.

Directions. Meet at the Ore City High School parking lot at 1 pm. This is on the left side of Hwy 259, at the north end of town, approximately 1 hr drive from Tyler. Take Hwy 271 north, then FM 726 east to Hwy 259, then north to Ore City. We will bird in the afternoon till dusk, then have dinner at Catfish Village in Ore City.

Saturday, January 16, 2010. Faulkner Park. We will check this local park out for wintering landbirds and the Barred Owl that has been roosting there during the day throughout December.

Directions. Meet at 8:00 am at the nature trail. From Tyler, take Broadway/Hwy 69 south and turn right on Cumberland. Go past the fields of Faulkner Park, then left into the park. The nature trail is on the right, just before a pond on your left. This is a 2-3 hr trip.

Saturday, December 26, 2009. Lake O' the Pines Christmas Bird Count. Contact David Brotherton ( lubrothert@yahoo.com ) if you would like to participate.

Saturday, December 19, 2009. Tyler Christmas Bird Count. Contact Peter Barnes if you would like to participate

Saturday, December 5, 2009. Lake Tyler and areas around Whitehouse. The Lake Tyler concession area hosts ducks, loons and other waterbirds. We will carpool to other roadside stops in Whitehouse, looking for Harris', White-crowned, Fox and Vesper Sparrows, Eastern Towhees and other wintering birds.

Directions. Meet at 8:00 am at the Lake Tyler concession area parking lot. From Whitehouse, take FM346 east out of town. Approximately one mile after leaving town, make a left at the sign to Lake Tyler and enter the large parking lot by the lake. This is a half-day trip.

Saturday, December 5, 2009. Caddo Lake Winter Bird Count . Contact Dorothy Metzler ( dmetzler@rlmgc.net ) if you would like to participate.

Sunday, November 22, 2009. Lake Murvaul. Peggy Harding will lead this trip to Panola County, looking for ducks, waterbirds and wintering landbirds. We will bird one or more locations at Lake Murvaul and may also visit Martin Creek Lake.

Directions. We will meet in the small park just before FM 1971 crosses Lake Murvaul at 7:30 am. From Henderson, take Hwy 79 east to FM1970, then right (south) to Hwy 315, right (west) to FM1971, and left (south) on FM1971. Follow this till just before you reach Lake Murvaul. There is a small park to the left of the road by the lake. We will meet here, bird at the park and lakeside, then cross the lake to the boat ramp. We can leave cars at the boat ramp and carpool from there. The meeting place is approximately 60 miles and 75 minutes from downtown Tyler.

Saturday, November 14, 2009. Kurth Lake. Louis Debataz will lead this trip to a lake north of Lufkin that hosts a variety of waterbirds. Afterwards, there is the option to visit the Lufkin Museum where some original prints by John James Audubon are on display as part of a travelling exhibit, as well as paintings by Mimi Hoppe Wolf of Nacogdoches

Directions. From Lufkin, take HWY 59 North to Rivercrest road, approximately 1 mile north of Redland. Turn right (east) on Rivercrest and continue for 2 miles until you get to a railroad crossing. You will see the Kurth Lake sign and then turn left (north) on Kurth Lake road . After about 2 miles you will come to the entrance of the Kurth Lake Recreational area. Travel down to the yellow gate where the field trip will begin at 8:00 am. Anticipate birding till noon. If lost, call Louis at 936 671-9365.

Saturday, November 7. Camp Tyler . We will look for wintering sparrows and other landbirds. This is a good opportunity to brush up on identifying birds by sight and sound, prior to next month's Christmas Bird Count.

Directions. Meet at 8 am in the parking lot by the barns on the left as you drive into Camp Tyler. To reach Camp Tyler from Loop 323 in Tyler, take Spur 248 3 miles to FM 848 (Bascom Rd). Go right and travel 4.3 miles to McElroy Rd (watch for the small Camp Tyler sign on Bascom Rd). Turn left onto McElroy Rd (CR 2127); Camp Tyler's entrance is ahead on the left. We will bird for 2-3 hrs.